I can hardly believe that almost a month ago I was telling you the books were finally arriving and that fulfillment should be wrapping up within a week or two. And yet, here we are.
The lack of updates has a reason, though not a particularly good one: we simply haven't been able to get a clear picture of what's happening.
Let me explain.
What went wrong?
For the first time, Critical Kit partnered with distribution centers in the US and EU. On paper, this seemed like the best decision. It would speed up fulfillment, simplify international shipping, and, most importantly, avoid burdening you backers with unexpected fees, tariffs, or customs charges.
Unfortunately, the reality has been very different.
There have been customs complications in the EU, misplaced shipments, distributors not realizing that deliveries had already arrived, delays while they tried to locate those shipments, and a frustrating lack of communication about what was actually happening. We've also had reports of books arriving damaged.
If something could go wrong, it feels like it has.
The hardest part has been having so little control over these issues. But worse than that is not having answers for you.
When someone asks me, "Where is my book?", it's incredibly frustrating, and frankly embarrassing, to have to answer, "I don't know."
Critical Kit has been contacting the distribution partners daily, pushing for information and working to resolve these problems. Some backers have received their books, and more copies are making their way to people. But for others, we're still waiting for reliable information.
I can't give you a precise estimate right now. Anything I told you would be a guess, and after everything that's happened, I don't want to make another promise based on information I can't verify.
The books exist. They're printed. Many have already been delivered. But the distribution process we believed would make things easier has turned into a series of unfortunate events.
And I am deeply sorry.
Where do we go from here?
I'm frustrated and, to be honest, ashamed of how this has unfolded.
This whole experience has taken a considerable toll on my mental health and even made me reconsider what I want to do next in my career. But that's something for me to work through, not a burden I want to place on you.
What matters here is that you supported this project, trusted us to deliver it, and have been waiting far longer than you should have.
I take that responsibility seriously.
I want to be very clear about one thing: I remain committed to getting every one of you the books you've paid for. We're not walking away from this, and we're continuing to work with Critical Kit to resolve the outstanding deliveries.
I've also put my future projects on hold while I focus on seeing this one through and earning back the confidence of those who supported it.
I wish I had more concrete news to share today. I really do. But I'd rather be transparent about what we know and what we don't than offer another optimistic timeline that might not hold.
A small gift while you wait
I know this doesn't compensate for the delays or the frustration you've experienced, but I'd still like to offer you something as a token of appreciation.
I'm giving every backer a free PDF copy of my game Before the Storm, normally priced at $12.90.
You'll receive a notification from BackerKit letting you know that new digital downloads have been added to your account. From there, you can download the game at no additional cost.
I hope you enjoy it, and perhaps it will bring a little something good to your gaming table while we continue working through this.
Thank you
I know I've said this many times already, but thank you for your patience and for sticking with me.
I understand that patience isn't endless, and I don't take your trust for granted. I hope you can still trust that this project hasn't been neglected, even when the lack of visible progress or communication might have suggested otherwise.
I'll continue pushing for answers and will share concrete information as soon as I have it.
The books are arriving at people’s homes. Holy smokes!
For a moment there, it genuinely felt like I would never get to write that sentence. What a journey this has been.
My book, apparently
Between changes in fees, tariffs, regulations, and seemingly nobody knowing exactly how some of these new systems were supposed to work—including, at times, the people responsible for them—we ended up spending more time and money than we were comfortable with in a logistics limbo we never wanted to be in.
But as I’m writing this, people have already started sending me pictures of the books arriving at their homes. Fulfillment is moving steadily.
And I have to admit: it feels like a huge weight is finally lifting from my shoulders.
I’ve been doing this for about five years now, but this was the first campaign I’ve run with proper physical fulfillment. Apparently I won the logistics lottery and chose exactly the moment when the world decided to turn upside down.
I pride myself on being punctual and respecting the people who support my work, so watching all of this happen without having any direct control over it took a toll on both my mental health and my productivity. It made me reconsider quite a few things along the way.
