A legendary strategic tabletop game from the creators of Here to Slay and Casting Shadows
Latest Updates from Our Project:
The BIG Twisted Box 📦👀 (+a GIANT Central Play Mat to match, new Human meeples, and more)
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 02:49:49 PM
Hello :D
Advanced warning, this is a BIG update :)
We’ve unlocked all of our Stretch Goals. We’ve added the next Exclusive Expansion. And today, I have one more (unplanned) reveal for you: we are designing a giant Twisted Cryptids storage box.
Let’s get a couple of things out of the way first- this is not a replacement for the base game box. All tier items will ship exactly as they are currently designed, and this box will be available as an add-on (meaning it will ship in wave 2 and is not included in any of the tiers). But after seeing the number of people requesting a larger box that could fit everything inside, we decided to cave and make one for you.
The cover art for this box is packed with easter eggs for you to enjoy. With the bigger canvas to work with, we were able to include not just your favorite Cryptids, but also many hidden Hoaxes and Decoys from the game (as well as scenery from all the different regions of the Wilderness). Everywhere you look, you’ll find something hidden away.
Here’s what fits in the box:
All the components (including sleeved cards) from Twisted Cryptids: Exclusive Edition (including Ness is More expansion and all unlocked Mini-Expansions)
All the components (including sleeved cards) from Cryptid Culture: Exclusive Edition
All the components (including sleeved cards) from Yeti or Not: Exclusive Edition
The (larger upgraded) Nostalgic Wilderness Board + an extra Wilderness Board (for anyone getting The Wilderness Craft Kit)
All Play Mats and Standees included in the Play Mat Bundle Box
Card dividers to keep everything nicely organized/separated
Here’s what does not fit in this box:
The other actual boxes (this, unfortunately, would make it too big)
The vinyl figures (you’ll either have to keep these in their dedicated storage box, or display them proudly on your game shelf or desk)
We wanted to make reasonable trade-offs when designing this box to find a good balance between maximizing utility for the largest number of backers while considering the impact that going much bigger would have on shipping rates.
Since we were making this giant box, we thought to ourselves… “What else could we put inside so that we aren’t just shipping a big empty box?” First, we thought small, and we decided to add a few extra card dividers in this box to keep everything nicely organized.
And then we decided this was a good opportunity to throw in something else that has been requested on the campaign: a giant Central Play Mat (befitting of a giant box).
The giant Central Play Mat is large enough to fit:
The decks and discard piles in the center of the table (including any cards from Mini-Expansions)
The Human Rest Area
The Wilderness board
Your Cryptid meeples for score tracking* (small note on this below, but I have a lot to say so it’ll be a minute before I come back to this)
We are literally designing this in real time while the project is live (which is part of why this has to be an add-on in wave 2), so we do not have the artwork completed yet for the giant Central Play Mat. But our plan is to make it feel like an extension of The Wilderness to give an immersive feel to the table setting while playing. We are also playing with the idea of being able to play directly on the mat (without having to put the board on top of it) but with the option to put a board on top still (so you can play with your Nostalgic Wilderness Board or Wilderness Craft Board- once we lock down the final design, we will share it out.
Here is a schematic diagram of the table setup if you were playing with 4 players (with Cryptid Play Mats surrounding the giant Central Play Mat to give you a sense of scale.)
And while that’s my BIG news for the day, it’s not the only thing I have to share. We’ve also decided to design a set of meeples you can use to replace your human tokens. Once again, we will not be able to include these in the Exclusive Edition box (which will still come with the upgraded Human wooden tokens), but you can add these on if you’d like to play with them instead.
The custom meeples we designed are shaped like the symbols that represent each Human flavor (Hikers, Hunters, and Researchers) to still match up with all the symbols on the cards, the board, and the rules. The base game box vac tray is not large enough to accommodate these, but we are creating a dedicated space for them in The Big Twisted Box.
This Human meeple pack will contain 36 meeples – 12 of each flavor. With this meeple pack, we’re also going to add in a set of bonus Cryptid meeple stickers (+ stickers for the Unicorn, Vehicle, and UFO meeples) for free. These stickers are also included in the Wilderness Craft Kit (which means if you get both add-ons, you’ll have 2 sets of stickers), but we wanted to give another option to get these stickers for people who have said they don’t want to end up with 3 boards. Please note that we don’t plan to add additional stickers for these new Human meeples (just based on their sizes/shapes that make them less conducive to being decorated in this way).
