COMET: JOURNEY THROUGH THE COSMOS

May update - COMET game progress & more!
6 months ago – Tue, May 28, 2024 at 03:54:24 PM

Happy May, everyone! 

Only a handful of days remain in the month of May and soon June will be upon us. I’ve been making progress on the elements for the Comet Kickstarter and am happy to report that all of the notebooks, pencils, erasers, washi tape, envelopes, and letter pads have arrived! They all look so nice and organized on the rack, ready and waiting for fulfilment. I'm looking forward to packing everything up and sending them out once the zines and other materials are in-house.

Also, the compositions for the soundtrack are now in progress! There are six songs on the soundtrack list and Eric Van Skyhawk is working hard to create the gorgeous, eerie, and evocative music that will accompany the game. I can’t wait to share more once the music is complete.

Edits on the game itself are done! I’m now working on revising the "Gameplay Examples" section, as there's so much good content to sift through (and even though I’d love to have ten to twenty pages of gameplay examples, both for cost of printing and to keep things concise it’s probably best to tighten this section up a bit). Once I have this section streamlined it will be handed off to our designer for layouts. 

In other comet news: a comet fragment lit the skies above Portugal and Spain!

Did anyone hear the news about the cosmic event on May 18th? That evening, a fragment of a comet entered the atmosphere over Spain and Portugal, illuminating the sky in a massive flash of blues and greens. The videos are incredible! 

On Reuters, it states:
The Spanish Calar Alto astronomical observatory also said a preliminary analysis by Andalusia's Institute of Astrophysics revealed the object had a "cometary origin"

Isn’t the phrase “cometary origin” evocative? Here’s the full article on Rueters along with more images and videos.

And another article on space.com!

This is one of those events I wish I could have seen in person. Apparently the event happened during a concert in the Portuguese city of Barcelos and it was caught on film while the singer performed. Talk about an epic performance! 

Cosmic events in Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos

In Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos, many rare cosmic events can take place, including your own comet becoming damaged during your odyssey. This damage can cause pieces of your comet to break off and either collide with other objects, or streak through a planet's sky, perhaps becoming an omen for those who witness the event. These cosmic events do leave marks on your comet, though. In the game, there is a tracker you check off whenever you are damaged, so there is the potential your comet could sustain too much damage and diminish, becoming extinct. 

However, there are also encounters which prompt you to heal a damage, allowing you to erase one of the marks on the tracker and continue on your way. If your comet is unlucky, taking on too much damage and becoming extinct, but you want to continue playing and not lose the progress you've made in your journal, fear not! There is an option to continue play... with some modifications. After all, new celestial objects are often formed from the stardust left behind.

I'll continue posting updates throughout the coming months, including peeks at the linocut art pieces I'm creating for the game (I've started carving the map and custom illustration and can't wait to share updates soon), and I'll share photos of the bookmarks and other stretch goal items once they arrive.

Thank you for all your support!

Shana

April update - COMET game news & the real horned "Devil comet" now visible!
8 months ago – Thu, Apr 04, 2024 at 11:25:15 AM

Happy April, everyone! 

A quick check-in to let you know that I've been busily working on the final revisions and sketching the custom illustrations for Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos to get everything prepared for the next step - layouts! Also, I placed an order for the Logical Prime notebooks, Metacil pencils, Arch erasers, and other stationery items for the Astrographer tier and above. Two big boxes just arrived from Japan and I couldn't wait to store them all together. More boxes are arriving next week and I can't wait to add the rest to the stack!

In other comet news: 

This month we have a rare chance to catch a glimpse of the horned comet, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which travels on an orbit of approximately 71 years (it is considered a short-period comet, similar to Halley’s Comet which has an orbit of approximately 76 years). Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is also called "The Devil Comet" or "Millennium Falcon" - both nicknames are due to its distorted coma (the gas/dusty atmosphere that surrounds the comet's nucleus) so it appears to have a dark center and bright points (or horns) on either side. Astronomers explain that this distortion was caused by an outburst "blowing off a bunch of gas and dust and brightening by about 100 times."

Right now, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks can be seen in the night skies of the northern hemisphere. If you are in North America or Central America you might catch a glimpse of it the day of the solar eclipse on April 8th! It will be in our skies until around April 21, so take a peek up at the stars to see this rare comet!

And if you're interested in other star-gazing events, here's a list of skywatching tips from NASA:

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-april-2024-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos

In Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos, players can either choose from a list of physical appearances and types of comet to play, or players can draw random cards and consult the corresponding table to determine the type and appearance of their comet. In honor of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, I've added a "Horned Comet" to the list of playable comets!

I'll continue posting updates about our progress throughout the coming months, including peeks at the linocut art pieces I'm creating for the game and sneak peeks at the other elements we're working on. For now, I'm sending you another massive "Thank you!" for all your support!

