BEARS ON THE ROAD

Taking Dodeka from digital files to a tangible game was an exciting—and intense—step in our journey. We started by collecting quotes from several factories and chose the one that seemed the best fit. They could provide samples in time for the big board game convention in Essen, which gave us a hard but motivating deadline.

Before sending anything off, we had to dot every “i” and cross every “t.” Artwork, card templates, rulesbook, reference cards, tokens—everything needed to be in precise formats the factory could use. It was a lot of detail work, but we made the deadline… just barely.

Then the magic happened: the factory started printing our prototypes. We’re proud to announce that the first samples have arrived, and they look amazing! Of course, a few tweaks are needed, but seeing the game in real life for the first time was incredibly rewarding.

To celebrate, we organized an official playtesting evening with friends. It was a great way to enjoy this milestone, get early feedback, and remind ourselves why we started Bears on the Road in the first place. Holding the printed game in our hands makes all the hard work worthwhile—and brings us one step closer to sharing Dodeka with the world.