Howdy everyone — Happy New Year! 

I hope you had an awesome holiday season and got to spend some quality time with family, friends, and everything you love most. As we kick off 2026, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you again for being here and for continuing to support this project. We’ve got a lot to share, so let’s jump into the update! 

First up: the 3D buildings are moving along really well. 

As of right now, the core chipboard assembly is looking good to go. I’ve received video samples showing the buildings being assembled, and I’m happy to report that everything is coming together the way it’s supposed to. 

This step took some time to get right (as I’ve mentioned in previous updates), mainly because we had to correct a few artwork alignment issues to ensure the pieces fit cleanly and assemble properly. 

The next phase they’re working on now is the acrylic components. While most of the buildings are chipboard, certain elements of the structures need to be transparent, so those parts are being produced in acrylic. 

To make that happen, we had to provide the factory with separate acrylic-specific files, and they’ve been building out an entirely new set of assembly files to accommodate those parts. Progress is already being made, and as soon as I receive images or video samples of the acrylic pieces, I’ll share them in an upcoming update. 

Alright — this is the big one. 

Back in October, I made a promise that I was going to start Phase One Fulfillment, meaning: instead of making everyone wait until everything was finished, I would begin shipping out everything we already have in stock to backers who were willing to wait for the remaining items later. 

At the time, the only missing pieces holding up those shipments were: 

My original goal was to have those arrive in time for a Christmas delivery window, but they didn’t arrive until late December. The moment they landed, I immediately shifted into fulfillment mode — and once the New Year hit, I started preparing shipments full speed.

Over the last week, I’ve pulled several all-nighters at the office getting orders packed up and staged, and I’m excited to finally be at the point where Phase One is actually ready to move.

 

My initial plan was simple: plug the shipping data into my shipping platform, generate shipping prices for each package, and then plug those numbers into BackerKit.
 
But the way BackerKit processes this on the backend required a different approach. Instead, I needed to build a complete spreadsheet of backers and shipping data, submit it to BackerKit, and then they would apply/update the shipping charges internally on their end.
 
That part took a few extra days longer than I expected — not because anyone did anything wrong, but because there’s naturally a “hurry up and wait” rhythm to it. I’d send questions, wait for replies, confirm everything was correct, send the next update, and so on. It’s all part of learning the process in real time and making sure it’s done correctly before shipments go out.
 

One of the bigger delays came from getting the international shipping info finalized.

International shipping is based on the data I receive from my international fulfillment warehouse. When I went to generate those shipping fees, I discovered something that was 100% on me: I had assumed that the Loot Vol. 2 cards and Starter Set replacement cards I sent to the warehouse had already been checked in and cataloged.

They hadn’t.

They were sitting in receiving, waiting on me to provide some critical information so they could be properly logged into the system. As soon as I realized it, I jumped on it immediately — but it still took the warehouse about 2 days to fully sort and process on their end.
 
Once that was done, I was finally able to compile everything into the correct format, finish the spreadsheet, and submit it to BackerKit.
 

Now we’re at the final step before shipping can begin.
 
When I went to lock orders and begin fulfillment for the 140+ backers in Phase One, I discovered that 47 orders cannot be locked due to missing information — because those backers still haven’t completed their surveys.
 
So right now, I’m at a crossroads:
 

Here’s where we stand right now.
 
Today is Friday, and I’m willing to wait until Monday (after the weekend) before officially kicking off Phase One fulfillment. My goal is to give everyone one last fair window to get their information finalized so they can be included in this first shipment wave.

During this time, I’m also looking into whether I can move any remaining incomplete orders into a trackable segment that I can circle back to and fulfill later — but the priority right now is getting as many backers as possible included in Phase One without delaying everyone else.
 

BackerKit automatically sends reminder emails to anyone who hasn’t completed their survey, and you’ll also see reminders through updates like this one.
 
If you’re reading this and you haven’t completed your survey yet, please go complete it as soon as possible so I can lock your order and get your package into Phase One fulfillment.

When I first attempted to lock orders, BackerKit sent out an automatic email notification to everyone who couldn’t be locked due to missing information.

The good news: it’s working.

We originally had 50 incomplete surveys, and in the last day alone 3 backers completed theirs, bringing the number down to 47. That’s progress — but at this pace, we likely won’t hit zero by Monday unless those remaining surveys get completed over the weekend.

So this is my final heads-up:

If you want to be included in Phase One fulfillment, please complete your survey before Monday.
 

One important request for anyone completing their survey this weekend:
 
I only need you to fill in any missing required info, such as:
 

What I don’t want right now is changes to your order, such as adding additional items.

The shipping prices and box setups I submitted are based on very specific weights and package sizes tied to your current order. If items are added now, it changes the package weight and shipping cost, and that can cause delays to Phase One fulfillment for everyone.

If you do want to support High Noon by grabbing extra items (which I genuinely appreciate), the best way to do that right now is to place a separate order through the store at:

shop.highnoongame.com
 
That way, it’ll be processed separately with its own shipping, and it won’t interfere with Phase One fulfillment.
 

 
Before we move on, I want to share two important notes specifically for my international backers.
 
1) Some International Orders May Arrive in Two Boxes

A small number of items in certain international pledges were not currently in stock at the international fulfillment center, so I had to ship those specific items directly from my office here in the United States.

