The Pursuit of Happiness

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection” —Thomas Paine

As many know, tariffs were placed on many countries where board games, tabletop role-playing games, and other forms of entertainment are primarily made, either by raw material or otherwise. Games will become significantly more expensive; this is just a business fact. It will take a generation or more to rebuild the infrastructure needed to make games like we do now. The sheer weight of cold, complex numbers has threatened our community's games renaissance, which we have seen grow over the last decade. 

I’d like to take you, dear reader, back to a time. SUNSET deals with settings of known, densely remembered memories. If something happened and is remembered by a populace in the living realm, it may echo on repeat until it is forgotten and broken from the Loom. 

The night was cold, clear, and complete with whoops and hollers which echoed across the quiet seafront. Torches burned as drunken men poorly disguised as Mohawk Native Americans and others openly marched towards the dock where the three ships were held. First, it was the paper; they had to have their precious stamp on every piece of blasted paper we had. Then the taxes, the endless taxes when we had no parliamentarian to represent the Colonies. Finally, we could not even afford the tea we wished to drink. Enough was enough. The ship was quickly boarded as crates of tea were bashed open by hatchet and axe. As you walk aboard with a hatchet, what do you do? 

Just as a bunch of rebels and ne'er-do-wells destroyed three ships worth of tea that night, an immutable call for revolution was thrown down. In this historical case, the people had had enough and took matters into their own hands. This act of destruction, based on what was seen as unfair tariffs, drove forward the birth of the nation I call home. 

According to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, “on March 22, 1765, the British Parliament passed the 'Stamp Act' to help pay for British troops stationed in the colonies during the Seven Years’ War. The act required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards.” Sound familiar? Flash forward to today, as of writing this paper, the majority of raw staples in our craft have an approximate 60% markup before shipping, now adding international retaliation and home-grown tariffs.

Printing United Alliance states, “The potential tariffs pose a dual challenge for printing companies: absorbing the additional tax, reducing their profits, or passing the cost to consumers. Some businesses claim a 25 percent tariff would eliminate their profit margins entirely. Both options threaten the stability of the printing industry.”   

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has warned “that a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico could add an estimated $144 billion annually to U.S. manufacturing costs, with small and medium-sized enterprises bearing the brunt.”

I write games because they make me happy. I love hearing about Players' adventures in worlds that I built. Joy is a gift that should be protected and multiplied. It is a celebration of life to play with friends and family, neighbors and friends, and strangers. It is inherently human to want to play. These tariffs are inhuman; they go against our very nature of community and gathering. It destroys business and strikes fear into the hearts of those willing to take up the mantle of creativity and steals the very joy we find from our hobby. Though in this case, Ol’ Thomas states that “Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.”

We are joining the voices in the community, like Meredith Placko at Steve Jackson Games, who are calling the alarm on what this act against free commerce will do. Feel free to read their thoughts here: https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2025-04-03.

You are not powerless in this; you have rights. Just as those in the past have found their moment, you too are in a moment where you can act. If you do not like the fact that this is happening, please contact your congresspeople. You can find more information on that at https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member. If you are an international friend, call them up anyway and tell them about your frustration with the current economic situation, and express concern for your American friends or family. Any threat to the inalienable right of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness must be recognized and neutralized post haste. As Thomas Paine said, “We have the power to begin the world over again”. Being Hope Punk isn’t just words but action. Go out there and make the world a better place. Make your little square of the mosaic of life the best you can make it.

May your kindness be the envy of others.

What happened this week

• The book increased to 307 pages, as more lore was fleshed out in areas of worldbuilding and intrinsic elements
• Initial drafts have been finished by several of our guest writers and initial redlining is underway
• We are reviewing the viability of crowdfunding goals given the market change and the tariffs that will be imposed on our campaign

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

inalienable

[ in-eyl-yuh-nuh-buhl, -ey-lee-uh- ]

adjective

• Not transferable to another or not capable of being taken away or denied; not alienable:
  
  Inalienable rights, freedoms, and liberties; an inalienable territory; inalienable principles and values
  

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

“The Wizard” by Black Sabbath on the SUNSET Soundtrack.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Gamble made freewill just to see what it would do.

