Feb 2, 2021: Production / Timeline Updates!

Happy 2021 Everyone!

Sorry we didn't put an update online sooner, we've been pretty heads down doing the work and we're a little behind on reporting the news. Here's the latest!

Test Printing at Home

North Carolina: Kiki worked tirelessly through Alex's many (many) updates and efforts throughout December and January.

We finished the card layouts, text formatting, grammar in the instructions, and so ..

WE SENT DIGITAL FILES TO PRINT!

We are working with BODA games to produce high quality copies of Dogs BOND. We are excited to work with seasoned professionals in the industry who have produced dozens of other popular titles and are no strangers to working with small indie game projects like ours.

Child Safety Testing: EN-71 and ASTMf963

Our aim is to create a great gaming experience, especially for first-time and young players. In alignment with that goal, we are sending the game through child safety testing to ensure that the game complies with all necessary compliance laws internationally.

There is one test (EN-71) which applies for the EU region, and the ASTMf963 which applies for the Americas / specifically the USA. These safety tests are required for products that aim to target players that are younger than age 14.

Other games skip the child safety testing steps because it's expensive and takes time; however we feel that is a disservice to the board game hobby. We know many games are able to be played by younger players, but those games are marked for 14+ because some groups may not feel it's worthwhile. We want to be a game that many generations within a family can play with confidence!

DELIVERY STILL ON SCHEDULE FOR MAY 2021 - But there are some risks

Upcoming Impact to the Timeline

1. Covid: The global health crisis has delayed several points in the world supply chain. Unfortunately, we're just not big enough to be prioritized over some of the other larger projects.

2. We are working with our manufacturer to be prioritized as soon as possible which we hope will be sometime in early March. We are not yet clear on what the impact to our delivery dates are but we will keep you informed.

Potential Risks to the Timeline

1. Chinese New Year: Shipping over the ocean is challenging enough, however there are other delays that may happen moving our materials across land. Trucks are in shorter supply and truck drivers must take additional health precautions.

Delivery Dates & Shipping FAQ

Thank you all for your support!

BARK with Us!

With your support we can make Dogs BOND the board game for all dog people, friends, and families as we start coming back together in the real world.

Dogs BOND benefits from any signal boost we get from our supporters and it makes a huge impact for us. We've always depended on the crowd to help us achieve our goals! Can you take 5 minutes to introduce us to someone new?

Rescue Organizations - Fundraise with Dogs BOND

1. We are developing a very simple affiliate link system that rescues can use and we will donate a portion of every sale back to them. No setup on their side, they just have to let their supporters know and share a link.

2. If a rescue would like to purchase multiple copies of Dogs BOND for upcoming raffles / auction type fundraisers, we will work with them on a wholesale price.

3. NO COST TO JOIN. NO COST TO SIGN UP TO JOIN THE PACK.

Friendly Local Game Shops - Online DEMO events & Demo copies

1. Would you like to see Dogs BOND in your local game shop's free to play library? We are working with retailers to make sure they can get demo copies of the game!

2. We're eager to help our retailer friends in these challenging times. We would be happy to lead virtual demos that your FLGS can promote to their audience!

Board Game Reviewers - Game Reviews, Demos, Interviews

1. We developed an entire Dogs BOND media room for media outlets and content creators to check out our project!

Virtual Online Game Conventions - Demos

1. If you hear about a board game happening virtually please let us know! We're especially practiced at Discord online conventions now!

Dogs BOND is on a trajectory to grow as big as the hearts of those who share in our mission to improve the well being of animals! We've been so fortunate to have a supportive fanbase like you! Thank you for taking the time to join the pack and our journey.

Anime Weekend Atlanta

Got plans this weekend? You do now! Join Dogs BOND at Anime Weekend Atlanta!

Join Alex, Kiki, and Sarah in this virtual conference to close out the year! Of course, there's a lot of great content, panels, and Kiki herself is hosting a booth within the Artist's Alley.

We are leading panels as well!

Friday: 2pm EST - Career Advice - Freelancer vs In House

Saturday: 1pm EST - Launching a Kickstarter/Building a Team

We've got very exciting news to share which we will announce at the con! Hope you'll join us!