Shipping Update: Deliveries Begin!
11 months ago – Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 09:55:35 AM

Hey Hunters!

This is a very special update. 

We are excited to announce that deliveries in the United States have already begun, and as you’re reading this post, the game is making its way to many backers' doorsteps – some of you have already received it in the last few days!!!

We've eagerly awaited this moment for a long time, and now that it's finally happening, it's difficult to express how proud we are. 
However, emotions aside, this is just the beginning of the fulfillment process, and there is still a lot of work to be done until everyone has received their pledge.

We know many of you are still waiting, and with this update, we want to provide you with more details about the ongoing operations for all shipping regions, as well as how we plan to address the Red Sea situation.

Let’s begin.
 

US Fulfillment

The process is running fast and ahead of schedule. Seven containers have already sailed from China - five of them currently in transit while two already arrived at Tacoma port last week - and we estimate that around 50% of US backers will receive their game within the first half of March.

Many of you have already been taken by surprise with a notification from UPS stating that Gamerati LLC, our fulfillment partner in the USA, had already transferred the shipping information to them for the upcoming delivery of your game!

Custom clearance of the first two cargo at Tacoma port was processed at the speed of light - just one day instead of the full week our freight forwarder had previously estimated - and this made the whole process roll out much faster than anticipated.
Also, the pre-packed solution, combined with Gamerati's swift responsiveness, allowed the shipping process to continue seamlessly. For this reason, many of you have already received your copy of Primal, or will very soon.

In case you haven’t received a notification yet, please do not despair, you might be on the list of backers to receive the game with one of the 5 additional containers that were shipped right before Chinese New Year and that are expected to reach Tacoma in the next few weeks.

Here is the list of boats that are currently bringing Primal to the US. 
You can track their route on www.vesselfinder.com in real time!

EVER LUCID – Estimated Time of Arrival at Tacoma: February 12 (Arrived!)

EVER SUMMIT – Estimated Time of Arrival: February 26

YM TRIUMPH – Estimated Time of Arrival: March 13

It’s happening, folks. The wait is over!
 

Two Packages, Two Shipments

You pledged for the Gameplay All-In or Everything Primal tier, but you only received the Core Game: no worries. Your second package is on its way, and it will be delivered to you very soon.

In order to optimize the logistic process, we had to split pledges into two separate shipments within the same wave. Each shipment will be associated with an individual tracking number (therefore you will receive one tracking for the first box and a second tracking for the second box).

We did our best to arrange the logistics to guarantee that each backer would receive the two boxes almost simultaneously. However, the reality is that containers shipped from China at the same time might be scheduled on different vessels with different ETA, hence the possibility you will get your boxes weeks apart from each other.
We are currently aiming at keeping such a gap within a 2 weeks time frame, however some logistic related factors such as vessel specific transit time or custom clearance might slightly increase or reduce this gap.

As a general rule, we suggest letting us know if you are expecting two boxes and do not receive a notification for the second one within 1 month from the first one.
 

What about the remaining US pledges?

For those of you that were not included in this first wave of shipments, we can ensure that your game will be shipped soon through the next wave of containers in March.

The factory is getting back from the CNY holidays and should be fully operational by the end of the month, ready to assemble packages and prepare for loading the next containers in the pipeline

While the first batch of containers will be destined for the fellow backers in EU/UK, the subsequent cargo for the US is scheduled for departure from China in the second half of March. Given the early delivery of the 1st wave we can expect the last-mile shipping to start around the middle of April.
 

Canada Fulfillment

To all Canadian backers out there: get ready, you’re next in line!

The first of the two containers scheduled for Canada has already sailed from China on February 7th, which means the vessel is already out at sea steadily heading towards its destination, Toronto.
If you are curious to check the precise location of the cargo you can search  www.vesselfinder.com for the vessel named BACH (Estimated Time of Arrival at Vancouver: February 28). Last time we monitored it had just crossed the Tsugaru Strait in Japan!

Although this container was shipped just about at the same time of the first US cargo, the whole trip is taking almost double the time due to farther distance and the need to transfer it on railway once it gets to Vancouver before starting the second leg of the journey all the way to Toronto and finally to the warehouse of Pick & Pack Logistics, our appointed fulfillment partner in Canada.

The container includes orders for approx. 75% of Canadian backers (both Core Game and higher pledge bundles). So, it is highly possible that both backers in the US and Canada will receive their game by mid-March, just about at the same time, adding an unexpected but surely exciting competitive twist to logistics!
For sure someone on either side is officially going to be the luckiest of Primal’s backers, we hope you give us all a shout the moment that happens :)
 

Rate the game on BGG

By the time our next update goes live, many of you in the US and Canada will have received your copy of the game. We sincerely hope that you'll feel as proud as we do, knowing that this amazing game wouldn't exist without your support. While we are getting near to the conclusion of this campaign, Primal is poised to take flight and carve out its own path. 
That’s why we are asking for your support by rating the game once you've had the chance to play it.
Let's ensure that our voices and enjoyment are heard throughout the industry :)

The BoardGameGeek (BGG) rating is highly significant within the board game space and serves as a valuable parameter for many gamers worldwide. 
So, please click the link boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303731/primal-awakening and take a moment to share your thoughts and appreciation for the game. We genuinely value your involvement in this endeavor whenever you are ready to share.
 

