Galen's Games

Quick Update: Shipping FAQ, Dice Clash miscalculation.
11 months ago – Fri, May 23, 2025 at 05:27:37 AM

Hello.  I've been getting lots of questions on shipping so I wanted to do a quick update.

• Where can I check my pledge, my address, my credit card info, and what I will owe?  I'm using Backerkit as the Pledge Manager for this campaign.  You can go to their website (or check your emails) to see and make any updates you need to.  Just click on the silhouette icon in the upper right and select "Your Pledges and Surveys" to find this project.  If you are stuck or having issues, you can reach out by email to [email protected].  Or message me through Kickstarter.
• I owe a balance, how do I pay this? On June 1st, I will be locking down the pledges and charging your credit card on file.  As long as your credit card info is in there and accurate, there is nothing else you need to do.
• What happens if I don't get my info in time, my credit card fails, I need to change my address? Reach out to me and we can solve the issue.  There is the possibility that it will delay the delivery of your games though so please get them done.

A few other notes:

• I may have cheaper shipping rates for Australia and Asian countries.  Looking to ship your orders directly from China.  This also means you will probably get them first (even before me!).  I will credit your accounts the difference in shipping and message you when I have this finalized.
• If you want to do Free Local Pick Up for your games, please update that in the pledge manager ASAP. After I lock orders, shipping will be charged.  

And, a small mistake / miscalculation:

You may remember that after the campaign ended, I added Dice Screens to Dice Clash.  You may also remember that my production proofs only had 1 of those Dice Screens and the Character Reference Sheets were missing.  What has been discovered after fixing these errors and the manufacturing completed, is that having both Dice Screens in the tin makes it not stay shut properly:

My sincerest apologies for this error.  The games will ship with a small transparent sticker to keep the lid shut.  After that, you will either have to remove the Dice Screens for it to stay shut, or use a small rubberband to keep it shut with everything inside.  This is not ideal, but it was discovered after manufacturing completed.  If it helps, think of the Dice Screens as an extra gift (they were added post-campaign) that doesn't quite fit in the box.  Again, sorry.  

A Big Thanks!

I received a very kind donation from Syracuse's own RetroGameCon to cover the tariff costs of my production proofs.  Thanks!

Thanks again for all the support and kind words from all of you.

Sincerely,
  Galen.

May Update - IMPORTANT INFO! Lock Order Dates, Production Proofs, Tariff and Shipping Costs
12 months ago – Tue, May 13, 2025 at 12:57:44 PM

We will start with business, but make sure to read the whole update to also see the fun stuff!

Production and Assembly Finishing at the end of May!

That's right.  Games and accessories will complete manufacturing and assembly around May 25th.  I am working on finalizing the numbers going to the different distribution hubs and booking freight.  I will continue to update you as I get more information, but games should be on the water in June!  With the 90-day reduction in Tariffs, it is all systems go to getting these out the factory door.

Shipping Costs and Tariffs finalized.  Locking Orders on June 1st.

Shipping Costs:

Shipping costs increased from my estimates an average of $2 for each pledge level.  These final amounts are still subsidized.  Shipping costs are calculated by weight and destination. Please check them as you will be charged for shipping when orders lock on June 1st.  

Local Pick Up is FREE, so be sure to select that option if you can make it work.  Details on date and location still TBA, pending a better estimate on when the games will be arriving.

For everyone that only ordered a single game, I set the shipping costs as follows:
US: $8
UK: $7
CA: $10
EU: $8
Rest of Europe:  $10
Australia: $10
ROW: $12
Local Pick-Up: Free

I don't love these numbers, but these all represent substantial subsidies of what it costs to fulfill the games.

Tariffs:

As you may have heard, tariffs have dropped to 30% for a 90-day window.  US backers will be charged tariffs through Backerkit and you can go in and see what that amounts to for your order.  Tariffs are a percentage based on the manufacturing value of the product.  For the Mint Tin Games it amounts to $0.45 a game.  If you are not in the US, you will not be charged tariffs.  Apologies for the constant back and forth on how this issue will be handled.  I've ultimately decided on this route as the fairest way to handle it.  I really, really appreciate all the support backers have shown throughout this ordeal.  

Orders Locked And Credit Cards Charged: June 1st.

I had previously said that I would give a 30 day warning for locking orders and charging cards.  I unfortunately need to shorten that timeline as I need to collect these funds to cover the freight costs and I only just learned when I would be able to start the freight process. If you recall from the last update, I was looking at holding games in China while waiting for the tariff situation to improve.  Well, it has improved and I need to be able to move a little more quickly than that.  If this causes an issue for you, please reach out and we will figure something out.

