Clock in to work and protect the world in this game of paranormal abilities, corporate horror, and dangerous Anomalies.
This new Tabletop Role-playing game from Haunted Table is shipping in Summer 2024. If you'd like to learn more, you can check out our website at www.hauntedtable.games.
Shipping fees will be collected close to our estimated shipping date in 2024!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Proof Unboxing + Editing, Files Updated to 1.02
11 days ago
– Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 08:36:41 AM
Hello, Agents!
Today's another short update. Our wet proofs came in! Check out the video below where I unbox them and show off how things are looking.
If you're checking out this page and you aren't a backer, you can pre-order physical copies on our website and get digital copies on itch.io. (If you're in the UK/EU or Australia/NZ, I don't recommend you order physical copies at this moment. We're working on it!)
I've spent the last week working on these proofs alongside Ryan Kingdom & Michael Shillingburg. In case you're curious, here are the kinds of things we're fixing:
Everything printed darker than we expected! We were working in CMYK, but the actual prints made everything dark enough that details are getting lost in a few places. We've brightened up things like the Agent's outfit on the front cover, the whole Vault front cover, one of the endpapers, and some details on the box.
Internal printing edits: We printed full resolution versions of what we expect to be "problem pages," and did indeed find some problems. Blues printing more purple, light text on dark backgrounds getting fuzzy, that kind of thing. Most of these fixes came down to color changes, font changes, or bolding!
Fixing textures: we have embossing and foil on our covers, and there are tiny tweaks we needed to make (mostly embossing more things) to make the covers feel "finished."
Normal Briefcase Box Illustration Alignment: The box is made up of 8 different files whose measurements and orientation in relation to each other are not easy to estimate. For example, the fake "locks" and "handle" were upside-down, with their shadows pointed in the wrong direction! Ryan has redrawn a few pieces to fix these issues.
Dice Box Text Alignment: Had to rotate the logo in one place, basically.
Checking Bar Codes: I took them all to my local bookstore to make sure they were scannable. They were!
A small printer mistake: Our endpapers were flipped onto the wrong sides. Honestly this is the only error our printers have made throughout this process, though, and I'm really grateful for them. If you're interested in working with a larger printer for games/books, I definitely recommend Asia Pacific Offset.
Text proofreading: I've also been using this time to read the books again and catch any small text errors I can find. Thanks to this work in combination with our community posting bug reports, the final printed books are going to be way cleaner than they would have been if we'd rushed through this process!
We're getting a second set of wet proofs to check these fixes. It's a little expensive on our end, and it pushes us back another week or so on physical printing, but these will be on your bookshelf forever. We want to make sure they're as close to perfect as we can get.
Triangle Agency 1.02 Update
Speaking of that proofreading pass, the documents for the Triangle Agency game have been updated to 1.02 on itch.io and our website. If you are a backer and have trouble downloading the update from itch.io, go back to your original email from itch and download from there.
I also recommend you connect those downloads to your account so you can access the page at any time!
Full patch notes for 1.02 are here, but it's mostly typos and small errors. If you haven't downloaded since launch I really recommend doing so (not the least of which because we figured out how to get the files MUCH smaller.) I'm going over The Vault thoroughly this week as well.
Architect & The House Edge Update
It's been a while, so in case you've forgotten: Architect is our upcoming solo game in the Triangle Agency setting created by Alfred Valley, and The House Edge is a crossover FIST module created by B. Everett Dutton (the creator of FIST!)
Alfred Valley has turned in a first draft overview of Architect's rules, which I will be moving on to as soon as the books are finally for real 100% printing. House Edge is still in early development, but is in progress as well! The FIST Kickstarter did really well last year, and has kept B pretty busy.
I don't have a strict timeline for these bonus games. Our philosophy has been (and remains) that releasing something up to our quality standard is more important than moving fast. I'm not rushing either creator because these games are bonuses and we also just now released a giant core game!
My guess, though, is that you'll see at least an early version of both by the end of this year. And their development will give me something to talk about while we wait for the books to print and ship!
EU/UK Backers: VAT/Tax Update
I think we've finally set the taxes and shipping at the correct rate for everyone. Take a look at your Backerkit (through your original survey email) and let me know if you notice anything strange. I think most of you will be pleasantly surprised with the fixes!
And Finally: Tell Your Friends!
If you're enjoying your time reading or playing the game, let people know! Our digital launch is going great, but we aren't currently spending any money on advertising. Your help growing the game's community is super appreciated. Every order increases the resources we have available for game support and future projects! (We already have a few things percolating...)
