Pre-order copies of the recently Kickstarted tabletop roleplaying game Realis, newly announced lifepath system Path Apparatus, forthcoming TTRPGs Cosmic Century Knights, Homecoming, and Chuck, or limited edition PWG shirts and prints! All items will ship in November of 2026, with shipping charged shortly beforehand for the most accurate rates. Estimates are $10-$20 US, $15-$25 international, although rates may be higher or lower depending on items ordered. Please keep these delayed costs in mind when pre-ordering.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Week 4 Update: Final 48 Hours + Layout Previews!
3 months ago
– Wed, Apr 29, 2026 at 01:37:16 PM
We're in the home stretch! Less than 48 hours remain in our campaign!
It's hard to find new words for my appreciation after a full month of fundraising, but I can't thank you all enough for supporting this campaign! We couldn't be more excited for folks to start reading and enjoying this book—whether as rules for a TTRPG, a collection of science-fantasy fiction, or a beautiful artbook. The campaign wraps at 11:59pm ET on April 30th, so you have until our calendars flip to May here on the east coast to get your pledges in.
That said, resist FOMO if it causes undue stress! Our funding day one, and reaching what looks to be 6x our goal pretty soon, means a bigger print run and wider distribution of this game as a whole. We can't guarantee it'll show up in your FLGS (we'll certainly try!) but can guarantee there will plenty of copies for sale via our webstore, distributors, and convention presences following the campaign. Your early support not only gives us better numbers to leverage more affordable prices and wider distribution, but it also buys time for folks who prefer or need to wait for retail before making a purchase!
I also wanted to talk more about layout!
Other than FOMO concerns, a comment I've seen in a few places are requests for samples of the book's interior layout! It's still a work in progress as I juggle running both a campaign and a company (as with the ashcan, I'm typesetting Realis personally) but I wanted to give you some insight and a preview before the campaign ends.
A number of you may already be familiar with the layout of the ashcan edition of Realis that released last year, and some have even made community content designed to work well with it (see the excellent Realis Moon Jam on itch.io). Very early on, Austin & I decided to stick with a similar formatting for the print book, in part to make it "backwards-compatible" with work mimicking the original layout, and in part because we really like it. Redaction remains the key typeface throughout, and I'll continue to use lines and columns of various widths and sizes to balance rules alongside flavor text and footnotes. Some pages will even remain the same post-updates!
The biggest difference between the full game's layout and the ashcan's is that there's much, much more. More art, more sections, more classes, more everything. And with that, comes two primary concerns:
Making sure spreads stay balanced
Making sure the book is easy to navigate
To help with both of those things, I've brought on Annie Johnston-Glick—one of our many talented artists elsewhere in the book—to help with decorative elements and illuminations. Recto pages will have indicators in the top right corner to help you flip to the sections you're looking for, and each section will have a bespoke collection of decorative elements to help activate pages as needed. Annie's work is still in progress, but here are a few WiP spreads to show what we're thinking (apologies for Kickstarter's awful compression—click for higher resolutions):
Our plan to distribute a full PDF of the game to all backers before the end of May, and while all of the key art for the game will be included, decorative elements may be added/updated as needed during pre-production between ready-to-play PDF distro in May and print run approval in June/July. That'll also be our "let us know if you catch any lingering typos" period before updating all PDFs to the final text & layout once the print run goes gold. This very well may be more inside baseball than you care about, but it's exciting to me! I firmly believe Realis is my best book design work to date, and adding in the expanded content and illustrations has already been a joy.
Speaking of joy, we have some more podcasts and interviews for you!
The third and final episode of our One Shot series dropped! I couldn't have hoped for better players (including Austin!) and this finale has some of our best moments brought to life with truly top-tier audio production. If you missed the first two episodes, you can find the full series here!
And as one series ends, another begins! Austin talked to another titan of TTRPG podcasting (and PWG author) James D'Amato on his Ultimate RPG podcast! They get into the nitty-gritty of artistic practices, podcasting choices, and game design/influence in part one of a two-part conversation.
Austin was also interviewed by Matt Caulder on the Whatcha Doing? podcast! If you’re curious where Realis fits into the larger history & influence of Friends at the Table on Austin's work, this is the podcast to listen to! Matt does an EXCELLENT job situating it within a larger context and gives some great media recommendations too.
Another great interview can be found in Zack Kotzer's FUNLAND ZINE NO. 09 // FARM FRESH. If you miss the playful design and discovery of magazines like EGM, Nintendo Power, Famitsu, this is a digital zine full of previews, reviews, profiles, essays, and art about the wildest new game things. Austin talks to Zack about MOONS (both ours and Realis's) and if you're anything like me, once you're done you'll immediatelly want to pick up all of their back issues.