There are still about 10% of you who haven't completed your order yet.  Please do that ASAP!

For the rest of you, please make sure that your address and credit card info is correct and that you've added any add-ons you want.  

Sales Tax:

Please note that I will need to charge sales tax to US based customers.  I am meeting with an accountant tomorrow to determine the exact details of that, and will update Backerkit within the next week.  If you look now, sales tax is not yet in the system.

Retailers:

I sent all of you an email with information specific to you. Reach out if you have any questions.

Okay, now the fun stuff!

Production Proofs:

On Friday, I received production proofs of games and accessories!  I had to pay $118 because of tariffs (bad timing there) but it was worth the joy it brought to unbox these and have them in my hands!  Check it out!
 

Overall, I am ecstatic with how these all turned out!  A couple of notes about things that will be addressed before they get to you:

Dice Clash:

• Copies will include 2 Dice Screens
• Copies will include the Character Reference Sheet

Mint-Tin Monster Mash-Up:

• Cubes will be replaced with proper sized 10mm cubes 

All Games:
It might not be apparent in the video (and I didn't notice until later), but the rulebooks were folded incorrectly, and that will be correct in the final versions.

Intrigued?

If you haven't already, it's not too late to add to your order!  

Get Them Early Backers:

I will be sending out your copies this week!  Please double-check your address is correct and reach out ASAP if not (I've emailed you to confirm).

That's it for now.  Thanks!

Galen.

February Update: Tariffs, TTS Mods updated, Manufacturing Updates
about 1 year ago – Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 11:13:58 AM

Tariffs:

As you are most likely aware, tariffs have jumped from 20%- since my last update less than a month ago - to 145% on Chinese goods coming into the US.  This is having a devastating effect on the entire board game industry and especially on smaller creators.  I have a friend with goods already on the water looking at $50,000 in tariffs.  I have another who is holding off on bringing freight in because the cost is $500,000!  For them and for me, when we achieved our funding goals there were no tariffs at all.

For me, if I were to have games coming into customs now, I would be looking at around $12 - $13,000 in tariff expenses.  Not as bad as some others, but this represents nearly 40% of the entire funds I received (after KS fees, dropped pledges, and Stripe fees, I got around $33,000). 
 

So what's the plan?

Non-US backers: No change at all.  I am using Spiral Galaxy based in the UK for all non-US fulfillment, including Canada.  Other than the VAT which you normally have to pay, you will incur no additional charges.  Thank you for backing.

US Backers:I need to reserve some flexibility in how I handle this.  I am committed to getting you your games.  The questions that arise when looking at different scenarios are when? and how much?

When? Games have not started full production yet.  There is a chance that the tariff issue resolves itself by the time I am ready to book freight.  If it hasn't, I may choose to delay US shipment to wait for the situation to resolve.  How long really depends on what's happening at that time and what is most likely to happen in the near future from that time.  I don't want to delay more than 2-4 weeks at most (as warehousing charges will began to factor in significantly).  In any case, I will keep you updated if this is the course I end up taking / having to take.  

How much? If the tariff situation does not resolve, I will have to pass on a portion of the tariff costs to you.  With the current rates, the games are costing nearly $2.50 more each because of tariffs.  In this scenario, I would charge US backers an additional $2 for each game, and $1 for each accessory.  I hope it does not come to that, but I also hope you find this reasonable.  

The actual amounts, as well as shipping costs, will be decided closer to the time that I've committed to bringing the games over.

How can I help?. Maybe you didn't actually ask that, but in case you did.  First and foremost, I would appreciate your patience while this all gets sorted out.  I feel horrible having to write this update and I've been an absolute wreck for a couple of weeks, constantly doing the ever changing math in my head.  Everyone in the game industry could benefit from some grace right now if you are willing to give it.  

Secondly, the best possible way to support me financially would be to back additional products in the pledge manager (hopefully a win-win).  

Okay, with that out of the way, fun stuff!

TTS Mods Updated!

TTS stands for Tabletop Simulator.  It's a program available on Steam that lets you play a massive number of board games on your computer.  I have recently updated all the TTS mods for the games and included the playmats to play on.  

Click on the Link and subscribe to add them to your list:

Dice Clash

Mint-Tin Monster Mash-Up

Heritage Farms

Verdant Arizona

If you want to try out these games but would prefer a teach (or just want to play with me), I'm happy to arrange a playtest in the Galen's Games Discord.  I'm currently looking at Sunday evenings and Tuesday afternoons (EST) as my most consistently open times.  

I'm also always looking for playtesters and you can get the scoop on what's coming next.  I'm currently testing out expansion material for Dice Clash and Mint Tin Monster Mash-Up as well as several other games that will be coming to Kickstarter in the future.

