Massive EU & UK Announcement, Final MPC Sample Pictures & Unboxing Video, and Timeline Update
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Jul 22, 2022 at 09:51:48 PM

Hello CATastrophe Nation,

Abi & I hope you all have been having a good July. I have a lot of great news to cover, so I will jump right into the update.

Massive EU & UK Announcement

I’m excited to notify our EU and UK backers that we have received our UK VAT & EORI numbers. This means we are all set to open everything up to the EU & UK. Thank you for your patience and belief in us.

I will send out all of the EU & UK BackerKit surveys IMMEDIATELY.

•  Note that the survey will be sent to the SAME email address you used to log in to Kickstarter. Please read Update #14 if you have any questions about how to complete the BackerKit Survey.
• Please double-check your spam folder if you haven't received your survey email by the end of today. If you can’t locate your survey, please email me at [email protected] or message me on Kickstarter, and I will send you a direct link to your survey.

If any of your EU/UK family or friends missed the Kickstarter campaign and would like to pre-order the game, please direct them to our pre-order store HERE. Our store is now open for EU and UK pre-orders.

A few notes:

•  Important: shipping and VAT Taxes will be added and charged when completing the BackerKit pledge manager survey.
• Art Posters are currently only shipping to the US & Canada.
• A few EU and non-EU countries will be Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU). This means the import VAT will be charged to the recipient by the courier. Unfortunately, we have no control over this. This is the list of countries our Fulfillment company let us know will be delivered DDU: Albania (AL), Andorra (AD), Belarus (BY), Bosnia & Herzegovina, Gibraltar (GI), Iceland (IS), Kosovo (XK), Monaco (MC), Norway (NO), North Macedonia (MK), Moldova (MD), Montenegro (ME), San Marino (SM), Serbia (RS), Switzerland (CH), and Turkey (TR).

Factory Paper Shortage Delay

I know I said we have a lot of great news to cover, but before I go any further, I wanted to mention a delay that occurred in May/June that we had no control over.

I was notified by the factory, right after our last update, that they had to delay mass production printing due to a paper shortage. This delayed our overall timeline by several weeks. The great news is that they did eventually receive more paper. And they have finished all mass printing.

Final Game Samples Received & Approved

We received the final MPC game samples from the factory in early July and immediately did a deep dive and reviewed everything to ensure there were no issues! The MPC sample is the first manufactured and assembled copy of the game.

We are thrilled to let you know that not only did we approve the final samples, but everything looks even better than we could have hoped for. The final samples look AMAZING!!!

This is tremendously GREAT news and a BIG step!

Holding the final game in our hands was really special for us. After all of the hard work we have put into this project, we are thrilled that it has physically materialized into something that we hope you will enjoy and treasure.

Funny enough, in celebration, Abi and I called our neighbors over right after we finished reviewing the samples and played a game of CATastrophe. We had a great time!

Final MPC Sample Photos & Unboxing Video

We can’t wait to get these games into your hands so you can experience the magic for yourselves. These pictures and video don’t do it justice.

Unboxing Video

Progress

• Plastic Tray Insert Sample Received and Approved
• UK VAT & EORI Applications Approved and Numbers Issued
• Shipping Tables created for ALL EU & UK Countries
• EU & UK Pre-Order Store Open
• Received and reviewed Poster Sample Prints
• Sample Prints Sent to our fulfillment partner for test packaging and shipping preparation for fulfillment
• Met with our Freight Coordinator Partner
• Final MPC Sample Reviewed & Approved
• Mass Production Printing Completed

Next Steps

•  Product Safety Testing - Game samples are currently at the Lab for required product safety testing for the US, EU, & UK.
•  Posters – A few small tasks remain for the art posters. Once complete, we will order one final test print samples to review and ensure the posters look fantastic and are ready for mass printing. Then we will order the posters and have them shipped to our fulfillment partner.
•  Assembling & Packaging Games – The factory is currently assembling, packaging, and boxing all of the games.
•  Freight Operations – Coordinate with freight partners and ensure ships are secured and scheduled for all freight needs. Ensure all required data is created and provided to the freight partner and a freight plan is in place. Work with the manufacturer on lining up freight and anything else required.
•  Fulfillment Preparation – Prep all backer data for fulfillment partners.

Estimated Timeline

As mentioned, our overall timeline was delayed due to the factory paper shortage that caused a printing delay.

During our recent meeting with the freight coordinator, we learned what we could expect for the freight and customs timeline, and I applied these adjustments to our timeline below.

Estimated Timeline.

• Late July – All games are assembled, packaged, and prepared to be freight shipped out to fulfillment hubs.
• Early-to-mid-August – Freight shipping begins.
• August - October  – Freight shipping to each region’s fulfillment hub (includes customs).
• Late October – Fulfillment to Backers is estimated to begin. Fulfillment is estimated to take 2-3 weeks for all games and posters to be shipped out to backers.

Final Rulebook

We have added the final rulebook to our website, and you can check it out by clicking HERE.

In Memory of Klaus and Norman

I’m sad to share with you all that two of the wonderful cats featured in CATastrophe recently crossed the rainbow bridge. I wanted to take this opportunity to honor their memory.

