Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern is a collection of small games for groups of three or more players. You play a retired adventurer running a tavern and settling down in a town. Put down the sword and pick up the ladle.
The adventurer’s life is tough. It's time to call it quits. For years you stumbled through hostile lands, living off stale rations, and struggling to get a few hours’ sleep. Now it’s time to hang up your weapons, sell off your armor, and settle down. If only it were that easy...
Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern by Takuma Okada is a collection of cozy mini-games that tell the story of a tavern run by former adventurers. Gather your dice, pick up a deck of cards, set aside a shiny coin, and get ready for a new set of challenges. Only this time… your adventures start behind the bar.
Stewpot is divided into a series of slice-of-life scenes, with a different set of simple rules and prompts helping adjudicate each scene. You might be scrambling to cook something edible with random ingredients, bartending for troubled souls, calming down a tavern brawl, going shopping for all the things a tavern needs, and more! Work to upgrade your tavern's cuisine, atmosphere, and service. In the process, you might just learn a little bit about yourself - and your fellow party members.
Whether you're looking to play a chill pick-up session or provide a campaign epilogue to your heroes' epic adventures, Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern will serve you well.
Stewpot. Unlace those heavy boots. Put down that shield. Hang up your sword. And pull up a seat.
This crowdfunding campaign will fund production of a digest format (6" x 9") hardcover version of the book. The current page count is targeted at 112 pages, although artwork and layout is not yet final. We will also produce PDF, Print On Demand, and Roll20 versions of the game.
As part of this crowdfunding campaign, we're offering an exclusive Limited Edition version of the game. The content will be identical but the Limited Edition will feature an alternate cover with special foil design flourishes, unique endpapers, and UV spot gloss enhancements.
Whether you want something extra special at the table or on your shelf, the Limited Edition will provide a handsome addition to your gaming collection. It will not be reprinted or released in stores.
Finally, we are also offering a special collection of exclusive play aids to enhance your Stewpot game: a custom deck of cards, unique six-sided wooden die, and a commemorative 40mm metal coin.
The mini-games in Stewpot are deliberately designed with straightforward, easy-to-pick-up mechanics. So you can spend less time thinking about the rules and more time playing the game. These custom play aids incorporate the stylish artwork we've commissioned to help create the chill, rustic vibes you'd expect from being nestled in the cozy corner of your character's tavern. These items will not be released in stores.
This custom deck of cards will be made with premium casino grade linen playing card stock. The card faces will feature Stewpot-specific design elements for the numbers and suits, and we're commissioning custom art for the face cards and joker (a total of 13 custom art pieces). The mockup above is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the final design. The cards will be made using premium casino grade linen playing card stock.
Featuring a stewpot icon on one side and the game logo on the other, this commemorative coin will be 40mm (approximately 1.5 inches) in diameter with a rustic copper finish. It's being produced by our friends at Campaign Coins.Â
The 16mm wooden die will be crafted of cherry wood, with custom engraving on each face. The die will feature numerals on the 1-5 faces and a stewpot icon on the 6 face. Finally, it will be given a wax finish.
These aren't just memorable keepsakes: the mini-games within Stewpot use a deck of cards, a die, and a coin toss.
Before we get into the various pledge levels and rewards available in this campaign, we want to take a moment to acknowledge something. We realize how frustrating crowdfunding efforts can be when you are struggling with your finances. That’s why every pledge also funds at least one extra PDF which we will add to our itch.io page when the book is finalized. This pool of Community Copies will be available for anyone who’s experiencing financial hardship -- absolutely free, no questions asked.
Also: Between post-Brexit shipping, various customs and VAT charges, and ongoing upheaval around the world, the cost of individual shipping varies wildly by region.
That means we will not be able to offer a shipping option during this campaign that will service everyone. We're frustrated by this, but the alternative is charging some customers $40 or more (not including VAT or import fees) on a $25 book.
If we do not offer shipping to your country, consider backing at the PDF or Roll20 level and picking up the physical book once it reaches your FLGS. It's a much, MUCH more affordable option.
$15 PDF + POD edition
All backers at $15 and up get immediate access to the fully playable Backer Preview PDF, plus get the final PDF (with all updates and full artwork) when it's done, a code to print-on-demand an at-cost copy with DriveThruRPG, AND get PDFs of all funded stretch goals.
