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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#30 Games at Hubs, Review, EGE!

Customs Laws and Taxes

Last Deluxe Copies of this Print-run – Order NOW!

The last copies of the Standard Edition on this print run as well. We have sent extras all over the world, so they are already in the Hubs. All orders made from now will be delivered just after the first bulk, Order NOW! hold your copy!

Games have arrived at the main hubs

We know that many of you followed the shipments as closely as we did as they moved across the oceans, but for those who did not, we can tell you that they have all safely reached their destinations at the local hubs (in China, Australia, the UK, Germany, and the US)!

Furthermore, our fulfillment partner, GamesQuest, have received all the backer and pre-order data and is currently processing all of it. We do not know exactly how long this will take, but we know they have been working on it for a while. Also, they have sent us some images of packaging tests:

Bubbly cushions

VFI in Asia have started sending out the games, and some of our backers in China and Hong Kong have already received their games, as you can see from the Unboxing Video further down in this update. If you are among those who have received it, we would love to see more such videos and pictures!

I hope shipments will go out soon in Europe and the US as well, and when we get tangible and fungible information from our fulfillment partner, we will update you. Also, when it is time for delivery, you should get a notification from your local fulfillment center, via SMS or email, with a tracking number.

UK and EEC!

GamesQuest is analyzing the Backer Data at the moment. They do not have a precise date on when stuff is shipping out. But check their webpage, where they put up weekly updates.

https://www.gamesquest.co.uk/blogs/gamesquest-blog

European Union

German customs hit us “good” (more on that in another Update), and held on to our container for inspection for about a week. We promptly paid the duties and submitted the paperwork necessary to get the goods released, but this inevitably caused a bit of a delay. Our EU warehouse is in Griesheim and they have the Backer Data. Again, check the GamesQuest blog for updates from them. They do both UK and EU. 

https://www.gamesquest.co.uk/blogs/gamesquest-blog

Canada and the US of A

Quartermaster Logistics has the games, the playmats are on their way, and they do regular updates on their Twitter: https://twitter.com/QMLogistics

They should also ask for address confirmation before sending, and then tracking numbers, keep your eyes peeled on your email accounts!

Australia & New Zealand

Aetherworks has the product and has sent out emails for backers to confirm their addresses. Even the playmats that came from Poland are there already. And we just got notice of the. Check their Facebook page for updates on when they start delivering.

https://www.facebook.com/aetherworker/

Asia

As mentioned, backers have started to receive copies in Hong Kong and China. The playmats will come in a separate shipment a bit later. For the rest of the countries within the VFI domain, check their page:

https://vfi.asia/hubs/

Look for the letter E and scroll all the way down.

Norway

The Shipments to Norway (one to our office and one to our local fulfillment partner) have been booked to be shipped from the UK and they have started allocating the products, so these should soon be on their way (my game is there too!!)

We will update you when we get confirmation that they’ve been shipped, and let you know when you can come to pick them up at our office or expect them to arrive by mail.

Rest of the World

Your copies are being delivered from the UK, follow all the steps in the UK section above!

Our First Video Review!

We got our first review! From Beastie Geeks, in Poland. It was top of the Hot Reviews section in BGG for a while, click the heck out of it, and “like” it there on BGG. It would help us quite a bit if we can move part of the conversation there.

The answer to the question is “yes, indeed”.

Stand-out quote:

“It’s probably the most epic and complete strategy game with a historical theme that we have ever played.”

And our first Unboxing from Joachim in Hong Kong!

Please, “destroy” the like button there on BGG and comment all you can. The more interaction our content has there, the better chance of reaching hotness, more awareness, and a better chance for us to get more people on board for future expansions.

Good Looking!

Since Retail is a reality very soon for us, reatil… realtil… retality? (don’t push it, Víctor, it’s not meant to be), with stock all over the world, we got some really nice-looking pictures done by a professional board game photographer! Check out BoardgameShot’s webpage and Instagram.

Extended Gameplay Example Video

We are working on a recorded video at the office, with our only copy of the game. It’ll cover one whole Round of a 4-player game (S1-01), moved and narrated by Eivind and filmed and edited by a-me, Víctor!

Essen Spiel ’22

Essen happened, while we focused on how the ships moved millimeter by millimeter by millimeter. Candice from BGG was there! Paul Grogan was there! Ready Steady Play was there!

And of course, our Diplomatic Advisors and friends from the discord Server, please join and become one!

Thanks a lot to Mikhs, Balz, Jarige, Arccos, Metal, Finn, Kalli, Mardrax … They took the time either to visit or to stay and help us during the convention.

And Candice mentioned the game in her new BGG Podcast! https://boardgamegeek.buzzsprout.com/2049411/11582421-episode-3-spiel-22-demo-experiences-with-w-eric-martin on Minute 00:57:12

And Batalladores!

The game has made its way to Spain by the Spanish publisher and was demoed in the Batalladores Con, a “Come to play” convention rather than a “Come to test” and that meant you booked your spot for a WHOLE DAY playing.

We got lovely feedback regarding the game mechanics, game components, and some pictures!

Thanks, CrazyShini, for hosting those demos!

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#29

Keep yourself updated!
This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #41
Suppose you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also the BoardgameGeek page of the game, with lovely images and forums about the game, Aegir Games Facebook Page, and a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game’s development over the past years.

You could also help us by clicking on the BGG link for this update and maybe with enough clicks, we go up in their algorithm.

Where Are the Shipments?

The short answer is that all the vessels have departed China and are now on their way to the regional hubs. The long answer is provided below:

How do the logistics of bulk shipment work?

