Preorder your copy of Fossilis to get in on the Kickstarter content you missed out on during the campaign.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Fossilis Search and Find
over 2 years ago
– Mon, Dec 13, 2021 at 12:53:16 AM
Hello amazing Paleontologists!
We hope that you are all doing well and continuing to love and play the amazing game we created together: Fossils. I come to you today with some fantastic news!
Fossilis Search and Find
We have partnered with Karl Juhlke, who has created the most beautiful Search and Find for Fossilis:
Revisit Fossilis in a brand new way with this unique Fossilis-themed Search and Find! Featuring over 100 characters, items and events from the Fossilis game, and dozens of other things to look for, this digital Search and Find is bound to keep you and your family and friends entertained! This package includes the files for the Search and Find which can be printed at 16" wide, an answer key, and a tarot-sized card with both text and image lists of items to search for, so everyone can have some fun!
Thank you to all of you who took the time out of your busy lives to vote Fossilis for a TAGIE Award. Unfortunately we didn't win, but we did have an amazing showing. We believe that was because of how many of you truly love this game. So, thank you again for showing your support!
If you ever have any questions or want to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to contact us in this update or through a DM in Kickstarter. We're here for you!
We are so excited to announce that Fossilis has been nominated in this category! We are incredibly proud just to be nominated. But, a nomination is not a win! And we think that we can win this!! Fossilis is definitely the most innovative in terms of art and design compared to the other nominees. Check out the competition here.
Winning an award like this gives Fossilis more "air time". This will help us get it into the homes of so many more game lovers around the world.
You Can Help
The only way to win this award is to get votes from people who love Fossilis. And who loves this game more than you do? No one! Just you. If you can spare a moment to vote, you can do it here. Our category is on the second last page in the vote. You can, if you wish, skip the other categories. I had to do that with a category or two because I don't know anything about the nominees.
The PoP Innovation Awards will take place on November 19th when the winners will be announced. You can sign up to attend the online award show event here.
Thank you in advance for helping us win this award!!
If you ever have any questions or want to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to contact us in this update or through a DM in Kickstarter. We're here for you!
You are all amazing, and we are so lucky that you chose to be with us for Fossilis!
Until next time Paleontologists ...
Helaina and the Fossilis Team
Shipping to Germany and Final Shipping Worldwide
over 3 years ago
– Thu, Dec 31, 2020 at 09:22:56 PM
Hello Paleontologists,
It's been amazing to watch so many of you playing your games around the world. Thank you for sharing them with the board game community. We've seen amazingly beautiful photos, and some very interesting takes on playing the game. Please continue sharing your photos and your experiences. It makes us so happy to see.
To Our Backers in Germany
We very much apologize for the delay in getting your games to you. Obviously it has been out of our hands for a very, very long time. But, as promised, I have kept up communication with Gamesquest, who has kept up communication with Germany. Here is what they had to say today:
We received another update about the German shipments today. They have confirmed there is a backlog on any orders that have been sent since 11th December.
This is a culmination of having another nationwide lock down in Germany, the need for staff to self-isolate, the closure of the French border and the additional volumes of domestic parcels caused by Christmas and Brexit.
They have assured us that the shipments are securely held in the country, so there will be no Brexit impact. They have not given us a firm date of when their backlog should be cleared, they will keep us updated as the situation progresses.
I will continue the lines of communication with Gamesquest, and hope that we get some good news beginning next week.
Everywhere Else in the World
Again, every game has left their fulfilment centres. That does not mean that you will have your game yet. There are some regions that are still waiting another few weeks. But if you are in one of these regions and don't have your game yet by the end of next week, please email us at [email protected]:
Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe (except for Germany), US, Canada, South America (English games), and Mexico (English games).
Replacement Parts
We are very excited that Gameland did such a fantastic job with the production of this game. There are some of you who need replacement parts. We have sent very few of them out, since we are awaiting a package from China. Once we get the replacements, they will go out right away. We'll update you when this begins.
