As we all get ready to begin a new year, it seemed timely to take a look back at the last year of REDLINE development while also looking ahead at hat to expect in the next. 2021 was a huge year for REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat. As you’ll see, the game took a lot of important first steps in the last year and is well positioned to take even bigger ones in 2022.
One of the best parts of hitting the reset button each new year are the resolutions people often make. Resolutions are a great way to set attainable goals for the next twelve months and so we thought it would be fun to share our New Year’s resolutions for REDLINE in 2022 with all our of players. Efreet pilots everywhere, get excited!
But before we look ahead we also feel its also important to look back at everything REDLINE was able to accomplish in the past year. As you’ll see 2021 was a busy year for the game!
2021 REDLINE Achievements
Core Set Delivery
Hard to believe, but our original Kickstarter for the REDLINE: Core Set was launched and funded back in the fall of 2020. And though it took awhile, we were able to ship the finished game to all our backers in July 2021. Though that might seem like a long time, if you follow Kickstarter you’ll know it’s quite common for many projects to take well over a year to finally make it into backers hands. As such, we do feel pretty good we were able to do so with our Core Set in less than a year!
Manufacturing and shipping a completed card game was a learning process for sure but we were able to navigate those waters with minimal setbacks. The biggest issue we faced in the end, centered around shipping. There was about a three month delay between when the Core Set was finished with manufacturing and when it was finally delivered to Saving Throw Studios. During tat three month period, the product either sat on shipping docks or was stuck floating in the ocean to be unloaded. Unfortunately, long shipping delays are the new reality we have to live with in a post pandemic world. (More on that and REDLINE Siege below) But we do feel lucky to only have to wait three months for delivery as we have heard horror stories of other games getting stuck in the docks in for much longer than we experienced.
And once delivered, the Core Set was a success! We loved hearing from players about their game play experiences and seeing the great reviews it got from YouTube channels like the Board Game Rundown and Logan Chops Reviews. Backers loved our REDLINE miniatures too, which we offered during our Kickstarter campaign and are now available for purchase on our website.
Just getting the REDLINE Core Set designed, funded and made was the culmination of two years of dedication and hard work. So it was incredibly fulfilling to be able to hold it in our hands, play it, and share it with all our amazing backers who made REDLINE a reality in 2021.
However, an expandable card game hungers for more cards and so it wasn’t long after funding the Core Set that Saving Throw Studios began work on the first expansion for REDLINE.
REDLINE Siege
We cannot understate how huge REDLINE Siege was for us.
Just getting a game like REDLINE to fund on Kickstarter from a little nobody game studio like STS was enough of a challenge. But could we do it again? That was the question.
Was REDLINE well received enough to warrant an expansion? Could we build on the initial cards and rules of the Core Set in exciting ways? Did the player base even want more? And could we successfully crowdfund again?
Or would REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat simply be a flash in the pan?
A one and done game?
Those were all critical questions we could not answer until we tried, and so shortly after production of the Core Set was underway we set to work on developing our first expansion set for the game with REDLINE Siege.
As the first expansion, Siege would set the precedent for what all future expansions would look like and so we worked hard to make it the best compliment to the Core Set as possible. Siege added two new decks to the REDLINE card pool, with nine new efreets, two new Generals for each faction, a new Strategy card type, and exciting new mechanics to give UNE and CPM players new ways to play and interact with the missions on the REDLINE during play. If you’d like a detailed look at the design of Siege, you can read our previous design articles on how the set came to be here.
Siege was a way for us to put a lot of the ideas we didn’t have room for in the Core Set into the game like we originally wanted. As a result, it really opens REDLINE up and creates a more complete gaming experience when added to the Core Set. Plus new cards means players can start building new decks which was important.
Once Siege was made, and it was 100% complete at the time, we then had to launch our next Kickstarter to help fund it. And fund it did! Thanks to our passionate fans, REDLINE Siege funded in just three days!
Not only did this mean Siege would become a reality for our players, but it showed us REDLINE had legs as a game and could indeed support additional growth in the future.
