mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
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Thanks for your interest! It's never too late for the hype train.

We have twenty-five puzzle levels planned, and the core design for all of them is completed. We are going through rounds of play testing of the puzzles right now.

I'd be likewise honored to have your help in testing. You can PM me your email address and I can send you a tester agreement to sign.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-03-2019 02:59 AM]

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
Would anyone here, who publishes LPs or game reviews, be interested in receiving a prototype demo copy for purposes of providing a published written or video review that I could reference in the campaign?

I just finished getting set up for streaming last night. I'd be happy to do a live play through event of it on YouTube.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
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Erik, I would be honored to have you publish a live play through of the preview material. You have a lively presentation style that I think will come across well. Thank you so much!

I'll ship you a physical copy some time this month. I'm collaborating with Todd Sanders, graphic designer and publisher, on graphic design refinements to polish the presentation. When we've gone through this process, I'll produce a shiny, new version and send it your way.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-03-2019 03:06 AM]

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
When we've gone through this process, I'll produce a shiny, new version and send it your way.

Ah, very cool! My profile shipping address is up to date.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

File: Title-TLP 50p.png (559.3 KB)
Downloaded 783 times.
License: Public Domain

Just got the title image for Twisty Little Passages from VShane, an experienced sci-fi/fantasy artist/illustrator I'm collaborating with on TLP.

We had some back-and-forth deciding on the font, the coloring, the thickness of the letter edging, the arrangement of the words, and what flourishes to add. I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out. I think it captures the spirit of the experience and story nicely.

The full-sized image is rather large, as book printing typically requires ~300 dpi. Here it is with both dimensions halved. (Edit: It's a PNG, but looks like the transparency isn't working here.)



____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-08-2019 05:41 AM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

File: TLP Book Front Cover 25p.png (790.5 KB)
Downloaded 768 times.
License: Public Domain

And here is a draft arrangement that I put together of the front cover, with the cover illustration and title at 25% of the original image (1/16th the original area) necessary for book printing.

Todd, our graphic designer, will likely have improvements to make to my layout. I'm super excited with how everything is coming together!




____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-08-2019 04:30 AM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Other project news:

I'm joining forces with Iraklis Grous of LudiCreations/Ludibooster, who has a lot of experience with putting together successful game crowdfunding campaigns, especially for board games. He's helping me navigate the nuanced and elaborate process that can be required to pull off a successful game Kickstarter.

I've put together a script for a trailer video. Iraklis put me in touch with Sonja Hatanpää, a talented video producer, who I'm collaborating with to create the video. I really liked the brief but punchy and effective video presentation used to promote Journal 29, a clever and well-made riddle book in a somewhat minimalistic style made by Dimitris Chassapakis. It has a sequel that I backed on Kickstarter a year ago. My script draft draws some elements from the style of that video. We'll see how it comes together later this month.

Iraklis also connected me with Todd Sanders, the graphic designer I mentioned earlier, to apply some nice graphic design polish to the overall layout and presentation. Todd indicated my original puzzle page design is fairly solid, but I've watched as he applied a dozen or more minor tweaks to a puzzle's left page layout to make it appear more professional, accessible, and polished. Todd and I will be putting changes in place for the preview prototype, and we'll be able to build off of this design layout for all the later puzzles that will be featured in the final book.

Meanwhile, in my initial physical prints, I noticed some images (but not all) came out too dark. The color hues look nice, but the values need to be bumped up. Lamination can also darken images somewhat due to light diffraction.

Fortunately, I don't have any RGB to CMYK conversion issues giving me grief in the color space, so that's one area that I don't have to stress over. I've increased the exposure level a bit on the dark images in Photoshop and I'll be heading back over the printers with my laptop in hand to experiment further and confirm I've nailed the brightness values.

Once these pieces are in place, I'll be printing out additional preview prototypes to ship out for review. Erik, I expect you'll be receiving the first one of these in a week or two.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

The Kickstarter campaign for Twisty Little Passages will be starting in about a month! I expect to be nailing down the exact date in May in about a week, based on what our team accomplishes during this week. There's a surprising amount of coordination that needs to happen with reviewers and promoters in order to get everything lined up to happen all together at a precise time. I'll be posting more news and content here as we approach that point.

