Created by Peter Chiykowski, creator of The Story Engine
Create endless story prompts for writers, DMs, RPG players, teachers, and storytellers of all stripes.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Group 1 Shipping On Course + Heads Up Re: Group 2 + Postcard Subscriptions + Lessons Learned
almost 6 years ago
– Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 12:40:39 AM
Hi everyone!
I wanted to provide a quick "all is well" check-in on Group 1 shipping, but also give you a heads up about some unprecedented events that will affect the start of Group 2 shipping.Â
A few of days out from our port of call, our US-bound cargo ship with the books was hit by a storm that collapsed multiple cargo containers. The vessel had to make an unplanned emergency stop for repairs. As far as I know, our cargo was not damaged.
I plan a lot of buffer weeks into my schedule, and I've run into a variety of freight incidents while fulfilling multiple Kickstarters, but never in my life have I had to schedule time for the wrath of Poseidon.Â
See below for the updated details on arrivals.
As a reminder:
Group 1 is comprised of backers whose rewards do NOT include The Story Engine anthology, which may also be called "The Story Engine book" in your reward list.
Group 2 is comprised of backers whose rewards DO include The Story Engine anthology/book
If any of these changes will require you to update your address, DM me or reach me via the contact page and I'll get that handled ASAP.
Group 1 Check-In
Group 1 shipping continues to be on track for the shipping schedule released in the last update.Â
Group 1 backers in the UK and EU have been posting their pictures as decks arrive, and I could not be happier with your reactions. Everyone seems really happy with the deck, and I've been told a few times it was well worth the wait.Â
With all the challenges this year posed, it means everything to me that you feel validated by the faith you placed in the project, and that you have something to keep you inspired and creative.
By the way, I love when people post pictures of their decks and prompts! Please consider tagging @storyenginedeck in your posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I look at every single one and it really uplifts my day when I see this project out in the wild, doing what it was created to do.
To recap, here's how Group 1 timelines were looking as of the last update:
 UK/EU: In the mail, or soon to be in the mail.
 US/International: Decks to arrive in the warehouse as early as tomorrow or as late as Nov 20, and begin shipping ASAP.
 Canada: Decks to arrive in the warehouse as early as Nov 20 or as late as Nov 27, and begin shipping ASAP.
 Australia: Waiting on confirmation that decks and books arrived in port on time and are either in the warehouse or soon to be. Shipping for Group 1 and 2 still expected to begin and finish in November.
Group 2 Advance Warning
In the last update, I mentioned that we were checking in with the freight forwarder to see if the US-bound books had gotten in ahead of our last projected timeline. I had high hopes.
I'm still reeling from the news we got: on its way to our port of call in Long Beach, our vessel was hit with a horrible storm, suffered the collapse of multiple containers, and had to make an unplanned emergency stop at the port of Tacoma to assess damage and repair containers.
As far as I know, none of our cargo was damaged, but it's still very disappointing. We were literally just a few days from our port of final destination. So damn close.
I also just heard from Spiral Galaxy that the UK/EU books were delayed on the sea as well, though due to less dramatic reasons: backed-up ports.
I don't know what I did to make Poseidon so angry, but it has just not been our month for ocean freight.
Obviously, these are forces of nature outside of anyone's control. If I knew the incantation for smooth seas and swift winds, I would be chanting it every day. But for now, the only ritual at my disposal is refreshing my inbox constantly, hoping better news comes in soon.
Here are the revised timelines, but please bear in mind that these are best guesses. I am deeply sorry for the disappointment this will cause. I wish I had more than words to offer.
 UK/EU: Cargo to arrive in port Nov 28. Shipping to begin 1-2 weeks after, and continue for 1-2 weeks.
 US/International: Cargo to arrive in port Nov 26. Shipping to begin 1-2 weeks after, and continue for 1-2 weeks.
 Canada: Cargo to arrive in warehouse and shipping to begin sometime between Dec 10-17.
 Australia: Waiting on confirmation that decks and books arrived in port on time and are either in the warehouse or soon to be. Shipping for Group 1 and 2 still expected to begin and finish in November.