As always, let me know if you have questions. I'm back to proofreading!
More soon,
Caleb
Quick First Week Update, FAQ, & Some Community-Made Tools!
25 days ago
– Tue, Jul 02, 2024 at 09:28:08 AM
Hello, Agents!
We've had an amazing week!! I've loved seeing all the new players, excited readers, and incredible game reports. This update is for a few small headlines:
File Updates
On itch.io and our website, the files for Triangle Agency & The Vault received an update last night. We got the file size down to about 1/3 of what it was before, and fixed a bunch of small typos and clarity issues found by readers this week. Both are labeled version 1.01 on Itch! I appreciate y'all's patience as I improve distribution.
Don't Read on Google Drive on Android Phone
This is a really annoying bug where in this single place one of our primary fonts completely changes. We're working on it but the best fix right now is to open it with something else! No paid PDF app required, any other free one you have access to should do fine. (Unless you see this pop up in another place, and let me know.)
Character Sheet Options
On our itch.io page, you can find form-fillable versions of our character organization sheets now! We worked with community member Winry Winters to get these set up for you. They're very straightforward but let you use Michael Shillingburg's great designs on your computer!
For something more robust, I recommend https://tinyurl.com/TriangleVTT, which was created by a few members of our Discord! I know they're in active testing right now, especially for the inclusion of new Playwalled content, so join us on Discord if you have any helpful feedback. And if you like what they've done, consider leaving them a tip! This isn't an official creation of ours, but they've done a really amazing job in such a short time.
Schedule Triscendent Tier Games
The first game are starting next week! If you are one of the people who hasn't scheduled a game and it's because of the timing, let me know what your situation is and we can figure it out together! Check your email and spam for the notifications about it, and if you can't find it email me at [email protected]!
Other FAQ
Will you be providing alternative versions for the harder-to-read pages? Yes! This year we'll be creating a text-only version that's clean and easy to read. Many parts of the book are a little harder to read on purpose, but we know "hard to read" can quickly become "impossible to read" for some folks. And the text-only version will have the added benefit of being easy to reference!
Will you be adding bookmarks, table of contents links, and screen reader compatibility? Yes! That will also be coming this year. I don't have exact dates right now but our goal is to have all of this stuff completed, at the latest, by the time the physical release is available. Some of the simpler stuff will be done much sooner.
What's the status of Architect/Three's Company/House Edge? All still in progress! Our goal for these is also by the end of this year. I'm as excited to work on them as you are to see them!
What's the status of VAT tax charges? This is a multi-hour (and potentially multi-day) math and data entry job I haven't had time for with my bill-paying job and the game release! It's coming. You won't be charged until you're told. We have multiple months before that charge.
That's all! Thanks again, and let me know if you need anything.
Caleb
Triangle Agency is Out Now!
about 1 month ago
– Tue, Jun 25, 2024 at 06:26:17 AM
Welcome to Triangle Agency!
Today the digital edition is out, but check out these beautiful new product renders! Cover illustrations by Ryan Kingdom, Corviday, and Michael Shillingburg. 3D renders by Michael Shillingburg.
The digital edition of the game is available now! Check your email associated with Backerkit. If you backed or pre-ordered, you should have an email from itch.io with a download key. If you have issues accessing the game, reach out, but please be patient! It's a busy time, and there's only one of me.
If you didn't receive the email with your personal link, these should also work if your email is entered correctly:
As a reminder, this version of the game is missing accessibility and quality of life features that will come later. Everyone who buys the game through any channel will continue to get these updates, free of charge. They will include:
Form-fillable character sheets
Screen reader compatibility & alt text
Alternate versions to assist with readability & easy reference
So you'll keep hearing from me about this version between now and physical fulfillment later this year.
Backerkit Orders Locked & Closed - Digital Pre-Orders Charged Tonight
Your orders can no longer be changed and we are no longer taking pre-orders through backerkit. You can still change your address at any time by accessing your survey or Backerkit account through the same links as before.
Digital orders will be charged tonight around 7pm EST, as they are now being fulfilled.
The Official Haunted Table Shop
We have a new online shop for buying Triangle Agency books and stuff at https://shop.hauntedtable.games/! Right now it's pretty basic, but we'll build it into a more holistic resource over time. I love it!