Learn when the campaign goes live by signing up here:
http://www.caravelgames.com/Articles/Games_2/TLP.html

As I actively work on this project, you'd think there's little time for introspection, but just the opposite actually seems to be true. I spend a lot of time thinking on existential questions, and there are some sleepless nights.

Working with a great team, putting together a creative product that we feel passionate about, has always been an exciting time for me. Preparing for a crowdfunding campaign is likewise exhilarating, and also nerve-wracking, because our KS campaign has to succeed in order to raise the funds needed to finish producing and publishing the book. Years of collective effort, both in the past and in the future, will be impacted based on the results seen in the weeks that the campaign is run. This will be one of those crossroads moments for this project, and conceivably for future projects.

We've been building an amazing community here on the Caravel Forum for over fifteen years. You are awesomely supportive! We've created great games that wouldn't have existed without our combined contributions. It's been a labor of love, a great learning experience, and I'm still learning a ton about getting the word out there, planning a successful crowdfunding campaign, and most importantly providing you something to enjoy that's uniquely creative and of high quality.

If you are interested in seeing Twisty Little Passages get published and would like to get it in your hands to experience for yourself, we will need your support in backing it and sharing the campaign with others from its very first day, or even earlier. Again, to get the details, sign up for notifications here.

I'm excited for us to be taking this journey together, and I'd like to pose a crucial question that will help me chart the right course.

How do you see us partnering together to make this KS campaign successful?

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-08-2019 05:47 AM]

Makozapper
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 12
Registered: 11-13-2015
IP: Logged

Man, things are moving really really fast! I can tell how much this project means to you from the way you talk about it and the speed you're getting things done. For everyone's sake, I hope the kickstarter takes off. I'm on board as well, I've been lurking for years but this project made me care enough to join the fray for the first time.

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
Once these pieces are in place, I'll be printing out additional preview prototypes to ship out for review. Erik, I expect you'll be receiving the first one of these in a week or two.

Fantastic! I have a specific area in mind to stream from. I plan to rig a camera to aim down at a table space.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Makozapper wrote:
Man, things are moving really really fast! I can tell how much this project means to you from the way you talk about it and the speed you're getting things done. For everyone's sake, I hope the kickstarter takes off. I'm on board as well, I've been lurking for years but this project made me care enough to join the fray for the first time.

I appreciate your interest! Yes, I do feel quite passionate about this project. Everyone I've shown it to in person has also said something like "This looks really good! I'd like to try it." or when showing older parents, they say, "My kids would love this." It's given me the encouragement that there's a broader interest in this idea. I'm excited to be producing something innovative and unique that people are looking forward to.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-08-2019 04:40 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

ErikH2000 wrote:

mrimer wrote:
Once these pieces are in place, I'll be printing out additional preview prototypes to ship out for review. Erik, I expect you'll be receiving the first one of these in a week or two.

Fantastic! I have a specific area in mind to stream from. I plan to rig a camera to aim down at a table space.

That sounds great! Thank you, Erik.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've started a blog on Board Game Geek (BGG) to detail our journey in developing Twisty Little Passages. Join us as we talk about puzzle design and provide a behind-the-scenes look at the development process.

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blog/9092/twisty-little-passages

The first article is here:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88606/dungeon-crawl-puzzle-design

I'll be posting more content periodically as we approach the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for TLP.

If you have a BGG account, you can post comments and subscribe to be notified whenever we post new content.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-14-2019 08:21 AM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Here's another article on designing dungeon crawl puzzles for TLP, having everything in plain view and without randomness.

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88662/puzzles-and-without-randomness


____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
Here's another article on designing dungeon crawl puzzles for TLP, having everything in plain view and without randomness.

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88662/puzzles-and-without-randomness

This one was interesting as you got into the design issues. Thanks for posting.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Project update!

I'm scheduling the launch of the Twisty Little Passages campaign on Kickstarter on Tuesday, May 14.

I'm coordinating the launch with multiple reviewers so they can publish review materials on that date.

We are planning some neat flash funding bonus goals that will be added to the finished product for everyone if the campaign funds within the first 48 hours.

If you want to be notified immediately when the campaign goes live so you don't have to keep that date in your head, you can sign up here:

http://www.caravelgames.com/Articles/Games_2/TLP.html


____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-15-2019 04:34 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've created an official Discord server for Caravel Games, DROD and TLP.

