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Frosthaven Preorders (Q1 2023)

Created by Isaac Childres

Euro-inspired dungeon crawling sequel to the 2017 smash-hit Gloomhaven

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Finishing up files and info from Laserox
over 2 years ago – Sat, Oct 23, 2021 at 06:10:05 AM

Hello! It is a whirlwind of activity over here at Cephalofair as we finish up the last of the files and get ready to start printing. We are this close to being done with fine-tuning and polishing up this game, and I am super-excited about it. This has been my all-day, every-day for the past two years, and I'm just really happy that I can finally start to focus on some other things.

Not that we are taking our hands off the wheel, though! It's just as we continue the proofing process and move forward with production and then shipping, we'll just finally be at a point where seeing this thing out the door won't require constant attention. Obviously we are still in a global shipping crisis, though, so we will be continuing to put as much effort as needed into making sure we successfully navigate through that.

But, anyway, I am getting a little ahead of myself, because we do still have a handful of things to finish up. The final big round of edits on the scenario and section books should be finishing up early next week, at which point we just need to give those one final once-over to make sure all the edits went smoothly, and then those massive books should be ready for the printer. At the same time, Josh is finishing up the final card templates we need to get all the smaller components to bed.

Just to tantalize you a bit, here are some new card templates we've cooked up:

Just some items you'll encounter at the start or very early in the game.

We've adjusted the craftable items a little to better highlight the resources needed. We've also oriented the number on the back a better way so they are easier to search through when they're in their card well.

Josh spiced up the art on these monster ability cards just a little bit, and we're also using the new format for abilities as we've already shown on the ability cards.

This boss is on the cover and in the rule book, so not much of a spoiler. Why does he infuse ice but not use it? Well, that's a spoiler.

While monster stat cards are still four-sided, we determined there just wasn't enough space to summarize a lot of the bosses' more complicated abilities, so we went to a two-side format for the boss stat cards. This means that there will actually be two stat cards per boss - one for levels 0-3, and one for 4-7 - but we'll be able to present their info more cleanly. I'm really happy with how all these turned out!

As files come in, Jason is also hard at work getting everything together for the rulebook. And the final artwork is coming in for the puzzle book so we can get that tied up nicely as well.

This project has obviously gone on much longer than any of us anticipated, but we've set a hard deadline to get all the efforts done by the end of the month, and we are still on track to make this happen. Production and shipping will still be a long, bumpy road on a project this massive, but we are all very happy to be finally clearing this hurdle at least.

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The other thing to discuss this week is, of course, more updates on the organizers.

First of all, given this update is coming out on a Friday and some people may not see it until next week, we've decided to push back the deadline on the survey to the end of the month, Monday, Nov. 1.

You can find the survey here: https://forms.gle/UrnwPDWbswkkAXnh9

And you can read more about it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frosthaven/frosthaven/posts/3309147

We initially set the survey deadline to give Folded Space and Laserox as much time as possible to plan out how many organizers they would need to produce, but they've both agreed that another week wouldn't hurt their planning.

So anyway, the main thing we'd like to communicate this week is more about the Laserox insert, which is now close to fully designed. I'm just going to let Peter from Laserox take over from here:

Dear Frostbackers,

During a last few weeks we had some great discussion here as well as on our Discord regarding our Frosthaven organizer. We actively listen to your input and deeply incorporate this in our design process. We promised you to show the direction our design process is heading. So here are some facts I want to share:

  • We will have two versions of the organizer: one with tuck boxes printed with Frosthaven artwork and one with a wooden solution for monster storage. ALL other trays/components will be identical.
Tuck box solution for monsters
Wood solution for monsters
  • So if you like tuck boxes, you can get those with official artwork, but if you don’t like small cardboard boxes, there is also a solution with the same usability for easy setup.

(Isaac Notes: The way we will be handling this is by sending out a second Google form to all backers who chose the Laserox option, asking if they want the tuck box or all wood solution. This will be happening once the first form closes and the new form will be open for at least a couple weeks. The default option for the new survey will be tuck boxes.)