"Postcards From the Future" Subscriptions Expiring
If you signed up for a "postcards from the future" subscription through the Kickstarter and received the first of your monthly postcards last December, then your subscription is expiring this month. November's story is going in the mail this month, and it will be the 12th and final story in your subscription.
I will soon email you instructions for renewing if you would like to do so. I hope you've enjoyed the stories so far! This last one is one of my favourites.
Lessons Learned
While shipwrecks and global pandemics are not in my usual Kickstarter planning process, I did want to share some lessons I've learned from this experience.
I don't like having to ask my backers to be as patient as you've been, and it matters to me that you know  I'm taking the lessons I can to give you a better experience next time.Â
If any of you are planning projects of your own, maybe these will help as well. I back a lot of projects, and I'm receiving a lot of project delay updates from other creators right now. It seems like it's the season for it, and a lot of us are struggling with similar issues.
Lesson #1: Onboard fulfilment partners earlier. This process took longer than I expected, and because of the late start, it definitely slowed down freight arrangements. Next time I'd like to have my partners on deck 2 months before manufacturing is done, and have them coordinate with the factory 1 month before manufacturing is done.
Lesson #2: Produce everything at one facility, or plan to consolidate cargo before shipping. Communicating with two factories (decks and books), and having separate cargo arrangements for each (plus different communication streams for each cargo region) means twice as many updates to keep on top of, and more detail to communicate to all of you. It also means twice as many channels where something can get missed or go wrong. Next time I'll arrange for one factory to do everything, or for the cargo being combined at the port before freight goes out.
Lesson #3: Don't project arrival times until cargo is on the boat. I think I started sharing specific dates with you too early. While I love being transparent and sharing what I know as soon as I'm cleared to do so, I think specific dates (even when projected) set a heightened expectation that I didn't manage properly, especially given the degree of uncertainty around international logistics right now.
Lesson #4: Don't lock addresses until the cargo is in the warehouse. I pulled the trigger too early by locking addresses when we were planning the cargo split back in June/July. I was excited, and I thought we would need final addresses to arrange the counts. In retrospect, this wasn't necessary yet, and it put a bigger burden on all of you to watch the shifting dates and email me address changes. Next time, I'll lock those when the decks arrive in warehouse.
Lesson #5: Keep Poseidon happy. I'm going to keep on looking for that incantation, and maybe do a shore walk to pick some plastics out of the ocean as a sign of goodwill.
Hoping for smooth seas and swift winds,
Peter
Group 1 Shipping Check-In
almost 6 years ago
– Thu, Nov 05, 2020 at 12:52:43 AM
Hi backers,
I wanted to do a big Group 1 shipping check-in after receiving mixed progress reports from the fulfilment partners.
The good news is that Group 1 in the UK/EU is well underway. The bad news is that the US fulfilment partner has just reported major delays on the wave of shipping that was supposed to start last week, and these delays will affect Canada as well.
I’ll spell out all the details I’ve received, and the possible timelines for next steps.
As a recap:
Group 1 = backers whose rewards do NOT include The Story Engine anthology.
Group 2 = backers whose rewards do include The Story Engine anthology.
Bear in mind that the estimates below are for the start of the shipping group. Shipping out all parcels for each group may take 1-2 weeks in the warehouse, so you could receive your notification of shipment/tracking any time within the 1-2 weeks after the firm start date.
UK/EU Fulfilment
Spiral Galaxy Games sent address confirmation emails on Monday and began shipping shortly afterwards. From what I gather, they really hit the ground running and should be clearing Group 1 very quickly.
They also got in touch proactively to tell me that the arrival of Group 2 freight has been pushed back by 3 days. The freight is now expected to make landfall on Nov 17 and to arrive at the warehouse to begin distribution 2 weeks after that.
Overall, everything is still well within the range of projected start dates we set out in the last update, so I’m very pleased with the progress and communication for this region.
Note that the UK/EU is the only region that will receive address confirmation emails prior to shipping.All other regions will receive shipping/tracking notifications, but the fulfilment partner will not contact you prior to shipping to confirm your address.
For non-UK/EU backers, Please DM me or use the contact page ASAP if your address has changed.