Here's an unlimited invite anyone can use:
https://discord.gg/bSf8A23

Admin/mod positions are available if you're interested in managing this space.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-16-2019 07:25 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've created a FB page for TLP:

https://www.facebook.com/tlpgame

It's pretty bare-bones at present. I'll be adding content to it as we approach and launch the KS campaign and beyond.

Please Like the page! This will let me change that silly-looking number in the URL to something better looking.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-23-2019 09:11 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

...and a Twitter account for TLP:
https://twitter.com/tlpbook
#TLPbook

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Here's my third TLP blog post on designing some puzzle rules in ways that balance ease, fun, and mental challenge.

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88674/puzzle-game-rules

Would love to hear your thoughts on what kind of rules facilitate the creation of engaging puzzles!

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Hot off the presses, here's a trailer video for Twisty Little Passages:

https://youtu.be/ZwvrVWCbH5U


____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've posted an article on my BGG blog talking about some graphic design choices we made in developing Twisty Little Passages:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88683/puzzle-game-graphic-design


____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-23-2019 02:30 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've posted a new piece in the TLP developer journal called Letting Your Hands Play:

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88685/letting-your-hands-play


____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

enzi666
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 161
Registered: 01-05-2004
IP: Logged

While I'm a little sad that it's not a video game, I'll still support this project as it sounds really interesting and I know you guys will make great puzzles.

____________________________
58th Skywatcher

DROD AE: Finished - KDD2: Mastered
JTRH: Mastered
TCB: Mastered - RPG: Finished
GatEB: Mastered - TSS: Mastered

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

enzi666 wrote:
While I'm a little sad that it's not a video game, I'll still support this project as it sounds really interesting and I know you guys will make great puzzles.

I can understand the sentiment and would like to say I appreciate your support even though it's not your ideal project. The level of support we receive for projects does impact what we're able to do in the future, so thank you.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-23-2019 09:04 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Yay! The FB page has garnered some likes and I've been enabled to change the page name:

https://www.facebook.com/tlpgame

Search via @tlpgame

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've published a blog post on designing and presenting game elements in engaging and delightful ways.

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/88687/puzzle-design-layered-and-progressive-elements

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5056
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Two weeks away from launch on May 14!

Our KS campaign page is 99% put together and I'm just tweaking details at this point.

I'll be including some "flash stretch goals" to boost the quality of the final product for free if the campaign makes good strides to being funded in the first 24 and 48 hours. If you'd like to help support that effort, you can sign up to be notified when the campaign launches on the TLP preview page:

http://www.caravelgames.com/Articles/Games_2/TLP.html

Meanwhile, I'm working on getting as much exposure for the campaign on launch day as possible, though of course my ad budget is not unlimited, so I'm trying to be strategic about this aspect.

I printed out a few more prototype demo copies of the book and shipped them out to interested early reviewers. Also scheduling showings at local venues and getting some great feedback.

I'm feeling full of anticipation and admittedly nervous too. Haven't heard too much here in this topic by way of feedback, but I'm excited to share TLP with you nonetheless and hoping most are simply lurking while waiting for the campaign to launch. I'm seeking to provide you a fun and unique puzzle gaming experience -- something you've never seen before -- and I'm interested in your feedback to deliver the best product possible. Hoping there will be many more comments as some reviews and early playthrough videos start surfacing in mid-May.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 05-01-2019 02:14 AM]

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1300
Registered: 06-14-2005
IP: Logged

I'm just lurking!

...oops.

davidatk100
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 42
Registered: 11-27-2007
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
Haven't heard too much here in this topic by way of feedback, but I'm excited to share TLP with you nonetheless and hoping most are simply lurking while waiting for the campaign to launch.

Good guess! It sounds like it's going to be a fun book that I will enjoy and will make a great gift for some friends.

Now that I'm posting and no longer lurking I might as well ask some questions: Is there going to be any issues buying/shipping internationally? When do you expect the book to ship?

I originally thought is would be like a paper version of DROD RPG but from I've read it sounds different. Is your intent that each page is a standalone puzzle with one intended solution? Does this mean that the idea is to solve rather than optimise? Also, how many pages/puzzles does/will it have?

Less than 2 weeks to go