We hope you’re all doing awesome! This month, we’re excited to share a Work-in-Progress preview of the Maker Class with our backers. Be sure to check it out at the bottom of this update! As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts—so join us on Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.
🎨 Art Update
Adam Schumpert continues bringing Shadow City Mysteries to life with new character art from the Cult of Tenebrous. This figure will play a key role in both the narrative adventure and our upcoming Visual Novels.
This month’s art preview features The Curiosity Shop Owner, a representative of the elusive Cult of Tenebrous. This enigmatic purveyor of antiquities will sell you just the item you need and perhaps whisper your fate, drawn from her special tarot deck.
The Curiosity Shop Owner
⚙️ Design Update
We’ve finished our pass on the Maker Class, the final class for the game! Whether you’re tinkering with intricate gears or mixing dangerous chemicals, this class is all about inventive creations and uncompromising toughness.
🎲 Actual Play
Many thanks to everyone who applied to be part of the official actual play campaign of Shadow City Mysteries, run by the Play On Words Studios team! We’re currently reviewing applications and assembling an awesome team.
Want to stay in the loop? Join our Discord and keep an eye out for updates!
📜 Surveys
A big thank you to the 95% of you who have completed your surveys—we truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you’re one of the remaining 14 backers, please complete your survey at your earliest convenience. Remember, you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like to include.
🛒 Pre-Order Store
Missed the campaign? No worries—our Pre-Order Store is still open! 🎉
Now’s your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and immerse yourself in the world of Shadow City.
Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to both new backers and retail stores.
🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King
Step into the underworld of Shadow City in this narrative game. As the Rat King, you’ll forge alliances, crush rivals, and carve your legacy into the city's criminal fabric.
Play as a detective unraveling layers of mystery, conspiracy, and supernatural intrigue. Each playthrough brings new revelations in this replayable narrative adventure.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! We’ll be back next month with more updates, including deep dives into other aspects of Shadow City Mysteries.
See you in the shadows, Christopher Mifsud CEO/Creative Director Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game
We hope you’re all doing awesome! This month, we’re excited to share a Work-in-Progress preview of the Face Class with our backers. Be sure to check it out at the bottom of this update! As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts so join us on Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.
⚙️ Design Update
We’ve completed the Face Class, a cornerstone for players who lead with charm, cunning, and connections. Whether you're negotiating back-alley deals or charming your way into danger, this class is all about manipulation and social mastery.
🧪 Playtest Update
We’re now officially ready to begin playtesting! If you’d like to take part, please hop into our Discord and let us know. External playtesting will begin shortly, and your early feedback will help shape the final game.
🎭 Actual Play Casting Call
We’re also looking for players to join an official actual play campaign of Shadow City Mysteries, run by the Play On Words Studios team. Interested? Or know someone who might be? Join our Discord and keep an eye out for updates on how to apply.
📜 Surveys
A big thank you to the 95% of you who have completed your surveys. We truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you’re one of the remaining 14 backers, please complete your survey at your earliest convenience. Remember, you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you'd like to include.
🛒 Pre-Order Store
Missed the campaign? No problem, our Pre-Order Store is still open! 🎉
Now’s your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and immerse yourself in the world of Shadow City.
Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to both new backers and retail stores.
🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King
Step into the underworld of Shadow City in this narrative game. As the Rat King, you’ll forge alliances, crush rivals, and carve your legacy into the city's criminal fabric. 🔗 Wishlist on Steam
🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir
Play as a detective unraveling layers of mystery, conspiracy, and supernatural intrigue. Each playthrough brings new revelations in this replayable narrative adventure. 🔗 Wishlist on Steam
🖋 Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs
Want more behind-the-scenes content? Explore our dev blogs, where we dive into design decisions, lore, and the making of our transmedia world. 🔗 Read the Dev Blogs
🌀 Community Spotlight
The good folks at Minor Disaster Games, friends of the studio, have just launched their Kickstarter for a chaotic time-traveling board game called Trouble on the Tempus. If you enjoy clever, time-bending gameplay with a twist, be sure to give their campaign a look and show them some love!
We hope you’re all doing awesome! This month, we’re excited to share the WIP Mystic Class and our Patrons and Contacts section with our backers. Be sure to check out the exclusive preview at the bottom of this update! As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts—join us on Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.
🎨 Art Update
Adam Schumpert continues bringing Shadow City Mysteries to life, working on key characters for Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir. These characters will play major roles across the TTRPG, Narrative Adventure, and upcoming Visual Novels.
This month’s art preview, however, comes from Luana Zahra, who is working on our Tarot Deck. We're thrilled to share the latest major arcana card: The Moon. 🌙
The Moon
⚙️ Design Update
We’ve completed the Mystic Class and are now previewing the Patrons and Contacts system!
We’re also ready to start playtesting. If you’d like to participate, please join us on Discord and let us know! External playtesting will be opening soon as well.