US/International Fulfilment
This has been disappointing news, although there is a silver lining for Group 2 backers.
The US fulfilment partner contacted me at the end of day Friday to let me know that they had provided the wrong arrival date, and that decks had not been shipping from Oct 26-30 like we had been expecting. Instead, the decks had spent the last week in customs.
I pressed for more details on what this would mean for timelines, and have just been told that the earliest to expect Group 1 to start shipping is late next week (Nov 12/13), but it is equally likely to start the week after (Nov 16-20).
Obviously, this is hugely disappointing as we were supposed to be 9 days into Group 1 shipping by now, and we have only just been handed the revised timeline. I hate being behind the ball on news about delays, and I’ve asked for more proactive communication around delays.
There may, however, be some good news for Group 2 backers. We are checking with the freight forwarder to confirm, but the books may already have arrived in port a little ahead of schedule. It’s possible we could be fulfilling Group 1 and 2 together starting mid-November and wrapping up in late November.
I am awaiting confirmations and timelines on the books, and will update the shipping page as I get them.
Canadian Fulfilment
The US fulfilment team in Indianapolis is standing by to split off the Canada-bound cargo when freight is unloaded, but even if the turnaround is fast, the new US delays will affect Canadian fulfilment.
I am tentatively scheduling Group 1 and Group 2 to fulfil together around the time Group 2 was originally expected to fulfil, likely starting sometime between Nov 20 and Nov 27.
Australian/New Zealand Fulfilment
The decks and books were expected to make landfall this week. I've followed up with the partner and asked them to confirm that all is well, and asked them to provide an estimated time for customs clearance, receiving freight, and starting to ship. I am still projecting that Group 1 and 2 will fulfil together in November.
Please Get In Touch If There’s Anything You Need
If you have questions, concerns, or address changes, please get in touch via DM or the contact page.Â
I am here to help, and my #1 priority remains getting each and every one of you your decks and books as quickly as possible.
I am thrilled that we’re steaming ahead on the UK and EU, and a little heartbroken not be celebrating the progress I’d been eagerly anticipating on US/international fulfilment.
Detailed freight update and firmer shipping timeline
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 06:04:17 PM
Hi backers,
Thanks so much for your ongoing patience. I know it’s been a long and frustrating wait.
For the past 2 weeks, my logistics partners and I have been hounding the factories and freight forwarders for firm information on freight arrival times so I could post a comprehensive update. I’ve been frustrated about the slow trickle of both progress and information. There are still some grey areas in the timeline (mostly on exact dates of the anthologies arriving), but I didn’t want to leave you without an update any longer than you’ve already waited.
The good news is that the first decks are currently scheduled to make landfall next week, with shipping to begin the week after.
Overall, COVID-19 has turned logistics into a log-jam nightmare. I’ve sent 6 projects to print overseas before, and I’ve never experienced anything even close to this. These delays have been aggravated by communication errors and lapses from the anthology printer, who fell a few weeks behind the deck factory in getting our freight arranged with the freight forwarders.
So I wanted to do a big (and long overdue) check-in with the information I have, share my frustrations, and listen to yours.
Here’s what's covered in this update:
We have more specific cargo landing dates, starting as early as Oct. 18, with the earliest region to start fulfilling the week after that.
Because of communication errors from the printer, The Story Engine anthology is roughly 2-4 weeks behind the decks, depending on the region.
We are dividing backers into Group 1 shipping and Group 2 shipping depending on whether or not their rewards include the anthology. We plan to start shipping to Group 1 Â backers as soon as decks arrive to clear the queue and be ready to hit the ground running for Group 2 backers when the anthologies land.
All of the add-ons (custom prints, my first book, T-shirts) have been ready and sitting in the distribution warehouses waiting for everything else to arrive for weeks now. Some I even mailed directly to backers in certain regions (more details below) because I wanted to get something in the mail.
As always, my inbox is open for questions and you can DM me with any address updates.