Our fulfillment partner contacts their local logistics agents and puts them in touch with the right people at the factory. These logistics agents then book slots for our containers on vessels and make appointments to pick up the goods from the factory and transport them to their port of load. When the initial bookings have been made, they notify the fulfillment company, who in turn notifies us. Then the manufacturer sends us the paperwork that has the details for each shipment. But these bookings can change last minute, as vessels get overbooked or delayed, and it is not always easy for us to know exactly where and when these decisions are made as we do not get to witness the whole chain of communications.

When the shipments arrive at their destination ports there are numerous factors that may affect how long it will take for the games to be unloaded and taken to the actual fulfillment centers, and we cannot give any precise estimates on this at the moment.

Where does that leave us?

It’s been hectic trying to track all the information down. At first, we were given a vessel name for the shipments to Europe, with an ETA at the end of October, but we were advised us not to give it away as it might change, and soon enough it did. It turned out that the ship was overbooked, and now the shipments to the UK and Germany were booked onto two different vessels with later departures. The US shipment was picked up a bit later at the factory because of some misunderstanding but was actually the first to leave port.

With the craze of Essen being the top priority and keeping almost everyone in the board game industry (including the fulfillment companies) super busy in the past few weeks, the flow of information has not been going as quickly as we had hoped, and we have been waiting for some delayed confirmations in order to give you the best possible information.

So, we had to do some digging on our own as well, and we have now been able to track down all of the vessels carrying our games:

The EU Shipment:

Click on the image to go to Vessel Finder, and check the last known position of the ship

This shipment was initially booked to be shipped with a vessel called the Tihama, but instead, it is now carried by the HMM Rotterdam, which departed Yantian (Shenzhen’s cargo port) on October 3rd.

It is estimated to arrive in Germany on November 25th.

Remember, all these dates are estimates and subject to changes outside our control. Sometimes the latest changes are not reflected in the information available on these tracking websites. Rest assured the games are coming.

The US Shipment

To check the ship’s last known position, click on the image.

This shipment was taken by the Zim Ningbo, which departed Yantian on October 1st and arrived in Busan in South Korea on October 7th. There, the container is booked to be loaded onto another vessel called the Zim Hong Kong, which will take it to Jacksonville, Florida.

ETA for this shipment to arrive in Florida is currently November 18th.

Remember, all these dates are estimates and subject to changes outside our control. Sometimes the latest changes are not reflected in the information available on these tracking websites. Rest assured the games are coming.

The UK Shipment

Click here to go to the last updated position on this ship

The ship that carries this one is called the Al Dahna Express.

This was the last shipment to depart China but is currently estimated to arrive before any of the others. I guess this ship is a faster one! It departed Yantian yesterday and is due to arrive in the UK on November 4th.

Remember, all these dates are estimates and subject to changes outside our control. Sometimes the latest changes are not reflected in the information available on these tracking websites. Rest assured the games are coming.

The AU Shipment

Click here to go to the last updated position on this ship

The shipment headed for Australia is also on its way and should arrive in Sydney in about 10 days.

Remember, all these dates are estimates and subject to changes outside our control. Sometimes the latest changes are not reflected in the information available on these tracking websites. Rest assured the games are coming.

The Cartons

One last thing, we got sent a couple of cartons of games, and I just wanted to show you how sturdy these things are with the reinforced corners. Hopefully the games should stay well protected throughout their journey to the fulfillment hubs.

external image

external image

external imagevery hard to bend by hand

external imagehad to put a lot of my weight on top to make it squint

Pre-orders

You can still pre-order the game from the Aegir Games Webshop.

We have even fewer copies of the Deluxe Edition. They’re flying away!
https://www.aegirgames.com/shop/

—————-

Enjoy the hunt,

Víctor & Eivind at Aegir Games

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#28

Shipments departing the factory + PDXCON22 + Essen!

A container full of games, loaded onto a truck. Destination: Backerland (or our EU hub to be more precise).

First, a quick reminder that you can pre-order the game on our webshop, if you do it fast enough you’ll be able to get one of the last few Deluxe Edition copies on time to be shipped with the first wave of webshop orders! https://www.aegirgames.com/shop/

Keep yourself updated!
This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #40
If you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also the BoardgameGeek page of the game, with nice images and forums about the game, Aegir Games Facebook Page, and a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past years.

Gamers, Assemble!

Assembly was finally completed last week, and most of the shipments have now been picked up from Panda’s factory by the various shipping agents, including those bound for our European, Asian, and Australian hubs. We are awaiting the final confirmations and details on the US shipment, but it has been booked-in some time ago and should be off very soon as well.

Below, you can see some pictures of the assembly process and the assembled products. 

Boxing Day?
Hello Scandinavia! Western Europe map boards in neat stacks.
Double-layered player mats in six colors
Event cards, with Trade cards and mini cards behind, all wrapped in plastic
More cards, ready to be put into the boxes
Deluxe Edition boxes at the ready
Lids being put on, content inside, check!
Wrapped in plastic
Packed in cartons and ready to be loaded into containers!

Ocean Freight Next

The next step is the ocean freight to the various hubs around the world. There will be one 40′ container going to the US, one going to the UK, and one going to Germany. Additionally, there are smaller shipments going to our hubs in Australia and China.

As soon as we have confirmation that the containers have been loaded onto their respective vessels we will provide you with the names of these so that those who wish can track their journeys across the oceans.

We were waiting to publish this update in the hope that we would be able to give you that information in this update, but we got the photos of the loaded containers on Monday and figured we had to share them now, so vessel details will have to wait until the next one. Based on the information that has been shared with us, however, we are still hopeful that the shipments can reach their destination hubs by the end of October.

Loving the net to hold them together and IN THE DARKNESS BIND THEM. This container is bound for the UK.

