I’m a routine oriented person to a fault. As in, if my routine is disrupted I get the anxiety. Sometimes it takes a complete disruption of your routine to help you realize that you actually can survive in the world without it. This week’s crowdfunding watch is dedicated to disrupting what we normally think of when we think of tabletop games and comics. It’s about taking a step out of our comfort zone into something a little different, won’t you join me?


1. Edible Games Cookbook: Play With Your Food

I first saw a prototype of this game at IndieCade almost two years ago now. It was a massive success because one, who doesn’t want to eat a cookie? Two, because it helps bring a different element of immersion into tabletop games. For those unfamiliar with tabletop games they can be confusing and a long rule book tends to send them running in the opposite direction. This edible games cookbook is about making games more accessible to a larger group of people, from tabletop gamers and bakers alike.

You might be required to crack a secret code that’s baked into cream puffs; keep a straight face while eating something gross; conjure up a delectable morsel from a mishmash of ingredients; perform “sacred”, food-related rituals; test your memory and taste buds; or even eat your vegetables! — Jenn Sandercock 

To win, you must eat. (Image via Kickstarter)

Game designer Jenn Sandercock (Thimbleweed Park, LA Noire) wanted to create games that were both fun and accessible. That’s part of what inspired her to create the Edible Games Cookbook. It inspires community, coming together and of course feasting on delicious game pieces. Each chapter lays out the basic stats for the game: preparation time, difficulty, number of players, duration and age range. The chapter then goes on to tell players how to prepare and play the game.

Prepare and Play the game sections provide detailed information about how to play each game. (Image via Kickstarter)
I want to eat it. (Image via Kickstarter)

Honestly, this cookbook is jam-packed with games and guides. Jenn has provided everything you could possibly need including shortcuts if you are new to baking and cooking and longcuts, if you prefer to make items from scratch. If you aren’t sure a tabletop game like this if for you, you can download a free chapter, “The Order of the Oven Mitt” and try it out for yourself. There’s also a full sample PDF which you can peep here. Jenn Sandercock was joined on this project by food photographer Kate Baldwin, graphic designer Greg Pearson, and illustrator Rhonda Conley.

Producing a full-color, hardcover, 300-page cookbook from the ground up is no small order. It’s been an incredible undertaking for Sandercock, who has spent the last two years refining the project. She’s currently asking for $80,000 to help cover the costs of designing, producing, printing and shipping this epic book. It may seem like a lot but as Sandercock notes on the Kickstarter, she’s committed to paying the designers, illustrators and other team members for their work. You can grab yourself a digital edition of the cookbook for $25 and for $60 you will get yourself the full-color hardcover. Additional reward tiers include some lovely treats aimed at amplifying your gaming experience. The deadline for this project is July 20.

2. Draw the Line

Operating within a churning political climate that seeks to devour humanity can be rough. Feeling overwhelmed and powerless comes quickly as the gaping maw of the political class feasts on any hope you had left. Okay, flowery language aside, it can be really difficult to not feel ignored and helpless given the current political environment. That’s why a team of over one hundred comics artists came together to create Draw the Line. It’s a book about small positive political acts you can take to promote change. These actions help empower us individually and as members of our community and I am 100% here for it.

By: Steven Appleby for Draw the Line

This project comes to us from Unbound, a crowdfunding backed publisher of books. The goal of this book is to help provide readers with a tool-kit for addressing injustice and inequality in society.

Draw the Line brings together some of the most exciting voices in comics today, all working to find a way to make a difference. From simple actions that cost nothing, like signing a petition, to ambitious ones like running a march — or even standing for election — Draw The Line shows you how to get your voice heard in tough political times. Many of them can be done on the cheap or for no money at all. Some are suitable for kids. They all have something in common: they are non-partisan steps that any citizen can take when they don’t like the way the direction that politics is moving in. — Myfanwy Tristram for Draw the Line

This book is the brain child of publisher, illustrator, and cartoonist Myfanwy Tristram. You can get a peak at all of the artwork available in this book here.

By: Nicholas ‘Sputnik’ Miller for Draw the Line

There are a bunch of rewards available including workshops provided by the artists. These workshops are obviously geared towards Great Britain based backers but it’s a wonderful idea to connect backers with the individuals they are helping to support. Not all hope is lost for those living in the US though, New Jersey based artist Ally Shwed will be providing workshops and talks to local backers. There are additional backer tiers and rewards available which you can peep at your leisure. Unbound crowdfunds on an ongoing basis and from what I can tell, there is currently no deadline associated with this book.

3. Tenko King Volume 2: Heart of the Mountain

Listen if you throw mysterious foxes into the mix, I’m going to be down to read it no matter what. Tavis Maiden has been publishing Tenko King online for a hot minute now and he’s collecting the second season of his all ages fantasy comic into a nice volume for us all. If you aren’t familiar with the series, here’s what you can expect to encounter in volume 2:

Image from Tenko King Volume 2 via Kickstarter

Flip is a young adventurer from the lost Redori tribe. Kuma is an exiled thief from an Underwater Kingdom. Together these unlikely traveling companions have escaped the golden grip of the Hohlraum Halls, and have fallen into the hands of pirates along the Tinten Drift. The Harvest Festival has ended, but for the good folk of Port Town trouble is right around the corner. A mysterious fox has been spotted robbing food carts and the Rumble Bees swarm the streets brazenly stealing anything that’s not nailed down. Traveling wherever the winds of adventure carry them, from the high seas to the deepest dungeons, Flip and Kuma encounter wild creatures, and grotesque monsters. When Flip is struck by a magic curse, he and Kuma must hunt down a cure before it’s too late.

If you haven’t had the chance to read volume 1 of the series, never fear, this Kickstarter allows you to bundle the two volumes. It’s a nice way to introduce yourself to this lovely adventure series. While the series is free to read online, this Kickstarter will include never before seen images and content. There are really lovely add-ons, which I enjoy for Kickstarter because it’s a great way to get an enamel pin or some other reward you may have your peepers on. Having the ability to customize your own reward package is super nice.

Image from Tenko King Volume 2 via Kickstarter

Maiden is hoping to raise $18,000 to print and publish volume 2 of Tenko King. As he has successfully crowdfunded the first volume of the series, it’s safe to say he knows his way around a Kickstarter. If you are looking for a fun-filled adventure everyone can enjoy, I really recommend checking out this series. Funding for this project will run through July 26.


Well my fair friends, I’m outtie 5000. Until next Tuesday when we meet again I bid you good-day and good-luck. Please keep me posted on what projects you are all involved in or interested in. I’m always looking for new projects to investigate.