Rollem Ltd haven’t got back to me despite sending a 2nd enquiry direct to the director I spoke to at the NEC UK Games Expo at the end of July, so I’ve contacted Card Couture in Devizes, Wiltshire.
They’ve already done several Kickstarter projects so hopefully they can help me. They are close too, so keeping the game as environmentally friendly as possible.
They are an environmentally friendly company so the game is gonna be as green and eco-friendly as I can make it without sacrificing quality and durability. There will be no plastic if I can help it!
That kinda bugs me about the board game industry, the reliance on plastics. I know there are moves right now to change all that and I understand why plastic is used but there are alternatives.
Isn’t it at all possible that Papier-mâché could be used instead of plastic insert trays? or just light card? Yes it’s doable but they have a knock on effect on cost and weight, which increases transportation costs and carbon footprint. I don’t know what that trade-offs are and I don’t need to know. I’m going as green as possible.
That’s one of the reason I hope Card Couture will respond. They have a good environmental policy and it reads like I might not have any plastic in the cards which I thought I might have to.
The image above is what I am currently working on at home. It’s half done but I’ve ran out of ink and it’s looking just like I wanted. It has a ribbon in both fitment compartments to pull up the cards, the envelope holding the instruction booklet and alternative games booklet. All fitted neatly into the book box design. I’m still thinking of a way to keep the lid closed. I had thought I would have to use magnets, but I didn’t want to use them if possible. I have a couple of alternatives but I’ll also see if Card Couture can offer any advice.
Oh and the fitment box has a page from The Inimitable Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse available at Project Gutenberg . The writing is on both the top of the fitment box and the interior underneath the cards so you can read the full page without interruption. More details and an update very soon!
So thumbs up to Card Couture and hopefully I’m one step closer to getting a proper prototype I can take to play testing and drop into the hands of reviewers!