We've launched an exciting new project of our own! Introducing the Kickstarter app for iPhone!

Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 8, 2012.

Has it really been 3 more months already?

Update #16 · Apr 8, 2013 · 2 comments

Phew! What a wild ride it’s been since August when we Kickstarted the Raygun Lounge.

Since then we’ve made it through PAX, the exciting Christmas season, the less-exciting tax season, and Comicon, and a bunch of other stuff, and we’re delighted to finally get back in communication with you.

First – thank you so much for your generosity and patience. Admittedly we were somewhat blissfully unaware just how “wild” this ride was going to be when we took on building our gaming community a lounge space. So really, thank you. Thanks for sticking with us as we’ve worked, and sweated, and cursed, and worked some more to get where we’ve gotten so far. Rested assured – we're very aware that we’re nowhere near done yet. But we’re working everyday to inch closer to realizing our grand vision.

Part of our inching is working to get you all the glorious swag you’re due! We’re in dialogue with Q Workshop, Zone 4 and Danial Webster right now to get the physical merch finished, bundled and in your hands. And while we're continuing with buildout at the lounge (Say, did you see that new 55” screen we put up the other day? Whew! That was a lot more work than I expected it to be!) we're working to get all of your names and logos up (and on) and lockers installed.

The details are coming - stay tuned.

And while we're constantly aware of the dozens of items still on our to do list, it's important every now and then to acknowledge all that we have done. The lounge is up, open and running 6 days a week for all of your gaming needs and it's growing, improving and developing every single day. I'm truly proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far and I'm really looking forward to what we’re going to do together in the future.

As always, we're building the lounge for you - our gaming community - so send us an email or drop by anytime and let us know how we’re doing...even if it’s just to hang out at the lounge and enjoy a cold beverage while we discuss all the things that turned out to be much harder and take much longer than any of us would ever have expected.

Thank you again. I look forward to seeing you soon,

-Eric

2 Comments

Custom Mugs and Pint Glasses are here!

Update #15 · Dec 15, 2012 · comment

We’re thrilled to announce that the first round of spectacular custom swag has arrived in time for holiday giving!* For everyone who pledged at a level that included mug(s) and/or glass(es) they are available NOW. Come by and pick up your one of a kind Raygun Mugs and Pint Glasses starting today – at noon – at the Lounge. As a special thank you to all our Kickstarter backers we have a limited number of extra mugs ($9.99) and pint glasses ($7.99) available for those of you who pledged at other levels and would still like a mug/glass (or an additional mugs/glasses).

Happy Holidays!

*This round of mugs and pint glasses does not include any of the personalized mugs for the Wall of Muggage and will only be available for pick-up. Swag to-be-shipped will ship once all additional swag items have arrived.

Comment

Thank you for a great night

Update #14 · Dec 1, 2012 · 3 comments

Thank you to all of our guests to our Founders Party last night. Much free beer (and cider and mead) was drunk, many free samosas, sandwiches & turnovers were eaten. Many games were played. Many hugs were shared. It was a great, great night. It felt like after months and months of preparing that we were finally under way on this great new adventure together.

There’s still a lot to do, of course (always is) and we’re diving right back in today to finalize mug and glass ordering and to schedule all of our private event and gaming commitments. If you’d like to reserve a table at the lounge for your own event or game night, just send us an email to raygunlounge@gammaraygamestore.com and let us know when and what you’re thinking and we’ll get back to you. Try to give us about 10 days notice if you can though, as our table reservation system is, like everything else around here, evolving as fast as it’s growing but still isn’t fully developed and implemented yet.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

-Eric

3 Comments

Beer is right around the corner. So it's time for a Founders Party!

Update #13 · Nov 18, 2012 · 6 comments

The four months since signing the lounge lease have been amazing. Constant growth. Constant new challenges. Constant learning curve. And we’ve achieved a lot: not only building everything from scratch, but learning how to build everything from scratch as we went. We're thrilled and proud to share we're nearing the end of phase one. With our basic kitchen up and running and our beer and wine license days away, it’s time to actually declare the Raygun Lounge open! Which means it’s time for our Founders Party. Our official Invite-Only Kickstarter Backers Party will be on Friday, November 30th from 7pm until… whenever, really - it’s your party, we’ll back you up. We’ll send out digital invites to everyone on the list early next week.

