Critical Kit

Hey there,

I hope Monday is treating you kindly.

For this update, I'm taking a break from Wires in the Woods to ask for your input on another game.

Some of you may have heard of my award-winning solo RPG Be Like a Crow which was first published in 2021 (if not you can grab it at the same time you pledge).

Well, after 3 years of promising, I have finally put the multiplayer version on my development schedule. It will come to BackerKit sometime in March, shortly after Wires has fufilled.

However, it currently only has a working title of "Project Blackfeather". That's why I'm coming to you with a poll for the current names we have, plus the opportunity to throw your own ideas in the pot.

I've attached the poll to the this update and I'd be grateful if you could take a moment to give me your feedback.

I'll be back later this week with more Wires news (hopefully that we have smashed the 70k stretch goal), but in the meantime, take care of yourself.

Tim x

Hey there,

Eighteen months ago, I took my games to a comic con in Manchester. It was here I first met Simon J. Curd, an artist whose work blew me away the first time I saw it. After a minute of standing in a fugue like state, taking in the amazing creatures and wonderful scenarios he had put them in, I decided to purchase "Cover to Cover".



Being a writer, my immediate question to him was "What is the story behind these creatures?".

Simon surprised me by telling me that there was no lore. However, he did have a clear idea of what the creatures were doing in the here and now. I ran back to my booth, taped his business card to an A4 legal pad, and began writing down questions and making notes. You can see my orginal notes above.

Two hours later, I ran back round to Simon's booth and presented my notes, asking him if he wanted to create a game.

He said yes.

I am so grateful that I came across Simon's work and that he had confidence in me to create lore, mechanics and stories that would do justice to his creations. Over the past few months, working with him has been a joy.

Most of what we do is over WhatsApp or the occassional video call (we have managed to sneak a couple of chats during conventions). Whilst I concentrate on the words, Simon brings inspiration through his art. We do occassionally step into each other's domains. Simon will discuss rule choices with me and suggest changes. I will offer up my ideas for creative direction. This has been my first collaboration and it feels like a true meeting of creative minds. Long may that continue.

A few weeks ago, Simon played his first role-playing game... it was his own! And, you know what? I pretty sure he really enjoyed it.

I hope our passion and hard work shines through in this game We ultimately have one goal with Wires in The Woods -- it's something I aspire to with all of my games -- to inspire you to create.

Sorry if this update is a bit meandering. Those of you who have backed my previous campaigns know that my updates can wander off on occassion.

I suppose what I really want to say is this:

Thank you for your support. Without you, independent creators like us would struggle to make a living from what we love to do. We do not take you for granted and we will always do the best we can for you.

Tim x

(and I'm sure I speak on behalf of Simon, too!)

Hey there,

I woke up to the news that we'd hit our 50k stretch goal, so thank you to everyone who has backed and/or spread the word.

Every backer now receives STL files of the forager miniatures so they can 3D print their own. There are five in total: Scamper (featured in our Quick Start), Burrow, Trample, Swoop and Scurry). I introduced you to them all in the previous update.

But we're not done. From here on, the stretch goals get chunkier. At 70k, Simon is adding background artwork to all 5 pieces of art in the print pack. That stands for both physical and digital copies, so everyone will see this beautiful level of detail added to their rewards.



Here's an example of Simon's art with full backgrounds:



That's all for this update. Once again, thank you to everyone for showing us so much love and support. And remember, if you aren't in a position to support Wires in The Woods financially, tell a friend! You can always borrow their copy ;)

Hasta la proxima!

Tim x

Hey there,

Now we are over 24 hours into our campaign, the foragers' curiosity is quelling their shyness. They are ready to meet you. But which forager is most like you? There's a poll attached to this update so you can let us know.

Here they all are, again. Below the image is a brief description of each one

Do any of those sound like you? Let us know in the poll, which one calls to you. Or, why not make up your own forager and tell us about them in the comments?

Now is also a good time to remind you that there is less than 24 hours left to pledge if you want to receive a signed bookplate in your reward.


Finally, we are almost at the 50k mark. This means in the next few hours we are likely to pass the stretch goal that gives all backers a free set of STL files to 3D print their own minis!


That's all for this update, but please do tell your friends about our game if you think they might like it. It's your support that helps us bring things like this to the world.

Until next time!

Tim

Hey there,

While I was sleeping, our wonderful supporters pushed us over the 30k mark! This means everyone gets a five pieces of art depicting each playable forager. Physical backers will receive a6 prints on recycled paper. Digital backers will receive high quality PDFs.



Our next stop is 50k which sees the STL files for the minis added to every reward (physical and digital)!



I'm also going to be running a poll today, part of our commitment to involve backers in the process of making this project even better than it already is. Watch out for that and get involved. Your input matters.

That's all for now. I'll be back with another update soon.

Have a wonderful day.

Tim