  • The organizer will have four character trays, and you get to keep all your character envelopes inside the box.
  • All cards will fit comfortably with premium sleeves.
  • .There will be NO lid lift.
  • Wherever it makes sense and seems necessary, lids will be present.
  • There will be trays for setup and separate for actual gameplay use, so what you don’t need during play can go back into the box
  • Trays will have slanted walls for easy access wherever possible.
  • We are also working on a good map tile storage, but that needs a bit more time to clear up.
  • You can join our talk about the organizer design on our discord: https://discord.gg/qCHybASE4E

Okay, Isaac again. If you want more info on the Folded Space solution, you can read more about it in the last update. Also, we're happy to report that Folded Space and Laserox got together at Essen and had lots of good conversation about their joint tackling of this project with us. They are both comparing notes and design suggestions, as well as proofing each other's final designs to ensure no errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in storage needs. So we are extra-confident that these two options are going to be the best in the business for Frosthaven.

And one final reminder that if you have already filled out the survey but now wish to change your response for any reason, please reach out to [email protected], and Chris will help you out.

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And that's it! Just remember to get the survey filled out if you pledged for the insert because it closes at the end of the month!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you next time!

More storage solution info
over 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 11, 2021 at 02:10:50 AM

Hello! Our mini convention run of Gen Con, Origins, and Geekway to the West has concluded, so we have been working hard to put the finishing touches on this project. We'll have more info for you on where we are with production in the next update, but for now, I wanted to provide you with all the information we have on our storage solution options.

But before we do that, I just want to remind people about the organizer survey. If you pledged for the organizer, please fill out this survey to let us know which of the options you want. (See the previous update for more details)

So first, as promised last time, I want to talk about the storage system that comes in the box already - no extra purchase necessary. And to do that, I'm going to hand things over to Price, who has been valiantly spear-heading the effort.

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Our Realization:

  • Gloomhaven storage was pretty absent and, what was there, was fairly inefficient.

Our Objectives:

  • Maintain the elevated box insert quality standard set in Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
  • Make regularly used components readily accessible.

Our Solution:

In addition to reworking TWO larger stacking plastic trays used to organize and store all card decks (unsleeved) and tuck-boxes in the Frosthaven box, we worked with the talented Matt Healy to design an additional TWO removable token trays for the most commonly used scenario tokens and the overlay tiles.

Matt Healy first caught our attention for his work on City Builder: Ancient Worlds, by Inside Up Games, for having made such efficient use of such limited space while providing practical storage spaces for it's various components.

He also brings a lot of direct knowledge and experience to the table, having designed his own personal Gloomhaven insert previously, and has just generally been a fun person to collaborate with.

Each of the two token trays comes with its own lid, with the smaller tray nestled into the larger tray to save space and keep the tokens from getting jumbled around. The larger lid is embossed with the Frosthaven logo.

Earlier prototype components

The smaller inner tray contains and separates the following components:

  • Individually separated status tokens (with angled bottoms for easy access)
  • Loot tokens
  • Scenario objective tokens (letters and numbers)
  • Damage tokens (1, 3, 10, 20, & 100)
  • Element tokens
  • Treasure tiles
Earlier prototype components

The larger exterior tray contains, and separates, the following components:

  • 1-Hex terrain overlay tiles
  • 2-Hex terrain overlay tiles
  • 3-Hex terrain overlay tiles
  • Doors
  • Traps

While this isn't nearly as elaborately organized as the organizers our partners Folded Space and Laserox are designing, this will at least give some better - and quicker - out-of-the-box play when jumping into Frosthaven for the first time. Also note that plastic bags will be provided for all the monster standees, like in Jaws of the Lion.