Send us pictures of the game!

We would love to see the game being unboxed/set up on your table. Please, feel free to send us any picture you would like us to see at [email protected]. The whole Team at Reggie Games is waiting with anticipation to get a first glimpse at those shots!

We know many of you are also going to paint those incredible minis, and honestly, we cannot wait to see your amazing works ☺ Please, don’t hesitate to send us some photos (via email at [email protected]) and we will be happy to give you credit and share them with all our community!

Last but not least, we encourage you to share pictures and posts in your social media tagging us @reggie_games and/or using the hashtag #primaltheawakening.
 

EU, UK, AU, Asia, and RoW Fulfillment

To all the backers still awaiting fulfillment, we hear you. We understand your impatience – we share it too – and we hope that seeing the first shipments going out in these upcoming weeks will instill confidence that the wait is nearly over!

As you know, last month we made the decision to postpone the departure of shipments bound for the EU and UK due to the severe crisis affecting the Red Sea region (more details in Update #53). It’s been a tough decision, driven by the steep rise in freight costs (compared to quotes received just a few months ago) and based on the possibility that these costs might decrease following the conclusion of the Chinese New Year, as anticipated by our logistics partners.

The good news is that costs have indeed decreased, albeit slightly, compared to early January quotations. As expected, the conclusion of the CNY festivities has normalized logistical flows, and led to a reduction in transportation costs.
However, the bad news is that container costs remain exceedingly high and much higher than what we had anticipated for this stage of the project. 
This issue is a consequence of the ongoing unresolved situation in the Suez Canal, as the current geopolitical instability disrupts the normal trade flows.

The current route to take is the one circumnavigating Africa, with all the consequences it entails: higher fuel costs, longer transit times, increased insurance costs, etc.
 

So, how do we plan to address the situation?

Despite the challenging situation, we no longer wish to postpone shipments any further.
We are uncertain how much longer conflicts in the Red Sea region will persist, with the possibility of costs increasing again in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
Therefore, we have decided that the first containers to be loaded from the factory in the coming weeks will be headed to the EU/UK, offsetting the longer transit times (approximately 45 days).

Although the wait has allowed us to achieve quotes stabilization and a slight decrease in costs, the overall freight expenses we will have to sustain are significantly higher than anticipated. 
However, seeing many of you concerned about potential additional shipping costs, we want to reassure you that, given the current scenario, we will not be asking for any further shipping contributions from our community, which has already supported us and shown great trust in us. This is a considerable financial effort for us, but we strongly believe it is important to ensure stability, especially in challenging situations like this, and to do our utmost to show gratitude and support to the community that has made this project possible.
 

EU/UK Timeline

With the factory being operational and ready to proceed with the packaging of the remaining boxes, we are confident that the first containers for Europe and UK will set sail from Shenzhen within the first half of March. 
This shipment is expected to serve approximately 50% of backers residing in the EU and 75% of backers from the UK.

Then, subsequent containers will be loaded steadily throughout the month of March and the whole of April (alternating with the processing of containers bound for other shipping regions). 
The factory will strive to ensure a swift flow of container loading; however, we will be able to provide more precise information on the cargo in the next update as the timing will depend heavily on the speed and organization from the factory in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, the longer route passing through Cape Town entails extended times that we cannot intervene on. That said, considering the effectiveness of the pre-packaging solution during fulfillment in the US, and trusting in the efficiency of operations by our expert partners HappyShops and Spiral Galaxy (for EU and UK respectively), we are confident that the first deliveries will begin around the end of April and then continue throughout May. 

Below, we share the overall expected timeline for the 1st EU/UK wave.

What about AU, Asia e RoW?

We do not forget about you, folks. On the contrary, we will coordinate with the manufacturer to schedule container loading and aim to manage the process as fairly as possible, including containers bound to your regions within the end of next month/beginning of April, in order to distribute the delivery flow as evenly as possible.

At the moment, the best estimate we have for the last-mile deliveries in AU and Asia regions is 2nd half of April/early May, depending on your specific shipping zone.

Note: Shipping to countries that fall under the Rest of the World category will be handled by HappyShops (EU) / VFI Asia (based on your specific destination), so you can refer to timelines associated with the containers bound to those hubs.

Some of you might wonder how come that Asia or Australia, being the closest to the manufacturing site, are yet being scheduled at a later stage compared to farther regions.The reason is related to the actual optimization of the process: for the factory it is infinitely more convenient and efficient to load the container with the same type of box rather than having to do that with a mix of different items. This automatically translates in giving priority to shipments towards those lanes with a higher number of backers (and games).

It’s not a matter of preferences, it’s pure process efficiency.

We know the wait can be frustrating and we thank you in advance for your understanding. We guarantee to be working by day count to make sure you get your copy of Primal as soon as possible, not a day later.
 

Shipping FAQs

Now that for many of you this long-awaited moment has finally arrived, we want to make sure that fulfillment runs as smoothly as possible and your cooperation will be valuable, as always.

Here is a helpful guide you should read to know what to expect by anticipating answers to questions you might have while waiting for your copy or right after you received it.