On Wednesday (7-20), Klaus crossed the rainbow bridge and reunited with Oskar. We are sorry to hear of his passing but want to celebrate his extraordinary life. Klaus was a whopping 22 years old and was born in 2000. It has been an honor to have Klaus and Oskar featured in our game.

Abi and I had the opportunity to meet and spend a little time with Klaus’s family (Mick, Bethany, Faye, and Fern) during our CatCon trips back in 2017 and 2018. They are the most genuine, kind, and easy-going family, and we enjoyed getting to know them.

The fantastic Oskar and Klaus children’s books have been a favorite of ours to read whenever our nieces and nephews come and stay with us. Klaus, you will be greatly missed.

Anyone interested in getting an Oskar and Klaus children’s book can check those out HERE. These books are super high quality, have great artwork, and are fantastic stories. I highly suggest these for any kids (and adults) that love adventure, cats, and fun. They can even be ordered in braille edition.

I also wanted to share Mick’s message from Facebook on Klaus’s passing.

“Oskar & Klaus are reunited. Klaus passed away today (7/20) after suffering a severe stroke yesterday morning. The ol’ boy fought off so many health issues in his 22 years that we started to suspect that he’d be around forever. Still, some problems started to emerge in 2020 and we realized that his time on this world was coming to an end. It hurts to say goodbye to a cat like Klaus after 16 years together. Bethany and I adopted him from The Cat House in Lincoln, Nebraska, just two years into our relationship (way back in 2006). He was at the shelter for a chunk of time after being rescued from wandering the streets as a stray, where he likely got the ear damage and scars on his body.

It’s hard to even think back to a time before we had him in our lives! He traveled with us on so many adventures (he loved, loved, loved car rides) across chunks of the US and Canada. He helped raise Oskar in 2011, and later Juno and George. He basically taught them how to be cool, fearless cats who can handle the vacuum cleaner or a visiting dog! He was also a loving and protective “big brother” to our daughters, Faye and Fern. The very first thing they experienced at home after being born was Klaus napping on their heads. Well, they’re animal lovers now, so Klaus did something right.

I’m so glad many of you had a chance to meet this mellow, cool cat in person. Smile when you think of him, or when you read the Oskar & Klaus children’s books. That’s what we’re doing! Klaus, you were one in a million. Tell Oskar “hello” from us!

With love,

Mick”

You can find more about Oskar the Blind Cat & Klaus on their IG HERE & FB HERE.

Norman Bates as The Meowgician

Many of you may remember that before the Kickstarter launched last year, we had a giveaway to have one lucky grand prize winner featured in the game. And that winner was Norman Bates! We are sad to announce that Norman’s owner recently contacted us and let us know that Norman also crossed the rainbow bridge. She told us that Norman has always suffered from FELV and fought his last brave battle on May 8th, 2022. We are so sorry to Norman’s family, and we wanted to honor his life by sharing his brief bio from our art booklet. It has been an honor to have Norman involved with this project.

Norman's Bio:

Mr. Norman Bates Gonzalez was born underneath a window one spring morning. He and his "mother" aka Baby, had become part of the family instantly. While growing into a fine, young cat, Norman started a tradition of sitting in front of the television watching classic movies with his owner. His favorite is a picture about a certain son and his mother living in an old house with a motel. I'm pretty sure he liked the music. Norman and his mother “Baby” were inseparable! Truly one and the same with almost every step. He truly lived up to his name. Norman was quite the “Meowgician” as well. His favorite trick was making a bowl of his favorite crunchies disappear right before your eyes! Did you see it? In his younger days, he was also a master at performing what is known as the “Great Escape!” He would be able to get through any locked door or cabinet with ease!

The mysterious magician, Norman Bates, will forever perform his magic tricks as the beloved Meowgician in CATastrophe for players all around the world.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for your incredible support and patience. We appreciate you all.

For the time being, everyone can still update their shipping address or add additional items to their order by reaching out via private message here on Kickstarter or send me an email at [email protected] 

To Catfinity and Beyond! 😺 🚀

Josh, Abi, & Indie

Clarification on Shipping Timeline, Sample Pictures, Progress, Next Steps, and Timeline Update
almost 2 years ago – Thu, May 26, 2022 at 03:25:04 AM

Hello CATastrophe Nation,

Abi & I hope you all have been well. We had several time-sensitive project tasks to complete that required our immediate attention. Now that those tasks are out of the way, I can provide this update.

Shipping Timeline Confusion

I apologize for any confusion around the shipping timeline. We had to lock orders and charge cards to start to get an idea of how many games we will need to freight to each region. I realize this is very confusing because we recently charged credit cards for backers with a completed survey (which was the majority of backers), and I didn’t mention anything concerning the shipping timeline in update #18. However, I did provide an overall timeline in Update #17. From here on out, I will provide an updated timeline in every update.

•  Shipping Fulfillment Timeline - Our estimated timeline (best case scenario) for game and poster delivery to backers is September. I say “best case scenario” because our timeline could be affected if our factory (based in China) has any delays due to COVID or if we have any delays during the freight shipping process (such as delays with customs), etc.
• Important Note – You can still update your shipping address even after your order is locked.