If you're more of a digital games person, Austin & Eric Van Allen to talk RPGs (both video and tabletop varieties) on Axe of the Blood God! They discuss what it's like to give away control to people who play your game, and how Austin's own thoughts around aesthetics and design have shifted over the years.
Pushing even further into video games, Austin also joined the Jeff Gerstman Show to talk all things gaming! Nearly seven years since Jeff and Austin last chatted on mics, they dig into Realis, Jeff's own history with TTRPGs, and the various video games they've been playing (including, obviously, some Marathon talk).
In lieu of sharing any new Kickstarters, I also wanted to draw your attention back to three, nearly-funded campaigns mentioned previously that could still use your support!
Nostos by Erica Bridges is a TTRPG that's been on my radar for a while, and it's similarly kickstarting a full, print edition! The world ended, but somehow your heroes survived beyond the end. Now they have to sort through a fractured reality to find where—and how—they can restart their lives. If you like the travel vibes of The Details of Our Escape or the weirdness and world-hopping of Realis, you'll love Nostos. I was lucky enough to be an early reader, and if the page is any indication, its art will be just as good as its mechanics. You can also get a print copy of Hit!—Erica's very good blackjack-powered space heist TTRPG—as an add-on. Nostos has less than 3 days left and needs $3,270 to reach their goal.
Featuring our very own Artyom Trakhanov, Ruffian Meat is a new anthology of dark, unsettling horror and sci-fi comics by Aaron Losty. I LOVE anthologies like these—especially because I frequently find talented artists to work on games with through them. This collection already has some TTRPG stand-outs like Marie Enger and Sajan Rai, and I'm excited to get to know the other artists' work better! Ruffian Meat has 14 days left and needs $9,024 to reach their goal.
Something else I'm a sucker for is worldbuilding games, and Court of Clouds looks really cool. Using a standard deck of playing cards to consult tables of results, prompts, and creative questions, you and your fellow players will create a unique pantheon of gods and their mythologies to port into other games or just enjoy on their own. If you're a fan of games like Beak, Feather, & Bone, this seems right up your alley. Court of Clouds has 20 days left and $1,543 to reach their goal.
That's it for the live campaign! You'll hear from me again when it's time to celebrate!
Let's see how far this can go, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out via direct messages or in the comments!
All best,
T
Week 3 Update: Lower International Shipping!
3 months ago
– Wed, Apr 22, 2026 at 09:15:29 AM
Great news! We secured lower international shipping rates!
And it's all thanks to you! This campaign has been such a success that we now have substantial enough order counts to line up landing and distribution centers in Canada, Australia, and the UK and EU. That means instead of landing books at our US warehouse before mailing them back out again, we'll be shipping copies direct from printer to various distribution hubs, making for a quicker and more affordable delivery process. How much of discount you receive will depend on your proximity to these areas, but we're able to confidently knock AT LEAST $5 USD off all our international shipping averages. Current ranges are now:
$10-$20 USD shipping for US orders
UPDATED: $10-$20 USD shipping for Canada
UPDATED: $15-$25 USD shipping for the rest of the world
These lower rates still do not include VAT or other destination-determined taxes outside of our control, but should at least make overall costs more palatable. These in-roads will hopefully lead to easier access abroad for the rest of our catalog too.
We also have more podcasts for your listening pleasure!
Join Carick the Fixer, 73 the Misericorde, Caspian the Gaunt, and Eloise the Juggernaut in Episode 2 of our Realis One Shot as they encounter The Immaculate Flotilla—a religious order of pirates who do, in fact, believe the floor is lava. Character creation can be heard in Episode 1!
Austin & Tyler also gave a deep, behind-the-scenes interview about Realis's creation (and future!) on the Rascal Radio Hourpodcast with hosts Chase Carter and Thomas Manuel. If you're interested in going beyond what Realis is and into hows and whys of its writing and publishing, this is the pod for you!
We're going into the final week of our campaign, so keep spreading the word! And while you're at it, check out these currently-funding campaigns too!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I love big mixed-genre collections like the Miscreant Anthology. Part of how I keep PWG fresh is by bringing in unique talents outside of TTRPGs, and indie collabs like these are a treasure trove of talent. It's a BIG book with 175+ contributors, and a great way to discover new authors and artists.
Something else I'm a sucker for is worldbuilding games, and Court of Clouds looks really cool. Using a standard deck of playing cards to consult tables of results, prompts, and creative questions, you and your fellow players will create a unique pantheon of gods and their mythologies to port into other games or just enjoy on their own. If you're a fan of games like Beak, Feather, & Bone, this seems right up your alley.
Speaking of gods, All True Believers is a new, tongue-in-cheek social deduction game about starting a cult big enough for tax evasion. It seems like a lot of fun, but I'm even more interest in how the game does away with both a voting phase and eliminated players, keeping play active and flowing for all involved.