1) I haven’t received any notification yet. How can I check the status of my delivery? 

If your order has been scheduled for delivery you will surely receive a direct notification from our local fulfillment partner (or the appointed courier service) with all the information and links to your tracking number as soon as your parcel has left their warehouse.
If you haven’t received anything yet it means your copy is either being processed for shipment or might be coming with the next containers that are scheduled to ship from China starting from March. 
Get ready and keep an eye on your email inbox (and spam folder as well) for your shipping notification.

As usual, if you have any questions or doubts please send an email to [email protected], although we kindly ask you to refrain from writing to check the status of your shipment if you have not received the notification yet, as we would not have the capacity to handle such type of numerous requests.

2) The address shown in my tracking number is incomplete!

It might happen that some particularly long addresses do not show up in their complete form on the printed shipping labels or on the tracking number you received (for security reasons). Please do not worry if this is the case as the full address is surely written in its complete form in the system used by the courier. In any case if you believe there might be any issue with the address and need further reassurance feel free to contact us as usual and we will double check this for you.

3) The courier left a note saying package could not be delivered and it was returned.

Do not panic, your copy of Primal is not going to be shipped back to China, it is simply being redirected to the fulfillment warehouse or - less likely - to the local postal or courier dispatch center waiting for you to collect it or re-schedule a delivery.
You should be able to find all the instructions on how to proceed on the note or tracking number page, in any case we are always here to assist you in case you need help.

4) The content in the box is damaged/missing, I need a replacement!

In the unfortunate event that any component were missing, or your box went through an extraordinary rough journey (e.g., the handling of a very careless courier), please contact us immediately by sending an email at [email protected] (with the object: “Backer Claim - YOUR NAME”) and we will take care of your case.

Important note: In the event of damage, please include pictures with details (the more the better) so that we can coordinate with our fulfillment partner in filing a claim with the postal service or the courier. Please consider we will need pictures of both the external carton board box and the damaged items to visually assess the extent of the damage before filing claims to the courier. The promptness of the claim, within 1 week from the delivery, and reliability of the visual proofs (pictures) are crucial to get claims validated; we strongly rely on your cooperation to get them successfully approved!

_________

That's all for today, hunters! We are incredibly thrilled to know that some of you will be diving into the game, embarking on your adventure for the first time :) 
Hope you will have a wonderful time in the world of Thyrea!

In the next few weeks, we will continue to coordinate the logistics process to ensure that it runs smoothly and the game reaches all backers' doorsteps as soon as possible.

We will be back in March for more updates on fulfillment.

Until next time,

Reggie Games 

Production, Shipping and Locking Addresses!
12 months ago – Fri, Jan 19, 2024 at 08:06:21 AM

Hey everyone,

Hope your 2024 is off to a great start! Today it’s time for our monthly update with some important news to share – both good and not-so-good.

But before we dive into production and shipping, we want to provide an update on the recent issue of "declined cards" on BackerKit.

BackerKit/Stripe Charge Issue

Following the charge on January 10th for add-ons, pre-orders, and shipping fees, we encountered a high number of failed payment attempts and cards declined by the system. Many of you reached out, and over the past few days we've closely collaborated with BackerKit and Stripe to identify and resolve the issue. 

Now, we are glad to share that almost 90% of payments have been fixed and successfully processed. 

Unfortunately, some transactions still fail and in most cases need further actions on the backer side. In facts, once BackerKit tries to charge your card, you should be prompted by your bank to provide additional information to complete the payment (e.g., a one-time code sent to your phone or fingerprint authentication through your mobile banking app); once you provide the additional information, Stripe will be able to successfully run the card.

If your payment failed, here is what you can do to fix it:

1. Access your pledge on BackerKit (contact us if you need assistance on this).
2. Get to your "order confirmation" page where the status of your order is displayed (if you are using a link to your survey, you should click the “Edit Your Address” button to get there)
3. You should see a red banner that says “The bank requires follow up to confirm your order is legit”. Click on “Follow up with your bank” to be able to fix your payment.

Please make sure to complete the payment as soon as possible so that we will be able to integrate your order in the upcoming fulfillment wave and ship your reward.
In case you are not able to complete the procedure that way, or for any other issue with your payment, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] and we will do our best to assist you and find a solution.

Note: An alternative way to fix your payment issue, is to select PayPal as your payment method; this already solved the problem for many backers.

Behind the Scenes: Crafting the Game

Imagine hundreds of thousands of cards and game sheets rolling off the press and getting packed up; an endless flow of tiny miniature parts being glued and carefully assembled, piece by piece. It's been an impressive effort to make all of this a reality, the culmination of years of development, design, and optimization.

Below is a series of photos taken by our team visiting the factory last month to closely oversee the quality control process and the final stages of paper component printing.
It's been an amazing experience to witness the construction of the game and each of its components in detail with our own eyes.

Mass-Production Complete

We're proud to announce that the printing process for the game is finished, both plastic and paper components. Despite the accumulated delays in recent months, thanks to our manufacturer's great effort and collaborative spirit, we managed to complete the process before the Chinese New Year (CNY). Just as we hoped, this sets us up to start shipping thousands of games within January. 

