Welcome to the 3rd Dimension
Something miraculous happened since the last time we spoke. It's like when Pinnochio kept telling lies until he became a real boy, remember that? Well we kept dreaming about Quin, day and night breathing Quin, and then, all of a sudden, well it became a real game. It's not like we didn't expect it would, but a miracle is a miracle all the same. That 3rd dimension is a doozy.
So we've got Beta Sets in hand right now. Our 3D Printer has been working overtime, and these are going out this week. Just as soon as our 2D Printer can figure out how to print the single hardest shade of royal blue that has ever been attempted (seriously, not sure why that's been so difficult, something about "dot gain," but it's a few hours from done as I type right now - if we ever knew the problems inherent in manufacturing before they came up, that would surely be the day). Full color cards, beautiful 3D pieces, and the magnetically reactive board we always knew we needed (even if, for a while, we weren't totally sure why). The Strategy Guide shipping with these Beta Sets has swollen up to over 80 pages, but we've successfully kept the actual rules to a single card - the Quin Key - and together they've ensured that the simple but infinite gameplay of Quin is . . . just about . . . perfect.
Not to say it hasn't changed. Wrapping up the Alpha Playtesting phase, we've introduced brand new mechanics, like the Peripheral's new Slingshot move and Shadow capture, Artificial Light's Acceleration Power increasing to 5, Memory's nerf and the defensive shortening of Sight Lines 2 & 4, that have really fleshed out the play beyond what it used to be, in important and meaningful ways. Further, we learned through Alpha about advanced strategies that were inherent from the start - things like the Void Amoeba, Shadow Swap & Far Side Reflector - but nobody had simply ever done before. That's the greatest: watching new players pick up the game and invent tactics we never saw coming. The evolution hasn't stopped, but everyone involved is loving watching the thing take on it's own life, honing down into an incredible and unique addition to the world of family strategy gaming.
These Betas are about to go out, to select families and gamer groups around the country, and we hope to learn every bit as much or more from this 2nd phase of playtesting. But the truth is we're in the process of finalizing our bulk manufacturing deal, producing content and recruiting talent for the Kickstarter trailer, fleshing out the How To Play section of this very website, producing a Runthrough Video, and ramping up our advertising for the home stretch.
So, with all this going on, when we woke up today and there's the first 5 Betas, boxed and almost ready to go out, on our kitchen table, it's maybe not quite an immaculate conception, but it's a bit of a miracle all the same. Sure, we saw them coming. Heck, we built them with our own hands. But so did Geppetto. That doesn't mean it was any less of a shock when that little puppet learned to speak his mind.
And that's how we're feeling right now. Just wanted to share the moment.
We'll talk again soon. In the meantime, if you want to join the mailing list, become a tester or just get involved in the journey of Quin, in your own way, email us at TheGameCalledQuin@gmail.com or via the Contact Page on this site.
(Edited Jan 23, 2024)
