The Rulebook Arrives!
about 2 years ago – Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 03:37:56 AM

Hey guys! For those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! And for those of you in the rest of the world, I hope you have a great start to the holiday season.

Today, we have another special treat for you: the rulebook for Dawn of Madness! There are still a few minor tweaks that will likely be made to it (and I will be going through it again in this final form to try to spot any small problems that may have crept in.) There are also a couple of pages missing where some components for the wanderers we're now finishing are still being finalized. But this should be very close to the rulebook you'll get in your copy. 

We have provided two versions of the rulebook: one that's a single-page layout and one that's a double-page full spread. I recommend reading the single-page one but looking at the other to get an idea of how the rulebook will look in the final book.

Without further ado, here's the rulebook!

Dawn of Madness Rulebook Preview (Single Page)

Dawn of Madness Rulebook Preview (Double Page)

I hope you enjoy flipping through the rulebook and that it helps clear up any remaining doubts about how this game plays. (You can also check out our last update here if you want to see some of this played out in video form.)

We don't have much more to go over in this update today, apart from a quick story-progress update. Currently, Claude's wanderer stage stories are written, and we are working to organize, edit, and proofread them. Meanwhile, Lynas is about 50% written at this point. 

I know this has been a short one today, but I hope that rulebook helps to make up for it. So, once again, have a great Thanksgiving to those in the US and a great holiday season to everyone everywhere. We'll talk to you again soon!

A Halloween Treat! (Gameplay Videos)
over 2 years ago – Tue, Nov 01, 2022 at 07:09:17 AM

Happy Halloween, my friend! I hope you had a great October. We'll hopefully cap it off for you in style, too, with a special treat! That's right. Today, we have gameplay videos for you!

This series consists of three videos. The first video is an overview that also goes through a good chunk of the game's setup and explains the components' functions. The second video is a gameplay video that shows three rounds of gameplay, complete with teaching and explanations of what's happening. And the third video shows a little peak at one of the finales. 

The second video, in particular, is pretty long because I spend quite a bit of time going through what everything does. There are also quite a few (early game) spoilers in the second video, though I try to mark them all when they come up. (No, three game rounds do not take two hours in a typical game session. LOL!) I also heard there was some static either in this video or the next. My apologies for that. I'm not sure how it snuck through. 

Finally, the third video focuses on a finale, but I do everything in my power not to spoil what's going on in it. So, while there are likely some mild spoilers in it, there are no full-on spoilers. (Because of that, there isn't a lot of actual finale gameplay, but that's a trade-off I had to make to keep things fresh for you when you get your game.)

One other point on these videos: while they cover many of the game's basic mechanics and gameplay, they don't show all of the intricacies, surprises, and depth that you'll find in it. (For instance, I almost showed you what it's like to be trapped in the game, but I took a different fork down one of the encounters and missed it.) Every wanderer's story plays differently, too, functioning according to its own rules - to say nothing of the finales. So don't worry: there's still plenty more to uncover in the full game when you get it.

So, without further ado, let's get into

The Gameplay Videos!

This first video covers how to set up the game, and some overview of the different mechanics and components.

This second video covers three rounds of gameplay, with explanations of how everything works and some of the strategies you can employ in Dawn of Madness. I've marked every spoiler with a tag, so it's easy to skip if you want to keep the story elements a surprise.

This third video covers the finales - or, more specifically, Emily's ending B. This focuses on some of the mechanics and how the finales work, and I have done everything I can to keep it spoiler-free. (Having said that, there still may be some mild ones.) Because of this, though, there isn't a lot of actual gameplay in this video.

I hope you enjoyed these videos and that they helped give you a better idea of what to expect from Dawn of Madness. Now let's look at where we are in the story progression.

Progress Update

Catherine

Catherine's wanderer stage has been finalized, and only needs a final edit before it's in the bag. We're making progress on the finale stages, too. (I had to focus on some other things recently, which is why they're not completely finished - such as the videos up above, which took quite a bit of time. For reference, this is actually the fourth take on the gameplay video. Lol!)

Claude

The initial writing on Claude's wanderer stage is finished. We're now tweaking it and finalizing it, then we'll move on to his finales.

Lynas

Lynas is about 50% done now and is progressing smoothly.