Thankfully, I’ve had Critical Kit backing me up throughout the process. They’ve fulfilled many projects before, with tight timelines and great communication, and they’ve been working incredibly hard to adapt to all these changes as they happened. I’m very glad I had them supporting me through this.
I promised myself I wouldn’t turn every update into public therapy, and yet here we are. I’m the kind of person who, when someone asks “How are you doing?”, actually answers the question. (I guess I could never live in England.)
Anyway!
Between this week and the next, fulfillment should finally be wrapping up, and more and more of you will be holding the book in your hands.
I really hope the delay hasn’t diminished your excitement for it. I’ve been rereading it myself over the past few days, and it has been nice to be reminded that, hey, this is actually a very cool and very unusual little book, packed with tools I’m genuinely proud of.
I’ve already heard from people using it in their campaigns to sprinkle in some weirdness, unexpected twists, and new ideas. That makes me very happy.
Thank you all for your continued patience and support. I never expected this part of the journey to take this long, but I’ve certainly learned a few things along the way—especially about managing my own expectations and making peace with the things that are completely outside my control.
One final note: some people have actually received their books before their tracking numbers made it into the system. Others will naturally take a little longer. So if you haven’t received tracking yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean your package isn’t already moving.
But rest assured: things are moving, books are arriving, and we are closer than ever to the finish line.
I’m finally able to bring you some more concrete news.
I really haven’t liked being radio silent these past few weeks. I pride myself on being open and transparent in my communication with backers, patrons, players, fans, and friends alike, so disappearing for a while (especially after telling you the books had arrived at the warehouse) has genuinely been bothering me.
The main reason is simply that I didn’t have anything concrete to add. I’ve been in regular contact with Critical Kit, but they’ve been dealing with an administrative nightmare caused by changes in regulations right in the middle of fulfillment.
On top of that, I’ve had some personal issues take quite a lot out of me over the past month. I’m getting the help I need and slowly getting back on my feet.
But I finally have news, so let’s get to it.
1. EU
A new EU packaging regulation created some significant complications for fulfillment, with the potential for both very high costs and a lot of additional administration. To avoid passing any surprise fees on to you, Critical Kit has partnered with a new fulfillment service for EU orders.
The books are being moved to them this week, and once everything is properly in motion, tracking numbers will start going out. We expect this part of the process to take roughly another week to complete.
2. USA
We have a fulfillment partner in Tennessee, and US fulfillment is now underway. As Critical Kit receives the tracking information from the US partner, it will be added to BackerKit, and you’ll receive your tracking details through there.
3. Australia, Canada, and Rest of the World
Fulfillment for Australia and Canada is expected to begin this week and continue into next week, along with the remaining international orders.
As things stand right now, we expect everything to be sorted by the end of next week.
And I do want to apologize for how long this has taken.
At one point, I genuinely hoped these books would be in your hands by the end of March. Now, as we approach the end of August, that nagging feeling of I just want people to have their books already has been weighing on me quite a bit.
This whole process has been an exercise in accepting how many parts of international manufacturing and fulfillment are simply outside my control. We’ve had to navigate unexpected regulatory changes, shifting international requirements, and a generally unstable shipping environment.
Through all of that, the priority has remained the same: getting your books to you safely, without unexpected fees or unpleasant surprises when they arrive.
I deeply appreciate how patient you’ve been throughout this process. Please know that we are working through these final steps every day, and I very much hope that when you finally have the book in your hands, you’ll feel it was worth the wait.
The good news going forward is that Critical Kit is now putting these new international fulfillment systems in place, which should make everything considerably smoother.
Exciting news: guess what just arrived at the warehouse?
Zoom in and you can see the cover!
Yep, that’s right. The books are finally here (or there, rather. I am not there. Anyway).
After the long journey by sea, the port delays, customs, and the final delivery, we have officially cleared the last hurdle.
And Tim, our hero at Critical Kit, personally unloaded all 50 boxes from the truck. So please join me in sending some appreciation (and perhaps some sympathy) to his back.
Fulfillment will begin very soon. Before long, you’ll finally be able to flip through all those colorful pages. And so will I, because I still haven’t held a finished copy myself!