175 Incomplete BackerKit Surveys

The large majority of backers have completed their survey, but there are still 175 backers who need to complete their pledge manager survey to finalize their order and shipping information.

Many backers' surveys are still incomplete because they provided everything except for their payment info for shipping costs. If you do not complete your survey then we won’t be able to deliver your game and or art posters to you.

In mid-May, I emailed each backer who hadn’t completed their survey order yet. I also sent each of these backers a Kickstarter message with a link to complete their survey on BackerKit.

•  If you are uncertain if you completed your survey, please check your Kickstarter messages. If you don’t have a message from me on May 10th or 13th, you should be all set. However, if you have a message from me, please follow the link in the message and complete your survey.

EU & UK Backers Update

Great news, I submitted a UK VAT & EORI application and am awaiting word from the UK government on approval. Once approved, I will be able to move forward with taking EU & UK pre-orders.

We have NOT sent out EU & UK BackerKit surveys yet, so please don’t be alarmed that you have not received your survey. We are waiting to receive our VAT number before opening up EU & UK surveys.

I want to express my extreme gratitude for your support and patience. Thank you!

•  Important note: shipping and VAT Taxes will be added and charged when completing the BackerKit pledge manager survey.

Progress

•  All Physical Samples (White Box & Digital Proofs) Received and Approved – We were ECSTATIC to receive the samples (in late March) and spent several days reviewing everything in great detail. Overall, everything looked amazing, and I’m super happy with how things are turning out. We found several issues and had to make a few adjustments and re-sample a few items. Our manufacturer provided new samples, and everything looks incredible. All samples (minus the plastic tray insert) were approved in April. This is a huge step. See sample images below. 
•  Locked Orders & Charged Credit Cards – For all backers with completed Backerkit surveys, we locked orders and charged cards for shipping and any additional add-ons on April 4th.  Please update your payment info if your card was declined or errored. 
•  175 Incomplete BackerKit Surveys - Backers with incomplete surveys have been notified via email and Kickstarter message.
•  Poster Test Prints – Abi and I have continued to work on adjusting the 20 art posters. We ordered and just received test poster prints in the mail for review. We are working with a US-based printer for the posters.
•  Plastic Tray Design – We worked with our manufacturer to design a custom plastic tray insert. After many revisions, we have approved the design (this insert will hold the game components and help keep them organized in the box). Next, the factory will send us a physical tray sample for our review and approval.
•  Freight Coordinator – We have selected our freight coordinator and will work with them to form a plan to ensure we freight the desired number of games to the correct fulfillment location for each region.
•  UK VAT Application Submitted - I submitted a UK VAT & EORI application and am awaiting news from the UK government on approval for our VAT & EORI number.

Next Steps

•  Poster Test Prints Review - Abi and I will review the physical posters and make adjustments as needed. After adjustments are complete, we will order another sample round of test prints to ensure the posters look fantastic and are ready for mass printing. We will also send sample prints to our fulfillment partner for test packaging and shipping in preparation for fulfillment. After these previous steps are final, we will order the posters and coordinate shipping them to our fulfillment partner.
•  Required Product Safety Testing – Product safety testing is the process of testing, inspecting, and certifying products at an accredited product safety testing lab to comply with consumer product safety standards set by various regions worldwide. This process helps mitigate hazards or dangers to consumers (especially children). We specifically have to complete testing for the US, EU, & UK, and the games won’t be allowed through customs without this paperwork.
•  MPC Samples (Mass-Production Copy) & Plastic Tray Sample – Review MPC and tray samples as soon as the manufacturer provides them. The MPC is the first manufactured and assembled copy of the game. The factory will ship the MPC sample to us for review and approval before assembling all of the games from the various component stacks. The MPC is the last opportunity to make any changes to the game product; however, making any changes at this point is usually very expensive and can delay the overall timeline.
•  Freight Operations – Coordinate with freight partner and ensure ships are secured and scheduled for all freight needs. Ensure all required data is created and provided to the freight partner and a freight plan is in place. Work with the manufacturer on lining up freight and anything else required.
•  Fulfillment Preparation – Prep all backer data for fulfillment partners.
•  EU & UK Pre-Orders & Surveys – Open pre-orders and BackerKit surveys to the EU & UK once our UK VAT application is approved and VAT & EORI numbers are issued.

Sampling Phase & Slight Timeline Delay

First, I’m happy to report that the manufacturer printing our games is professional, terrific to work with, and very responsive. We are thankful to have the opportunity to do business with them.

•  We have had a few delays since providing the timeline in update #17. The factory sent us physical pre-production samples in March, and we had to correct a few issues (mostly minor), which delayed us a bit. This is normal and the reason there is a sampling phase. The factory shipped new physical samples for the issues we encountered, and unfortunately, they accidentally sent us the wrong samples. So we had to wait for the correct samples to arrive, which set us back further.
•  The good news is we have approved all of the samples they sent us. And I believe they have started mass production and are printing everything now. Once they finish printing, they will send us a Mass Production Copy sample for our approval before assembling everything.
• The only pre-production item left for us to approve is the custom plastic tray insert sample. After MANY revisions, we approved the 3D tray design and are now just waiting on the physical tray sample.