I’d hoped to have all of your swag ready by the Founders Party, I really did. But restaurant buildout turns out to be very different than retail buildout and with the steep learning curve, the transitioning of management teams to make sure that the store ran smoothly throughout, and the tightness of the budget we were bold enough to work with, I just wasn’t able to pull it all off as fast as I thought I would be able to. Now with Christmas coming, I’ve accepted that it’s better to get you what I can now, piecemeal if I have to, than wait to try and bundle it all together. Starting with the preparty, we’re going to begin fulfilling on everything that we can, as soon as we can, especially the intangible stuff like draft passes and game nights. We’re likely going to have some of our swag items in time for the holidays, but not all of them. This means that some of you will receive multiple rewards spread out over the next few weeks/months. But don’t worry, we’re keeping close records on what everyone has been promised and though we’re behind in our schedule our record keeping is top notch and we’ll make sure that no one is forgotten or left out.

And, more to the point, WE DID IT. It worked. We’re officially opening doors December 1st. Thank you so much for being bold. And hopeful. And believing in community so much that you built your own lounge. I look forward to serving you and continuing to develop your lounge for years to come and working to make it all it can be. As always, if you have any thoughts, comments or concerns, you can reach me through the Kickstarter messaging service, the email on our website or by coming by the shop or lounge to talk with me directly. Most days you can find me in or near one of them from around 10:30am until 10:30pm...especially with the holidays coming.

I’ll see some of you at the Founders Party and the rest hopefully soon after.

-Eric

P.S. If you have a Founders Party invite but simply can’t do Nov. 30th we’ll set up an alternate night for a backup party once we figure out how many people need it and what their schedule constraints are.

6 Comments

The Lounge Opens Tomorrow

Update #12 · Sep 19, 2012 · 6 comments

The Lounge will indeed open tomorrow, Thursday the 20th, and will be open 6 days a week from that day forward. As promised it will still be very much a work in progress -- no full bar or working kitchen just yet. But rest assured both are coming. For more details about where the Lounge is at and how we got there, check out our latest blog post

http://www.gammaraygamestore.com/2012/09/on-the-benefits-of-sub-optimal-decision-making/

See you soon,

-Eric

6 Comments
446
Backers
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Funding period
Jul 20, 2012 - Aug 8, 2012

  • Pledge $10 or more

    71 backers

    Your name on the wall. Every person who backs the Lounge will have their name painted on our Wall of Glory... should we rename that? We probably should.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $20 or more

    96 backers

    Get yourself a sweet, sweet limited edition collectible mug... and pick it up yourself. If you'd like us to ship it to you (and we'd be happy to), you need to select the next option down. Be sure to check out our "where everybody knows your name" option below as well.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $25 or more

    21 backers

    Ship one of our sweet, sweet limited edition kickass awesome (I'm running out of adjectives here) mugs to you, your family members friends and/or loved ones? We'd love to! And remember, each mug recipient gets their name on our Wall of Awesome (is that better than earlier Glory idea? Don't worry, we're totally going to nail this thing).

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    121 backers

    Dining room table a little intimate? We understand completely. That's why we’ve created this new 2 Raygun Lounge Pint Glass pledge level, shippable to anywhere in the continental US, just for you. For a pledge of $50 you get two Raygun pint glasses, your name on our Wall of Awesome and, thanks to a recent push goal unlock, a custom t-shirt. You’ll also get the raygun D20 when it unlocks at $20K and the as-yet-to-be-announced secret $25K unlock when it becomes available (it’s sweet, you’ll be way into it). If you’re looking for the “most swag for your buck” option, this is definitely it.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    4 backers Limited (2 of 6 left)

    Interested in a “Private Encounter”? Our official Dungeons & Dragons Encounters program host, Andrew Asplund, will run your choice of either an official D&D Encounter or Lair Assault for you and up to 5 of your friends at our lounge or the location of your choosing (greater Seattle area only, thanks) at a time and date of your mutual convenience. This option includes your choice of mug or pint glass and your name on the wall and qualifies you for the custom t-shirt and D20 stretch goals that were recently unlocked.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    20 backers All gone!

    You'd like a mug, your name on the wall AND an invite to our private soft opening? Well then this is the option for you. Just remember that there are only 48 invites available to this thing so if you'd like your friends to come too you may want to text them - like right now - to ensure they make the list.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    20 backers All gone!

    "Where everybody knows your name." Sure. You've got the mug. But wouldn't it be great if it had your name on it and hung over the bar so that when you came in, everyone was like "oh hey, 'your name here'," and pulled down your mug? Yeah. That'd be great. This option includes the mug with name over the bar, but not the party invite. If you'd like one of those as well, select both options and you'll get a take-home mug too.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    6 backers All gone!