Anthology Delays and Group 1 vs Group 2 Shipping
The biggest development in the past month has been that while the deck factory has been communicative and helped us move through many of the COVID-19 delays, the anthology printer has been harder to get information from and introduced a further delay by applying outdated contact info to one of the freight shipments. The freight forwarder had to manually follow up to find out why the shipment they anticipated wasn't being processed, backtrack to the printer to find out how they had addressed it, track it down to find where in the system it had gotten stuck as a result, and then update it and get it moving. It has since been sorted out.
I tried to claw back some of the lost time by offering to pay the 3-5x cost increase for air freight for the most delayed regions, but by that point the books had already been loaded pending sea travel and I was advised it was too late.
Again, I can’t tell you how frustrating it has been to have so little control over the process, to be waiting for information and product to arrive knowing that there are thousands of you waiting for them to arrive too.
To keep things moving and reduce wait times as much as possible, I’ve broken down our backers into two groups.
Group 1 is made up of backers whose rewards do not include The Story Engine anthology. We will start shipping them as soon as decks arrive so that when anthologies arrive, the shipping queue is clear and we can crank those rewards out.
Group 2 is made up of backers whose rewards do include the anthology. We will be standing by to fulfil these backers’ rewards as soon as anthologies arrive.
Updated Timelines
Here’s the overview of where everything is in each region. Please keep in mind that these are all estimates, and there are so many extra hurdles right now with COVID-19, but I've done my very best to confirm the accuracy of these estimates. Softer estimates are marked with asterisks.
United States + International
Fulfilled by Funagain Logistics from Indianapolis, IN.
Deck cargo ETA Oct 22 with Group 1 shipping to start Oct 25.
Book cargo ETA Nov 5-12 with Group 2 shipping to start Nov 8-15.*
UK/EU
Fulfilled by Spiral Galaxy Games from Telford, England.
Deck cargo ETA Oct 18 with Group 1 shipping to start Oct 27-30.
Book cargo ETA Nov 14 with Group 2 shipping to start Nov 25-30.*
Canada
Fulfilled by Jason Anarchy Games from Dundas, Ontario.
Deck cargo ETA and Group 1 shipping Nov 1-8.
Book cargo ETA and Group 2 shipping Nov 12-24.*
Australia/New Zealand
Fulfilled by Aetherworks from South Hurtsville, NSW.
Aetherworks has a monthly cargo load that goes from China to Australia, which usually arrives right about now.
We expected the decks to make the sailing that arrives now, and it’s possible the books made the same sailing, but we have been unable to confirm the status of either shipment with Aetherworks.
The most likely scenario based on the last check-in is that Group 1 shipping begins in the next couple of weeks, with Group 2 to follow a month later, but it's possible both Groups could start this month, or both Groups could start next month.*
Please feel free to DM me with address updates if you're going to be moving!
*Asterisks mark estimates that I have asked for more explicit confirmation on over the past 2 weeks, and still have not received it. This is the best guess available right now, and while it may change, I didn’t want to delay the update any further.
Here’s What I’ve Been Doing to Keep Things on Track
As I said, it’s been endlessly frustrating not have direct access to information or product. This is my first time outsourcing fulfilment, and it’s a very different experience from what I’ve been used to. But I like to stay as involved in the process as I can
Here’s what I’ve been doing to try to keep things moving:
Keeping the shipping page up to date with all the latest info as it comes in.
Checking in with our fulfilment partners as often as I can for updates, even when there aren’t any.
Pre-filling out paperwork so we can hit the ground running as soon as inventory arrives.
Prioritizing shipping based on product ETAs to speed up the process (i.e. Group 1, Group 2).
Handling address update requests within 24 hrs.
Sending some add-ons straight to backers in certain regions where I could financially justify it (custom prints in UK, EU, Canada, and Aus/NZ; The Shortest Story Vol. 1 in Aus/NZ)
I know these don’t make up for the larger delays, but they’re the parts of the process that are in my control, and I don’t like sitting and waiting.
Genuinely, there's nothing I want more than to have these decks in your hands and on your tabletops so you can get creating. It’s been hard to accept that the decks were ready so long ago and still aren’t in the mail and on their way to you.
