SPIEL 2024. WOW!
9 days ago
– Wed, Oct 09, 2024 at 04:54:45 AM
This is a short update to thank all of our backers who stopped by to say hello at SPIEL. It was wonderful meeting you in person! ❤️ Our booth has never been as busy as it was this year.
As planned, we received and reviewed the digital samples from our manufacturers (with the help of those of you who came by to take a look). They look fantastic.
Lastly, I’d like to remind those who haven’t completed the BackerKit survey to do so as soon as possible. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you encounter any issues or if you’ve lost your invitation link. It will be much harder for us to resolve things once the pledge manager closes. Thanks!
Yours,
Leonardo and Emanuele
SPIEL 2024 whereabouts and pre-production prototypes' pictures!
18 days ago
– Mon, Sep 30, 2024 at 01:58:45 AM
Good morning, deep space!
Before moving to the update, let me remind you that about 10% of backers have yet to finalize their pledge in the pledge manager. If you think you have problems receiving the BackerKit invitation (for example, due to the Apple email relay service), drop us a message and we'll fix it at the speed of light ;)
SPIEL 2024 - Light Speed: Arena and more
Essen, we are coming: We'll be at booth 4H520!
What can you do there?
0. Have an Austrian spirit shot with us
1. Play Light Speed: Arena
2. Get a small gift if you are a BackerKit or Kickstarter backer
3. Have a look at the pre-production prototypes, including expansions and Analog Downgrade. These are the pictures our manufacturer sent us. They'll hand them over directly at the show. We are so excited!
4. Discover the prototype of the Tablescope - BG Photo Scoring app, a library app to score your favorite games with a picture!Â
Can you guess the very first supported game from the image below? ;) You'll hear more about this soon...
Yours,
Leonardo and Emanuele
Art assets, graphic design and product design are complete!
about 2 months ago
– Wed, Aug 28, 2024 at 05:28:36 AM
We have everything in place to begin mass production of Light Speed: Arena! At SPIEL in Essen, we hope to present the final digital prototype for you (and us) to review. This is the last step before green-lighting the production in the thousands, which is set to begin as early as October!
Before going through the latest efforts of our artist Marco Salogni, let me remind you that 14% of our backers still need to complete the BackerKit survey. We can't deliver your rewards if you don't. Please check your spam folder and reach out if you haven't received an invitation!
Marco did a fantastic job illustrating our backers and their hobbies—it was so much fun to work on this! Can you guess what they love (besides board games)?
Arena corners
The corner tiles are one of the latest stretch goals unlocked and will help you mark the boundaries of the Arena as needed. We took this opportunity to enhance the Arena theme by depicting cheering supporters in the stands!
Speaking of new components, we redesigned the base game tray to accommodate the corner tiles and all sponsored asteroids from the Glyphon and BlackHole boxes, as well as the Kickstarter-exclusive community asteroid (included with all pledges)! You can still store the expansion fleets and the bits from the Analog Downgrade below the tray.
Flippable base tiles
Flipping a thick cardboard tile to activate your special power is definitely more satisfying than ticking a checkbox in the app. Good job unlocking this stretch goal!
Glyphon and BlackHole expansions
The expansion fleets are complete and every vessel looks so different from the next! I love how our artist can absorb a concept and make a faction out of it while providing its own identity to each spaceship. You nailed it, Marco!
SPIEL and BGG
As mentioned earlier, Tablescope will be at Essen from October 3-6! We'll remind you again about that in September but you can already mark booth 4H520 in the SPIEL app.
If you have tried the print&play or the extended print&play, please, consider sharing what you think about Light Speed: Arena on BGG. It would help us a lot!
Have a fantastic week!
Leonardo and Emanuele
GenCon, the Analog Downgrade, and solo mode
3 months ago
– Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 02:40:53 AM
Hello everybody! Take a break from the Olympic Games, where Light Speed: Arena is not (yet) a contested discipline, and tune in for a short update.
