Hotshots - A Cooperative Wildfire Fighting Game

🔥 New Samples Have Arrived!
22 days ago – Wed, Oct 14, 2026 at 02:08:11 PM

Hello, hello!

We’ve got another production update for you, and this time we have some sample sneak peeks to share! 

Let’s take a look at what’s been cooking behind the scenes.

🚒 This Just In: Samples, Samples, Samples

The latest samples include miniatures for all 8 firefighters across both Hotshots and Inferno, plus all 5 vehicles. The details came out quite nice on these, and we’re excited to see them coming together!

We also received the new magnetic frames for the tiles. Not only is the fit now perfect, but the magnets hold with just the right amount of tension.

Keep in mind that these test prints were molded in white. The finished frames will be a deep forest green, just as you voted for during the campaign.

The flame pin is looking nice!

The samples of the engraved dice look great, and the dice tower was one of our favorite samples to play with. It has an amazing presence on the table and sends the dice out with a very satisfying speed. We think it’s going to be a fun addition to game night.

The big news, though, is that we’ve finally worked out the flame tokens!

The base flame is a fun little blaze, while the light-up flames will bring a whole new shine to game night.

The batteries will go into a small cylinder inside the bottom of each light-up flame, sealed with a screw-on metal cap. The cap has a small loop on the bottom that you can grab and rotate to screw it closed. Once the cap is tightened, the light activates.

In order to pass safety testing, the light-up flames will ship without batteries. They use 2 LR41 batteries, which are commonly available and can be purchased in bulk packs.

While these samples were molded in white, both finished flame versions will be manufactured in translucent orange. That means the flame effect on the Deluxe flames will look even more amazing!

We’re relieved to have finally solved some of the trickiest issues with this project, and we can’t wait to see these pieces come together in their final form.

📦 What’s Next for Production?

We’re still waiting on a few other samples, including the coins, patch, dice trays, and Deluxe token bag. The factory is working on those now, and we expect to see them within the next week or two.

What this means is that despite including several extra months into our original production schedule to accommodate the more complex pieces, we won’t be able to meet our original December delivery timeline.

As you can see, we’re making progress, but until all the samples have been approved and we can give the go-ahead on full production, we can’t guarantee an exact completion date.

Our current estimate is that delivery will be pushed back by a month or two. However, rather than give you a date that might change again, we’re waiting until we have a firmer timeline from the factory. Approving the remaining samples is the next step toward getting that confirmed date and sharing it with you.

We know you’re eager to get Hotshots to the table, and we appreciate your patience and support as we work through these final steps. We want to make sure everything is right before production moves forward.

Thanks for sticking with us, and stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to bringing Hotshots to tables everywhere! 🚒🔥

Production Progress Check-In 🚒
about 2 months ago – Mon, Sep 14, 2026 at 08:49:22 AM

Summer is almost over, but the heat is still on and production is still well underway for Hotshots.

Digital samples of the pins, coins, and patch have all been approved, and the next step is receiving the physical samples for final approval.

Gen Con had so many exciting moments, including getting to see samples of the magnetic tile frames and light-up flames in action. It was very cool to see them working, but we spotted a few things that we needed to work on with the factory.

The magnetic frames needed some sizing updates to make sure they hold the tiles just right. And while the first version of the light-up flames looked amazing, they were simply too large. To get them down to a more usable size, we needed to find a new light source and redesign the flame model.

That process took a few weeks, but the latest version is much more compact and looks great!

We’re expecting to have the latest samples in hand within the next few weeks, and we’ll be back with more updates as soon as we can share them. 🔥

Production Progress Check-In 🔥
3 months ago – Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 06:32:00 AM

Hello, hello, it’s time for another quick production check-in for Hotshots! Things are still moving quickly behind the scenes.

Pay Over Time Surveys Are In

If you selected a Pay Over Time option during the campaign, your survey should have recently arrived in your inbox!

These surveys give us the information we need to keep your order on track as we move through production. If you haven’t completed yours yet, please take a moment to fill it out so we have everything we need from you.

Big Files Are Off to Production

On our end, we’ve also been busy finalizing files and sending some of the big pieces of Hotshots along to production.

It’s another step forward as we continue working toward getting the finished game into your hands!

Thanks, as always, for your patience and support. We’ll keep checking in as things progress, and we'll have more to share next month. 🧯

Production Progress Check-In 🧯
4 months ago – Tue, Jul 14, 2026 at 07:24:07 AM

Hello, hello!

It's time for a quick look behind the scenes as Hotshots continues moving through production. Our team has been hard at work making sure every part of the game is ready before we head into manufacturing.

Final Editorial & Art Passes

Right now, we're making our final editorial and art passes across the entire project.

This is where we make the last little tweaks, polish the layout, and make sure everything is exactly where it should be before files are finalized for production.

Magnetic Frames Are Looking Great!

We've also received our first factory test prints of the magnetic player frames, and we're so excited about how they're turning out!

These white prototype frames were printed so the factory could test the fit, construction, and magnetic functionality. Thanks to your votes during the campaign, the finished frames will be a deep forest green, and we think they're going to look fantastic on the table!

Light-Up Flames & Dice Tower

The factory is also continuing development of two of our most exciting deluxe upgrades: the light-up flame pieces and the dice tower.

We've received early 3D prints for both, and everything is progressing well. These prototypes allow us to evaluate the engineering, fit, and functionality before moving toward final production.

As always, thank you for your continued support and patience while we work to make Hotshots the best it can be. We'll be back with more production updates!

📋 Surveys and Smoke Tests 🔥🚒
5 months ago – Thu, Jun 18, 2026 at 07:05:24 AM

Attention, Hotshots!

We're beginning the next phase of the campaign: 

🔥 Survey Testing!

Over the next few days, we'll be sending out a small batch of smoke test surveys. This is a standard part of the process where we send surveys to a limited number of backers first to make sure everything is working correctly before rolling them out to everyone.

If you don't receive a survey right away, don't worry! Assuming everything goes smoothly, the remaining surveys will be sent shortly afterward.

Keep an eye on your inbox for an email from BackerKit.

📋 When your survey arrives, you'll be able to:
✅ Confirm your shipping information
✅ Review your pledge selections
✅ Add any available extras or upgrades
✅ Make sure everything looks correct before fulfillment moves forward

🔥 Missed the Campaign?

The Hotshots Second Edition pre-order store is now open!

If you missed the Kickstarter, or know someone who did, there's still time to secure your copy of Hotshots Second Edition and the Inferno Expansion. Check out the preorder store while it's open for a limited time. 

🔥 See Us at Origins!

The Fireside team is heading to Origins Game Fair this week!

If you're attending the show, stop by Booth 1317 to meet the creators behind Hotshots and the rest of the Fireside Games lineup. We'd love to say hello, answer your questions, and show you what we've been working on.

Thank you again for your incredible support throughout this campaign. We're excited to keep the momentum going and will continue sharing updates as production progresses. 🔥