Shana

The Campaign is Complete! COMET Blazed Through All the Stretch Goals! 🎉☄️✨
8 months ago – Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 10:58:13 AM

We made it!

The campaign for Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos is officially complete! Thank you to everyone who backed, promoted, and sent good vibes into the universe for this project. Comet flew through its initial funding goal within the first nine hours and was a massive success (863% funded!), and it's thanks to all of you! 

Not only has the project been wildly successful - in the final hours, Comet surpassed the final Stretch Goal! 

This means every single Stretch Goal has been unlocked 🎉☄️✨

With this additional funding there will now be extra encounters added to the book, upgraded printing for the physical copies, a new illustration added to the zine, a Comet Orbit Map included in both the digital and physical books, an original soundtrack for the game will be composed by Eric Van Skyhawk, and all backers of the physical edition will get a print, sticker sheet, comet bookmark, and a comet-themed metal game coin with their pledge! 

So many amazing things are coming together for this project and I can't wait to share updates as all these elements arrive. Over the coming months, our team will all be working hard to make Comet the best it can possibly be :)

If you missed out on the campaign, there will be copies available in both digital and physical formats in the future! I’ll post links to where you can get a copy once they arrive.

And if you'd like to hear more about what I'm working on and see work-in-progress updates for Comet and all my other projects, please sign up for my newsletter✨

For now, I'm sending out a massive "Thank You!" to all of you. Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos wouldn’t be blazing to life without your support!

Thank you, Travelers! ☄️✨

Shana

We're in the final 24 hours of the campaign!
8 months ago – Wed, Mar 20, 2024 at 04:05:25 PM

There are only 24 hours left in the Kickstarter campaign for Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos! And we are so close to reaching that final Mystery Stretch Goal. So how about getting an early reveal to see what the final Stretch Goal reward will be? 👀

Once this Stretch Goal is unlocked, all backers of the physical edition tiers will get a custom game coin! This will be a specially designed metal coin with a comet-themed illustration, and it can be used to play the game! 

SO! Not only will backers of the physical edition tiers receive all unlocked rewards, including the sticker sheet, print, and bookmark - if we reach this final Stretch Goal, the coin will be added to the stack of goodies!

This is the only time these physical rewards will be offered with the game. And once the Kickstarter campaign is done, the physical copies will increase in price. So right now is the best time to spread the word about Comet or adjust your pledges if you're hoping to add the physical copy to your collection!

I'd also like to share a few blurbs from the amazing playtesters for Comet:

"Comet was a brilliant introduction to solo RPG games! Whether you're an old pro or brand new to RPGs, I highly recommend it."

• Sondra E.

"I really enjoyed playing Comet! It helped me spend time in the present and practice letting go. This game could act as both a reflective mindfulness activity and a useful creative writing exercise. I found it both inspiring and beneficial, and I feel that many others would find the same!"

• Jennifer K.

"Comet was my first solo RPG game, and WOW, what an experience! I adored immersing myself in a unique celestial world while introducing another dimension to my love of writing. Playing this game was the perfect way to stretch my imagination. I highly recommend Comet to anyone looking for a thoughtful, engaging adventure.”

• Jessie E.

"Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos is a really beautiful, contemplative, connection-to-things-bigger-than-me experience."

• Emily Charlotte

The Kickstarter ends on Thursday March 21st at 5:00PM PST. Tell your friends and family, along with anyone who has ever wanted to explore the vastness of space! Thank you for spreading the word about Comet - this campaign has been a success because of you ✨🪐☄️

Thank you for all your support! 

Shana

Another ⋆｡°✩ Mystery ✩°｡⋆ Stretch Goal Unlocked!
9 months ago – Tue, Mar 12, 2024 at 08:08:28 PM

UPDATE: Another ⋆｡°✩ Mystery ✩°｡⋆ Stretch Goal has been met! 

Are you ready for the reveal? 👀

(I am so ready to scream about this one because it has been so hard to keep the secret!)

With this goal unlock, all backers at the Stardust Supporter level ($15 digital edition tier) and above will now get a digital copy of the COMET original soundtrack composed by Eric Van Skyhawk ✨☄️

Eric Van Skyhawk is an absolutely brilliant composer and art director, and his compositions are inspiring and deeply moving. Here are some examples of his work:

Every time I listen to Eric's music I get chills! His music is so stunning and I am honored he's agreed to compose the music for COMET. I can't wait to share updates in the coming months ✨☄️

This also means we only have one more Mystery Stretch Goal left! And there are only 8 days remaining for this Kickstarter campaign. Tell your friends! Tell your family! Let them know that COMET is getting closer to reaching that final Mystery reveal! 

Thank you for all your support! You are amazing! ✨☄️

Shana