We hope you’re torturing your players enjoying The Darkest Woods with your gaming groups! People are always fascinated that they can play this with any game and even bring characters from different settings together using The Darkest System.
We’re happy to let you know the remaining components are soon to head to manufacturing — The Broken Tarot deck, handout set, and Woodfolk Token Set, and the early pledge reward. Monte and Bear are starting work on the art book and virtual tour as well.
We’ll share more info on these as we get it, but we’ll check in anyway even if it’s to let you know we don’t have exact dates yet!
The Darkest Woods has been fulfilling from our warehouse for about a week now—if you haven’t redeemed your copy yet, you can do so by visiting the MCG Shop, logging in, and navigating to the Coupons Page. (If this is your first time crowdfunding with us, or if you just need a refresher, you can find a full tutorial here!)
Our warehouse team has been hard at work shipping these to you—look at this pallet full of The Darkest Woods orders!
These books are truly gorgeous—the standard edition feels special and deluxe in your hands, yet somehow the deluxe edition is even deluxier!
You funded several physical game items during this campaign—the Handout Set, Woodfolk Token Set, the Broken Tarot, and the House Premium Dice set. While we’re still working on getting these items to you (global tariffs and shipping complications haven’t been making it easy), we’ll have updates to share about them soon. You’re more than welcome to wait to redeem your copy of the book until all items have fulfilled to save on shipping costs—or, if you’re anything like us, redeem the book right away to dive into the secrets and horrors of the Woods!
The Darkest Woods app is coming soon!
In our last update, we asked you to let us know the details of any bugs or technical issues you encounter within the early-access version of The Darkest Woods App—which has been fulfilling alongside the book—by sending an email to [email protected]. Though the app was already tested internally, we appreciate all the comments people submitted to help us make it run even better and smoother! We’re incredibly proud of it, and can’t wait to roll out the final version to the public soon, in early April.
A megadungeon with an amazing twist from legendary TTRPG designer Monte Cook!
How can unquiet ghosts and fusion radiation possibly exist in the same world—and what happens when they mingle? How does an AI cope when it finds itself abandoned on a planet where magic and spellcraft dominate? How does a lone android survive when the magical energies of a strange new world begin to alter it both physically and mentally?
And how does a sleeping god react when these events begin to wake her?
Jewel in the Sky is a megadungeon adventure that explores what happens when magic and technology don’t just merge—they collide and corrupt each other. And along the way they attract demons from another plane, a shadowy cult with a mysterious agenda, a cabal of powerful figures making the eight-mile floating island of Vocurro the nexus of their schemes and plans, and more.
Terrific news! After a bit of a delay, the book version of The Darkest Woods is in transit to our warehouse now! We’re thrilled with how gorgeous the painted edges—depicting a heavily forested tree line—are, and also how great the embossing looks on the deluxe copies. All copies of The Darkest Woods have a more robust binding, even than usual, to take the heavier weight of the paper.
Just take a look at this first-off-the-presses copy of the deluxe edition!
Did we mention how absolutely hefty this book is??? And look at those beautiful (and very useful) bookmarks!
Fulfillment Soon: Physical and App
We’ll be fulfilling the books and the app over the next few weeks, so please check your email as we’ll let everyone know it’s being fulfilled. If you don't see the email in the next couple of weeks, check your MCG store accounts for coupons in case the emails have gone into spam. As a reminder, here's a guide for fulfilling your rewards.
Early Access Version of the App
We’ll fulfill the early-access version of the app around the same time we fulfill the physical copies of the book. It is a complete version of the product, with all the game content and all the functionality we envisioned when we planned the app. You can use it to run your games as soon as it’s installed on your system (Windows or Mac OS). We are so proud of it and are excited for you to see it.
The app has been well tested internally, but as more people use it, we anticipate there may be the odd bug or technical issue that pops up. We’d appreciate it if you let us know with the details of any bugs or technical issues you encounter by sending an email to [email protected].
The final version of the app will be released to the public with the standard edition of the book in early April. If there are any changes to the app between now and then, we’ll let you know how to update it. (There’s a built-in update feature, so you won’t have to reinstall it.)
We’ve put so much work into both the print and app versions of this game. We’re very proud of them, and we think you’re going to be amazed once they're in your hands. We’ll let everyone know by email when these are being fulfilled.