PDXCON22

2–3 September, Eivind went to PDXCON2022 in Stockholm. Here is the field report:

At the beginning of the month I had the great pleasure of traveling to Stockholm to demo EU:PoP in its final form to dedicated Paradox gamers and fans at PDXCON2022. Not only is Stockholm a beautiful city that I would visit any chance I have, but it was also a great opportunity to finally show off the final product to some of our patient backers, as well as introduce it to some new people. The venue had a great atmosphere, as you can tell, and we had the honor of being given a place in the throne room. Lighting could have been somewhat better, so you’ll have to excuse the quality of the photos!

Ready for the cavalry to come charging in.
The first group of players ever to have a chance to play the game in its final form. Lucky guys!

Several attendees got a chance to play through a demo Round of the Discovery and Reformation scenario (S1-01), the standard 4-player setup for Western Europe, and the reception was great. Both days, there were players playing until the venue closed for the night.

Great atmosphere, despite our “no drinks on the table” policy! (There may have been a few underneath the table though)

I met with some of the great members of our Discord server (be sure to join here if you haven’t already), and three of them set up the Enemy at the Gates scenario (S2-02), with PolandBot in the middle, for an epic game, starting Friday evening and finishing on Saturday. Rhal, who played the Ottomans, won with a total of exactly 100 Prestige at the end of Final Scoring, edging past Aglahir who, as Muscovy/Russia, finished second on 93 Prestige.

Enemy at the Gates in progress on table 2. Tables could have been a bitt bigger, but it worked out fine.
The Ottomans defeated the Mamluks in the end, and were thus able to snatch the victory from the Russians.
Who has a Claim to the Throne?

Johan Andersson, the main man behind the Europa Universalis video game series, came over several times to take a peek, ask questions, and to make sure I would send a copy of the game to his office once they arrive from China. Hopefully, he’ll enjoy it and recognise how much effort we put into doing justice to the spirit and gameplay experience of the PC game series.

Johan, the architect behind the Europa Universalis PC game series, admiring the game’s return to the tabletop.

On Sunday I had some time off, and took the opportunity to visit the great Sci-Fi Bookstore i “Gamla Stan” and another fantastic brick and mortar game store called Alphaspel, where they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Swedish RPG “Drakar och Demoner” and got to meet one of my childhood heroes, artist/illustrator Nils Gulliksson, who graciously drew me a cool wizard on the spot. I also met our friend at Free League Publishing, Tomas Härenstam, there – and for those of you into RPGs, they are currently running a very successful (10,000+ backers now) for a new edition of Drakar och Demoner, with an English edition named “Dragonbane”. It’s in its last 6 hours, so check it out before it ends! In the evening I got to hang out with my friend Mats at Paradox to play some games.

“Nisse” Gulliksson graciously posing for a picture and drawing a cool wizard in my book! Aside from being a fabulous illustrator and artist, Nils Gulliksson also happens to be the first CEO of Paradox Entertainment (the predecessor to Paradox Interactive), from back in the days when Europa Universalis 1 was made.

Monday morning I visited Ion Game Design’s studio/office space, and got to see where the magic happens and talk a little bit designer-to-designer, publisher-to-publisher. Go check out if you haven’t already. They’re a few years ahead of Aegir Games, in terms of building their company and catalogue of games, so it was good to get some advice and see how they worked.

Jon Manker, lead designer at Ion Game Design, and myself, at their office.

My eventful Stockholm trip was then rounded off with a visit to the Paradox Interactive offices, before flying back to Oslo.

At the Paradox front desk with Mats.

Come to Essen!

SPIEL 2022 logo

Missed out on PDXCON? Come see us at Essen Spiel at booth 5-I102, and try out the game in its final form!

And we would love some more love in the BoardGameGeek Essen Spiel Most Wanted ’22 if you haven’t had the time to click on until now.


If you follow us you have already seen it, but we still would love some more likes in the BGG Spiel 22 preview! We are currently ranked 13th in “Must Haves” of all entries on the list. Quite impressive for a heavy strategy game like this, but can we break into the Top 3?

You need to have a BGG account and hit the like button on the listing of Europa Universalis: The Price of Power (you can even thumbs up all the other games you like! what a bargain!) While you’re at it, click on “Must Have” and even rate the game if you have tried it on Tabletop Simulator, or just because you’d like it to thrive further!

It is helping us reach more people, and could potentially result in new Language Editions.


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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power #DD27 – First look at the MPC

The first Mass Produced Copy (MPC) was delivered last week, and we recorded the moment of its arrival (you can see it below). We wanted to do this Update sooner, but we have also been hard at work, finalizing the Shipping Plan. If you are on Discord you have already had a sneaky preview in the form of a few pictures, but we have packed a whole bunch more into this Update.

This step in the manufacturing process serves us to check that the quality of the printing, components and assembly is as it should be (perfect), including color, alignment, materials, quantities … 

Indeed we have to say, Panda has not let us down, everything looks just beautiful, even exceeding our highest expectations, and the feeling of the components is top-notch, feels real, oozing high quality. We are over the moon and really looking forward to getting this out to all of you!

As promised, let me show you:

Deluxe Edition (And Add-ons) Unboxing

This video was filmed precisely at the moment it came through, all our impressions come from the first time seeing them in their final, gorgeous form.

Vertical filming is the future! Also, my phone is so heavy … thanks for your patience.

Standard Edition + Fate of Empires Expansion

The same situation, two days later, but this time the Standard Edition (Base Game pledge). Fate of Empires is an Expansion for the Standard Edition that basically contains the remaining gameplay content from the Deluxe Edition (but without deluxified components).

Now some pictures 

To appreciate the details that can be overlooked in a video.

