Craft spirits from around the world in this highly thematic strategy card game!
If you missed the Kickstarter campaign, pre-order an english retail copy of Distilled, which you will receive at the same time as Kickstarter backers!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Our Next Game, LUTHIER, is LIVE on KICKSTARTER! 🎻🚀
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 07:02:06 AM
I hope you’ll consider showing your support - whether that be by spreading the word, pledging $1, or going all-in - it means a lot to me that you’re with me on this journey!
Dave Beck, Owner (and co-designer of Luthier) Paverson Games
Video Trailer for follow-up to Distilled - LUTHIER - Launching Tuesday! 🎻
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 01:18:35 PM
Most people won’t see it until next Tuesday when Luthier launches on Kickstarter, but YOU get to see it early as a supporter of Distilled and Paverson Games! I’m thrilled to share Luthier’s official Kickstarter trailer with you, fresh off the cutting room floor (be sure to have your sound on!)! We again worked with George Georgeadis from Oniro, and he and his team have created another work of art, perhaps worth of Stradivari himself!
Just as with Distilled, Luthier is all about THEME, while integrating some interesting mechanics as well. We're really excited for our launch on Tuesday, and hope you'll be joining us for the party. If you haven't yet, please be sure to visit the Kickstarter page and follow, so that you can be notified when we launch on Tuesday, July 16th!
Pre-Order the NEW Distilled Expansion *and* Follow Our Next Kickstarter!
over 2 years ago
– Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 11:20:41 AM
Greetings Distillers! It has been a loooooong time since I've sent a message to you via Kickstarter, but this update has two very important elements, involving a limited pre-order and a new Kickstarter page!
Announcing the Distilled Cask Strength Expansion!
Remember back in May, when I sent my last update, and encouraged you to join our newsletter? Well, hopefully you did, as earlier today I announced to our newsletter subscribers a BRAND NEW EXPANSION for Distilled, available for Pre-order RIGHT NOW! (NOTE: if you are having trouble w/ broken 404 links, simply go here and navigate to the Shop section, where you'll find Cask Strength).
I haven't announced this anywhere else besides the Paverson Games newsletter (go on, sign-up already - I won't go anywhere!) and now to you in this Kickstarter update, so you'll want to jump on this ASAP, as we have a very limited supply of this exclusive expansion!
Read below for more info on this expansion, and then you can go ahead and pre-order it!
As you finalize your new year’s resolutions for 2024, I hope there is a teeny-tiny spot to still squeeze in our exciting new expansion for Distilled - CASK STRENGTH! This expansion is a small box that packs a BIG punch!
As I write this, Cask Strength (along with restocks of everything else that is currently sold out on our webstore), is sailing on a ship across the ocean. So, if you missed out on getting those metal coins or the market playmat, now is your chance, as the Paverson Games webstore is the ONLY place you can find any of these cool extras, including the newest expansion, Cask Strength!
And boy is this new expansion rockin'. It is going to add some oomph to your Distilled game, with upgraded ingredients, a new dynamic market, and some fun new Distillery Upgrades and Flavor cards. This expansion was designed by Richard Woods, who was the developer for Distilled (and also the dev for our upcoming Luthier), and illustrated by Distilled’s Erik Evensen.
I’ve been describing it as a mini-expansion that brings Distilled from a 3.0 on the BGG weight scale closer to a solid 3.25, due to it including the following cool new features:
Ingredient Powers: We've assigned unique effects to every single premium ingredient card in the game, allowing players to replace some or all of the current sugar cards for additional complexity and combos.
Dynamic Market: We've created a new dynamic market, which presents players with more economically driven decisions that will arise and change throughout the game.
Fun Flavors and Upgrades: We've added four new unique flavor cards (with a special effect!) and four new, advanced-level Distillery Upgrades to add a bit more crunch to your engine building.
Delivery Date? If you pre-order this first wave of the expansion, it will likely be on your table in just over a month’s time from today.
Fit in Box? Yes, this will all fit in the base game box, even if you sleeve your cards!
Languages? At this time, Cask Strength is only available in English, but we are speaking with partners about expanding in the coming months.
Shipping Locations? At this time, we can only ship to North America, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. We hope to be able to expand this further in the future, as we know we have fans all over the world!