However, Siege wasn’t easy or a sure thing, as we had been sitting on the expansion for several months waiting for the delayed Core Set delivery to our original backers before launching our next Kickstarter. After months of shipping delays we eventually launched Siege just two weeks after shipping the Core Set into our backers hands which had advantages and drawbacks. Some players understandably wanted the first game before backing it again. But we were able to ride some of the renewed enthusiasm that comes from final delivery of a campaign which not doubt helped.
To all our players and fans who helped support REDLINE Siege, thank you.
REDLINE Digital Readout 2060
Another big milestone for REDLINE in 2021 was the completion of our first e-book, the REDLINE Digital Readout 2060!
From the start, one of our main goals in developing REDLINE was in not only creating a unique and fun to play card game, but also developing an exciting story and setting around it. REDLINE takes place in the near future year of 2060, where increased space exploration has opened the doors up to incredibly advanced technology, but also new areas of conflict.
It’s no secret BattleTech has always been a major influence on REDLINE and we looked to it and other games for ideas on how to build our little REDLINE world and make it engaging. One of these was by uploading our first REDLINE short story, The First Mission to the website which gives readers a small glimpse of what efreet combat looks like through the eyes of a young UNE pilot named Buckeye.
The other was in the creation of our efreet manual, the REDLINE Digital Readout 2060.
Originally containing fully detailed illustrations and descriptions of the the original Core Set efreets, the manual was updated during the Siege Kickstarter to include the nine new expansion efreets as well. The DRO was a ton of fun to create and does a lot to help build the world of REDLINE with stories about each efreets creation and some of the famous battles and pilots who’ve taken them into combat.
Even better, the DRO is available for FREE when you sign up to join our REDLINE newsletter, so if you haven’t yet checked it out, I highly recommend it. It’s worth the read for sure!
Social Media
Another important area of growth for REDLINE in 2021 we’d be remiss to ignore is the growth of all our social media channels. As REDLINE grows we want to continue building social media like our Facebook and Reddit pages to also make them more engaging for our players and allow them to interact and share the game with others.
And huge thanks to all the social media influencers who helped to spoil new cards for REDLINE Siege on our Twitter account in the weeks leading up to the Siege Kickstarter. Spoilers are a fun way to reveal new cards and we were lucky to partner with so many wonderful and helpful streamers and influencers to make REDLINE Siege feel special.
Another social media success from last year was our second efreet design contest. During our Siege Kickstarter campaign, the fans voted through a series of social media polls to create a brand new efreet for a future REDLINE expansion. Faction, weight class, weapons’, abilities, design, and even the name were all voted on by our players. The final result, the Hoplite not only looks awesome but is a useful little efreet to have in combat.
We’ve also been working to expand our REDLINE YouTube channel in 2021 with an instructional How to Play video and a series of REDLINE shorts that highlight individual cards and aspects of the game. Check em out!
2022 REDLINE Resolutions
Looking back, it’d be fair to say the main theme of REDLINE’s 2021 accomplishments were all about building foundations. Having funded the REDLINE Core Set the year before, we spent the majority of 2021 working to get the game physically made while supporting the areas around it. And with that work mostly done, we are putting our focus this year on growing REDLINE in the following ways with the foundation we’ve put into place so far.
Siege Fulfillment
At the time of this posting, REDLINE Siege will have pretty much finished overseas production. And while factory printing did take a little longer than we expected, the fact the game will be 100% completed just four months after funding on Kickstarter is not too shabby, we hope.
Late pledges for REDLINE Siege are still open on our CrowdOx pledge manager, but will be closing January 18th. This means it’s not too late at the time of this writing to get your hands on our first expansion and all the sweet Kickstarter swag that comes with it if you haven’t already. Things like Siege miniatures, the Kickstarter exclusive Siege playmat, and our WW2 and Throwback promo cards which look sweet!
With production nearly finished, the next step is of course to tackle shipping. The bad news as most people know these days is that shipping worldwide is a mess and fraught with huge delays. So backed up is the overseas shipping pipeline that delivery for Siege by air is nearly the same cost as it would to have our shipment delivered by boat.