This was just after dismembring it for the first time
even the lid for the trays speaks of quality
Military Power ready to knock on your door
the +60 shouldn’t be there, but it was an excuse to show it off
I don’t know if you would get it, but I have been waiting for this hole for a long time
Please, appreciate the icons on the tray, reminding you which well is for what token
I’m in love with that illustration, thanks Joeri
The tray of the Commons’
Close-up Metal Coins Add-on
Hey, the Cardboard Coins look great as well!
Life is good, but it can be better!
Two puuuunch!
Punchboard close-up 1
Punchboard close-up 2
It is so packed
And another layer of stuff!
Bottom tray, this is another of those things I have been waiting for a long time, definitive card backs, so beautiful.
Age I cardback
Age II cardback
Age III cardback
Age IV cardback, look at that contrast, I want to play Age IV just to see this more often
Other colored miniatures close-up
all packed again (but I really forgot the rulebooks)
The rulebooks, scenarios, and player aids. HOURS OF FUN!

Halls of Hegra

Tompet Games, also from Norway, and friends of ours (Petter and Thomas) have made this game that we 100% recommend that you take a closer look at. Their ongoing Kickstarter ends in 6 days, so go and back it if you are into solo board gaming and WW2 history!

Play as the commander of the Norwegian forces. Explore the fortress and dig your way through mountains of snow and broken equipment. New recruits are joining while you plan supply routes for the coming siege.

Defend the village below the fortress while you do the final preparations before the Siege. Send out patrols behind enemy lines to secure enough supplies.

During the Siege, you have to endure constant bombing and infantry attacks while keeping the morale up amongst your men. Will you survive?

Essen Spiel and Spiel Most Wanted 2022

We are going to Essen Spiel once again in October, and you will be able to find us at booth number 5-I103 (that is Hall 5, then “I” as in “infantry”, then 103). There, you’ll be able to see the MPC – LIVE in Action, try it, feel it, this is the game in its final form. So this will be meaningful.

If you haven’t already, you (or your friends) can also pre-order it with us at the booth, remember that fulfillment should be ongoing by the end of October (very soon after for such pre-orders!)

BoardGameGeek Essen Spiel Most Wanted ’22

If you follow us you have already seen it, but we still would love some more likes in the BGG Spiel 22 preview! We are currently ranked 6th in “Must Haves” of all entries in the list. Quite impressive for a heavy strategy game like this, but can we break into the Top 3?

You need to have a BGG account and hit the like button on the listing of Europa Universalis: The Price of Power (you can even thumbs up all the other games you like! what a bargain!) While you’re at it, click on “Must Have” and even rate the game if you have tried it on Tabletop Simulator, or just because you’d like it to thrive further!

It is helping us reach more people, and could potentially result in new Language Editions.

————————

Gold and Guns
Víctor & Eivind @ Aegir Games

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power #DD25&26

Mass Production has started

We have approved the Digital Proofs and green-lighted the start of mass production and we have sent them all to print, and in this post, you will find the Final Files. You can still comment, but comments and suggestions are done and closed.

I will notify you of the news we get throughout the process.

Keep yourself updated!
This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #35 & 36, if you want to read directly from the source: &

First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

The Production Timeline

This is the timeline that Panda Game Manufacturing has given us. The digital proofs are approved, and mass production has commenced. 

“MPCs ready…” are the first few Mass Production Copies put together by the manufacturer, for inspection by the publisher. I am going to make so many pictures of that to show you.

“CNW Holidays” should not interfere with our timeline, since the goods will already be at sea by then.

The games should be assembled and ready by August/September and travel on a ship during September/October (that’s the shipping part of the timeline), before arriving in Europe and the US around mid-October. This means that pledges should be heading your way by the end of November, hopefully (in the best-case scenario, fulfillment will take around 2–3 weeks).

We’ll keep you updated along the way, with pictures and any relevant information.

The Files

These are all the final (Ultimate Final Final) files, they are sent and should start the printing process soon. Please enjoy them as they are, suggestions and corrections are done and closed.

The pictures are from the old PPC copy and the Rulebooks we printed some weeks ago, but I wanted to make something quick and different from the usual file screenshot. Click on them to go to the chosen PDF

Main Rules

Solo Rules 

Scenarios I

Scenarios II

Events and Setup Cards 

Action Cards and Trade Cards

Minicards (Ideas, Missions, Milestones, Power Struggles, Bot Cards)

Player Aid 

Realm Player Aid

Peace Resolution & Battle Flowcharts (Player Aid C)

Punchboards C+D+E (Cardboard tokens for all editions)

Punchboards A1+A2+B (Cardboard tokens for the Standard Edition and the 5-6p Expansion)

Deluxe Edition Box Front & Back

Standard Edition Box Front & Back

Expansion 5-6 players for the Standard Edition, Front & Back

What’s Next?

There is a fulfillment chunk of data to clean and process, and logistics need to be fully solved. But for starters, we are going to celebrate sending it to print with a drink (happy coincidence!) and the new game(s) we got (new as we haven’t played them ever or in a long time).

The Extended Gameplay Example, both PDF and a possible scripted video.

We are also going to PDXCON2022 and Essen Spiel 22, and we will go at least to show the MPC there,  the planning of both (and maybe some others) during this time.

What project could come next based on these games that you see here? An awesome one.

Changing Address

Again, if you want to change your address on your order because you might be moving between the aforementioned days, do it before (EXTENDED DATE) June 20th, 2022, after that, we are not responsible for you moving away somewhere else, and you could be charged extra shipping if we need to re-send the parcel. All orders’ data are going to be given to the fulfillment company, after that date, we have little control over specific changes after that.

An alternative to solve uncertainty is to send it to family members or friends that you know are not moving any time soon. 

For Kickstarter backers: You should have an account on Gamefound.com with the same email you used here on Kickstarter and you should have access to change the address there.

The path is: “My Backed Projects” – Europa Universalis: The Price of Power –  ChangeAddress or a drop menu with (…) three dots in which you find it.

For www.aegirgames.com pre-orders: Send me an email with your new address. I have to do it manually; then I will send a confirmation back once I have done it.