What's the plan?

Sharing SUNSET with anyone, anywhere, in any corner of the internet will help and it's an entirely free way to help support us! Unfortunately, in the crowdfunding business model, we need to have a certain number of project followers before flipping the switch.

We have almost a complete book ready to go, where post campaign - we're doing editor passes and heading to manufacturing for a fast fulfillment turnaround for the backers.

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.

Spirals

Somehow, in a society obsessed with violence, we find the act of death and dying taboo—or at least the act of speaking on the matter. Often when I bring up the matter in casual conversation, people recoil. The very act of bringing up death or dying, or grief, while universal, is ignored. This social folkway does nothing but undermine the healthy conversations that people need while they are in moments of grieving. 

My grandparents are both dying at the same time, at the time of writing this. They met when they were twelve. They knew immediately they would be together for the rest of their lives. Pops went on to fly planes in the Air Force. Gram would watch anxiously as she lived their early years on base. There, they started their family of four kids and eventually moved into a house in the Southeast end of Chicago.

Tragedy struck, as it always does. The creeping dread blossomed into an excess of harmful coping mechanisms and a need to fit some hidden rule set. Superstition was dyed in the wool of the working-class culture, reinforced by strict religious tenets and a lack of mental health understanding.  “If we just did” was always a justification for the lack of luck or some ill tidings, just as long as a Hail Mary backed it. 

My Papa was a mighty person in the world to me growing up. He was a Chicago police officer and worked with former gang members to help neighborhoods heal. My librarian Grandmother instilled in me a love of books at a young age. To me, they epitomize the paradigm of what love and compassion can look like. To give knowledge freely and hold people accountable, to bring mercy to those familiar and those most in need. Did they always get everything right? No, no one does. They sincerely tried their best to. 

That anxiety never lapsed; it grew quietly and pervasively like a mold in some basement washroom. Anxiety is an insidious disease; it preys on your weaknesses, and your mind can become the darkest of prisons warded by the worst terrors you could create. The quest for perfection replaces the ordinary rhythm of life, egging on the shadows to be more than they seem. 

Death's rhythm is awkward. At times, it gallops with the swiftness of a foal or the bumbling nature of a newborn deer. It eats away at things you didn’t realize you needed. Things you take for granted. Things you didn’t even see until glowing coils of the universe erased them. For the first time in 39 years, my grandmother didn’t sing Happy Birthday to me. She seemed confused about why I was calling, but she was just as kind and loving as always. A few years ago, I intentionally ignored my grandparents' call in the hope that I could record them singing. Luckily, they sang another year to me, as my Gram always said at the end: “and many more!”

My grandparents are both dying at the same time, dovetailing into oblivion, just like the planes he flew, and she watched. The universe provides examples of the beauty of love; one must yet open thine eyes to it. Seeing deep and abiding examples of love is a healing thing. 

Anxiety's worst quality is that it flows onward in a family. Some theories posit that fear and anxiety break down a person. It can stop the bravest person cold in their tracks. It can build the plaques that cause dementia disorders. I lose my breath when I have panic attacks. My grandmother was afflicted by this for years as well. Both of us feel that grip in our chest. What pure fear feels like when it grabs hold of a person. The desperate need to find somewhere safe, somewhere that feels like home. The way that trauma can echo through generations is haunting. It makes a haunted house, a haunted past, a haunted life. Ghosts are a pale comparison to the terror of the recurrent, bleak imagination. In a way, the simmering horrors are a blessing to the writer's mind, especially one exploring the depths of life’s breadth of fear. At what cost? Take care of yourself, you are the only one guaranteed to do it. 

