Video Summary - Piotrek pyta... || Portal Games - Grzegorz Polewka || Aktualizacja, newsy z wydawnictwa || Live PN

Overview

This video is a live “Piotrek asks” interview with Grzegorz Polewka from Portal Games. The discussion focuses on Portal Games publishing updates, including:

Release timing (especially Q4)
Recent and upcoming board game premieres
Explanations for delays caused by printing/logistics and localization
A recurring message that dates are approximate and may shift due to production and factory communication.

Key points / main announcements

1) Portal Games schedule & big upcoming events

Portalcon: 23 January
- The venue is indicated as “Silesian Stadium / Stadion Silesian”; exact details may still change.
- Teaser mentions sneak peeks and secrets, plus limited tickets.
Update cadence
- They plan to announce additional items around Portalcon and confirm more details closer to the dates.
Release quarters
- Many launches after late October are treated as Q4 (“fourth quarter”) without exact day-level dates due to production uncertainty.

2) Premiere highlights in the near term

Skrzatowice (premiere around Katowice/Spodek; “absolutely not a surprise” for the audience)
- Described as a small-but-crazy game for 2–5 players
- Plays in about 30–40 minutes
- Characterized by many mini decisions and an experience “like big games”
- They expect reviews and encourage watching upcoming premiere material on their channel.
Covenant (premiere Thursday)
- Portal Games already has copies in circulation.
- Polewka emphasizes it’s a heavy, very substantial box (weighty cardboard).
- Focus on replayability and gameplay depth (territorial/planning theme implied).

3) Recent releases: reception and perspective

Slay the Spire – Collectors Edition
- They view it positively.
- It previously had limited circulation, described as available “with you/through a channel,” not broadly in stores.
Paris (add-on)
- Framed as an add-on, so it’s harder to attract people who aren’t already fans of that campaign universe.
Revenant (expansion/add-on) for Slay the Spire
- Polewka discusses online controversy: some people disliked the first batch.
- He personally recommends it, describing it as tough and worth trying.
- Mentions interactions/options and supplements.

4) “Save the Robot” (studio game by Eric Nowak) — mechanics and planned availability

Origin / partnership
- The project came from a designer camp and aligned with Portal Games’ interest in the two-player space.
Core concept
- Two-sides communication via double-sided action cards
- You play “good robots” vs “guard robots”
- Communication is non-verbal through the selected card actions
Campaign structure
- 5 campaigns
- Each has 6 scenarios
- Some are quick: 15–20 minutes
- Replayability comes from changing card draws
Timing
- English premiere at Essen (SCN) first
- Polish premiere later, discussed as end of October / early November

5) “Many Bones / Under Tomb / Polaris / expansion line” (and big box questions)

They confirm shipping is underway for several parts of a line, with store presence and Essen following.
They discuss adding additional characters and expansions, emphasizing that:
- you’ll eventually get a cohesive offering, but
- separate product availability may depend on print cycles and convention schedules.
Big box
- Not yet priced/confirmed.
- They hope for a later announcement (likely next year).

6) Major localization/printing issues and why some releases slip

Polewka repeatedly explains delay causes, including:

Factories not starting printing when expected
Delayed or insufficient proof submissions
Factory communication breakdowns
Late discovery of localization/translation changes (e.g., layout/element naming or mismatched parts)
Sometimes needing to reassemble or reprint due to production mistakes

Examples discussed:

Mordred
- Missed expected October timing due to a logistics/production mistake involving folded board/map components
- Required reprinting and reassembly
Elder Scrolls / a highly sensitive “hot” project
- Described as suffering from factory silence after July proofs
- Portal Games stresses they are checking carefully to avoid errors

7) “Innovation / Token availability / gate sticker issues”

Innovation (token availability)
- Address confusion about wooden token availability
- Tokens were said to be sold later
- They explain why token timing can be postponed or limited due to printing feasibility and reserve stock availability
Wrotchu / Gate packaging/accessory issues
- They mention missing elements could be handled via:
  - updates on the publisher website, or
  - printed sticker corrections,
  - rather than releasing new manuals

8) Bigger Q4–Q1 pipeline (many titles and “what’s in/what’s next”)

The interview includes a long list of planned releases and reprints across Q4/Q1/Q2, including:

Dune: War for Arrakis
- Described as very close
- Waiting for transport and full sets for pre-order
- Mentions synchronization differences between English and Polish timelines
Neuroshima Hex
- New expansion (“number 21”)
- Celebration-related tournament activities
Ars / Ark / expansion
- Contract and production readiness discussed
- 2027 target framed as currently realistic
Primal
- Expansion/reprint planning in early 2027
- Card correction packs and distribution-by-inclusion strategy
Spirit Island
- Discussion about possible reissue/edition changes
- Uncertainty remains due to publisher rights and price/graphics decisions
Entropy (Borden Dice)
- Poland edition expected simultaneously with English
- Timed to end of October (international printing emphasis)
Great Library
- Expected in December if production and mass check pass
Lacerda older titles
- Reprints discussed
- Hint that Portalcon could bring announcements depending on agreed printing volumes
Slay the Spire
- Collector success drives continued reprints and supplement plans

9) Asmodi/Zombie/Dead of production changes

They explain that line continuity can change when the IP owner changes:

After a Simon → Asmodi ownership shift, some lines (e.g., Zombies, Deathm Die) had different outcomes.
Mentions verbal promises, but no final specifics yet for some items.

This results in a “stable vs conditional” approach for releases until contracts and factory schedules are confirmed.

10) New campaign / Gamefound (Portal Games) — timing and philosophy

Portal Games launches/has launched a Gamefound support campaign for an English market title, described as:
- an adaptation/modified two-player card game with a solo variant
Lessons learned they emphasize:
- avoid unrealistic stretch goals
- announce a game that’s ready at announcement time
- maintain a healthier cycle: roughly about a year after the campaign
Timing and testing
- Campaign start planned for November
- Essen may be a possible moment for play/testing

General themes / conclusions

Portal Games’ narrative: significant product movement, but delivery uncertainty is normal due to:
- factories
- translation workload
- proof/production communication
They aim to keep Polish releases aligned with international ones when possible, including simultaneous printing, to avoid needing later “fixes” only in one language version.
For high-demand items, they reiterate that they are working to meet schedules—even if they use Q4/Q1 labels instead of precise dates.

Presenters / contributors

Piotrek — interviewer; hosts the “Piotrek pyta…” series
Grzegorz Polewka — Portal Games, main guest
Eric Nowak — creator/designer of “Save the Robot”
Jarek — referenced as producing premiere material for “Skrzatowice” on their channel
Chat participants — audience Q&A questions referenced throughout

Piotrek pyta... || Portal Games - Grzegorz Polewka || Aktualizacja, newsy z wydawnictwa || Live PN

Key takeaways