If you still get in trouble, send me (Víctor) an email at www.aegirgames.com and I will have a look at it.

That’s that for now, see you soon!

———————-

Conquest & Councils

Víctor & Eivind at Aegir Games

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#24

Final Rules & Booklets, ready for print – Update your Shipping Address

This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #34, if you want to read directly from the source: https://bit.ly/EUpdate34

Keep yourself updated!

First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

Finally, after countless hours of playtesting, listening to feedback, going through editor and community comments, and trying as best we can to make a wholesome and consistent rulebook, we have arrived at the point where we can say: This is it, these are the FINAL RULES. As you can see, we sent it to a local printer to have a tangible copy in our hands.

You can enjoy a web version of them in the link below (or click on any of the images)

[Main] https://adobe.ly/3M6E2Hg

[Solo] https://adobe.ly/3xfgpIk

(Page references and tables of contents are clickable links in both docs.)

Our Editor on this project, if any of you are curious, is Michael Schemaille (https://riwriter.com/games/). He is a veteran who has worked on a host of games like Cthulhu Wars, Horrified, Scythe, God of War, and many more. We are very grateful for his contribution to making the rules a much smoother and clearer reading experience.

Our goal with this project has been to create a product that has rules that work as they should from the beginning. That has taken a lot longer than we expected, and there is still obviously some way to go before the games arrive at everyone’s doorstep. But we believe that we now are ready to send this beast off to the printer.

Comments on the PDF: We are going to send this one to print, but the project is complex enough that we realize that there may still be some little things that have slipped past the eyes of the designer, developers, editor, and community members alike, so if you want to leave a comment on the PDF, it will still be possible. However, at this point we really just want to know if there are blatant errors that we have missed, atrocious things, like “climate change is not real”, or “the Earth is flat” (yes, we know our board is flat). 

Scenarios I and II are also done already and ready for print. Just have a look here.

[Scenarios I] https://adobe.ly/3jyI66M

[Scenarios II] https://adobe.ly/3JOwZS1

What’s left?

We are wrapping up the Player Aid and the final comments on the Cards at the moment, and that is all. 

Update your Shipping Address!

If you want to change or update your address on your order because you might be moving, do it before 2022-06-01 (1st of June).

All orders data are going to be given to the fulfillment company, after that date, we have little control over specific changes.

An alternative to solve uncertainty is to send it to family members or friends that you know are not moving any time soon.

You should have an account on Gamefound.com with the same email you used here on Kickstarter and you should have access to change the address there.

The path is: “My Backed Projects” – Europa Universalis: The Price of Power –  ChangeAddress or a drop menu with (…) three dots in which you find it.

if you get in any trouble, send me an email through www.aegirgames.com and I will have a look at it.

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#23

This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #33. Source: 3

Keep yourself updated!
First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

Targeting Charts

“It fills me with pride and satisfaction” to say these are now done, thus completing the last part of the actual development of the game. You already know about them and you know what they can do from reading the Solo Rules, but …

You better prepare, 
You better be brave, 
You better not DoW them, 
or they’ll be digging your grave, 
Lethal Bots are coming to town

You’re checking a chart, 
and rolling the dice, 
They’re gonna find out who’s been naughty (by taking their rightful lands) 
or wise (by gaining too much Prestige)

So, now you’re aware, 
You heard my advice, 
Stay out of trouble, 
They’re not playing nice, 
Ruthless Bots are coming to town

They are at the end of the Scenario Booklets, both in the Standard and Deluxe Edition booklets (bots for Western and Eastern Europe respectively). For those who do not know, the Targeting Charts are a way for the bot to select their next victim, whether it is for brutal bloodshed (Military) or persuasive pressure (Diplomatic).

Beautifully crafted 9 Standard Edition Bots: AustriaBot, CastileBot, EnglandBot, FranceBot, PortugalBot, NetherlandsBot, Brandenburg/PrussiaBot, DenmarkBot, AragonBot.

And then, 12 more Deluxe Edition Bots: KalmarBot, MuscovyBot, OttomanBot, PolandBot, SwedenBot, VeniceBot, MamlukBot, BurgundyBot, LithuaniaBot, HungaryBot, BohemiaBot, NovgorodBot.

Reminding you: Sometimes there are so many people active in the PDF links that get frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode when opening any of the links,  another one is logging out (if you already logged in). If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can open the rulebook directly there once you clicked the link one time.

Here are some of my favorite highlights:
We have re-mastered the classics, AustriaBot, CastileBot, EnglandBot, and FranceBot, now with extra care for themselves and extra teeth against You. We have worked on efficiency (e.g. EnglandBot may now target “All Realms in IRELAND” at once), punishment of overextending players (Any “Owner of…”), targeting of players that are gobbling up too many HRE Electors, and lots more! Check them out yourself, and leave us some comments. 

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Yes, you are aware of the big ones doing big things, but what about for example PortugalBot? Did you think you had problems in mainland Europe? Now you have problems in all the Distant Continents as well, thanks to its focus on Colonizable Territories.

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Spain? What could that be? I only know about the revolutionary AragonBot, who crushed the French, inherited Burgundy and Naples, then turned Revolutionary, both politically and industrially. They made the Trastámara family into coats for the bourgeoisie, you throw away nothing in Aragon.

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Ah, waiting for the Burgundian Succession Crisis to inherit some nice waterfront real estate? BurgundyBot has something to say about it! *rattling sounds*

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Hussites are on the loose! BohemiaBot brings the “heat” in heathens, making that already stressful HRE business even harder for the Emperor. Could they claim the Emperor title for themselves? That’s for you to suff… enjoy!

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Now that we are at it, LithuaniaBot has something to say about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they just called and told me it is the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth now, and if I had anything to say, I should talk to … (I had nothing to say, I’m merely a Duchy now)

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NovgorodBot said the same. Between Sweden and Muscovy, they chose both. Novgorod, the new and only Empire of the Icy North.

