It has arrived!
about 1 month ago – Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 11:02:46 AM

Greetings Deep Explorers,

Manufacturing has completed and the full production copy has arrived!

After waiting what seemed like an unbearable amount of time, including a delay when the delivery driver couldn’t find the address, we finally have the final Deep Shelf production copy in hand.

The two big changes from the pre-production copy are the much better quality of the color prints and the crispness of the double layered components.

Please take a look at some of the photos below or check out the full unboxing video.

One omission

If you watched the unboxing video, you may note that it did not include the two tile bags. This gave me a bit of freight and is the reason this update is arriving late, but the factory has since confirmed the bags were produced and they simply missed including them since our copy was rushed to us.

What happens next?

Since manufacturing is complete and components have been approved, final assembly will start next week. This is a relatively fast process as everything gets boxed up and prepared for freight. On that front we are currently working with our fulfilment company to book the freight ships and prepare for final mile delivery.

To set a timeline, freight typically takes 3-4 weeks. Full disclosure here, because of the conflict currently going on around the Suez Canal there is a possibility of a longer delivery time for the EU since that is the typical route used by freight ships. This is not confirmed, however, and I will be able to provide an update once the freight ships have been booked.

During our next update we should be able to provide a final timeline for delivery and set a date for locking shipping addresses. There is still some time on that one, but please be aware that it will be occurring within the next 2-3 weeks.

Until next time, explorers.
-Richard Keene

Waiting is the hardest part
about 2 months ago – Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 10:33:19 AM

Greetings Deep Explorers,

This morning, we received an email that our mass-produced copy of Deep Shelf has finished production, but it has not yet shipped out. It will be mailed out to us late this week or early next week.

Climatization Before Shipping

For those not familiar with the manufacturing process, all the individual parts have now been manufactured and are going through a process of climatization to prevent cardboard warping and ensure painted/printed materials are completely dry. Our mass-produced copy is the first complete copy and will be the final check before everything is boxed up and prepared for freight shipping.

The Problems with Kelp

Earlier this month we encountered one last hurdle in the production of the Kelp Coins. Due to variance in the minting and finishing process, the (green) coins were coming out much darker than the previous sample we had received.

After expressing our concern, they minted a new set of kelp coins. While they are still not identical to the digital sample, I think the detail actually shows up better on the new sample and is a satisfying result.

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That is it for today but the next update should be soon. We are nearing the end! One final check and then freight shipping will begin!

Until next time, explorers.
-Richard Keene

The factory has resumed production
3 months ago – Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 07:09:22 AM

Greetings Deep Explorers,

This will be a short update today because not much has changed.

Last week the factory re-opened after its multi-week holiday. Manufacturing has resumed and this morning I was informed that they expect the first mass-produced copy of Deep Shelf will arrive (to us) in mid-March. Once we have this there will be a last-minute check to ensure that nothing was off during manufacturing and to also double check that the boxes are being packed appropriately.

Once we approve the box, full mass assembly will wrap up and everything will be moved in preparation for freight shipping. If everything goes smoothly this could go faster but realistically, we will see freight shipping start in early April.

That is going to be it for today. I have requested some photos/videos of the manufacturing process and if they arrive before our copy ships, I will share them. Otherwise, the next update should feature the final manufactured copy of the game!

Until next time, explorers.
-Richard Keene

Manufacturing Corrections and Updated Timeline
4 months ago – Fri, Jan 19, 2024 at 04:11:33 PM

Greetings Deep Explorers,

This update is arriving much later than I hoped. Things slowed down a lot at the factory this month and is likely because of their upcoming holiday. More on that below, but first a look at some updated components.

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Last update we asked for your opinions on the tracking cube appearance and ended up with nearly a 50/50 split on preference. While we still like the  transparent cubes, the solid cubes are ultimately a much better match for both the plastic and the wood components. For this reason, we believe it is best to return to the original plan for the solid colored cubes.

Next we have the updated double layer boards. This change helps a lot with useability and general component feel. The new cuts fit the components snugly and are a huge improvement over the original samples.

The tile draw bags have been enlarged. While this isn't a huge change, anyone with larger hands will now appreciate the extra ease of drawing tiles. Additionally, the larger size makes it easier to randomize the tiles as they are drawn.

Lastly, while they are not pictured here, the inserts and reference sheets have been updated to their correct specifications. You can see these updates demonstrated in the short video below.

Updated Timeline

Manufacturing was paused while these last components were waiting for approval and now that they have passed inspection the last stretch of manufacturing can resume. Unfortunately, the nemesis of all boardgame publishers has arrived to put one more hurdle into place. Anyone who has backed a Kickstarter before probably already knows what I am about to say, Chinese New Year is about to start, and everything is about to shutdown for roughly a month. What this means is that while manufacturing is now ready to wrap up, it can’t happen until the factory returns from its holiday. As a frequent KS backer, I know how frustrating this is but there is not much I can do other than offer my sincere apologies for the delay.

The project manager with the factory has said that remaining manufacturing shouldn’t take long once the factory reopens but with a three week long shutdown it’s hard to estimate accurately. Regardless, once things start moving, I will post another update to give a better estimation on when things will be shipping.

Until next time, Managers.
-Richard Keene

Unboxing Video
5 months ago – Fri, Dec 08, 2023 at 10:18:16 AM

Greetings Deep Explorers,

The early production copy of Deep Shelf has arrived! I’ve prepared an unboxing video and a bunch of photos below. Most components are in good shape but there are a couple manufacturing issues with the printed components and the insert that need to be addressed before the game ships.

I will detail more of what that means below but let’s start by taking a look at the game!

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Core Game Unboxing Video

Expansions and Add-ons Unboxing Video

Deep Shelf Kelp Coin Unboxing

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Help Us Decide!

The Stackable Tracking Cubes were not supposed to be translucent. 

However, after seeing them we like them quite a lot! The drawback of using translucent plastic is that it is impossible to perfectly color match with the faction plastic or wood components. So let us ask you, do you like the translucent or do you want a (solid colored) match with the plastic components? Let us know in the comments below!

Manufacturing Corrections

After receiving our copy of the game, we went through looking for anything that might need to be fixed. Unfortunately, we found a few issues.

• Insert – The insert is 95% of the way to where it needs to be, but the factory ended up making the Crawler section too tall which prevents the cover from snaping shut. Along with that, while the individual trays do accommodate our brand of card sleeves, it is a tight fit. Given that the insert has plenty of room in that area there is no reason why the area around the cards is as close as it is.
• Reference Sheets – These were printed on normal paper as opposed to the 300gsm cardstock that we selected.
• United Reclamation Box – The box was laid out before the final size of the insert was completed and as such it is about 1cm too short and will need to be adjusted.
• Double Layer Facility Boards – While not as big of an issue as the other points, the cuts in the top layer of the double layered facility boards are a little too loose. Initially I thought this would be fine but after using the boards for a few days we found they detracted from the experience. Since the factory already needs to correct the other issues, we are having them adjust this as well to ensure that the player boards have a more satisfying feel.

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Updated Timeline

As much as I had hoped that everything would finish by the end of the year, these issues are going to push us back a couple of weeks while things are reprinted, and one more insert sample is sent. With any luck these final changes will have a quick turnaround and the final assembly will happen in early January. I will keep you updated as soon as the new insert arrives.

Until next time, Managers.
            -Richard Keene