We have reached a major milestone in manufacturing!
The dice molds are complete and we have videos of our first samples (see below). This is one of the hardest and riskiest parts of the manufacturing process, so getting through this step is a big deal for us.
This was filmed at the factory! You can hear the susurration of progress in the background. Put on some headphones for some Red Tides dice ASMR!
Check out those Azteca icons added on the Fortune Dice!
In addition, all design files have now been submitted. This includes:
Red Tides, the core game
Seas of Sacrifice expansion
Calrissa’s Menagerie expansion
Oversized play mat
Dice trays
Extra dice product
Art Printed Card Sleeves
All stretch goal content
At this point, everything that needed to be designed and handed off has been delivered to manufacturing.
New Option: Deluxe Wooden Token Upgrades
We have some exciting news driven directly by backer feedback.
As part of our stretch goals, we are already including wooden tokens in the base game for all backers. Since announcing that, we have received many requests asking whether it would be possible to upgrade all remaining cardboard tokens to wooden ones.
We wanted to make this possible without creating problems for backers who do not want the upgrade, and without blowing up the budget. We are very happy with the solution we landed on.
Wooden Tokens Included via Stretch Goal
Because y’all crushed the stretch goal, all backers will receive the Foe Wooden Token Upgrade Pack at no additional cost.
This pack replaces all cardboard Foe tokens with wooden ones and includes 48 wooden tokens, covering:
Foe Crew
Polyps
Acid
Pirate King tokens
Hellboats
This upgrade is included automatically for all backers and requires no additional purchase.
For backers who want to upgrade the remaining player faction components to wood, we are offering a single optional upgrade:
5 Faction Deluxe Wooden Upgrade Bundle
This bundle upgrades all player faction tokens across the following factions:
Caribbea Cabal
Creatures of the Deep
Blue Realm
Firebelly
Azteca
Each faction includes:
1 faction specific ship meeple
15 faction specific crew tokens
2 faction tokens
5 faction specific status tokens
The Azteca faction additionally includes:
Upgraded Worshiper tokens
This bundle will be available to add to your order in the fulfillment survey.
What if I want to replace EVERYTHING?
If your goal is to have all wooden tokens in the game, the answer is straightforward:
All backers receive the Foe Wooden Token Upgrade Pack via the stretch goal
Adding the 5 Faction Deluxe Wooden Upgrade Bundle completes the full wooden set
Here are some prototype images while we prepare more information and final details for the pledge manager.
Fulfillment Survey Update
Previously, we said the fulfillment survey would be sent out soon. In hindsight, that “soon” probably deserved a trademark symbol.
We held off because we wanted to get closer to manufacturing reality so we could present options based on actual costs and logistics, rather than projections.
Barring any truly unexpected issues, we plan to send the fulfillment survey in the next few weeks.
In the survey you will be able to:
Confirm or update your shipping address
Change your order
Add items that were not available earlier or that you decided you want after the fact, including the new deluxe wooden token upgrades
Target Fulfillment Timing
We are still tracking toward a Q2 delivery window. Our confidence in that timeline will increase significantly once the remaining manufacturing physically begins. We are holding our breath until then.
There are roughly a thousand small steps between crowdfunding closing and the first items coming off the production line, and those steps can vary wildly from initial estimates. We did extensive upfront research, worked closely with veteran creators, and leaned heavily on our expert manufacturing and logistics partners to prepare for this phase. We intellectually understood that reality going in. Now we understand it in our bones.
Thank you!
Thanks again to all of you who backed and continue to support with your words of encouragement!
We are right at the final steps before pressing the BIG RED BUTTON. We have technically already started pushing things that take the longest, like the dice molds, but we are days away from submitting final files.
We are getting feedback and guidance from our manufacturer and others in the industry that this may be a hectic pre Chinese New Year season. We are keeping a close eye on things as we navigate this for the first time. That said, we have some very experienced crowdfunding veterans advising and supporting us, so we are confident we are in the best place we can be.
If it becomes obvious that manufacturing won't finish before Chinese New Year, we will use that additional time to improve the game wherever we can, including more art and variety (like these new specialists!), and maybe (just maybe) a Tabletopia release.
Shore Leave – Holiday Gift
Shore Leave is ready for you to take out for a spin. The authors, Bazil and Jake, have been hard at work testing and refining to make it a real hoot. We are releasing the latest playtest version to backers right now. You can download the Shore Leave playtest PDF now by clicking on the link in the notification email or logging into BackerKit, opening your pledge, and scrolling to the Digital Files section.
Grab some family, friends, or even piratey strangers this winter season and spend one weird day in New Caribbea playing the role of crewmates who have a single day to fulfill the Captain’s wishes, if only you could remember what they were.
