May Update! Playtests and Layouts!
about 4 years ago – Fri, May 06, 2022 at 02:18:24 AM

It's a new month, and you know what that means - Here's the latest from behind-the-scenes!

Playtests are in full swing! I've been having an absolute blast showing folks how the game has been shaping up, and it's been a joy to see the different approaches people have during play! It's also been massively helpful at finding the remaining rough edges, which is good considering that is basically the entire point of playtesting!

If you're interested in taking part in a playtest,  consider moseying on over to the Wintertide Games Discord server. Playtests will be continuing throughout the month, and it's a great place to chat with fellow tabletop enthusiasts!

Layouts are also coming along nicely! There's definitely more work to be done, but I am super happy with how the various elements are coming together on the page. You can see some examples of the current WIP layouts below!

My main efforts going forward will be finding ways to add some more texture and visual flourish to the page whilst keeping things clear and easy to read. This can sometimes be a hard line to tread, but I'm confident in my ability to pull it off! I really do think this will be my best work to date!

So yeah! Everything is proceeding according to schedule! I'm hoping to send out Kickstarter-side backer surveys for folks who backed at the Guide tier soon so y'all can submit your names, so keep an eye out for those...

Otherwise, that's all for today! Until next time,

~Jo out

Quick Update - Sketches!
about 4 years ago – Wed, Apr 20, 2022 at 03:04:38 AM

ART DROP!

As promised, I'm very excited to share Conner's first round of sketches! 

Enjoy!

April Update! Progress report! Text finished, edits underway!
about 4 years ago – Sun, Apr 17, 2022 at 05:25:36 AM

Hey folks! Apologies for the delay in getting this one out!

It's been a busy start of the month for me, so this is about a week later than I would have liked, but I am very pleased to say that things are proceeding according to schedule behind the scenes!

I handed the first draft over to Alex for the initial round of edits earlier this month, which she informs me are going well. In the meantime, I'll be conducting further playtests and getting started proper on layouts!

Our collaborators have also been hard at work! I recently received Sasha's first pass at her settings, and needless to say I am OBSESSED.

There is more than what I've shown here, but I want to keep some things a surprise!

Cerida's Peak is one of the pre-constructed settings included in the zine. Each setting includes a name and description, a picklist of traits, some example prompts, and an optional variant rule! Lantmouth-on-Sea, a setting based on *my* hometown, is shown below!

Also this week, Conner sent over some initial sketches for his illustrations! These consist of a couple of different compositions for each of the five pieces. From there, I will choose which I prefer for him to go away and work on further. I'm super happy with how well Conner has captured the tone of the game in all of the pieces I've seen, and am excited to see how they come together!

I had hoped to share the sketches with you today, but I'm waiting on some watermarked versions! Expect another small update in the next few days once I receive those! 

Next, an update on our timelines going forward. At time of writing, we're aiming at getting Backerkit surveys out to folks sometime in July. That said, at the rate things are progressing there's every possibility we could be ready sooner. We'll continue to keep you in the loop regarding any changes on that front, but for the time being, July!

Before we go, I want to highlight a project close to my heart.

TRANS F****ING RAGE JAM is a game jam organised by Sasha over on itch.io, with the aim of giving trans folks of all stripes license to make messy and emotional games about the trans experience!

At time of writing, there are 66 submissions from an incredible collection of designers, including my own 'YOU ARE A BEAST'. Go check them out!

That's all for today! Until next time,

~Jo out

Update - That's a wrap!
over 4 years ago – Thu, Mar 03, 2022 at 03:50:10 AM

And... That's a wrap!

I'm happy to announce that after our two week funding period, The Fall of Home is successfully funded, having raised £5,330 total! That's nearly double our funding goal! 

As a result, as well as the stretch goals we previously hit, we will be producing an accompanying soundtrack album, composed by Molly Noise!

Now that the scary part is over, I'll be taking a couple of days out to rest before gearing up to get this thing made! A huge thanks to everyone who backed - I'm incredibly proud of how well this campaign has gone, and looking forward for everyone to see the finished game!

That's all for today,

~Jo out

Update - Final 24 hours! Stretch Goals Hit!
over 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 03:08:05 PM

Hey folks! A quick update as we near the final stretch!

At time of writing, the amount pledged is sitting at £4,521! Which is insane! The attention this project has received has blown my expectations out the water, and I'm super excited to make this zine a reality!

As a result, I'm happy to announce that we've successfully funded the following stretch goals! ✨🎉✨

• £3000 - Two additional precon settings by Guest Writer Sasha Winter (no relation)!
• £3600 - More art by Conner Fawcett!
• £3800 - Two additional Walks by Chloe Montgomery!

I'm hard at work behind the scenes preparing briefs and coordinating with guest writers to make sure we're able to hit the ground running once the campaign wraps!

We're also getting fairly close to hitting our next goal - the soundtrack album by Molly Noise!

I'm super excited for this one - Molly consistently knocks it out the park with her work - and I think we have a very real chance of hitting it before end!

More Zine Month Highlights!

We're nearing the end of Zine Month now, but before it's over I want to shout out some more projects I think are worth your attention!

Stacks Of Goblins, by CobblePath Games

If you're looking for something lighthearted and fun, this is the game for you! Play as one of the goblins stacked inside a trenchcoat, with different abilities and responsibilities based on your position in the stack! The folks at CobblePath Games are great, and the sheer absurdity of the premise is a delight. Who doesn't want to be a wretched little creature sometimes?

You can back Stacks of Goblins over on itch.io

13 Hunters, by NuclearObelisk

How has this not funded yet?! 13 Hunters is a collection of 13 of the meanest bounty hunters you'll ever lay eyes on. All of them are beautifully illustrated and dripping with flavour! The zine itself is system agnostic, so any of its grizzled inhabitants can be used in sci-fi or fantasy games of your choosing!

You can back the project on Gamefound!

Once again, an enormous thanks to everyone who has backed so far! If you're as excited about the project as I am, consider sharing your support on social media!

I'll leave you with another snippet from the game, this time one of the preconstructed settings for quick-start play!

Have a great day,

~Jo out