Happy New Year
Thanks for sticking with us, Paleontologists! We've been so happy to make this game with you. It is very easy to say goodbye to 2020. Especially with so much positivity to look forward to.
If you ever have any questions or want to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to contact us through a DM in Kickstarter. We're here for you!
You are all amazing, and we are so lucky that you chose to be with us for Fossilis!
Until next time Paleontologists ...
Helaina and the Fossilis Team
Worldwide Shipping and the Future
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Dec 20, 2020 at 11:40:17 PM
Hello Paleontologists,
It has been really incredible to see so many of you across the world receiving your games. We have loved reading your direct messages to us, your excitement in the Comments section, and your wonderful posts all over social media. It really makes us feel like we've done something good here. Today we wanted to update you on a few things going into the holidays.
Worldwide Shipping
We can safely say that every game has left their shipping HUBS around the world. We are so thankful to the wonderful people at Quartermaster Logistics for taking care of freight in a seamless way, to PSI, VFI, and Aetherworks for getting all games out in a timely manner, and to GamesQuest for keeping clear lines of communication open to us, and getting all games out before the holidays and Brexit.
We know that some of you have still not received your games. And for that we are so sorry. Of course world events have shaken the industry. And as much as we'd love to say that we were not affected by it, we were, in a BIG way. You have all been so patient with us and with our logistics. We appreciate you more than you know.
If you don't yet have your games:
US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand/China/Spain/UK
Please DM us and we can have a look to see what is going on. We have noticed that some of you who are missing your games did not complete the BackerKit survey. Please go back and check that before you ask us where your game is. After that we'll be more than happy to help you out.
EU/Rest of Europe
Your games are either really close to getting to you or you have received them already. Please wait until the new year before you contact us about not getting your game.
Rest of the World
Since games are still being delivered (in some cases they won't be there for at least another 6 weeks), please wait until the middle of January before you contact us asking where your game is.
Broken or Missing Parts
We are having a great track record this time around. We have been finding that there are fewer requests for replacements than we have had in the past. That being said, there are still some of you that require replacements.
Player Boards
Some of you have mentioned that your player boards are curved. This happens between the humid climate of China and the cold winters in other parts of the world. We have found that if you bend your player mats back the other way before you play they won't be a bother. This might require several attempts, but it works. We will not be replacing them.
The Scorpion
A few of you have received a Scorpion mini that is broken. If you have all of the broken parts, you can easily super glue these back together. If it is broken and missing parts, that is a totally different story. Please email us for a replacement.
Our Environmental Impact
We want you to know that we are super committed to the environment and when we don't have to send out a replacement, it saves on our carbon footprint for Fossilis. Not only are we having to send you another piece, but the fuel for shipping it to you takes a toll on our climate. If you can live with a small limb missing, please do. We and the environment thank you!
Other Issues
By all means, if something is missing, or something is really broken, please contact us at [email protected]. We will take care of you!!
Tantrum House has an awards ceremony for the best games of the year, every year. This year, Fossilis is up for Best Family Game. Help us win this award. If you think that Fossilis is best in its category, vote here!!
Join Tom and his crew as they play Fossilis live. You can see it at the 9 minute time mark.
Rate Fossilis on BGG
Fossilis is getting a lot of community attention. So, thank you!! But we try to match that up with the number of ratings on the game on BoardGameGeek.com. If you haven't already, please take the time to rate the game with your honest rating.
As we wind down for the year, we want to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your amazing support for this very special game. Your enthusiasm has been palpable. We've loved every moment of engagement. Please enjoy your holiday and make sure to get to the game table.
If you ever have any questions or want to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to contact us through a DM in Kickstarter. We're here for you!
You are all amazing, and we are so lucky that you chose to be with us for Fossilis!
Until next time Paleontologists ...
