Terrific news! After a bit of a delay, the book version of The Darkest Woods is in transit to our warehouse now! We’re thrilled with how gorgeous the painted edges—depicting a heavily forested tree line—are, and also how great the embossing looks on the deluxe copies. All copies of The Darkest Woods have a more robust binding, even than usual, to take the heavier weight of the paper.
Just take a look at this first-off-the-presses copy of the deluxe edition!
Did we mention how absolutely hefty this book is??? And look at those beautiful (and very useful) bookmarks!
Fulfillment Soon: Physical and App
We’ll be fulfilling the books and the app over the next few weeks, so please check your email as we’ll let everyone know it’s being fulfilled. If you don't see the email in the next couple of weeks, check your MCG store accounts for coupons in case the emails have gone into spam. As a reminder, here's a guide for fulfilling your rewards.
Early Access Version of the App
We’ll fulfill the early-access version of the app around the same time we fulfill the physical copies of the book. It is a complete version of the product, with all the game content and all the functionality we envisioned when we planned the app. You can use it to run your games as soon as it’s installed on your system (Windows or Mac OS). We are so proud of it and are excited for you to see it.
The app has been well tested internally, but as more people use it, we anticipate there may be the odd bug or technical issue that pops up. We’d appreciate it if you let us know with the details of any bugs or technical issues you encounter by sending an email to [email protected].
The final version of the app will be released to the public with the standard edition of the book in early April. If there are any changes to the app between now and then, we’ll let you know how to update it. (There’s a built-in update feature, so you won’t have to reinstall it.)
We’ve put so much work into both the print and app versions of this game. We’re very proud of them, and we think you’re going to be amazed once they're in your hands. We’ll let everyone know by email when these are being fulfilled.
Ninth World Record Smashed!
Numenera: The Amber Archive is funding the new edition of Numenera! The original Numenera launched the Cypher System, and Monte Cook Games. This campaign is not only fully funded and well into stretch goals, but thanks to your fantastic support, we passed a truly incredible threshold: $517,255. What makes this number particularly special (besides being over the gobsmacking half-a-million mark) is that it represents the funding total for the original 2012 Numenera crowdfunding campaign!
Thanks again for your support, and keep an eye on your email inbox for fulfillment updates!
We’re so excited to show you the app! Below we’ve got a few screenshots with notes on the features you can expect—there are a number of feature improvements from the Darkest House that we’re so happy we were able to include.
But before that, we’ve got an update on our anticipated fulfillment date: we’re gearing up to fulfill the book and app in February. The book was sent to the printers this month, but there is a delay as our printer’s bindery is running behind, which has added a few weeks to this final stage of production.
The App is rockin’!
Our talented developer and UX specialist have been working hard on getting The Darkest Woods App working even better than the House App. With updates to the features and quality of life improvements for the app, we’re really excited to give you a preview!
New and Exciting Features in The Darkest Woods
We’re really excited for you to try these 9 things to try the moment you open the new Darkest Woods app!
NOTE: There may be spoilers in these preview screens. You have been warned.
1: Browse You’ll be able to visually explore over 100 locations (across 9 Regions) of the Darkest Woods on the Welcome† page.
A backdrop of various sites within The Darkest Woods displayed as images and text
† You are not, in fact, “welcome.”
2: Search
Quickly jump to any location in the woods using the new search bar.
Showing a drop down of the search menu bar against a backdrop of various sites within The Darkest Woods
3: Download or Copy a Map Share high-resolution unlabeled maps with your players. Save steps — the new “Copy Image” button allows you to paste directly into your messaging app of choice!
Shot showing the unlabelled player map along side the labeled GM map with narrative info text
4: Multitask without losing your place Maintain access to location text while viewing full-size images, downloading files, changing preferences, and more.
Spread of a full-page image with left hand menu and creature description on show
5: Learn about your Environment Locations within the woods may be nested within other areas or regions — with just a click, view information and travel-able maps for any of them using the breadcrumb trail at the top right corner of the screen. (This ended well enough for Hansel and Gretel. We won’t promise the same for you.)
Overview of areas of The Darkest Woods with connections between them
6:Disable Dark Mode: To say “Enable Light Mode” would be thematically inappropriate. But yes, the app has both a light and dark mode.
(To be perfectly clear, this setting affects your computer screen, NOT the woods themselves.)
7: Travel More Easily Zip among page content using a new navigation sidebar. Move up and down the path with back/forward buttons!‡ Pick up right where you left off when you open the app or return to a previous page! Travel to new locations directly from the map!
‡ Advisable only under certain conditions (IYKYK)
8: Get a Refresher Access the full rules and mechanics content from the book, directly within the app.
9:Maximize The new app plays nicely with large displays.