As you read this, the factory is working tirelessly to assemble boxes, prepare custom pre-packages and load as many containers as possible over the next couple of weeks.
Even though this means shipping only a portion of the entire production, having finished the mass-production of all components ensures a quick restart of operations after the CNY pushing us confidently into the project's final phase.

It’s happening: Fulfillment phase is just around the corner.
 

Locking Adresses

With fulfillment about to commence, it's time for us to definitely lock shipping addresses for all backers. 

As already mentioned in Update #51, addresses confirmed by the PM closure on December 20th were considered final. However, for any of you who missed that ship (pun intended) or need to make last-minute changes, we're offering a final 48-hour window before locking all information and export the necessary files for our logistic hubs. 

Note: You'll be getting an email from BackerKit in the next few days giving you the opportunity to verify and possibly edit your shipping information before we lock them.
 

Shipping Update (US and CA Lane)

With great excitement, we announce that approximately 60% of the containers bound for the US and 75% of those destined for Canada will be progressively loaded over the next couple of weeks and will set sail from China by the end of the month.

The journey from Shenzhen to Tacoma is expected to last around 15 days, while the vessel heading to Canada will take about 26 days to get to Toronto.

Once the customs clearance is finalized, the games will make their way to our fulfillment partners' hubs – Gamerati for US and Pick & Pack Logistics for CA - where they'll take charge of sorting and organizing the last-mile shipping.

First deliveries are on the horizon, expected to hit doorsteps in the first half of March.

What about the remaining US and CA packages?

With the Chinese New Year holidays falling right in the middle of our logistics process, despite production being complete, we are compelled to temporarily halt the packaging and loading of containers. We'll resume these operations at the end of February when the factory comes back online.

As a result, a second wave of containers will set sail from China around mid-March, along with all the remaining shipments headed to other international hubs.
Taking the processing time into account once the packages reach the hub, we expect the second wave of last-mile deliveries to commence by the end of April /early May.
 

The Red Sea Crisis

As many of you might already know, the Red Sea has recently experienced a surge in regional tensions leading to attacks on commercial vessels. These events are part of larger geopolitical conflicts affecting this vital trade route - a central artery for global trade on the passage from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean.

Unfortunately, these attacks have escalated in the past weeks causing a “Red Sea crisis” that is significantly disrupting shipping operations.

Shipping companies have faced serious threats to their vessels, leading to rerouting decisions and operational pauses. This situation is forcing them to avoid the route through the Red Sea, diverting around Africa. 

The alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope, while safer, is longer and more costly, leading to increased fuel bills and higher insurance premiums.

As a result, not only shipping costs has risen sharply, but also the transit time to EU/UK is inevitably extended (45 days instead of 25!).

Given the critical situation and the spike in freight costs – more than 3.5 times higher than estimated a month ago – we've made the difficult decision to prioritize the US and CA lanes which are less affected by this crisis (costs has risen due to speculation for all destinations, some more than others depending on the shipping route).

This is a forced choice we made due to unforeseen events beyond our control. However, we think it is important to reassure all of you that the decision of postponing the freight to the Mediterranean aligns with our logistics partners' suggestions, which are optimistic that this should be a temporary crisis and the global situation will improve in the short term.

All that said, given the situation, what are the best estimates for deliveries in the other shipping regions?
 

Shipping Update (EU, UK, AU, ASIA, RoW Lanes)

With production complete and games ready to be assembled and boxed up, the factory will resume the operations at full pace right after the Chinese New Year, aiming to load up the second wave of containers in March.

Packaging will restart immediately at the end of February, so we're expecting hundreds and hundreds of boxes to start their sea voyage to every corner of the globe right by the middle of March. 
The containers will be loaded progressively and at a steady pace from that point onwards, ensuring a continuous flow of vessels bound for our international hubs.
This way, accounting for transit time, custom clearance and order handling, the second wave of last-mile deliveries is scheduled to commence within the end of April all around the world and proceed at an incessant pace until early June.

As we get there, we will be able to provide more precise information for each region.
For now, below is some important notes for each shipping lane:

• EU/UK: The transit time to Europe should be around 25-35 days (through the Suez Canal route), but of course it will depend on how the situation in the Red Sea evolves over the course of the next month. The fulfillment process for Europe will be handled by HappyShops, while for UK we are partnering with Spiral Galaxy.
   
• AU: The transit time to Melbourne is estimated at 15 days; this means the fulfillment process, which will be handled by our partner Unicorn Games (aka Heroes + Knights), is expected to begin rapidly in this region. 
   
• ASIA: The containers will be transported overland to VFI hub, which will handle the fulfillment in the Asian regions. This means the timelines in this case are not affected by the Red Sea crisis but mainly by the halt imposed by the Chinese New Year - VFI should be receiving the games around mid-March to start processing the orders.
   
• RoW: The games destined for regions in this category will be handled partly by HappyShops, our European partner, and partly by VFI, depending on specific regions. This division was necessary to be able to ensure the best shipping prices for each country.

We're genuinely sorry the recent hiccups caused more delays and shifted the fulfillment process for many regions. While we can't control or anticipate events in the Red Sea, we take full responsibility for the production delays. Huge thanks for your patience and unwavering trust. We have no doubts that every test, print, correction, and improvement made during this journey has been crucial to delivering a top-notch product. 