Kickstarter? We chose not to run an entire Kickstarter for just a small expansion. Instead, we figured out a way to fund this print run ourselves, as a thank you to you - our fans - because we want it to be available to you as soon - and as affordable - as possible. BUT we will include this - and all other Distilled items - in the Luthier Kickstarter this coming summer, in case now isn’t the right time for you to make another purchase or add another game to your collection (just be aware that it would then be a loooong time before you’d get it - likely 2025)!
And of course, we’re not stopping with Distilled! 2024 is going to be a BIG year for Paverson Games, as we look to this summer being all about the Luthier Kickstarter! We continue to celebrate various birthdays of our patrons and luthiers, as well as national instrument days, and even plan to have a publicly available version of the game on Tabletop Simulator soon.
We had a wonderful showing of Luthier at PAX Unplugged in early December, where it made a number of content creator lists for highlights of the show. We got a chance to show it off to hundreds of attendees, giving them a sneak-peek into what is in store for 2024. We had some fantastic “conductors” running Rehearsals of Luthier (that’s what we call the introductory round, much like First Taste for Distilled), including Tim (pictured above), Paul, and Houston. They taught and guided players through the first round, after which people got to try their own strategies for a round as well.
Hopefully you’re following one of our social media channels (see below), as we are constantly posting artwork that celebrates the instruments and historical figures in Luthier, as we lead up to the launch on Kickstarter this coming summer!
So, with that final holiday gift for 2023, I’ll leave you to it. 2024 is looking to be exciting, as we roll out Cask Strength, as well as head towards our Kickstarter for Luthier this coming summer!
Sláinte,
A Final (Monthly) Distilled Update and One Last BIG Announcement- 🎨🎻
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, May 30, 2023 at 06:40:35 AM
Well my friends, after 37 KS updates over the course of nearly two years, it is time to close the books on this fantastic ride! Don't worry, I won't be going away completely, but I'll likely only send something when it is REALLY important (every few months maybe?).
BUT, let's go out with a bang by one last BIG announcement! Let's reveal our artist for our next game, Luthier, Kickstarting in 2024. Following that, we'll provide some updates about summer conventions. Also, I've posted a few FYI and fun things at the bottom of this one as well.
VINCENT DUTRAIT will be Luthier's Artist!
The final label for Luthier, by Vincent Dutrait
Yep, you read that right - the award-winning, highly talented and famous artist and illustrator, Vincent Dutrait, will be creating all of the gorgeous art for Luthier: The Art of the Instrument. You might recognize Vincent's work from such titles as HEAT: Pedal to the Medal, The Quest for El Dorado, Robinson Crusoe, and many others!
Vincent has been my #1 favorite artist in the board game world for some time now, largely due to the analog approach he takes to creating work. While most artists these days work mainly with digital tools, Vincent is still sketching, drawing, and painting with pencils, markers, and paintbrushes. You can see it in his work, too - the hand-crafted, thoughtful, and natural look of the work is exactly what I was looking for with Luthier, and I'm so thrilled he accepted the invitation!
Shots of Vincent, his box art, and his workspace
To celebrate this big announcement, I asked Vincent to speak a bit about his work and his life, so that you all can get to know him a bit better, and he replied with this short bio: "I have been creating artwork in the “traditional” way for more than 25 years. Hand-drawn and painted using pencils, brushes and paint on paper. Proudly upholding the history and heritage of documented, lifelike conventional art. While at the same time developing modern sensitivities and approaches to pictorial storytelling. I have illustrated children’s books and role-playing games, and my focus these days is on board games. I work with numerous game designers and publishers around the world, across multiple genres, including science fiction, adventure, mystery and supernatural, noir fiction and heroic fantasy. Over the years, I’ve added some new strings to my bow, allowing me to create the digital graphic design for many projects on which I have worked. My knowledge of the publishing world and related technical and functional skills helped me to manage and master each step in the graphic chain. Also, I have discussed and contributed to many projects from an early stage, offering artistic direction and advice, as well as helping to develop game worlds and themes. Transmitting and sharing are my watchwords."