Bi-Fold vs. Tri-Fold Board Issue

I want to take a moment to expand on one of the issues we encountered during the sampling phase, which involved the game board. We requested a bi-fold board. But the file we submitted for the bi-fold board was slightly too large to fit in the game box. So the factory sent us a tri-fold board sample during the sampling phase to consider instead of a bi-fold board.

We reviewed the tri-fold board and found that it did not lay perfectly flat on the table (as you can see in the pictures below). This was a concern for us as it would very likely negatively affect the gameplay experience. So, we requested a bi-fold board sample and sent the factory update files for the board. We knew making this update would delay our timeline since it required us to wait to receive a new board sample, but it was more important to us to ensure we provide you with an excellent game product.

When we received the new bi-fold sample, we immediately knew we had made the right choice. The bi-fold board lays perfectly flat on the table and has one less fold, so it should be more durable over time.

•  Note - this is a white box sample and does not have the printed art file applied to the physical board yet.

Estimated Timeline

The factory will provide another project timeline update any day now. The following timeline is based on the most current info they provided in April.

Estimated production and fulfillment timeline (best case scenario).

• May/June – Mass Production
• June – Plastic tray insert sample proof estimated to be provided from the factory.
• Mid-to-Late June – MPC (Mass-Production Copy) sample is ready to be sent to CATastrophe Team. Once the MPC is approved, they will assemble and box all game components, and freight will begin.
• Early July – All games are assembled and ready to be freight shipped out to fulfillment hubs. Freight shipping begins.
• July/August/Early September – Freight to each region’s fulfillment hub.
• September – Fulfillment to Backers is estimated to begin.

Sample Pictures

Abi and I are super excited to share pictures of the samples. We received white box samples and digital proof samples. These samples combined make up a PPC (Pre-Production Copy) Sample. We are thrilled with the samples and how everything looks and feels.

A few notes:

• Plastic Tray Sample not included - These pictures don’t include the plastic tray insert because we’re still waiting for the tray sample.
• Our lighting was poor when we took these pictures, which made everything look darker than it actually was.

White Box Samples is the entire game product without the printed art files applied to the game components. These samples allow us to review the materials and size of each component to ensure everything is correct.

Digital Proof Samples are the art files printed on sheets. These samples allow us, among other things, to review the color and brightness. These pictures show just a few of the 23 unique sample sheets provided.

Featured Power Cat Highlight: Sunglass Cat 

Sunglass Cat, also known as Bagel, is a rescue from Los Angeles County known for her fashionable sunglasses. When Bagel was a kitten, her human Mom discovered that she has eyelid agenesis, a congenital condition that prevents the eyelids from developing. 

Bagel can’t blink or clear debris from her eyes and is a special needs cat. Her flashy sunglasses help protect her eyes from damage. Bagel and her human have continuously raised funds for pets in need and especially for special needs animals. 

Bagel often makes appearances at conventions, animal rescue events, and elementary schools where she spreads a message of acceptance, tolerance of others, and that it’s okay to look and be different. They also focus on talking to kids about bullying and encourage them to step up and help others. You can find more about Sunglass Cat on her IG HERE & FB HERE.

THANK YOU!

We can’t overemphasize how thankful we are for the opportunity to create this game for you. Thank you! Your continued support and patience mean so much to us. We hope you enjoyed seeing some of the samples.

To Catfinity and Beyond! 😺 🚀

Josh, Abi, & Indie

Last call for survey order updates! LOCK ORDERS Deadline fast approaching!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 08:55:27 PM

Hello CATastrophe Nation,

⏰ This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow (MARCH 31) we will initiate locking down BackerKit survey orders. This will be the final opportunity to make any last updates to your order. 

• Note – Surveys have not been sent out to EU & UK Backers yet.
•  Surveys were sent out to ALL Backers (minus EU & UK) in October 2021. 

The surveys provide the vital information required to send each of you your games. They help us know WHERE to ship your game during fulfillment, and how many people want each item.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When we lock your order, you'll receive an email saying you have 48 hours to make any last-minute changes. This includes a last chance to add any add-ons at the SIGNIFICANTLY discounted Kickstarter rate. After that, all completed surveys will automatically be locked and credit cards will be charged. You can update your shipping address up until we lock addresses for shipping.

We plan to charge credit cards on April 4th for shipping, any add-on item purchases, and any additional funds you may owe through BackerKit. This charge will appear on your bank statement as “CATASTROPHENATION.COM.” Please make sure that you have the correct card information on file. If any issues arise with your payment you’ll receive an email letting you know to correct your payment information.

•  If you need to review your information, add-ons, or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://catastrophe.backerkit.com/.

If you haven’t answered your survey in BackerKit yet, it’s seriously go time. Please complete it immediately. I want to thank you in advance for getting this done. There are still 240 backers that need to complete their survey. If you fill out your BackerKit survey after the March 31st order due date, we’ll still receive your information but your shipment may be delayed.