Illustrations by Kodasea
I recommend EU/UK and AUS/NZ customers do not order physical products from this website yet. These orders are all fulfilled by our partner in the United States, and the shipping charges reflect that. This website is also not collecting VAT or other import taxes, so you'd likely be charged by customs when your books arrive. We're working on connecting this to our other fulfillment partners soon, and also the books will be available in retail shortly after fulfillment in those regions!
DEAD QUIET is best for new Agents, and features investigating a series of mysterious deaths in the friendly neighborhood Caddy Corner. NOSEDIVE is best for Agents who have learned a little more about the Triangle Agency world, and features an unusual trend of electrical injuries in Ternion City. I wouldn't look too close at either of these images if you're not a GM.
Illustration by Trevor Henderson
Illustration by Marie Enger
We also have sample pages for the rulebook! On the "download demo" section of Triangle Agency's itch.io page you can share the first 20-ish pages with your friends to get them into the game. This is also the best place to easily download character sheets and the third party publishing license! Speaking of which...
In brief, you can make any game stuff (character options, missions, etc.) and sell it however you like as long as you aren't re-publishing or plagiarizing our existing art or text.
Want to get a group together?
The best place to do that right now is the Haunted Table Discord server! We have a dedicated channel called "branch-locator" you can use to connect with other players.
What will make the team happy?
So kind of you to ask. First: rate us on itch.io! If you like the game, give us 5 stars. Then leave a comment on the game page, telling us and the world what you love about the game.
If you like a joke, or a mechanic, or a part of the game, tell us!!! Post about it everywhere! Share with your friends! I especially love seeing reports of what happened during your games. We've been working on this project for a long time, and we've been waiting to show you this stuff for ages. Just letting us know you saw and liked something is huge.
Most of all, play. Play the game. Get your friends together and try it out, for a session or a year. I think you'll have fun at least most of the time.
Let us know what YOU want to see!
We have plans for how we want to support the game going forward, but after you've seen the game, tell us what we can make for you!
Are there parts of the world you want to learn more about? Tough parts of running the game you could use support for? Character types you'd like us to create? We'd love to hear what you're looking for, and will try to do everything we can to improve the game however we can over the next few years.
Thank you so much.
This time last year, we were in the middle of this fundraising campaign. Now, we're releasing the full game to the world in a bigger and better form than I could have imagined when we hit launch.
I know we still have a ways to go before you have the real books in your hands, but this is an enormous milestone. I hope you're celebrating as much as we are.
As always, let me know if you need anything. Thank you so much for your support.
More soon,
Caleb
Digital Edition Releases in One Week!
about 1 month ago
– Tue, Jun 18, 2024 at 06:36:48 AM
Hello, Agents! Triangle Agency will become available to everyone next Tuesday!! We're so excited for you to see what we've made. The plan is that the digital game will drop around 11am EST. We'll post an update here when it's time, too.
Quick Guide to Next Week
Here's some things you can do to make sure you receive everything smoothly:
Complete your Backerkit survey now if you haven't. We'll be using your information in Backerkit to distribute the keys this time. If you have never received an email from Backerkit about your order, send me a message here on Kickstarter.
Make sure your email on your Kickstarter, Backerkit, and Itch.io accounts all work and are all the same. (If you don't have an itch.io account yet, make it using the same email you're using for Kickstarter and Backerkit.)
Check to make sure you've ordered everything you want from Backerkit. Orders lock on the 24th sometime after 5pm EST. They'll become available again on itch.io and our own online store (TBA) the day after.
In case of issues with your order, add [email protected] to your email's contacts or similar so mail from me doesn't get marked as spam. You can also contact that email for assistance, but I'll probably be busier than usual helping people during this time, so it might take a day or two to hear a response from me.
As a reminder, this PDF version is basically identical to the print version, and is missing several accessibility/QOL features we'll be updating over time. Our goal is to have screen reader compatibility, alt text, table of contents links and form-fillable character sheets released in stages between now and the physical release.
EU/UK VAT Update
I bring good news! We've learned some more accurate information for collecting VAT. Right now, as we update everything to the new numbers, VAT charges are inaccurate or missing for most people. There will be a charge, but for most people it will be less expensive than it was during our last post about this.
Because of the high workload this week, this might not be done by the 24th. (It requires us to do a lot more precise data input with a beta feature on Backerkit.) It will be complete waaaay before any card charges, and you'll be warned ahead of time more than once. We aren't going to charge these cards until closer to shipment of physical books, October-ish.
Reminder to Triscendent Backers: Schedule Your Games!
