Friendly Fridays: Moonshell and CULTivate (We also hit $15k!!)
about 3 years ago – Fri, Mar 19, 2021 at 11:35:57 PM

Greetings, Tea Folk!

Today I am introducing a new initiative I will be running on our social media campaigns. "Friendly Fridays" is a time to support our fellow indie creators by showcasing projects that we have personally checked out and enjoyed. Today we are starting with games, but this will also span a wide variety of content from the domains of games, music, arts, and even science/culture! 

300% Funded!!

Holy cow, everyone! We made it to $15k! This has been a fantastic start and I am so incredibly grateful for the support you have all shown for our project. We have even more eco-friendly options open to us with this much funding, and I will go over those in the next update. For now, I just wanted to say thank you before I pay this generosity forward by shifting the spotlight on a few of our peers:

Moonshell by Unfiltered Games

Moonshell is a beautiful puzzle / set collection game featuring various merfolk from all corners of the globe! The game is easy to learn, provides some asymmetric gameplay, and is incredibly family friendly. You can check out their project here:  Back Them on Kickstarter! 

They are aiming to use their sharp knowledge of reviewing and breaking down games to create their own expressions in the tabletop space, and I wholeheartedly welcome them to the creator side of board games! Calli and Michael have been fantastic supporters of my work since Cantankerous Cats. Their feedback has been great for developing and refining my own projects, and I wish them the best of luck in their debut project!

CULTivate by Pops & Bejou Games

CULTivate is a sassy little game about running a cult while avoiding suspicion.  The rules read well, the mechanics are straightforward, but it feels like there is a lot of depth to be had in the way the game is played based on which leaders are in the mix. The art in this game is a fantastic throwback to the art deco period, which also happens to be the heyday of the advertising industry. Very appropriate for a game about....convincing people you aren't a cult. ;)

Pops & Bejou also strike me as a similar cut of good natured fun-seekers that gel with the personalitea of our team. You can check out their Kickstarter project here:  Back them on Kickstarter! 

Eco-Friendly News

To wrap things up, I will preview what we have in store for the next update! We received some great news from our manufacturer, it is possible to have a 100% recycled materials product! And soy based inks are also a possibility! This will lead to a couple of new stretch goals, which I will go over in the next update.

I hope you have all enjoyed this edition of "Friendly Fridays." Next week, I will be sharing a pair of music projects crafted by some very talented friends that I've enjoyed over the winter. And tomorrow, I will sit down and talk about our sustainability goals and how we hope to show the game space how we can still have a ton of fun and success while caring for the only planet we have.

<3

Aven Gonzalez

Master Barista of Prosperitea

BONUS CONTENT: Nikki M. Dimas - The Cait Sidhe
about 3 years ago – Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 10:05:01 PM

Greetings, Hoomins.

Today's update is a re-introduction of our special guest character from Cantankerous Cats. They were presented as a stretch goal for our original campaign, but they proved to be so popular that we decided to guarantee their appearance. The following text had been presented as it was on October 30, 2020 with minor edits. Without further delay, Lord Purrcival will take over to discuss our special guest...

Mischief Night

Today begins the Meowloween holiday. And we begin with our FAVORITE night...Devil's Night (also known as...Mischief Night...). Devil's Night is an evening reserved for the plotting, scheming, and execution of Mischevious Machinations. This plays very well into our very...specialized skillset for amusing ourselves with hapless Hoomin servants.

Unfortunately, many Hoomins have taken this tradition to some rather...extreme and baseless ends with inelegant vandalism and unnecessary harming of others. But we fastidious felines have kept the tradition of class, cleverness, and creativity for our Mischief over the generations.

This year, we are pleased to welcome an old friend of ours back into the neighborhood for this most devilishly delightful of holidays:

Nikki Morgan Dimas

Nikki Morgan Dimas is the legendary force behind Mischief Night. It is said that long ago, there was once a witch (or wizard. Or...sorcerer? Nobody knows for certain) that tested the wrong Scottish noble on Mischief Night many hundreds of years ago. Their transmutation spell backfired, and trapped them in their current, superior feline form.

Nikki has become astoundingly adept at utilizing their feline agility to deftly deploy various acts of mischief on Hoomins for as long as we cats have told stories.  While they are most well known for stealing Hoomin souls, they also enjoy confusing Hoomins by taking the place of unwitting Domestic Cats. They also seem to have retained their Hoomin desire for tea...

Hoomins, be warned: Nikki is an agent of chaos. While they are bound to make things interesting, their abilities are quite powerful, and will definitely upset the balance when active. Nikki also comes with bonus cards for Prosperitea.

We hope you have enjoyed this gracious introduction to our good friend Nikki. And remember: If you MUST make an attempt to celebrate Mischief Night with your feline friends...make sure you keep it civil and simple. You Hoomins are not as capable as we are at walking the fine line between lovable and lethal.

You are welcome,

Lord Purrcival XVII

Master of Mischief

P.S.

Since introducing Nikki in October, we have also decided that they will not be an EXCLUSIVE for Kickstarter backers. Nikki will be available in Backerkit and on our websites in the future. But KICKSTARTER backers will get Nikki and the Pumpkin pack for FREE.

Backerkit backers and the general public will have to pay a small fee for Nikki's services. We want to be fair to all of the people who currently own Cantankerous Cats.

-Aven

Prosperitea Tearivia: St. Patrick's Day Edition
about 3 years ago – Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 05:30:35 PM

Dia duit, Baristas!