    Have you heard the legends of what a spectacular DM, gamestore (and now lounge) owner Eric is? Possibly from Eric himself? Now you and up to 5 of your friends can find out. In person, at the time and date of your choosing (subject to Eric's fairly flexible availability). Eric will run a session of ANY RPG you choose. Yes, that's right, even RIFTS if you're a sadomasochist. But Eric warns you that if you do that, you and your friends will be playing RIFTS and, really, good friends don't let good friends play RIFTS.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    The Raygun Lounge is going to be an amazing hub of community and to help us demonstrate that, some of our favorite game designers, including Sage La Tora will be running one offs of their games to help us raise funding and awareness. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Sage La Tora will be in the house to run a custom adventure of his legendary Kickstarter favorite, Dungeon World, for you and up to 5 of your friends. And you know what? Mugs all around! That's a mug for you and you and you and.. you know what? We'll give Sage a mug too. Least we can do. The dude's solid.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    But Sage isn't the only indie RPG designer who loves us so much that he's willing to stop in and rock your world for the cause. Oh, no no no. Because we have legendary cartographer and Dungeon World contributor Tony Dowler in the house to run your choice of Dungeon World or the even more obscure World of Dungeons for you and up five of your friends (with mugs in all your hands and your name on the wall all big and badass).

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    1 backer All gone!

    A night of Microscope with author Ben Robbins for you and two of your friends for only $100? OMFG!!! And you get the mugs! And you get the name on the wall! I just peed myself. Seriously. I'm totally embarrassed and yet strangely excited. Microscope with Ben Robbins, ladies and gentlemen.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    10 backers

    More of a beer type? We completely understand (we're the ones opening a lounge, afterall) which is why we've put together a complete set of 4 high-class Raygun Lounge pint glasses, either for pick up or delivered right to your door through the glory of UPS, plus your name on the Wall of Awesome (formerly known as the Wall of Glory), not to be confused with the wall of coffee mugs hanging in the bar. That's a separate pledge level altogether. Because, seriously now, how would you hang a pint glass on a wall?

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    1 backer All gone!

    But wait! Just when you thought we'd blown the roof off (roof? who needs a roof? we're doing this place colloseum style- someone get me my net and trident), we've got John Harper. That's right, John "I'm mutha-effin John Harper, mutha-effers" Harper will be in the house to run you and 4 of your greatest friends EVAR through an evening of any one of his games that you would like. I have to say it like that because, and let's be real here, John has either written or contributed to EVERY SINGLE INDIE RPG EVER MADE (I can't back that up with facts). Bam. Gaming with John Harper, name on wall, mugs for everybody. $100.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    5 backers Limited (3 of 8 left)

    How about locker rental for an entire year to keep your most treasured games right in the Lounge? Sure! Be the first to claim one of the sure-to-fill-up-quickly gaming lockers and get a mug, your name on the wall and invite to our preparty to boot. Lockers will be at least 24"x12"x15" to easily store everything you'll need for your regular ongoing gaming event.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    Grab up to 5 friends and get together with the blogosphere’s own Gamer Viceroy to be the first people to play Captain Rex, Commander Cody, Echo, Fives, and Hevy as they attempt to retake Rishi in his new Dungeons & Dragons hack of the Star Wars Clone Wars “Rookies” episode. Option includes your choice of mug or pint glass, your name on the wall, all of the unlocked pledge goals, including custom t-shirt, D20 & underwear AND a personal appearance in the Gamer Viceroy’s blog! Minor internet notoriety can finally be yours!

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    1 backer Limited (5 of 6 left)

    Board game nights are great fun. Hosted nights are even better. Store manager, boardgame podcaster and long-running co-host of Seattle’s most popular boardgaming event, Jake Waltier, will bring a stack of games from his own private collection and show you and your friends how to play them for up to four hours at either our lounge or the location of your choosing (greater Seattle area only). Jake is a most excellent game coach and he'll happily add any game you request to the mix of the night. Also in the stack he'll have your choice of mug or pint glass, a t-shirt, some underwear and a custom D20. Oh, and we’ll add your name to the wall of awesome to boot.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    2 backers Limited (4 of 6 left)

    How about a private booster draft for you and 7 of your friends any time that you want during the next year? You’ll get reserved table space, all of the supplies you'll need to play – even prize support – AND a dedicated organizer to run the whole thing so you don't have to, including providing sanctioned rulings and bracket organization. Plus, we'll put your name on our Wall of Awesome, nice and big, to boot. An amazing event value all around. And yes, multiple drafts could be combined to create one massive MEGADRAFT! Just pledge the appropriate amount and send us a message letting us know. Oh, and agree to never let it roam the streets. Who knows what sort of damage that thing could do if it escaped into our unsuspecting city?

