Shallow Sea

U.S. Tariffs & Production Update #2

Shallow Sea Update In a Glance:

• U.S. Tariffs
  
• Mass Production Update
  
• Meet Mark – Our New Community Manager
  
• Korean Edition Update
  
• Action required by backers now: NONE
  

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Hi everyone! ?

Lucya from Bad Comet here back with a long awaited update!

Can I just start by saying, there's never a quiet tide in the board game world, and recently, we've had quite a few waves roll in. Many of you have reached out with thoughtful questions and concerns, especially around the U.S. tariff news and what it might mean for your copy of Shallow Sea. So in today’s update, we’d like to gently guide you through what’s going on, where we are in production, and of course… show you some charming factory footage featuring our adorable ocean friends in the making!

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1. U.S. Tariffs – For Our U.S. Backers

(If you're outside the U.S., this section won’t apply to you—feel free to swim ahead!)

? What’s Happening?

The U.S. government has recently proposed a rather significant increase in import tariffs on goods made in China— possibly up to 245%. Since Shallow Sea, like most board games, is manufactured in China, this development could heavily impact shipping costs for games entering the U.S.

For now, the 254% rate has not been enforced, but the situation has been shifting rapidly: within just a few weeks, proposed rates have jumped from 10% → 20% → 54% → 104% → 125% → 145% → 245%. Understandably, many creators (including us) are approaching this with extreme caution.

?️ What We’re Doing

For right now, we’re taking what we call a “wait-and-see approach” before we make any decisions that could affect fulfillment for our U.S. backers. Here’s why:

Tariff regulations are changing by the week — and what’s proposed today may look very different tomorrow.

Production is still underway — assuming no delays, we expect manufacturing to wrap up by June 2025, which gives us around two months to monitor the situation and prepare accordingly.

We don’t want to rush into any conclusions; once we have a clearer picture of the situation (likely around the time production is complete), we’ll share a detailed update outlining our next steps for U.S. shipping. Regardless of how things develop, we’re fully committed to delivering your game fairly and transparently.

We know this kind of uncertainty isn’t easy to deal with, but we truly appreciate your patience and support as we navigate it. We know that backing a project requires trust, and we’re doing everything we can to earn and maintain that trust through open communication and responsible planning.

Lastly, a small favor, we’d love to keep the comments section free of political discussions so everyone can enjoy a warm and game-focused space. This update has some heavier bits, but let’s keep things centered on the project we’re all excited about! ?

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2. Mass Production Progress

Moving on! We're in regular contact with our manufacturing partners and happy to report that everything is progressing smoothly so far!

We just completed final color approval for the Shallow Sea meeples, and they look absolutely stunning. We're expecting to receive the Mass Production Copy (MPC) in May. If all looks good and there are no issues, final assembly will take around 2 weeks. That means if everything stays on track, we’re looking at wrapping up production by the end of June! Could we please get a Woop Woop!? ?

? A Peek Into the Ocean... er, Factory!

Ever wonder how board games components are made? I definitely do?! We asked our factory for some behind-the-scenes footage of the production process, and COULD NOT wait to share it with you, so let’ get started!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ACxBnkrLK4&t=1s&ab_channel=BadComet

Check out the Foxface Rabbitfish meeples coming to life! Those intricate patterns shimmer into place like magic under the press!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eByHRm-lDeQ&ab_channel=BadComet

Inspection time?: making sure every little fishy is looking swell. After printing, each sheet get’s a good inspection to make sure no details are missing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_sG0-g0jWI&ab_channel=BadComet

❓How many do you think there are…? (We’ll let you guess ?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihoetdrjhi4&ab_channel=BadComet

On to the next! This time, our Shells are getting printed. ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5CvxM5r0go&ab_channel=BadComet

Shells, all lined up and ready to join their ocean friends. ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF6ZwjzYhBg&ab_channel=BadComet

Over at our paper-handling facility: our punchboards are being laminated! Keep an eye out for the tiny nesting turtles floating down the line!

Fully printed punchboards from the Nesting Expansion — ready to dive into your game box.

3. ? Meet Mark – Our New Community Manager!

On to some more exciting news, we’re thrilled to introduce a new member of the Bad Comet crew: Mark, our new Community Manager! ?

Mark will be helping out with replying to your DMs and comments here on Kickstarter, making sure your questions are answered and your voices heard. He’s already hit the ground swimming with tons of enthusiasm and care, so please feel free to say hello in the comments below!

And yes — I’m still here too! I’ll be continuing to support the project behind the scenes and working alongside Mark to make sure your experience stays smooth and enjoyable.

Here’s a quick hello from Mark himself:

Hi everyone! ?

I’m Mark — super excited to join the Bad Comet team and get to know this amazing community! I’ve already seen so much passion and kindness here, and I’ll be doing my best to make sure your questions are answered and you feel heard every step of the way. Feel free to tag me or drop a comment — can’t wait to chat with you all!

Please join us in giving him a warm welcome, and as always, thank you for being such a kind and thoughtful community.

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4. For Our Korean Backers – 한글판 소식 & 규칙서 공유

Shallow Sea는 현재 영문판과 함께 한글판도 동시에 생산 중입니다. 모든 한국어 번역 작업은 마무리되었으며, 오늘은 그 중 일부 샘플 사진을 여러분과 공유드릴게요!

최종 감수까지 완료된 한국어 규칙서 PDF는 아래 링크에서 미리 확인하실 수 있습니다:

? [한국어 규칙서 보기]

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We’re hoping to share MPC photos in our May update, along with a clearer delivery timeline.

Thank you again for being part of this ocean-loving community. Your support truly means the world to us ??

Until next time, may your meeples be plentiful and your reefs vibrant!

With love,

Lucya ?