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In addition to that info from Price, both Folded Space and Laserox spent a lot of time looking through the comments for the previous update and put together some additional information to answer the most common questions. So first, here is some additional information directly from Folded Space:

  • Our FS-GLO design for Gloomhaven was completed in 2017, and we have produced more than 100 new designs since then. We will use this experience and improved know-how to make FS-FROST for Frosthaven a completely new kind of Folded Space insert.
  • Frosthaven is a much larger game than Gloomhaven, and our insert will also have to be larger, with more trays and more organization to ensure every component has it's designated slot.
  • We plan to include four character trays to use for in-play-characters, and of course all card trays will be sized to fit quality sleeved cards.
  • We intend to provide a much improved storage and organization for the monster ability cards to allow for quick and easy access to monster decks during setup.
  • We intend to have the first full prototype ready by early November, with the final production design ready by the end of December.
  • Anyone attending Essen Spiel can drop by Folded Space's stand 3B111 to see the new blue color print sample trays and discuss with the team our plans for FS-FROST.
A preliminary mockup more representative of what Folded Space can do with the coloring

Next up is more info from Laserox:

  • Our Gloombox (Gloomhaven organizer) was designed four years ago, since then we have gained at least +5 insert design ability points, which we will fully invest in Frosthaven.
  • We don’t have any images today, but we are working hard to get you a prototype by the next update.
  • So far, we can confirm that we will include four character trays and support sleeved cards.
  • We saw many requests for tuck-boxes, so we are already investigating this option, with promising results.
  • If you want to share your input, don't hesitate to reach out to us on our dedicated Discord channel or next week during Spiel (1D103) in person.

We all value your input, so keep the comments coming!

Once again, I'm going to drop the link to the survey, so if you ordered the organizer, please go in and let us know which option you want: https://forms.gle/UrnwPDWbswkkAXnh9

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So that's it on organizers. Before I go, I did want to give a small shout-out to another Kickstarter currently finishing its run. I don't normally do this, but Artisans of Splendent Vale, designed by Nikki Valens (also a guest designer of multiple Frosthaven scenarios!), looks truly special. It feels like it shares some similar DNA to Gloomhaven, but with the storytelling cranked up several notches. It only has a few hours left to fund, so I encourage you to check it out!

And thus ends our regular update! There will be one more update before the survey closes. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I'll catch you next time!

The storage solution solution
over 2 years ago – Sat, Sep 25, 2021 at 01:22:39 AM

Hello! Okay, here we are - the long-awaited update regarding the changes to the 3rd party wooden organizer! I know it's taken a while to get back to you on this, but we're really happy with what we've come up with and are ready to share the progress with you.

First of all, two caveats:

  • While we've made a lot of progress, some details still have not been ironed out, and with the design still ongoing, we won't be able to show you any final products for a while. Still, I'm going to do my best to communicate what's going on, and I'm sorry for any details that are still missing.
  • We are still doing our best to resolve this as quickly as possible, and we still anticipate that what we are moving forward with will not have any negative impact on the delivery of your Kickstarter pledges.

Alright, let's get to the big news: we are partnering with both Folded Space and LaserOx to give you options on what kind of organizer you want!

First of all, I want to tell you about Folded Space, which makes high-quality foam inserts (made from 75% recycled plastic) and has one of the most popular Gloomhaven organizers out there. The reason they're so popular is that they're super-simple to put together, and they are incredibly light. As we add more components and weight to the actual Frosthaven box, we are becoming increasingly concerned that the 30-pound box plus a 5-pound insert would just be too much weight for people. Folded Space's Gloomhaven insert weighs in at just 2 pounds, providing a storage solution without all the extra weight.

Folded Space's Cephalofair products

Not only that, but Folded Space's production techniques of art paper on foam allows us to really pull out all the stops in making the organizer look super-fancy. They will use designs, images, and text from the game, combined with colored foam, to make the insert trays really pop visually and to indicate which game components go where. We haven't decided on the look yet, but we'll have more info on that in future updates and may even ask for your feedback on multiple options.

