Games – Page 4

Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter: Funded!

24 December 201527 October 2017 Matthew Lowes2 Comments

Absolutely amazing! The Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter has been a monumental success, with a total of 638 backers from all over the world and $23,363 in funding. And what an incredible result. Every stretch goal was fulfilled, adding a ton of additional content to the game and some extras as well. I am already looking forward to all the creative work to put everything together, and to shipping out rewards.

Thanks so much to all our backers, and to everyone who helped spread the word about Dungeon Solitaire. They really made this project possible. They made this funding campaign a huge success, and made the Labyrinth of Souls a reality!

I’ll be taking a short break for the holiday, and then will be diving into the process of putting the rulebook and card deck together. I have a draft of the core rules written, and Josephe has created a handful of cards already, but there is still a lot of work to do. All backers will get a fulfillment survey in the new year, and I’ll be sending out Kickstarter updates every few weeks to keep backers apprised of the process right up until rewards are shipped out.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the Labyrinth of Souls. You can reach me through Kickstarter, through the Contact Page on this website, or through social media.

Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter: 3 Days Left

21 December 2015 Matthew Lowes

There are only three days left in the Dungeon Solitaire: Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter! We have cleared nine stretch goals thanks to 350 backers and over $13,000 in funding so far. The latest stretch goal cleared adds an additional fully illustrated card to the custom tarot deck: The Lich! I’m super excited for this card, for the artwork Josephe creates for it, and for developing the rules that will go along with it. The Lich will be a boss monster, on part with The Dragon, with a special role in the Undead Hordes alternate rules for the game.

We’ve had an absolutely incredible campaign thank to all our wonderful backers, and with three days to go, there is still another stretch goal to reach for. At $14,000 we will add a digital Designer’s Notebook, in which I’ll share all my thoughts about the origins and development of Dungeon Solitaire, and about every aspect of the Labyrinth of Souls game.

With all these stretch goals cleared, all our current backers and everyone who pledges now will be getting a lot. Numerous additional game modes and alternate rules have been added to the rulebook, including a major rules expansion with Campaign Mode. A digital Labyrinth of Souls artbook will be included with all reward levels $15 and up. And all reward levels $5 and up will also receive a free pdf copy of Giant, a giant robot skirmish game that works great as print and play.

Many thanks to all our backers for making this project possible and for making this campaign such a great success! In these final days, you can help us reach that $14,000 stretch goal by spreading the word about Dungeon Solitaire and the Labyrinth of Souls! Share a link on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, or the social media of your choice. All your help is greatly appreciated!

Check out the Campaign Here!

Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter: Week One

3 December 20153 December 2015 Matthew Lowes

In its first week the Dungeon Solitaire, Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter blew by its base funding goal, and then proceeded to clear two stretch goals. And we just cleared another one! We have released a newly completed image for the Knight of Swords, and made four updates to the Kickstarter. It’s been a whirlwind of activity, and I can’t stress enough how wonderful it has been to see the support and enthusiasm for this game.

Josephe Vandel will be creating all the exclusive art that will go into the cards and the rulebook, and he has been putting an incredible amount of care and detail into each piece he produces. We will be releasing more card art as the campaign progress and as new pieces are completed.

Already we’ve added Two Player mode and Megadungeon mode to the rulebook table of contents. And we just added the Dragon’s Lair, a fast playing version of the game that guarantees a dragon battle every time. The next stretch goal is the Undead Hordes, and there’s more … until we hit Campaign Mode, a major rules expansion, allowing campaigns over multiple dungeon delves.

A huge thanks to everyone who has backed this project already, and to everyone who has helped spread the word about the Kickstarter! Josephe and I are super excited by what we’ve been able to achieve so far, and we couldn’t have done it without you. There are still 21 days left in the campaign, and we are looking forward to clearing more stretch goals, and adding even more great content to the game.

Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter is Live

25 November 201525 November 2015 Matthew Lowes1 Comment

The Dungeon Solitaire, Labyrinth of Souls Kickstarter

Last summer I wrote and released a little game called Dungeon Solitaire. The original game was called Tomb of Four Kings, and it used a standard deck of playing cards. Over the summer it gained some popularity. It got good reviews, some attention on social media, and I even got some fan mail. All this has been really awesome! And that game is still gaining steam as a free download on this website.

From the beginning though, I had the idea of expanding the game to use a 78 card tarot deck. When I had the opportunity to pair these new rules with an exclusively illustrated dungeon-themed tarot deck, the Labyrinth of Souls was born. This Kickstarter will support the creation of this new expanded Dungeon Solitaire game, with a rulebook and custom deck of cards designed and illustrated by artist, illustrator, and cartographer Josephe Vandel.

Check it out. There are great pledge rewards and stretch goals for backers, and there’s even a video of me talking about the game. I hope you’ll pledge your support, and help spread the word on social media, with your friends and family, and with any fans of gaming or tarot.