Search your emails for an email from [email protected]. If you don't see one and can't find the scheduling link, send me a message on that email or here on Kickstarter. If you're waiting on more day/time options, post a comment or send me an email letting me know if there's a particular day of the week or time slot you're hoping for. I can't accommodate specific date requests or ensure you get an exact slot but I'll take these into account when I open up new times!
Thank you!
If you have questions or want to share in the community's excitement, check out our Discord! It'll be undergoing some renovations around release, but will remain a great place to talk about the game, ask questions about the rules, and find an online group.
More soon,
Caleb
Digital Edition Releasing 6/25! Normal Box Design! Book Covers! Shipping and Timeline!
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Jun 04, 2024 at 07:22:18 AM
Big News in Basically Every Way!
The top of our newly-renamed Normal Briefcase Collection!
This update is big. I'll start with the quick exciting headlines, then get into some less exciting details (shipping costs, taxes) and then end with a holistic idea of what's coming over the rest of the year. I recommend everybody read the information on shipping at minimum!
Final Cover of Triangle Agency: The Tabletop Role-Playing Game!
Triangle Agency: Digital Edition Releasing Tuesday, June 25th!
The plan is to release our digital edition later this month! All backers and pre-orders will receive this edition, and The Vault mission book for those who ordered it. This version will be identical to the print version, but it will receive a few updates.
At first, these digital editions will be basically exactly the print editions, which means they'll be missing a few key accessibility features that I'll be prioritizing adding in the next couple of months. By this I mostly mean: this initial version is not going to be compatible with screen readers, but will receive an update soon. I'll be working to add alt text to all images and organize the information correctly for them, but it's a big book and a big job! All my resources have been bound up in finishing the book visually.
After that, I'm planning to improve its accessibility in other ways: a plaintext version, table of contents links, form-fillable character sheets. This is a great post to comment if there are features like this you're looking for. I'm also considering hiring someone with experience making TTRPGs accessible to make sure it's done well, so please send folks my way if you know someone: [email protected]!
Digital accessibility updates like this will be delivered to everyone who has purchased the game for free as soon as they're ready.
Final Cover of The Vault: Missions for Triangle Agency!
Printing begins: Proofs in Production!
Most of our files are sent off to the printer as of yesterday, 3 days before our campaign launch anniversary! We are finalizing the interiors of the two main books still this week, but by getting all our other files ready to go, we're not losing time.
The manufacturer is able to look over those files, give us notes on anything that looks broken or messed up, and then start making proofs, in this case "wet proofs," which is a strange phrase that means a sample printed with the right ink, the right paper, and the right coating. This lets us check color accuracy, ink bleed, cut lines of paper edges, and all the boring stuff that slightly changes the quality of the book.
This puts us on track for shipping out physical books late September into early October. It's right at the end of our initial estimate (Late Summer) but once you see the full game I hope you'll see why it needed all this time to cook.
Fulfillment: Shipping Charges and Taxes
Now that the products are finalized in dimensions and weight and we've settled on our fulfillment partners, we have a much closer estimate of final shipping charges.
Shipping Charges
We have committed shipping partners based in these regions:
US (CRWN)
UK/EU (GamesQuest)
AUS/NZ (Aetherworks)
They've given us shipping charts based on the weights of products, and those are input into Backerkit. You should be able to see those shipping charges populated now. For the US, we were able to keep these just within our estimate.
For UK/EU and AUS/NZ, it's either right around our estimate or slightly above. We're covering the "Shipping VAT," usually a $5-7 charge, out of pocket to make sure this is the case. For other regions prices are higher across the board, but we'll be shipping out of wherever is the least expensive for you out of these options.
We're having final meetings with our fulfillment partners this next week to see if there's ANYTHING we can do to get these numbers down, but it's not something we're setting. Books are heavy, shipping costs are set by the region, and then fulfillment companies have to be paid for managing, packing, and fulfilling each order. We're not making money on shipping.
Orders will be locked on the 24th. This month will have multiple updates to remind folks about that.
VAT/Tax Charges (Non-US Backers)
This stuff was surprising to me and has comprised the bulk of my work and research for fulfillment. Up top what I would like to say: if you are new to backing campaigns from outside your country and these charges are a surprise to you, I'm sorry. If I had started this process with an understanding of global taxes, I would have gone out of my way to communicate exactly what's happening here in our original campaign page.
Basically, you'll see in Backerkit a charge (called VAT) applied to your order. This is a percentage tax set by your country on goods that are sold in your country. It varies between 15-25% for games (the "full VAT" rate). From what I understand, this number is generally included in the purchase price of goods sold within the country, so it's a more "invisible" tax than our version of that (sales tax) is in the US.