Before moving to the subject topics, let me congratulate you on reaching 65% of completed surveys on BackerKit. Keep it up! The earlier we receive your surveys, the better we can manage manufacturing and fulfillment.
If you are having trouble choosing the local pickup option, the trick is to select 'Local Pickup' in the Country menu. This will bring your shipping costs down to 0€.
GenCon, 1-4 August
We would have loved to meet you in person at GenCon but unfortunately, our application for a booth did not go through this year ;( Nevertheless, we wanted at least Light Speed: Arena to be there. We joined forces with the beautiful people of the Indie Game Alliance, who will be showcasing Light Speed: Arena at booth #632 during the following time windows:
- Thu 1.8, 4pm-6pm
- Fri 2.8, 11am-1pm
- Sat 3.8, 4pm-6pm
- Sun 4.8, 2pm-4pm
Drop by and have a look (and send us pictures)!
Analog Downgrade
The Star of Light Speed: Arena is certainly the photo-based resolution, but the Analog Downgrade should feel special as well :)
This is the latest iteration on the envelope you'll crack in case of technological breakdown!Â
We decided to add a non-extendible string to make distance comparisons easier and we are testing out some choreographical surprises on how you'll use the yardstick. Bottom line: Even your Analog Downgrade won't feel boring!Â
Solo Mode
Following up on the Analog Downgrade, let me specify something that might have been unclear so far: the solo mode will NOT be playable without the app. I talked with many of you who already assumed that, but I realized we never took the time to talk specifically about this aspect.
Light Speed: Arena is a game with no board and literally infinite possible configurations. In our design of the solo mode, the app will not just be used to resolve the game but also to validate the setup and possibly handle parameters between consecutive games. This was so taken for granted on our side that we probably missed stressing this aspect, rather than just hinting at it. We are very excited about the new solo experiences our photo-based approach can enable and are happy to answer any questions in that regard.
That said, work is progressing well, and we aim to show you something before the SPIEL in Essen! :)
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Keep enjoying your summer, and until the next update!
Cheers,
Leonardo and Emanuele
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Pledge manager opening soon!
3 months ago
– Mon, Jul 22, 2024 at 04:46:03 AM
Dear commanders,
I was thinking: There is no summer in space! I hope you are enjoying it while you await to take off for the Arena ;)
Pledge Manager
We'll soon send out the pledge manager invitations. You might be wondering: What is it for?
A pledge manager is a platform where you can complete your pledge process. After careful consideration, we decided to partner with BackerKit.
You'll be able to upgrade your pledge and/or add more items to your order. Additionally, we'll ask for your address and collect the associated shipping cost and possibly taxes.
You'll have the option to choose 'Local Pickup' as your shipping destination country if you want to collect your game free of charge in Graz, Vienna (Planet Harry LFGS), or Modena (Play 2025).
Please note: you must go through the pledge manager process even if you completed the Kickstarter survey. We'll ship the game to the address you provide on BackerKit.
Pre-order store
We haven't advertised it officially yet, but the pre-order store for Light Speed: Arena is now open. Please, feel free to share it with friends and family if they missed the campaign.
Kickstarter VS Pledge Manager VS Pre-order: What is different
As a backer, you got the best deal during the campaign and you'll still see the best prices in the pledge manager if you want to add items to your pledge (though they are now slightly higher). Additionally, every base game you order will come with the Kickstarter exclusive vintage sleeve and community asteroid.
If you pledged 1€ for Pledge Manager access, you'll still get all the benefits of a backer, but please note that prices are now slightly increased.
After going through the requests of the players who missed the campaign, late pledges will be able to get the Kickstarter exclusives as well, but they will have to pay extra for them.
Those are nice perks but what is most important is that without you Light Speed: Arena would not exist. You shaped it during the campaign with your love, suggestions, and contributions. You improved it with the stretch goals. You made it visible by playing the print&play and sharing fantastic reviews on BGG!
Once again, thank you!
Let us know if you have any questions!
Yours,
Leonardo and Emanuele