I haven’t listened to the voicemail. I don’t know if I will, or if I won’t. I will never forget my grandmother in this instance—that moment of love and care and the wishes for many more.

What happened these past two weeks

• We wished Thomas and Mike a Happy Birthday! 
• The main manuscript currently sits at a delightful 305 pages. Lost a page but still hot. 
• We are waiting with bated breath for our guest writers' first drafts. 
• Mike is writing lore that will soon be posted to our YouTube channel so that folks can understand what our world sounds like. 

Sydney gave us some amazing art pieces! Check these out!

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

inscape

[ in-skeyp ]

noun

• The unique essence or inner nature of a thing

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

“Helvegen” by Wardruna on the SUNSET Soundtrack.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Titans are ancient beings of great power who wander the wastes of the Slag Fields. Some are desperate to be remembered, and some want to be left alone. Others find them mythical creatures, especially since “none are allowed to see a Titan and live to tell the tale.” If that is so, how do people know of them at all?

What’s the plan?

We are primed to start our Kickstarter and only waiting on our followers to share the word and build some awareness.

Sharing SUNSET with anyone, anywhere, in any corner of the internet will help and it's an entirely free way to help support us! Unfortunately, in the crowdfunding business model, we need to have a certain number of project followers before flipping the switch.

We have almost a complete book ready to go, where post campaign - we're doing editor passes and heading to manufacturing for a fast fulfillment turnaround for the backers.

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.

Needfire

Lights flicker and softly snap on, and the echo of shuffling footsteps comes closer through the empty warehouse. You don’t know where you are as you strain against the shackles attached to a bloody metal table. A manila file smacks down before you, opening to what you did, what you hoped wasn’t true. You look away and wretch as you suddenly realize, "What happens in Vegas DOESN’T STAY IN VEGAS?".

Welcome back to SUNSET, friends. Thank you for your patience. It’s been two weeks of traveling and fighting off the concrud of various fashions. We want to reward you for your tenacity by providing you with an extra special edition of our development diary. After all, so many of you came and rode with Gamble at Dice Tower West and play-tested & demoed SUNSET.

What is this?

Dice Tower West was a really exciting time. So many people who had never heard of SUNSET jumped into games with reckless abandon. We had a special visit from a group of fresh game developers from a “local” high school who provided feedback and told us how excited they were about the prospect of a modern horror rules-lite system vaulting into the marketplace.

That brings us to why I’m writing this: a long time ago, I was one of those kids just learning about the world of games and trying to understand it. I want to tell you a story. Sit back, make yourself comfortable, and let's look at the road to which we owe for getting here.

Early Aughts, A mall in the Midwest, alive, popping, a friendly local game store manned by one of my best friends, Treetop. Treetop is a lanky dude with blue eyes filled with mirth and fair skin, best hidden from the sun, always quick with a hug and a kind word. I greeted my pal as always, exchanging jokes and chatting about our days. I worked downstairs, hawking cell phones and desperately trying to scrape up enough money for gasoline for my 96’ Saturn, coffee, and cigarettes. He had a real retail job and was getting paid an hourly salary where I floundered in the trenches of “commission-based sales.” It was high school, I was a teenager, and I had no idea what I was doing.

I remember just receiving my paycheck and being flush with some cash. I wanted to buy a game. I was new to gaming and quickly learned that some games were not for me. I was never a person for extensive rule sets; there was just too much to remember. I struggled with numbers my entire life; my neuro-spicy flavor made letters and numbers move around like insects under a rock. I hadn’t found my niche yet, but that was all about to change.

“Dude, I think I got a game you’d like. You’re into horror, right? Like Stephen King and stuff like that.”
“Oh. Love spooky shit.”
“Here, we’re getting rid of them. They're getting a third edition.”
“What’s an edition?”
“Uh, it’s like a new set of better rules.” 
“You can do that?” I was shaken.
“Sure, you can. People work to make their rules better. Here.”

Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition felt heavy in my hands. It had a green marble cover with a rose; it reminded me of Interview with a Vampire and The Lost Boys. I flipped it open and scanned it; the rules are okay: Lasombra, bingo, I want to play that.

“Lasombra are bad guys. Keep going.”

Then there it was. My teenage mind broke at what it was witnessing. There, on a page saying Malkavian, there was a picture. The black and white line art print depicted a punked-out person with long hair holding something purposefully printed upside down. It was modern, not like that weird fantasy stuff that everyone loved. It had power; it had substance. It was saying something, and I wanted to hear more. I needed more of this.

Giants

I often say in professional settings that “we are standing on the shoulders of giants.” I know this is true because I've modeled the universe in which SUNSET exists on the blueprints laid out by experts before me. The World of Darkness has been a major source of inspiration and joy in my life. From playing and running LARPs to being able to work on Chicago by Night from Onyx Path Publishing, I've been blessed to walk that fantastic world many times over. I’ve been able to thank Steve Wieck & Richard Thomas multiple times over the years for their guidance and mentorship. What I never knew was that I'd be able to come full circle with giving a game to another kid just trying to find something they liked.

Dice Tower West was the first time I ran this game for teenagers, while SUNSET explores mature themes, death obviously has no age limit. I told this story that I found my game when I was one player's age, he turned 16 on that Sunday of the convention. Seeing the joy of a game that truly connects with someone is something that I hope all who read this get the opportunity to feel someday. It just clicked for this kiddo, he understood what was going on, was silly but respectful, flippant but poised. He was able to be a “bad guy” safely without consequence and explore some pretty brutal ideas around addiction and religious belief. At one point of learning of the gold in the Launder your Karma demo in our free Quickstart, he mused “sweet, money for buying more cocaine.”

Just like how I was able to explore pretty dark shit while I played my various spooky characters in the World of Darkness, this player was using my game to do the same and they wanted to tell all their friends all about it. That is what this is all about. The big cycle that stories can provide and how it can echo through generations. Those stories matter and change the world. Pretty neat, huh?

What happened these past two weeks

Dice Tower West. Wack. Mike, Jason, Adam, and Thomas all got to have some in-depth conversations about SUNSET and our plans going forward. Remember any Players who play in our demos before publishing may receive a Playtester credit in the core rule book. Feel free to email your name, when you played, and your feedback / constructive criticism to sunset@foretellergames.com so we can review it with the entire creative team and add your name to the tester list!

Sebastian Yūe (a guest writer on Daggerheart and Cosmere) provided their first draft of 2,000 words in which we applied some of their setting design into the demos at DTW to a resounding success. Players stated they “were scared” of certain unnerving innovations Sebastian have set out for Players and Death Masters alike.

We are planning some videos that dive into different areas of SUNSET to start exploring the game design and we are planning more live plays of SUNSET with some delightful people. Stay tuned for more on that front.

Sydney provided us some art on Saturday, we cannot wait to show off her work to the world.

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

isochronal

[ ahy-sok-ruh-nl ]

adjective

1. equal or uniform in time
2. performed in equal intervals of time
3. characterized by motions or vibrations of equal duration

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

“Pedro” by Jaxomy, Agatino Romero, & Raffaella Carra on the SUNSET Soundtrack.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

When you’re using the Deck of Many Dice and you’re a Death Master you never have to worry about what is happening next. You can scry a scene by just pulling cards and using the Affinity/tarot symbol or dice rolls for however you choose.

Find more about the Deck of Many Dice here.

What’s the plan?

We are working on a series of content to start explaining slices of SUNSET: character creation, the world setting, the goals, the denizens, and more. We have over 300 pages in our unedited corebook currently, and there is a lot to start introducing.

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.