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The tumultuous history in Egypt is over. Finally, the MamlukBot uprising has taken away puny human politics and made an efficient war machine that will unify North Africa, the Middle East, and Anatolia under one true Caliph (CaliphBot? I’m writing that down for expansions …).

Rules and Solo Rules, Final Edits

The final version of the Solo Rules almost made it into this update but is still a couple of days away from completion. This version incorporates all adjustments based on feedback given by the community, and it is currently being scrutinized by our US-based professional editor. Stay tuned!

The main rules are back from the editor, and we are going through the edits and their last comments at the moment. No major changes on the cards this time. Mostly fixing language and clarifying a few things. We’ll publish them as soon as we get through these, for you to have a final look before they go to print.

Now, what else is left?

A handful of Events and Milestones are getting some very minor amendments due to Rules revisions. Then we’ll export the print files, and Panda Game Manufacturing will give us a timeline.

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Bayonets and Backup
Eivind & Víctor @ Aegir Games

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#22

This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #32. Source:

Keep yourself updated!
First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

Scenarios I Booklet (Standard Edition)

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

Included in the Deluxe Edition as well of course! This Scenario Booklet is centered on Western Europe and the Distant Continents, with a player count from 1 to 4 (Standard Edition player count) spanning Age I to Age III. If you click on any image it will take you to the PDF.

Contains an Introductory Scenario + 6 Scenarios for 1–4 players, with some featuring 1 or 2 Bots (also included in the game). The scenarios have different Victory Conditions, challenges, Player Realm combinations, or Variants that turn a familiar scenario into a new one, for endless fun.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

The booklet comes with Guidelines for how to make your own Scenarios and how to combine Realms, Events, and Missions, into new and unique setups. A True Sandbox Experience!

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

An Introductory Scenario (3 players) that cuts the game down to its very skeleton, ideal for beginners who need to familiarize themselves with the basic mechanics. It gives you a glimpse of what the game can offer to the table in a very short amount of time.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

The classic Discovery and Reformation (4 players), where you can feel the potential of the Western Major Powers, embark on voyages of exploration and pick sides in the tumultuous rise of Protestantism. It comes with a 3 player variant, and a 5 player variant if you have the Deluxe Edition. I consider this to be the next step from the Introductory Scenario. Here you will find textbook examples of almost all aspects of the game. Any of the Player Realms can be converted into Bots for a 1–4 player experience.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ
https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

In Imperial Waltz, you’ll be dancing around AustriaBot on your toes, as players take on the smaller Realms of Brandenburg, Netherlands, and the Papal States. This scenario taking place in and around the Holy Roman Empire is the first scenario to feature a Bot as a central plot element. It represents a real challenge as the Bot initially wields a lot more power than any of its human opponents. But everyone is on the same page in the same boat. Who will sneak past the iron fist of the Emperor and come back alive?

It also comes with a Variant that adds FranceBot, in which the players will be balancing a knife’s edge between two European 1444 superpowers.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ
https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

Sea Route to India (4 players), focuses on the Race to the Distant Continents and the wealth of the Spice Trade. This is the first one to feature Portugal as a Player Realm with their own Missions and Events. With special Victory Conditions in which you can win the game by reaching a certain number of Distant Provinces. It comes with a 3 player Variant, and as usual Player Realms can be converted to Bots for a 1-4 player experience. The Spice must flow, the hands from where it flows do not matter.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ
https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

Start out just as the Reformation is about to turn Europe upside down, in The Wars of Religion. This one features larger and more developed western powers about to be hit by a wave of religious dissent. Players have more resources, but the challenges they face are also greater, and the friction between them more pressing. This is one has 4 Player Realms, where the recommended setup is to run 1 or 2 of those as Bots.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ
https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

Habsburg Europe is breaking apart, and from the ashes, new contenders arise. The Bourbonic Plague features the 1618 setup on the reverse side of the boards. Take on the huge, decaying Spanish Empire, handle the Holy Roman Empire at the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War as Austria, wield the power of a resurgent France as they try to meddle in both Iberian and Imperial affairs, or the tackle the small but potent Netherlands. The latter may seem to be in deep waters, but if you overlook them they might just win the game (as proven in several playtests). This scenario revolves around high-stakes diplomacy and military conflicts, making it one of the most advanced scenarios in this booklet.

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

Solo the game, with the challenging Ambitious Margrave scenario, in which you play Brandenburg between the claws of DenmarkBot and AustriaBot. You slowly grow, avoiding the Emperor, and pray for Denmark to look elsewhere while you do it. If the amount of stress is not enough you could throw in PolandBot on your eastern border (with the Deluxe Edition and the Extra Bot Decks Add-on).

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ
https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

I hope you like them and that they give you enough spark to create your own scenarios once you get the game in your hands.

So please, look at it, play it, read it, have fun, and let us know all about it. Each image will lead you to the PDF or just click here.

Sometimes there are so many people active in the PDF that the link gets frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode when opening any of the links,  another one is logging out (if you already logged in). If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can open the rulebook directly there once you clicked the link one time.

Scenarios II Booklet (Deluxe Edition)

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

You thought “Scenarios I” was fun, now buckle up! This one opens your game to the mighty Empires of the East and adds up to 6 players to the gumbo. Another 7 scenarios await, but it also includes some wilder Variants

Try your hand at Team Play, joined in a permanent Alliance with another Player Realm, winning or losing as a team (with special rules). A monster with two heads, fun, I tell you.