Thank you once again for your patience and support throughout this whole journey.
A quick update today, since the news is brief; though at least partly exciting.
-> For the UK, the books are still sitting in a container at the port, waiting for DPD to collect them. Anyone up for a port heist?
-> For the US, the books have already arrived at the distributor, so fulfillment should begin this week or next. US backers will hopefully have their copies very soon.
That is all I have on the shipping front for now. I’ll admit, it is a little stressful sitting here drumming my fingers on the table and waiting for more concrete news, but we are getting closer every day.
A gift for you
To thank you for your patience and support while we wait, I decided to offer you a gift: a free digital copy of my oracle zine, Random Realities. You will receive access to both the PDF and the web app version.
Each page contains 60+ oracle results, and I think it pairs especially well with Weird, Whimsy & Wonder.
Random Realities has been very well received by the community, and I hope it gives you plenty of ideas for your games, prep, and writing. Consider it a small token of appreciation for sticking with us through this long final stretch.
Have fun with it, and please let me know how you plan to use it.
(Side note: I'm using BackerKit's digital fulfillment for the first time for this one, so it's also a good test to see if it works. You should get an email saying something like, “New digital downloads available for you" very soon.)
Other News
Elsewhere, this past week has been a little more exciting. My game Load the Simulation was named a finalist for Best GMless Game at the CRIT Awards, which was wonderful news.
I also have an exclusive Bundle of Holding running at the moment, featuring five of my games; including the aforementioned Load the Simulation.
So, while I continue waiting impatiently for more shipping news, there have at least been a few good reasons to celebrate.
As always, thank you for your patience and understanding.
After a bit of detective work by our publisher (thanks, Tim!), we managed to track down the shipment. The ship is scheduled to arrive at port on July 5th.
From there, everything depends on customs. Once the shipment is cleared, the final leg to Critical Kit’s warehouse normally takes a bit over a week, though that part is a little harder to predict. The important news is this: it’s finally arriving.
For those of you in the U.S., fulfillment should begin almost simultaneously, as the shipment there has already arrived. We’re so close now!
I’ve been itching to bring you something more concrete than “the books are on a ship somewhere,” and I’m very happy that I finally can.
As always, thank you for your patience, your encouragement, and for coming along on this journey with us.
I’ll be back with another update as soon as the books reach the warehouse and fulfillment begins.
I can hardly believe that almost a month ago I was telling you the books were finally arriving and that fulfillment should be wrapping up within a week or two. And yet, here we are.
The lack of updates has a reason, though not a particularly good one: we simply haven't been able to get a clear picture of what's happening.
Let me explain.
What went wrong?
For the first time, Critical Kit partnered with distribution centers in the US and EU. On paper, this seemed like the best decision. It would speed up fulfillment, simplify international shipping, and, most importantly, avoid burdening you backers with unexpected fees, tariffs, or customs charges.
Unfortunately, the reality has been very different.
There have been customs complications in the EU, misplaced shipments, distributors not realizing that deliveries had already arrived, delays while they tried to locate those shipments, and a frustrating lack of communication about what was actually happening. We've also had reports of books arriving damaged.
If something could go wrong, it feels like it has.
The hardest part has been having so little control over these issues. But worse than that is not having answers for you.
When someone asks me, "Where is my book?", it's incredibly frustrating, and frankly embarrassing, to have to answer, "I don't know."
Critical Kit has been contacting the distribution partners daily, pushing for information and working to resolve these problems. Some backers have received their books, and more copies are making their way to people. But for others, we're still waiting for reliable information.
I can't give you a precise estimate right now. Anything I told you would be a guess, and after everything that's happened, I don't want to make another promise based on information I can't verify.
The books exist. They're printed. Many have already been delivered. But the distribution process we believed would make things easier has turned into a series of unfortunate events.
And I am deeply sorry.
Where do we go from here?
I'm frustrated and, to be honest, ashamed of how this has unfolded.
This whole experience has taken a considerable toll on my mental health and even made me reconsider what I want to do next in my career. But that's something for me to work through, not a burden I want to place on you.