His portrait of Beethoven, one of over 30 characters we'll see in Luthier
I was also excited about Vincent working on Luthier due to both the historical instruments and the dozens of portraits that will be found in the game. I feel these areas speak to his skillset, and it turns out also speaks to his history! I asked Vincent about what his connection to Luthier might be, either through instruments or other avenues. He answered by saying: "I have been playing piano since my childhood, as music is somewhat of a family tradition. Moreover, my grandfather used to work wood in his workshop filled with the sweet scents of honey and turpentine, creating decorative objects and furniture. Luthier is now a fantastic opportunity for me to connect these two passions that I hold dear!"
The Violin, one of over 15 different instruments Vincent will be creating for Luthier
I can't wait to see what Vincent creates next for Luthier. Additionally, we'll be announcing a second artist in the coming months, who will be illustrating the main board for the game! If you are interested in following along with art updates like that for Luthier, I would recommend joining our Paverson Games mailing list, which will provide you with art and design updates about Luthier on a regular basis (we also have some great social channels, such as this Luthier Facebook Group that you could join).
CONVENTION SEASON IS UPON US
This summer is going to be a blast with cons, and I hope you can join me in person at some point. Paverson Games will be appearing at three separate conventions this summer: UK Games Expo (this weekend!), Origins (late June), and Gen Con (early August). I've listed a few details below, in case you're able to make it to one of them. Maybe we can get a photo or even play a game together!
At all three cons, we'll be selling the base game, plus all the different goodies and add-ons you might have received with your pledge. But maybe you never got the metal coins or neoprene playmat? Now will be your chance to grab them while they're still available! Plus, we have three different cool new enamel pins for you to show you are a true fan, (and I'll have a limited number of Distilled T-Shirts at the USA cons for sale (while sizes last!)).
Designs for the 3 enamel pins for sale at the cons
Also at each con, our booth will have introductory short-play demos of both Distilled and Luthier, our next game Kickstarting in 2024. If you are going to a con this summer and want to be one of the first to try our Luthier prototype, be sure to keep reading about how you can stay in touch with us via our Paverson Games newsletter and social media channels to reserve a spot!
The first con we'll have a booth presence at is the UK Games Expo, happening this coming Friday-Sunday in Birmingham, UK! I'm looking forward to this con for a number of reasons, but most importantly it will be a chance to have Richard Woods (our developer) and I both be at a convention together, celebrating the hard work we've gone through over the last couple of years! If you're planning to attend, be sure to stop by the Paverson Games Stand 1-630 and say hi!
After UKGE, we'll be returning to the states for two of the bigger USA cons. We'll be returning to Origins Game Fair from June 22-26 at Booth 822 and in August we'll be at Gen Con from August 3-6, at Booth 2753. We are particularly excited about Gen Con this year, not only because it will be our debut with a booth at this con, but we have received a Marketing Fellowship, which will allow us to reach more attendees through advertising and a larger booth!
For both Origins and Gen Con, I'll be advertising advanced demo reservations a week or so before the cons via both social media and our Paverson Games Newsletter, so be sure to like and subscribe so that you don't miss out!
Last but not least - if you've made it this far, you're one of our die-hard fans and dedicated readers (thank you!). I want to personally invite you to make sure you are signed up for our Paverson Games mailing list (yes, mentioning this for like a 3rd time now!), as that will be the best possible way to stay informed about all things Distilled and Luthier! While the first newsletter I send in a couple weeks will look very similar to this specific update, everything after that will be new, as I won't be providing many updates here anymore. So, please take a moment to make sure you're subscribed!
So that's the last, Last Call for this final regular update! Be sure to subscribe to that newsletter to stay in touch, and I hope you've been enjoying Distilled on your table!
Sláinte,
P.S. For your viewing pleasure, you should check out this cool video series that Blake Tucker, aka Dr Inkwell, is doing with Distilled and select spirits! They're entertaining and educational - just like that awesome facts that Blake provided throughout Distilled as our spirits consultant! Give these a watch and a subscribe to his channel (he'll be at our booth at Gen Con, so swing by to say hi!).
Possible Penultimate Posting to an Utterly Ultimate Ultra Campaign
almost 3 years ago
– Sun, Apr 30, 2023 at 09:14:17 AM
It WAS fun, but what a ride.
