Mass production for Picky Eaters has begun!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 05:30:05 AM

Hi Picky Eaters!

Happy October! We are loving this crisp, fall weather, watching horror movies, and snuggling up with a cup of tea and a good book.

All right, let's get to it! We've got a big announcement to make:

Mass production for Picky Eaters has begun!

Let's back up a bit. Last week, we got our PPC (pre-production copy), which is the hand-assembled copy of Picky Eaters that Panda Game Manufacturing sent us to make sure the game is perfect before mass production begins. It was our last chance to make absolutely sure every tiny detail of Picky Eaters was up to our specifications so that the game comes to you ready to play.

You might have seen our reel over on Instagram where we unboxed the PPC. Check out the video below to watch us unbox the PPC, or click here to see the reel over on Instagram! (Note: The video below has no audio.)

Once we made sure every little detail was perfect, we gave the go-ahead to Panda to start mass production!

We are so excited to move one step closer to getting Picky Eaters to you!

A few tidbits:

•  We were on a livestream! On Wednesday, October 11, we had the immense pleasure of being a guest on Heather aka @boardgamingmama's Twitch livestream! Tanya and Heather chatted about everything from the merits of dino nuggies and garlic noodles to whether there is a way to politely play sabotage cards. Check out the video below to watch the playthrough. And make sure to follow @boardgamingmama on Twitch, Instagram, and Twitter -- Heather is such a delight!

•  More livestream news! You read that right -- we're pushing our introvert boundaries and doing all the livestreams. We're finalizing details for a livestream in November that we're very excited about. We'll be announcing it soon on our social media, so keep up with us there!
•  Thank you to the 1,448 of you who have completed your BackerKit survey! We're at a 91% completion rate, which is amazing! To the rest of you, please complete your BackerKit survey as soon as possible! If you lost your survey, go to our BackerKit homepage (here), and enter your Kickstarter email address in the section labeled "Lost your survey?" If you are having trouble with BackerKit, email [email protected] for fast, friendly help! 
•  If you missed the Picky Eaters Kickstarter campaign, it's not too late! You can pre-order Picky Eaters here. You will receive your order at the same time as Kickstarter backers, so you won't miss out on any Picky Eaters action! But order soon, supplies are limited! 

As always, please feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you want to keep up with us, follow us on Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter on our website.

Hope you are safe, healthy, and playing games with those you love,

Avi and Tanya

Behind the scenes of Picky Eaters design verification!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 05:41:16 AM

Hi Picky Eaters!

How have you been? It's one of our favorite times of the year, when we get to go on long morning walks in the crisp air and watch the leaves turn fiery. We've also been indulging in all the tasty treats of autumn: apples, pumpkin spice coffee, and all the fun squashes!

In between, we've been working hard since our last update.

We are so excited to announce that we just submitted our final design files to Panda Game Manufacturing!

What does that mean? Well, it means that the next step will be to get a "pre-production copy" (or PPC) made. That's when Panda will make a copy of Picky Eaters according to our design files, then send it to us so we can make any last-minute changes before we mass produce. We're expecting the PPC to be done and sent to us here at Le Fou by mid-October, right on schedule. Once we approve the PPC or make any last-minute changes, mass production will begin!

What went into design verification?

We had prototypes made for our Kickstarter campaign, and got valuable feedback from our reviewers as well as all of you about what we could do to make sure we deliver the best possible version of Picky Eaters to you.

Here's some things we changed:

• We added a spot on the scorepad for players to add names. A lot of people got back to us and said they like to put their scores on their fridge (so do we!) with names and dates. A great idea, and an easy fix!

• We made text on each recipe card more contrasted and bigger, so that they're easier to read. Here's an example with the burrito recipe card.

• We edited our Player Aid card so it was easier to follow and makes getting a game going faster and simpler.
• One of the biggest things we did was add a back page to our rulebook, where players could see exactly how many ingredients, recipes, and items of each type there are. We love the quiet strategy of Picky Eaters, and think this page will help players figure out some key strategic moves as they create their epic feasts!

Huge shoutout to Alex Hoskins, our artist, for working diligently on art edits; and Jay Bell, pre-press specialist at Panda, and Cardner Babakitis, our project manager at Panda, for being so patient and helpful during this process. Thank you!

Some news!

A few weeks ago, Tanya was chosen as one of six recipients of the New Voices in Gaming Scholarship, which recognizes designers who are bringing new vision and underrepresented perspective to the industry. As part of the award, Tanya will be traveling to Dallas in November to attend the Tabletop Network conference to continue Le Fou's mission of making fun games that are accessible, inclusive, and thoughtful. 

A few tidbits...

