The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
4 months ago
Project Update: Vote for the next Stretch Goals, Dev Diary and more
Hello Badasses,
TL;DR: As promised in the last update, it’s time to vote on which Stretch Goals we should prioritize next. You’ll find all the details below, together with the final Dev Diary and a new interview we recorded yesterday.
Vote on the Next Stretch Goals
As you know, after early feedback, we made the call to include some originally planned Stretch Goals directly in The Folder or as campaign bonuses. Now we need to decide what else to add as the campaign grows and more backers join the fight.
At the end of this update, you’ll find a survey with several options.
At the end of this update, you’ll find a survey with several options.
You can vote for one, so pick the one that speaks to you most. In 48 hours, we’ll tally the votes and select the top three. We’ll prioritize them based on production complexity, since not all Stretch Goals take the same amount of time or resources to bring to life.
How to Unlock Them: Your Vote, Your Reach
We’re also trying something new to involve the community more directly.
Each Stretch Goal will be unlocked by either:
- Reaching a specific funding milestone (to be confirmed once we know which SGs win)
- Or hitting a target number of clicks on this unique campaign link: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/the-world-anvil-publishing/dirt-city-blues?ref=stretchgoals
We’ve set three thresholds: 200, 400, and 750 clicks. We have 15 days to go, and they all feel feasible.
This link is trackable, so please use only that one if you want it to count. You can help by sharing it in places where it’ll matter. Here’s where it works best:
- Instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, Signal…)
- Social media (Bluesky, X, Facebook, Reddit…)
- Forums, private servers, or niche communities where this game could resonate
We’re not asking you to spam, just share it thoughtfully. Add a sentence or two about why you think Dirt City Blues is worth checking out. Be real. Be specific. A personal recommendation beats a paid ad every time.
This takes a minute of your time, costs nothing, and helps us reach places we can’t hit through traditional promotion. Paid ads have their limits. You? You don’t. The goal is simple: get more eyes on the campaign.
The funding will follow.
The funding will follow.
Dev Diary, part #4
In the pre-campaign updates we posted three episodes of Raffaele’s Dev Diary. If you missed them, you can find them here:
Today we are happy to share the final part of this series:
Everyone knows everything ends eventually, and the Badasses know the credits tend to roll early for people like them. If they’re lucky, maybe someone sticks around for a post-credit scene. But deep down, they know how this goes: you either go out in a blaze of bloody glory… or disappear again, this time for good.
Everyone knows everything ends eventually, and the Badasses know the credits tend to roll early for people like them. If they’re lucky, maybe someone sticks around for a post-credit scene. But deep down, they know how this goes: you either go out in a blaze of bloody glory… or disappear again, this time for good.
What they’ve been through because of the Trauma would break most people.
Add to that the fact they’ve pissed off half of Dirt City trying to protect the helpless, and defend the few people they still can’t stop loving—despite everything—and the deck’s stacked against them from the start.
Mechanically, the enemies and loved ones of each Badass fall into two categories: the Black List and the White List. Players decide who goes where, and, when the story demands it, who moves from one to the other. Those choices come with consequences, but also rewards: bonus XP at the end of each Problem for how those Bonds evolve. But when someone gets scratched off the White List, or when their relationship with the Badass crumbles, either from the Badass’s own screw-ups or through the actions of someone on the Black List, something cracks.
That anchor to something human, something worth fighting for? It slips.And when that happens, the Badass risks taking an Emotional Wound. Worse still, they tick one Strain.
Hit four ticks, and the Badass won’t be the same person who came crawling back into the city for one last chance. That’s when the big decision comes: walk away with style… or go down swinging.
Maybe that means introducing a new Badass. Maybe it’s time for a well-loved NPC to step into the spotlight. Maybe one of the crew vanishes again: new name, new city, ghosting the past to protect what little good is left.
There’s always a way out. The credits roll for everyone, we said that already. But every ending leaves a door cracked open, and every good film deserves a goddamn sequel. And in Dirt City? There’s always some poor bastard in need of a Badass.
Interview and Actual Play
Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with Mildra the Monk about Dirt City Blues. There was a technical hiccup—Mildra’s questions didn’t make it into the final audio—but you can still hear all of my very wise answers (they start around the 5 minutes mark), so it’s worth a listen as the questions are implied.
Meanwhile, Raffaele ran a session of Dirt City Blues on a friendly Discord server.
The game is in Italian only (sorry, folks), but if you understand the language, check it out here:
Connect With Us
You can find us on multiple platforms:
• Discord: Join our community and chat directly with us.
• Facebook: Follow The World Anvil Publishing page.
• Bluesky: Stay updated with our latest posts.
• Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device.
• Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
Thank you again for being part of this adventure. Together, we’ll make Dirt City Blues the best game it can be.
–Tommaso
44 votes
• Final results
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