Late Pledge Store - Umami Friends: The Card Game

Umami Friends - Quick Update
5 days ago – Sat, Mar 28, 2026 at 08:45:25 AM

What’s up Umami Friends!

Just wanted to give a quick check-in now that things are moving again.

Our manufacturer has been back from Lunar New Year since mid-March, and we’ve been going back and forth getting everything lined up for print and logistics. They have a few projects ahead of Umami Friends in the queue, but everything is progressing. Right now, we’re still in the compliance testing / proofing phase, and we’ll be reviewing some of the proofed samples in early April.

I know some other Kickstarter projects have been affected by tariffs again. I really don’t want to shift the timeline any further, so unless something drastic changes, I’m staying course. I don’t want to introduce additional delays and I'm sorry it's already taking so long in the first place.

We’ve got 89% of orders locked in on BackerKit! If you haven’t finalized your survey yet, please take a moment to do so when you can.

More soon—appreciate you all very very much.
Andy
 

Umami Friends New Year Update! Some Production Delays, Timeline Update
3 months ago – Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 06:51:57 AM

Production & Timeline Update

Hello Umami Friends! 
In the last update, the plan was to move into production between the holidays and Chinese New Year. Unfortunately, a couple of things have shifted that timeline. Production will now wrap up after Chinese New Year, not before. 

I hate bringing news of delays, as the community has been so so supportive and I just want to get you your games!! But as a first-time creator I'm prioritizing the long-term plan of Umami Friends over fulfillment speed, as I have huge, lofty goals for Umami Friends in the future.

Compliance Testing Progress

Compliance testing on some of the add-ons is taking longer than expected. This is normal, but it’s not something I want to rush. These tests make sure materials, finishes, and components meet required safety and import standards, and certain items simply take more time to clear than others. I’d rather let that process fully finish now than risk issues later during fulfillment.

Holofoil Materials & New Samples

My manufacturer has also updated their holofoil source. Because holo materials can significantly affect color, contrast, and overall print quality, I’m getting an additional round of samples using the new material.

I’m being extra meticulous here—holofoils are one of the most sensitive parts of the production process, and I want to be absolutely confident before we lock anything in.

Chinese New Year

With Chinese New Year approaching, the manufacturer shuts down for about a month. Since we can't complete fulfillment before then, production will complete after CNY, and then the fulfillment process will begin shortly thereafter.

BackerKit Timeline Update

Because of this shift, I’m updating the BackerKit timeline so that orders will lock in by February instead of January. I'll send a reminder for those who haven't completed their survey closer to the date. I know delays are never fun news to hear, and I really appreciate your patience here. The upside is that this gives us a cleaner, more predictable production run once things restart after the holiday.

Looking Ahead!!

I have really big goals for Umami Friends long-term, and have been biding time working on expansion packs, lore, single-player versions, and game balance. I even have a friend developing an online version.

Thank you so much for your patience, trust, and continued support. It means more to me than I can express. I can’t wait to get Umami Friends into your hands, and I’m deeply grateful you’re on this journey with me. 

-Andy

 

 

Umami Friends - Backerkit Pledge Manager is Live!
8 months ago – Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 09:19:49 AM

Hey Umami Friends,

Happy Umami Monday! The pledge manager is live!

The BackerKit survey email has been sent, you should see it within the next 24 hours.

Fulfillment Update

I'm sorry for the delays. I wanted to make sure we have a good idea of the fulfillment timeline so everyone can put in their add-ons and addresses accordingly. Fulfillment will now begin Q1 2026. 

After the tariff update, I considered trying to squeeze production and fulfillment in before the holidays. But overlapping with the holidays means higher risk of fulfillment issues + higher freight costs.

While I’m not happy about the delay, I do feel much more comfortable with the extra breathing room. This gives me time for another round of manufacturing samples, which I'm really happy about as I get to test a few more new holofoil materials for the cards.

Important Pledge Manager Details

• Shipping Country: Make sure to select your country in BackerKit. If you skip this, the system may default to “Rest of World,” which can make shipping look way higher than it actually is.
• Address: You can update your address anytime while the pledge manager is open, so don’t stress if you might move before fulfillment.
• Apple ID: If you backed using an Apple ID email, you may first get an email from BackerKit asking for a different email address before you get your actual survey. If anything’s acting weird, just reach out to me and I’ll sort it out.

Thanks for all your patience and support through this manufacturing year. I’m feeling good about where we’re headed, and I can’t wait to get these games in your hands.

Thank you all again. Appreciate you very much.

- Andy

Umami Friends - Tariff Update
10 months ago – Mon, May 26, 2025 at 09:54:04 PM

Hey Umami Friends,

This Umami Monday is all about how tariffs are affecting production and fulfillment.

After Stonemaier Games revealed they were hit with $1.5 million in unexpected fees due to the new 145% tariff rate, I made the decision to delay production. This kind of volatility is completely unprecedented—and as many regular Kickstarter board game backers already know, it’s impacting nearly every ongoing project right now.

Now that there’s a 90-day pause on the steepest tariffs and rates are temporarily back down to 30%, I’m cautiously getting back into my manufacturer’s production queue.

That said, the earlier high tariff rate has already created ripple effects. Some freight routes are dealing with up to two-month backlogs, so shipping timelines are still very much in flux.

Here’s a great article that summarizes the situation.

So, how does this affect Umami Friends?

I’ve been holding off on launching the pledge manager while all this tariff chaos played out—but I plan to open it soon, regardless of where we’re at in the production queue. It’s been long enough, and I want to keep things moving.

As for fulfillment: I’m going to see how production is looking to squeeze in this 90-day tariff pause, but given the uncertainty around logistics and freight, I’m also making backup plans that push fulfillment into 2026 if needed. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more.

Game Updates

Gameplay Balance for the Base Set and Eggspansion Packis finalized.

The community has been extremely helpful in refining the rulebook. Special huge thanks to Skyler Cash for all the Editing and Useability Consulting.

Spending a little more time on small details. The Umi language is getting even more developed, and now can be used to write full recipes in!

Thanks so much for sticking with me. I appreciate you all greatly.

- Andy

Umami Friends Recap! First look at the updated player mats!
12 months ago – Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 08:24:53 AM

What's up Umami Friends!

Quick update:

• Plushies are produced.
• Cards and rulebook will be finalized as of 5/5.
• Art is virtually complete — we’re just in final touch mode now.
• Pledge manager is still on hold while we refine the shipping plan (tariffs = chaos).
• Manufacturing plan has remained the same.

I am so so happy with the player mats!!!

I’m continuing to hold off on the pledge manager until the last minute. I’m hoping things settle down with tariffs in the next month or so. Either way, production is staying on schedule. I’ll be making extra games, mats, plushies, etc., so add-ons won’t be affected — you’ll still be able to grab add-ons when the pledge manager opens.

There are about two weeks left before everything is officially locked in. I’m doing a ton of in-person playtesting right now to finalize the balance, and it’s feeling really good. After May 5th, everything will be final. I'm so excited to share!

I am keeping the Tabletop Simulator updated with the latest balance tweaks. As always, I’m around on Discord and email if you have any questions. And if you’ve got thoughts on the game or balance ideas, definitely send them my way!

– Andy