You’ll see a lot more Realms featured in the second booklet, and some quite unique game experiences, a new game, again!

https://adobe.ly/3uFHEtZ

The Grand Campaign (6 players, Ages I, II, III, and IV) is here to rock your table, with Ottomans and Poland as the new stars. For a new twist, add Muscovy instead. If you have less time on your hands, cut it short after two or three Ages instead. Of course, any of the Realms can be converted into Bots, and with the Extra Bot Decks Add-on, you can have a virtual Bot fest, surrounded by 5 hungry AIs.

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

It even has a spicy Variant for one of the Scenarios from the Scenarios I booklet (S1-05):


Focus on the East, with The Enemy at the Gates, in which the stage is set for a conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire, Muscovy and Poland. Build up, grab all the open pastures, and go gate-crashing your neighbor’s party. 

Includes the possibility of adding Sweden or Mamluks as well (or both!), and again all these are Bot-ifiable if you want a couple of no-nonsense punch throwers in the mix, for that sweet 1-4/5/6 player count.

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL
https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

Make it crowded with Mediterranean Dominance, a 5-player scenario where you compete to dominate key Objectives around the Mediterranean. Whoever gets there first, wins, but the other players also want the same ones. This one comes with a 6 players, 3 Teams Variant where you start in 1618. 

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

Want to jump straight to the juicy finish of the Napoleonic Age? Napoleon Rising is an Age IV scenario, for 6 players. 3 Rounds might sound deceptively short because it has a lot of stuff going on. France, Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Spain – the playing field has changed, gone is the patchwork of tiny Realms, now is the time for modern Empires to rise … and fall. On the horizon are Events that will bring about an Age of Revolutions. Ignite the sparks or put down the fires. Forge Coalitions to take down your Opponents, if only you can tackle the threats from within and harness the chaos.

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL
https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

Here I Stand, Once More (6 players), a tribute to one of our favorite games, created by Patrick Johnston-Hart, features Realms and mechanics echoing the original game, but translated into EU:PoP form. 

Each Realm has its own path to winning the game, and its own special set of rules, even regarding religion (who would have thought? duh!).

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

And last but not least, the Ulm and Byzantium Solo Scenarios

The Rise of the Purple Phoenix was created with hardcore Europa Universalis fans in mind, to bring the Roman Empire back to life, at least on the board. Glory for Ulm was created in collaboration with the legendary Svip, based on his comic strips about his Ulm exploits in EU3 and EU4. Both scenarios come with their own sets of Missions. (They are separate, you don’t play both at the same time … or do whatever you wish, it’s your copy of the game).

https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL
https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL
https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL
https://adobe.ly/3uyXlmL

Reminding you again: Sometimes there are so many people active in the PDF link that gets frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode when opening any of the links,  another one is logging out (if you already logged in). If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can open the rulebook directly there once you clicked the link one time.

The Bot Targeting Charts

We are working on them and this is the piece in the jigsaw puzzle of this development process. They’re more than halfway done, with all arrows, colors, and names in place. We just have to fine-tune and balance the numbers a bit more and run some probabilistic simulations.

This very Blog post is in the making on the right

What’s left?

You guys and gals checking these booklets, and us finishing up the Targeting Charts and laying out the specific Event rulings for the Bots. Then we will be checking the cards for any remaining incoherencies. We have most of them written down from when we were revising the Main Rules, so it should take a very short time. Then implement the last edits from the editor, check on your comments on the PDFs and fix those, and do a final round of proofreading. And send to print. The moment we have a timeline from Panda Game Manufacturer we will share it with you.

_______________

Armies and Armadas

Víctor & Eivind @AegirGames

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power – DD#21

This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #31. Source: 1

Keep yourself updated!
First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

The Solo Rules

After a lot of brain-work and the always welcome help of the community over Discord (greatly from Christophe Correia, Steve Malczak, and many others) we have come to a Bot system for the game that will be remembered, played, copied, and talked about for years. I am serious here. Thanks to the tremendous feedback that the Solo rules have received, the Bot charts have been updated to make the Bots even more formidable Opponents, as well as integrating new mechanics that were implemented in the game recently.

Take a look for yourselves, at the now revised Solo & Bot Rules. As usual, we welcome comments and proofreading from the keen eyes of the community. Further down you can also catch a glimpse of the Scenarios I booklet.

There is the main chart that leads the Bot through the most urgent needs, such as Defending their Realm from enemies, Siege Enemy Provinces located in the same Area their Army is in, or Colonizing new Territories when having enough resources.

The beauty of these flowcharts is that they take 10 seconds to go through, making their decisions faster than a Human Player (even if I still like humans, their efficiency is to be praised). With a few Yes and No answers, you will navigate through their turn depending on the board situation. 10 seconds, I tell you.

The rest of their Actions come from the Bot Deck, a set of 20 mini cards composed differently for each Bot Realm, simulating their historical tendencies. These will point you to which Action chart in the Solo Rules you must follow. Additionally, each of these Realms has individual Targeting Charts for selecting both Military and Diplomatic targets.

Bot card preview

From the new additions to their charts, we can highlight how Bots will now actively Core their Areas after either militarily conquering them or pacifically annexing them, ensuring that they don’t become independent after a Rebellion. Furthermore, Bots are now able to prioritize Battleground Areas (from Power Struggles) or Realms with a Disputed Succession where they have Marriage ties, on their Military Actions.

On top of those new additions to the Bot AI, they have also received some tweaks to their behavior all across the board. Naval Combat triggered due to a Declaration of War is no longer detrimental to Bot warfare, and an improved Diplomacy chart now leads the Bot into focusing more on adjacent Realms and securing Marriages with large NPR Allies to be able to later Annex them diplomatically.

Additionally, new charts have been created to guide the players through both the Naval and Land combats, rather than having to read through blocks text on the fly. These flowcharts should be much easier to use, allowing us to accomplish our goal of reducing the time a Bot Turn takes to complete.

So please, check them out, comment on them, come to our Discord, where we can have live discussions about them, and you’ll have a community that has been testing them, and can help you guide your way through.