Russian Language Map Symbols

18 November 201527 October 2017 Matthew Lowes1 Comment

Many thanks to Andrey Makarov for creating a Russian language version of my reference sheets for dungeon and terrain map symbols. He went beyond a mere translation, enhancing the backgrounds, smoothing out the line work, adding color to the terrain symbols, and making a few small modifications of his own. The results are pretty awesome, and I’m excited to have this work reaching out to Russian speaking map makers and game players. Below you will find images of both and links the printable pdf files.

You can visit Andrey Makarov’s website at pnprpg.ru, and you can find my original English language reference sheets here (dungeons) and here (terrain).

Dungeons / Print Ready PDF

Terrain / Print Ready PDF

Terrain Map Symbols

27 August 201527 August 2015 Matthew Lowes2 Comments

“A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face.”

— Jorge Luis Borges, The Aleph and Other Stories

pdf version – click here

I draw maps for working out the details of my fiction, for games, and for the sheer pleasure of creating imaginary places. A while back I posted a legend for my dungeon maps, and since then I’ve been working on this simplified set of terrain symbols for area and wilderness maps.

Maps excite the imagination. That’s why so many fantasy novels contains maps of their fictional worlds. The map itself is a link, translating the reality of a world into the imagination of the reader.

Above you will find my own key to my simplified symbol set. Below are few of my own recent maps, using this symbol set and a few variations. I’ve been working on a grid based layout, but these symbols will work equally well on a hex based map. Many more of my maps are posted on Google+.

Dungeon Solitaire Walkthrough

28 June 201526 October 2017 Matthew Lowes1 Comment

A few people have asked for a walkthrough of a game of Dungeon Solitaire, Tomb of Four Kings. Below you will find a linked pdf of a walkthrough of a winning game with some epic battles and dicey encounters. You can even stack a deck and play along if you want. Once I’ve got this better edited I will probably add it to the official rules, but until then it stands on its own as a supplement.

I’ve also started a FAQ text file and will add to it as I receive and answer any questions about the rules. I’ll add both links to the original release post and the games page.

~~Winning Game Walkthrough~~

~~Dungeon Solitaire Rules~~

Dungeon Solitaire: Tomb of Four Kings, Revised Edition is now available and includes the winning game walkthrough.

Dungeon Solitaire Rules Released

26 June 201526 October 2017 Matthew Lowes3 Comments

Dungeon Solitaire, Tomb of Four Kings is a fantasy card game designed for a standard deck of playing cards. I’d describe it as somewhere between a traditional solitaire card game and a dungeon crawling solo roleplaying game.

Risk death and doom in a vast dungeon to search for the tomb hordes of four legendary kings. You’ll slay monsters, bypass traps, and bash in stuck doors, all for fotune and glory.

If you have any questions about the rules, don’t hesitate to contact me. Feedback, reviews, and shares on social media are always appreciated. And while you’re here check out my fiction and other games.

Free PDF

Dungeon Solitaire, Tomb of Four Kings

enter the dungeon …

GIANT Available Now!

9 April 201527 October 2017 Matthew Lowes

GIANT is in print and available now! Order your copy for $7.99 + s/h through LULU.

*Use the code APRIL30 and get 30% off print books until April 12th.

From the back:

Future wars are waged with huge humanoid machines known as giants. Human pilots are encased in neuro-conductive capsules behind layers of armor plating, their senses and nerve impulses merged with the artificial systems of the giants they control.

Giant is a wargame played with paper, pencils, and six-sided dice. Inside is a complete game, including rules, a visual reference, a record sheet, a master battle map, and eight ready to play maps with various terrain. It’s perfect for travel or when you want an action packed game with minimal preparation.

Each player controls up to three giants, chosen from fifteen different types. Arm them with missiles, guns, and lasers. Then send them into the battle!

Record sheets & maps available for free download on the games page.

Here are some records from past games:

Dungeon map appears in French RPG eZine La Saltarelle

3 April 20143 September 2019 Matthew Lowes2 Comments

One of my dungeon maps is now appearing in the French RPG eZine La Saltarelle thanks to editor, Fabrice P. This is a little dungeon I drew while experimenting with a stark black and white style. In this map I used gray in the lower caverns to add depth to the levels.

The map appears with a contest (pg 39). Readers can enter by writing their ideas for the history and inhabitants of this dungeon and sending them in. Top two entries will receive a copy of Temple du Dieu Néant or a paper copy of l’Étrange Manoir. I’m pretty excited to see what people come up with!

There are a couple of different ways you can check it out this eZine, and even if you don’t read French, there are some really cool illustrations to enjoy! You can read in an online reader, or download a zipped pdf.

For more information on this eZine, you can also visit the Editions La Saltarelle webiste.