With the final game in our hands, we couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved with your support. And we can't wait to bring hunters and monsters to your table!

That’s all for today, we will be back soon next month with more updates on the freight and fulfillment process as well as more project-related contents.

With the fulfillment on the horizon, our team is also beginning to work on new tasks – such as the digital translation of the Rulebook, which we hope to complete and publish in time for the game delivery – and is starting to develop plans for the future of Primal, which we can't wait to unveil to you throughout what promises to be an exciting 2024.

Until next, 

Reggie Games

PM Final Hours, Asia & RoW Update and TTS release!
about 1 year ago – Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 11:36:10 AM

Hey everyone,

It's time for our monthly update! The Holiday season is just around the corner, the Pledge Manager is closing in a few days, and we have some exciting new content and important information to share with you.

Important: Backers from Asia and RoW shipping regions, please keep on reading this update! We have some good news for you!

Production Update & Timeline

Things are progressing intensively on the manufacturing front. Part of our team is currently in China overseeing the final stages of production, approving every aspect of the final result, organizing pre-pack, and logistics with the manufacturer.

We're excited to announce that by working closely with the factory, we've managed to speed up the final phases of the process and despite the approaching Chinese New Year, we are confident that a significant part of the containers will ship from China by the end of January.

This means that our fulfillment hubs will receive a large part of the packages by mid/late February, and the last-mile deliveries will commence around mid-March.

We are really in the home stretch... here's a sneak peek of what awaits you ;)

Pledge Manager Closes on December 20!

As announced in the last update, the Pledge Manager closes on December 20 at 23:00 (PST).

Please, if you haven't provided your shipping details yet, don't wait any longer!

After December 20, orders will be locked, and all provided information will be considered final.

If any information is missing (or incorrect), your order may be excluded from the ongoing logistic process, and we may not be able to deliver you the game.

Additionally, this is the last chance to upgrade your pledge, secure any expansions, and add-ons like 3D Terrain or the Sleeves Box! The order with the manufacturer has been set for some time, so it's now on a first-come, first-served basis.

Important: We remind you that payments (including additional BackerKit add-ons + shipping fees) will be processed on January 10. Please ensure you have enough funds by that time to secure your order! If anyone needs to make the payment before that date, you can contact us, and we'll do our best to accommodate your needs.

If you need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Asia and RoW Shipping Rates

In the last two weeks, we've been saddened to read about the difficulty and disappointment some backers from Asia and RoW countries are facing regarding shipping costs. Many, even from the US or EU, have shown empathy and solidarity with those facing higher costs.

As extensively discussed in the previous update, shipping a game like Primal, composed of multiple pre-packed boxes and exceeding 30kg volumetric weight for some pledge tiers, presents a significant challenge with substantial costs in every region worldwide.

Thanks to several negotiation steps and the ability to compare numerous reliable fulfillment companies, we've managed to obtain advantageous prices for size and weight in most shipping regions. However, for Asia and RoW countries, it has been way more challenging to achieve lower prices compared to the initial quotes received.

Despite our efforts during negotiations, even after absorbing freight and other extra costs such as packaging and processing, we are aware that last-mile shipping, in some cases, remains expensive, exceeding 200€ or even 250€ in RoW countries. These costs are not inconsistent with the estimates made during the Kickstarter campaign for the Core Pledge (which was only 1/3 of the final volumetric weight for some pledges), but they are undeniably high in absolute value.

For this reason, and acknowledging the difficulty reported by the community, we haven't stood idle and have further investigated with our fulfillment partners to understand if there was anything more we could do to help our backers.

While prices have been confirmed to be lowest possible in all other regions, for Asia and some RoW countries, after long discussions with our fulfillment partners, we've managed to achieve slight but meaningful reductions in the highest price peaks.

This was mainly possible through a joint effort with our partners, particularly VFI (our partner for Asia), who understood the real challenge for backers to bear such high costs and did their best to accommodate and support the Asian community.

While we succeeded in securing slight cost reductions for some RoW countries this way, unfortunately, not all of them were able to benefit from these improvements. The shipping tables already reflected the outcomes of extensive negotiations, leaving no room for further reductions.

The updated shipping fees for Asia and RoW have already been uploaded on BackerKit. Despite the reduction obtained, we are aware that overall costs may still be high. We feel it's crucial that you know that we have already gone beyond what can be our maximum effort, and further actions are beyond the constraints of the situation.

Even though it is a limited intervention, we genuinely hope this can be good news for many. We believe this concrete action can be helpful and send a positive signal to all our backers. You can be certain that in challenging situations like this, we are always ready to do everything in our power to support our community.

Speaking of good news...

Updated TTS mode is here!

While waiting for all the cards and miniatures that are soon to arrive, today we are excited to share with you the updated version of the TableTop Simulator (TTS) mode of the game!

We have postponed this release several times as we had to focus on the production of the physical game, which is, of course, a priority. Still, we are finally here and we are pleased to release the update in time for the winter holidays so that many of you will have time to practice and get a taste of what the hunt on Thyrea will be like!

