AU Friendly shipping and the money tray add-on
over 4 years ago – Wed, Dec 04, 2019 at 12:02:21 AM

More friendly shipping

As I hoped we would, we're now able to offer Australia friendly shipping to backers! We're still working on friendly shipping in South East Asia and hope to provide an update there before the end of the campaign. 

New add-on: Deluxe money tray

We've overhauled the add-on section and included a completely new item: A deluxe money tray of the type we use at conventions. It's just the perfect thing to store your money in and the springs are strong enough you can turn it upside down without notes falling out. We literally transport the money around like that for shows and events.

While the game will have an insert for money, there's no question this will be even better. It also has space for chits at the front that are an ideal receptacle for 'For Sale' markers and tenants!  

Just add $19 to your pledge (don't change your reward) to get this item. 

Stretch goals

We smashed through another stretch goal yesterday! Mr Paul Grogan of Gaming Rules will now be producing an official playthrough video for the game. Paul's attention to detail is legendary so I think he's the perfect person to make sure every aspect of the game is clear through a full play. 

The next one coming is those company markers - which I would really like to re-do. There's just so much character we can add.

Hopefully if we go far enough we can get you tycoons out there a City Hall. I know a lot of you are keen for that one!

Dragonmeet done & MORE painted buildings!
over 4 years ago – Sat, Nov 30, 2019 at 10:00:03 PM

We were Dragonmeet today with Magnate with two demo tables in operation all day long. The con was busier than ever and we were blocked-booked on Magnate demos all day. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

More painted minatures!

Jason has also been hard at work painting even more buildings. Staying up into the wee small hours before the con, just to make sure we had a full set: 

With the level of interest in painted models, it looks very likely now that we will be offering some kind of painted option. Stay tuned for more details!

MORE new stretch goals & Dragonmeet
over 4 years ago – Fri, Nov 29, 2019 at 12:20:56 AM

Because you awesome people keep knocking them down, I'm revealing not one, not two but THREE today. 

1) Gaming Rules! Playthrough - At $44k, all-round boardgame hero Mr Gaming Rules! himself Paul Grogan will be make a professionally produced full playthrough of Magnate on his incredibly slick studio set-up. I am going to ask him to include some of the tycoon content too so you can see it at work and why we love playing it with the base game. 

2) New company logos & backstories - At $48k, we will write a set of company histories/backstories and then use those to get some professional graphic designers to create logos based on those backstories. We like the current designs, but I think we can make them much more uniquely characterful with the right approach. And who doesn't like a bit of world-building backstory?

3) THE CITY HALL

I've really, really wanted to put this one into Magnate from the start. You can even make out an early design in the middle of this Lego prototype:

Somehow it just completes the look of the table and our current model is stunning. But its also a really quite expensive one for us to add, so I'm not going to reveal the unlock point just yet. 

Keep smashing those goals though and maybe, just maybe, we can get this one in! 

REMINDER: Dragonmeet

If you want to play Magnate, there's no better opportunity than this Saturday at Dragonmeeet in central London.  We have two tables in the demo area so lots of chances to play a game! I know a lot of folk are interested already...

Do you know what's even cooler than realistic building minatures... PAINTED realistic building minatures!
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 01:12:10 AM

A little bit before we started the campaign, I asked the very talented Jason Frowde of Painting Knights to look at giving Magnate's buildings a lick of paint. We have - so far- never seen them given this treatment and were curious to see what they would look like... (and maybe even what some special painted prizes/add-ons etc could be...). Well, here they are:

I think you will agree these are AWESOME. They don't just have all the right details: the worn, corrugated iron, the window glint on the offices, the little cars! They are also still colour-coded - so supremely practical playing pieces as well (The different shapes and shading *should* have both colour blind folk  and non colour blind folk covered!). That's some serious care and thought.  

Definitely got us thinking about a whole painted set. What do you think? 

In other news

That next stretch goal looks mighty close! Around $1,000ish (less than 3% of what we've done so far) to get there. Let's get you all some special banknotes to celebrate your awesome contribution to Magnate's success.  

Stretch goal #4 Unlocked: A KS exclusive for all backers and why it matters
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 01:11:38 AM

You've done it again! Before we're even 7 days into this campaign, we've raised $40,000 and you've knocked down stretch goal #4.

I know I keep saying I'm blown away, but I really am. The love for this game means so much to me. 8 years after I first had the idea for Magnate and 2 years of playtesting and development later, to think there are so many people as excited it to play it as I *still am* - everyday - is one of the best feelings in the world. 

That's why I really, really wanted to hit this goal. I wanted to make a more tangible thank you gift for backers for doing something extraordinary: putting your hard earned money down to make a game a reality - long before you can just pick off a shelf. I want everyone to have a fantastic time with this game. By you should get something a bit special that no one else will ever get.

More stretch goals tomorrow!