When we took on The Doom That Came to Atlantic City project (see previous article), we agreed to keep the backers updated about the process of creating a game from start to finish. Today we sent them another update about what we call the "packout check." It's one of the most fun parts of the whole process so we figured we'd share it with everyone. Enjoy!

This week we received our "packout check" samples. This means the factory has printed the first few copies of the game and we get one last chance to look everything over and make sure it's perfect. It's essentially just a physical proof.

Here's what happens: At this point, we've already approved digital copies of everything. So, we want to make sure that it all fits in the way we expect and that all the right components in the right quantities are present. We carefully open it and inspect every tiny thing to make sure that it's perfect. This is when we might notice things like cards being printed slightly off center, or the UPC being incorrect. Usually, everything checks out with only very minor changes, but if there is something wrong, we want to catch it in this step.

During our packout check for Doom, we did notice that one of the figures wasn't sitting in the box insert quite the way we wanted it. The insert will just need to be modified. To help the factory see the issue, we took a bunch of pictures and have sent them back to the factory. It's a very minor change and won't cause any delays. We're happy we noticed it though, so that all the figures will survive shipping and will be easy to store.

Now that the check is complete, the factory will make the minor adjustment. Everything is already printed so it's time for all the tiny pieces to be hand placed in the boxes. That's right, by hand. I'm astonished every time I open a new game and all the pieces are actually there because I just can't image how hard that must be. Luckily, the copies we received were complete and the factory will quickly be able to assemble the games and get them ready for the long journey to our warehouse.

We did feel a bit guilty having this incredible, beautiful game at our game night this week without getting to share it with all of you. So, we took a few pictures to show you what to expect.

The First Un-Boxing

As you can see, the only thing we changed on the outside of the box was removing the figures. We really like the clean look of the logo, designers, and tag line. We also had to submit this before we knew how awesome the figures were going to turn out. We didn't feel right using the pictures of the resin models instead of the plastic ones you'll get in the box. Although, now that they're made, you can hardly tell the difference.

I play a lot of board games. Most of them have a ton of fiddley bits. So it is not unusual to find me in the middle of the crafting section of Walmart looking for organizing boxes to keep my head from exploding. When I open a box and find something like this, it let out a long relaxing sigh. Everything has a spot and it'll still be there the next time I open the box.

Now for the fun stuff! I'm almost blown away by these figures as I take each one out of the box. They're all so special, filled with incredible detail, and represent the Elder Gods so perfectly. I've seen these figures before and still can't get over how awesome they are. All the other components are so bright! If I were making candy, I'd use these colors.

We've compeleted our inspection and it's time to play our first game on the real board!

Corey Jones, Cryptozoic's President and CCO, is thinking very hard about his next move. Opening up those portals is hard work!

We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the excitement of packout checks! Check back soon for more updates!