A new indie game series from Central Michigan University Press launching with a lineup of three games: Princess with a Cursed Sword, Dog Eat Dog, and the Mountain Witch
This crowdfunding campaign represents the launch of Art and System: Games for Expanded Play, a new game series from Central Michigan University Press. Art and System highlights innovative, artful games that explore the intersection of mechanics, narrative, and design.
This new series has two parallel goals: to preserve indie games which have had an impact on game design discourse, and to showcase new work which pushes the boundaries of games even further. Tim Hutchings (Thousand Year Old Vampire) is the series editor.
The three games offered in this campaign are:
Dog Eat Dog (2012) by Liam Liwanag Burke;
Princess with a Cursed Sword (2025) by Anna Anthropy; and
The Mountain Witch (2005) by Timothy Kleinert.
Right now, we have single stretch goal for the campaign that encompasses a number of different things. Basically, we're going to glow up each of the books in different ways, as you'll see below:
FUNDED -- $20,000 - Funding Goal: We made it, thank you!
UNLOCKED -- $45,678 - Book Glow Up: And we blasted past this too, thank you!
For Dog Eat Dog, we'll emboss/deboss the titles on the cover; upgrade the paper; and add special ink to the dog's eyes to make them glow in the dark (your copy of Dog Eat Dog will stare at you in the night; you know you want this).
For Princess with a Cursed Sword, we'll add a ribboned bookmark, emboss/deboss some elements on the cover (specifics TBD); upgrade the paper to a nice uncoated paper that's easy to write on; and add forty-eight (48) journal pages to the back of the book, so you can play the games right in the book itself.
For The Mountain Witch, we'll add a ribboned bookmark, upgrade the paper, and foil stamp some elements on the cover (specifics TBD).
Dog Eat Dog: A Game of Imperialism and Assimilation on the Pacific Islands is a multiplayer tabletop role-playing game which places players in the midst of a struggle between a colonizing Occupation force and a targeted Native force.
This 2013 IndieCade Impact Award-winning game creates a social and narrative space at the table which echoes the power imbalances of colonialism. As such, gameplay is unfair and unsettling – but very meaningful. This will be the first time the game is available in physical print form in more than a decade!
Dog Eat Dogis a roleplaying game of colonialism and its consequences. As a group, players work together to describe the conquest of one of the hundreds of small islands in the Pacific Ocean, defining the customs of the native people and the mores of the outsiders arriving to claim it. One player then assumes the role of the Occupation force, playing their capable military, their collaborationist government, and whatever jaded tourists and shrewd businessmen are interested in a not quite pacified territory. All the others play individual Natives, each trying in their own ways to come to terms with the new regime.
The game begins when the war ends. Through a series of scenes, players explore the inevitably conflicted relationship between the two parties, deciding what the colonizers do to maintain control, which natives assimilate and which run amok, and who ends up owning the island in the end.
For more on Dog Eat Dog, check out Liam's interview with Liz Davidson of the Beyond Solitaire podcast:
8.5" x 5.5” hardcover format, approx. 60pp. (final page count TBD)
New cover art by Samuel Araya
New foreword, additional author's notes, and clarified game text
Quick setup and entry to play with examples of gameplay peppered throughout the book; accessible for both first time and experienced RPG players
Modified conflict system based on the World’s Greatest Role-Playing Game
Simple token economy for tracking the conflict between the Occupation and the Natives
Suggestions for alternate and/or more fantastical settings
Awards: 2012 Indie RPG Award for Most Innovative Game; 2013 IndieCade Impact Award; 2013 Diana Jones Award nominee
Designer
Liam Liwanag Burke is a game designer born in Hawai'i. He has been a waiter, an actor, a logistics coordinator, a producer, a product manager, and is now a father, husband, and doctoral student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has always been Filipino-American, although he did not always believe it. He is interested in settler colonialism, player and non-player agency, and survival. He lives in Hawai'i with his family.
Cover Artist
Samuel Araya is an artist living in the poison heart of South America. His work has appeared in a variety of media, from videogames, t-shirts, posters, records, to cards and books—including five editions of the prestigious Spectrum: The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art annual. As a gallery artist, Araya has had his work featured in numerous international exhibitions.
Princess with a Cursed Sword: A Book of Solo Journaling Games is a collection of five solo journaling roleplaying games by designer Anna Anthropy. The games are powered by tarot cards and centered on exploration and reflection.
The book also includes actual play vignettes for each game, written by an amazing host of featured players:
Nell Raban (writer and game designer, Sid Meier's Civilization VII, Fallen London) as the Princess;
Sharang Biswas (award-winning game designer, artist, author, and educator; Avatar: Legends, Pathfinder, Sea of Legends) as the Tavernkeep;
Jupiter Wildwood (maker, writer, and witch; Summoning Circle Press) as the Seer;
Jack de Quidt (writer and composer, Friends at the Table) as the Magpie; and
Gregory Avery-Weir (writer and game designer, Rosette Diceless) as the Thaumaturge!
