GEARING UP FOR PRE-LAUNCH
It has been too long, friends! Life has a way of throwing curve balls, but I am ready to get back in the game.
In recent news, my Shrumans Card Game was accepted by Kickstarter, which was to my amazement despite not having all of my ducks in a row for a proper Kickstarter page (reward tiers, cost breakdown, etc.). This means that I can do a Kickstarter Pre-Launch!
But—hold the phone!
I was itching to get the Pre-Launch page going, but I have decided to wait a tiny bit longer to finish the game art and card prototypes. Once a Pre-Launch page is live, it is recommended that the consequent Kickstarter is launched in 30-60 days. That’s a fast turnaround!
A Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page makes it easy for people to follow you and is helpful in determining your audience size. From that audience size you can calculate an achievable funding goal. I want to be sure that I am at a good point to make this important first step so that I am ready to launch my Kickstarter about 60 days after Pre- Launch.
Shrumans Card Game Kickstarter banner concept.
Above is what I have so far for the Shrumans Kickstarter project thumbnail image. This is what shows up on the Kickstarter search page.
In the process of designing the banner, I have developed new aesthetic concepts for presenting Shrumans. One: hiding some of the faces gives an opportunity to showcase the illustration details in the mushroom caps and tops. Two: color scheme! I have been using light blue backgrounds that harmonizes well with the pinks, reds and earth-tone fungi. What do you think?
Next Steps for May-June
Here is what I need to do before Pre-Launch time!
Finish card art. There are only 6 more Shruman cards left to illustrate. I also need to polish the art for the action cards, design the card’s back side, and finesse the instruction insert. This sounds like a lot, but the Shruman cards were the most time-intensive and are almost done!
Print out and game test again with updates. The major updates to test will be the finished art, new instruction insert, and a doubling of the Shruman cards. The larger deck will accommodate up to 8 players and the identical set of Shruman cards introduces new game play.
Order prototypes from printing companies. This will be an important step to check the quality of the final card game. Just as important is finding a printing partner that can offer recyclable materials and a reduced environmental impact at the same time as producing an affordable and professional-grade product.
Game design is a process that benefits from multiple insights! If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me at my Shrumans email: info@shrumans.com.