I’m taking as many lessons as I can from this. I’ve always padded my production timelines and delivery timelines with a couple of extra months, just in case, but I’m going to have to really increase padding in my estimates going forward. I will especially have to plan for budgeting extra time to onboard partners.
Feel free to let me know how you’re feeling in the comments, and to DM me with any questions or address updates. I’m here to help, and I’m there with you watching the mail and wishing it would arrive sooner.
Thanks for your patience and support, and I'm so sorry for the long wait,
—Peter
Unboxing final product + new printer-friendly version + translations done + card sleeves
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Aug 18, 2020 at 11:48:27 PM
Hi backers!
There is so much exciting news to share in this update! Before I launch into the good news (and there’s a lot of it), I do want to provide a shipping update off the top so everyone has the latest.
It’s taken a little longer than we expected to get the cargo divided into fulfilment regions and onto boats to our local distribution partners. As a result, our projected shipping timelines are sliding back by a bit.
That said, we’ve finalized our regional fulfilment partners and have clearer timelines for each area of the world we’re shipping. I’ve set up a page on The Story Engine website that will always have the latest shipping information for your region so you always know what to expect based on the latest estimates.
For now, all regions are expected to begin shipping in late September and finish in early-to-mid October. Please allow extra time for any games being sent across borders.
US fulfilment will be led by Funagain Logistics
Canadian fulfilment will be led by Jason Anarchy Games
UK/EU fulfilment will be led by Spiral Galaxy Games
Australian/New Zealand fulfilment will be led by Aetherworks
All other regions to be fulfilled by Funagain Logistics from the US
Speaking of which: we have upgraded all Australian/New Zealand backers to customs-friendly localized shipping through Aetherworks. I didn’t originally plan for this in the campaign, but we had enough backers that I thought the extra expense was worth it for speeding up delivery and making sure nothing goes missing in transit.
Okay, with shipping out of the way, let’s get into the fun stuff! Here is the latest news! I go into greater detail on many of these points in the sections below!
 The factory express-shipped me the honest-to-goodness final deck and I recorded a full unboxing video, improvised prompt, and some glamour shots of the deck! Watch it below or on The Story Engine YouTube!
 We have created a new super printer-friendly, high-contrast print-at-home PDF deck! Visit your Digital Downloads on your BackerKit profile and download the latest export of the deck to see it.
 We have delivered the digital deck translations in Spanish and French via BackerKit!
 I’ve released the results of my tests using the deck with plastic sleeves and provided purchase links.
Alright, one gratuitous glamour shot and then let’s get into it!
(Follow The Story Engine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest (new!) if you want to see more glamour shots of the decks over the coming weeks!)
Unboxing the deck
I was shaking with the excitement the day the decks arrived. I set up a camera to record opening and seeing it for the first time, and OH MY GOODNESS, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Every detail of the boxes, card design, colour matching, main deck tray—everything came out absolutely stunning!
I show everything in the video itself, so I won’t go on and on here, but it’s definitely worth watching! I even recorded a spur-of-the-moment prompt that was a lot of fun.
One thing that didn’t make it into the video, but I wanted to flag: the main deck box doesn’t quite have enough room for all expansions and boosters combined on top of the main deck, which had been a goal of mine. Here’s what does fit in the main box:
Main deck + every card in the thickest sleeves I could find (see below for reviews of 4 different sleeve types)
Main deck + all 3 expansions
Main deck + all 6 boosters
But unfortunately not the main deck + all expansions + boosters. Sorry! I really wanted this box to accommodate everything. I will look into all-in storage solutions as a future project! Until then, the expansion and booster boxes are durable and reusable, and do an excellent job of storing cards long-term.
In fact, check out how cool the booster packaging turned out!
I have been updating the eco-friendly version of The Story Engine to be even printer-friendlier and higher-contrast than the original, and to work especially well when printed in black and white.
The new version has white backgrounds, simpler layouts, cleaner colours, and large card type icons for easier sorting when printed in black and white. This drastically cuts down on ink consumption, and still allows 12 cards to fit on a single printed sheet. The cards also offer higher contrast for visibility, which helps with the reduced size (2.5” instead of the full 3”).
It loses some of the design aesthetic of the full-quality deck, but I think the gains in visibility and printer economy are well worth it for those printing on a budget.
