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Backwards: Regional American Gothic Horror

Created by Backwards Tabletop

Step into a bizarre, post-apocalyptic America with two new regional settings for the Backwards: American Gothic Horror universe. Please Note: Shipping fees for this project will be calculated at a later date. We plan to enter & charge backers for shipping a month or two before fulfillment when we have the most accurate estimates of what it will cost to ship rewards. We will alert backers when shipping costs are finalized & before we charge cards. We will keep you informed all along the way!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

November 2023 Update
11 months ago – Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 02:47:15 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Thank You and First Steps
12 months ago – Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 04:37:23 PM

Thank You

Thank You! We funded thanks to your support!

If you haven't already heard the news, we funded! Not only that, we hit our first stretch goal too! That means that all backers will receive two thematic, form-fillable character sheets (PDFs) with their pledge. Sam Rustle will design these sheets, each of which will feature creepy illustrations based on the Backwoods or Backchannels setting.

I said this when our last campaign funded too, and while it's cliché it's also entirely true: for Alex and myself these games are "heartwork." Simply put: these games are prompted by and executed with the heart, all of one's heart. We enjoy this work, and we want to create things that others can enjoy. We wouldn't be able to do that without you. So, thank you for your support! And thank you for helping us make this project the best that it can be!

Future Updates

We don't want to overload your inbox. Our plan is to send out one update per month via Kickstarter. We did this for our last two campaigns, and it worked well. It keeps us accountable, and it allows us to show you what we've been working on. Especially new art!

Next Steps

What's next? First, we need a few days off. We also have to wait until Kickstarter collects all of the funds and distributes them to us. So, please make sure that Kickstarter is able to collect your pledge.If your card has expired or there is an issue processing your pledge, Kickstarter will notify you and give you some time to remedy the situation. Keep an eye on that so that you don't miss out on your rewards!

Some of the first items on our list:

Did you pledge for a PDF of Backwater, Backroads, or the Adventures? We'll fulfill these around the end of November, after all funds are processed/distributed. 

Do your rewards include a special acknowledgement? For those of you who selected a special acknowledgement or received it as part of your reward tier, we'll be reaching out soon to learn how you would like your name displayed on the Acknowledgements page. You'll also have the option to add a First Name and a Last Name to the books' random name tables.

Do your rewards include "Create a Monster"? For those of you who selected "Create a Monster" or receive it as part of your reward tier, we'll be reaching out soon to begin this process. If you aren't ready to suggest ideas yet, you can just tell us that you need more time. 

Thank You!

Let us thank you one more time! Seriously, we are so grateful for your support, and we're excited to share these games with you. This is all that we have for our first post, but you'll be hearing from us soon! 

Can't wait to get started!

Week 3 Update
12 months ago – Tue, Oct 24, 2023 at 04:48:20 AM

3 days to go!

We are almost there! We have less than 8% to go until we are funded, but we have only three days left. How are we feeling? Fairly confident! Based on the average pledges over the last five days and the effect of Kickstarter's reminder to Project Followers at the 48 hr mark, it seems likely that we'll make it!

That said, likelihood is not a guarantee. I rather not put our fate in the hands of lady fortune. Please be sure to spread the word to your friends and gaming table! 

We're also on Twitter and Bluesky, and we have some informative posts that we'd love for you to share!

By the Numbers!

We are 21 days into the campaign! I thought I'd continue to look at the publicly available numbers (via Kicktraq), for those of you who are interested.

  • Pledged: $13,822 / 92%
  • Backers: 138
  • Average Pledge: $100
  • Time Left: 3 days
  • Needed: $1,178

It's been ten days since our last update. That part of a campaign is usually a massive slog. It's the time that many campaigns fall out of the Kickstarter algorithm for a couple of reasons, at the very least because they are no longer new. However, in retrospect, we actually did fairly well, averaging around $275 in pledges per day (Thank you, thank you, thank you to our backers!).  In our last campaign Backroads, we averaged around $220 or $170, if you account for an obvious outlier. 

Where are we at compared to previous campaigns? In our Backroads campaign, we had reached $7,353 by this point. We've nearly doubled that. But that was a smaller campaign. The funding goal was $7,000, and we had heaved a sigh of relief at that point. 

Interviews, Articles, and Actual Plays

"This game exists for the bizarre narrative impulses in the heart of every GM."

That great pull quote is from a friend in the Backwards Tabletop discord, who speaks from experience after recently wrapping up a plot in Backwater. They said this in response to the adventure I was writing for Creepsville Radio, one of my most bizarre stories yet. 

Can you guess what has caused this face?

Above is the episode art for Pirates in Plastic Peril. I'll share the full art soon or you can preview it by checking the podcast link below for Creepsville Radio:

Thank you all for your support!

Again, many thanks to all of you for your support. You're helping us make these games a reality, and we quite literally could not do it without your support. I can't say it enough!

Now, let's destroy that last 8% of our goal. Maybe we'll get to see some stretch goals...

Week 2 Update
about 1 year ago – Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 09:23:37 AM

Week 2 Updates!

Hey, everyone! Thanks for a great first two weeks! And wow, we are so close to funding! This update will share some of our numbers so far and how that compares to previous campaigns, a recent interview, upcoming materials, and a plug for a friend of the Kickstarter.

As I mentioned before, we'll send out updates sparingly, so that we don't flood your inboxes!