• Thank you to the 1,408 of you who have completed your BackerKit survey! That's an 89% completion rate, which goes to show how great our backers are. To the rest of you, please complete your BackerKit survey as soon as possible! This will help us get accurate numbers for mass production, which will begin soon. If you lost your survey, go to our BackerKit homepage (here), and enter your Kickstarter email address in the section labeled "Lost your survey?" If you are having trouble with BackerKit, email [email protected] for fast, friendly help!
• If you are a backer and want to get more Picky Eaters games, playmats, or scorepads, just use your BackerKit survey to add-on what you'd like at special Kickstarter pricing, our thank you for backing us from the start of the Picky Eaters journey!
• If you missed the Picky Eaters Kickstarter campaign, it's not too late! You can pre-order Picky Eaters here. You will receive your order at the same time as Kickstarter backers, so you won't miss out on any Picky Eaters action!
• Want to play Picky Eaters while you wait? Head to Tabletopia to play the game! A note that it is "sandbox" style, where players can maneuver cards freely. Make sure to read the rulebook before you play, especially the 2- or 3-player variants if you play at that count!
• Are you a content creator, influencer, livestreamer, or journalist? 'Tis the season for gifts, games, and picky eating, and we would love to work with you and showcase Picky Eaters! Get in touch with us: [email protected].
• On that note, keep an eye out for upcoming livestreams and content. We've been quiet over on our social accounts as we concentrated on making Picky Eaters the best it can be, but we're going to be getting back online soon. Say hi!

As always, please feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you want to keep up with us, follow us on Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter on our website.

Happy fall, happy spooky season, and happy picky eating!

Avi and Tanya

BackerKit surveys are coming!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Aug 26, 2023 at 06:08:19 AM

Hi Picky Eaters!

It's the last few lazy days of August, and we at Le Fou can't believe how fast this summer has flown by! We've been trying to enjoy the last waning days of summer as we gear up for mass production.

Part of that has been working on making sure the survey to confirm your orders through BackerKit is ready to go. On Thursday, we sent 5% of our backers (78 of you!) our survey. BackerKit — the company we are working to help us organize all our backers' addresses and orders so that we can get Picky Eaters to you efficiently — calls this the "Smoke Test." It's meant to make sure that there's no hiccups in the survey, and as of this writing, it seems to be going well — which means we're ready to release the survey to all of you!

In the next day or two, you will be receiving an email from us with a link to the survey. Here's what to do.

Just click the link and respond to the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you wish. At this time, you can upgrade your order and grab more stuff if you want!

Once you complete your survey and any add-on purchases, you're done — simple as that! 

Moved? Want to adjust your Picky Eaters add-ons? Can't find your survey after we sent it?

No worries! Just go to our BackerKit project page  and adjust your responses as you wish, or click "Lost your survey?" to get going.

One last final, important note for our Kickstarter backers: DO NOT USE THE BACKERKIT PRE-ORDER STORE. Your Kickstarter pledges were at a discount, which is our way of thanking you for believing in us from the start. Using the BackerKit survey link ensures that you will receive Kickstarter pricing for your pledge and any add-ons!

As always, please feel free to ask us questions if they pop up; we are always happy to help! Feel free to email us at [email protected] If you want to keep up with us, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter on our website. 

Thanks!

Tanya and Avi

The Picky Eaters pre-Order store is now live!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Aug 19, 2023 at 12:02:16 PM

Hi!

Whew! It's been a whirlwind week here as we work to tie up loose ends from the Picky Eaters Kickstarter campaign and gear up for mass production. For the next few weeks, we're finishing up some administrative things on our end, but should have updates on mass production soon!

In the meanwhile, we're excited to announce that thePicky Eaters pre-order store is now open! Here, you will find everything we offered in the Kickstarter campaign, in addition to extra scorepads, which we are offering to players who may fly through their included scorepads. If you know a picky eater who missed out on our Kickstarter campaign, forward them this email and let them know about the Picky Eaters pre-order store! The link is also available on our Kickstarter page (just click the blue button that says "PREORDER")!

An important note for our awesome Kickstarter backers:

DO NOT use the pre-order store to make any purchases. We will be sending a survey via our pledge manager, BackerKit, soon to not only confirm your address and order but also to give you a chance to adjust your Picky Eaters pledge (the scorepads will also be available to you!). We are grateful to our backers for believing in us from the start and we hope our Kickstarter pricing is seen as a thank you!

Le Fou Games

You might have seen that we've changed our Instagram and Twitter handles and website to lefougames. We see ourselves as a game company and want to have a company name that reflects our goals and products. Our email remains [email protected]. We have exciting new projects to announce soon, so if you'd like to be amongst the first to know, be sure to sign up for our newsletter through our site. No matter what your platform of choice, we are always here to answer questions!

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Tanya and Avi !

Thank you! Here's what's next.
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 08:07:44 PM

When we launched the Picky Eaters campaign on July 11, we had no idea what to expect. We had barely slept thanks to a very-delayed flight, a week at Dice Tower East in Orlando, and adrenaline. We were excited, nervous, and extremely anxious.

