It's Quiet...Too Quiet

I wish I could say this was like a swan scenario, where the bit above water looks serene, but the feet are paddling furiously under the surface. But in reality, there hasn't been anything above the water to even look at. It's been more like a submarine. By which I mean, stuff is happening, but there hasn't really been anything to show for it.

So, dear reader, what is there to talk about and what has been happening?

Well, most significant to me personally, the day job has been a slog. There were a lot of changes in the part of the business structure that impacts me quite a lot, and in truth, it hasn't been easy to roll with the punches. I am trying to make headway into positive change, but that also requires an awful lot of energy and effort and isn't without its own negativity.

In some quite personal news that I think will probably form a post in of itself, I am going to be going back on anti-depressants, though a different one to what I was on several years ago - I'm hoping I don't suffer from the same side effects as before.

With regards to some more creative elements, I am playing a hell of a lot of D&D these days, which is amazing. I now have four campaigns that I play at least once a month - two of which I DM - and typically play at least one 'one-shot' a month. I am looking to borrow an idea from the excellent Todd at @earth_former_games and run D&D for strangers! I have really enjoyed the slightly chaotic nature of one-shots, particularly with people you don't know. But I have really taken to the storytelling and narrative element of being a DM ,and I think I have something to contribute to the D&D community in that sense. More to come on this in the future!

Probably the single biggest positive development has been the steps taken with regard to a project I have been trying to get off the ground - a card game called CiNDER.

CiNDER will be two games using one 18-card deck: a rapid multiplayer game for two to four players where you try to outwit your friends to victory, while you can also use the same deck to play a single-player puzzle game where you attempt to find your way out of a dark labyrinth.

The game will be undergoing a period of play testing, ensuring the mechanics are easy to pick up for someone who hasn't had the idea churning around in their head for over 12 months, and I will be appearing at a few conventions in 2026 to get some public playtesting carried out, with a view to launching on Kickstarter in 2027. This timeframe might seem like a long time, but I'm keen to get this right - I don't have the funds to throw at a half-baked idea, and I'm only interested in producing products that add value to the tabletop community.

I am delighted to be in a position to work with others in the community, and expect my next significant announcement to be confirming the amazing people who will be contributing massively to the project.

I'll call it there for this post. I really want to get back into the swing of things with the D&D-tangent content. I have nine other magic items pretty much ready to go and loads of ideas when it comes to puzzles, encounters and other more longer form content. Don't say it too loudly, lest we talk it into existence, but I am also seriously looking at video content, which scares me no end.

Until next time.