Heading West

The dice are cast, the thread is woven, and the end is incredibly flipping nigh. All signs point to a great gathering westward. Do you feel it? Do you smell death on the wind, my little ones? Rot and riches glow in the neon lights, this hollow place of Gamble and his Odds. The dream of innumerable wealth mixed so delicately with the cries of terror from the nightmares of the destitute. Do you hear the call of the desert? My friend, find me, and we will reap the whirlwind.

Well, we sure do. This week, we are bringing SUNSET to its western debut at Dice Tower West in Las Vegas. We’ll be there from March 5th - 9th, so visit us. We even have just a few slots left to get into a demo for SUNSET. So, if you want to play a game with the very writers themselves, come on out and chat with us. We’d love to commune with the powers and plead for good favor. 

We will also be selling our assorted wares like Deck of Many Dice, stickers, and some hard-to-find games from our partners. Visit the booth to talk us up about voice acting, music, games, and the like. We cannot wait to see you!

What happened this week

We got ready as a team for Dice Tower West. 

Adam, Thomas, and Mike continued refining the main manuscript, which is currently sitting at a delightful 306 pages. 

Alica Marie joined our team and is rounding out the setting writing team! Her expertise in horror will bring spookiness to The Loom. 

Mike wrote more.

Mike, Adam, Nate, and Thomas collaborated on an art direction document for Sydney, who we are meeting with next week to get the ball rolling on art.

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

Propitiate

pruh-pish-ee-eyt
verb

To placate or make peace with

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

Pepper, by Butthole Surfers on the SUNSET Soundtrack.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Death is a big fan of sweets.

What’s the plan?

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page. See you at Dice Tower West March 5th – 9th, 202, in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cry Power

At times, I often feel that humanity is on the verge of a tremendous philosophical awakening. It warms my heart to see people learning all over the world the power that they have. Hope Punk is about the defiance of monumental opposition. To not give over to despair or the forlorn malaise that seemingly has covered this planet. To adjust one's back, stand straight, and spit in the eye of those attempting to reign tyrannically. To throw off any yolk of expectations of others and to follow what you believe is right, even if it’s hard, even if it seems impossible, and even if it seems hopeless. Belief is a powerful emotion, and I hope this finds you believing in yourself. It takes work to be free. I trust you commit to this discipline as it does nothing but better one's existence.

This week was big, we began announcing our amazing artists and writers and showing off to the world the lightning in a bottle we caught to bring Sunset to the world. Sydney Spears is bringing the print block, old world aesthetic with new concepts we are exploring through gameplay. We got Kris Strader and Sebastian Yūe, both building up the setting of Sunset, The Loom, and all the layers within. Finally, we have Kari Jo Freudigmann who will be building out our Patterns, or groupings of philosophy for our Threads, and Erin Fordham who will be building the very active Deities who oversee our universe (the Pantheon). We have one more announcement next week and then the whole team will be out in the open.

The time of Hope Punk is now. Sunset fully endorses your rebellion against what you find to be keeping you down. Freedom isn’t free and it takes work and effort to keep it. To keep this tiny flame of free will alive it takes a lot but know that you are not alone. Out there in the wide world there are people like you who want to be heard, seen, and be your allies. We are the heroes we have been waiting for. I hope you find your Weave, team, and allies, keep it real, and don’t be afraid to check in on your homies.

What happened this week

Mike, Adam, and Thomas continued hammering out the final rough draft, finding places that needed to be expanded upon or clarified.

Adam wrote and added much of the story to the Pantheon section.

Mike wrote a bunch of stuff. You know, like he does. 

Mike ran a character creation session for Sydney Spears, Kari Jo Freudigmann, and our third setting designer & writer, who will be announced on Monday, February 24, 2025. They will be running a playtest with them later this month. 

Mike met with Kris Strader and Sebastian Yūe to discuss horror and setting locations. The three members of the setting team are responsible for setting the tone of modern horror, surreal locations, and the terrors in The Loom. They are also responsible for some pretty heavy storyline portions. I’m very excited to see what they do.

