What’s WatcherDM been up to in the Summer of ’26? Tons!
It was May last time I (Austin) posted here. Since then, we’ve competed in several Game Jams and released a three-book RPG. Crazy, right? Let’s get into it!
WatcherDM’s Summer Game Jams!
Carving Ymir
Up first, we made Carving Ymir for TripTech 2026, a Mothership game jam. You play an isolated crew of drillship drivers burrowing into an ancient alien terraformer/god who reconstitutes its homeworld out of your personal DNA. Out of 51 entries, we placed 4th, winning a Community Selection seal and the Thematic Excellence Seal! We also came #2 for the Writing prize. Not too shabby! We also got to collab with WacoMatrixo, whose work we admire. It was really quite a treat all around.
Three Sisters of the Glass Mountain
Following the Panic Engine Jam, we joined TripTales 1: Fatherfog. Our entry was called Three Sisters of the Glass Mountain. It’s a rescue mission inspired by fairy tales like the Glass Mountain and Old Rinkrank, as well as the Brunhilde myth. We did really well! Among sixteen very strong entries, we placed first overall, getting the #1 spot for Art, Layout, Favourability, and Game Design. We picked up another Silver for Writing and a #2 for Utility.
Glass Mountain’s got a bit of a twist to it (which I won’t spoil here) but you should check it out if you want to give Fatherfog a shot. I’ve played a couple of sessions of it now, and I have to say, it goes over really well. People really seem to respond to it, especially the Stranger class. As for the adventure itself, Gabriel really outdid himself with the design. Pick up Into the Fog as well, and tell me they don’t look like they’re carved from the same tree. It’s wild.
Appendix N Jam
Judging is still open on the Appendix N Jam. The idea there was that they would give you a fake book title, which sounds like it could have come from the Appendix N. Gabriel got The Desert of Despair; I drew The Spiral Path of Chaos. There are a total of 332 entries; it’s a big crowd!
Desert of Despair is a hex-crawl and time-loop puzzle for Vaults of Vaarn — one of the only entries for that (really enjoyable) system. The Vaarn-vibes are strong, the aesthetic is on point, and the game design is both clever and simple. Gabriel keeps saying he’ll be stoked if he lands in the top 20%, but personally, I think he’ll do a bit better than that.
The Spiral Path of Chaos is science-fantasy dungeon for Shadowdark, intended for levels 4-6. It’s a simple thing, only nine rooms, but it’s got Star-Saddled Pterodactyls, Eyeless Pseudomen, and a Chaos Papess. It’s worth a gander if you’re into that Jack Vance, Moebius, Howard/Lovecraft, Heavy Metal, Gandahar type stuff. It even got a little review from 2d6 Stingbats. Our buddy Ryan did the cover: a nautiloid chaos temple orbiting a gas giant. I don’t know how my chances are, but I’m kind of hoping I might be able to snag the Theme prize — I really went all out with the Appendix N, prog-rock-cover fantasy stuff.
There are a lot of great entries. Once the judging’s completed, I’ll post my own personal top ten! Stay tuned!
Two Other Jams!
There were other, less competitive jams as well. We entered a Gloam One-Page Adventure Jam, with the Stygian Weald. We also entered this year’s One Page RPG Jam with 4d20, a wee story game based on stoner comedies and Sliders. All in all, a busy time to be on Itchio and a busy summer for WatcherDM!
Blood Prairie
Enough about game jams! Let’s talk about the real work.
Blood Prairie is out!
You can pick up the Ashcan 0e edition for free. All three core books are out: the Players’ Guide, Game Masters’ Guide, and Creature Catalogue. Gabriel also threw together an online Character Locker. We’re calling it the Soul Vault; so far it works a treat. Let us know if you find any bugs.
It’s the biggest, best thing we’ve done yet. A full-sized TTRPG, based on a unique post-theistic Weird West setting. For a brief time, it was the number two game on Itch! It’s goth. It’s Canadian. It’s the best time I’ve ever had playing a spellcaster.
That’s right, bay-bee, I got to sit player-side! Gabriel ran a short campaign, and it was rad as hell. We solved a mystery (-ish), defended a vampire, and ultimately saved the day, thanks to some cocainized-witchery. I’m biased, of course, but for my money, it’s the best in the genre. Check it out!
We’re also ticking away on the first Adventure for Blood Prairie: Hilltop Hymnal. You might remember the name from the playtest reports we did way back when. It’s a great adventure; I’ve been trying to work in lots of GM advice, like Another Bug Hunt did for Mothership. Something that can teach the system and the adventure. Keep an eye out for it, it won’t be long.
We’ve even had some early inquiries about third-party content. If you might be interested in making some yourself, reach out to us!
Future Portents
Speaking of upcoming things, we’ve got a full docket ahead. As the Summer of WatcherDM draws to a close, the Autumn open up!
After Hilltop Hymnal, we plan to release some other Blood Prairie adventures. Derricksland is coming, and we’re just about to break ground on the third — I don’t want to commit to a title, but the phrase Vampire Rodeo has been floating around the old mindscape.
Before all that, we’re headed to KamCon! If you’re in the area, stop by. We’ll have a vendor booth, and we’ll be running four tables of Mothership, Knave, and Blood Prairie! I still have some space, so sign up if you can.
I’m also scratching away at a Jump-9 Grant. If you’re a game designer, take a peek! It’s a hell of an opportunity. Wish me luck!
Finally, we’re getting ready for a big Shadowdark release. Long Bear Valley is Kickstarting early next year; help us launch and join the waitlist! I’m hoping this will be a step up in our Kickstarter journey. We’ve had a great track record of delivering for small crowdfunding campaigns, but this should be a size category bigger!
And that’s the State of WatcherDM, folks! Thanks for sticking with us. It’s been a crazy journey so far, but we’ve made it with your help. Thanks to y’all, the best is yet to come!
If you like this, check out our yearly round-up or Gabriel’s deep-dive into OSR Damage Schemes. We also have Tattoo Goblins, for the discerning GM. Stay Weird, friends!