•  If you didn't get your survey link, or can't find it, check your spam folder, or go to this link to request another survey link https://catastrophe.backerkit.com/, or send me a direct message on Kickstarter or email me at [email protected] and I'll provide you with a direct link.
• If you need a reminder on how BackerKit works click HERE.

THANK YOU!

Thank you all again for being so responsive to answering our BackerKit survey—even though it may not seem like much as an individual backer, you have no idea how tremendously helpful this has been for me when trying to keep track of all 2,769 of you!

Thanks everyone for your support!

To Catfinity and Beyond! 😺 🚀

Josh, Abi, & Indie

Important - Lock Survey Orders, Credit Card Charge Dates, Timeline News, and EU & UK Backer Update
about 2 years ago – Sun, Mar 20, 2022 at 05:17:59 PM

Hello CATastrophe Nation!

First, Abi and I want to say we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and our Ukrainian friends. We have been to Ukraine 3 times and have many friends there. The last few weeks have been a harrowing experience and the most difficult weeks of their lives. We wish the people of Ukraine independence, peace, and prosperity and that this war would end immediately with Ukraine victorious. Please keep Ukraine in your thoughts and prayers.

Now, for the update.

I have several important announcements (please read them closely). Specifically regarding:

• Lock Survey Orders
• Credit Card Charge Dates
• EU & UK Backers Update
• Updated estimated production timeline from the manufacturer (woohoo!).

If you are an EU or UK backer, please skip to the “IMPORTANT EU and UK Update” below.

Important! – Please Read! Lock Orders & Credit Card Charge Dates

If you have not completed your pledge manager survey yet, please do so ASAP. We are locking orders to finalize our shipment order details to each region. We need everyone’s order info to do this accurately, and the surveys provide the vital information required to send each of you your games.

• A HUGE thank you to everyone who has already completed their survey.
• Note – Surveys have not been sent out to EU & UK Backers yet.
• Now is an excellent time to consider making extra game orders for Christmas gifts while you can still order the games at the SIGNIFICANTLY discounted Kickstarter rate.

We will lock down the surveys around March 31st. After this date, we will lock your reward selections and charge cards for add-on item purchases, pledge upgrades, pre-orders, and shipping charges. You’ll get a notification email from BackerKit a few days before the orders are locked down. Until we lock down the surveys, you can continue to go back in and change your order, such as adding or removing items or updating your payment method.

We will charge credit cards after we lock down surveys. This will likely be within 72 hours after we lock down the surveys. These charges will only be for shipping charges and any items you added-on to your order.

If your credit card has expired since your survey order checkout, BackerKit will notify you and you will need to update your payment info. You can update your payment info by visiting your survey. On the Review page of the survey, there will be an option to click on “Update payment method.” Once you click that box, the payment details section will appear.

• If you didn't get your link, or can't find it, check your spam folder, or go to this link to receive another survey link (https://catastrophe.backerkit.com/), or PM me here on Kickstarter or email me at [email protected] and I'll send you a direct link.

You can change your address up until we are ready to ship. Don't worry if you end up moving from your current shipping address. You can continue to go back into your survey and update your shipping address (or message me, and I will update it for you) right up until the game is ready to ship.

I will be reaching out, in the next couple of weeks, via email or Kickstarter message to the 270 Backers who still need to complete their survey orders.

IMPORTANT - EU & UK Backers Update

You can skip this section if you are not an EU or UK Backer.

EXCITING NEWS – EU & UK Backers, this is the moment you have all been waiting for!!! I met with a UK-based fulfillment company and the GREAT NEWS is I will be moving forward with them to have the games delivered to all EU & UK backers.

I still have a LOT of work to do to make this happen (such as UK VAT & EORI registration). But I am excited to let you all know that we will be able to deliver your games.

We have NOT sent out EU & UK BackerKit surveys yet, so please don’t be alarmed that you have not received your survey. It will likely be several more months until we send out surveys to EU & UK backers. No promises, but I hope to fulfill orders to EU & UK backers at the same time as everyone else.

I want to express my extreme gratitude for your support and patience. Thank you!

• Important note: shipping and VAT Taxes will be added and charged when completing the BackerKit pledge manager survey.

Estimated Manufacturing & Fulfillment Timeline

Big News! The manufacturer sent us an estimated production timeline update. But first, I want to be transparent that this is an ESTIMATED timeline and a very best-case scenario.

Many factors outside of our control could push this timeline back. The following are just a few possible scenarios that could impact these dates:

COVID - Our team has heard from many sources this week that manufacturers are shutting down in China temporarily in response to a COVID spike. We hope this does not impact our manufacturing partner.

Potential Manufacturing Issues & Delays – We hope the sample proofing stages go very smoothly and that we don’t have to make any significant revisions. But something outside of our control may pop up that we have to correct.

Freight Issues & Delays – If you have not heard, freight issues are wreaking havoc on almost every industry and causing many small businesses to shut down. Starting last year and continuing into this year, there are unprecedented delays and unprecedented price increases in freight shipping.