(This is also my first time showing off most of these stickers, which I think are pretty darn adorable!!)
If you’d like either of these add-ons, I added them to our Kickstarter add-on options today. If you’re not sure how to manage your pledge to add these, you can follow the step-by-step guide we put together in Update #16. These will also be available in the BackerKit add-on store after the campaign ends. Please keep in mind that shipping (and taxes) will be charged after the campaign ends, and this is quite a large box– we wanted to offer it to you as an option, but also wanted to give this caveat so that you can make an informed decision about if this box is right for you :)
*I said I was going to come back to score tracking above. We’ve gotten a number of questions about using standees or vinyls for tracking, and it is possible to do so- the one caveat is that, if everyone is at the same score on the Myth Track, like at the start of the game, they some of the pieces will extend off the mat onto the table. But with the expanded board that we unlocked with the $1.75M SG, the vinyls and standees are a more viable option than before for score tracking if you’d prefer to use them. Below, you can see a diagram of the relative sizes of meeples, vinyls, and standees next to the Myth Track so you can imagine how this will feel on the table.
I know both storage and premium components are a big deal to a lot of our backers, and I hope you’ll enjoy what we designed for you here :) I also want to preempt a few questions I think some of you may have as you’re reading through this (and also address a few questions that have come up on the last few updates):
Q: Will we be designing boxes like this for all of our other games?
A: I do not want to commit to an answer here, but if we get positive feedback on this box, we will look at more opportunities like this in the future (particularly for our most popular games)
Q: Will the new Here to Slay play mats at least get a big box?
A: We have not determined packaging for these yet- Realistically, because of the width of the play mats, we will find a storage solution that accommodates them rolled rather than flat to make sure shipping is as cost-effective as possible. We will likely do a designed box (that fits the mats rolled) for the 10-pack offered on the campaign, and the smaller sets will likely be packed in simple shipping boxes.
Q: Ok so now that we’re talking about Here to Slay, are you going to do a Sorcerer Play Mat + Banner?
A: This has come up pretty extensively in the last few days, and unfortunately I’m going to have to disappoint… for now. We are already thinking about Here to Slay future plans after seeing the reaction to the new expansion and mats a few days ago, and let’s just say these plans will include a Sorcerer Play Mat + Banner. I can’t say more for now (but I guess that’s pretty much just a straight-up spoiler of what’s to come in the future, so 🤷🏻♂️). For anyone who is getting the 10-pack of new Here to Slay Play Mats, we will make sure to leave space in the box for a future Sorcerer 😉
Q: How is shipping going to be calculated if we get add-ons?
A: We are going to calculate and charge shipping in BackerKit based on the combination of items in your tier + add-ons you select. Since some of the items (like the big box in this update) are still being designed and finalized, we can’t yet put together a full rate table (but will be doing so before surveys go out 2 weeks after the campaign ends). Since we are shipping in 2 waves, we will be assessing options for how to ship out wave 2 to keep costs as low as possible (including a combination of shipments from our facility in the US + from fulfillment partners), and we will also just be absorbing some of the additional cost on our end as well. The shipping will show up as just a single charge in BackerKit once you’ve finished selecting all your add-ons (rather than getting charged twice, once for your tier and once for add-ons).
Q: Will the new Human meeples fit inside the boxes?
A: They will not fit inside the standard game boxes (unless you lift out the vac tray and store them underneath, which I suppose would be a possibility), but we will definitely include enough space for them in the Big Twisted Box :)
Q: Does the new play mat replace the Central Mat and Rest Area Mat?
A: Because the new large Play Mat covers the entire center of the table, it does work in place of those two Play Mats. We won't remove those Mats from the Play Mat Bundle Box (especially since the larger box + play mat will not ship until later), but I did want to note this redundancy. We did our best to come up with solutions for every combination, but for anyone getting the Play Mat Bundle Box + this giant box, you may find these additional mats less useful. We do have Build-Your-Own-Pledge options that allow you to get the Cryptid Mats or Standees separately if you prefer not to have this redundancy, and we also have those smaller mats available separately if you don't want to get this larger box but still want to keep the items in the center of the table a bit more organized.
