Not Writing

Die-Atonic Electro Swing Download

Hello folks,

Today I put the finishing touches on the first version of DIE-ATONIC, my 2 player RPG about an assassin and a target on a hot cat and mouse chase through a club. Who will die? Who will make it out alive? And who will fall in love?

I've attached the PDF to this post so patrons can download it at their leisure. I'll also be posting it to the usual places and put a link here like all my other games.

This was a lot of fun to make! I want to do a few more editions th...

The 55 Kickstarter Cover Image Preview

Hey Cyberpunks,

Working on the cover image for THE 55 today.

Basically just used all the assets for the cover and mixed them around.

Pretty happy with it!

-Michael

Yet Another 55 Preview

Almost finished my CY_BORG supplement, THE 55.

Just need to do some editing and then I can send it off to the printer to get a proof. Crowdfunding for a print run will happen in July. Also thinking of doing a print of the cover art during the campaign as a reward. Partly 'cause I think it looks cool, but also because I accidentally ordered a bunch of oversized envelopes a while ago and have nothing else I can use them for :D

Also this week I got an offer to have Fealty published i...

More Die-Atonic Previews

Hey Assassins,

Did some more work on Die-Atonic today. Got the core gameplay down, now just need to work on the different versions. In my head I wanted to start with three: electro-swing (pictured above), cyberpunk, and then like a modern John-Wicky one. Gonna start with this one and see how it goes. Got an idea for the cover art for the electro swing edition, but we'll see how that goes :P

Also did work on my card game Card Drives. I'm happy with where the game is at, now I just ...

Die-Atonic Preview

Hey Folks!

Spent a bit of time today working on potential layout for Die-Atonic, the music based duet game of assassins chasing targets through clubs and how that's kinda hot? This is the one you all voted for last year for me to do this year.

I looked at my notes for this game and was surprised to find most of a game already set to playtest! I'm looking forward to seeing how this game feels.

-Michael

PS I literally just noticed how die-atonic as a name works on on not...

Crystal Skies Timeline Preview

Hey Folks,

I'm jumping between lots of different projects right now and as a treat this weekend I decided to use an RPG called Microscope to jumpstart some creative writing I've been thinking about for a while.

The idea originally started as a creative exercise: flipping fantasy tropes I see in world building. What if instead of iron and blood imperialist like the Horde, Noxus, Fire Nation, or the Empire, there was an inflating socialist state? What if the spiritualist nation of I...

The 55 Cover Final FINAL.png

Hey Cool Cyberpunks,

Putting what might be the finishing touches on the cover for THE 55, my upcoming CY_BORG supplement.

Will probably add some details to the tower and maybe mess with the title some. Maybe add some more buildings in the background? Dunno, but I like where it's at.

The 55 Cover Work in Progress

Hey Cyberpunks,

A little preview of one of my upcoming projects. THE 55 is a supplement for the CY_BORG RPG. I made all the entries during last year's #dungeon23 challenge. I was gonna start the year by doing a printed zine that collected them all, but Fealty took precedent.

But now it's time to go back to the old me.

Stay safe out there.

-Michael

Card Drives Version 0.2

Hey Cool Cyberpunks,

Attached is a new version of card drives, my solitaire cyberpunk game. I made a handful of changes to streamline things and create more of a visual language for all the possible bugs you can encounter. There were quite a few iterations between the last version and this one that didn't really see the light of day.

This version is a pretty good example of where my head is at with the game right now. No more health and no more buff/debuff system with encounters o...

Card Drives 0.2 Preview and Print Sale

Hey Folks,

Big welcome to all the new patrons that joined since last update. Glad to have you here.

Card Drives 0.2

Been working on a handful of things this month, including fiddling around with the look and feel of runs in Card Drives. Right now I'm going with this sort of abstract Hackers the movie approach where you can see your path between different parts of the net, with grids and obelisks of data rather than concise labels for what you are doing or meddling with.&nb...

Card Drives Prototype

Hey Cool Cyberpunks,

Attached to this post is the rulebook and optional card art/tokens you can use to play Card Drives, my cyberpunk solitaire deckbuilding card game.  You'll need a deck of cards and an understanding of poker hands to play, but that's about it.

The basic rules are included as well as some starting apps and a single run. There's a lot missing like advice on what to do when making custom cards or apps, how to make your own runs, and most importantly the Daily ...

Fealty Protoype

Hey folks!

Welcome to the new patrons we've acquired since last time I posted! Feel free to wander about. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.

Just wanted to share the prototype rules for Fealty, the game of courtiers and magical medieval politics I'm making with Galen Pejeau. 

This is a link to the early access folder. I'll update it with ...

Fealty Cover Art

Today is the last day for the Fealty Kickstarter.

Have I mentioned how cool it is to work with an artist?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/notwriting/fealty 

Fealty Just Went Live on Kickstarter

Pray for us.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/notwriting/fealty 

Interview on the Weekly Scroll

Yesterday me and Galen Pejeau were on the Weekly Scroll talking about Fealty and showing off a bunch of art, layout, and rules. It was a great time. I've been a fan of the Weekly Scroll and their coverage for a while now and getting to sit down and talk with Ryan was a lot of fun.

