Apequest

520 BACKER update! gifts and gratefulness...
over 3 years ago – Wed, Sep 21, 2022 at 02:58:17 PM

Here we are... 10 days to go until the campaign wraps up and what a campaign it has been!

We have new people joining us every day and each and every one is appreciated. The more people get on board, the better the game will get for everyone! ...and speaking of the game game getting better for everyone... We are on target to unlock Linen finish on the cards. THANK YOU!

Now, If you joined me on my last kickstarter game 'Bounty Hunters' then you'll know that I like to show my appreciation for you all with little surprises.. well, it would be rude not to this time around wouldn't it?! 

To celebrate 520 backers, EVERY GAME will now come with your very own comic book!

That's right... a board game, an EP, an album AND a Comic book?! -More details are to come, but rest-assured the more funds we raise together the more out-of-this-world things are in store for you. 

...Back down here on Earth, I will be traveling to Manchester tomorrow morning for a full on weekend exhibiting Bounty Hunters at TableTopLive 2022! Please come say hello if you're going to be there, play the cactus ring toss, try to win a game of Bounty Hunters and laugh at the fact I get to spend two nights sleeping in my van on the streets of Manchester! 

For now, that is all! 

I really cant wait for you all to get your own pair of (linen!) prototype trousers! 

Mark 

Will we be 200% FUNDED at 52% through the Kickstarter?!
over 3 years ago – Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 06:33:26 AM

This will be short and sweet. 

Just to say THANK YOU to everyone who has backed the game, the response has been overwhelming and incredible. We are now close to being 200% funded, which I can't quite believe since we still have half the campaign left to run!

All of this support is so deeply appreciated I wanted to ask to see if we, as a community, could share the kindness... I have been made aware of this little kickstarter 'steampunks and solarpunks'. Made by a father and son duo, it is ending today!

As I write this they are a mere £47 pounds off of their funding goal with 10 hours left on the campaign. They are true independent game developers and are exactly what this platform was created for. 

If you can pledge just £1 to them you'd be supporting the real heroes of the gaming community. People who make games for the love of it and we can show ordinary people that making games is fantastic. Plus the mechanics of their game are actually really solid!! 

I will update you all soon with news about TabletopLive in Manchester where I will be exhibiting Bounty Hunters, as well as new exciting prospects for Apequest going forward. 

Thank you all 

Mark 

From good, to great!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 08, 2022 at 02:20:53 AM

Hello everyone! 

Thank you all for being here, I have some lovely announcements to make to you all, as we have crashed through yet another stretch goal. 

When we raised £11,000 I knew we could now offer something very special, where as before, every deluxe-game backer would get a brand new Apequest song free of charge... well, now they will all get no less than SIX brand new Apequest songs!! 

That's an entire mini album! and incredibly, it's not a stand-alone project... It will continue on from where the latest album 'NEMESIS' left off. Now I can't give away too many spoilers, but it's going to be fantastic!

YOU HAVE ALL BEEN A PART OF CREATING A NEW PROFESSOR ELEMENTAL ALBUM!

Furthermore, this morning I received the latest quotes from the manufacturer. I asked them for a lot so it took a long time to come back... but, after crunching the numbers and triple checking my maths, I have confidently (and triumphantly) updated the stretch goal section to include the next two phases...

The 'Linen Cards' goal is what everyone really wants, but does't realise it until they are holding them. Every card will be glorious to touch, making the entire game... just... better!

Then, IF we can really go all out... I can make the game WAY more versatile by adding TWO MORE PLAYERS. So you can go from a solo game to a full on party of adventurers in an epic 6 player game!

Lastly, If you'd like to see more of the Professor and I, we are arranging a lovely cup of tea video chat with anyone who'd like to join us over the social medias... to be announced soon, but it is your chance to ask the Prof all the questions about the new album and myself all about the game!!   

That is all!!

Mark

The journey so far...
over 3 years ago – Mon, Sep 05, 2022 at 11:39:26 PM

What a couple of days it's been, we have flown through stretch goals so fast I literally couldn't keep up! 

