The Last Shoppe is a solo journaling game. It is chill and can be tackled at your own pace. It is a game where you build up your character through self-reflection and create the community in which your character lives through interaction with the locals.

All you need to play are 

I prefer pen and paper for journaling because you can also doodle while you write.

The nature of the game is cozy and fairly direct, but you can up the stakes and make every interaction a contest of wills, each gathering of resources a challenge, and introduce any rules you see fit. The underlying card mechanic has conditions for ending the game, but you can always extend the story - or just start a new one!

The random nature of the tables to set the game in motion and the ability to add and replace specific tables and add your own rules makes this game highly replayable!

In addition to creating a new character, each time you play you create a new terrible wilderness, a new strange settlement, and a new odd shoppe. Here are some examples from recent sessions:

In this play-through, I explored a a former pirate trying to remember what else he had lost. Each gathering session where a Diamond was drawn I decided a memory was lost to the demons of the Forest of Thieves. 

The grim nature of the swamp was in strong opposition to a friendly community, so I kept that concept of opposition going through the play. As bits of the past were unearthed, I added a grim turn to them, but then resolved them with the community interactions.

I'm keeping it simple!

Just Browsing
This pledge allows you to get updates and pick up add-ons if you like.
   Thanks for following and supporting!

Digital
Just want the PDF? No problem!
   The PDF is a 28+4 page digest (8.5" x 5.5") size in full color.

Standard
You get the physical edition of The Last Shoppe plus the PDF. Sweet deal!
   The Standard Edition is a 28 page digest (8.5" x 5.5"), full color, soft cover, saddle stitched book.

Journal Edition
Did you want a hand bound version of the book that includes tons of pages for journaling as part of the book itself? Then this is the edition for you.
   The Journal Edition is also digest (8.5" x 5.5"), full color, hard cover, hand sewn book. Page count TBD.

Limited Edition Cave Paper Journal
A fancy version of Standard Edition hand-bound in Cave Paper!
   * Limited to 10 copies.

Limited Edition Velum Journal
A fancy version of the Journal Edition hand-bound in velum!
   * Limited to 10 copies.

Are you a retailer with a physical store? Well check it!
Please be able to show proof of a physical retailer shop if necessary. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions or would like to create a custom retailer level pledge.

Retailer, Standard
You get 5 copies of the Standard Edition.

Retailer, Journal+
You get 5 copies of the Journal Edition AND 5 copies of the Standard Edition.

Thanks for Following!
If you followed the project before launch and backed at the Standard Edition or higher, you'll get an exclusive pocket sized journal!

Early Bird Special
If you back in the first 48 hours you'll get an exclusive hand-bound A6 journal and a few book marks because book marks are cool.

The stretch goals are simple.

$2000: Improved Quality!
We'll use a heavier paper stock for the rules and the cover of the standard edition will have a linen finish. Beauty!

$4000: More Options!
We'll add 4 pages of material to increase the options for creating the Wilderness, Settlement, and your Shoppe.

$6000: Even More Options!
We'll create alternate sets of NPCs and Trade Goods that you can swap out to change the tone or add to the mix to expand your game.

$10,000: Special Events!
Rules to add Events to add some spice! What strange holiday does the community celebrate? Were you planning on attending the spring dance? Who has been leaving those mysterious notes? What will you do when zombies start wandering around? How does the town react when a mythical creature takes up residence?

I’m Duck (aka Dale Houston) and I founded Duck and Crow Press because I wanted to make more games and get them into the world. I have been writing my own stuff for decades and in 2025 decided to finally go for it. I took a what started as a work challenge, turned it into an opportunity, and jumped feet first into publishing. So far Duck and Crow Press has published 11 zines and 16 trifolds covering everything from supplements to adventures to full games!

Duck and Crow is all about creating stuff that is entirely Human Made (no AI in anything in any capacity), supporting small business (our printer is a local small business near me), and helping grow the RPG community (everyone is welcome). 

Duck and Crow makes games with plenty of blood and guts (especially the Bloodbath Dungeon series), but recently I've been trying out new types of material such as publishing the games of 2084 and new mini games like Little Stinkers and Factory Kids. This is our second solo RPG, but our first game that explores community building and could be classified as cozy. Branching out and trying new things is the only way to grow as an artist!

Timeline
To account for additional writing of the stretch goals and the time to make the hand-bound journals, we are aiming for an August delivery date. The PDFs will be made available as soon as they stretch goals have been added in.

Shipping Rate
Shipping will be calculated at the time of delivery, but these are some rough estimates based on the current rates:

We'll do our best to get the best rates possible when the time comes. Shipping may be more if you order add-ons, especially for international backers. 

Risks
This is our 2nd crowd-funding project. We learned quite a bit from the last one. Everything that can be done in house will be. Our printer is local. The paper and materials will be ordered as early as possible. The "production line" for hand binding these books has been tested. The base book is fully written and laid out; the stretch goals are the only things that need to be written. We have full confidence that we can deliver again.

The Last Shoppe is proudly 100% human-made. No "AI" was used in creating this book - not the content, not the playtesting, and definitely not the art.

Perplexing Ruins
The artist for this project, Perplexing Ruins, went above and beyond and created beautiful painted landscapes that help set a distinct tone that is both otherworldly and familiar.

Play-testers
The feedback and encouragement from everyone was outstanding. You are all powerhouses.

The Community
Anyone who has chatted with me about games has heard me say the community is the number one thing that makes gaming special. I won't go on a long rant about it - but thank you for supporting not just this idea, but all other artists, writers, and gamers.

Hambone
John McGuire of Ham and Eggs Publishing is a superhero. He is always ready with an encouraging word, but took time from his busy schedule to help me get this crowd finding off the ground and polish it. 

NJStacie
I want to give a special shout-out to my amazing partner NJStacie for her support and encouragement, but also for her artistry in book binding. Her creativity and ideas always add more work - but without fail they make each project more outstanding in the end.