Print and Play:

Last time I announced the release of the Print-and-Play and hopefully everyone who backed at a level with the PnP as a reward has received it.  Anyone built one yet?  I would love to see your builds and hear your feedback!  Please tag @galensgames on Instagram if you share there.  

Manufacturing Updates:

Not much to add here.  I've been getting continuous updates and checks on the components as they produce them for the pre-production samples.  There have been a few errors caught and corrected along the way that have taken some time.  I've approved E-Proofs on almost everything at this point.  I still need to see and approve the following before samples get sent out to me:
 

• Mini Dice Trays
• Mint Tin Case
• Farmer Meeples and Boats for Heritage Farms
• Sticker sheet for Heritage Farms

I anticipate that will be wrapped up in the next week or so.  

Well, that's it for now.  As always, thank you for your support!

Galen.  

March 2025 Update: PnP delivering, French Translation complete, Surprise!, Survey Results, Timeline Updates...
about 1 year ago – Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 08:49:10 AM

TLDR: PnPs complete; French Translation complete; Manufacturing deposit paid and E-proofs in process; dice screens added to Dice Clash; tariffs still not going to affect backers, but affecting future prices; survey results; GAMA recap.  

Print and Plays Done and Delivering:

Right after I post this update I will send out the Print and Play Files to all backers that are due to receive them.  You will receive a code and a Dropbox link where you can get the files for all 4 games.  

Huge thanks to Katie Andrews and Alexander Norback for getting these done!  Because they've been arranged by two different people, you will see two different approaches to the arrangements between the bundles.  Please take a look and let me know if there are any issues or questions.  I can't wait to see your builds!

French Translation Complete!

The French Translations of the rules and card text is complete!  Thank you, Marc Adda!  PnP backers, you will see a "French Translation" folder in each of the game folders.  The rulebooks will also be accessible on my website sometime this week.  

The Italian translation is still in the works, but I will add it to the PnP and rulebook folders and update you when it's done.  

Manufacturing and Timeline Updates:

Files are in to the manufacturer and E-Proofs are being created.  I paid a 30% deposit last week.  We are about 2 weeks behind where I hoped to be, but the overall delivery date of July 2025 is still possible.  With GenCon the first weekend of August, I have plenty of incentive to hit that target!  Much will depend on how many back-and-forths will happen with the E-proofs and product samples.  

Get Them Early Backers: Looks like you will get your Production Copies in late April or early May.  Thank you so much for your support!

Shipping and Credit Card Charges: My plan is to finalize and announce shipping costs by the first week of April.  I will give you a minimum of 30 days notice before charging the cards, but will set a tentative plan of doing that on May 5th.

About 10% of you still haven't completed your Backerkit Survey.  Please get that done soon!

Surprise!

How about some good news?  After thinking it over, I decided to add Dice Screens to Dice Clash!  These will be quad-fold cardstock and 2 will come in each copy.

I think this will add to the table presence and ease of play of the game.  Enjoy!

Tariffs:

Last time I updated, the tariffs on goods coming into the US form China was set at 10% and I said that I would not be passing that cost onto backers.  Now it is 20%.  I still won't be passing this cost onto the backers of this campaign, but this will be causing me to adjust my MSRP post-campaign and changing my strategy for future campaigns.  

The 4 games in this series are increasing their MSRP from $15 to $16.  Again, this will only affect games purchased after the campaign.  No additional charges for current backers, and late pledgers.  

Future campaigns will still feature discounted bundles, but they will have to increase in cost somewhere between $1 and $3.  This is assuming that the tariffs don't change further (hardly a safe assumption).  

Survey Results:

137 of you responded to my survey.  Thank you!   I will leave it open through the end of the week, if anyone else wants to add their input (see your KS messages).

Apologies for any confusion about the nature of the survey.  I was looking to see how you felt about how I ran the current campaign and to get feedback on what you would like to see in future campaigns.  