Dependable freight shipping is still very uncertain with logistical logjams, COVID issues, the potential effects from the war in Ukraine (such as increased fuel costs), and the fact that many companies are competing for minimal cargo space on available container ships.

I wanted to share this tidbit posted by another small game publisher that perfectly captures the current freight crisis. This is from the most recent Kickstarter update (posted several days ago) by the Squatchy Games team for their exquisite game called Cryptid Café:

“On the back end, freight is still wreaking havoc on publishers. The shortage of boats and containers is real, and games are not a priority item in the eyes of shipping. I'm sure I've covered it before, but what was supposed to be about $6k is more than $24k, more than a 400% increase, and almost half of what we raised in the campaign. Insane! Some publishers eat the costs, some are in a holding pattern hoping the price goes down, and some will not be able to move forward.”

Just the process of booking freight (which usually takes 7-days) took 11-weeks for Cryptid Café due to current freight issues (and CNY). I have heard many stories of games making it to the port and into containers with a spot on the ship lined up only to be informed the day of loading that they lost their place on the boat to other cargo and will have to wait.

And if you did not catch it, freight costs alone were $24k for a project that funded at just under $63k. And that does not include the domestic shipping and fulfillment costs, manufacturing costs, Kickstarter & BackerKit fees, or any other expenses of creating their delightful game product. This clearly illustrates why so many small publishers are going out of business and can’t sustain creating games in the current freight climate.

With all of that in mind, here is the estimated production and fulfillment timeline (best case scenario).

• March 21st – PPC (Pre-Production Copy) sample is shipped to CATastrophe team.
• March 31st – PPC proofing feedback (and hopefully approval) provided to manufacturer.
• April – Mass Production Begins.
• May – Plastic tray insert sample proof estimated to be provided from factory.
• May 25th – MPC (Mass-Production Copy) sample is ready to be sent to CATastrophe Team.  Helpful Note - At this point, the factory will have created all of the necessary components required for the game. The MPC is the first manufactured and assembled copy of the game. The factory will ship the MPC sample to us for review and approval before assembling all of the games from the various components stacks.
• June 10th – All games are assembled and ready to be freight shipped out to fulfillment hubs. Freight shipping begins.
• August / September – Fulfillment to Backers.

We thank you for your continued patience and support. We know an August/September delivery is later than we projected during the Kickstarter campaign. We are very sorry that the games will not be delivered to you sooner. We want to get these games in your hands more than you can imagine and we are working daily towards making this happen. Again, thank you so much for your patience.

Progress

• New Files Submitted – We corrected and submitted the last few files that the manufacturer needed.
• Additional Issues Discovered and Corrected – During the e-proofing process, we discovered several additional issues with the master files we had submitted. We resubmitted the corrected files, and the manufacturer sent us updated e-proofs for review.
• Electronic Proofs Approved – This is a BIG step we accomplished. We proofed ALL the e-proofs for every file in the game multiple times and sent detailed feedback on what needed to be corrected. I won’t go into full detail, but we took full advantage of the proofing process and requested various revisions to help ensure a high-quality product is created. We approved ALL of the e-proofs, which means we can now move forward with the manufacturer on the next steps.
• Power Cat Posters – Abi and I worked on the 11”x17” Power Cat posters. Specifically, we brightened and adjusted them in preparation for printing.
• New Manufacturing Timeline Provided – We were waiting until after the Chinese New Year Holiday passed and the factory opened back up to move forward with the manufacturer and receive a new manufacturing timeline. Since CNY, we have communicated closely with the manufacturer on the next steps. And they recently sent us an updated estimated manufacturing timeline (provided lower down).
• EU & UK Fulfillment is a go – As mentioned in the EU & UK section, I met with a fulfillment company in the UK and planned to work with them to deliver the games to EU & UK backers.

Next Steps

• PPC Samples – We are excited to announce that the manufacturer is mailing us PPC (Pre-Production Copy) game samples for review next week. They are sending us physical-digital proofs and blank white samples (including dice, wooden Yarn Ball tokens, and character standee stand components). We will share pictures of these samples in a future update :)
• Line Freight Up – We will start the process of securing freight by selecting our freight partners and ensuring a freight plan is in place.
• Lock Orders & Charge Credit Cards – We will be locking BackerKit survey orders on March 31st and charging credit cards for add-ons and shipping shortly after that.
• Uncompleted Surveys - I will reach out to the 270 Kickstarter Backers who still need to complete their survey orders.
• UK VAT Registration - I will be registering our business in the UK for a VAT & EORI number, which is required to sell in the UK and ship games to our UK partner for EU & UK fulfillment.
• Poster Test Prints - Abi and I will continue to work on preparing the posters for printing. After the initial adjustments are completed, we will order sample prints to ensure the posters look fantastic.

Featured Power Cat Highlight: Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde are gorgeous twin Blue Point Himalayan siblings from the U.S. that have won hearts all over the world with their cloud-like poofy looks and fun-loving personalities. Clyde is best known for his deer in the headlights looks and his shenanigans getting towed all over the house by his little humans. Bonnie is best known for being a total love bug with her favorite boys, her famous dramatic flops for attention, and her iconic RBF. These two special kitties are two peas in a fluffy pod and you will always find them together. Did someone say copy/paste?