So, since shipping fees are pretty much a wash, we are making arrangements to have Siege flown in for delivery and avoid the shipping crunch. This means we are hoping REDLINE Siege backers can expect Siege delivery by the end of January or early February! Woot!
We will of course be updating players with more details as they are ironed out, but get excited. Siege is coming and coming fast!
And speaking of shipping….
REDLINE Distribution
To help with REDLINE shipments next year, we are currently working on teaming up with a game distributer to not only help with Kickstarter backer fulfillment, but also work to get REDLINE into more local gaming stores in 2022. Though we’ve had some small success in doing so with local game stores in the vicinity of Saving Throw Studios, it’s been difficult to do anything nation wide. Now that we have the REDLINE Core Set and the Siege expansions on the way, we hope to increase how players can get their hands on the game by making it more assessable.
Currently, the only way to get your hands on REDLINE is through our main website product page or by backing our product launches on Kickstarter. We hope that getting REDLINE onto the shelves of your LGS will help to increase the player base and get more gamers engaging in efreet battles with their friends. You can help us by asking your local game stores about REDLINE and getting them to take a look at supporting us!
It is our hope that by the end of the year, REDLINE will be widely available in a number of stores across the US to make it much easier for gamers to find the game and increase brand exposure and awareness.
Second REDLINE Expansion
Though it’s still very early to say anything quite yet, we will soon begin working on the next REDLINE expansion set, code named Brick.
Currently, Brick is still in what you could call, pre-design, where a lot of the set themes, setting and mechanics are being fleshed out. Just as Siege opened up new approaches to attacking the redline mission cards with its firebase and mine counters, are working to expand upon that design space again with Brick. And of course provide lots of new toys for UNE and CPM commanders to play with with cool new cards and efreets!
We will be looking to crowdfund again with a campaign for Brick that won’t be set for launch until after the shipment of Siege to our players has been carried out. That said, Brick is still in its infancy, so don’t expect anything more on it for awhile. Just know it is in the works and looks to expand the world of REDLINE in gameplay and story in 2022.
REDLINE Fiction
While the continued development of the REDLINE card game is our main goal in 2022, worldbuilding is still an important part of that.
We want our players to be able to invest themselves into the factions and characters within the game. We want the battles they wage on their kitchen tables to carry weight. We want the world of REDLINE to feel real and engaging where players can’t wait to see what happens next.
So while the main focus of our energy will always be in making the card game the best it can be, we will be looking at other ways to expand REDLINE fiction in the coming year. The easiest way is with more short stories on the website, like The First Mission, that gave readers a small glimpse into what life is like for efreet pilots in the year 2060. And as hinted at above, our second expansion looks to advance the REDLINE story upon its release as well.
Beyond that, there may be other ways to help foster more REDLINE fiction that we would consider looking into if time and resources exist. We have been toying around the idea of a larger e-book or novella for some time but have not had the stars align quite yet to greenlight it. But, because we see continued REDLINE fiction as a key factor to making the property stand out and building the brand, we’ll keep exploring new ideas and good stories as they come.
Gaming Convention
This is kinda an outside longshot with the pandemic making travel and holding conventions difficult. But if the stars align we’d love to attend our first major gaming convention like Gen Con or something similar in 2022.
The Unexpected…
One of the biggest hurdles Saving Throw Studios faces as an independent developer is that we are extremely small and so have limited resources at our disposal to create the things we want.
But that small size also gives us incredible flexibility to move or pivot into new opportunities and ideas when they present themselves. So while our main focus in the coming year is on getting Siege delivered and the Brick expansion made, as the game grows, there is always a chance something else may present itself to help REDLINE expand.
A Busy Year Ahead
As you can see, our goals for 2022 are ambitious. But we feel REDLINE is well positioned to make some major moves in the coming year thanks to the groundwork we’ve been able to lay in front of us. And that groundwork wouldn’t exist without the continued support of our amazing players.
When we set out to create REDLINE, we wanted to create a game that would bridge our two favorite gaming genres, tabletop wargames and card games. We put a lot of effort the past two years into incorporating the best ideas from each into REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat to make a game that is open ended and incredibly fun to play.
And we look forward to building on those ideas in 2022 and the years ahead.