What Is a One Pager RPG?
A one pager RPG is a complete tabletop roleplaying game that fits on a single page. It includes everything needed to play: the premise, rules, and how the session ends.
These games are designed to be learned quickly and played in one sitting, usually one to two hours. They focus on simple mechanics, improvisation, and shared storytelling rather than deep rules or long campaigns.
One pagers are great for casual groups, family gatherings, conventions, or players who want to try roleplaying without a big time commitment. They often embrace chaos and failure as part of the fun, aiming to create memorable moments rather than “winning.”
PAX UNPLUGGED
PAX Unplugged went great! It was the first convention we attended after the campaign, and the first where our focus was on meeting and supporting our backers rather than trying to get the word out. It honestly felt really good to connect with the folks, like you, who hopped on this train with us.
We had a few people come by to check out Azteca, do demos and component riffling, and one group completed a full playthrough. We also handed out a ton of copies of Shore Leave.
We spent the rest of the time connecting with LongPack about getting manufacturing just right, talking with BackerKit about pledge manager tips and tricks (more on that later), connecting with partners in retail and FLGS, and soaking in the culture.
Sign Off for 2025
That’s it for 2025. We are closing out the year with the game and community in great shape, looking forward to starting the year that Red Tides launches, and settling in around a roaring fire to play Shore Leave while we wait.
Avast Captains! Stop and peer at the swell of news!
We have several updates to share today, including PAX Unplugged plans, production progress, the pledge manager, our current fulfillment timeline, and news about the Red Tides RPG. Long Lost Notable - Pirate Lord seak peek at the end!
PAX Unplugged 2025 Play - 10am 11/21
We will be hosting an open public play gathering in one of the free play areas at PAX Unplugged 2025 starting at 10am 11/21.
WE WILL EMAIL LOCATION THE MORNING OF FRIDAY 11/21.
(If you still need to share your email fro PAX Unplugged - provide it here.)
This is not an official PAX event - we are just allowing folks to show up, play the game, and connect. We plan to run up to four sessions, each for up to four players, beginning Friday morning. Everything will run on a first come first serve basis, and we will keep tables going as long as players want to keep playing (or we fall out from exhaustion).
We will also bring a preview of the Azteca faction. For PAX we are presenting the Azteca faction through a small set of paper prototype components: a prototype ship layout, a curated set of altar cards, and a short reference sheet. These pieces offer a focused taste of the faction, though they will not be part of the play sessions.
We will also have a first printing of Red Tides: Shore Leave - our 1-pager RPG. Details below.
Key notes: • Free play area • First come first serve • Starts Friday morning • Azteca shown as a curated prototype set • Red Tides: Shore Leave - a 1-pager RPG set in the world of New Caribbea
Production Update - Dice Molds Started!
The most complex item is getting the dice molds created and perfect. Our custom dice molds are now in active development. Engineering samples are ongoing, and the factory has begun cutting molds for volley dice, challenge dice, mighty challenge dice, and fortune dice. Once test shots arrive we will share photos so you can see the exact colors and icon layouts before mass production begins.
Rulebook and card layouts are moving through final pre-press checks.
Key notes: • Dice molds underway • Test shots coming • Rulebook and card files nearing final approval
Pledge Manager Update
The pledge manager is nearly ready. This stage is important because it lets us collect every final detail before locking the full mass production run. We know some of you have been eager to adjust your orders, whether changing items or adding more. You will be able to do all of this once the pledge manager opens. Having accurate and up to date information ensures you receive exactly what you expect, and hopefully a bit more.
Thank you for your patience as we finalize this step. Some projects move to their pledge manager very quickly, but we want to make sure everything is correct before it goes live so your final delivery meets our expectations as well as yours.
Key notes: • Pledge manager in final preparation • Adjustments and add ons will be available • Accurate responses guide production • Thank you for your patience
Project Timeline
We remain on schedule.
Fulfillment is targeted for Q2 2026.
If anything shifts, we will let you know right away.
Red Tides RPG: Shore Leave
Our Red Tides RPG is titled Shore Leave, an expanded one pager designed for fast, chaotic storytelling in New Caribbea.
Players wake up after a night they cannot remember. Each recalls only one thing: the captain gave them an important task, but none of them remember what it was. They have one day to uncover it and carry it out before the captain returns.
Shore Leave is built to use the fortune dice included in Red Tides but can also be played with a standard D8.
We expect to have a beta version ready for playtesting by mid December, making it easy to bring to holiday gatherings. Your feedback will help us refine the final release.