That's it for the progress update, but that's not all we have for you today: We also have some new art!

New Art

This art comes from Catherine's story, in case you couldn't tell.

Okay, that's it for this update! Once again, I hope you enjoyed those videos, and we'll talk with you again soon. And, once more, Happy Halloween!

DoM Timeline Update (Take Two)
over 2 years ago – Thu, Oct 27, 2022 at 02:44:59 AM

Hi there! So, earlier today I posted an update that was titled DoM Timeline Update, and then I completely forgot to mention anything about the timeline. My bad, guys. I've pasted the previous update we posted below, so you don't have to go searching for it to read what it contained (if you didn't check it out yet.) But let's get the stuff I missed first. 

Taking into account the information presented below, our current estimates are for delivery in Q2 2023 at the very latest. (Our hope, though, is to ship in Q1 if everything goes well.) This delivery will include the wave one content, which is:

• The Core Game
• The Otherworld Miniature Box (The Core Game Minis)
• Faces of the Sphere and Its Crossover Pack
• Sentience Dice Packs
• The Neoprene Game Mat
• Metal Sentience Token Packs
• Deep Madness Crossover Pack I

Another question I've been asked is regarding the translated versions. So, here's where that stands. We aren't waiting for the game to be totally finished before starting the translations. We're doing it piece-by-piece as something is completed. As such, our goal is to ship the translated versions of DoM a few months after the English version, rather than a year or so after it (as is often the case for translated games.)  

The wave two content will be further out - likely at least a year after the wave one delivery. There will be four more books in the expansions which, even if we shorten them, will still take time to do. (We will likely bring on board additional writers to help with those, as well.) We also still need to make steel molds for the wave two minis and finalize the wanderers' components (just as we're doing for the wave one content.)

Okay, with that said, here is the original update:

We have another update for you today besides the live stream I did a couple of days ago. (You can see it here if you missed it - or had to step away during part of the insanely long, four-hour behemoth. The Dawn of Madness-specific section was nearer to the end, starting around the 2-hour 30-minute mark, though you could probably come in around 2-hours 45-minutes and not miss much.) This update will lay out specific points on where we are and the game's progress. Let's jump in.

Miniature Production

As mentioned previously, the wave-one miniature manufacturing is complete, including all the copies of the core game miniature box and The Faces of the Sphere crossover expansion. These boxes are being stored in the factory's warehouse and are ready to go once the printed materials finish.

Game Development

• Story Progress

With the additional writers now on the team, we are working on all of the remaining wanderers simultaneously. Here is a breakdown of where every wanderer is currently:

Emily Hawkins: 100% finished. Her story is completed, and all gameplay elements have been tested and are playable.

Catherine Little: 90% finished. Her wanderer stage stories are finished, and her endings are in-development. The wanderer stage stories have been tested and are playable. It'll be completed within one month.

Claude Reinhardt: 80% finished. His wanderer stage stories are nearing completion, and we are finalizing them. He should be finished within two months.

Lynas Gershwin: 30% finished. We have begun writing his stories and have had a good, smooth start. We estimate him to be completed in approximately three months.

• Game Design and Testing

Abominations: We are finalizing the last of the abominations' rules.

Wanderer-Specific: We still need to test the stories' gameplay after we finish all of the stories, particularly for the finale stages.

Everything Else: We have finished all the game development apart from these aspects.

• Graphic Design and Layout

General Components: The general components' graphic designs and layouts are finished.

Emily's Components: Emily's components are finished.

Other Wanderers' Components: The other wanderers' components are being developed alongside their wanderers.

Rulebook: We finished editing the rulebook last week. We are currently working on its layout.

Next Steps

• I received a new gameplay sample late last week, which I showed off/unboxed on the live stream. Now that I have that, I will make a new video explaining how the new rules work and show you the revised gameplay. (As previously noted, this will have spoilers in it.)
• After we finish the rulebook's layout, we'll upload it for you to check out in a future update. (Is it weird to say I'm excited about the rulebook? Maybe so. I guess it's just such a far cry from the previous one that I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.)
• We are continuing to work on the stories and their associated gameplay elements. We hope to finish them earlier than expected.

