Discover the next big musical trio in this fast, easy-to-learn game for 2-4 players.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Update #10 - Last Chance! Fill Out Your Surveys!
about 5 years ago
– Thu, Nov 07, 2019 at 08:46:18 AM
The game has arrived in the U.S. and we are preparing to ship it out to you in the coming weeks. For those that haven’t filled out the survey for shipping, please do so within the next 48 hours. We will be closing the surveys on Saturday, 11/9. The survey email was sent from BackerKit, so please search your emails (or spam folder) for that keyword. If you still can’t find it, you can follow this link: https://upstaged.backerkit.com, or email us at [email protected] and we will send you your link to the survey.
For those of you who have completed your surveys, thank you! You will receive a final notice via email shortly where you will be given a chance to make any last minute changes to your address, add on more games, etc.
Shortly after the surveys are locked, if you added extra money for shipping or for extra copies, your credit card will be charged.
PAX Unplugged!
This Dec. 6-8 we will be attending PAX Unplugged, a huge gaming convention in Philadelphia. We will be playtesting and demo-ing our upcoming game, Icon. Also, we are hoping to have copies of Upstaged in-hand. If you will be attending that convention and would like to change your shipping option so that you can pick up Upstaged at the show, please email us at [email protected]. We are not yet sure if this will be an option, but we are working with our fulfillment company to see if it can become a reality.
Anyways, that’s it for now. We will update you again soon with news when shipping begins. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!
Mike
Update #9 - Please Complete Your Surveys
over 5 years ago
– Thu, Oct 03, 2019 at 01:08:56 PM
Please Complete Your Surveys
Last month we sent surveys from BackerKit via email for you to pay for shipping for Upstaged and to confirm your address. We will be closing the surveys late this month (October) because we are nearing the end of manufacturing. We need those surveys because...well...we need to know where to send your copy of the game.
Yup. You read right. We are nearly finished making the game! Check it out!
Once the game is finished, it will be loaded up on the slow boat from China to make the long trek to Florida. From there we will ship out the orders all over the world! With any luck, Upstaged will be in your hands for the holiday season :)
Pre-Order Store
Like we’ve mentioned before, if you know anyone who missed out on the Kickstarter and would be interested in getting their own copy of Upstaged? Please share with them this link to our Pre-Order store.
https://upstaged.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
San Jose Protospiel
Next week we will be in Mountain View, CA for San Jose Protospiel to test our upcoming game, Icon (look at the pictures above for a little teaser). If you’re in the area we can really use your help. There will be dozens of other designers at the event, which translates to hundreds of games you can help make a reality. The event takes place all next weekend at Game Kastle.
Anyways, if I see you there, let me know if you want to see the Manufacturer’s Sample of Upstaged :)
Mike
Update #8 - BackerKit Email Surveys for Shipping
over 5 years ago
– Mon, Sep 09, 2019 at 12:58:57 AM
BackerKit Surveys Are Coming
This week we will be sending out surveys from BackerKit via email for you to pay for shipping for Upstaged and to confirm your address. BackerKit is a separate company from Kickstarter.
During the campaign, you probably remember that we mentioned that shipping would be charged afterwards, “a few weeks before the actual game will reach your doorstep next year (May 2020).” Well, things are going really well so far. So we are sending out those surveys.
When you receive the email from BackerKit, the money you pledged through Kickstarter will already be automatically credited to your account. If you pledged on a level where you receive a game (or two), they will already be in your cart. Please note that if you would like to order additional copies, you can add more copies to your cart as well.
If you pledged to the Upstaged Kickstarter campaign out of the goodness of your heart and you didn't order a copy of the game to go along with the pledge, you will still get the survey. And if you changed your mind and you want a copy of the game, then great news! You get to order one still, AND the money that you pledged will be credited to your account!
Local Pickup for Los Angeles and Orange County, California Residents
On the opening page of your BackerKit survey you will notice a pull down menu that says, “Select your country for shipping.” If you live in the LA and Orange County regions of California, we will be having multiple release events throughout the area soon after the game lands on U.S. shores. If you would like to pick up your copy of Upstaged at any of these events, select “Local Pickup” as your country.
As for the specific events and places, stay tuned. Everything depends on when exactly the game will arrive in the U.S. from China. So far, it’s looking like we will be having pickup parties earlier than planned. We’re keeping our fingers crossed! We aim to have events in Artesia, Fullerton and Bellflower, and more than likely Los Angeles and Burbank as well at local gaming bars and shops, and at some local board game Meetup groups. And if you know anyone on the Koalatie team personally and are local, just hit us up and we’ll arrange something for local pickup for you even if you can’t make the events :)
Pre-Order Store
Do you know anyone who missed out on the Kickstarter and would be interested in getting their own copy of Upstaged? Please share with them this link to our Pre-Order store.