Conclusion and Twin Palms!

In conclusion, Abi and I want to thank you for your fantastic support and patience. We genuinely feel that you all are the best backers and community we could have ever hoped for. And we are so thankful that you are part of the CATastrophe Nation community.

We also wanted to conclude in a slightly different way than usual. Abi and I wanted to show our support of another small game publisher. We backed their fantastic Kickstarter game project and can’t wait to get our copy.

Twin Palms is a beautiful and fun trick-taking card game designed by Kristi Bink. I met Kristi and Charlie (her spouse) at a board game design retreat several years ago and hit it off with them immediately. I was playtesting CATastrophe at the retreat, and they were playtesting many of their own game prototypes (including Twin Palms). In fact, they were some of the earliest play-testers and supporters of CATastrophe. They are exceptionally kind and wonderful people.

Kristi and Charlie are very skilled at creating and designing games. They focus on creating gateway games that are easy and fast to learn that bring family and friends together in a meaningful way.

We love the colorful art in Twin Palms. If you like the beach, you will love this game. And for only $20 a copy, it is a clear win.

Please consider supporting Twin Palms and helping make Kristi’s dream of publishing this awesome game a reality.

There are only TWO days left in their Kickstarter campaign. You can check out their Kickstarter for Twin Palms HERE.

Thank you all again! I promise the next KS update will be much shorter! 

To Catfinity and Beyond! 😺 🚀

Josh, Abi, & Indie

Progress Update - The Manufacturing Process Continues
over 2 years ago – Sun, Jan 30, 2022 at 10:34:12 PM

Hello CATastrophe Nation!

First, I want to start this update by thanking you for your incredible support and patience, as it has taken longer than expected to send out the January update. We are still just as excited as ever about the game and are so thankful for this community.

I hope everyone has had a great start to 2022!  As we reflected back on 2021, we have to admit that the building of this incredible community, with the successful launch of CATastrophe, has been one of the greatest thrills and honors of our life. We are thankful to you all and we have loved creating this game for you.  We are ecstatic and have BIG plans for the future.

A few general notes:

NOTE TO EU & UK BACKERS - We have not sent out EU & UK BackerKit surveys yet, so please don’t be alarmed that you have not received your survey. I am meeting with a UK-based logistics and distribution company soon to discuss a potential partnership in delivering EU & UK games. I hope to provide more information in a future update. Stay tuned.

PLEDGE MANAGER / BACKERKIT SURVEYS - 350 Kickstarter Backers still need to complete their BackerKit survey. Additionally, 75 backers started their survey but never finished it. If you received an email on Friday (January 28th) from BackerKit, then you still need to complete your survey. Please be sure to complete your BackerKit Survey if you haven’t already.

If you haven't received your survey email yet, please double-check your spam folder. If you can’t locate your survey, please email me at [email protected] or message me on Kickstarter, and I will send you a direct link to your survey. NOTE: The survey was sent to the SAME email address you used to log in to Kickstarter. Please read Update #14 if you have any questions about completing the Survey. 

IMPORTANT BACKERKIT NOTE: Backer’s cards have NOT been charged yet for shipping charges and any add-on items purchased through BackerKit. Backer’s cards will be charged at the same time when the orders are locked and the pledge manager closes, which should be in late February or March. Until then, anyone can make updates to their survey as needed. You will receive an email a few days before the pledge manager closes letting you know that your card will be charged shortly and another email once your card has been successfully charged.

Progress and the Manufacturing Process! Good News and Bad News!

The good news…

The manufacturer reviewed all of our files, then prepped them for printing, and sent us the majority of the electronic file proofs to review. This is just one of the many steps in the manufacturing process. Our team will check these e-proof files and send feedback to the manufacturer.

The manufacturer also sent us pictures of the wooden yarn balls, standees, and dice samples to review. The sample pictures illustrate that the standees and dice colors perfectly match (which is helpful for gameplay).

Each player starts the game with a die and a standee matching in color. The standee holds the player's selected character token (kept on the game board). The matching die and standee colors help players quickly identify each other's characters during the game. 

DICE ARE COLOR-BLIND FRIENDLY - An important factor to us during the selection of the dice colors or color palette was to ensure we selected colors that were color-blind friendly.  This was a bit limiting in our color selection, but we are happy with our choice!

Now for the bad news…

In the last update, we shared that the manufacturer was reviewing all of the game files to ensure everything looked good. We hoped everything was perfectly in order and that there would be no issues with the files or delays. However, there were issues with several files (which can be typical for a game with this many files) which caused delays.

The good news is the manufacturer reviewed all of the files and identified the potential issues that need to be updated. And we have corrected most of the problems and re-submitted them to the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, there is more bad news. Both Abi and I got sick (thankfully NOT with COVID-19) in early January and had to take a little time off to recover. Alas, after we recovered, one of our team members was out sick for a couple of weeks. All of this, along with the holiday season, caused a delay in correcting the last few files for the manufacturer. Thankfully, as of this last week, our team is back in good health, and we are working on moving forward with the manufacturer.