To play, simply download the free TTS module of the game by clicking the link below:

This module includes the possibility to try 3 different monsters from the Core Game in Expedition mode:

•  Vyraxen ("Prologue" version)
•  Toramat (Level 1)
•  Ozew (Level 1, selected through community voting)

We can't wait to hear how you fare in these battles! Be ready for a real challenge, starting with your very first game against Vyraxen ;)

Note: Please consider you need to have a Steam account and have purchased TableTop Simulator to play this module.

Updated Rulebook PDF

Alongside the release of the TTS module, we have also updated the Rulebook in PDF, incorporating community feedback and adding a comprehensive index to navigate the concepts and topics covered in the rules more easily. Many of you requested it, and we did not ignore your feedback!

We had very tight deadlines with the factory to update the latest manual files, but as we had anticipated in the comments section, we are happy to say that the final printed version will also include the latest corrections, as well as the addition of the index.

Happy Holidays!

We can't wait for Christmas to arrive. This is a time for us to take a deep breath, reflect on the journey we've undertaken throughout the year, overcome challenges, and prepare to embrace the coming year.

We hope all of you will have a wonderful winter holiday season and we wish you moments of peace and joy with your loved ones.

Here at Reggie Games, with production well on track and freight starting soon, we are happy to take a little break around the end of December, enjoying time with our families and recovering energies for the great things to come next year ;)

We will be back soon with the next update, in January, to welcome 2024 with you.

Best wishes from all our team,

Reggie Games

Pledge Manager closure, Shipping Tables & FAQs
about 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 07:22:12 AM

Hey everyone,

Today it’s time for a very important update. As we are approaching the shipping phase of the project, we are finally ready to collect shipping fees and definitively close the Pledge Manager.

While you are reading, the shipping tables for all countries and pledge levels are uploaded on BackerKit and the final shipping costs are automatically calculated according to the weight of your order, your shipping region and destination.  

It took us months of uninterrupted work to compare quotes from various third-party logistics companies, calibrate all relevant factors, and strike the perfect balance between pricing and service reliability.

We encountered numerous challenges throughout this journey, making the planning of our logistics operations particularly demanding.

A boss-battle against shipping costs

The decision to postpone the collection of shipping fees proved to be a strategic move, allowing us to bypass peak costs and work with concrete prices rather than uncertain estimates.

However, although we are no longer in the middle of a logistic crisis, it must be noticed that shipping prices do not exactly look as they were back in pre Covid times.

While the freight has returned to pre-crisis levels (and that’s been a huge positive!), the last mile shipping rates for large and heavy packages like ours have become way more expensive across time than we could originally expect.

Volume and Weight increase

All the enhancements we implemented on the final game and insert – including general sturdiness increase to improve protection, larger slots to accommodate sleeves, height increase to fit the dividers, and other adjustments – did result in a slight but noticeable overall weight and volume increase.

Speaking of numbers:

•  The Core Game measures 48x35x22,5 cm. Considering the necessary pre-pack and exterior protection, the final package ended up hitting 13kg of volumetric weight alone.
• The stretch goals, expansions and add-on bundles are shipped separately with the largest pre-pack box getting over 20 kg (volumetric weight) alone and measuring 62x48x36 cm.

Two Shipments in One Wave

The Core Game needs a dedicated and sturdy individual packaging to guarantee the necessary protection; therefore - apart from a few limited exceptions - all of you should expect to receive two separate large pre-pack boxes at your doorstep, which are the equivalent of 2 waves of content in 1.

Why not split the shipments in multiple waves? 

This would have surely decreased the burden of paying shipment costs in just one go. However, our objective from the start was to develop both the core and the expansions together, designing all the expansion content as an integral part of the game experience. Therefore, the production has involved the game as a whole and we have no doubts that getting everything together is the right way to fully enjoy Primal in all its complexity and completeness.

The Final Cost

Despite all the challenges, for most countries, we are proud to have been able to maintain the shipping cost for the Core Game within the same range as originally estimated back in the KS campaign.

As for the higher pledge levels, although the cost go inevitably up due to the additional pre-pack bundles shipment, for most countries we managed to secure the same percentage ratio as for the core box with respect to the pledge value.

However, we do understand that shipping can feel like a burdensome expense to be covered so close to the holiday season. That’s why we decided to go the extra mile and offer additional support:

• We absorbed not only the cost of freight, but also part of the last mile shipping cost to cover the increased volume of pre-packs
• We absorbed the costs of the pre-packaging process
• We are going to cover any unforeseeable but expected prices increase as we approach year end (Christmas, New Year and Chinese Spring Festival all add quite a bit of uncertainty on price fluctuations)

If this wasn’t enough, please also note that these fees are all-inclusive: for backers located in Friendly Shipping regions, there will be no additional VAT or duties to be paid.

All the care and dedication we've put in creating the game mirror the effort and the attention we've dedicated to establishing an optimal process. This involved organizing pre-packs, selecting materials and packaging tailored to our specific case, and choosing partners who can ensure the quality of shipments for a challenging project like this at the most affordable price possible.

While putting a significant effort on the logistics, in the last few weeks we also had several meetings with our manufacturer to closely monitor the production.