  •  During the campaign we'll send out weekly updates with some exceptions in the final week. Exceptions include: Announcing stretch goals, reaching our funding goal, etc.
  •  After the campaign we'll send out monthly updates on our progress.

By the Numbers!

We are 10 days into the campaign! How's it looking so far?

  • Pledged: $11,429 / 76%
  • Backers: 110
  • Average Pledge: $104
  • Time Left: 13 days
  • Needed: $3,571

It's been one week since our last update, and we've raised over $5,000 in that time. How does this compare to our previous campaigns? We continue to roll over our previous campaign. For example, in the Backroads campaign, we were only 50% funded by day 10 ($4,003 at 76 backers). We're currently in that mid-campaign lull when many projects fall out of the Kickstarter algorithm, so it's great that we continue to trend toward our goal.

As always, it's super helpful if you're able to spread the word about the campaign! We're on Twitter and Bluesky, and here are some posts that we'd love for you to share!

Interviews, Articles, and Actual Plays

"It's creating an apocalypse in your backyard... It's looking outside of your window and being like, what would this look like in the game? I think that's what makes these games so approachable and fun." 

What's this quotation from? This is Zach from Scheduled for Launch in one of our two most recent interviews:

Want to learn more about our games? We also have an interview with Mildra this Sunday and then an interview on the SmallTownCreepy Podcast about the horror elements in our games.

Plus, we have two upcoming actual plays. Part 2 of Mayday Roleplay's Backchannels Actual Play is on the way! You can check out Part One on YouTube. And a Backchannels Actual Play Podcast with Dex of Creepsville will be recorded on the 18th and released in the final week of the campaign. 

Support a Kickstarter Friend!

“Put your shades on, get in the car, and pop in a cassette. It’s time to hit the streets.”

“Put your shades on, get in the car, and pop in a cassette. It’s time to hit the streets.”


Street Wolves is a synthwave infused, retro-future setting for the Savage Worlds ttrpg system.  

Street Wolves is inspired by Synthwave aesthetics, 80s TV shows like Miami Vice, and neo-noir movies like Drive, and it features a dash of retro futuristic tech. 

It's coming to Kickstarter for a Turbo upgrade to get it into print and more rad art.

Paul Vincent of Tablecat Games is a genuinely gifted and multi-talented designer -- plus a great person too. Please consider following their game in prelaunch!

Welcome! Opening Week Updates!
about 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 05, 2023 at 04:55:47 AM

Opening Week Updates!

Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting the campaign and for helping us get a great jump start toward our funding goal. We'll send out updates sparingly, so that we don't flood your inboxes:

  • During the campaign we'll send out weekly updates with some exceptions in the final week.
  • After the campaign we'll send out monthly updates on our progress (if funded).

By the Numbers!

We are two full days into the campaign! How's it looking so far?

  • Pledged: $5931 / 40%
  • Backers: 54
  • Average Pledge: $110
  • Time Left: 22 days
  • Needed: $10,069

How does this compare to our previous campaigns? Well, it definitely overshadows them, but they had smaller funding goals. For example, in the Backroads campaign, we had $1,837 (23%) pledged by the end of day 2 with 38 backers. So, we're off to a good start!

Unfortunately, pledges start to ramp down pretty quickly after the first 48 hours. We'll need everyone's help as we enter the initial lull. If you're willing, we'd love it if you could share our campaign with your friends and via social media -- or even buy an extra something for a friend as an add-on. If you do, we stand a chance at reaching some of our stretch goals, which increase the value of your pledge and bring in some awesome guest collaborators!

Toward that end, you might be interested in checking out or sharing some recent media about our Kickstarter! 


Upcoming Previews and Actual Plays

Mayday Roleplay will be release Part 2 of its Backchannels Actual Play in the coming week! You can check out Part One on YouTube as well as their Session Zero. If you have never watched Mayday Roleplay before, this cast has such good chemistry (they're basically family to one another); they are hilarious but also serious, and Lev is such a good GM. 

Upcoming: A Backchannels Actual Play Podcast with Dex of Smalltown Creepy. We're recording on the 18th, and it should release in the final weeks of the campaign. Plus, we'll have three or so interviews in the next week with Scheduled for Launch, Randomworlds, and Mildra.

Looking for content now? We have a few actual plays that have already released! Check them out below:

Support a Kickstarter Friend!

While I have your attention, I'd like to promote another indie ttrpg that's on Kickstarter right now and is about to enter their final hours of funding! If you can spare some change, check out their page and give them a final boost over that finish line!

Abbadon: A Dark Fantasy TTRPG Powered by a Deck of Playing Cards

ABBADON The Thirteen Seals is a Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG) with an unusual twist; it uses a standard 54-card deck, including jokers, as the determining factor for character actions.

Set in the world of Haven - a dark fantasy world that pays homage to games like Diablo and Darkest Dungeon - players are tasked with taking control of ill-fated and grim heroes, who must battle hordes of undead creatures, monsters, and demons, to prevent the looming darkness from spilling forth upon the world.

This darkness comes in the form of Abbadon, the Lord of Demons himself. In order to ensure their victory, these brave souls will have to explore the depths beneath cities, long forgotten temples and caverns, where they can only hope to find ancient artefacts belonging to Abbadon's loyal servants, or even earn themselves some fortune in gold or magical items that will help aid them along their treacherous journey.