Key notes: • RPG is called Shore Leave • Uses fortune dice or a D8 • Beta planned for mid December
Join Our Discord
If you want ongoing discussion about Red Tides, the best place to join us is our community Discord. It is where we share smaller updates, answer questions live, and chat with players about strategy, ideas, and development.
If you enjoy following the creation process or want to connect with other captains, the Discord is the easiest place to stay in the loop.
Key notes: • Best place for live conversation • Development previews and Q and A • Active community of captains
It’s been over 2 months since we finished crowdfunding and we’re still crunching towards manufacturing. We’re scanning every square inch of the production files, finalizing contract details, solidifying fulfillment plans, testing some final balance tweaks, and wrapping up the final art and design for a few of the bigger stretch goals.
Tortugas Games @ PaxU
We’re gonna be there! While we won’t have a booth (we’re planning booths once we have the game in hand), we will be wandering around, playing Red Tides, and just having a good time. We would love to hear if you have any interest in playing the game! Let us know here:
We're close to making a decision for a partner for our retail and brick and mortar strategies. As two creators with full time jobs we want to focus on making the best game possible and leave the wild world of retail to some serious pros. We're looking for a partner to bring vast experience into handling retail and online sales. Since you already backed, this may not matter to you but it's an important step give us more time on the game, and builds a stronger base for more expansions and games in the future.
Rulebook Updates
We’ve hired William Niebling to handle the final version of the rulebook. William has been a freelance rules writer/editor for the last 18 years, and worked within the hobby games industry for over 30 years. He came highly recommended and we are thrilled he’s taking the lead on this critical part of the game. As a designer myself, it's incredibly encouraging to get feedback on the rules from such a pro. I was mostly happy with the state of the rules given the amount of testing we've done, but William is taking it to the next level. So pumped to be working with him.
Post-campaign Purchasing
BackerKit offers a way for folks who missed the main campaign to purchase the game. We don’t have a timeframe in which we’ll keep this open but we wanted to make sure the folks who missed out can get in on Red Tides with all the benefits and value of the crowd-funding campaign. We try to keep it simple and not play games. We’ll offer this for as long as we can, but once the final button is pressed on manufacturing, the version available here will only be available to you folks that took a chance on us, (and maybe at conventions if we have left-overs). In order for Tortugas Games to stand firmly on its own two feet we can’t offer this version going forward. I think we treat crowd-funding a bit of an antiquated way, using it to actually fund the game and our dream, but our stated objective from the beginning has been, and will be: get the game into the hands of as many people as possible.
We’ve received our final production timeline from our manufacturer, LongPack. We’re working non-stop to get the game shipped from the manufacturer before the start of Chinese New Year to make sure we stay on track for a Q2 2026 launch. We’ve built in some additional time to increase the odds of hitting that goal, but we know that unexpected things can happen so we don’t want to dawdle.
A quick note on tariffs: when we launched the campaign, we were still in the middle of uncertainty around tariffs for games bound for the U.S. We built in enough margin to absorb what we thought was a reasonable cost. Given the shifts since then (first down, then back up again) we remain hopeful that tariffs won’t affect our ability to deliver at the costs we planned. We’ll continue to absorb as much of that as possible without compromising the game or the future of Tortugas Games.
In times of uncertainty, we double down on communication. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we encourage you to join our Discord and connect directly with us there:
https://discord.gg/fC3NEP3Vuj
Seas of Sacrifice – Design Origins
We’ve said little about the Seas of Sacrifice expansion for Red Tides outside of what we showed on the campaign page. We’re going to start to chronicle some of the lesser-discussed aspects of Red Tides and the expansions in the coming months.
The Seas of Sacrifice expansion for Red Tides came about from an intense love of history and a fascination with those tiny moments when a small change can spark a completely different world. As I researched and read about pre-Columbian civilizations, I realized that my education up to that point had been vastly incomplete, a realization that happens with all history I study. The deeper I went, the more I found it to be nuanced and fathomlessly complex, far beyond what I had imagined.
Given the setting of New Caribbea and its fantastical portrayal of a time and place parallel to our own history, I found myself constantly drawn to understanding the path that led to this moment. While we’ve imagined many different expansions over the years and worked on them off and on, the concept of a Mesoamerican presence kept pulling us back.
Though we’ll likely never publish it directly, there exists, at least in our internal canon, a chain of events that led from a small, struggling city in the middle of a vast swamp, defending itself and creating a religion to secure its place in the world, all the way to one of the greatest republics in the world of New Caribbea.
When the forebearers of the protagonists in Red Tides arrived across the sea, they discovered vast, thriving centers of human society rich in technology, religion, and all the complications that human civilization brings. Nestled among these impressive, though not unprecedented, cultures scattered across the new world was one that seemed, at first, fairly unremarkable compared to its peers: what is now known as the Azteca Republic.