That means a few international backers may receive their Phase One fulfillment in two separate shipments:
 

So if you receive your package and notice that you didn’t get everything included in your existing inventory items (not the new content like the 3D buildings or new tiles), don’t panic.

First, please give it a little time to see if a second package arrives shortly after.

And if anything still appears to be missing after that, just reach out to me and I’ll make sure you receive everything you’re supposed to.

2) Shipping Costs (And What I Did to Keep Them Down)

Shipping has been front-of-mind throughout this entire campaign — especially because so many backers have been burned in other crowdfunding projects where shipping ends up costing as much as the pledge itself.

That’s something I’ve worked hard to avoid here, because I don’t want anyone paying an arm and a leg for shipping if I can help it.

That said, there are some realities we can’t fully escape — shipping sometimes just costs what it costs, especially for heavier packages and international destinations. We don’t have fulfillment centers all over the world, and we’re not a massive publisher or distributor, so there will always be a few edge cases where costs are simply higher than anyone wants them to be.

In a small number of situations, some backers’ shipping fees came out significantly higher than even I expected, and in those cases I did my best to absorb part of the cost on my end to help keep things as reasonable as possible.

I can’t cover all of it (and I can’t cover the majority of it) — both because I simply can’t afford to, and because it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else — but I wanted to make it clear that I am actively doing everything I can to keep shipping costs down wherever possible during Phase One.
 

One quick addendum for everyone — not just international backers.
 
Back in my October update, I mentioned that I planned to send out shipping estimates to each backer, with the idea being that I could generate a PDF-style breakdown and attach it to pledges as a document.
 
As it turns out, that approach isn’t supported the way I expected:
 

Bulk shipping doesn’t mean everyone pays the same price (that would be unfair), but it does mean Pirate Ship negotiates better rates based on volume.

In simple terms, Pirate Ship groups shipments into similar categories (by size/weight) and helps secure better pricing within those tiers — meaning backers still pay a fair rate based on their package, but the overall rates are typically better than what you’d get walking into a standard shipping store.
 
The downside is that this makes it impractical to generate a clean “per backer, per item” shipping estimate document in advance the way I originally envisioned — because the final pricing is calculated through those bulk-rate groupings rather than as a static, individual quote generated in isolation.
 

What ultimately happened is this:
 
I submitted the finalized shipping data to BackerKit via spreadsheet, and BackerKit applied those shipping fees directly to each backer’s order.
 
So rather than receiving a separate estimate document, your shipping cost is now reflected directly inside your BackerKit pledge/order.
 

As always, I want to be as transparent as possible. I genuinely aspire to be the most accessible and transparent publisher in the space, and I take that seriously.
 
If you have any doubts about your shipping fee, you’re welcome to reach out to me directly. I’m willing to generate a case-by-case shipping report based on your location and package details.
 
And if it turns out I made a mistake and you were charged more than you should have been, I’ll make it right — whether that means a refund or something in kind.
 
At this stage, though, we are at Phase One fulfillment and orders are being locked so we can begin shipping immediately, so the shipping fees currently shown in BackerKit are the ones being used for fulfillment.
 

This section is specifically for my original “Ride or Die” backers — the Everything in the Stove crew.

First off: nothing has changed. Your Ride or Die status is still fully intact, and you don’t need to take any special action right now to keep receiving your Ride or Die benefits in the future.

That said, I’ve gotten a lot of messages asking the same question:

“Do we need to do anything to receive the newest items?”

Right now, my focus is 100% on finishing this campaign and completing Phase One fulfillment.

So for clarity:

Will Ride or Die Backers Receive Loot Vol. 2 + Starter Set Replacement Cards in Phase One?

Not automatically, no.
Those items are being handled as part of Phase One fulfillment for this campaign’s backers, and my priority at the moment is getting this fulfillment wave out the door as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

If You Want Those Items Now…

If you’re Ride or Die and you want the Loot Vol. 2 cards and Starter Set replacement cards right now, just reach out to me directly and I can absolutely make it happen.

I can pack them up, send them out, and we’ll just handle the shipping cost separately.

Otherwise, You Don’t Need to Worry About Anything Yet

If you don’t reach out right now, no worries at all — once this campaign is fully wrapped up and we have all the new content ready (including the 3D buildings, new tiles, and everything else), that’s when I’ll be moving into the Ride or Die fulfillment phase.
 
At that point, I’ll be reaching out to Ride or Die members directly and making sure everyone is taken care of.
 
For now, you don’t need to do anything — and you don’t need to be expecting a shipment unless you specifically request the cards early.
 

To cap this off: Phase One fulfillment officially begins on Monday.

Everything is packed, staged, and ready to go — and once we start, the goal is to move through shipments as quickly and smoothly as possible.

For the 47 backers who are still in “unlocked” status, this is your final reminder:

If you want to be included in Phase One, you need to complete your survey ASAP so I can lock your order.

And please remember: do not add anything new to your order right now.
Only enter the required information needed to complete fulfillment (address, payment info, etc.). Any added items change box size/weight and can create delays for everyone.
 
As always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to me directly — I’m happy to help.
 
Happy New Year, everyone. Thanks again for your patience and support, and I’ll see you in the next update!