Q: Are the stickers in the Wilderness Craft Kit and the new meeple set the same?
A: The Wilderness Craft Kit includes stickers for your Cryptid, Unicorn, Vehicle, and UFO meeples, but it also includes an assortment of other stickers you can use to decorate the game board. The new meeple set will only come with the stickers for the Cryptid, Unicorn, Vehicle, and UFO meeples (but those will be the same stickers– they are not a different design).
Q: If I’m moving between Wave 1 and Wave 2 of Shipping, can I change my address?
A: Yes, if you need to make any changes to your shipping address after we lock shipping addresses, or between Wave 1 and Wave 2, please contact [email protected] and our team can help you out! Please do so as early as you know the information, though, so that your wave 2 package doesn’t get delayed (or shipped out before you contact us!).
Q: This is a lot of options now and my head is spinning trying to make sense of it. Question mark?
A: I know 😭 My goal with this update was to open up options to feasibly address as many backer requests as possible. These requests included:
A big box that can store all the cards (sleeved) + all components across the base game and all expansions
A giant play mat for the center of the table that covers everything (not just the rest area and cards)
Meeples that can be used instead of the Human tokens
An option to get stickers for the meeples without getting an extra board
These were the best options I could put together for this project to address those requests, and while I recognize we haven’t hit every iteration of what people might possibly want, I tried to include enough flexibility for each person to design their pledge based on what’s right for them. SO…
If you want a box that fits everything, add the Big Twisted Box (and you’ll automatically get the large new play mat as well).
If you want the large play mat, your only option is to get the Big Twisted Box because it is not sold separately on its own.
If you want meeples instead of Human tokens, add the new Human meeple set.
If you want stickers without an extra board, add the Human meeple set and don’t get the Wilderness Craft Kit. (If you don't want the Human meeples and you also don't want an extra board, I unfortunately don't have an additional option for you to get stickers only)
If you like the extra board and want the additional stickers, but you also want the new meeples, get the Wilderness Craft Kit + the Human meeple set, and you’ll end up with 2 sets of some of the stickers (which you can use to decorate your spiral notebooks and 3-ring binders.)
I hope this helps clarify what to do depending on which items you want to receive!
Ok- I know that was a lot to take in at once. If you made it this far, thank you for your undivided attention 🙏🏽 I hope with these added options, we’ve officially fulfilled as many wishes as we possibly could on this campaign!
<3
Ramy
$2M STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED! (Alien Invasion Incoming 👽)
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 04:20:52 PM
Hello Humans, I come in peace ✌🏽👽
I’m so excited to announce that we officially hit $2,000,000 on Twisted Cryptids today 🎊🎊🎊 Whether you’re just here to pick up add-ons or went all in on the Ultimate Collector’s Set, thank you thank you thank you for your support 🥹
And that means we have officially unlocked our final stretch goal:
Adding the Alien Invasion Mini-Expansion to Twisted Cryptids introduces a new adversary for the Cryptids to compete against, allowing you to play a semi-cooperative or solo variation of the game.
This Mini-Expansion includes 1 tarot-sized UFO Control Panel, an Alien Activity Deck (7 Cards), and a UFO Meeple. Each round, the UFO will move around The Wilderness and Abduct Humans before they have a chance to encounter any Cryptids.
The UFO meeple denotes the UFO’s current Site, which is the Site from which the UFO may Abduct Humans.
The UFO Control Panel holds all Humans abducted throughout the game. The UFO Control Panel is divided into 4 Pods, and each Pod can hold up to 5 Humans. Three of the Pods correspond to a specific Flavor of Human (and can only hold Humans of that Flavor), and the fourth Pod can hold any Flavor of Human.
Note: When playing solo or with 2 players, Humans cannot be placed in the fourth Pod; it must remain empty.
Alien Activities operate the UFO to move it around The Wilderness and Abduct Humans! If an Alien Activity Abducts a Human, move that Human from the UFO’s current Site to a corresponding Pod on the UFO Control Panel. Some Alien Activities refer to the Energy of the UFO; this equals the number of players plus the number of filled Pods.