Lastly, a Lenormand deck! Lenormand is tarot's simpler, more narrative-focused cousin. Indie TTRPGs love cards, but I've yet to see one incorporate Lenormand spreads! I've been meaning to pick up a pair of decks to experiment with for a while, and this seems like the perfect opportunity—especially with such a strong, cerulean visual identity.
That's all for now! One more update before the end!
Thanks as always to everyone for supporting the campaign, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out via direct messages or in the comment. Otherwise, let's keep up the pace!
All best,
T
Week 2 Update: 450% Funded!
3 months ago
– Wed, Apr 15, 2026 at 05:06:49 PM
We're continuing to work hard behind the scenes to lock in regional distribution centers for lower international shipping rates (signs are good!) and to finalize layout and decoration to share example spreads of the book's expanded content. In the meantime, we have some new podcast episodes for people interested in learning more about the game!
Austin & I recored a really fun session of Realis with Dillin Apelyan, Elliot Davis, and Viditya Voleti on the One Shot podcast! Edited into multiple episodes, Episode 1 is now live, featuring an introduction to the game's Sentence mechanics and character/band creation. Episode 2 will release next week, and I'm so excited for you to hear where the story goes. It was a blast to GM, and Austin had the rare opportunity to play a PC in his own game!
Austin also guested on Dice Exploder to talk about the TTRPG(s) Dream Askew / Dream Apart's weak, strong, and regular moves and how they influenced Realis's design. You can listen to Austin & Sam go deep on diceless games and mechanized word choice, or you can read a transcript of their interview instead!
While you're here, check out these other ongoing Kickstarter campaigns too!
Featuring our very own Artyom Trakhanov, Ruffian Meat is a new anthology of dark, unsettling horror and sci-fi comics by Aaron Losty. I LOVE anthologies like these—especially because I frequently find talented artists to work on games with through them. This collection already has some TTRPG stand-outs like Marie Enger and Sajan Rai, and I'm excited to get to know the other artists' work better!
Planet 28 is a really cool miniature-agnostic sci-fi skirmish game with a hearty dose of TTRPG influence. You can play it PvP, solo, or even as a GM'd co-op campaign. I own one now the now out-of-print 2E hardcovers, and this edition both lowers the price and expands the content. Another great choice for anyone mini-curious!
You know those cool bags with room for charms, windows, etc.? They're called ita-bags, and this Tinned Fish bag is an especially fun one! I love little cross-carries like these for walks, conventions, and bringing TCG or TTRPG supplies with me when I play at a local game store. I also just love tinned fish!
And if you want a travel-sized game to toss in your bag, check out this Mint Tin Series! I'm a sucker for short, quick to pick up and play games like these, and am already a fan of their previous release Dice Clash. That's an Order! is the one I'm most excited about, but there are a ton to choose from.
Let's keep the ball rolling!
This campaign is already a huge success by any metric, but every bit of funding will help us expand Realis's print run and give it the widest roll-out possible. Thanks so much for making it possible, and as always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!
All best,
T
Week 1 Update: 400% Funded!
3 months ago
– Wed, Apr 08, 2026 at 05:37:04 PM
Austin and I continue to be blown away by the enthusiasm folks have shown for this project, and we're excited to share more with you in the weeks to come!Thank you to everyone who's been sharing their excitement on social media, and especially to the early-adopters sharing their experiences with last year's ashcan edition. Even with Austin and my reach, in today's fractured online landscape, your recommendation can be the difference between someone hearing about Realis or not!
Last week's 48-hour update means there isn't much new to report, but I do have two small items:
Podcastsare on the way! Austin and I both (sometimes together, sometimes seperately) have been working the promo circuit, and we have some very fun interviews and actual play in the works. More soon as they go live, but if you have a podcast or publication and would be interested in talking about Realis, don't hesitate to get in touch!
Local pick-up will be available! For backers in the greater Pittsburgh region, you'll once again have the option to pick your pledge up here in town and eliminate shipping. When and where depends on how much our release window winds up overlapping with other events, but rest assured it will happen. More on that post-campaign when folks are filling out their pledge surverys.
Otherwise, I have some more recommendations of other Kickstarter campaigns for you!
I'm going to start with The Cosmic Ballad of Layla + Airy since it ends the soonest! I loved Mira Ong Chua's 24/7 Magical Maiden Mimi—a graphic novel about a boy who transforms into a magical girl—and The Cosmic Ballad of Layla + Airy turns that concept on its head, focusing on a girl-turned-magical-boy who falls in love with a pop star. Inspired by retro sci-fi and comedy anime like Dirty Pair, Gravitation, and Ranma 1/2, the art alone is to die for, but Mira's a great storyteller too. You have 48 hours left to pick it up!