Here are the highlights of the survey:

• Nearly 88% of you rated the value of the KS offering as a 4-5 out of 5.
• 91% of you though the amount of updates and communication from me was "Just Right".  
• 70% of you "Liked" or "Loved" the way that Stretch Goals were handled during the campaign.  Of the remaining respondents, nearly all were "Neutral".
• 71% of you would prefer I treat Stretch Goals exactly like I did for this campaign, while 21% would want additional content unlocks, even if it increased the time until fulfillment.  There were some helpful comments and suggestions for this one, such as having the add-on renders ready ahead of time, having the add-ons available from the start and making the stretch goals price reductions or add them for free, and adding additional modes to games that increase player count without increasing components.  
• In ranking features you'd like to see for future campaigns, the bundles with discounts were far and away the most important to you.  
• In thinking about expanding beyond "2 player head-to-head games that you can learn in 5 minutes and play in 20", Pure Solo games and Cooperative Games were the most popular choices, while Heavier Games and Higher Player Counts were also quite popular.  Party Games were decidedly not this crowd's jam.
• Unsurprisingly, solo modes are either vital, or a major factor in backing for over half of you.
• In terms of future bundle themes, Fantasy and Cooperative were the top choices from my suggestions.  Surprisingly, slightly more of you would like additional Strategy Bundles over Battle Bundles (despite the Battle Bundle games outselling Strategy for this campaign).
• In making your own suggestions, Sci-Fi and Horror themes were very popular.  There were lots of neat singular suggestions as well that I liked.  A hiking themed one for example.  
• The comments (overall) were super kind!  Thank you.

So What Will I Do With This Info?

I'm planning on running another campaign this Fall with 4 Mint Tin Games and 2 Expansions for games from this series.  The feedback I received about how the campaign was run can be considered and implemented for sure.  Feedback about the games themselves, I won't be able to adjust for this campaign (already selected) but guides me as I sign, design, or develop future games.  Thank you!

GAMA 2025

I had an amazing time attending my first GAMA!  For those that don't know, GAMA is an industry focused trade show that takes place in Louisville, KY.  I had the opportunity to meet with tons of other designers and publishers, attend seminars, and take meetings with retailers, distributors, licensors, fulfillment specialists, and many others.  Many retailers will be picking up the Mint Tin games!  I also connected with some additional distributors and interested licensors (for publishing in other languages).  

I had a great time hanging with Eric of Talon Strikes Studios (we split a booth) and ending my trip with a bourbon tour and tastings!

That's it for now.  I'll be back with the next update in April unless there's something urgent to share sooner.  Appreciate your support!

Galen.

February Update
about 1 year ago – Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 05:34:28 AM

Hi Everyone!  I'm back with all the updates I have for February 2025.

PNP Progress:

Unfortunately, Javier has had to drop out from the project for personal reasons.  Luckily I have two amazing volunteers from the PnP community to pick up where he left off.  Alexander Norback is finishing up Verdant Arizona and putting together Heritage Farms.  He has some awesome PnP resources you can check out at pnpbuddy.com.  Katie Andrews is assembling the PnP's for Dice Clash and Mint Tin Monster Mash Up.  Katie is the game designer for Next Two You Games and knows a thing or two about crafting Mint Tin Games!   We are about 90 % of the way done with all 4 PnP's.  I'm pretty confident that I will be announcing their release next month.

Manufacturing:

HJM is back up and running post Chinese New Year!  I'm still waiting on a firmer production schedule estimate, but we are moving ahead.  I wish I had more that I could share right now.  

Dice Clash Playmat Update:

A little spoiler here, but I am currently developing some expansion content for Dice Clash that will be available as part of my next campaign this Fall.  I was going over it with Hwa Siang, the artist, and he noted that the current playmat wouldn't be able to incorporate the expansion mechanic.  So, he redesigned it so that it will! 

I'll certainly have more to share about the expansion, but maybe you have some guesses based on the re-design?  Also, no other game expansion plans require adjustments of the other playmats (at least for now).

GAMA 2025:

Galen's Games is heading to GAMA!  This is the board game industry's trade show that takes place the last week of February.  I'll be showing off Super Snipers, the Mint Tin Series, and playtesting upcoming games and my other designs.  I'll also be meeting with retailers, distributors, and others to make connections to keep expanding the reach of these games.  If you'll be there, come visit me at Booth 1468.

Tarrifs:

As many of you are probably aware, there's been a 10% tariff applied to all imported goods from China.  This will directly impact Galen's Games, but luckily not too badly.  While I haven't set shipping prices yet, I wanted to let you know that I will not be passing on the cost of this tariff to you for this campaign.  For future releases, prices will most likely have to be raised in response to this.  

Other News:

I'm not quite ready to do the full announcement yet, but I have my 2025 lineup of Mint Tin Games chosen and in development.  I'm really excited about this new lineup, as well as the opportunity to offer expansion content for the games you've backed.  Stay tuned!

Repugnant!

John de Campos is the artist for Mint Tin Monster Mash Up and he's got a campaign that's currently live on Kickstarter.  If you like things weird and gross, check this one out!

That's all for now.  I'm off to GAMA in a couple of days, where I hope it will be warmer!  I expect to continue to work on the manufacturing end of this campaign while I am there.  Talk to you next month!

Thank you!  

Galen.