Happy New Year!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Dec 31, 2020 at 08:54:58 PM

Dear Backers,

I rarely write from a personal perspective here on Kickstarter, but back in 2017 I posted an update which included some thoughts I had at this reflective time of year - thoughts which seemed to be well received at the time. They were still appropriate 12 months later, so I reposted them in 2018, and since then it has become something of a tradition to update and repost that message every year, so here we go: 

At the beginning of 2017, we had a basic prototype of Escape the Dark Castle (not even with that title) and little else. On this, the last day of 2020, four years on, Escape the Dark is now a complete series with a range of expansions - highly regarded and enjoyed by players across the world in multiple languages. I still find it amazing, and needless to say being at the helm of this project has changed my life for the better, and in turn the lives of those around me. 

But, it is important to point out that it wasn't easy, that there were many times of doubt and difficulty along the way, plenty of risks taken, and not just at the beginning. But, during that process, I learned one thing in particular, something which I imagine I will always want to share for as long as I have this modest platform: it is never too late to change the direction of your life.

If there is a dream you have not yet pursued, a project you have not yet begun, a different path you wish to be on, now is ALWAYS the right time. It takes courage, sacrifice, and above all hard work, but those things are not to be shied away from. Think of those things as currencies to be spent. Currencies which, if you dig deep, you will find you are rich in. Think of spending them as being the price you have to pay to get to what you want in life - the price of happiness. Take it from me, spending them is absolutely worth it. In fact, they are worthless to you if you do not use them. 

This is the attitude I will be taking forward into 2021, and I urge you all to do the same - aim high, follow your gut, and take the plunge. You might be amazed, like I am, at where you end up.

With that, we sign off for 2020. I want to thank you all personally, our amazing community of backers, customers and players once again - we are so happy to have had you all with us during this very difficult year, and we want you to know we are here to stay, committed to making more great games for you to enjoy in the coming years. 

We can't wait to announce the next chapter of Themeborne's story. The Escape the Dark series is only the beginning.

Happy New Year!

Tom
 Owner & Game Designer
 Themeborne

Happy Christmas!
over 3 years ago – Fri, Dec 25, 2020 at 12:32:30 AM

Themeborne is closing down for a few days for the Christmas holidays, and want to wish all our backers around the world a very Happy Christmas from the depths if the Dark Sector. 

For those of you fortunate enough to already have the game, make sure you break it out with friends and family one evening over the Christmas break. Dim the lights, pop on the soundtrack, and sink into a feast of deep space adventure.

We look forward to hearing all about your festive missions. 

Enjoy!

Had your pledge manager invite?
over 3 years ago – Thu, Dec 17, 2020 at 06:48:08 PM

Dear Backers,

Thanks to everyone who has already completed their survey! 

However, there are still 1286 backers who have not, so we just wanted to make sure you all have what you need. 

If you didn't receive your email invite, you can access the pledge manager by clicking the link below and entering your email address:

https://escape-the-dark-sector-expand-the-universe.backerkit.com/

If that doesn't work, please contact us directly at [email protected] and we'll get you in. 

As a reminder, you don't need to pay anything until March 1st 2021, but it would be really helpful if you could complete your survey and select your add-ons now. 

Thanks!

Pledge Manager Open!
over 3 years ago – Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 10:36:57 PM

Dear Backers,

Over the next 48 hours you will start to receive your email invitations to our pledge manager, Backerkit. These are sent to the email address registered to your Kickstarter account (so please check your spam!) and they go out in batches - so please don't worry if you don't get yours for a few days. 

The email will ask you to complete your survey - a series of simple questions to click through, to specify exactly which items you’d like to receive from this campaign, and to confirm your shipping address.

All surveys must be completed by 1st March 2021.

However, it will greatly help us meet our production timeline if you could all please try to complete your surveys prior to this - as soon as is convenient for you.

How it works...

Open your Backerkit email, read it carefully, and then follow the simple on-screen instructions. bHere are a few FAQs to help get you started:

Can I switch pledge level?

You can! On the very first page of the survey (underneath the 'Get Started!' button) you’ll see the option to 'switch your pledge level'. 

How do I choose Add-ons?

Step 2 of the survey is the Add-ons section. As shown below, you’ll see a list of the items which are already included in your pledge level. Then simply browse the Add-ons and choose as many you like to add to your cart - they will appear in a separate list below your pledge items. 

Please be aware that in some cases ordering extra items may result in a higher shipping charge. As you add items to your cart, you will see in real time whether or not it has any effect on the shipping cost. Your final shipping charge is based on your location and the total weight of your order.

Can I get multiple copies of items?

You can! Fill your boots, just please be aware that doing so may increase your shipping costs as explained above.

Why does shipping cost so much?

Shipping heavy parcels around the world is expensive, there is just no way around it. We've done our best to find a great combination of price and quality in the shipping services we offer. The price includes the shipping materials, labour, and then of course the actual delivery service required to bring these games to your doorstep. The prices may not be the absolute lowest you can find, but the service and materials we use are (like everything we do) of a high quality, ensuring your items arrive quickly and safely - we feel this is the most important thing. Thanks for understanding. 

When do we get charged?

After the deadline of March 1st, all surveys will be ‘locked down’ and no further changes will be possible. Shortly after that we will charge your credit cards for any outstanding amounts. If paying by credit card, these will be run after the Backerkit closes on March 1st. Alternatively you can pay at any time before then using Paypal. 

All done? 

When you’ve finished your survey it will be saved, but you can still go back in and change it right up until the deadline of March 1st - just go to Backerkit.com and log in to your your backer account. 

Need help?

If you have questions about Backerkit or need any help at all, we have arranged for the Backerkit team to help us by providing customer support. Their experts are on-hand to deal with your queries, just click the 'Need Help?' link found in the top right hand corner of your survey.

And please remember you can always contact us directly at [email protected] – we’re always happy to help.

Enjoy!

Please rate Escape the Dark Sector
over 3 years ago – Sun, Dec 06, 2020 at 10:36:11 PM

Dear Backers, 

We know many of you have been playing and enjoying Escape the Dark Sector these last few months since getting it in the summer. Sadly, the game only has 200 ratings on Boardgamegeek :-(

If you have not already, please take just a couple of minutes to give the game a rating here: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/280748/escape-dark-sector

About Boardgamegeek (BGG)

For those of you that don't know, BGG is an online resource and community that aims to be 'the definitive source for board game and card game content'. It is a very popular site, in fact the most popular of its kind in the industry and as such is very influential. Having a good rating on there really does make a difference to our future as a small publisher. 

About ratings

It's important to know the rating system on BGG isn't asking you to become an instant game critic and somehow try to decide objectively how good a game is compared to other all games in existence - its simply asking you personally how much you enjoy it yourself when you play. 

To help making rating games easy, BGG has given each rating a description. For example, BGG describes a rating of 8 out of 10 as: 'Very Good - Enjoying playing and would suggest it' and a rating of 9 means 'Excellent - very much enjoy playing'. (you can see these if you hover over the stars) 

You don't even need to leave a comment, just click the number of stars you want to give it. 

It would be great to reach 1k ratings before Christmas. 

Thank you all!