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $150 or more

    20 backers All gone!

    By popular demand, a brand new pledge level for all of the people who told us that they wanted their own Raygun mug hanging on the wall AND an invite to our exclusive soft opening preparty. All in one complete package. If that’s you, this is your pledge level.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $200 or more

    17 backers Limited (3 of 20 left)

    “But wait!” you cry, which frankly, is a little awkward for both of us, “what if I want my mug on the wall, an invite to the party AND free coffee?” Free coffee, eh? For how long… a year? Your name on the recently renamed Wall of Awesome, your cup on the Wall of Muggage and free coffee for a year? Ooh… that’s a tough sell…but you know what? We can do that! Coffee! In your face! Any time that you want it. As much as you can jam in there (if you freakout, pull your shirt over your head and start calling yourself Cornholio, we’re totally cutting you off). For 365 days. Starting on the day of our preparty and going from there.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2013
  • Pledge $250 or more

    5 backers Limited (19 of 24 left)

    Your name on a chair. Name on the wall not good enough for you? You want your own permanently labeled chair? Alright. You know what? Take both! Name on chair, name on wall, mug in hand. Boom. You are legend.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    2 backers Limited (1 of 3 left)

    Name on a chair not good enough for you? No? You need your name (or company logo, we're getting big enough now, I say, why not?) permanently etched into one of our benches? Go for it. Get your (or your company's) name etched on a bench and on the wall. Say. Did I mention higher pledgers get their names higher and bigger on the wall? Well they do. Your name will be frickin' huge up there. You can look at it while you drink out of your awesome mug.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    2 backers Limited (1 of 3 left)

    If one night of roleplaying with gaming legend Eric Logan is good, imagine an entire campaign. That's right, noted DM, entreprenuer and lunatic Eric* will run an entire six-adventure campaign for you and up to four, maybe five, of your closest personal friends in the system of your choosing (except for RIFTS, one night's a laugh, one season's a torture). Eric personally guarantees that it will be "hella epic." *see 2012 Free RPG Day D&D Adventure 'Dead in the Eye' p. 4 by Jobe Bittman for a more detailed description.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    8 backers All gone!

    So, you think you're a drafter. Well how about a one year pass good for one draft per week all year long then? Could you loan it to a friend? Yes you could. Is this crazy? All the way around. Does this include your name on the wall, big and near the top, a free mug and invite for 2 to the preparty? Hell yeah it does. We'll see you there.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    2 backers Limited (4 of 6 left)

    Want to reserve the entire space with seating for 48 and all the amenities, including staff, for your private event? We'll give you the space for 4 hours on the time and date of your choosing (very limited blackout dates, like Christmas Eve, apply) to do whatever you'd like with it (we recommend playing games). No one gets in or out who isn't on your private guest list. Includes name on wall, mug to anywhere you'd like and an invite for 2 to our preparty.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $1,000 or more

    2 backers Limited (6 of 8 left)

    But I know you. You want your logo (or name, don't let me hold you back) on the middle of one of our tables. Forever. Letting everyone know, forever, whose table they're at. We can do that too! Name on table, name on wall, mug to anywhere in the world.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $1,000 or more

    2 backers Limited (1 of 3 left)

    4 hours simply not enough? Need the space for 48 people with staff and access control for an entire day? Done. Includes mug, name on wall and invites for 2 to preparty.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $1,500 or more

    1 backer All gone!

    Reserve the entire lounge for 1 day during PAX '12. Need additional space for a big event that you can't fit into the convention center? Missed the submission deadline and couldn't get a space in time? Banned for life but still want to camp nearby? Want a space where you can get a banquet permit and have an open bar? If you or your company find yourself in any of these boats, we have your immediately available solution (refundable if anyone takes the 'entire weekend' option).

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
  • Pledge $2,500 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    The entire fully staffed lounge for all of Friday of PAX 2013, from 10am until 2am. Go wild. Huge name on wall, invites to the preparty and the mug explosion all apply.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2013
  • Pledge $2,500 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    The entire fully staffed lounge for all of Saturday of PAX 2013, from 10am until 2am. Go wild. Huge name on wall, invites to the preparty and the mug explosion all apply. Get this and Friday both and we’ll go ahead and throw in Sunday as well, you big baller, you.

    Estimated delivery: Aug 2013