Apologies for the lack of updates. All writers - including our four guests - are currently hard at work on the zines and we’re expecting drafts to be completed by the middle of August. Josh Arklin will be completing the remaining covers over the next few weeks, which will form the main content of our August update. Jolene is also composing the ambient soundtrack, which we’ll share a sample of when ready. Unfortunately we’ve found most manufacturers only take on 1,000 minimum orders for box sets, but we have narrowed it down to a couple who offer a more reasonable scope for our first project. The next update will be at the start of August with the final zines hopefully completed in time for Halloween.
Thank you so much for making GAST and Hatched Games a reality! We managed to unlock all but the final stretch goal, but we’ll strive to still fulfil this depending how we go with pre-orders. We’ll send over your surveys in a few weeks once things have settled down and cards have been charged.
Thank you for the support and continuing to share the project through your socials. We haven't posted an update for a while because we wanted to make sure the £12k stretch goal was definitely unlocked. We're delighted that GASt will be getting an creepy ambient soundscape from award-winning composer Jolene Khor to accompany your play sessions!
Now we're on the way to our final goal of unlocking writer grants to add further folk horror zines to the season one collection. These will be offered to winners of an itch.iogame jam guest judged by Carta creator Cat McDonald.
Again, we want to thank you all for making this possible. Please keep spreading the word, and let's cross our fingers for a strong finish over the final days.
We're into the final 48hrs of the Pocketopia event, and it's been a brilliant couple of weeks! We'd still love to unlock that last stretch goal to really make GAST as expansive and community-driven as possible, so how can you help?
Share the project on socials and with your friends
Consider upgrading your pledge
Add guest writer zines to your order through the add-ons section (you can select which specific zines through a survey following the campaign)
Thank you again for your continued support, and we'll have a celebratory update in a few days time!
S. Kaiya J. (she/her) is a Chinese-diaspora TTRPG writer, editor, performer and game designer. Her games focus on identity, belonging, self-conception and transformation. She's best known for her solo journaling games Her Odyssey and Galatea. She enjoys ludonarrative harmony, Chekhov's machine guns, and dying in dramatic ways. Her game, 'Children Of Heaven', is loosely based on folklore circulated by homeless children in Miami during the 90s.
Tomas Gimenez Rioja (he/him) is a game designer, writer, project manager, software engineer. He wrote for Paizo's 'Divine Mysteries' book, was lead monster designer for 'Circus Borg', and designed for 'D&D Subclasses Revivified', amongst other projects. Tomas loves writing and telling stories filled with powerful feelings, and he creates mechanics that push players to do just that. His game, 'A Foul Errand', is themed around archeological research conducted in a mine, and will feature a rogue like mechanic.
Finley Palaniki (they/he) is a games scholar who has jumped into designing TTRPGs! Their academic interests are focused on solo RPGs & how they are pushing the boundaries of games design and storytelling. This love of solo gaming has driven a passion for crafting introspective solo experiences such as 'Darling, You're A Haunted House'. Their game, 'Red Skies', is heavily inspired by the video game 'Dredge' and will feature a mechanic to determine weather conditions.
Thank you so much for all your support. Please continue to spread the word about GAST, and help us reach that final stretch goal of the Game Jam Grants for 3 fresh zines! Also, if you've currently joined Backer Train, please consider upgrading your pledge before funding completes on April 3rd.