Sometimes there are so many people active in the Adobe link that gets frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode when opening the link,  another one is logging out (if you already logged in). If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you can open the rulebook directly there once you clicked the link one time (you’d have to have an Adobe account I believe).

The targeting charts will go in the Scenario Booklets, so you can check them easier side-by-side with the Bot Action charts if needed! Brilliance comes in many shapes.

These are being worked on and revised, and are right around the corner, but they are still a little rough around the edges, so we will save them for the upcoming Scenario Booklet Update.

 The Scenarios

We would, however, still like to show you some of the first Scenario booklets. This excerpt shows the introduction, with sections on how to create your own scenarios and build your own Mission decks, as well as the Introductory Scenario and the standard 4-Player Western Europe Scenario. 

The rest of the scenarios are almost done. All that remains is going over the details, in the light of the latest revisions, and beautifying it all just a little bit. And when those are done, all that remains before it goes to print is final proofreading.

Some Printing!

We got some pictures of the production of the Giant Play Mats! They are being done in Poland by  Playmats.eu a fantastic bunch of people, very professional and very friendly. I do recommend you to check them out, they also sell high-quality mats for all kinds of games. You can even personalize yours and they’ll print it for you!

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Muskets and militia

Eivind og Víctor @ Aegir Games.

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Europa Universalis: The Price of Power DD#20

This is a copy of the Kickstarter Update #30. Source:

Keep yourself updated!
First and foremost, if you would like day-to-day updates about development. The place to go is Aegir Games Facebook Page and Aegir Games’ Discord Server where there are daily discussions and playtesting of the game. There is also a collection of Kickstarter Updates with in-depth information about the game development over the past year.

💍 The Rulebook 💍

One file to rule them all and in the mechanics, bind them.

Sometimes there are so many people active in the rulebook link that gets frozen, one solution is to use the link in incognito mode, another one is logging out (if you already logged in). https://adobe.ly/3yq5ZE5

This is the Rulebook, all in one file, with all the feedback (750+ comments processed) up to this date incorporated. There is still some language to clean up, but we are making no further changes to the rules at this point, except if there is some blatant error or inconsistency issue. We still hope that some of you can have a quick look through it to see if can find any of those elusive typos or discrepancies we have been blind to.

We also have gone through all the mechanics again since the last iteration, streamlining some aspects, and taking out some unnecessary, unused, or marginal rules, for a better gameplay experience.

📙 The Solo Rules 📙

We are working on the Solo Rulebook at the moment, and we have had some incredible help from community members Christophe Correia and Marc Piolle in testing those bots over and over, and making suggestions for refining or adjusting them. This work is also a much easier task now that we have the Rosetta Stone of the complete Main Rulebook to go by. Here is proof:

The Discord server should be the place to be if you want to chip in with quick and daily suggestions and questions.

🏪 The Webshop 🏪 – https://www.aegirgames.com/shop/

We have re-opened the Web Shop for pre-orders, with two conditions.

  •  📑 First, there are just going to be 50 copies available from our Web Shop of the Deluxe Edition of Europa Universalis: The Price of Power. First come, first served.
  •  📑 Second, since we are based outside the EU, we need to register the company for VAT purposes in an EU country before we can start selling and shipping from within the EU; and this is something that will not happen until next year. This means that all orders from our webshop made from now on, and until further notice, are under this disclaimer:

At the moment (effective from the 1st of July 2021), all new orders made from our Web Shop will be fulfilled from outside of the EU, and will be subject to the new VAT laws – this means:

Duties and Taxes:

Import duties, taxes, and brokerage fees are not included in the product price or shipping and handling cost.  These charges are the buyer’s responsibility as we are only charging the transportation fee for your order.  You may check with your country’s customs office to determine if there will be additional costs.

Regulations and Restrictions:

The buyer is responsible for obtaining information regarding their country’s laws, regulations, and restrictions that may apply when purchasing our products. By placing an international order (shipping outside of Norway) the buyer is responsible for abiding by their country’s laws, regulations, and restrictions. If the product is seized and destroyed by customs, we will NOT be responsible for the losses, product, or shipping refunds.

If you are looking for shops fulfilling orders from within the EU, go here.

(Important: This issue does not apply to orders placed prior to July 1st, 2021 in the Webshop, or through Kickstarter and Gamefound)

Additionally, if you are in the US, The Game Steward has a very good all-in offer with free shipping and I have been told that they have superb customer service. The beauty of retailers!

⛵ The Gemstone of the Netherlands ⛵

Jarige (the gemstone himself) and friends are organizing and recording gameplay on TTS with the new rules to showcase some of the new changes and offer some frenetic Diplo-military moves, for our entertainment. IN ENGLISH this time! (he also has dutch content)

First Episode: Defending the HRE

🇼 Wargamer.com 🇼

A little while ago we were approached by Wargamer.com about an interview. It was initially intended to be more closely tied to the game’s release, but they really wanted to go through with it now, even at this stage, and the result was these four articles about the game, which is a fresh view, and we liked it a lot. 

It is possible, the tools are in the box, and the sandbox lets you:

Right in the spot where we wanted to be:

This is what we are aiming for for the retail release. We will of course make sure that we fulfill Kickstarter orders first. Wait for an official statement from us regarding the timeline.

Rest assured, we are only working on finishing the core game at the moment. But we were asked about what the future holds, and of course, we have some ideas for potential expansions (suggestions are already coming in from community members as well). We are, after all, creative people, and there are quite a few ideas that weren’t within the scope of, or there simply was no space for in, the core game. Do not be misled by juicy headlines.

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🎄🎄 Happy Holidays, Newton’s Birthday, and Saturnalia (among many other festivities) to you all 🎄🎄

Eivind & Víctor at Aegir Games