All told, the core game will likely be around 350,000 words long (80,000 to 100,000 words per story) and include over 1,000 cards. It has undoubtedly grown far beyond our initial projections for it. We are keenly aware of the delays this game has suffered (both caused by us and beyond our control), and we thank you for your continued patience with us and this project. I think it's safe to say there's finally a light at the end of the (very long) tunnel.

Okay, that's it for this update! We'll be back shortly with more - hopefully including a new rulebook! Have a great week, and we'll talk with you again soon.

DoM Timeline Update
over 2 years ago – Tue, Oct 25, 2022 at 07:30:18 AM

Hey guys! We have another update for you today besides the live stream I did a couple of days ago. (You can see it here if you missed it - or had to step away during part of the insanely long, four-hour behemoth. The Dawn of Madness-specific section was nearer to the end, starting around the 2-hour 30-minute mark, though you could probably come in around 2-hours 45-minutes and not miss much.) This update will lay out specific points on where we are and the game's progress. Let's jump in. 

Miniature Production

As mentioned previously, the wave-one miniature manufacturing is complete, including all the copies of the core game miniature box and The Faces of the Sphere crossover expansion. These boxes are being stored in the factory's warehouse and are ready to go once the printed materials finish. 

Game Development

• Story Progress

With the additional writers now on the team, we are working on all of the remaining wanderers simultaneously. Here is a breakdown of where every wanderer is currently:

Emily Hawkins: 100% finished. Her story is completed, and all gameplay elements have been tested and are playable.

Catherine Little: 90% finished. Her wanderer stage stories are finished, and her endings are in-development. The wanderer stage stories have been tested and are playable. It'll be completed within one month.

Claude Reinhardt: 80% finished. His wanderer stage stories are nearing completion, and we are finalizing them. He should be finished within two months. 

Lynas Gershwin: 30% finished. We have begun writing his stories and have had a good, smooth start. We estimate him to be completed in approximately three months.

• Game Design and Testing

Abominations: We are finalizing the last of the abominations' rules.

Wanderer-Specific: We still need to test the stories' gameplay after we finish all of the stories, particularly for the finale stages.

Everything Else: We have finished all the game development apart from these aspects.

• Graphic Design and Layout

General Components: The general components' graphic designs and layouts are finished.

Emily's Components: Emily's components are finished.

Other Wanderers' Components: The other wanderers' components are being developed alongside their wanderers.  

Rulebook: We finished editing the rulebook last week. We are currently working on its layout.

Next Steps

• I received a new gameplay sample late last week, which I showed off/unboxed on the live stream. Now that I have that, I will make a new video explaining how the new rules work and show you the revised gameplay. (As previously noted, this will have spoilers in it.) 
• After we finish the rulebook's layout, we'll upload it for you to check out in a future update. (Is it weird to say I'm excited about the rulebook? Maybe so. I guess it's just such a far cry from the previous one that I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.)
• We are continuing to work on the stories and their associated gameplay elements. We hope to finish them earlier than expected.

All told, the core game will likely be around 350,000 words long (80,000 to 100,000 words per story) and include over 1,000 cards. It has undoubtedly grown far beyond our initial projections for it. We are keenly aware of the delays this game has suffered (both caused by us and beyond our control), and we thank you for your continued patience with us and this project. I think it's safe to say there's finally a light at the end of the (very long) tunnel.

Okay, that's it for this update! We'll be back shortly with more - hopefully including a new rulebook! Have a great week, and we'll talk with you again soon.

Live Stream of Awesomeness Incoming!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Oct 25, 2022 at 07:22:42 AM

Hey guys! I will be live streaming today at 1 pm PDT (8 pm GMT), and I'd love it if you could join me! I'll have lots of Dawn of Madness stuff to show off, finalized Celestial minis, and some exciting Deep Madness news! 

For Dawn of Madness specifically, I received a new sample yesterday (complete with a component we haven't revealed previously), as well as all of the finished core minis in the Otherworld box! If you have questions about gameplay, this is a great time to get a deep-dive look. 

I'll be live on YouTube and Facebook. You can find the video links below:

In other news, we finished editing the rulebook yesterday, and are now finalizing the layout. We should have that to show you all shortly!

Talk to you again soon, and I hope to see you on the live stream!