While it’s proceeding well and uninterrupted day by day, we are sorry to say that the overall process unfortunately accumulated a delay (approximately 1 month) with respect to our previous estimates. This is mainly due to the recent issues encountered with the insert and the numerous tests we had to perform over the course of the last months - as mentioned in previous updates.

However, the factory is doing an excellent job and is striving to optimize and accelerate the process. Considering the complex pre-packaging process that is about to start, as well as the time needed to load all the containers, the game is expected to sail from China in early January.

We will be able to provide a more precise schedule, as we approach the end of production.

It is indeed impossible to pretend not to see the elephant in the room: January means that we are getting really close to the Chinese New Year and we all know what it means. We are in daily contact with the factory and all our efforts are directed to avoid any significant impact of Spring Festival on our shipping schedule. We are quite confident right now and we will surely keep you posted.

In the meantime, it is crucial for us to gather all final shipping information as soon as possible to organize logistics efficiently, which brings us to the main announcement of today.

With the upload of the shipping fees, we are finally ready to close the Pledge Manager once and for all, which means locking orders and charging cards for add-ons and shipping.

Locking orders

The Pledge Manager is currently open for you to check any information and it will officially close on December 20. After that date it won’t be possible to make any more changes to the pledges.

As we enter this important stage of the process, we need your maximum attention and cooperation to get any updated shipping information, collect funds and guarantee a smooth fulfillment of your pledges.

Basically, we are asking all of you to check that the information you provided through the Survey is accurate and up to date. In case it was not, please do update it as soon as possible… and for those who have not filled out the Survey yet, don’t wait another minute and do it right away!

Completing the Survey is a fundamental step to make sure we have all the correct shipping info and address to send the game to the right person at the right place.

If we don’t receive all the most updated info by the time we close the PM, we will not be able to deliver your pledge in time, or even worse, send it to some outdated address.

Charging cards

Once the orders are locked on December 20, considering the overlap with the winter holiday season, we decided to give you a little extra time before charging cards which is planned for January 10, 2024.

At that time, we will collect all the outstanding balance along with the shipping fees, so please make sure to have sufficient funds on your credit card to guarantee a smooth transaction and secure your order.

This is a crucial phase, so we ask everyone for collaboration to guarantee a successful delivery of Primal to every corner of the globe.

Important: Paypal Payments (action needed!)

For all backers who selected Paypal as their payment method during the Survey completion (either for adding add-ons or placing a new order on BackerKit), we kindly need you to access your Pledge Manager and proceed with the payment of the shipping fees. This step is necessary to complete your pledge and enable our team to process your order.

The deadline for this action is December 20. Please don't delay any further; click here to access your Pledge Manager and complete the payment.

Note: For those who opted for the standard credit card payment method directly on BackerKit, rest assured that we already have all the necessary details to charge your card and process your order. You don't need to take any additional action, just ensure that there are sufficient funds available on your card.

Last Call to Upgrade your Pledge!

Thinking about including any add-on? Fancying getting the Sleeves Card Box? This is absolutely the last chance to add any item to your order.

As you know from our previous updates, the production has been running for some time now and we cannot modify order quantities to the manufacturer at this stage, therefore there is only a limited quantity of extra items that is still available for order, which means "first come, first served".

This is particularly important for all the backers that pledged 1€ and have not secured their copy yet. If you want Primal this is the very last chance to grab it, don’t miss this out! 

 FAQs & Support

Going through the steps described above should be intuitive, however we provide here a simple guideline with a list of frequently asked questions that will make the whole process easy as pie:

1) What should I do to receive my copy of Primal?

1. If you have filled out your Survey already then you can relax and wait, you don’t need to do anything at this stage, we already have all the necessary info to charge your credit card and process your shipment. Just make sure that the info provided is up to date (name, address etc) and that your payment method has sufficient credit to collect the funds.
   
   Important: If you selected PayPal as your payment method, you need to access your pledge manager and manually pay for shipping fees! Please read the “Paypal Payments” section above.

•  If you haven’t filled out the Survey yet then don’t wait any longer, do it now! You can click here to confirm / modify your pledge and add your desired shipping address. This is crucial as otherwise we will not be able to deliver the game to you. 

2) How much time do I have to complete my Survey?

The Pledge Manager closes on December 20, if we don’t receive the Survey by then we cannot guarantee you can receive your copy of Primal. What are you waiting for? Just go and fill out your Survey right now!

3) What happens if I do not complete the Survey by December 20?

Simple, there is a very high chance you will not receive your copy of Primal. The game is a limited edition and if we miss the scheduled shipping wave there will be no chance to ship it later (or if still possible, that would come at a very high cost and an unforeseeable delayed schedule). Don’t wait any longer, please click on this link and fill out your Survey right away.

4) Can I add expansions, other add-ons or upgrade my pledge?

You sure can. As promised, you can add items or upgrade your pledge on BackerKit until the closure of the Pledge Manager, therefore you have time until December 20 to do this. The shipping costs will be automatically updated according to the total weight of your order. As mentioned above, there is only a limited quantity of items available for extra orders at this stage, therefore it will be possible to add items up until we run out of stock. Moreover, anyone who has access to the pledge manager is eligible to do that, therefore in order to guarantee fair chances to everyone we have to go with “first come, first served”.