Final PDF with all updates and full artwork when it's done
Purchase code to get an at-cost softcover print-on-demand copy
PDFs of all funded stretch goals
Community Copy of Stewpot
$25 Hardcover + PDF
You get one physical copy of Stewpot plus the PDF at no additional cost. In addition you get all the rewards from the $15 digital level. Shipping to be billed separately via pledge manager after the campaign. ONLY SHIPS TO:USA, UK, CAN, AUS, NZ, IE, and NO
Shipping to be billed via pledge manager when books are ready
Final PDF with all updates and full artwork when it's done
Purchase code to get an at-cost softcover print-on-demand copy
PDFs of all funded stretch goals
Roll20 Module and Compendium Bundle
Community Copy of Stewpot
$40 Limited Edition Hardcover + PDF
You get one physical copy of Stewpot Limited Edition hardcover plus the PDF at no additional cost. The Limited Edition will feature an alternate cover & endpapers, plus two ribbon bookmarks. It will not be reprinted after this campaign. The interior text and artwork will be exactly the same as the standard edition. In addition to these rewards, you get all the rewards from the $15 digital level. Shipping to be billed separately via pledge manager after the campaign. ONLY SHIPS TO:USA, UK, CAN, AUS, NZ, IE, and NO
Shipping to be billed via pledge manager when books are ready
Final PDF with all updates and full artwork when it's done
Purchase code to get an at-cost softcover print-on-demand copy
PDFs of all funded stretch goals
Hardcover Limited Edition copy of Stewpot
Community Copy of Stewpot x2
$50 Retailer Copy
Confirmed game store retailers (you'll be asked to provide proof of store after the campaign, before we ship) can jump in here for 4 copies of Stewpot at a standard retailer discount. Ships free, only to a USA address (your store or a freight forwarder). If you want additional copies beyond 4, add $12.50 to your pledge for each. We recognize that now is a particularly difficult time for game store retailers, and appreciate your support!
4x Hardcover copy of the game
Ships free, only to USA addresses.
Immediate access to the fully playable prototype PDF
Final PDF with all updates and full artwork when it's done
$65 Chef's Bundle
You get one physical copy of Stewpot Standard Edition, a Stewpot wooden die, Stewpot deck of cards, a Stewpot campaign coin (all used in various games), and all the rewards from the $15 digital level.
ONLY SHIPS TO: USA, UK, CAN, AUS, NZ, IE, and NO
Shipping to be billed via pledge manager when books are ready
Final PDF with all updates and full artwork when it's done
Purchase code to get an at-cost softcover print-on-demand copy
PDFs of all funded stretch goals
Hardcover Standard Edition copy of Stewpot
Roll20 Module and Compendium Bundle
Stewpot custom campaign coin
Stewpot custom wooden die
Stewpot custom deck of cards
Community Copy of Stewpot x3
$105 Golden Years Bundle
You get one physical copy of Stewpot Limited Edition, Stewpot Standard Edition, the Roll20 Stewpot Bundle, a Stewpot wooden die, Stewpot deck of cards, a Stewpot campaign coin (all used in various games), and all the rewards from the $15 digital level. The Limited Edition will feature an alternate cover & endpapers, plus two ribbon bookmarks. It will not be reprinted after this campaign.
ONLY SHIPS TO: USA, UK, CAN, AUS, NZ, IE, and NO
Shipping to be billed via pledge manager when books are ready
$7.50 Community Copy - For every pledge, we'll add one or more community copies of the PDF in itch.io. Additional community copies can be purchased at half price!
"Players create archetypal fantasy heroes, and then guide them as they adapt to life in the kitchen, the garden, the market, and the town. It’s a little melancholy, very cozy, and easily the most charming game I played this year."-Austin Walker, Polygon
"...very much a slice of life game. It often feels like playing Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon. [Y]ou take turns picking minigames, each about one scene long, which are largely about chilling around your tavern. They have titles like “Market Day” and “Romancing a Stranger” and “A Distinguished Guest.” They’re all chill as hell. Basically you just vibe."-Sam Dunnewold, Dice Exploder
"For anyone into wholesome fantasy content, I can't say enough good things about Stewpot!" -Ash Kreider, interviewed in Dicebreaker.
They chat about Ribbon Drive by Avery Alder and making music playlists as a game mechanic. If you haven't been following this terrific podcast about indie game design and its various influences, start subscribing now.