We put a lot into this one to make sure the last stretch goal of the campaign felt really great. I even designed a custom alien font that you'll see throughout the cards just for this Mini Expansion, which was one of the most fun parts of putting together this project.
Instructions on how to play with the Alien Invasion Mini-Expansion will be included in the Kickstarter Exclusive Edition Rulebook! This Mini-Expansion will be available as a downloadable Print 'n Play expansion for people who miss out on backing the Kickstarter.
To celebrate hitting this major milestone, we will let the aliens take over Jesse’s Twitch Channel for an Alien Invasion Mini-Expansion Live Stream, Monday, October 21st at 1PM CST (11AM PST/2PM EST). And we will share a link to watch a replay of the stream in a later Update if you are unable to tune in :)
During this stream, you'll watch as Jesse, Josh, and Kristina compete for the title of Most Legendary while working together to fend against an Alien Invasion that’s depleting the Human pool with each turn. We’ll also make sure to give an overview of how the solo-mode works for those of you who are up to the challenge, then conclude with a Q&A session.
Before ending for today, I just want to express my gratitude one more time. Your support has made it possible for us to add so many extra upgrades and Mini-Expansions to the Exclusive Edition of the game and make it everything we hoped it could be. I hope you'll be delighted with it when you get to experience it for the first time in the (not so distant) future.
<3
Ramy
Meet Yeti and Death Worm (+a step-by-step guide on Pledge Customization)
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 04:10:53 PM
Hello!
On Friday we announced in Update #11 that the Exclusive Edition Yeti + Death Worm Expansion (AKA Yeti or Not officially by popular vote!!) is now available as an add-on 🪱🧊If you are not sure how to add this Expansion to your pledge, I have a step-by-step guide later in of this update.Adding the Expansion to your pledge during this campaign will get you the Exclusive Edition with all the upgraded components (including wooden tokens, lenticular + non-lenticular versions of the Cryptid tarot cards, and an expanded vac tray to accommodate sleeved cards).
While we work away at development and play testing, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the 2 new Characters:
In the months following the Kickstarter, I’ll be sharing progress updates on the game mechanics and art 💖 We will also host a Twitch stream during those months so you can see how it plays live!
I’ve mentioned the Pledge Customization feature a few times since we launched the functionality, and I realize that since it’s new to us it may be new to some of you as well! There are a lot of items to select from there, including Twisted Cryptids card sleeves, Twisted Cryptids Yeti or Not Expansion, Here to Slay: Banner Quest,and the new Here to Slay Play Mats.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can Customize your pledge while the campaign is live:
Step 1: Manage Your Pledge
Log in to your Kickstarter account, navigate to the Twisted Cryptids Kickstarter page, and click the purple Manage Your Pledge button on the right-side of the project!
Step 2: Change Your Pledge
If you’ve already backed Twisted Cryptids, you should be taken to a page with an overview of your pledge! Click the purple Change Your Pledge Button.
If you’re supporting the project for the first time, it took you long enough 🙄 I kid, thank you for coming along for the ride! You can skip this step and move on to Step 3.
Step 3: Select Your Tier
On this page, you’ll be able to view the Tier you’ve selected! If you’d like to change your tier, this is the spot to do so. Once you’ve made your decision, click the green Pledge $X button on the Tier you’d like to proceed!
Step 4: Configure Your Reward
Now you should see a page that lets you Configure Your Reward! Optional add-on items will be listed below your Tier overview.
To select an add-on, click the Green Add-On button
Now you should be able to adjust the quantity you’d like to add to your pledge! For most add-ons it will be 1, but for select add-ons like card sleeves, you will probably want multiple packs if they’re not already included in your Tier!
Once you have selected all of your preferred add-ons, click the green Continue button at the bottom of the page to review your changes!
Step 5: Confirm Changes
On this page you should see an overview of your Reward and any add-ons you selected, along with a cost breakdown! If everything looks correct, click the Green Confirm Changes button to save your new pledge.
And that’s all there is to it! You can change your pledge as many times as you want until the campaign ends, and your card won't be charged until its over :)
(As a note: I indicated in a previous update that you can pledge $1 and use the pledge customization options to select whichever items you want; I have since learned that pledging $1 does not open up the add-on options within Kickstarter, but I can confirm with confidence that you will be able to access these items in the BackerKit add-on store after the campaign ends. So if you are here just to pick up items from other games like Here to Slay or Casting Shadows, you'll have the opportunity to make all your selections when surveys go out 2 weeks after the campaign closes)
If you have any questions or run into issues changing your pledge, comment them below or email [email protected] and our team of Experts will be happy to help you out!