Kickstarter doesn't have options for displaying different prices/collecting VAT separately at the campaign level, but we are responsible for paying that percentage to your government in the end. This creates a dilemma: overcharge everybody else to make sure we're collecting enough money to pay VAT for particular companies (rough, and makes our game look "overpriced" to the majority of our backers used to a different system) or setting the value of the goods accurately and applying the tax rates later based on the country.
If I had understood the cultural difference in how prices are presented, I would have done more work to protect new backers who haven't experienced this on Kickstarter before. I'm sorry about that.
Here's what we're doing to try to mitigate problems for you:
We're collecting this VAT on Backerkit so that GamesQuest, a VAT agent, can pay it ahead of time and make sure delivery to your homes is smooth and without surprise fees.
As mentioned, we're covering the "shipping VAT" out of pocket for everyone. We promised on our shipping table this was included in our estimate, so we're taking a hit to make sure that's true.
We've tried to make shipping costs lower by shipping books directly to fulfillment partners in different regions. In our upcoming meetings we will also see if we can lower shipping charges further by splitting our delivery between the UK and the EU.
I'm continuing to research and talk to professionals about exactly what rate is applied to TTRPGs, because it's not 100% clear, and whether there's any chance the rate should be lower than the full rate. Everything I've read lately suggests this is unlikely, and that doing anything unusual runs the risk of holding up everyone's books at customs while it's sorted out, which seems worse.
By working with GamesQuest, we're able to collect this VAT upfront and pay it all ahead of time, making sure no one's books get held up at customs and you won't have to pay any fees upon the game's arrival.
We're going to put off charging for both shipping and VAT for a few months, to make sure everyone has time to prepare for this. We'll be sending out several alerts about those charges before they happen, but it will be once the books are literally leaving on their way to you.
If my tone here seems a bit somber, it's because I regret not understanding these charges from the beginning. I did a lot of research before the campaign, but most of the advice available to me was US-based, and pretty much everyone was confused about VAT. I'm not confused anymore, and will go out of my way to teach others, but I don't want to make your lives harder. Similar to shipping, this money is going to your country. We're not making any money on VAT.
Final Cover of The Triangle Agenda: Character Organizer
Individual Playwalled/Classified Dice Sold Out
We had WAY more individual orders for Playwalled/Classified Dice than I expected, and our manufacturing amounts for dice are locked. They will still be included in every order of the Complete Set/Normal Briefcase Collection, and we will be fulfilling every order already placed, but we are no longer taking individual orders for that dice set. If you want more of these dice, the Complete Set is your only way for now. The Agency Dice 6d4 set is still available individually! This may change eventually, but we're talking 2025 at the earliest when we've had time to recuperate some of our manufacturing costs and do another run of dice.
Thank you all so much for these orders!!
Timeline/2024 Plan
Here's an outline of what I have lined up to work on for the rest of the year for Triangle Agency!
Yesterday: Most Files Sent to Printer
This Weekend: Final Files Sent to Printer
June 20th-ish: Printer Sends Us Wet Proofs
June 24th: Backerkit orders "locked," which means they can no longer be changed. Pre-orders will continue to be available through a method we'll announce later this month. To avoid being shipped things in a separate order, I recommend you make sure you've added everything you'd like to get by this date!
June 25th: Digital Edition Releases
July & August: Digital Edition Improved (Screen Reader Compatibility, Plaintext Version, Table of Contents links, etc)
August 1-August 4: Gen Con! Sean, Ben, and I will be there. We submitted some late events to run TA for folks, and I'll let you know if they get selected.
September & October: Promised Publication Catch-Up (Finish the promised Company & Yazeba's crossovers, provide more news about Architect and House Edge)
Late September/Early October: Physical Edition Fulfillment, full launch of Triangle Agency
December 6-8: Pax Unplugged! We're trying to get a real table at this one, so wish us luck!
Bottom of the Normal Briefcase Collection
Thanks for reading!
I'm happy to answer any questions you have, and feel free to use the messages feature here on Kickstarter or email us at [email protected] if you need anything. And as always, people are always chatting on our Discord at discord.hauntedtable.games!
This process has been extremely challenging in many ways (especially over the last month of extra-long days!!) but the kindness and joy y'all have brought to the game has kept me excited to work on it every day. Thank you so much for supporting us all the way back a year ago (!!!) when our campaign launched. We've come so far since then.