One month later, on August 10, we have ended our Picky Eaters campaign with a bang: you — 1,573 backers — helped us raise $75,163, 1503% of our $5000 funding goal.

Wow.

To Alex Hoskins, our amazing artist, thank you for being up for the challenge of bringing our idea to life. To our reviewers, thank you for taking a chance on a debut company and previewing our little game. To our family and friends, thank you for being understanding, patient, and loving as we brought Picky Eaters to life.

And to our backers, our deepest gratitude. We are absolutely floored and overwhelmed by your support!

What's next for backers 

We are using BackerKit as our pledge manager. For those of you who have never used a pledge manager before, it's a way for us to communicate with backers and streamline the shipping process.

Here's how it will work:

First, you will receive an email from BackerKit in a few weeks to confirm your pledge and add any additional items you would like. To confirm your pledge, simply reply to the email. At this time, you will also be able to add additional items or request a different edition of Picky Eaters from the one you pledged, should you have changed your mind. At this time, you are good to go, and we will be hard at work mass-producing your games and getting them ready to ship.

Later on, when we are ready to ship your games:

You will receive an email from EasyShip Collect about 2-3 weeks before we're ready to ship. 

You were charged an estimated shipping cost during our campaign. Due to the current volatility of shipping costs, there may be a remaining balance for your shipping costs. You will take care of that with EasyShip Collect. Final shipping costs will be based on actual shipping costs incurred. This will allow us to present the most accurate and up-to-date prices to pass savings on to you, our valued backers.

In the EasyShip Collect email, you will be able to:

• Choose from three different carriers: Cheapest, Fastest, Hybrid.
• Pay for taxes and duties (if due) on the spot to avoid delays.
• Have the ability to add shipping insurance to the package.

We cannot provide an accurate estimate of sales tax / VAT total since charges vary by location and the total price of the order plus shipping costs. These rates will be determined accurately by our shipping manager. The full sales tax /VAT will be charged on Easyship Collect before final shipping confirmation.

Didn't get a chance to back us during our Kickstarter campaign? Fret not!

We are using BackerKit as our pledge manager. For those of you who have never used a pledge manager before, it's a way for us to communicate with backers, streamline the shipping process, and — importantly — offer people who might have missed out on the Kickstarter campaign the opportunity to still back us!

To those who want to back us post-Kickstarter campaign, hello and thank you! We are so excited to have your support and interest! It's not too late to back us, and we would love to have you here!

•  If it's after the campaign and you don't see a link that will take you over to BackerKit: Please hold tight. It takes some time for Kickstarter to finish collecting information from our backers and for BackerKit's pledge manager system to kick in. We will be updating our FAQs and social media once everything is in place, so follow us in those places for up-to-date info.
•  If it's after the campaign and you see a link from BackerKit on our main Kickstarter page: Simply click and follow the steps to back our campaign!

*A note that pricing will be different from our initial Kickstarter campaign, as we wanted to offer our thanks to our Kickstarter backers for supporting us from the beginning. The Kickstarter Edition of Picky Eaters will now be $35,  the Deluxe Edition of Picky Eaters (the game, six neoprene player mats, and the player mat storage box) will now be $85, and the 6 copies of the Kickstarter Edition of Picky Eaters will now be $185.

What's next for us

With the success of our first Kickstarter campaign, we are working to move Le Fou forward and keep producing games and entertainment that are accessible, beautiful, and above all, fun.

Our primary focus in the coming months will be to get Picky Eaters to you so you can enjoy the game. Here's our timeline as it stands:

We are also in the process of two projects.

First, and relatedly, is the Picky Eaters expansion campaign, which will include not one, not two, but three Picky Eaters expansions, as well as some other Picky Eaters-related goodies. We absolutely love the Picky Eaters universe (can you blame us?), and we are so excited to expand upon it. We are incredibly proud of these expansions and we think they will truly enhance the game and take it to a whole new level.

Second, and unrelatedly, we are developing a two-player strategic game. We can't talk much about it yet, but we are super excited and cannot wait to show you what we're working on! We can say that it has been so much fun to develop and playtest, and as a couple who primarily plays games with each other, we are ecstatic about the gameplay. Stay tuned! 

A final note

Finally, we want you to know that our priority is to be as communicative and transparent as possible throughout this process. Picky Eaters is our first game and Le Fou is an 8-month-old company, and we are learning the ropes along the way, navigating the complex world of crowdfunding. If you ever have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do feel free to reach out to us. You can reach us via email, our social media (Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook), and, of course, Kickstarter. We love to hear from you!

If you've made it this far, thank you for your patience! We are incredibly excited to get Picky Eaters to you and to launch Le Fou!

With gratitude,

Avi and Tanya