What matters here is that you supported this project, trusted us to deliver it, and have been waiting far longer than you should have.
I take that responsibility seriously.
I want to be very clear about one thing: I remain committed to getting every one of you the books you've paid for. We're not walking away from this, and we're continuing to work with Critical Kit to resolve the outstanding deliveries.
I've also put my future projects on hold while I focus on seeing this one through and earning back the confidence of those who supported it.
I wish I had more concrete news to share today. I really do. But I'd rather be transparent about what we know and what we don't than offer another optimistic timeline that might not hold.
A small gift while you wait
I know this doesn't compensate for the delays or the frustration you've experienced, but I'd still like to offer you something as a token of appreciation.
I'm giving every backer a free PDF copy of my game Before the Storm, normally priced at $12.90.
You'll receive a notification from BackerKit letting you know that new digital downloads have been added to your account. From there, you can download the game at no additional cost.
I hope you enjoy it, and perhaps it will bring a little something good to your gaming table while we continue working through this.
Thank you
I know I've said this many times already, but thank you for your patience and for sticking with me.
I understand that patience isn't endless, and I don't take your trust for granted. I hope you can still trust that this project hasn't been neglected, even when the lack of visible progress or communication might have suggested otherwise.
I'll continue pushing for answers and will share concrete information as soon as I have it.
The books are arriving at people’s homes. Holy smokes!
For a moment there, it genuinely felt like I would never get to write that sentence. What a journey this has been.
My book, apparently
Between changes in fees, tariffs, regulations, and seemingly nobody knowing exactly how some of these new systems were supposed to work—including, at times, the people responsible for them—we ended up spending more time and money than we were comfortable with in a logistics limbo we never wanted to be in.
But as I’m writing this, people have already started sending me pictures of the books arriving at their homes. Fulfillment is moving steadily.
And I have to admit: it feels like a huge weight is finally lifting from my shoulders.
I’ve been doing this for about five years now, but this was the first campaign I’ve run with proper physical fulfillment. Apparently I won the logistics lottery and chose exactly the moment when the world decided to turn upside down.
I pride myself on being punctual and respecting the people who support my work, so watching all of this happen without having any direct control over it took a toll on both my mental health and my productivity. It made me reconsider quite a few things along the way.
Thankfully, I’ve had Critical Kit backing me up throughout the process. They’ve fulfilled many projects before, with tight timelines and great communication, and they’ve been working incredibly hard to adapt to all these changes as they happened. I’m very glad I had them supporting me through this.
I promised myself I wouldn’t turn every update into public therapy, and yet here we are. I’m the kind of person who, when someone asks “How are you doing?”, actually answers the question. (I guess I could never live in England.)
Anyway!
Between this week and the next, fulfillment should finally be wrapping up, and more and more of you will be holding the book in your hands.
I really hope the delay hasn’t diminished your excitement for it. I’ve been rereading it myself over the past few days, and it has been nice to be reminded that, hey, this is actually a very cool and very unusual little book, packed with tools I’m genuinely proud of.
I’ve already heard from people using it in their campaigns to sprinkle in some weirdness, unexpected twists, and new ideas. That makes me very happy.
Thank you all for your continued patience and support. I never expected this part of the journey to take this long, but I’ve certainly learned a few things along the way—especially about managing my own expectations and making peace with the things that are completely outside my control.
One final note: some people have actually received their books before their tracking numbers made it into the system. Others will naturally take a little longer. So if you haven’t received tracking yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean your package isn’t already moving.
But rest assured: things are moving, books are arriving, and we are closer than ever to the finish line.
I’m finally able to bring you some more concrete news.
I really haven’t liked being radio silent these past few weeks. I pride myself on being open and transparent in my communication with backers, patrons, players, fans, and friends alike, so disappearing for a while (especially after telling you the books had arrived at the warehouse) has genuinely been bothering me.
The main reason is simply that I didn’t have anything concrete to add. I’ve been in regular contact with Critical Kit, but they’ve been dealing with an administrative nightmare caused by changes in regulations right in the middle of fulfillment.