The Azteca would go on to forge alliances with their greatest enemies and conquer those who stood in the way of unification. They extended north into the deserts, establishing human centers in inhospitable lands, and pushed south until they reached the rocky rainforests of another rising empire.
It was at the height of this expansion, when the Azteca Republic reached its maximum extent, that Davies burst onto the scene, upsetting what had been a delicate balance between the land-based might of the Azteca and the incredible sea power of the Seven Sisters. Seeing an opportunity, the leader of the Azteca Republic met with Davies in secret to assess his potential as an ally. A plan was hatched, and a treaty was enacted: Davies would swear that no non-native would set foot in the Azteca Republic, and no Aztecan would launch a ship into the seas of New Caribbea.
To seal the pact, the Azteca leader provided Davies with special items of power to enhance his ship, the Dead Drifter. Within the Azteca Republic, it is widely believed that these artifacts ultimately tipped the balance in Davies’ favor and led directly to his rise in New Caribbea.
Believing they had secured the better end of the deal, ceding a worthless sea to a man they were certain was doomed but gaining precious time to bring their costly war against the Southerns to a close, the Azteca withdrew from the seas.
We know the story of Davies, and as captains, you embark on a quest to remove him and his ilk from power. For the Azteca Republic, however, the story did not unfold as expected. What they viewed as an ultimate victory over their greatest rivals became instead a fragile peace meant to prevent mutual annihilation. What they saw as one man’s doomed quest to fight a juggernaut of state and culture became a legend of triumph of the determined over the entrenched. And what they believed would be insurance and protection against an exposed flank became a mark of weakness and a thorn in their side.
Hemmed in by nature, threatened with destruction by their adversaries, bound by an outdated treaty, and driven by a religion that balances the fate of the world on the feeding of their gods, the Azteca now look to the seas of New Caribbea for their future.
Having long derided the ways and means of the outsiders, the Azteca have begun to steal their technology and their ships, imbuing them with their own knowledge of the physical and spiritual worlds. They have launched their dual temples into the sea itself, bringing with them the might of the land upon which the sun god stands. Like a continent floating on a sea of lava, the solidity of their mighty ships now rides upon the water and blood of New Caribbea.
Holy cow it’s been a month since the Red Tides campaign ended! We are missing all of the constant updates and drama of the campaign but excited about getting the game to everyone!
Gen Con
Fresh off the heels of the campaign we were in Indianapolis for Gen Con. We ran events daily and they all sold out! We underestimated demand and I apologize to all of you who wanted to sign up but found no spots available. We’ll open up many more spots next time! It was amazing to talk to backers who came to find us. We also sold many copies for folks who missed the campaign. I can’t reiterate enough how much the campaign has meant for Red Tides and for us. You enabled us to put in this extra time and polish.
Production Updates
We’re still on track for Q1 2026. We’re hard at work, putting all the little polish on the various pieces across the campaign. The most critical is the dice, given the long lead times.
I’m happy to announce that we’re going to be able to put the Azteca on ALL of the Fortune Dice. This means that you won’t have to buy additional separate Azteca Fortune Dice if you got the Seas of Sacrifice expansion - the dice in the core game will work for them too! I’ll be honest, we considered committing to the next 3 factions in order to fill out the other blank sides but we want to see how the game develops before locking in the NEXT 3 EXPANSIONS!
The various stretch goals are taking up most of the design time because we want to make sure they meet our super high level of expectation. I’m VERY excited about the sub-factions. Such tiny little cards doing TONS of lifting!
Pre-Orders
This doesn’t apply to most of you but, if you’re interested, we have BackerKit’s version of late pledges up - Pre-Orders. Don’t ask me why it’s called that. It works pretty similarly to Late Pledges but it’s actually a full on store. Maybe there is something interesting we can do with it. For now we have a trickle of folks coming through buying the game. This bodes well for the long life we envision for the game!
As a part of our stretch goals, we included a number of wooden tokens to kit out your crew, faction, and status tokens. We had many people ask if they could buy more in order to replace ALL OF THE TOKENS?! Well, thanks to y'all we’ve got the ability to offer Extra Wooden Token Packs, much like our Extra Dice Packs. The Extra Wood Token Pack will be an option in the pledge manager, once we send that out.
Pledge Manager and Timing
We want to wait as long as possible before sending out the pledge manager to reduce the amount of chaos we let in between the closing of the pledge manager and the shipping of the plunder. Keep your eyes peeled for updates via email or Discord!
Discord
Speaking of discord, come join us! It is the most active area of Red Tides (and increasingly, one of our other games in the development) of all of the internet. We’d love to have you, and you’re welcome to pepper us with questions or ideas!