Lastly, we streamed a playthrough of Twisted Cryptids with the Cryptid Culture Expansion live on Twitch yesterday! A huge thank you to everyone who tuned in – we had a lot of fun bantering with each other (and you all) and answering some of your Twisted Cryptids questions. :D
If you couldn’t make it – fret not! We recorded the stream so you can rewatch it here:
It was a well played game between Chupacabra, Bigfoot, Jersey Devil, and Loveland Frog. Who won? You have to watch to find out. 😉
A few people have also requested to see the full Cryptid Culture Expansion Rules, which you can access by clicking the link below!
Until tomorrow,
<3
Ramy
Over 90% to our final Stretch Goal upgrade 👀👽
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 05:15:04 PM
Hello :)
Thanks to everyone who tuned into the Cryptid Culture live playthrough stream earlier today! If you missed it, we'll be sharing out a video (and the Cryptid Culture rules) in an update later this week.
Last night (/this morning for some of you), we officially hit our $1.75M Stretch Goal, which means we will be expanding the Wilderness Board by 20% to accommodate the upgraded tokens, mini-expansions, and mayhem that will ensue at each Site!
This upgrade applies to all versions of the Wilderness board you'll find in this project, including:
The Wilderness Board included in the Kickstarter Edition Game
The Nostalgic Wilderness Board Previous Backer Gift (available as an add-on if this is your first time supporting one of our Kickstarters)
The Wilderness Board that comes with the Wilderness Craft Kit add-on (and, in case you missed previous answers on this, we will be including stickers for the unlocked Mini-Expansion meeples in the set as well!)
We are quickly approaching our final Stretch Goal – the $2M Alien-Invasion Mini-Expansion 👽 (and we're exactly 92.4% of the way there as I'm writing this update!!!) Unlocking this goal means we will include this Mini-Expansion (along with the Unicorn Frenzy and Field Trip Mini-Expansions) in the Kickstarter Edition Game – that’s a base game, expansion, and THREE mini-expansions all in one box 🤯 I also want to clarify one more time: this will NOT be a print-and-play reward. If we unlock this Stretch Goal, you will get the actual UFO meeple and cards. The print-and-play will be available later for anyone who misses the campaign.
Social Stretch Goal Progress
You all have seriously blown us away with your response to the Social Stretch Goal challenges we presented you with! So far, we've unlocked 23/25 of the Social Stretch Goal objectives – earning you Wallpapers, Coloring Book Pages, Cryptid Playlists, and 3 Print 'n Play Cryptids.
With just one week left on the project, please share the project to get the word out about Twisted Cryptids to help us hit our final goals ($2M in funding and 30,000 backers) to unlock the final two rewards!
Before I wrap things up, I want to say thank you again for all of your support on this project ❤️ It's been such a joy unlocking all the upgrades and revealing surprises as the campaign has unfolded. (Heck, I've even surprised myself multiple times). While we won't be able to fulfill every single request that comes through, we have done our best to read and consider every comment, suggestion, and piece of feedback to make this the best game (and Kickstarter) we possibly can. And for things we ultimately decide we can't do this time around, we will log them away to plan for next time if we can.
See you tomorrow!
<3
Ramy
Here to Slay Fans….you’ll want to sit down for this one ⚔️
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Oct 14, 2024 at 02:53:40 PM
Hi everyone :)
We are pausing from Twisted Cryptids for a second to bring you an update about Here to Slay ⚔️
Keeping secrets is really hard.
If you tuned into the first Twisted Cryptids playthrough stream (and stayed until the Q&A at the end), you may have heard a question asking if there will be more content coming soon for Here to Slay. We didn’t share anything explicitly, but answered vaguely in a nudge nudge, wink wink sort of way, because we have been planning to share some news during this campaign but weren't quite ready to spoil the surprise.
(Note: there are two Here to Slay announcements in this update, so make sure you read until the end)
I’d like to start by sharing something special we’ve had in the works for about two years now – HERE TO SLAY: BANNER QUEST!