📜 Surveys
Thank you to the 95% of you who have already completed your surveys—we truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you haven’t yet (about 14 backers), please fill yours out at your earliest convenience. And remember, you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like!
🛒 Pre-Order Store
Missed the campaign? No worries—our Pre-Order Store is still open! 🎉 This is your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and dive into the world of Shadow City.
Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to new backers and retail stores alike.
🎭 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King
Rise of the Rat King is a narrative game set in Shadow City’s underworld. Play as the Rat King, an underworld mastermind fighting for absolute power. Forge alliances, crush rivals, and leave your mark on the city's criminal legacy. Wishlist it today!
Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir is a narrative adventure game where you step into the shoes of a detective. Is it a mystery? A conspiracy? Something supernatural? Play multiple times to uncover the deeper story beneath the surface. Wishlist it today!
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! We’ll be back next month with more updates—including details on another Class, and deeper insights into the evolving world of Shadow City Mysteries, such as our City Relationship Building system.
See you in the shadows, Christopher Mifsud CEO/Creative Director Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game
We hope you’re all doing awesome! This month, we’re excited to share the Character Creation section with our backers. Be sure to check out the exclusive preview at the bottom of this update! As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts—join us on Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.
🎨 Art Update
Thug - Heavy Subclass
Adam Schumpert continues bringing Shadow City Mysteries to life with new characters from the Court of Rats. These figures will play a key role in both the TTRPG and our upcoming Visual Novels.
This month’s art preview features The Thug, a Heavy Subclass from the Court of Rats. This enforcer will bring brute strength and street smarts to Shadow City!
⚙️ Design Update
We’ve completed the first draft of the Character Creation system, covering player character creation for all 6 classes giving you a glimpse of at least level 1 in our 3 remaining classes.
With this foundation in place, we’re ready to start playtesting the Character Creation system! If you’d like to participate, let us know on Discord. External playtesting will begin about a month later.
📜 Surveys
Thank you to the 95% of you who have already completed your surveys—we truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you haven’t yet (about 15 backers), please fill yours out at your earliest convenience. And remember, you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like!
🛒 Pre-Order Store Now Open!
Missed the campaign? No worries—our Pre-Order Store is still open! 🎉 This is your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and dive into the world of Shadow City.
Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to new backers and retail stores alike.
🎭 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King
Rise of the Rat King is a visual novel set in Shadow City’s underworld. Play as the Rat King, an underworld mastermind fighting for absolute power. Forge alliances, crush rivals, and leave a lasting legacy in the city’s criminal underbelly. Wishlist it today!
Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir is a narrative adventure game where you step into the shoes of a detective Nyla Nightingale. Is this a mystery? A conspiracy? Or something supernatural? Experience the game multiple times to uncover the bigger story hidden beneath the surface. Wishlist it today!
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! We’ll be back next month with more updates—including details on another Class, as well as deeper insights into the evolving world of Shadow City Mysteries, such as our Patron/Contact system and City Relationship Building system.
See you in the shadows, Christopher Mifsud CEO/Creative Director Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game
We hope your year is off to a great start. This month, we’re excited to share the complete versions of our Savant Class (with missing subclasses from last month) and the Infiltrator Class for our backers! 🎉 Be sure to check the bottom of this update for your exclusive look at what we’ve been designing. If you have any thoughts or feedback, head over to our Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.
Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King
As mentioned last month, we’re expanding the Shadow City Mysteries universe with a series of Visual Novels! Case Files takes you deep into the lives of Shadow City’s most influential and notorious characters. The choices you make in these stories will shape the world leading into Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir.
Today, we launched the Steam page for the first case in the series: Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King! A demo is coming soon, followed by the full release. Wishlist it today!
Speaking of Rise of the Rat King, Adam Schumpert continues to work on characters tied to the Court of Rats. These figures will not only appear in the TTRPG but also in our upcoming Visual Novels.
This month’s art preview features The Hustler, a Court of Rats Savant Subclass. Backers can find the updated subclass details in the special backer section of our Discord!
Hustler - Savant Subclass
Design Update
We’ve completed the first draft of the Heavy, Savant, and Infiltrator classes! Now, we’re taking a short break from class development to focus on character creation and early gameplay, so we can begin playtesting as soon as possible.
We’re now aiming to start playtesting the character creation system in March. If you’d like to participate, let us know on Discord! External playtesting will follow about a month later.
Surveys
Thank you to the 94% of you who have already filled out your surveys—we truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you haven’t completed yours yet (about 17 backers), please do so as soon as possible. And don’t forget—you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like to include!
Pre-Order Store
If you missed the chance to back Shadow City Mysteries, don’t worry—our Pre-Order Store is open! This is your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and explore everything Shadow City has to offer.
Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to new backers and retail stores alike.
Thank you for being part of this journey as we continue developing Shadow City Mysteries. We’ll be back next month with more updates and additional insights into our expanding projects.
See you in the shadows, Christopher Mifsud CEO/Creative Director Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game