Ninth World Record Smashed!
Numenera: The Amber Archive is funding the new edition of Numenera! The original Numenera launched the Cypher System, and Monte Cook Games. This campaign is not only fully funded and well into stretch goals, but thanks to your fantastic support, we passed a truly incredible threshold: $517,255. What makes this number particularly special (besides being over the gobsmacking half-a-million mark) is that it represents the funding total for the original 2012 Numenera crowdfunding campaign!
Thanks again for your support, and keep an eye on your email inbox for fulfillment updates!
We’re so excited to show you the app! Below we’ve got a few screenshots with notes on the features you can expect—there are a number of feature improvements from the Darkest House that we’re so happy we were able to include.
But before that, we’ve got an update on our anticipated fulfillment date: we’re gearing up to fulfill the book and app in February. The book was sent to the printers this month, but there is a delay as our printer’s bindery is running behind, which has added a few weeks to this final stage of production.
The App is rockin’!
Our talented developer and UX specialist have been working hard on getting The Darkest Woods App working even better than the House App. With updates to the features and quality of life improvements for the app, we’re really excited to give you a preview!
New and Exciting Features in The Darkest Woods
We’re really excited for you to try these 9 things to try the moment you open the new Darkest Woods app!
NOTE: There may be spoilers in these preview screens. You have been warned.
1: Browse You’ll be able to visually explore over 100 locations (across 9 Regions) of the Darkest Woods on the Welcome† page.
A backdrop of various sites within The Darkest Woods displayed as images and text
† You are not, in fact, “welcome.”
2: Search
Quickly jump to any location in the woods using the new search bar.
Showing a drop down of the search menu bar against a backdrop of various sites within The Darkest Woods
3: Download or Copy a Map Share high-resolution unlabeled maps with your players. Save steps — the new “Copy Image” button allows you to paste directly into your messaging app of choice!
Shot showing the unlabelled player map along side the labeled GM map with narrative info text
4: Multitask without losing your place Maintain access to location text while viewing full-size images, downloading files, changing preferences, and more.
Spread of a full-page image with left hand menu and creature description on show
5: Learn about your Environment Locations within the woods may be nested within other areas or regions — with just a click, view information and travel-able maps for any of them using the breadcrumb trail at the top right corner of the screen. (This ended well enough for Hansel and Gretel. We won’t promise the same for you.)
Overview of areas of The Darkest Woods with connections between them
6:Disable Dark Mode: To say “Enable Light Mode” would be thematically inappropriate. But yes, the app has both a light and dark mode.
(To be perfectly clear, this setting affects your computer screen, NOT the woods themselves.)
7: Travel More Easily Zip among page content using a new navigation sidebar. Move up and down the path with back/forward buttons!‡ Pick up right where you left off when you open the app or return to a previous page! Travel to new locations directly from the map!
‡ Advisable only under certain conditions (IYKYK)
8: Get a Refresher Access the full rules and mechanics content from the book, directly within the app.
9:Maximize The new app plays nicely with large displays.
The Darkest Woods App displayed on both a large monitor and laptop screen
We’re really excited for you to jump into the app. We’ll be furiously testing and polishing the app and will fulfill it alongside the book!
Numenera Logo and Symbol
Welcome back to the Ninth World
If you’re keen for more mystery and oddness but with a science fantasy theme, then check out our next project as we welcome you back to the Ninth World.
Great news! The books are hitting the printers next week, and it all looks great! As soon as we have sight of when the books will be ready, we’ll let you know. We’ve also got some spreads of the book to share below.
The Darkest Wood page spread showing The Abandoned Campsite
Furthermore, The Darkest Woods App development is on schedule, with the app delivery still on pace to coincide with fulfilment of the book. With the book’s content finalized, we’re now putting the data into the databases, while simultaneously polishing it with minor adjustments to match the app format. We’re looking forward to showing you a preview of it in our next update!
The Forest of Blades double page spread from The Darkest Woods
The Cavern of Memories double page spread from The Darkest Woods
The Fire Tower double page spread from The Darkest Woods
Welcome back to the Ninth World
Numenera Logo and word mark
Huge thanks to everyone who help to fund the new version of Cypher which will be released towards the end of next summer. Check out our next project as we welcome you back to the Ninth World.