The updated digital download package for the main deck is now available on BackerKit for anyone receiving a digital copy of the main deck. I'll roll out versions of the expansions and boosters over the coming weeks.
Digital translations complete and delivered
The Spanish and French translations of the main deck have been exported and delivered in both the high-quality print-at-home format, and the new super-eco friendly format! The translated guidebooks are also included in these download packages.
The French deck was delivered last week and the Spanish decks the week before that. All backers who selected a translated version during their survey should now have them in their Digital Downloads.
For the Spanish version, I have also completed designing the expansions and boosters, and have those distributed those along with the main deck as a free upgrade for everyone.Â
The French expansions and boosters are still underway, but will eventually be delivered as a free upgrade as well.
If you chose the English PDF but would like to get a copy of the French or Spanish PDFs (they can be great tools for learning vocabulary and practising writing) they are now available in The Story Engine deck preorder store.
Use the discount code KICKSTARTERBACKER for a 25% discount on translations. It will be valid until Aug 31.
Testing sleeves for the deck
As promised, I’ve ordered a bunch of different card sleeve types to see which ones work best for the deck.
The good news is that there are four contenders, which I’ve ranked and reviewed with my personal preferences. Essentially any 80mm x 80mm square sleeve will do the trick (often used for the cards from Jungle Speed and The 7th Continent).
Here are my picks from best to worst. I include buy links for each, including at least one from an independent company, and one as an Amazon affiliate link.
Mayday Games Premium Card Sleeves 80mm x 80mm (MDG-7145, 50 per package)
Summary: These feel premium and, in my opinion, are worth the extra cost.
Pros:
These sleeves are heavy-duty, archival safe, acid-free, and contain no PVC
They are super satisfying to shuffle and grip nicely
They fit nicely in the interior card trays of the box
They are sturdy enough to hold up to abuse, and they truly feel like they’re protecting your cards
Cons:
They are the most expensive of the sleeves I tested
If you like lighter sleeves, these may be bulky
Tip: Don’t get these confused with the 100-pack of non-premium sleeves from Mayday Games. They have very similar packaging.
Panasia Games Swan Sleeves 80mm x 80mm (barcode 4714398490928, 150 per package)
Summary: I really didn't like these, but they are the cheapest, so there's that.
Pros:
Acid-free, no PVC
Inexpensive
Very clear plastic
Cons:
Super flimsy
Very slippery
So lightweight that they have trouble squaring up inside the trays
That's all, folks!
That's all the news I have for you right now, but I will continue to keep you up to date as plans come together.
I'll leave you with more gratuitous glamour shot: my favourite from the photoshoot I did in my garden. Â
Follow The Story Engine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest (new!) if you want to see more glamour shots of the decks over the coming weeks!
As your last match burns down, a voice from the darkness chuckles and says, "Tell me a story..."
Locking addresses to prepare for shipping
about 6 years ago
– Sat, Aug 01, 2020 at 10:47:01 PM
Hi everyone! This is just a quick mini-update to let you know that logistics plans are being finalized!
We are currently arranging freight for the decks and books to leave the printing facilities and go to the regional distribution hubs. We may be shipping starting as early as the end of August, and continuing into the fall, so I have set the timer to lock all backer addresses in 48 hours.
This is so exciting!
For the next 48 hours, you can still update your address in BackerKit.
You should have received a BackerKit notification email at the address you use for Kickstarter/BackerKit, which should include a link to update your address if you need to.
If you need to update your address because you have moved since filling out your survey OR you will be moving in the next 1-3 months, please do it via the link provided in the next 48 hours. If you did not receive the email notification, please check your spam folder for the email from BackerKit. If you cannot find it in spam, or you run into any issues, please DM me on Kickstarter and I'll help you out.
We can still manually update your address after the 48 hour period expires, but it will take a little more work and the chance of clerical errors increases, so I'd love to make sure we have everything in ship-shape as we proceed into the fulfilment phase.
I'll have more updates on the fulfilment partners and timelines for each region as they are finalized. For now, let me just say how excited I am to see plans coming together!
