Pledge Manager, Production, and Fulfillment Progress
2 months ago
– Wed, Jan 28, 2026 at 11:51:50 AM
Hi everyone,
We wanted to share an update and explain why things have been quieter than usual on our end.
Until very recently, any update we posted would have amounted to a “non-update update”—essentially telling you that we were still waiting, with nothing concrete to report. We try to avoid that when possible. Thankfully, we now have real movement to share.
Pledge Manager Update
Over the past month, we held off on opening the Pledge Manager because Kickstarter repeatedly assured us that key PM features we must have were imminent. Unfortunately, those timelines continued to slip.
“Sometime in January” became “late January,” then “definitely by the end of January”—and now that we’re effectively there, we’re still not seeing those features materialize.
At the same time, we’ve been hearing consistently—from other creators we know and trust—that their real-world experiences using Kickstarter’s PM have been very rough, both for creators and for backers.
At this point, it’s clear that Kickstarter’s Pledge Manager simply isn’t ready for prime time. That’s disappointing, and we know it has caused a totally avoidable delay in opening the PM. For that, we do apologize. Ultimately, this delay came from a judgment call on my part to trust assurances from Kickstarter that didn’t pan out—and that responsibility falls on me.
Moving Forward (Effective Immediately)
As of today, we’re actively setting up the Pledge Manager on BackerKit instead. BackerKit has all the functionality we need, is proven at scale, and allows us to move forward without further uncertainty.
We already have all the data prepared and know exactly how it needs to be structured. The contract was signed very recently (less than 2 hours ago), and now it’s simply a matter of getting everything configured in BackerKit’s system as soon as they proverbially "give us the keys" to get started. Opening the PM is now the top priority, and we’ll have concrete news on timing very soon.
We also want to reiterate that we do not expect this to impact the overall project timeline. The Pledge Manager and mass manufacturing effectively run in parallel, so progress in one does not stall the other. However, delaying the PM much further would begin to affect the schedule, which is why we’re making this shift now. We appreciate all of your patience and trust in this process.
Fulfillment & Distribution Update
We’ve also signed a deal with a notable distributor who will be assisting with fulfillment. This partner will take on a large portion of the heavy lifting around freight-forwarding, international logistics, customs, duties, and related complexities—moving much of that responsibility off our plate and onto very capable and experienced shoulders.
It’s important to be transparent here: this approach does increase our logistics costs overall. However, it also opens doors into additional distribution channels and long-term opportunities, making the trade-off worthwhile for the health of the project and the company. The added benefit to all of you is increased traceability of the game as it moves through international logistics channels and less likelihood of VAT complications for our EU-backers.
As promised, none of these increased costs will be passed on to any of our backers.
The shipping rates quoted during the campaign are exactly what you will pay—no changes, no surprises. These rates will be reflected when the Pledge Manager opens. Although we do want to apologize again in assuming there would be savings to be had, and in passing that assumed (and false) information onto all of you in the prior updates.
Production & Prototypes
On the production side, things are looking good. The prototypes themselves are in great shape. Presently, the only remaining component that needed to be reprinted before shipment (to us) is the scoring tokens for the supplemental score tracker. Those are currently in progress, and we expect to receive them mid-next month for our final round of 'hands-on' inspection and quality control. If we find nothing out of place then we're good to establish a timeline with the factory for mass production.
We also want to briefly address a production decision that has added some complexity behind the scenes. Because we’re creating a separate hobby (non-Kickstarter) version of the game for our own stock and later eCommerce sales, and we intentionally made sure that backers are receiving the best possible value. This version that we later sell will not include items such as the sticker packs, blank tiles, or digital content that were part of the Kickstarter “all-in” offering.
This means that the version sold outside Kickstarter will not undercut what backers received—now or in the future. That’s a commitment we care deeply about. You, and only you, were here on the frontlines in helping us create something from nothing, and the best way we can show our appreciation is to ensure that you get the best deal possible and to maintain the integrity of your contribution.
Between this approach, and the decision to pack Scratching Posts directly into the box rather than treating it as a loose add-on, what was originally planned as a single SKU campaign became three separate SKUs. In practice, that means every prototype step is effectively tripled: three boxes, three barcodes, three rulebooks, 3 manufacturing print runs, and so on. That has slowed prototype turnaround somewhat, but it ensures long-term clarity and consistency.