And there's more! The book includes rules for a two-player epistolary version of gameplay, suggestions for endless replayability, and instructions for players to create their very own solo journaling RPG in the style of Princess with a Cursed Sword. For more on Princess with a Cursed Sword, check out Anna's recent interview with Liz Davidson of the Beyond Solitaire podcast:
8.5" x 5.5” hardcover format, approx. 72pp. (final page count TBD)
Five solo journaling RPGs bound together for the first time
Five vignettes from guest designers
Debut of new RPG, Thaumaturge
Instructions for epistolary two-player gameplay
Prompts for using tarot cards in storytelling
Suggestions for replayability
Instructions for creating your own Princess with a Cursed Sword system game
Draft Layouts for Princess with a Cursed Sword (not final)
Anna Anthropy is a game designer, author, and educator based in Chicago. Her digital games include dys4iaand Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars, and she is also the designer for tabletop games Coldbloods, The Fool's Journey, and the award-winning Forgotten Palaces. As an educator, her publications include A Game Design Vocabulary, Rise of the Video Game Zinesters, ZZT, and the Make Your Own Video Games!series from No Starch press.
Artist
Evlyn Moreau is an illustrator and game designer living in Montreal. She loves to feed sparrows and to draw all kinds of strange critters. She illustrated many roleplaying games, like Marchebranche, Longshot City and Skyrealm. She also often publishes zines of her own like Where the Wheat Grows Tall, Goblin Mailand Doodle Land.
In this influential indie multiplayer RPG, play as one of a group of secretive ronin hired to seek out and kill the dreaded Mountain Witch of Mt. Fuji. Guided by a Dark Fate, each ronin explores the mountain and moves closer to their goal all while keeping an eye on their fellow travelers as the game uses a unique “Trust points” system to shape the course of the adventure.
The Mountain Witchis a self-contained role-playing game in which players take on the role of ronin in mythical, feudal Japan. Outcast and unemployed, these samurai accept a deal that no one else would take—to assault and kill the dreaded O-Yanma, the Mountain Witch of Mt Fuji. But haunted by the past and by dark fortune, these characters very quickly find themselves trapped in desperate circumstances. Originally written for the Game Chef RPG design contest in April 2004 held at The Forge website, The Mountain Witchhas become a landmark in the world of indie RPGs. This revised edition provides streamlined play advice and explanations for a smoother gameplay experience.
As an RPG, The Mountain Witch implements a “play to discover your character” approach which encourages character development during gameplay sessions. To guide the narrative, each character is assigned a secret “Dark Fate,” which creates an ulterior motive for the ronin, and a Zodiac sign for character inspiration. The ronin can expend “Trust points” to either help or betray other characters in future Conflicts.
Led by a Game Master, players develop their characters, journey through the lowlands and mountain terrain of Mt. Fuji, battle minions of the Mountain Witch, and guard their own secrets. The ultimate drama of the game comes not from battling the Mountain Witch and his minions but from the mounting tension between characters which grows during this journey. In the closing acts of the game, players reveal the Dark Fates which have been guiding their course throughout the quest, corner the Mountain Witch, and feel the consequences of their characters’ choices.
For more on The Mountain Witch, check out Tim's recent interview with Liz Davidson of the Beyond Solitaire podcast:
8.5" x 5.5” hardcover format, 172pp.
New play advice, techniques, and streamlined rules language for revised edition
Appendices full of world-building material
Instructions for playing a shortened version
Players drive the direction of the story
“Trust points” mechanic allows players to help or betray their fellow ronin
Gameplay proceeds in KishĹŤtenketsu four-act storytelling structure
A companion game box, which will include eighteen (18) Dark Fate cards, twelve (12) d6s, and 144 punchboard game tokens, as well as space to store your hardcover.
Designer
Timothy Kleinert first began role-playing when he was only seven years old, playing a “kiddie” version of Dungeons & Dragons with a (Thundercats inspired) warrior named Liono. Today, beyond his game design and publishing experience with the influential RPG The Mountain Witch, he is a loving husband and father, living in Chicago as part of an intentional community. As a member of that organization, he performs a variety of tasks to help support those around him.
You can back this campaign for the following core rewards:
All the Games ($70)
Hardcover editions of Dog Eat Dog, Princess with a Cursed Sword, and The Mountain Witch, plus PDFs for each. That's almost 12% off the combined expected MSRP for each game if purchased separately.
All the Digital ($40)
PDFs of Dog Eat Dog, Princess with a Cursed Sword, and The Mountain Witch.
For greater flexibility in choice, here's the additional pledge tiers in this campaign:
Generous Benefactors ($1)
Backing at this level gives you our thanks and access to the Pledge Manager after the campaign ends.
Dog Eat Dog - PDF ($15)
PDF of Dog Eat Dog.
Princess with a Cursed Sword - PDF ($15)
PDF of Princess with a Cursed Sword.
The Mountain Witch - PDF ($15)
PDF of The Mountain Witch.
Dog Eat Dog - Print ($22)
Hardcover edition of Dog Eat Dog, plus the PDF.
Princess with a Cursed Sword - Print ($22)
Hardcover Edition of Princess with a Cursed Sword, plus thePDF.
