Sublime Dark: Fantasy Horror Board Game for 1-4 players
Created by Tristan Hall
A brutal experience in dark terror! Explore the town of Blackfell and uncover the sinister secrets of the eremites.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Sublime Dark Update 17 - Digital Samples Have Arrived!
about 1 month ago
– Thu, Mar 26, 2026 at 03:43:27 PM
Hello there,
We’ve got them in hand! The first digital print samples for Sublime Dark, Ruined Path, and Night of Wolves have arrived, and they’re looking seriously tasty. Before anything else — these are not mass production copies. These are pre-production samples and colour proofs, printed digitally rather than via the final offset process. Their purpose is purely to let us physically review everything before we give the green light on full production.
What We’re Checking
This stage is absolutely critical for us, and we take it seriously — even if it means spending an eye-watering amount on samples. Over the next couple of weeks or so we’ll be going through everything with a fine-tooth comb:
Component quality
Every card — layout, alignment, colour balance
Rulebooks — clarity, formatting, final polish
Overall usability — does it all feel right at the table
All text — typos, grammar, consistency, and with the Sublime Tales Storybook that's basically a novel's worth of text, so we beg your continuing patience!
This is our last chance to catch anything before we lock the files for mass production.
What Happens Next
Once we’re satisfied:
We submit any final corrections
Files are locked for production
Mass production begins
We request an early mass production copy to double-check there are no manufacturing issues
Only then do we move into full-scale printing and freight.
First Impressions
Initial reaction? We’re dead excited. Seeing everything physically together — the cards, the tiles, the insane art, the sheer presence of these games — is a big moment. It’s the point where these projects stop being files on a screen and start becoming real, tangible things. There’s still work to do, but this is a major step forward.
Couple of cool, initial notes:
The Sublime Dark Caro Boards gave me a shiver — they are amazing to look at and hold.
The Sublime Dark Promo Pack cards are dead immersive — when you find a cool Relic outfit and get to physically upgrade your character portrait it feels great.
The Playmats for all the games are super luxurious. Our artists (and printers) have outdone themselves once again.
Sneak Peek (Spoiler Alert)
Here’s a look at what just landed on our table:
Note: the Sublime Dark box in these samples does not yet include the spot UV finish — this will be added in mass production.
Next Update
We’ll report back once we’ve completed the full review and confirmed production timelines with our printing partners. As always, thanks for sticking with us — we’re getting very close now. :D
Cheers,
Tristan
Sublime Dark Update 16 - Chinese New Year
2 months ago
– Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 04:39:54 AM
Hello there,
Just a quick update to say thank you to everyone who added the promo pack and/or playmat, and an extra thanks to those who also went in for Night of Wolves with the combined shipping, you guys are awesome.
We did get all the files in beforehand, but we're in a holding pattern until March now as we wait for the factories to reopen after Chinese New Year. I’ll be back with more news next month once things start moving again.
There’s still time to add items to your order whilst we wait, so do drop me a message ([email protected]) if you’d like anything from the last update.
In the meantime, have a glorious rest of the month, and check out Sam Raimi's Send Help if you want a quick horror fix full of gory laughs — I loved it! :D
Cheers,
Tristan
Sublime Dark Update 15 - Progress, Playmats, Promos, and P... Rulebook!
3 months ago
– Sat, Jan 31, 2026 at 03:27:24 PM
Hello there,
Progress
The files have all been submitted, we're waiting for the pre-production copy to be built and sent to us by the printers, whereupon we'll have time to make last minute changes before printing commences. So, we'll have a more solid timeline for delivery to you guys after Chinese New Year.
We're close to the finish line now, and I'm tripping over myself not to accidentally blast you with a cosmic heat ray of mega spoilers. That said, there are some logistical points here that are spoiler-y, but which will ultimately help us deliver the best quality experience possible for you. So if you don't want to know anymore, look away, and we'll catch you in the next update. Otherwise, read on, oh doomed bag of dearest, sublime meat...
Playmats (2-sided)
Many of you asked if the playmat would have graphics, and I'd been holding off on confirming, because, like with the Call of Kilforth playmats, I've been trying to make this work for the Location tiles and the cards, not just the cards. And I think we nailed it. The playmat will be 2-sided with graphics on one side and just art on the other.