And lastly, some "deep lore" for transparency: Scratching Posts was originally structured as an upgrade based on standard LaunchBoom guidance around $1 reservations and VIP funnels. Our original intention was to just offer everything at a single low price. In hindsight, the backend complexity that the VIP approach introduced ultimately outweighed its benefits. That experience is one of the reasons our next project, HYVE: Legacy, will not use a $1 reservation system at all. Going forward, our preference is to offer the product at the lowest reasonable price from the start.
We want to be clear that this isn’t a criticism of LaunchBoom—they were fantastic to work with and are the most creator-supportive community of folks I've ever encountered, and they played a major role in helping us transition from a print-and-play operation into a “real” (albeit inexperienced) publishing company.
What’s Next
- BackerKit Pledge Manager setup will soon be underway, and we don't expect it to take that long once we're able to get started.
- Opening the PM is our top priority, with news coming very soon
- Production continues to move forward as planned
- Distribution agreement has already been signed to greatly assist with logistics and fulfillment
Thank you sincerely for your patience while we navigated these moving parts. We appreciate your trust, and we’re focused on getting everything moving again ASAP.
More soon!
--Matthew, Aerobellum Games
Pledge Manager Status Update
3 months ago
– Tue, Dec 30, 2025 at 09:25:08 AM
Hi everyone!
We wanted to share a quick status update since it’s been about two weeks since our last one.
The short version: the Pledge Manager is essentially ready to open, but we’re waiting on one specific feature that’s important for us to launch it properly.
Kickstarter’s Pledge Manager
Now we’re strongly leaning toward using Kickstarter’s built-in Pledge Manager, rather than sending everyone to a third-party site. That way, you won’t need to create another account or manage your pledge somewhere else—you’ll be able to handle everything directly within Kickstarter. For us the benefits of managing 1 platform (rather than 2) is a big one. There are many other reasons as well, but they are all very technical and boring so I'll spare you the details. =]
This is still a relatively new feature for Kickstarter (a little over 6 months old), and because of that, a few pieces of needed functionality are still rolling out.
The One Feature We Need
The one missing feature we’re waiting on is the ability to credit or comp specific items directly inside the Pledge Manager. This is important because some backers are entitled to included items or adjustments, and the PM is exactly where that should be handled.
We could open the Pledge Manager right now—but without this feature, we’d have to manage credits manually outside the PM, which would be messy, confusing, and would defeat the entire purpose of using a pledge manager in the first place.
We’d much rather open it once, correctly, than open it early and immediately start issuing fixes.
Where Things Stand
- We’re in direct contact with Kickstarter’s development team
- According to them, this credit/comp functionality is coming in January
- We’re currently trying to lock down a specific January date
- The reason that we don't have an answer to those questions now is that the KS dev team has been on vacation last week and this one too.
- We are also asking if they can provide the credits/comps based on a data load on the backend of the system, we don't really need it have the bespoke functionality to credit/comp items in the PM if they can just do it on the admin side when provided a list. The answer to this question is also pending their return from vacation.
As soon as we have a firm date—or the moment the feature goes live—we’ll move quickly as everything else is ready to go!
The good news
Nothing else is blocked. No production issues, no unforeseen problems, no new complications—just this one missing PM feature. The 2nd prototype is underway, we should be receiving that in mid-to-late January.
We've also partnered with an external veteran consulting firm that has deep experience in international freight and fulfilment for tabletop game campaigns, they will be returning from their holiday break first week of January and then we'll look at all these distribution deals we have on offer with them to go over the plan of attack for fulfillment. We are trying to make sure this experience is as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
Thank you so much for your patience. Waiting a little longer now means a smoother, clearer Pledge Manager experience for everyone.
More soon—and as always, we appreciate you!
— Matthew, Aerobellum Games
New and Improved Rulebook, new Score Tracker and Other Updates
4 months ago
– Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 10:27:08 AM
Pledge Manager Update & Production Progress
Hi everyone — we have another update as we work toward opening the pledge manager.
At the moment, there are a few remaining items that prevent us from opening it on our originally anticipated timeline. The primary factor is finalizing our VAT registration approach, which depends on how EU fulfillment is ultimately handled. Alongside this, we’ve been in active discussions with distribution and fulfillment partners worldwide and have had roughly a dozen meetings as we evaluate the best long-term logistics solutions.