We talked about how me and Galen met, what inspired Fealty, what to expect in the game and from the Kickstarter.

We've been working hard to put the KS page together which goes live... on Thurs...

Got to 69 Paid Patrons Today

Nice.

Fealty Layout Previews

Put together some very early layout of Fealty to show off for an interview tomorrow and HOT DAMN Galen has really put some work into this.

In other news I spent my weekend stuffing envelopes full of copies of RIG. How was yours? :P

600+ copies of RIG in my bedroom/office

Yes, they were heavy.

FEALTY Art Preview

Hey Patrons,

Wow! There's a bunch of you huh? About 12 new patrons this month, which is a record for me I think. Thank you all so much for your support. We've well secured my first goal and are actually well on our way to meeting further goals.

I wanted to share some previews of the art happening for my next project Fealty. 

All this is by 2024-01-23 21:49:08 +0000 UTC View Post

RIG Released

Hello Pilots,

RIG, my single player mecha souls-like RPG is now finished and out in the wild.

Patrons can get their free copy through itch here: https://notwriting.itch.io/rig/patreon-access 

This took a while to finish, but I'm overall pretty happy with it. Would have liked to spend more time developing but with personal issues at the end of last year I just ran out of time. And Galen...

Neon Black Version 8.0 Cover Tests

Hey Cyberpunks,

Been fiddling with the new version of Neon Black, my anti-capitalist cyberpunk rpg, as a treat to myself while working on other things, and figured I would show you all where I'm at. 

The images here show 6 revisions, from current final back towards first attempt.

This cover is... sort of beyond me as an artist right now. I feel like I'm just barely scratching the surface of something cool. But for the longest time I couldn't even picture the cover to th...

Patron Poll Results and New Project Announcement

Hey folks,

Well, the results of the patron poll are in and it looks like I'll be making DIE-ATONIC in 2024. It's a pamphlet game for 2 players, 1 song, and how being an assassin and a target in a nightclub is dangerous and kinda hot.

I had a lot of fun making The Fall of House Prosh last year, so I'm excited to dive into making another trifold pamphlet style game. Thanks to everyone who voted!

Also, I have a new project on the horizon! FEALTY is a token-based RPG about commo...

RIG v 1.1 Redesign

Hey folks,

Just wanted to share some previews of where I'm at with RIG, my current project. Changed up the layout and some of the design changes so I could finish it sooner. I'm pretty happy with it! I shared some of these on the Kickstarter page, but I wanted to make sure you all got a chance to see them too.

- Michael

Bundle of Holding, Slugblaster, and More!

Hey folks,

The poll for the patron picked project I'll make next year is real close! Just a few votes separate each one at the moment. That update is now pinned to my patreon page, and you can find it and vote right here.

Also I wanted to share that one of my games is part of the latest Bundle of Holding deal! I was contacted about a month ago about this, and was pleasantly surprised. Bu...

Patron Poll for Early 2024

Hey folks!

Since we passed the 50 patron milestone last month, you all get a chance to vote on one of the projects I'll be working on and finishing next year! Not sure when exactly this project will be finished, all I can say is that I will work on it and finish it some time in 2024.

All of these projects are already works in progress, some more complete than others. The options that don't win are still projects I will come back to, so don't worry if your pick doesn't win.  2023-12-04 20:29:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Sick Loots Released

Hey punks,

I've been working on a few modules for the Slugblaster RPG as part of the game jam happening right now. 

The first is SICK LOOTS, basically some random loot tables to help determine what might be in RESCUE contraband lockers, inside the bellies of metasaurs, or what you manage to steal off the local bullies.

Right now it's PWYW but patrons get access to it here forever:

2023-11-21 21:48:34 +0000 UTC View Post

Polling and Secret Project

Hey folks!

Sometime last month we successfully passed the 50 patron mark! This means that I will be posting occasional polls where you will all be able to vote on what I work on.

Last time this meant I designed Stiletto, a single player variation of Blades in the Dark, which is currently a patreon exclusive. 

At the beginning of December I'll post another poll with some work in...

Giveaway Winner

Hey folks,

Today I did the draw for the winner of the zine giveaway and sent them a message. I won't say here who it is but please do check your patreon messages. Thanks so much to everyone who signed up to support me on patreon, and those who continues to support me.

It's been a wild few weeks for me. I just recovered from getting covid for the 2nd time. Luckily this time the symptoms were much milder.

I'm starting to get back into the swing of things, starting with some pr...

Temporary Leave

Hey folks,

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all the new supporters who have signed up recently. Thank you all so much!

We have crossed the 50 member threshold, which means you will all get a chance to vote on some of the things I make! How cool is that? If we keep above that number at the beginning of November I'll put together a poll before the end of the year with some in-progress projects I have, and you can all decide which one I focus on.

And of course, all patrons...

Another Old School Radical Preview

Managed to get some more work done on this today. Gradually coming together.