What a ride this has been.
From the Kickstarter in July of 2021 to now, we've had our ups and downs, but have tried to stay the course. There have been some stressful moments (pickles, anyone?), but overall it has been an an amazing learning experience for me as a first-time indie publisher, doing all of this from my basement on nights and weekends. Much of this was made better by all of you and your support. I couldn't have done ANY of this without you - the campaign, the process, or simply making the game itself! So THANK YOU again!
I have a few short updates, but this is likely one of the last updates we'll have, as we approach closing the chapter on Distilled (for now!). Because of this, I'll keep it brief, with just a few highlights, in case you hadn't seen some of the socials.
Damages, & Missing Parts (+ the French & Spanish Fiasco)
Thankfully, the pledges have been delivered safely to most of you. There have been some issues with shipping, as well as a missing component here or there, and I appreciate that you've reached out about those. If there still appears to be issues, the best method to rectify this is to connect with the fulfillment company who you received the game from. I'm re-posting those below, just like last time, as a reminder. As always, be sure to send pictures of the damaged product (if applicable), as well as the packaging material and box w/ label it was shipped in. Choose the proper channel below, depending on your region:
Asia, Oceania, Rest of World? Send the email and pics to [email protected]
While most of you have received your game, we still have a few that are waiting on one final piece . Unfortunately, somewhere along the way (between China and here), roughly 32 copies of both the French and Spanish mini-expansions were lost. This is some 11th-hour bad news for Spanish-language backers in the USA and French-language backers in Canada. We have been searching for the last couple of months for these missing items (the factory insists they sent them, and have nothing left at their facility in China), but we can't find them anywhere.
So, at this point, we've decided to send the rest of the pledges to those backers, and we will send the mini-expansions later as a separate, additional package, when we obtain them. I've reached out to both Melmac Games (Spanish) and Matagot (French) to see if I can "buy back" 32 copies of my own game from each of them, and then pay to have them shipped from Europe over to North America. I'm hopeful I can do this, but is yet another unexpected cost we'll need to absorb (but is very important that we do this for our backers). I want to thank those who have been patient and understanding about this, and assure you we will continue to work to find a solution!
DICE TOWER GIVES DISTILLED THE SEAL OF EXCELLENCE!!!
Amongst all of the stress of fulfillment, something I completely wasn't expecting happened:
Tom, Zee, and Chris all rated it relatively high, and it was an entertaining review to watch! I encourage you to watch this video that's already received 20,000 views! Once again, thanks to all of YOU for believing in us! Nothing more to say on this one - the video speaks for itself!!!
Summer Con Schedule for Paverson Games!
We'll be hitting up three major conventions this summer, and hope you might be able to swing by our booth to say hi and maybe even get a picture with us! We'll have a dedicated booth at each of these cons, where we'll be demoing and selling Distilled, as well as running previews of Luthier, our next game coming to Kickstarter in 2024!
UK Games Expo, Friday June 2nd through Sunday June 4th in Birmingham, UK. This will be extra fun, as I'll be joining Richard Woods, our developer, at this big event. I'm looking forward to meeting many of our backers across the pond, many of which were some of our initial playtesters! For our solo fans, I'm sure David Digby, our solo designer, will also be at the con as well!
Origins Game Fair, Thursday, June 22nd through Sunday, June 25th in Columbus, OH. I'll be returning to Columbus with a bigger booth this year, and look forward to seeing some returners from last year swing by for a chat!
Gen Con, Thursday, August 3rd through Sunday, August 6th in Indianapolis, IN. This will be our first time with a booth at Gen Con, but we're looking forward to being at the largest con in North America! There will also be full games of Distilled running in the gaming area, so if you are hoping to join a guided playthrough, be sure to keep an eye on event tickets when they open up!
I'll have a better idea of booth location and other details next month, so I'll provide an update then about some of that, but I think badges/tickets are on sale now for all three, so I'd be sure to grab it if you're planning to attend!
So that's Last Call for this potentially penultimate regular update! I'm excited to share news about upcoming projects with all of you very soon, and hope that you've all gotten a chance to open up Distilled and see what you helped to bring to life!
