Pumpkin Spice Joins the Million Dollar Crowdfunder Club

There's a couple of current crowdfunders that look like they might join the Million Dollar TTRPG Crowdfunder Club. Free League's Dragonbane: Trudvang looks like a dead cert, and Roll & Play Press (backed by UK Actual Play Mega-Group The High Rollers, who will be appearing at the 02 Arena later this year as part of the D&D Fan Expo) have Altheya: The Dragon Empire, which looks like it is in with a good chance.

One project which has just passed the million dollar mark is Pumpkin Spice, which describes itself as a 'magical cozy RPG'. Ending in just a couple of days, it's a TTRPG where you run a magical cafe. It's a rules-lite, narrative game in which you play a coven of witches who run the aforementioned magical cafe while protecting the 'Fount of Magic' from those who would corrupt it.

You can play a Hereditary, Green, Coven, Solitary, Secular, or Traditional witch, each with 6 traits and different magical powers. The game comes in a full-colour hardback book, accompanied by a book of adventures. The game also uses special dice called Essence Dice, with each face showing a different Essence. There is, of course, the usual dizzying array of add-on merch which accompanies most million dollar crowdfunders--t-shirts, cards, notebooks, bags, even a vinyl record with a soundtrack for the game.

Pumpkin Spice comes from Italian publisher Acheron Games (Brancalonia, Lex Arcana, Inferno), and runs until 8pm GMT on March 5th.

 

[Scribe]

I'd back it. The thing keeping me from Shadowdark the most is well.... the dark. Dark Fantasy just isn't my vibe.

Also, gald to see Pumpkin Spice doing well.

Shadowdark really isn't Dark Fantasy at all. The only edge is in the art, and even then it's a minority of pieces.

 

[UnplayedRanger]

Shadowdark really isn't Dark Fantasy at all. The only edge is in the art, and even then it's a minority of pieces.

Every actual game play I've listened too, or game posting I've seen would beg to differ, but I appreciate knowing it can be used for other things. Would eventually like a Shadowlight spin off though. Like Demon Lord vs Weird Wizard.

Not trying to hijack this thread. I looked over the quick start of Pumpkin Spice, seems interesting if perhaps a bit too narrative for my table. The art is nice though. Congrats to them on their success.

 

[Arilyn]

Every actual game play I've listened too, or game posting I've seen would beg to differ, but I appreciate knowing it can be used for other things. Would eventually like a Shadowlight spin off though. Like Demon Lord vs Weird Wizard.

You can use the pulp suggestions in Shadowdark core rules, start at maximum hp and you're good to go. I've successfully run Shadowdark as bright heroics without any problems. Torch timer is not that central to game.

Congrats to Pumpkin Spice! Looks like a neat game.

 

[Elvish Lore]

Who is it that you think are underestimating this?

Everybody who is posting on forums attributing the crowdfunding success to the market appreciating a cozy game.

Well, yes. Also, a cozy game with lots of minimally dressed and tattooed hotties throughout.

I, for one, am glad to see an rpg selling itself like this.

 

[Elvish Lore]

If it helps, a lot of people ignore the heavy metal art and just use it to run any old school-style adventure they want, many of which are decidedly not dark. It's a very good, lean ruleset, even if your characters never go into a single dungeon.

I mean, let’s not misrepresent the game entirely, either.

Shadowdark is heavily dungeon-focused.

 

[numtini]

Shadowdark is lethal, particularly at low levels, but I don't think it's particularly dark in theme. Though after one hour of real time, it's very dark.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I mean, let’s not misrepresent the game entirely, either.

Shadowdark is heavily dungeon-focused.

Sort of? Every Cursed Scroll has a dungeon, as I recall, but most of them are focused on a big overland map, other than the one issue based on the don't-call-it-the-Underdark.

It's a great dungeon crawler, but it's got rules for ships, mounts, overland travel (including expanded ones in Cursed Scroll #4 and the Players Guide to the Western Reaches), etc.

Kelsey clearly doesn't think it's just a dungeon crawler.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Everybody who is posting on forums attributing the crowdfunding success to the market appreciating a cozy game.

Obojima has similar Ghibli-adjacent vibes and no one's scantily dressed.

Meanwhile, you can find a ton of sexy projects on Kickstarter that don't break the $1 million mark.

I think it's more likely that it's the coziness getting it here (along with the almost mandatory add-ons driving up the average pledge price, which also don't guarantee entry to the $1 million campaign club).

 

[Scribe]

Obojima has similar Ghibli-adjacent vibes and no one's scantily dressed.

Meanwhile, you can find a ton of sexy projects on Kickstarter that don't break the $1 million mark.

I think it's more likely that it's the coziness getting it here (along with the almost mandatory add-ons driving up the average pledge price, which also don't guarantee entry to the $1 million campaign club).

I don't look at enough KS in detail, but they have almost 8K backers for this.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I just received my first email for the campaign, and I definitely did not ask for updates, nor have I ever backed anything else by the publisher. Is that because Kickstarter thinks I would be interested, or do email lists get sold around on Kickstarter?