On the pledge manager side, a significant amount of setup work is already complete. However, we’re intentionally holding back on opening it until we can roll everything into a single, clean “phase.” While it’s common practice for backers to enter a pledge manager more than once (often once for VAT and again later for shipping details), our goal is to minimize friction and ask you to provide your information only once. This makes setup more complex on our end, but it leads to a smoother and more time-respectful experience for all our backers. This continues to the be the goal we are striving for on the PM side of things.
We’re hopeful to open the pledge manager soon, but at this point several decisions are dependent on responses from external partners. Until those details are confirmed, we need to wait for those conversations to conclude. And, as you can imagine, timelines for these types of conversations are greatly slowed this close to the Christmas season.
Rulebook Redesign & Second Prototype
In parallel, we’re continuing work on our second prototype. Choosing to redo the rulebook was a big decision, but one we’re extremely happy we made. We had a 4-hour working meeting yesterday and another one scheduled tonight in which we believe we'll have everything ready for the 2nd prototype at its conclusion.
We’re excited to be working with Ammon Anderson as the graphic designer for Cat Nap. While Ammon is relatively new to the industry, he’s already made a significant impact — with 23 accredited Board Game Geek entries as a graphic designer in just the past two years, 15 of which released this year alone! That’s a massive body of work in a tiny timeframe, and it shows in the care and quality he’s bringing to this project and how sought over he is to work with. We were incredibly lucky that he agreed to work with us on Cat Nap. =)
As shown below, our original rulebook served its purpose but wasn’t exactly a visual standout. The new version Ammon is developing is far more visual and approachable, featuring rendered assets that truly pop off the page. A tremendous amount of thought and polish has gone into this redesign, and it’s shaping into something we’re very proud of.
Here's a portion showing the a rulebook page of some of the expansion content.
We’ve also been working behind the scenes on ways to make scoring Cat Nap easier and more intuitive. Keeping track of who is currently ahead in each scoring category can introduce unnecessary mental overhead during play. When we got briefly reviewed by Dice Tower on their "Crowd Surfing" show (near the end of the campaign) this was Zee Garcia's complaint about the game, and it's a fair criticism, one we've been aware and working toward a solution for in the background for a long while now.
While we initially explored the idea of a companion iOS/Android app to assist with score tracking, Ammon stepped in with an even better solution: a physical Score Tracker designed to clearly show who is leading in each category at a glance. This tracker also supports all three mini-expansions, incorporating their additional scoring options seamlessly. Whomever is leading has their token placed on that category, if tied there is no token on that category, and all the scoring tokens are double-sided so you can just flip them when the other player takes the lead.
As a result, every copy of Cat Nap will now include this Score Tracker. (It's in the bottom right of the below screenshot.)
As mentioned during the campaign, our goal is to create the best possible version of every game we release—even when those improvements don’t translate into additional revenue for us. Our highest priority is delivering a top-quality experience and making sure everyone is happy with Cat Nap.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update. We’ll share more news as soon as we have it. If we’re unable to open the pledge manager later this week, it’s increasingly likely that it will open after Christmas—but please know this would not be for lack of effort on our end.
Rest assured, this timing does not impact the overall project schedule. Until the second prototype is received, approved, and our production date is locked in with the factory, none of our broader timelines are affected. There is still ample time built into the schedule.
Unless we speak sooner, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday week. We’ll be in touch!
-- Matthew, Aerobellum Games
Pledge Manager Updates!
4 months ago
– Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 10:22:39 AM
Pledge Manager
Hiya folks! We’ve officially chosen our pledge manager for Cat Nap — PledgeManager.com, one of the earliest companies to offer pledge-management services. Their process is very “white glove,” and they’ve already been a tremendous help as we get things set up.
A few extra benefits worth mentioning:
They are an official Kickstarter partner, which means their API pulls your data straight from Kickstarter. No manual copying, no mismatched records, and no risk of data-entry errors when importing the backer list.
They are not a marketing company, nor do they intend to be. Unlike several other pledge managers, your email address will only be used for fulfilment and verification, not be used for any third-party or indirect marketing. Ever.
