Our Story
Inspiration
(1/2/22)
Inspiration for the game came from a series of Pokémon-like games, including Pokémon itself. We were intrigued by the branched-evolution system of a kickstarter project named Kindred Fates (somewhat reminiscent of Digimon), and wanted to build a game around type-matchups like Pokémon or Tem Tem.
Idea
(1/7/22)
Where Milestone began to differentiate itself was with the Milestone Board (though it hadn’t taken that shape, yet). The idea was to make achievements part of the core gameplay loop: Do a unique action, get a Milestone. And we wanted different rewards for different achievements (like the branched evolutions in Kindred Fates), which would feed back into themselves. Eventually, these ideas would culminate into the base game and advanced play.
Brainstorming
(1/8/22)
Brainstorming began with listing type-matchups in other monster-taming games and trying to determine how the types of our game would counter or synergize with each other. Pretty early on in development, the idea of making types based off of physical forces felt right for the design.
More Brainstorming
(1/10/22)
The original name for the game was “Delta Soul” when the idea was still closely related to monster taming games. Achieving Milestones was referred to as “ascending souls” and the Milestone Paths were evolutionary trees. Then, when the game started to lean into the science-based theming, the fantasy-related language was dropped and the title was briefly changed to “Quantum Fields.”
Prototyping
(1/17/22)
Finally, with a solid idea of how the game would work and what its theme would be, an early prototype was built from a cardboard box. We wanted to get internal playtesting going as soon as possible from the point of idea: if it wasn’t fun, we wanted to follow the principle of “fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.” Fortunately, it was fun! And so serious work on the project began.
Designing
(2/16/22)
We played around with hand-drawn artwork to get an idea of what the card symbols might look like. Then drafted a word document with official rules (at that time) and basic vector art of what the cards could be.
More Designing
(5/22/22)
Inkscape was our software of choice for creating more professional-looking vector designs and after a few iterations, we arrived at a final look for the cards.
Even More Designing
(7/19/22)
The board was not so easy to design. Many, many iterations came and went before we landed on a design that was readable, yet attractive. The challenge was making a board that could communicate gameplay-relevant information without looking too busy or coming across too simple.
Market Prototypes
(7/26/22-1/4/23)
Almost exactly 1-year from the time of inception, with all the designing “done,” it was time to commission prototypes for market. We used the service at TheGameCrafter to manufacture our variants. Ultimately, we took a Goldilocks approach and chose the mid-size box and board; we wanted a product that had some heft, but was also portable. Just right!
Public Playtesting
(8/19/22-1/28/23)
With market prototypes in hand, it was time to bring the game to the public! We hosted a series of open playtests at our local gameshop and were able to schedule a focus-group playtest at a local college. The feedback on the game was immensely valuable. It was encouraging to receive early praise, but early criticism was essential to making the game better. We developed a short survey for our playtests and aggregated the data to get a feel for what worked and what didn’t. We streamlined the tutorial, tweaked the board artwork, updated the manual, and added a few other points to the base game thanks to this process.
Web Development and Gratitude
(Ongoing)
Before bringing the official game to market, we began building up the website and made a plan for “Steps Until Launch.” We also took a moment to recognize that this project was not done alone. Of course there were the friends and colleagues in the present that assisted throughout the process, but also the collaborators across time and space that paved the way for this game to exist. Bringing an idea to reality has always been a challenge, but the democratization of design has never been greater. It has allowed independent developers like us to flourish. Thank you Krita, Inkscape, Unity, Visual Studio, Youtube, Kickstarter, and TheGameCrafter. You are making games like this possible.
Release
(5/21/23)
1 year and 5 months from the point of inception, Milestone: Fundamental Forces has made it to release! Our idea is now a reality, how cool is that?!
Re-Release!
(5/28/25)
2 Years and 1 week from the date of our initial release, we are now ready to reintroduce Milestone: Fundamental Forces to the public! We have redesigned card art, new gameplay mechanics, a streamlined format, and a game that is finally what it was always headed towards: a competitive card battler. We are immensely proud of the last two years of work and excited to see where Milestone goes from here!
Most Recent Updates
Re-Release!
5-28-25
Two years and 1 week from our initial release, we are putting Milestone back into the open with updated art, deeper gameplay, and a redesigned website! We hope you enjoy the new Milestone: Fundamental Forces!
Revision Incoming!
3-4-24
We have moved from NY to CO, and with a new state comes a new release! Based off the feedback we collected in our initial run, we have decided to revise Milestone:
• updated battle card mechanics!
• more variety in objectives!
• new artwork and major boons included in the base set!
Newcomer Events
6-1-23
Sundays throughout June we will be hosting free-play events at Champion Card Collector. Check out our schedule on the Events page!
Update History
2025
5-28 • “Re-Release!” Two years and 1 week from our initial release, we are putting Milestone back into the open with updated art, deeper gameplay, and a redesigned website! We hope you enjoy the new Milestone: Fundamental Forces!
2023
5-21 • “Launch Day” The in-store launch date has been set as 5/21/23! Come join us at Champion Card Collector (43 Vassar Road, Poughkeepsie) for a day of:
– Free Game Demos!
– Competitive Matches!
– Discounted Prices (15% off)!
We’ll be there all day Sunday from 10a-5p. Can’t wait to see you there!
4-30 • “Ready for Sale” We are very excited to share that the game has officially launched online! You can purchase your copy now by following the Purchase link in the nav-menu (top of page). We’ve also received our first 50 physical units from TheGameCrafter and will be stocking in Champion Card Collector soon!
3-30 • “Building Up Behind the Scenes” This month we’ve focused on building up more of our online presence. The official youtube channel has been launched (!!) and we have all of our tutorials up and ready! Check us out @gamesbyguy on YouTube.
2-18 • “Try-Before-You-Buy!” Our February Try-Before-You-Buy event went excellently! We had a lot of newcomers learning the game and were happy to see some returners, too! Can’t wait to catch you at the next one!
1-30 • “Steps ‘Till Launch” As we approach our launch-date, we will be continuing to host newcomer events at Champion Card Collector in Poughkeepsie. Keep an eye on the Events page so you don’t miss out (our next event is coming mid-february)!
2022
12-5 • “Happy Holidays!” We hope you are enjoying time with friends and family this holiday season! We’ve put a pause on development this month, but will be back on the grind come the new year. See you in 2023!
11-25 • “New Box” After some deliberation, we have decided to shrink down the game box and alter the board slightly. We want the game to be portable, so we are going with a new, 8.5x5in box!
10-29 • “Incredi-ble Time!” We just finished up our showcase at the RCK Incredi-con event. Shout out to everyone who stopped by the booth and tried our game!
9-5 • “Starting Out” We’ve completed our first public playtest! Thank you so much to everyone who tried out the game. Your feedback is already making the game better: as an upcoming change, we have decided to include 15 Major Boons in the base game so that newcomers can try out Advanced Play!
8-18 • “Website Launched!” This is the first update post. In this section, I will be posting development updates for current projects.