The Mountain Witch - Print ($35)
Hardcover edition of The Mountain Witch, plus the PDF.
Game Duet: Dog Eat Dog & Princess with a Cursed Sword - Print ($40)
Hardcover editions of Dog Eat Dog and Princess with a Cursed Sword, plus the PDFs for both. **If you were a backer of the 2018 Kickstarter for The Mountain Witch, you can also use this pledge tier to add-on your special Mountain Witch reward, if you want to get the other games at a discount as well (see below).
For backers of the 2018 Kickstarter campaign for The Mountain Witch, we have a special pledge tier for you:
2018 Mountain Witch Kickstarter Backers ($6)
For backers of the 2018 Kickstarter, pledge this tier to gain access to a special at-cost copy of a hardcover edition of The Mountain Witch, plus thePDF. Backers at this tier will be checked against the Backer Report for the 2018 campaign; those who are not backers of the 2018 campaign but pledge this reward level will have their pledges cancelled and refunded.
Additionally, if you are a retailer looking to obtain copies of these games before street date, we have a number of retailer bundles:
Retailer Bundle: All the Games ($158.00)
Four (4) copies each game in this campaign: Dog Eat Dog, Princess with a Cursed Sword, and The Mountain Witch, at 50% off the expected MSRPs for each ($22, $22, and $35 respectively). That's twelve (12) games in total. In addition, you gain access to special retailer/wholesale pricing in the Art & System Pledge Manager after the campaign ends.
Retailer Bundle: The Mountain Witch ($70.00)
Four (4) copies of The Mountain Witch at the wholesale cost of $17.50 per copy (50% off the expected $35 MSRP). In addition, you gain access to special retailer/wholesale pricing in the Art & System Pledge Manager after the campaign ends.
Retailer Bundle: Dog Eat Dog ($44.00)
Four (4) copies of Dog Eat Dog at the wholesale cost of $11.00 per copy (50% off the expected $22 MSRP). In addition, you gain access to special retailer/wholesale pricing in the Art & System Pledge Manager after the campaign ends.
Retailer Bundle: Princess with a Cursed Sword ($44.00)
Four (4) copies of Princess with a Cursed Sword at the wholesale cost of $11.00 per copy (50% off the expected $22 MSRP). In addition, you gain access to special retailer/wholesale pricing in the Art & System Pledge Manager after the campaign ends.
We will be using Backerkit to collect shipping costs closer to fulfillment, send out surveys, and manage fulfillment after the campaign has ended.
US Fulfillment
For US domestic fulfillment, we will be using a US-based fulfillment partner for warehousing and distribution. We anticipate shipping costs through our fulfillment partner to range between $8–$12 for shipments containing a single copy of each game, depending on a backer’s distance from the warehouse. Backing for additional copies of the games and/or add-ons will increase this cost some, but it should be reasonable.
Worldwide Fulfillment
We will be offering worldwide shipping as part of this campaign, using a combination of our European-based fulfillment partner, GamesQuest, and PirateShip's Simple Export Rate, depending upon where a backer is in the world and which service offers the best rates. We do not have estimates on international shipping rates at the moment, but our previous crowdfunding campaigns have had rates within the range of our contemporaries. However, as always, if the final shipping cost ends up too much for you, please message us, and we'll cancel your pledge, no questions asked.
Tariffs
Our expectations for shipping costs were calculated as of the start of our campaign. However, US tariffs continue to fluctuate, which can change the cost of manufacturing significantly. Additionally, while we anticipate that books as printed materials should be either zero-rated or pegged fairly low for tariffs, US Customs may disagree. We will do our best to mitigate or absorb these tariffs, but in the event that we cannot, backers living in the US should be aware that we may need to include a tariff surcharge if there are significant changes between now and shipping. Backers with US shipping addresses will be notified and charged (should it be necessary) as we get closer to the shipment of the games.
Dog Eat Dog, Princess with a Cursed Sword, and The Mountain Witch are being published as part of the Art and System: Games for Expanded Play series of Central Michigan University Press, which is an academic press that focuses on peer-reviewed games rooted in their designer's academic practice, pedagogical goals, or both. The Art & System series expands the press's mission to include games that are artful, innovative, and historically important.
Art and System Series Editor
Tim Hutchings is an artist, game designer and educator living in Portland, Oregon and is best known for his game Thousand Year Old Vampire. His games have won many awards, he shows his artwork around the world, he is between university professorships. Hutchings received an MFA in Sculpture from Yale University and a BFA in Video Art from the Kansas City Art Institute.
CMichPress Contacts
Dr. Tracy S. Davis, Co-Director, Center for Learning through Games and Simulations at Central Michigan University – [email protected].
Dr. Jonathan Truitt, Co-Director, Center for Learning through Games and Simulations at Central Michigan University – [email protected].
Dr. Andrew D. Devenney, Associate Director, Center for Learning through Games and Simulations at Central Michigan University – [email protected].
Veronica Gregory, Coordinator of Outreach, Center for Learning through Games and Simulations at Central Michigan University – [email protected].