Next Steps:

Our team will make the last few file corrections and then send them to the manufacturer.

We will also review all of the e-proofs from the manufacturer and submit any feedback. If there are any issues, the manufacturer will update the files and send more e-proofs for review. Once this stage is completed, the manufacturer will provide us with an estimated timeline for production/printing and also send us blank samples and digital proofs to review.

Blank samples are ALL of the game components without any art files printed on them - imagine just white samples of each component in the game, including the game box. We will review these blank samples to ensure the desired materials, sizes, and the correct number of components are present.

Once the blank samples and digital proofs are approved, the manufacturer will design the plastic tray. Our team created a suggested tray diagram, but they will develop the final 3D file for the tray creation. Once this is completed, the manufacturer should go into full production and re-confirm the estimated production timeline (and update the timeline if necessary).

Estimated Delivery:

In our last update, we briefly mentioned several factors that could significantly alter the delivery date—specifically, one of them being the Chinese New Year Holiday (CNY).

Chinese New Year (CNY) - As a reminder, our manufacturer is located in China, and the Chinese New Year is the most important festival/holiday in China. The majority of the country (including factories) shuts down for 2-6 weeks during CNY. I hoped to have all of the games manufactured and out of the warehouse before the Chinese New Year Holiday starts (February 1st, 2022). However, since we did not accomplish this, we will have to wait until after the CNY Holiday ends and the factory opens back up to move forward with the manufacturer on the game.

I am very disappointed that it appears that we are not going to hit the estimated April 2022 delivery date that we provided during the Kickstarter campaign.

First, I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry that we won’t hit the projected April shipping estimate. CNY, the current global freight shipping crisis, and our past delays (which we have shared about in this and previous updates) make it clear to me that it’s wishful thinking to believe, at this point, that we will be able to deliver the games and posters in April.

Estimated Delivery - Truthfully, any estimate I give you today would be very loose and much more of a guess. Therefore, I will wait until we have a production timeline from the manufacturer (after CNY) before providing an updated delivery estimate. By waiting, we will be able to give you a much more solid estimate.

Reassurance - I want to reassure you that we are working passionately on this game, and it is my main focus. We are committed to providing you all with the highest quality game and posters possible. Your continued support and patience mean the world to us. We will send out updates on the delivery timeline as we learn more. Regardless, we will keep you updated with other progress.

The Year of the Tiger - Lastly, did I mention that the 2022 Chinese New Year is the Year of the Tiger? Coincidence? I think not!

Other News???

I had the opportunity to go to a board game design retreat in Maine in mid-December. This was my second time attending this retreat, and it has become one of the highlights of my year and something I look forward to all year long.

What is a board game design retreat, you ask? It is a gathering of board game designers who play-test each other's board game prototypes and offer play-testing feedback. It is extremely beneficial for everyone to gather input from other designers. They quickly see the faults and strengths of a game’s design and can offer valuable insights into how to make improvements and identify issues that the game’s designer might not even have noticed in their game design. Not to mention that spending time with the most extraordinary people playing games is also a huge bonus.

I can neither confirm nor deny that we playtested early prototypes for a NEW CATastrophe Expansion and a NEW game in the CATastrophe Universe while at this retreat. However, if such an expansion existed, its name would probably be Yarn-maggedon. 😉

Featured Power Cat Highlight: Wolfie

Wolfie was rescued as a stray kitten in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles, CA, by Friends for Life Rescue Network. He was found to have unique physical features; a permanent overbite causing him to "smile." Wolfie is also a special needs cat with a malformed esophagus requiring a liquid/blended diet for life. He is thriving and loves to make everyone laugh with his silly antics. Wolfie is spunky, healthy, happy, and shows the world that anything is possible! He was adopted by the rescue's owner and his foster Jacqueline, and he's now the rescue's mascot! He is our smol but tuff boi proving to everyone all animals--even those with special needs--matter. You can find more about Wolfie on his IG HERE & FB HERE. And about Friends For Life Rescue Network and the incredible work they do HERE.

Thank you for your continued support!

We can’t say this enough, we are astonished and beyond grateful for your steadfast support and belief in us. We are honored to have this opportunity to create this magical game for you. We can’t wait to share more as things continue to progress! 

Reminder - Please don't forget to complete your BackerKit Survey if you haven’t already. 

Abi and I are reviewing which Board Game and Cat Conventions and Festivals to get a booth at and attend in mid-to-late 2022. We plan to sell the games and art posters at these Cons. Do you have any favorite conventions that you would like to see us at? If so, please comment below!

Abi and I wish you and your families a happy 2022!

To Catfinity and Beyond! 😺 🚀

Josh, Abi, & Indie

P.S. In case you missed it, we are excited to share that Lil BUB’s dude, Mike (and his family), adopted a fantastic new cat named Mister Marbles, and he might just be from the same planet as Lil BUB (planet Bub ub Bub). He is equal parts confidence, curiosity, and confusion.  And he has the most amazing snaggletooth (you can see it if you look closely)! We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to get to know Mister Marbles better. You can check him out on IG HERE or on FB HERE.