Winter Update!
4 months ago
– Mon, Dec 15, 2025 at 10:41:29 PM
Happy Holidays!!
The winter season is here, and we hope you're huddled up warm and cozy with your favourite games! Our final convention for the seasion, Dragonsteel Nexus, is complete and we're now fully into heads-down office mode! We're still chugging away on this beast of a project, but we're closer than ever to completion and excited to see things coming together.
As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ
This is the place to be if you want an up-to-the-moment update on things, or just have a question to ask us :) We definitely encourage you to head over there!
Project Update
Backerkit Survey!
We're almost at 100 percent completion for the survey, so if you haven't hit that up please do! Without completing the survey we won't know what to send you!
Departmental Updates
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Writing - The writing is long done, and we're continuing to finalize V.O. We have some exciting announcements coming for that, but we don't have the go-ahead to publish that yet ;)
-
Layout - 85 pages per box, 5 boxes, this means 425 total pages of layout. That's far more than the vast majority of modules out there!
- Art - Art assets for the booklets are nearly complete, but Austin has re-tasked to primarily completing layout so that we can ensure the guidebooks are ready to print ASAP. That being said, there's an example of some new, unreleased art below!
- Distribution - Tariffs. The end of de minimis. We'll navigate it, but it's complicated for sure. This isn't getting any easier based on the constant threats and changes coming out of nowhere, but we'll get it done.
- Manufacturing - Looking solid on this front.
Voiceover
We're at 90 percent for V.O! At this point we cannot make any more announcements until we're given the go-ahead to release names. Stay tuned!
Layout
Layout continues apace! Not much to show here, but we're continuing to move on this front :)
New Artwork!
We're extremely pleased to release some never-before-seen art for you!
The Grand Bazaar is an enormous, city-sized marketplace. Players will have the opportunity to do some in-depth exploring and dig into the Bazaar, discovering side-quests, shops, and NPCs everywhere they look!
Distribution
Tariffs and customs continue to be unpredictable, and there's no way to know how it'll all be when we're ready to ship, but we'll handle that when we get there! One way or another, everything gets shipped as soon as it's ready to go!
Thank you!
Updates are likely to have less and less in them the closer we get to fulfilment since there's only so many times we can say "almost there" xD. They may also come with less frequency, since quality is always more important to us than quantity. Thank you for sticking with us, we know you're going to love what you get.
As always, thank you all so much for your support! It means the world to us as we build a world for you :)
Michael and Austin
Autumnal Vibes
6 months ago
– Thu, Oct 02, 2025 at 12:50:37 AM
Happy August!!
Hey folks! Autumn is upon us, and as we look forward to warm apple cider, crunchy leaves, and cooler weather we also look forward to the completion of layout, encounter building, and a solid swathe of art! We're also nearing the end of convention season, which means Austin and I will (FINALLY) be on a non-travel schedule for a couple months.
As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ
This is the place to be if you want an up-to-the-moment update on things, or just have a question to ask us :) We definitely encourage you to head over there!
Project Update
Backerkit Survey!
We're almost at 100 percent completion for the survey, so if you haven't hit that up please do! Without completing the survey we won't know what to send you!
Departmental Updates
-
Writing - Some exciting V.O. announcements today! Check them out below!
-
Layout - 85 pages per box, 5 boxes, this means 425 total pages of layout. That's far more than the vast majority of modules out there!
- Art - Art assets for the booklets are nearly complete, but Austin has re-tasked to primarily completing layout so that we can ensure the guidebooks are ready to print ASAP. That being said, there's an example of some new, unreleased art below!
- Distribution - Tariffs. The end of de minimis. We'll navigate it, but it's complicated for sure.
- Manufacturing - Our manufacturers rock. Like actually. Our GenCon meeting was great, and we're psyched to start printing, pouring metal, and blending tea!
Voiceover
We are very pleased to announce that V.O. is almost complete, and we've got a lineup of actors that we're incredibly proud of. If you watch to any actual-plays, or hit up any ttrpg podcasts you'll likely recognize a few of our voiceover artists
- Patrick Keeffe - A familiar voice for the QuestChest team! Prince Dontis in our Assassin's Crown QC and the vocal magic behind "The One Beyond the Walls" Kickstarter Campaign song, Patrick lends their INCREDIBLE voice to a number of roles in the Campaign Chest.
- Natalie Fuinha - GM for Storyteller Squad and all-around fantastic human, Natalie is a good friend and voices Kit, a friendly fey face in Box 1!