"Stewpot is a game with a very strong batch of evocative scenarios and prompts, each one providing a great jumping off point to explore your tavern, your town and its people, and most importantly both who your characters are and who they become."Â Seamus Conneely, Cannibal Halfling Gaming.
First, a note: Various world events continue to disrupt shipping. Pricing and delivery schedules remain extremely volatile. Our intention is to deploy shipping options that minimize risk and expense for both ourselves and our backers. That means we will not be able to offer a shipping option during this campaign that will service everyone. We're frustrated by the situation, but the alternative is charging some customers $40 or more (not including VAT or import fees) on a $25 book for a delivery that may be delayed by weeks or months.Â
All shipping fees will be chargedseparately, AFTER the campaign, during pledge management. The prices below are estimates. Actual shipping prices will be determined after production is finished and we're gearing up to send out the books. Also, if you add-on additional physicalcopies of the game to your order, your shipping cost may increase.
Estimated shipping costs (for asingle book):
$10 USA
$20 UK
$25 Canada
$30 Australia, NZ, Ireland, Norway
If we do not offer shipping to your country you may consider:
 Backing at the PDF + POD tier. In prior campaigns, the POD version has been ready weeks or months before the physical books have been produced. If you place your POD order as soon as the codes are ready, it's very likely you'll have a physical book in your hands before our print run reaches your local game store.
 Waiting until the book reaches your local retailer (online or neighborhood). Our PDF guarantee means that any time you buy one of our books new in a physical form, you get the PDF for free.
 Backing at the Roll20 Bundle tier. We make sure our Compendium offerings on Roll20 contain all the text from the source game, we create customizable backgrounds, full sets of tokens and clocks, handouts, and more. If you use Roll20, there's an immense amount of functionality in our modules and it's an easy way to share the game with your entire group. This level also gets you the PDF and POD copies so it's really your best bet all around.Â
Our expected delivery date for all rewards: March 2025
We have a great team on this project. Evil Hat is an experienced RPG publisher. We've run over twenty successful crowdfunding campaigns and we've printed many roleplaying games in a variety of physical formats over the past few years.
This puts us in a fine position to take on the risks and challenges that will arise. Experience tells us that things don’t always go as planned.
Here's what we can anticipate as potential problems.
The Text: While Stewpot is largely done aside from the artwork and layout, it's possible backers will identify some glaring issue that we need to address before we take this fully to publication. That can add time, for sure. We may also require some design time based on which stretch goals get funded. Takuma has the outlines for those extra stretch goal games sketched out but if they get funded there's the possibility that we'll need extra time for design polish and to commission artwork.
Printing: We have a strong, established relationship with our printers. We’ve got them on tap to print the books in whatever quantity we end up needing. But printers can run into problems all the same: supply shortages, unexpected delays due to company holidays or industry events, shipping problems, printing errors, and so on. We’ve got the experience to stay atop those potential problems and the flexibility to pivot and address them promptly. In the event of defective product, we will send a replacement at no cost to you. We print our books in the USA so shipping time from the printer to our fulfillment center is both speedy and reliable.
Shipping: Packages get lost. We'll send replacements. Shipping can take longer than expected. We won't put the book on sale until all backer copies are shipped out. As noted in the Shipping section above, we regrettably can't offer delivery to every country as part of this campaign. We will release the book into retail distribution overseas soon after the delivery of the campaign rewards and for most (if not all) fans in areas where we can't ship directly this will be your most affordable option.
Finances: Although various world events continue to throw curveballs into production and shipping, we're solidly profitable and well-positioned in 2024 and for the foreseeable future.
One final note: We often run two or three crowdfunding projects per year. Each one is a carefully planned process based on our 20+ successful campaigns in the past. We pride ourselves on fulfilling rewards quickly, but even so, different crowdfunding efforts can sometimes overlap. We have not had an issue tackling that. We make space for each campaign and work to ensure that resources are available to take each of our projects across the finish line. If, on the rare occasion something does go wrong, we're committed to being upfront and transparent about the issue and what we're going to do to fix it.
If there's any risk or challenge YOU can think of that we haven't mentioned here, please write in and ask. We love to answer questions, and we do our best to provide an unparalleled customer service experience whenever possible. We intend to impress you.