With that said, a couple things have pushed back the opening of the Pledge Manager — but one of them is genuinely great news. =)
Delays on Pledge Manager Opening
Delay #1 — The Holiday Week & Kickstarter’s 2-Week Funding Window
Kickstarter requires two weeks after a campaign ends to finalize charges, resolve payment retries, and prepare funds for transfer. Our two-week window happened to land directly on Thanksgiving (my oversight!), which meant the final backer data only became available during a holiday stretch when many folks — including the Pledge Manager team — were on vacation.
We’ve made strong progress on the early build, but the holiday timing added about a week of unavoidable delay.
Delay #2 — Distribution & VAT/Tariff Considerations (The Good News!)
We’ve had several notable distributors reach out with interest in carrying Cat Nap regionally. We’ve already met with some of them, and more meetings are coming next week. This is absolutely the kind of news a small publisher dreams of, and we’re thrilled these companies see potential in Cat Nap and Aerobelllum Games.
These conversations matter because distribution pathways can affect VAT, tariffs, and import fees — especially for the UK/EU, Australia, and New Zealand. Before opening the Pledge Manager, we want accurate, stable information so you don’t have to enter details twice or risk being charged the wrong amount.
Original Shipping Plan vs. New Shipping Opportunities
Our original plan was:
US fulfillment: bulk pallets shipped to a U.S. partner → then to backers.
Non-US fulfillment: point-to-point shipping direct from China, using small-parcel fulfillment partners.
(All international shipping rates during the campaign were based on this.)
However, with distributors now potentially stepping in, the fulfillment plan for Australia, New Zealand, and the UK/EU will likely shift to something more cost-effective. Direct-from-China shipping would still apply to areas outside those regions (e.g., SE Asia, South America, etc.).
If regional distributors can ship locally at better rates — or consolidate freight to reduce VAT/tariff costs — we absolutely want to pass that savings directly to you.
This is a true win-win:
You may get better rates and lower import fees, especially when ordering multiple copies.
We get to build stronger long-term relationships with distributors instead of relying solely on point-to-point shipping.
Radical Transparency is "How We Roll"
Lastly, a quick note on shipping costs and distributor partnerships. If regional distributors cannot offer better rates than direct-from-China shipping, your shipping costs WILL NOT increase beyond what was quoted on the campaign page. While these partnerships offer long-term advantages for Aerobellum Games, we will not pass along any marginal cost increases that might come from choosing a more sustainable fulfillment path.
To be completely clear: if distributor-based fulfillment ends up costing more, we will absorb that difference — not you. We don’t view shipping as a way to generate hidden profit. It is standard practice for Kickstarter campaigns add a buffer of 25% on top of shipping quotes, but we simply passed along the direct rates from our partners without markup on the original quoted price on the campaign page, and will do so again if there are additional savings to be had through distribution partnerships.
Our goal is to build strong, lasting relationships with both backers and distribution partners so the logistics load becomes lighter and the process improves for future campaigns. For example, the customer service workload of fulfilling 1,700+ orders becomes far more manageable when handled through trusted distribution networks instead of my small team doing everything in-house.
We want Cat Nap to reach players smoothly and affordably, and we will not shift additional costs or risks onto backers in pursuit of distribution opportunities. This approach is the right long-term move for the game and the company — and it ensures your experience remains exactly as promised, or even better than originally promised if those savings can be realized. =)
Delay in Context
Even though this delays the Pledge Manager opening, it does not delay the rest of the overall timeline.
We’re still actively:
Working through revisions for the new rulebook
Finalizing factory layouts for the “Secret Unlocks”
Preparing for the next prototype
We cannot enter mass production until that next prototype is physically received and approved — and that timeline is totally separate from the Pledge Manager’s opening window. In other words: fulfilling a Kickstarter is not a strictly linear pipeline, and progress is happening in multiple areas simultaneously. The delay of the pledge manager opening has not delayed our overall timelines.
Scratching Posts Packaging Update
Our manufacturer has confirmed that the Scratching Posts expansion can be bundled directly into the main game box, with no need for a separate baggie or add-on package. In the Pledge Manager you’ll still see “Scratching Posts” listed as an Add-On for SKU purposes, but you’ll receive one unified box, which reduces the chance of fulfillment errors and makes retail stocking much simpler. This is great news. =)
The version without Scratching Posts will be the Deluxe Edition.
The version with Scratching Posts included will be the Super-Deluxe Edition.