- Michael Kum - Actor, teacher, and vibrant character, Michael Kum is one of the awesome humans behind FourPlay, an up-and-coming actual play group right now running a very cool game set in the Domains of Dread.
Layout
Layout continues apace! These spreads below have never been seen by human eyes! Just ours... Which... aren't human? No questions. -
New Artwork!
We're extremely pleased to release some never-before-seen art for you!
These three characters, Morvaiel, Mara and Haron will all make an appearance in quest 4: The Broken Bar.
Distribution
Everyone is going through issues with distribution and shipping right now. With the removal of de minimis between the USA and Canada we've lost one of the solutions we believed we had for fulfilment. De minimis meant that every parcel going from CA into the States was pretty much good-to-go from a customs, duties, and tariffs standpoint as long as the value was under $800. With that having been removed, every item that crosses is now subject to a number of fees. For the next 6 months (at least), those fees are a minimum of $80 per parcel. That obviously presents a problem. At the time of writing this, we don't have an easy solution to this problem, but we'll find one. In the meantime it continues to be upsetting to see things getting harder and harder for folks in our communities for such pointless reasons. Stay tuned for updates on this, and please ensure you've filled out your survey.
Thank you!
Updates are likely to have less and less in them the closer we get to fulfilment since there's only so many times we can say "almost there" xD. They may also come with less frequency, since quality is always more important to us than quantity. Thank you for sticking with us, we know you're going to love what you get.
As always, thank you all so much for your support! It means the world to us as we build a world for you :)
Michael and Austin
Summer Update!
8 months ago
– Sat, Aug 02, 2025 at 08:26:20 AM
Happy August!!
Hey folks! As in the last update, we're into a phase where there isn't as much to say! Layout isn't thirlling, but we do have some art updates for you today!
As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ
This is the place to be if you want an up-to-the-moment update on things, or just have a question to ask us :) We definitely encourage you to head over there!
Project Update
Backerkit Survey!
We're almost at 100 percent completion for the survey, so if you haven't hit that up please do! Without completing the survey we won't know what to send you!
Departmental Updates
- Writing - Some exciting V.O. announcements today! Check them out below!
-
Layout - 85 pages per box, 5 boxes, this means 425 total pages of layout. That's far more than the vast majority of modules out there! You can see an example of the layout for box 3 below!
- Art - Art assets for the booklets are nearly complete, but Austin has re-tasked to primarily completing layout so that we can ensure the guidebooks are ready to print ASAP. That being said, there's an example of some new, unreleased art below!
- Distribution - Nothing to see here yet!
- Manufacturing - We're meeting up with our manufacturer at Gencon this upcoming week!
Voiceover
We are very pleased to announce that V.O. is almost complete, and we've got a lineup of actors that we're incredibly proud of. If you watch to any actual-plays, or hit up any ttrpg podcasts you'll likely recognize a few of our voiceover artists
- Ellie Furtney - A friend from way back, and an incredible entertainer, actor, and streamer. If you like APs and video game playthroughs, you should check her out @3llebelle!
- Kelly Clark - GM and driving force behind DorkTales, a wonderful actual play group out of Victoria BC in Canada! They stream D&D, Daggerheart, Vampire the Masquerade, and many many other games!
- Meric Moir - An extremely talented writer and newly minted head of Plot Weaver development for Brotherwise Games! Meric is an incredible human being with a voice that NEEDS to be in more things.
Layout
Layout continues apace! These spreads detail some of the colourful and exciting NPCs you'll meet in Ioatha -
New Artwork!
We're extremely pleased to release some never-before-seen art for you!
A magical goblin tattoo artist, member of the secret Weaver organization, and gambling pirate captain await you in the frontier!
Thank you!
Updates are likely to have less and less in them the closer we get to fulfilment since there's only so many times we can say "almost there" xD. They may also come with less frequency, since quality is always more important to us than quantity. Thank you for sticking with us, we know you're going to love what you get.
As always, thank you all so much for your support! It means the world to us as we build a world for you :)
Michael and Austin
June Update
10 months ago
– Sun, Jun 01, 2025 at 09:41:20 PM
Happy June!!
Hey folks! We're in a phase where there truly isn't much to report; layout progresses, and given that each book is about 85 pages long and there are 5 of them, it's taking some time. That being said, let's kick into the update!
As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ
This is a great place if you want an up-to-the-moment update on things, or just have a question to ask us :) We definitely encourage you to head over there!
Project Update
Backerkit Survey!