So now It's time to take a breath and go over some of the fantastic things that are now going to be in the game. First things first is... The first unlocked goal... a brand new pledge option!

'Your own song' pledge is your chance to have your own slice of Professor Elemental history. Written and  recorded by Professor Elemental himself, your song can be about literally anything. He will work his magic, creating lyrics to an original beat, just for you. You will also receive four copies of the game as well as everything we unlock too!

The amount of money required for this pledge is dictated by the cost of a professional music producer to do the mix, hiring out a professional studio, writing and performing the song. That's why I left it 'til after we had fully funded, as most of this pledge will be supporting other people too.

The reason I am offering this as a pledge is because I have personally done it myself, and loved the results. I asked the Professor to make a bespoke song for me for my game 'Bounty Hunters' and he did an amazing job, he included everything I wanted and more, I even snuck my sons name 'E.B' into it! If you haven't seen it yet, you can see it here.. 

Second on the list of completed goals is the Dual layer boards!! ...and I must admit one of the things I was adamant I wanted in the game. Your Player Boards will be gloriously thick dual layer boards to hold the weapons and dials in their places!

This means we will also have punchboards!! (wahoo) ...I personally plan to be the first to post to a board game facebook group a 'what did I just punch?' pic. These new punchboards will have the weapons, the health dial, the battery dial and the malfunction wheel. 

I wanted this stretch goal in early, because the feeling of pulling a weapon out of the board and sliding the others over is unbeatable... and spinning the dials... amazing! 

Heres a mockup with some of the early versions of the artwork, just so you can get a feel of it all...

Third... Upgraded Butler cards... from the very early concept of Apequest I LOVED this idea. 

Allow me to explain, the replacement butlers will now be printed on transparent plastic playing cards with the corners deliberately left blank so they will be see-through... this allows you to lay the card directly over the Timeline Card and have a much better experience when playing...

You'll be able to see the bad guy's original health and the modifier at the same time! like magic!

Lastly (for the moment) is just plain and simple... MORE CARDS! 

• One brand new Boss Card (lookout soon for a chance to influence who or what that will be!)
• One brand new 'Origin Card' - this will act as a starting point for each game - played first and offering more immersion and context into the game.    
• Four brand new Timeline Cards!! for even more whimsical journeys in time and space! 

Keep your eye on the campaign page as I am about to update the stretch goal section to show the next target!

But that's all for now... Have a wonderful day, be awesome to each other and, as always, I can't wait for you all to own your own pair of prototype trousers! 

Mark

PS. TEN THOUSAND POUNDS?!! 

WE ARE FUNDED!!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 01, 2022 at 01:50:44 PM

Let me tell you about my morning. I woke up at 2am, feverishly checking my phone for updates on the campaign... I was up until 4am getting all in a tizz, thinking 'how else can I advertise' and 'what else can I do to reach 100%'!

Then morning came and I decided to relax a bit, spending the morning with my boy. We were in the attic (searching for Lord Owl and finding old hotwheels cars to paint) when I checked again... 20 new backers in 20 minutes!! ...then 30 ...then 40!! and it's still going up! 

We smashed through 100%, then we time travelled straight past the first stretch goal!! INCREDIBLE!

I just want to say how genuinely appreciative I am to each and every backer.  We have already surpassed what Bounty Hunters made and its not even been a week yet! 

I spoke to the Prof this morning and he absolutely shares my giddyness. He is feverishly planning the next few weeks to announce all sorts of lovely things so be sure to watch his social media to stay up-to-date. 

For now, I am going to breathe a sigh of relief... The game is being made. It's real. It's a thing! 

Back when I saw the professor for the first time, singing about a cup of 'brown joy' and giving me a discount Apequest T-shirt for only a fiver, I knew something special was on the horizon.  I'm proud to have the opportunity to bring you all along with me. 

Thank you all. 

I CAN'T WAIT for you you all to own your own set of prototype trousers!