[If you want to read about the new pledge tier, where George will illustrate a monster that you design, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Otherwise, keep reading for production updates on the new content we've unlocked.]

Good news - work on Huckleberry's unlocked Stretch Goals is already underway! While funds should start to transfer in mid-to-late November, it will actually take a minimum of 4 months to receive all of the funds due to BackerKit's Pay-Over-Time feature. Not only is PoT consumer friendly for y'all, but it covers the same period that we purposefully built into our schedule to allow for extra development. None of the extra content promised by our Stretch Goals should slow us down! *Fingers Crossed*

The campaign obviously isn't over yet, but still... Time's a wastin'! We're already moving forward with the largest chunks of development so they have plenty of time to cook and playtest. And speaking of playtests... Much of the content will be pre-released to you as beta material for playtesting! You are the greatest resource Huckleberry has and your opinions and feedback are invaluable. I want to hear what you have to say!
 
As the work progresses, I'll be sharing Hostiles, Traits, and Scenario/Chapter drafts for feedback from you. I'm incredibly excited to "open up" the development of Huckleberry and share what happens behind the curtain. And, in doing so, your help will turn Huckleberry into the best version it can be. Here's where we stand on the currently unlocked Stretch Goals and a few other odds and ends:

Hostiles - All 16 are in alpha and ready for private playtesting. The Alpha versions are by far the most important step of the process as it sets the tone and themes of each Hostile. Private playtesting is an exhaustive process and many of them will be redesigned before they're ready for public playtest. Work will be completed in batches of 4-6 stat blocks at a time, staggering the releases for easier playtesting and feedback.

Cover Art/New Spreads - Art Orders are drafted, but not finalized, for two of the spreads. They will be roll tables disguised as "Catalogue" pages, similar to the one created for Mounts (If you haven't seen it, you can find it in this update). I'm still in the brainstorming stages for the one-page spreads and cover, but should have all art orders submitted to George before the campaign ends. Work on these large pieces will hopefully finish before or at the same time as our scenario and chapter drafts, so that production doesn't become bottle-necked by dozens of art orders at the same time. We're keeping George busy this holiday season!

Player Traits - These are still in the brainstorming phase. Over the last year of Huckleberry's development, I've assembled a long list of notes and ideas to develop into new Traits, so I have plenty of material to mine. Development of traits is intensive work and requires careful balance to ensure they combine appropriately with other categories. I plan to tackle this head on when the campaign is finished and all collaborators are set on their paths.

Hole-in-the-Wall Chapter - Kienna and Dylan have sent over their chapter outline (Spoiler: it's as awesome as you've been hoping for!). There are brilliant ideas in there, not only for the amenities and locations that Maverick strongholds can offer, but also mechanics for developing B-plots in the background throughout a campaign. As is standard practice for Huckleberry, the outline was reviewed by a cultural consultant to ensure the content avoids accidental colonialist tropes/stereotypes (the draft will receive the same treatment once again). With that feedback and my own notes given, Kienna and Dylan are now onto the drafting stage.

Eren Ahn's Bounty - Eren's pitch was accepted last week and they submitted the outline today. I offered my notes, which were quite sparse in this case. Eren has been spot on with the vibes! The bounty is now at the drafting stage. It's got a fantastic hook that explores themes of alchemy, fool's gold, and foolish ambitions.

Jaime Reyes Mondragón's Bounty - Now, technically this one isn't unlocked yet. But we've got 8 days left and only $2,000 to go, so I'm feeling confident we'll get there! Jaime has submitted his pitch and outline, they've been accepted and moving onto the draft stage. It's yet another fantastic premise for a scenario--this bounty asks what Mad Cow Disease would look like when magnified by the Wyrd.

Playing Cards - George has been working hard on these all month, as you've seen by our reveals! I'm excited to say that he's finished them all, along with creating a mock-up of the tuckbox. With the exception of minor text tweaks on the box, this reward is ready to go to manufacturing.

Janus, King of Hearts won the vote! This is the final heart card to be revealed and our first glimpse at the leader of the outlaw gang we've been teasing you since Huckleberry's early days.

Janus, or Jane Twain as her reward posters call her, might have two faces but, ironically, she's as honest as they come. She'll tell you to your face when she's about to kill you and expects you to do the same--you can even choose which face. Jane doesn't talk much about her upbringing, but those around her guess she didn't always look this way. It doesn't really matter in the end, as long as you don't cross her. Jane doesn't go around lookin' to kill, but she sure ain't lookin' to avoid it either. She's mean enough to make a bar brawl look like a prayer meetin' and you're sure to be praying for a quick end by the time she's done with you.

Vote for your choice of the next reveal in the poll attached below!

You have made it very clear just how much you love George's art. Our "Design A Legend" tier, where you could create a new Legend of the Wyrd Frontier, sold out in the first hours of the campaign. If you missed that tier, you now have another chance to leave your mark on Huckleberry. We've added a new pledge where you can work with Steven to translate your favorite critter, terrifying or not-so-terrifying, into the game's mechanics. George will illustrate the monster in his iconic style, then both the mechanics and art will be included in the final version of Huckleberry. This new pledge also includes all of the rewards from the all-in "Tall Tale" tier, giving you everything we have to offer.

Well, that's all the updates I've got for now. I hope you like hearing about all the progress we've made because I'm gonna keep yelling about Huckleberry right up until the book is in your hands!

Much obliged,
Steven