Thomas experienced another loss, and this family member will live on in the world of Sunset and provide guidance to those who seek it.

The team is getting ready to run demos at Dice Tower West to give everyone firsthand experience with Sunset. Will we see you there?

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

Qualia

Noun: Philosophy

qua·li·a
/ˈkwälēə/

Noun: Philosophy
plural noun: qualia; noun: quale

the internal and subjective component of sense perceptions, arising from stimulation of the senses by phenomena

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

Solidarity (Gogol Bordello’s “Unity” Mix), by Gogol Bordello ft. Bernard Sumner, on the SUNSET Soundtrack. Slava Ukraine.

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Locations in Sunset are made up of qualia, or the collective memories of a place. This also includes historical locations understood and known in the land of the living. When a Weave is exploring its demise, they can also examine historical and cultural touchstones within the Loom. When forgotten these locations will go through the process of sudden massive existence failure, or SMEF for short.

What’s the plan?

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.

Twilight Galaxy

I’ve never been a particular fan of working with others. Much like other “rebels” of the millennial age, my loner mentality stems deeply from abandonment issues and other assorted nonsense that I’ve had to deal with over the years. It took a lot for me to admit defeat and realize I had to ask for help if I ever wanted to see SUNSET come to fruition. 

When I was lucky enough to meet Forteller years ago, I saw in them something foreboding. Not something full of terror, but something like a storm gathering on the horizon. They knew things I could only dream of understanding, being adept at making fantastical musical scores and technology that truly helps our product connect with others. They knew that games could be something more, something that brings out the best in humans. They knew that we could do better with what we have in our Little Twin Universe storyline, making an ever-expanding paradigm for our fans to explore and play through. There is so much more to come, and I’m excited to share it with you. I promise to be transparent and open about how we are doing, which is particularly good, to be honest. 

I like working with this team a lot. They are exceptional people and keep me on my toes. Bringing on more professional writers, artists, and sensitivity readers onto the team, this book is coming along swimmingly. We will announce all the fantastic people we are working with soon, so please follow our socials for more information! 

It's fucking exciting. Can’t wait for next week to see what happens next.

What happened this week

Mike ran the first and second rounds of a playtest for the first batch of writers and our layout artist. The second batch plays the following Monday. 

Mike with Adam and Thomas to hammer out the remaining edits to our “final” rough draft of the document so we could turn that over to our writing team for their access. They will receive that as a Valentine's Day present, representing our deep love for them. 

Adam, Mike, and Thomas met with our artist and started our drafting process for the art of the book. 

Mike loved his Wife Mere because it’s Valentine's Day this week, and she’s excellent. She’s also laying out SUNSET, so heck yeah! 

Mike met with Adam to add some of the remaining drafts of the storyline that we want in the core book draft. 

Mike wrote more on the draft, which currently has over 315 pages. The final draft will range from 300-375 pages. 

Met with the writer covering The Patterns and explained our vision of the splats in our game. He is meeting with each writer to find out what they need and help them outline & network to build a cohesive meshing storyline. 

Started this development diary. Pretty cool, huh?

THE WORD OF THE WEEK

Paradigm

Noun
par·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm  ˈpa-rə-,  also  -ˌdim

… regard science as the paradigm of proper knowledge.
—G. C. J. Midgley

Synonyms of paradigm

1. example, pattern
   especially an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
2. An example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
3. a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated

the Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysis
broadly: a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind

THE SONG OF THE WEEK

St. Chroma (Ft. Daniel Caesar) by Tyler, The Creator, on the SUNSET Soundtrack

SUNSET FACT OF THE WEEK

Do you know that SUNSET has a pantheon of beings known colloquially as “The Six”? Death, Life, Fear, Hope, Fate, & Gamble make up this cadre of beings who hold the power to create and mold the very fabric of reality. 

What’s the plan?

Tell your friends, play the quickstart, and follow the Kickstarter page.