We're almost at 100 percent completion for the survey, so if you haven't hit that up please do! Without completing the survey we won't know
Departmental Updates
- Writing - Some exciting V.O. announcements today! Check them out below!
-
Layout - 85 pages per box, 5 boxes, this means 425 total pages of layout. That's far more than the vast majority of modules out there! You can see an example of the layout for box 3 below!
- Art - Art assets for the booklets are nearly complete, but Austin has re-tasked to primarily completing layout so that we can ensure the guidebooks are ready to print ASAP. That being said, there's an example of some new, unreleased art below!
- Distribution - Nothing to see here lol
- Manufacturing - Coins are manufactured, dice are manufactured, the process is moving!
Voiceover
We are very pleased to announce that V.O. is almost complete, and we've got a lineup of actors that we're incredibly proud of. If you watch to any actual-plays, or hit up any ttrpg podcasts you'll likely recognize a few of our voiceover artists!
We'll be releasing a few names at a time, starting with this update. Some very exciting ones include:
- Amy Vorpahl - An incredible actor, singer, improv artist, and all-around fantastic human that we've been lucky enough to work with twice!
- Em Carlson - Creative Director for Blackwater D&D (some awesome friends of ours and an incredible actual-play), brilliant actor, and trained therapist!
- Sean Depner - Cast member for Blackwater D&D, actor-at-large with credits in dozens of films and tv shows, and fantastic creator.
Later on we'll be releasing some fun behind-the-scenes video of some V.O. recording!
Layout
Layout is a bear, but we're almost done! Austin has worked hard to ensure each book has its own particular flair and flavour, while maintaining a consistent theme and overall design. We want to make sure that everything is consistently interesting, but also that you know that each box is part of a coherent whole.
New Artwork!
We're extremely pleased to release some never-before-seen art for you!
This map of the undercity of Ioatha provides a look at a world unknown to the inhabitants above, and one that you'll be able to explore in the third quest, Masques and Murders!
Thank you!
Updates are likely to have less and less in them the closer we get to fulfilment since there's only so many times we can say "almost there" xD . We're psyched to be nearing the end of this process and thrilled that the Campaign Chest will soon be out in the world. Thank you for sticking with us, we know you're going to love what you get.
As always, thank you all so much for your support! It means the world to us as we build a world for you :)
Michael and Austin
April Update - The Good and the Troubling
12 months ago
– Tue, Apr 08, 2025 at 08:49:11 PM
The News on Everyone's Mind
Hey Everyone,
No point beating around the bush, lets talk tariffs.
As of right now a 104% tariff has been levied on the entire board game industry. Obviously this is crippling, not just to us but to all of our fellow creators and friends working in a career which is already never guaranteed, very expensive, and honestly financially unrewarding. Most of us who work in games tend to do so out of love and passion, and so it's absolutely heartbreaking to see and hear so many of our friends and colleagues doing the math and coming to the sobering realization that their businesses may not survive the coming years due to a pointless, counter-productive, and fully self inflicted set of poorly though out policy decisions.
What this means in real terms is that if a game normally costs $10 to make, it now costs fully $20.40 to produce and get to the USA (and I'll be real with you, Campaign Chest costs FAR more than $10 to make). It's also worth noting that nowhere in North America is capable of producing board games or ttrpgs in any sort of cost effective way, and many of the resources required to do so simply can't be found here.
Here's the good news for everyone who backed our campaign: We're going to figure this out. When you supported us, and when we launched this campaign, none of us could have possibly seen this catastrophe coming. That's not our fault, but it's REALLY not your fault either. We're going to absorb this cost, the way we've planned to absorb the other costs due to border concerns previously. Assuming that tariff number doesn't continue to rise (we hope) then for all of you awesome folks, this is business as usual.
THAT BEING SAID
This is a very, very scary time for creators, especially those like us and many of our friends who don't have the benefit of 10 or 20 years of established sales to fall back on. If you care about small creators, and you want to see them survive over the coming months and years, PLEASE PLEASE go seek them out and support them. You don't need to make purchases, you can just share their stuff on socials, talk about them to your friends, hell even just shoot them a message and let them know you see that things are hard and you appreciate their work.
Austin and I are both creators in other sectors as well, doing art, writing, and sales for other things too, and everything we do is impacted by this. We appreciate your patience and support as we figure all this out.
Campaign Chest is coming. It will be worth all this struggle. And together, as a community, we will get through, and we will survive.
Support each other. Be kind to each other. See other humans as HUMANS first, and let's bend together to help everyone get through this time.
Thank you
Michael and Austin