Today is one of my favorite holidays: The Feast of St. Patrick! (Or St. Patrick's Day to most) The history of this holiday and what it means is quite interesting and complex, but the way I choose to see it is in the contemporary sense: A general celebration of Irish culture!

There are actually quite a few Irish traditions involving tea according to Cynthia Eagan, our resident Actual Historian and partner of St Bastian's Tea Company (the team behind the TEA in Prosperitea!) But before we begin, let's set the mood with some music in the background!

How do the Irish Take Their Tea?

According to our Histearian, a common cultural practice in Ireland is to pour the milk into your cup first, then add your tea. This is the reverse of their neighbors across the sea. Back in "ye olden times," Ireland wasn't known to have the same quality of serving ware as their British neighbors. The milk had to be poured first so the cups wouldn't crack after the sudden temperature change of hot tea. Nowadays, everyone has access to heat safe dishware, so pouring the milk first is just a habit of practice.

But what, you may ask, do they think of sugar?

This may be murkier territory and we understand generalizations can be problematic even when made in good fun, but when our Histearian was living and working in Ireland she once heard an American ask for sugar in their tea.

It...didn't go over well.

Apparently the Irish don't think too highly of ruining a perfectly good cup of tea with sweetener. And they were VERY vocal about that.

Shamrock Tea

It wouldn't be a proper St Patty's without some excuse to talk about Shamrocks, so I asked the question...

Can you make ACTUAL Shamrock Tea? From the stuff you see growing on the ground in parks all over the world?

The answer is...SORT OF!

The flowers of both red and white clovers can be boiled and steeped into an herbal tisane. (Actually ANY edible plant can! which is a topic for a future post.) Clover tea is a bit golden in color and has a slightly sweet, earthy flavor with a hint of a grass-like note. It also pairs well with another of our favorite herbal ingredients...mint!

But DON'T pick the clovers hanging out in your yard or out in a park unless you know the soil is clean! Clovers are a topsoil plant and they grow FAST. This means that they are likely to be toxic if found in urban areas where the soil is tainted with chemicals and parasites.

If you want to try brewing some shamrock tea, I suggest you grow your own clovers in a designated space of your garden or in a large pot where you can vouch for the safety of the soil.

To close things out, here is another of my favorite songs to sing during this holiday:

Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Kickstarter

Tomorrow we return to regular updates about the game and what we have in store. ANd that next update will be DIRECTLY related to this one as I introduce a mischevious creature from Irish folklore to Prosperitea AND Cantankerous Cats...

<3

Aven Gonzalez

Master Barista and Composer of Prosperitea

Alpha Hoomin of Cantankerous Cats

Two More Stretch Goals!
about 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 03:08:00 AM

Greetings, Baristas!

Today was a big day! We cleared TWO stretch goals today and I break them down for you here in this video. I will have a more detailed look sometime later today (March 17), but for now enjoy this short video from me to you!

It is late and it is time for me to sleep, but I will be back at you in the morning with a full breakdown of stretch goals unlocked, some music, and a bit of fun for your St Patty's Day!

<3

Aven Gonzalez

Master Barista of Prosperitea

Say Hello to our Tea Collection! (2021)
about 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 16, 2021 at 12:50:54 AM

Greetings, Baristas!

You have been asking, and we are here to answer: "What is in your tea?"

One of the unique aspects of how we make games is leaning REALLY heavily into the theme. So much so that we've made a custom blend of teas to enjoy when you play!

(NOTE: We recorded this in 2020 when my name was still "Al")

This update, we are going to give you a lush, beautiful dive into the three custom tea blends crafted by St. Bastian's Tea Company. Since this game is all about the art of blending tea, we thought it would be fun to show you some of that art while answering your question!  First off, we have a video we shot talking about some of the inspiration for the tea and how it relates to the game. You can check that out here:

If you want the visual breakdown, we have that for you below in tasting order!

There is a LOT going on in TranquiliTEA, but it all comes together in a robust, cuddly profile that feels like snuggling in a warm blanket. If you have ever asked yourself "why are herbal teas so thin and watery?" this Tisane has your back. It's probably the most robust chamomile tea I've tried. And I have worked in coffee and tea houses for 10 years.

INGREDIENTS: Chamomile, Apple Pieces, Lemon Grass, Rose Hips, Lavender, Orange, Natural Lemon Flavor, Blue Cornflowers, Rooibos Tea & Natural Jasmine Flavor

The eponymous tea of our collection! ProsperiTEA has a clean, crisp body based in a blend of THREE different green teas. Orange peels, ginseng, and a hint of mandarin add a gently citrus note to this very drinkable afternoon tea.

INGREDIENTS: Green Tea, Orange Peel, Ginseng, Ginger, Marigold Flowers, Natural Mandarin Flavor, Natural Orange Flavor & Natural Lemon Flavor

IngenuiTEA is a simple, yet complex black tea with a lot of contrast. The Assam tea provides a very sharp, astringent quality that plays well with the full, robust aroma and flavor of Almond and Aniseed. Reminiscent of licorice and roaming the dusty halls of a majestic library.

INGREDIENTS: Ceylon, Assam, Natural Almond Flavor, Natural Caramel, and Aniseed

In the next update, we bring Prosperitea to a popular online gaming platform, teach you how to properly taste tea, and talk about the eco-friendly mission of Prosperitea and Mentha Designs.

Thank you all for your support so far and remember to like, share, and help spread the word about the project! We want to bring you the best tabletop experience possible and we can't do it without the support of the community.

<3

Al Gonzalez

Master Barista of Prosperitea