February Subscriber update
The February sub update.
Hello Substack subs!
January wrapped up with the release of Issue 10 and the season premiere of Uncrank’d TV, a very busy few days, but in the best way.
The #PlaydatePrime mascots & merch
The #PlaydatePrime mouse pad and a batch of themed merch have arrived! I’ll still be making stickers myself — not because the others are bad, but because I like offering options to the community. Ordering takes time, whereas I can print and cut stickers in under 15 minutes.
The Folio keychain, acrylic standee, and iron‑on patches all turned out great. The mini holders feel sturdy too. I haven’t tested them with a game yet, but I did stick one behind a Playdate and gave it a shake test. It didn’t budge. Perhaps I need to try a more vigorous test.
I also made a magnetic bookmark, but quantities are limited — importing them is pricey thanks to shipping and fees. I haven’t found a local company that can match the quality yet. Smaller orders might avoid fees, so I may go that route.
A Plush?
I’ve been looking into two companies. One requires a pretty large social media following before they’ll even consider making a plush. Why I say this is because I tried back when I released Soothsayer — I submitted Tarquin, the fortune‑cookie as a plush design and never heard back. I’ll try again under the Uncrank’d branding.
There’s also a local company that makes plushies for big brands, but their minimum order is 500. I really don’t want to be sitting on 480 plushies, so I need to think carefully about it.
Cupid Date
Sadly, this idea came to me a little late, so I doubt they’ll arrive by Valentine’s Day with current shipping delays. But if you’d like one, let me know — the finished laser‑engraved heart (right) is the final version, and I still have 6 left. The design is engraved on both sides.
The Inspiration
A few years ago, I released the Love Bundle with Issues 1 & 2 and the 2024 Playdate Community Calendar. I don’t have copies of Issue 10 yet, and my calendar stock is low, so there was no way to assemble a full bundle in time for delivery by Valentine’s Day. If I ship Monday, there’s a chance it’ll arrive before the 14th — fingers crossed.
The drawing came from a late‑night sketch session. I have another one ready for the 14th with a more action‑oriented pose.
I announced it on the Uncrank’d Discord first, then on Bluesky — and it blew up once Cabel and Playdate reposted it.
I’m thinking of something for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. If you’re interesting in helping, reply, send me an email or DM on Discord. This will be tied into the greeting card art project.
#PLAYDATEPRIME & The Folio zine
https://forms.gle/7yXs6d4iXie7h9uB6
The Folio is still open. I’ll be doing another announcement blitz soon.
👉👉The Crank Collective game club
The Crank Collective: As announced on social media and Playdate Discord servers, this month’s game is Mousegun by Silver Medal Games.
You can still join up before February 20th, and you don’t need a Playdate to participate. Just download the Playdate Simulator and check out this video from SquidGod on how to properly set it up. I recommend using a game controller; keyboard and mouse can get tiring, especially for crank‑heavy games.
👉👉Uncrank’d Live
UNC Live Update (Feb.4th):
TL;DR: Not happening this year — but not cancelled forever. Keep reading if you want to hear why.
So here is where we are in February. I got my quote back and… it’s way beyond what I estimated. Even with my old interior‑design rule of setting aside 15% for unexpected costs, it wouldn’t help. I’d need closer to 30%, which doesn’t leave much to work with. So no big in‑person conference this year.
But Uncrank’d Live isn’t dead. I can still do a showcase or event on YouTube and stream it here on Substack. And if anyone is visiting Canada — specifically Montreal — I can absolutely organize a 5 à 7 (which is a social gathering/happy hour). The best time to visit is May through August.
What’s cooking with Xania?
Pop, Fizz, Cheers!
Art for the two new game modes is done. Just a few Aseprite fixes before dropping it into the build.
Boondoggle beta
The discount is over, but development continues. I received a bug report with text overlapping text from another screen so I already adjusted that with different timing. The story was 75% done, but I might rewrite parts. It gets a little risqué with some cursing. I toned down the racial tension that existed in earlier drafts. Coding prep is underway; art redo is next.
Spelltooth
I started to scale down some of the bigger sprites but no coding updates.
New game?
This was supposed to be a 72–96 hour challenge, but life got in the way. I still plan to release it. The theme is Groundhog Day — yes, I know it passed, but the concept is cute, it’s a game style I haven’t tried as yet and I want to finish it. This one will stay on Itch only and no Catalog release.
Here’s one sprite of Weatherpaw Wensley the groundhog.
👉Upcoming/Ongoing projects
Playdate themed Greeting cards
Like I mentioned above, if you want to join up, it’s still open. Laser‑engraved art will be included in both physical cards and quilled cards. These designs will take a bit more time to make.
The Crank Collective
As mentioned above, there are still some spaces left to join up.
Uncrank’d TV Season 4
Link
Episode 31 will premiere on February 14th.
Issue 11 themed bookmark
Originally, Uncrank’d Lite subscriptions were going to include a themed bookmark each month, but since I had to order in bulk, the main Uncrank’d edition will come with the #PlaydatePrime bookmark.
For April, I’ll reach out to Pulp devs for their favorite sprites — those will go on the bookmark. Bookmarks are manageable merch; they don’t take up much space. I’ll also make one #PlaydatePrime screen‑cleaning cloth.
I’m rethinking subscriber merch this year to keep things fun but not taking up too much space and costing an arm and a leg to ship.
That’s all for now.
Want to support Uncrank’d? You can buy the crew a coffee Buy Me a Coffee or with a donation to the Uncrank’d or Narrative Nexus apps on itch.
Thanks for your continued support!
Xania