Nostos by Erica Bridges is a TTRPG that's been on my radar for a while, and it's similarly kickstarting a full, print edition! The world ended, but somehow your heroes survived beyond the end. Now they have to sort through a fractured reality to find where—and how—they can restart their lives. If you like the travel vibes of The Details of Our Escape or the weirdness and world-hopping of Realis, you'll love Nostos. I was lucky enough to be an early reader, and if the page is any indication, its art will be just as good as its mechanics. You can also get a print copy of Hit!—Erica's very good blackjack-powered space heist TTRPG—as an add-on.
Another TTRPG-related campaign is A Whole New World, a new podcast-meets-playtest project from the One Shot Network. Each three-episode arc, hosts Poorna M. and Valiant Dorian will have a worldbuilding guest one episode, a game design guest the next, and a playtest episode to showcase a vertical slice of the resulting ideas. Collaborations like these rule, and I did something similar when creating The Details of Our Escape with Linnea Sterte and Renee Gladman. I'd love to see this fund so I can listen to it personally.
Lastly, our of left field comes ILLEGAL: Rave Flyers of the 90s. Now I'm not member of nor particularly knowledgable about rave culture, but books like this make for EXCELLENT visual design inspiration. Containing over 500 pages of rave flyers from 90s America, it's a treasure trove of collage, DIY aesthetics, creative typography, bootlegging, and so much more. Hyper-niche visual archives like these can be hard to find (Lock Books is good resource for anyone interested) so fingers crossed this one becomes a reality.
More soon!
I'm trying to resist the urge to compulsively refresh the campaign, but rest assured I'm around keeping an eye on our inbox and chipping away at all things PWG! If you have any questions for me, shoot a message or email my way and I'll get right back to you.
All best,
T
48 Hour Update: Fully Funded!
3 months ago
– Fri, Apr 03, 2026 at 11:12:30 AM
From Austin and I both, thank you so, SO much for the overwhelming show of support during the campaign's first two days. Realis has been in works for years now, and as confident as we are in the game and its collaborators, it's still a huge relief to see it connecting with so many like-minded people. Whether you're excited for the game's unique mechanics, expansive lore, or even just a beautiful art book, we're grateful to have you with us!
I'll be making weekly updates throughout the campaign detailing any developments and what to expect in the week ahead. My next post will be on Wednesday, April 8, but we already have a few small updates:
After receiving a number of requests, I've added the option to order additional copies of the hardcover as add-ons! You'll have the same option post-campaign via BackerKit, but for folks looking to order multiple copies (international group-buys, for example) you can do so now by clicking "Manage your pledge" at the top of the page and then "Change your pledge" to select the add-ons.
More art is in the wild! I'll be sharing new art in each update, but all 17 of Realis's illustrators have been given carte blanche to post any of their art for the game—including pieces not yet revealed! If you want even more peeks at Realis, check out their person feeds and support them with a follow! Beyond their links on the main campaign page, I put together a round-up of their Bluesky handles here and have been reposting tags on Instagram.
Speaking of sharing the spotlight, we'll also be highlighting other live Kickstarter campaigns each week we think you might enjoy! Here are a few to start:
Arcs: Beyond the Reach needs no introduction, but it's worth noting that this is Cole Wehrle, Kyle Ferrin, Drew Wehrle, and Ted Caya's first project since going independent as Buried Giant Studios. No matter the pedigree, it's a scary thing to take your fate into your own hands like that, and Buried Giant is committed to maintaining a full-time staff that is enfranchised in the success of each of their titles. The success of this campaign means a more secure future for the studio as a whole, so if you're looking for a cool board game with trick-taking mechanics, check out Arcs!
Pine Shallows is game by Peter Eijk, a name you might recognize as the designer of A Visit to San Sibilia—an solo RPG about a dreamlike city Friends at the Table played during their Sangfielle season. I'm a huge fan of Peter's work, and was even an editor on Pine Shallows back when it was a digital-only release! Now it's getting a print edition and is already looking gorgeous. If you're looking for a TTRPG about small town kids going on adventures and solving mysteries, this is a really fun one.
Precious Things started as a one-pager before evolving into a zine by Graftbound's Lucas Zellers & Emily Entner. It's another indie darling getting an expanded hardcover release, and it's really great to see Wet Ink Games taking a chance on a creative team steadily making more and more of a name for themselves. Draw cards, roll dice, and hoard treasure in a cozy TTRPG all about dragons.
Space Gits is a dexterity-based, rules-lite, miniature-agnostic skirmish game you can play in under and hour. It welcomes and encourages kitbashing, includes a full-on campaign system, and most importantly, has you stacking and throwing dice at d6 towers. If you're familiar with my game HOUNDs, you'll know I LOVE games with dice-stacking mechanics. If you've been miniature-curious, this is a great place to start, and a reprint of the game is available as well as an expansion!
That's all for now!
Folks have been great about reaching out with any questions already, but if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to shoot me a message on Kickstarter and I'll get back to you! Much more to come, and see you on the Thousand Moons!