The Darkest Woods App displayed on both a large monitor and laptop screen
We’re really excited for you to jump into the app. We’ll be furiously testing and polishing the app and will fulfill it alongside the book!
Numenera Logo and Symbol
Welcome back to the Ninth World
If you’re keen for more mystery and oddness but with a science fantasy theme, then check out our next project as we welcome you back to the Ninth World.
Great news! The books are hitting the printers next week, and it all looks great! As soon as we have sight of when the books will be ready, we’ll let you know. We’ve also got some spreads of the book to share below.
The Darkest Wood page spread showing The Abandoned Campsite
Furthermore, The Darkest Woods App development is on schedule, with the app delivery still on pace to coincide with fulfilment of the book. With the book’s content finalized, we’re now putting the data into the databases, while simultaneously polishing it with minor adjustments to match the app format. We’re looking forward to showing you a preview of it in our next update!
The Forest of Blades double page spread from The Darkest Woods
The Cavern of Memories double page spread from The Darkest Woods
The Fire Tower double page spread from The Darkest Woods
Welcome back to the Ninth World
Numenera Logo and word mark
Huge thanks to everyone who help to fund the new version of Cypher which will be released towards the end of next summer. Check out our next project as we welcome you back to the Ninth World.
This update contains news on The Darkest Woods app, gives you some insight into the design inspiration for The Darkest Woods, and provides you with a list of rewards that have been fulfilled.
Building The Darkest Woods
Our techs have spent weeks in The Darkest Woods using their amazing skills creating the app. There will be more on this in later updates, including some spreads and images to show their progress, but we wanted you to know they are working diligently to bring Monte's vision to life—and to your desktop!
Sneak Preview
A quick peek into the draft of The Darkest Woods hardcover reveals the following art!
Two giant crow sentinels flank a carved stone stair leading up from the forested stone chasm.
A humanoid figure is restrained by tendrils inside a huge hollow of a dead tree.
A figure sits in the sunlight on the steps up to a wooden house in the woods
Rewards Available to Redeem:
The following rewards are available to redeem from the MCG store. Here’s a reminder of how you claim your rewards.
Cypher System Starter Set
NPC Deck in print and PDF
Old Gods of Appalachia Roleplaying Game in print and PDF
The Darkest House, digital
The Darkest House, hardcover
The Magnus Archives Roleplaying Game in print and PDF
The Weird in print and PDF
Your Best Game Ever in print and PDF
The Darkest Woods: Design Inspiration
We’ve been posting design diaries for the new Cypher campaign so you can see the creative process and how things work. We wanted to give you similar insight into The Darkest Woods. Here’s Monte to tell you about it:
“While The Darkest House was inspired primarily by horror books and films, The Darkest Woods was inspired primarily by personal experience. Not that I'm trying to say that I faced some kind of paranormal terror in the forest. I haven't. But I've been in the deep, deep woods, with visibility only a dozen yards or so due to thick, twisted trees. The trees take on strange and unnerving shapes in the twilight, and the silence is broken by strange, unknown noises. And at night, it's the darkest of darks, with nothing resembling civilization for miles and the canopy above blocking the stars and moon. It's a vibe. Maybe you've experienced the same thing yourself. Sure, there are plenty of horror books and movies that added to that vibe, but every encounter in The Darkest Woods goes back to that initial feeling. It provided a sort of "vibe check," so that if an encounter matched with the feeling the dark woods gives you in your gut, and on the back of your neck, and running down your spine, I knew it was right for The Darkest Woods”.
A Dragonrider sits atop their mount on a red carpet in a castle, addressing their banner bearing retinue
Cypher Is Here—Back It Now!
While The Darkest Woods holds on to its mysteries for a little while longer, if you’re keen to play any campaign, any genre, with any character then dive into Cypher! There are exciting changes in progress: find out more here.
Showing the Character Book and GM's Guide for Cypher
The Darkest Woods is through editing and is being laid out as we speak! We’ll have some spreads from the book for you to look in our next update. The Darkest Woods app is also being built with a few usability improvements over The Darkest House app, and we’ll be able to talk about that more in the future.
In the interim, we’d love to share some of the new artwork from The Darkest Woods with you.
A house tangled up in a tree in a snow covered forest
Multi colored stepping stones in a glade
Ritual on a dais, bathed in red light
Watchtower overlooking a break in the woods
A locked chest lies under branches in a burning woodland
Creatures made of branches spawn from an angry looking tree
Last Few Hours to Escape Shadow and Enter the Real World
While you’re waiting for The Darkest Woods to let us in, there’s less than a day left to pledge for Invisible Sun Indigo and Electric. Discover magic that’s truly magical and experience the rich and surreal world of Invisible Sun. Enter the Actuality here.