A look at what's possible with full artwork incorporated into the design

In addition, we want to work with them to additionally provide you with a supplementary storage solution for all the map tiles - something along the lines of a box or file wallet. Storage of all the map tiles has been a limiting factor for of a lot of organizers. Because of their varied shapes and sizes, they are generally just stacked on top of the other components, often creating a bit of lid lift. With Folded Space, because there's some extra money in the budget, we'd be able to tackle this as well.

We were also just super-impressed with Folded Space as a company. They came across as very capable of handling the huge amount of orders we have and getting them out the door in a timely manner. And their manufacturing facilities in Europe are also a big plus, meaning the global shipping crisis will have less of an impact, especially for European backers.

Given all of that, though, we recognize that what we offered you during the Kickstarter was a "wooden" organizer, and Folded Space doesn't fit that bill. If wood is important to you, and you are set on a wooden organizer, don't worry, because we've got you covered as well. We've also met with LaserOx, who makes a great wooden organizer for Gloomhaven and who we are equally impressed with, and they are confident they can deliver a high-quality wood product to everyone who wants it. You can expect it to be similar to what was discussed with the previous wood organizer.

The LaserOx Gloombox

LaserOx is experienced and well-established and also uses eco-friendly materials. Frosthaven is a challenging design for sure, but we are confident they can offer an organizer solution that will make your Frosthaven game nights even more amazing. Plus they are also manufacturing in Europe, so the same shipping advantages apply.

The last thing I'd like to address is the in-box storage trays that will be in all copies of Frosthaven. You may have seen pictures from Gen Con with them, and they are relevant to this conversation. Next update I plan on doing a deep dive to show you how everything is organized natively in the box, which will include the plastic token trays, but for now I will just say that you can expect something similar to Jaws of the Lion, with plastic bags provided for all the monster sets and two plastic trays to compactly hold all the tokens and overlay tiles.

A display case from Gen Con. This is actually two sets of token trays, so you can see how the smaller tray will fit into the larger tray for better storage.

The important part

That's all the info we have for now, and so now we could use some info from you. With multiple organizer options, plus the option of a refund, we need to know what you want. Instead of re-opening the pledge manager, which would be a big mess, we just have a simple Google form for you to fill out, if you backed the Kickstarter for the organizer. Basically, we just need some basic info and whether you'd like the Folded Space organizer, the LaserOx organizer, or a refund. Keep in mind that if you pledged for the organizer as part of the $240 bundle, you will only be refunded the difference between the bundle price and the remainder of your order ($75, plus any tax and shipping costs).

Here is the Google form. Please use this instead of emailing support.

(If you'd like a full refund for any reason, you can still email support for that.)

You only need to fill this out if you've pledged for an organizer, and, really, only if you want something other than the Folded Space organizer, as that will be the default choice for anyone who backed for an organizer and doesn't fill it out. The form will be open for one month, so if you want to wait until next update to hear more about the in-box storage solutions, that is perfectly reasonable. Also keep in mind that the refunds will only be processed once the form closes and we upload the results to BackerKit.

And one final note: If all this talk of organizers has made you want to add an organizer to your pledge, we are unfortunately unable to do that for you, due to logistical and manufacturing time concerns. The partnership with Folded Space and LaserOx will continue after Kickstarter fulfillment, though, so you'll still be able to pick these organizers up later through their websites.

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In other news, things are continuing to progress nicely with finishing up the files. We're still on track to get everything to the printer in 2-3 weeks for a final review, so I am super-excited about that.

We'll see where we are with that during the next update in two weeks, along with that deep dive of the box organization I talked about.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the booth at Gen Con to tell us how much they love Gloomhaven and how much they're looking forward to Frosthaven. We had a great time, and we'll be doing it again at Origins next week. If you'll be there, we'll be at booth #453.

As always, but especially if you're coming to Origins, stay safe!

Some more pictures from Gen Con! Don't mind the very slight Vermling infestation.
A Geminate! Cosplay by the amazing Monica Paprocki from Geeks A Gogo, who will also be a special guest at Origins!