Helaina and the Fossilis Team
Shipping in EU/Europe and a Thank You
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Dec 05, 2020 at 11:10:11 PM
Hello Paleontologists,
We have been seeing so many of you share your amazing photos of this stunning game with the world. And we thank you so much for your excitement about Fossilis, and for your discussions about different aspects of it. And while so many of you are sitting down to play Fossilis this weekend, we have over 1300 of you who still don't have their games. We want you to know that we feel for you. We have been in touch with GamesQuest almost every day since the games landed in the UK back in October. So without further ado, here it is ...
EU/Rest of Europe Shipping
GamesQuest has had your games since October. They have been seriously affected by covid closures in the UK, and their own covid issues. With limited people working in their facility, they are doing their best to get your games out. One of the reasons it has taken me so long to write this update is because they told me that there might be a possibility to get your games out this past week. I was so hopeful. Well, it's the end of the week and they didn't get your games out. But they promised me that they would be going out this coming week beginning on Monday, December 7th. From what I have learned, they are still on target to get your games out. This means that almost all of you will get your games before Christmas. And we are so thankful for that. At this difficult time in our history, we're so happy that we can at least do that. We are also so thankful for your incredible patience with this. We know that it is hard to watch the rest of the world playing a game you've got at arm's reach. I'm sure that you will all let us know when you start getting your notifications. But I will send another update as well.
Speaking of Patience
We wanted to let you know that we're going to be putting a limited number of Fossilis up for pre-order on our website this coming week. This year has been an incredible challenge, with having Fossilis missing sales for Christmas (the games were supposed to be in stores in September), and the entire year's worth of canceled conventions. We have lost a lot of potential money. One thing that can help us get through this time of year is to sell the games through our website. None of the pre-orders will reach the people who purchase them before your games are sent out to you (well most of you - some of you live in places where shipping takes months). But a small company like ours has to have a certain number of sales per year to survive. And Fossilis was supposed to be our game this year. We totally missed it. So, we appreciate your understanding in this matter, and under different circumstances wouldn't even dream of it being this way.
A Thank You From the Designer
Now that so many people around the world are receiving their game, I just wanted to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one of you who backed Fossilis. You made the campaign so much more successful than I ever dreamed and the excitement everyone has shown since receiving the game has been fantastic to see. From the amazing campaign, to all the thoughtful comments throughout the year, to all the great pictures I've seen on social media of people and families enjoying it together, thank you!
Designing Fossilis began with an idea my wife Jaime gave me. We playtested it together with our 2 sons, Julian and Keaton, and it evolved from there. I couldn’t have done it without them. Thanks to everyone else who helped along the way. The playtesters who always pushed the design in different directions. Paleontology PhD candidate Ashley Reynolds for her insight into the thematic elements of the game. Jon Mietling for the great animated video he created for the campaign. My Mesa Game Lab team mates Noah Conti and Marcus Kirk for helping me create the campaign gameplay gifs. Noah Adelman from GameTrayz for designing the awesome base and lid. My friends Marcus Kirk and Pujin Nguyen for 3D modelling the bones and scorpion in such detail. David Turczi and John Albertson for designing the fun solo mode Bone Wars. Apolline Etienne for the beautiful illustrations that really bring the game to life. Josh Cappel for the great graphic design. Helaina Cappel for seeing the potential in my initial design. And to the team at Kids Table Board Gaming, Helaina, Josh, and Sean, for helping to develop Fossilis into the amazing product it is now.
It’s crazy to think about how it began, with square dominos on a base I built out of Lego, to what it has become. It was surreal to finally hold it in my hands a few days ago and play a game with my family that I created. You all helped make that dream come true. I hope everyone enjoys the game for years to come and please keep on posting those great pictures. It really makes it all worth it!
With gratitude,
~David Diaz
Rating Fossilis on BGG
As you may or may not know, a game's rating is very important to its success. We'd love it if you would take the opportunity to rate it here on BGG. If you don't have a BGG profile, it's really easy to sign up, and its free. And as an added bonus, it is a wonderful resource for everything board (and digital) games. Sign up here.
If you ever have any questions or want to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to contact us through a DM in Kickstarter. We're here for you!