5) I already filled out the Survey but I have not yet been charged any cost for the additional add-ons or for the shipment. Is this normal?

Yes, all normal. We will process the charging of credit cards on January 10, 2024, after the Pledge Manager is closed. At that point you will be charged the amount as shown on your BackerKit cart which will include any outstanding balance (for the add-ons added on the Pledge Manager) and the shipping costs according to your region.

6) When should I expect the cost charging to happen?

The charging of the credit cards will happen on January 10, 2024. Please make sure to have available funds on your credit cards by then. We wanted to inform you in advance now, however we will send a further reminder later with the next updates.

7) Will I have a chance to modify the shipping address after December 20?

The address shown on BackerKit at the closure of the Pledge Manager on December 20 will be considered as definitive. We will do our best to consider last minute address modifications only in exceptional cases, however, to make sure you receive your copy of Primal according to the standard shipping schedule it is important that we receive the updated address info by the time of closure of the Pledge Manager. We won’t be able to ship a second copy in case we were notified of an updated shipping address after the shipping of the original copy has already taken place, therefore please make sure to notify us as soon as possible in case of any last-minute changes.

The imminent closure of the Pledge Manager is a delicate passage that will allow us to move forward on the next phase, so we thank you in advance for your cooperation in making the whole process smooth.

Should anyone have issues, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at [email protected] and we will do our best to assist you.

Until next,

Reggie Games

Progress + Rulebook PDF Download
about 1 year ago – Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 11:15:23 AM

Hey everyone!

It is quite a feeling to realize this is the 50th update we write. This monthly appointment has marked each step along the journey and just like a logbook it reminds us of all the challenges we faced and the results we achieved so far. However, this is yet no time to indulge in celebrations as we are steadily approaching the finish line and we need to stay more concentrated than ever to get there.

Recently we have been so immersed in work that time has passed unnoticed and if it wasn’t for the leaves falling from the trees, we would hardly be aware we have already stepped into full autumn.

October started with a refreshing break though, as a few members of our Team managed to squeeze in a leisurely business visit to the Spiel show in Essen, alternating work appointments and quick gaming sessions…it was very interesting to explore the scene, meet a few of the fellow creators and play some of our favorite games!

Back to Thyrea, these are some of the most recent updates you’ve been waiting for.

All is good on the production side

The production has been running for the past month and all is proceeding well. We are very satisfied to see that the quality we originally wanted to have for the miniatures is not simply achieved but exceeded and it is kept consistent at each cycle of plastic injection. Here are some close ups for your anticipation, until you get to fully enjoy them in sight and touch.

All pictures are taken from the latest production samples we received from the factory.

We smashed it!

Literally. We smashed the Core Box insert during one of the multiple crash tests that we have been performing at the factory (see Update #49 for details about the inserts and the testing), this is why we had to work on reinforcing the structure by using a more resistant type of plastic and by increasing the insert overall thickness.

Unfortunately, this unexpected event has taken up some time, however we could not overlook this aspect as we need to guarantee maximum protection of all the components and make sure the boxes are as sturdy as they can be in order to get shipped in complete safety.

After performing new tests with the enhanced insert the results have been very positive so eventually we did smash it, or - we better say - we didn’t.

Shipping tables and PM closure

Yes, all the information and updated quotes have been successfully collected from the fulfillment centers and freight forwarders.

No, we are not going to release them with this update as we need to work out the data but this time we are truly one step away.

November is going to be the month when the shipping costs are released and uploaded on Backerkit. Like we promised, we will give everyone enough time to make last minute adjustments, update shipping addresses and personal info, add payment method details and make sure credit cards have sufficient funds before being charged on the day we close the Pledge Manager.

Stay tuned as we plan to release a dedicated update with all the details about shipping tables by the first half of next month.

Rulebook preview

Here we are! As anticipated, today it's time for the the release of the complete 1.0 version of the base game Rulebook. For those of you that want to step inside the game in advance, this is a great way to get a preview of what awaits you!

Click on the image below to get the PDF of the rules:

The Rulebook may look like a huge intimidating monster with its 120 pages! However, you will only need to read the first 30 pages or so to be able to play your first game!

The book is designed to gradually guide you through the game. The opening section, the Prologue, serves as your tutorial, teaching you how to play and immersing you directly into the action with the first showdown against Vyraxen, which also marks the beginning of the campaign mode.

Then, the Campaign Rules and the Expedition Rules will provide in-depth guidance on the two different game modes, delving into aspects like crafting, deckbuilding, the quest system, and more.

What has taken years in the making is finally ready to be shared with everyone. Since the first beta release, the rules have gone through a staggering amount of playtest sessions to be refined and forged into the solid material that we have now. Prepare your weapons and equip yourself with courage as the adventure is about to begin.

We know that many of you were also expecting the TTS demo as originally scheduled with this update, but the crash test situation had us sidetracked and we had to prioritize work on the insert instead.

All the efforts and energy we have been exerting from the start aim at providing the best version of Primal that can possibly ever be made, and we keep working hard every single day because, in all honesty, we just can’t wait to deliver this game to you.

Until next,

Reggie Games