Greetings from Gen Con
over 2 years ago – Sat, Sep 18, 2021 at 11:01:22 PM

Hello! I know we have a scheduled update this week, and I promised to tell you about our organizer solutions, but being at Gen Con has gotten in the way of that a bit, and we need a little more time to get all our ducks in a row to give you a proper update.

I am very sorry, but I am just here to tell you that we'll be delaying the update a week, so expect regularly scheduled updates to resume next week. This also puts us on a better schedule anyway for when Origins would interrupt it again in two weeks.

So thank you for your patience, have a great week, and we'll see you at booth 737 if you happen to be at Gen Con this weekend!

Production timeline and a look at the scenario flowchart
over 2 years ago – Mon, Sep 06, 2021 at 05:22:05 AM

Hello! There's a lot of stuff to talk about this week, so we'll get right into it.

First of all, we are still in the middle of working out an organizer solution for you. I'm sorry we don't have more to report on this right now, but we are excited about some of the prospects we are looking at, and you can an expect an in-depth update on this in two weeks. One important thing to note is that I don't expect any changes made here to cause any delay with the overall project.

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And speaking of, let's move on to an update on our production schedule. In our last production update two months ago, I anticipated that we'd have the game out to you early next year, in quarter 1. While we can't be more specific than that because of the continued global shipping situation, it looks like we are still set to meet that goal. On the development side, I had anticipated having all files ready in the next week or so, but we are a little bit behind in that regard. We are looking at another month to finish things up on that front, rather than a week, but like I said, it shouldn't affect the delivery date.

As I did last time, I'm going to frame the timeline of development in the context of the scenario and section books, which are still requiring the most effort. The section book is actually ready for its final editing pass, which is great, but to do that, we also need the scenario book ready, because the two are so closely tied together. And the scenario book required an extra major editing pass, which is the main reason for this extra time. We're in the middle of that pass now, and once it's done, we'll get both books together in front of a lot of eyes for a final review, and then they should be good to go. As I said, this whole process could take another month, and in that time, we should be able to finish all other outstanding efforts as well.

We are so close to finally putting this thing to bed and getting into production, which is huge relief, given that I've been working on this game what feels like 24/7 for the past two years. But it's not just me. The entire team has put an unbelievable amount of time and love into this game, and it really shows. This is the final stretch!

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And so I wanted to end todays update sharing with you some more of the work we've been doing. From the beginning, I've mentioned the inclusion of a scenario flowchart in the game, and I think it's time to talk more about that.

The flowchart is intended to be an easy way to see, at a glance, how all scenarios are connected to each other and the important information about all of them. It is, by definition then, full of spoilers, so we've crafted it as a punch-out envelope. So, like an advent calendar, you reveal more information as you open up the windows.

You can see here the full flow chart with all 138 scenarios on five separate 8.5"x11" boards - for the first time, a visual representation of the scope of the game. The first three boards, which mostly contain all the main campaign, fit into each other so that their order is clear and it is easy to tell which arrows go where across the breaks.

And then here you can get a glimpse of what it looks like when you pop off the first two windows for scenario 0 (the tutorial) and scenario 1, both of which unlock at the start of the game, so not a spoiler. The main thing to notice is that the stickers for the scenarios are on the reverse side of the window, so even while playing the game, you won't be exposed to any scenario spoilers by having all the stickers out in the open. You won't see them until you need them.

Then you'll also get some basic info on the scenario in the window, including any requirements and connections to other scenarios. There's not many examples of that in the spoiler-free image, but you can get a better idea by looking at the key on the back of the boards.

Haha, this may lead to more questions than answers, but it'll all make sense in the long run. Like I've said many times before, this game is nothing if not epic, and I hope this gives you a better idea of that. If you are coming in expecting just another Gloomhaven, expect so much more.

Okay, those are all the items we needed to get through today. I hope you have a great weekend, and maybe we'll see you at Gen Con in two weeks (booth 737)! Stay safe!