Kickstarter

I announced this in a couple of places and yet somehow failed to announce it here, where the project began:

"Game Night!", the crossword suite you guys funded, will be released on Monday, August 31st. There will be nine puzzles based on board games like Clue, Mouse Trap, Pictionary, Balderdash, and more. Solve them all, figure out the final answer, and maybe you'll win a prize. (What's the prize? That's what you have to figure out!)

You'll get an announcement on August 31, telling you where you can download the puzzles. The deadline for getting me the winning contest solution is two weeks later. I'll post the winner's name on my blog on Monday, September 14.

If you know any crossword lovers who would enjoy this contest but who didn't catch the Kickstarter train, it's not too late for them to get involved. You can send them here: http://ericberlin.com/..., and from there they can purchase the Game Night crosswords via Amazon Payments or Paypal. (That is, they can make their reservation to purchase -- no one sees the puzzles before Aug 31.)

I'm very pleased with how the whole puzzle set came out, and I think you're really going to enjoy it. I'm looking forward to puzzling you!

All the best,

Eric

Just to keep all you wonderful backers in the loop: I completed the last of the puzzles a couple of days ago, and I'm very, very pleased by how the whole set came out. Now I'm moving everything over to Word from my crossword software. I'm also waiting on the art I comissioned, which should be here next week, and then everything goes to testsolving. All in all, it looks like you'll be solving the set before the end of August.

I hope you're having a great summer. The next time I write to you, it will be to tell you where to download the puzzles.

All the best,

Eric

A few quick notes now that I've reached my goal:

1) Whooo-hooo! Oh, I said that.

2) Answering an inevitable question right now: Can you contribute, and get the puzzles, even though I've already met my goal? Sure thing. In fact, for every extra $1000 I raise, I'll add another prize when I finally run this contest.

3) I can't figure out how to edit my project -- I don't think I can, actually -- so I'll say this here: The $100 bonus is closed. I've got five custom crosswords to make and that is plenty. (I know, it says four. One person didn't get counted, I don't know why.) Yes, I should have limited it to five in the first place, and I didn't. Why? Because I didn't think ANYBODY was going to pony up that much dough. Now I've got to shut the door on that one -- sorry. If you throw in $100, I will contact you and give you the opportunity to take it back.

4) I've already started the crosswords, of course. I'm still gunning to get them out in mid-September. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and everyone else who might.

I am, first of all, stunned and gratified to have gotten past the 60% mark in less than two weeks. Thanks to all my backers, friends and strangers alike. I'm assuming at this point that my crossword project is going to happen, and I have already started creating the puzzles.

Remember when I said that the completed project would be e-mailed to you as a PDF? You know what I don't have? Your e-mail addresses. That might make delivery a little tricky.

(Yes, I have some of them, and you know who you are. But I don't have a great majority of them.)

The Kickstarter folks have informed me that they are working on fixing this little problem, and maybe they'll have something in place before I have to deliver. But just in case: Please be aware that at some point in the future -- NOT NOW, but in the future -- I may posting something here requesting that you send me your e-mail address so that I can send you a buncha crossword puzzles.

More on all that soon. In the meantime, please tell your crossword-loving friends about what I'm doing here, and let's keep the pledges coming. Thanks again.