Both of these will also be printed on the box (bottom left cover) so it'll be easy for customer service inquires in knowing what product you received.
What’s Next
Our next intended update will walk you through everything you’ll see in the Pledge Manager once it opens. Thank you so much for your patience — this extra time ensures smoother fulfillment and potentially lower shipping costs.
We have a lot happening behind the scenes to streamline this phase. When the Pledge Manager opens, we’ll also highlight what we’ve already solved (like VIPs who signed up with one email but backed with another). We are trying to come up with every hypothetical scenario that a backer would face, and build that into the system so everything is easy-peasy when you log into the Pledge Manager. But if we miss your specific circumstance then please contact us regarding your scenario when the pledge manager opens.
We intend our next update to be in a few weeks. We have to look over the offers that we are receiving from these various distribution partners and choose who we'll be working with to move to the next phase.
More info soon!
— Matthew, Aerobellum Games
What's Next for Cat Nap? The Fulfillment Roadmap Update.
5 months ago
– Fri, Nov 14, 2025 at 09:36:16 AM
Good morning, everyone — and thank you all!
Because of your support, Cat Nap just wrapped an incredible campaign last night, and we couldn’t be more grateful. This little game found its audience in a big way, and that’s entirely thanks to all of you who shared, backed, commented, and championed it. Huge thanks from us to you!
Now that the campaign has officially closed, here’s what the road ahead looks like:
Timeline & Next Steps
1. Kickstarter Processing (Next 2 Weeks)
Kickstarter takes 14 days to process funds. During this window:
Failed payments will be automatically retried by Kickstarter. We can see that already 96% of our backers have already been charged successfully, but regardless of what this percentage is, Kickstarter always takes 2 weeks to then relay funds to creators like us.
In this timeframe, the campaign is open for late pledges from folks who followed the campaign but missed the deadline. However, for late backers the price has gone up from the campaign-price of $39 to post-campaign price of $44.
2. Pledge Manager Launch (Late November / Early December)
Sometime shortly after Kickstarter releases the funds, we’ll open the pledge manager. This is where you’ll:
Enter your shipping information, pay shipping + VAT (where applicable), add any optional purchases (additional copies and/or Scratching Posts add-ons for non-VIPs).
VIP backers: your Scratching Posts expansion will be added automatically in this phase — you won't need to do anything. Unless you used a different email address to sign up than you use for Kickstarter, in which case email both of those addresses to me at [email protected] and we'll get it sorted, there are a few dozen people that are in this same boat but it is an easy fix, no worries. =)
If you’re a VIP and you added $5 for Scratching Posts during the campaign anyway, you’ll be refunded that amount in the pledge manager (or via PayPal or Venmo if we can't charge back from the Pledge Manager). In short, we'll figure out a way to get your money back for overpaying.
The pledge manager will remain open at least until we enter manufacturing early next year, so there’s plenty of time to update your pledge when it’s convenient.
We are still deliberating between which Pledge Manager we plan to use, we've narrowed it down to a handful of options and will announce which one we go with in about 2 weeks, maybe earlier.
3. Pre-Production & Manufacturing (Early 2026)
Between now and the end of the year, we’ll be:
Finalizing all files, completing pre-production checks, approving proofs, preparing the next prototype in preparation for the final production version. Our next big milestone is that we are redoing the rulebook. The earlier one was perfectly fine but "fine" doesn't cut it for us, we have to have everything be exceptional. The finished product version will be as visually oriented as possible and resemble more of the aesthetic of the campaign page. We'll share screenshots when it's ready. =)
Once everything is locked in, we’ll begin manufacturing in early 2026.
4. Fulfillment & Shipping (After Manufacturing Completion)
As soon as the factory hands things off, we’ll share:
Freight timelines (presently for US only), regional fulfillment timelines, any adjustments based on real-world logistics (weather, customs, tariffs, etc.)
And that's about it! At that point people will have begun to receive Cat Nap, and then we'll just have the occasional customer service issues and whatnot. In shipping 1700+ packages around the world something is bound to go wrong for someone. And if you happen to be one of these people who's package shows up damaged or incorrect just have confidence that we'll get your matter fixed and you'll be made whole. =)
So once again, thank you!
If you have any questions at all, you’re always welcome to reach out — we couldn’t do this without you. 🧡😺
--Matthew, Aerobellum Games