On top of that, I’ve had some personal issues take quite a lot out of me over the past month. I’m getting the help I need and slowly getting back on my feet.
But I finally have news, so let’s get to it.
1. EU
A new EU packaging regulation created some significant complications for fulfillment, with the potential for both very high costs and a lot of additional administration. To avoid passing any surprise fees on to you, Critical Kit has partnered with a new fulfillment service for EU orders.
The books are being moved to them this week, and once everything is properly in motion, tracking numbers will start going out. We expect this part of the process to take roughly another week to complete.
2. USA
We have a fulfillment partner in Tennessee, and US fulfillment is now underway. As Critical Kit receives the tracking information from the US partner, it will be added to BackerKit, and you’ll receive your tracking details through there.
3. Australia, Canada, and Rest of the World
Fulfillment for Australia and Canada is expected to begin this week and continue into next week, along with the remaining international orders.
As things stand right now, we expect everything to be sorted by the end of next week.
And I do want to apologize for how long this has taken.
At one point, I genuinely hoped these books would be in your hands by the end of March. Now, as we approach the end of August, that nagging feeling of I just want people to have their books already has been weighing on me quite a bit.
This whole process has been an exercise in accepting how many parts of international manufacturing and fulfillment are simply outside my control. We’ve had to navigate unexpected regulatory changes, shifting international requirements, and a generally unstable shipping environment.
Through all of that, the priority has remained the same: getting your books to you safely, without unexpected fees or unpleasant surprises when they arrive.
I deeply appreciate how patient you’ve been throughout this process. Please know that we are working through these final steps every day, and I very much hope that when you finally have the book in your hands, you’ll feel it was worth the wait.
The good news going forward is that Critical Kit is now putting these new international fulfillment systems in place, which should make everything considerably smoother.
Exciting news: guess what just arrived at the warehouse?
Zoom in and you can see the cover!
Yep, that’s right. The books are finally here (or there, rather. I am not there. Anyway).
After the long journey by sea, the port delays, customs, and the final delivery, we have officially cleared the last hurdle.
And Tim, our hero at Critical Kit, personally unloaded all 50 boxes from the truck. So please join me in sending some appreciation (and perhaps some sympathy) to his back.
Fulfillment will begin very soon. Before long, you’ll finally be able to flip through all those colorful pages. And so will I, because I still haven’t held a finished copy myself!
Thank you once again for your patience and support throughout this whole journey.
A quick update today, since the news is brief; though at least partly exciting.
-> For the UK, the books are still sitting in a container at the port, waiting for DPD to collect them. Anyone up for a port heist?
-> For the US, the books have already arrived at the distributor, so fulfillment should begin this week or next. US backers will hopefully have their copies very soon.
That is all I have on the shipping front for now. I’ll admit, it is a little stressful sitting here drumming my fingers on the table and waiting for more concrete news, but we are getting closer every day.
A gift for you
To thank you for your patience and support while we wait, I decided to offer you a gift: a free digital copy of my oracle zine, Random Realities. You will receive access to both the PDF and the web app version.
Each page contains 60+ oracle results, and I think it pairs especially well with Weird, Whimsy & Wonder.
Random Realities has been very well received by the community, and I hope it gives you plenty of ideas for your games, prep, and writing. Consider it a small token of appreciation for sticking with us through this long final stretch.
Have fun with it, and please let me know how you plan to use it.
(Side note: I'm using BackerKit's digital fulfillment for the first time for this one, so it's also a good test to see if it works. You should get an email saying something like, “New digital downloads available for you" very soon.)
Other News
Elsewhere, this past week has been a little more exciting. My game Load the Simulation was named a finalist for Best GMless Game at the CRIT Awards, which was wonderful news.
I also have an exclusive Bundle of Holding running at the moment, featuring five of my games; including the aforementioned Load the Simulation.
So, while I continue waiting impatiently for more shipping news, there have at least been a few good reasons to celebrate.
As always, thank you for your patience and understanding.
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