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The first FiveEvil Splinter is out now exclusively DriveThruRPG.com! Join Morgan Davie as he introduces the first slice of free content for FiveEvil!

FiveEvil is a set of new roleplaying rules from Handiwork Games, slated for release later this year. FiveEvil is designed to evoke the horror genre via a set of clever twists on the underlying fifth edition ruleset. The primary focus is modern day horror, inspired by the work of Stephen King, and moody, character-driven horror films like The Ritual, The Descent and Jacob’s Ladder, alongside mini-series like Midnight Mass by Mike Flanagan, and the scariest of Twin Peaks episodes.

Rather than seeking out evil in order to vanquish it, or investigating clues to battle malign influence, characters in FiveEvil are regular people trapped in a terrifying situation where fighting isn’t likely to help.

To The Ice Caves will be released to backers imminently! Take a first look at this journey book for Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland.

It’s that time of the week – it’s Paul’s Pick! Paul Bourne is our graphic designer, and he sees every piece of art that goes into a Handiwork game. Each week he’s selecting a piece of art to share with you. Ligdraca by Scott Purdy for the Beowulf: Age of Heroes, the monsters chapter.

“Fire dragons are some of the most fearsome foes in the Lands Between the Two Seas, their ability to fly, breathe fire and terrible physical strength means that only Heroes can oppose them.”

Happy Larry’s Bar & Grill by Paul Bourne for the Strange Little Girl vs. Cheesed Off supplement for a|state. Easily identifiable by its gaudy celeste-green sign, this is a food and drink joint that is “safe ground” for local people to have meetings, settle disputes and share tittle-tattle. The sign on the door reads “No fighting, no drugs, no weirdos.”.

We’re doing a new thing over on all our social media: we’ve asked everyone in the team to come up with things they want to shine a spotlight on. It might be a piece of art, like today, or it might be some thoughts on an aspects of one of our games, their rules or setting, or a story from their development. There’s loads of interesting stuff in the can already, so look out for the various team member’s posts!

Paul’s Art Pick is what our graphic designer and layout artists Paul Bourne has decided to do. Paul sees every piece of art we make as he lays out all our books. So he’s ideally placed to choose some interesting ones to share. Today’s pick is one he’s made himself which thoroughly establishes his credentials as a brilliant artist in his own right!

Find out more about a|state here.

We’re now in the process of closing down our X formerly known as Twitter account, since it’s no longer somewhere we’re happy to be. If you currently follow us there, be sure to give us a follow somewhere else so you don’t miss out!

You can follow us on:
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In 2022, artist and writer Jon Hodgson wrote and published a game called Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland. It was, in part, an experiment exploring the capabilities of an early version of so-called “AI” image generation.

Later that same year, he decided to stop using AI entirely, having grown increasingly uncomfortable with the way machine learning systems revealed their nature and application.

In 2024, Jon decided to make an ambitious new edition with entirely new, handmade artwork involving props, models, sets, and a smoke machine. The “Redux” edition is out now in PDF, with print copies currently shipping from Handiwork Games.

Today sees the release of the book Making Maskwitches, which presents a collection of the artist’s essays and accounts around the making of this new edition, lavishly illustrated with behind the scenes photographs.

It is available now in PDF, and a print version is available to pre-order on the Handiwork Games web store. The print edition is at print now.

“A game that feels like a conjuring – a curious and compelling artefact. It is strange in the best possible way, a genuine work of art from the prose to the mechanics to art.”

Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Black Iron Legacy Series, The Lands Of The Firstborn Trilogy, The Eyes Of The Stone Thief, The Darkening Of Mirkwood

“Maskwitches was one of the most immersive, emotional and dramatic games I ever ran.” – Royston Harwood, Maskwitches playtester

As well as a bunch of our titles being reduced in the Christmas in July sale at DrivethruRPG, we’ve also switched The Silver Road core rules to Pay What You Want!

The Silver Road is the experimental, minimalist storytelling game that powers Maskwitches, In Spoons, The Burn and more upcoming titles. While Maskwitches is a standalone game which includes these rules, you’ll need them to make the most of The Burn and In Spoons, In Knives. And now they’re just that bit more accessible.

Grab your copy today for however much you choose to pay.

And listen, if you’re struggling financially, don’t hesitate to grab a free one. We tend to find the folks who don’t have any money feel worst about getting something without paying. But we’re telling you it’s ok, ok?

Of course, the print book is available on our web store. If you try it and love it, consider a print book.