Our latest crowdfunding roundup includes a card game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, a new fantasy series from Madeleine Holly-Rosing, and a collection of railroad-themed board games. Also: An illustrated fantasy series involving a cat and his "trusty dragon sidekick" and an open-source RPG.
Feed a Lovecraftian Monster in New Card Game
Red Duke Games, a publisher in the Philadelphia area, launched a Kickstarter campaign for The NecroNomNomNom, a card game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The game is a follow-up to the publisher’s Lovecraft-inspired cookbooks. It challenges players to assemble recipes to feed a Lovecraftian monster.
The game consists of four subdecks: Eldritch Horrors (the Ancient Ones who must be fed); Rituals (recipes) to “satisfy the unearthly appetites of the Ancient Ones”; Offerings (ingredients) to assemble; and The Stars, a set of tasks to perform.
The object: “Be the first cultist to complete a ritual that quells the hunger of your Eldritch Horror—before you become the main course.”
Pledges begin at US$20. The publisher estimates delivery in August.
The campaign launched March 20 and has already reached its US$2,750 funding goal. It runs through April 19. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
New Direction for BMS Creator
Madeleine Holly-Rosing is best known to steampunk fans for her graphic novel series Boston Metaphysical Society. But now she’s reaching back to the legend of King Arthur for a new medieval fantasy series entitled Morgana Pendragon.
Here’s a synopsis: “Having lost her magic when she fled England twenty years ago, Morgana leads a mercenary team wherever the best paycheck is. All that changes when she receives a message to return—her brother, King Arthur, is dying. Now, she must not only face Mordred, the child she left behind, but a new threat which may forever change her and the future of her country.”
What inspired Holly-Rosing to create the new character? “When you get to a certain age, especially as a woman, you find you are less and less represented in stories unless you’re the mom, the grandmother, the feisty aunt, or something even more banal—the wicked witch,” she wrote. “Few in our society recognize that after decades of living, we have some serious skills that have been honed over decades of training which might be useful. Morgana Pendragon is my response.”
The campaign will fund the first 32-page issue of a four-issue mini-series. The book will be saddle-stitched with a trade paperback grade cover, she said.
Holly-Rosing wrote the story and recruited a creative team that includes artist Alden Kaye, colorist Warnia Sahadewa, and letterer Troy Peteri. Rio Burton is the main cover artist and Roberta Ingranata contributed a variant cover.
Pledges begin at US$6 for a digital edition and US$12 for a print copy. The latter is an early bird tier. Holly-Rosing estimates delivery in July.
Add-ons include metal covers, metal bookmarks, and hardcover editions of Boston Metaphysical Society.
The campaign launched April 2 and has already reached two-thirds of its US$6,500 funding goal. It runs through May 2. Learn more on the Kickstarter page.
For Railroad Fans
TraXX, LLC of Denver, Colorado is crowdfunding Issue No. 4 of Mainline, an annual publication that combines railroad-themed board games with articles about railroad history. This year’s theme is “The Railroads of Europe.”
New articles include “The History of German Railroading” and “Railroading’s Impact on Timekeeping.” The issue also features a two-player card game inspired by The Orient Express and “The Transport Game,” a variant for the 18Ruhr board game, among other games.
Pledges begin at US$25 for a digital edition and $50 for a print copy. The publisher estimates delivery in June.
The campaign launched March 25 and reached its US$3,000 funding goal the same day. As of Wednesday, it had raised more than $21,000. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
Cat and Dragon
Chris Behrsin of Manchester, U.K. is crowdfunding Books 4-6 of Dragoncat, an illustrated fantasy trilogy “involving a plucky Bengal cat and his trusty dragon sidekick.” The books introduce a new character, “a goofy but courageous Sussex spaniel called Max,” the author says.
Each trilogy has its own story arc and can be read as a standalone adventure, he says.
Behrsin cautions that the story doesn’t have steampunk elements. “It’s more a portal/dragon-riding fantasy written from the point of view of a cat,” he says. However, add-ons include paperback editions of his earlier steampunk fantasy series Secicao Blight, aka the Dragonseer novels.
Pledges for the new series begin at £45 (US$59) for the paperback editions, £60 (US$79) for hardcovers, and £85 (US$112) for deluxe hardcover editions with foil-stamped faux leather covers. The Secicao Blight add-on, consisting of five paperbacks, costs £45 (US$59), a discount from the standard retail price.
The campaign launched March 25 and is close to its £20,000 (US$26,142) funding goal. It runs through April 17. Learn more on the Kickstarter page.
Open-Source RPG
Dale Critchley of Leadville, Colorado is crowdfunding Free5e, a set of free, open-source core books compatible with Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. The goal, he said, is to make the RPG—including steampunk campaigns—accessible to more people.
“For too long, financial barriers have kept people from experiencing the magic of Dungeons & Dragons,” he wrote. “Whether it’s the steep cost of official books, questionable digital licensing, or the limited availability of accessible formats, many players have been left out. We believe D&D should be for everyone—no matter your budget, location, or background.”
He noted that the books include optional systems for creating characters with disabilities, neurodivergence, or chronic or mental illness. For example, “equipment lists and magic items include assistive devices,” he wrote. “We have an ooze in the monster book that can function as a prosthesis.”
The series consists of three books: Player’s Guide, GM’s Handbook, and Free-Range Monsters. Pre-publication digital versions (PDF, Docx, and ePub) can be downloaded for free from DriveThruRPG.
The campaign will fund editing, layout, and artwork creation. The books, including artwork, will be available under Creative Commons licenses.
Pledges begin at $1 for access to the Free5e Discord server, beginning in May 2026. Higher-priced tiers include cards, tokens, stickers, game tools, and wall art.
The campaign launched March 25 and is close to its US$14,000 funding goal. It runs through May 1. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
Ongoing Campaigns
Ned Kelly: The 5 Revolvers − A science fiction adventure featuring real-life outlaws from the days when New South Wales served as a penal colony. The campaign has reached its AU$5,050 (US$3,304) funding goal. It runs through April 17.
Terror in Wonderland − The third and final volume in a YA steampunk fairy tale trilogy by Tabitha Corvin. The campaign quickly reached its US$5,000 funding goal. It runs through April 8.
The Enchanted Circus of Wonder – A three-part steampunk comic book series about a clash between circus performers and pirates. The campaign has reached its US$4,000 funding goal. It runs through April 10.
Hudson Mudworth Thinks of Something – An illustrated all-ages steampunk mystery adventure novel. The campaign is about 62 percent toward its US$9,000 funding goal. It runs through April 10.