This epic new Here to Slay Expansion introduces new effects and mechanics, and a new way to win the game! Claim Banners by strategically building your Party… but remain ever vigilant, because another player might seize a Banner from your grasp at any moment!
The first player to end their turn with 3+ Banners in their Party (or SLAY 3 Monsters)wins the game 🏆
Throughout the game, you’ll claim Banner cards that will give you an edge over your opponents. Each Banner card lists an effect that you can use on each of your turns as long as that Banner card is in your Party.
Your Banner cards cannot be stolen, destroyed, attacked, or returned to your hand, but they can be seized by another player.
There are two types of Banner cards you can collect:
Class Banner Cards: You’ll find 10 Class Banner cards in this expansion, one corresponding to each of the 10 classes in the Here to Slay base game and expansion Packs. To claim a Class Banner card, you must be the first player to reach 3 of that class in your Party (including your Party Leader). Note: If you play Banner Quest with the Base Game but aren't using the other Expansions, you can easily remove the Warrior, Druid, Berserker, and Necromancer Banners, cards, and tokens.
Hunter’s Trophy Banner Card: There is only 1 Hunter’s Trophy Banner card in this expansion. To claim the Hunter’s Trophy Banner card, you must be the first player to SLAY a Monster card.
After that, each time a player SLAYS a Monster card, they seize the Hunter’s Trophy Banner card.
Certain cards in the Banner Quest Expansion allow you to change the class of a Hero card, giving you the upper hand to Slay Monsters or collect Class Banners!
(Don’t worry, you don’t have to keep track of it all in your head! We included double-sided class tokens in the Expansion that you can use to easily denote the current class of a Hero card.)
Here to Slay: Banner Quest is available for you to add to your pledge for $15 (and will also be available in the BackerKit add-on store after the campaign ends).
To help manage your cards, we designed a special Play Mat with slots for your Party Leader, Heroes, Banners, and slain Monsters so that everything is nice and organized!
This is the longest Play Mat we’ve ever designed, at 22.7” x 11” (576 x 280mm) 😳
—-------
Ok so everything above that line we have been planning for a while. The rest of this update is a new development in response to one of the most burning questions we’ve received throughout this campaign about Here to Slay Play Mats.
The original set of Party Leader Play Mats that we included in the 2020 Kickstarter were exclusive, which has made it challenging for fans of the game who missed the project to get a complete set.
With the introduction of Here to Slay: Banner Quest, we saw an opportunity to revisit our Party Leader Play Mats and introduce a new remastered set of all 10 Party Leaders. We wanted to make sure these Play Mats were compatible with the newest expansion, which requires 3 additional tarot-sized card slots, while staying true to the style of the original Here to Slay Play Mats. Each of these features new Party Leader artwork, and they will come with a matching promo card of that Party Leader featuring the same artwork.
You can see the in-progress artwork for these in the image below:
I know some of you are going to feel conflicted about whether to get the whole set if you already have some of the Play Mats or just fill in missing gaps in your collection- so we are giving you a few of options here:
You can get the 6 base game Play Mats together for $50, and each set of 2 expansion Play Mats for $20.
We put together a special bundle for the Kickstarter to allow you to get all 10 for $60 to make it a little easier if you want to get the full set of new matching Play Mats (and their corresponding promo cards).
Since the Banner Quest Play Mat is not Party Leader-specific, you can get that one for $10 if you just want one Play Mat for yourself.
For now, we made the Banner Quest Expansion + the bundle of all 10 HTS Play Mats available as add-ons if you want to manage your pledge directly in Kickstarter. To limit the chaos, we are just putting in just those two options for now- if you want any of the options I mentioned above, including the Banner Quest Play Mat, you’ll be able to get those in the add-on store in BackerKit after the project closes.
These items will also be available later through our website, but ordering them through this Kickstarter guarantees you early access to all the goodies 😋
We get requests for a new Here to Slay expansion more than we do for any other game in our roster (and, based on the number of questions we’ve gotten on this campaign about Here to Slay Play Mats, I know there are a lot of fans out there in the audience). I hope this update adds a little bit of joy to your day :)
I’ll be back to Twisted Cryptids updates again tomorrow.