We received the Manufacturing Production Sample from our manufacturer in China last week! This is the first copy that is hot off the presses, and the last chance we get to proof the game. There was one minor adjustment that needed to be made, but we’ve already addressed that with the manufacturer and given them the green light to print! Check out the video here! You can also see how long my hair has grown.
Anyways, that’s it for now. We will send an update in another couple months with what’s going on with Upstaged, unless there’s big news that happens before then that we can’t wait to tell you. As always, thanks for your support and for joining us on this journey!
Mike
Update # 7 - First Post-Kickstarter Update
over 5 years ago
– Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 02:20:49 AM
It’s been a couple of months since we funded the Kickstarter. So about now is a great time to give you the latest news on the progress of Upstaged!
Timeline
While there have been some minor setbacks along the way, we did build what we felt was a good time buffer into the schedule of the project. So YES, we are still well on schedule to deliver in May 2020 as we stated while Kickstarter was live.
For those that are unfamiliar with Kickstarter, in particular, board games on Kickstarter, it seems that average manufacturing and shipping time from the end of a project on Kickstarter to delivery to a backer’s front door is roughly a year. While it is a long time, there is a lot involved: prepping digital files, approving proofs, the long boat ride from halfway around the world, etc. In the meantime, I will keep you updated every couple months with emails like this.
Gameplay Adjustments
Before we sent the files to the manufacturers we made a few adjustments to enhance gameplay, make it flow nicer and look spiffier. None of the changes affect how the game is played, rather, it just speeds things up and makes things more efficient. Here are the major changes.
We added an extra “cue” to the game: “Add artist to stage.”
Previously, players had to remember to add an artist to the stage (the game box itself) if it was empty before they took an action. Now, certain cue cards will tell you if you will be adding an artist (or artists) on stage as part of your action. In essence, the game now tells you when to fill the stage so now you don’t have to waste brain cells remembering to do it.
Game setup has an “opening act.”
Previously, the starting player picked one artist to put on stage, facing the direction of their choice. Now, four random artists are placed on stage, each facing a different direction. This jumpstarts gameplay not only by shaving off a few minutes from the game, but also by introducing fun, meaningful choices from the get go.
We’ve changed some colors on the artist cards.
During playtesting some people said that they would like to see more contrast between the yellow (Country) and orange-red (Rock) artists. So we obliged! Hopefully this will make the game feel a little more vibrant overall as well!
Manufacturing and Shipping Update
We’ve sent the files to our manufacturer overseas and we will shortly be getting the proofs to check over. So yes, the back and forth game of making sure your games are as perfect as can be is in full swing. Yay!
We are currently having some hiccups on getting the pre-order site and backer survey up and running via our pledge manager. What’s the difference between the two, you ask? Well, the pre-order site is for your friends that missed out on the Kickstarter, but would still like to reserve a copy of the game before it officially is released. The backer survey is for those of you who pledged money to Upstaged during the Kickstarter, and it will charge you for shipping at that time (if applicable), ask for your address, etc. For those that are NOT local to the Los Angeles area, you will list your country/region and you will be charged accordingly. For those that are local to the area, there will be multiple free pickup options that will hopefully work out for you. Pick up places, days, and times will be finalized a few weeks before Upstaged arrives on U.S. shores.
As for the next update, we estimate it will come out in mid-September. So far, everything is on schedule, and we’re looking forward to bringing you more exciting news in the near future!
Mike
Update # 6 - We Did It!
over 5 years ago
– Fri, May 24, 2019 at 12:01:32 AM
Thanks to YOU, Upstaged has been funded and will become a reality!
So what’s next? I’ll break it down in some simple sections for now, and as we go along I will update you with more specific details, generally every 1-2 months whenever there’s something new to report.
Manufacturing
We will be sending our files to the manufacturer in a couple weeks so they can begin the actual printing process.
Pledge Manager
When it’s ready in a few weeks, we will open up a pledge manager. The pledge manager is where you will select your shipping/delivery options, and then pay accordingly for the shipping. You will only be charged our actual shipping costs, and we will keep those costs at the minimum necessary to deliver Upstaged safely and soundly to you. For those local to the Los Angeles area, there will be a local pickup option that is free, as long as you can get to where we will be, when we will be there. We have already talked to several game stores and game pubs, and if you know me personally, well, yeah, I'll have your copy unless you want it shipped.
Shipping
After the manufacturing process is complete, the games will make a long, boring journey across the sea to the U.S. From there, our fulfillment company will package them safely and ship them all over the globe.
All of this takes time, so as you probably read when you backed Upstaged, we estimate it will land in your hands around this time next year (May 2020). However, we are keeping our fingers crossed that all the pieces of the puzzle work well together.
Anyways, until next time, THANK YOU once again, and let me know if you have any questions :)