You can build the town of Blackfell during the game in a bunch of different ways, and if you want it to spiral off all over the place, that's cool — use the art-only reverse. And if you want a more structured town layout, or if you don't mind your town wandering a little off the playmat — use the alternative side with the areas laid out for the tiles and art decks, etc. You'll see what I mean once the game arrives... :D
If this has changed your mind, and you want to add a playmat to your pledge now, you can still do that if you're quick — rather than unlocking the whole pledge manager I'll just add it to your pledge and charge your card to speed things up — just fire us over an email with the subject "Add Sublime Dark Playmat" to: [email protected]
Rulebook
Here's the penultimate draft of the rulebook before we print this too. If you want to avoid it, that's cool, and if you want to help us hunt for typos and discrepancies, you can dive in here, just click the pic:
Promo Pack
Here's a quick peek at some of the promo pack cards:
Again, if this has changed your mind, and you want to add a promo pack to your pledge now, you can still do that, just fire me over an email with the subject "Add Sublime Dark Promo Pack" (or "Add Sublime Dark Promo Pack & Playmat" if you want both) to: [email protected]
Combined Shipping with Night of Wolves
You can also combine your shipping with our latest Kickstarter, Night of Wolves, which is printing at the same time as Sublime Dark. If you've backed both games, just hit me up with a direct email and I'll arrange a discount for you based on where you are and what you've ordered: [email protected]
Night of Wolves Late Pledges
And if you missed Night of Wolves & Ruined Path, the pledge manager is open now for late orders here:
Sublime Dark vs Kreel Manor?
Keith asked a great question in the Night of Wolves comments, so I've reposted my answer below in case you missed it: How re-playable is Sublime Dark, will it be a bit like Kreel Manor?
I've made the determination not to answer questions about the lore of Sublime Dark because it is built upon emergent storytelling, and hopefully everyone will experience the game's themes differently, but I will talk a little bit about the game system. In my opinion Sublime Dark is more re-playable than Kreel Manor, but they’re also different experiences. How they compare:
Kreel Manor is structured and narrative-driven, with clear scenarios that each tell a self-contained story. Once you’ve seen those story beats, replay value comes from trying different delves, heroes, strategies, and difficulties.
Sublime Dark uses a more open, layered unlock system and tons of emergent encounters, NPCs, and story entries. That means each playthrough tends to feel different — patterns shift, Eremites and paths change, and the way characters interact with the world and each other is different every time. To put numbers on it:
Sublime Dark: ~600 story entries (44 pages)
Kreel Manor: 117 story entries (16 pages)
So the style of re-playability differs:
Kreel Manor → more about mastering fixed content, powering up your hero, and turning the tables on the threats and foes.
Sublime Dark → more about variability and emergent loops, and discovering as much as you can about the world before you die (or not)!
If you enjoyed the atmosphere, tension, and discovery in Kreel Manor, you’ll probably enjoy replaying Sublime Dark for its dynamic encounters and unpredictable sequencing. I also think Blackfell's setting has familiar elements, but is also unlike anything I've seen before.
(Admittedly, I am biased :D)
Roll on February!
So that's all for now. Hall or Nothing backers are in for a right good feast this year, and we intend to fatten you up nicely for those hungry Eremites...
(EDIT: I think Tristan needs some sleep now! — Francesca)
New Kilforth Solo Adventures Await — Night of Wolves & Ruined Path Now Live!
4 months ago
– Wed, Dec 17, 2025 at 10:01:43 AM
Hello Doomed Caro!
We’re jumping in with a quick message because our new project is already fully funded on Kickstarter — and given how many of you love atmospheric, story-driven adventures, we thought you might want to take a look.
A fast, narrative solo game played with a deck of oversized illustrated encounter cards. Choose from three cards based on the artwork alone, reveal the story, make your decision, and face the consequences. 20–40 minutes per run, branching paths, deadly bosses, and a haunting journey through an accursed wilderness.
Cooperative Mode Complete
The cooperative mode for Night of Wolves is now fully locked in — and the gorgeous new 2-sided Exiled Wolf Knight hero card is complete, brought to life with brand new art by the brilliant José Del Nido.
This card allows a second player to join your journey, each taking their own hero as you face the dangers of the wilds together… or fall together.
Ruined Path
A compact, Kilforth-inspired solo deck-builder where you battle escalating Threats, upgrade your hero, and face one of several modular bosses. Think tight decision-making, push-your-luck card play, and a lot of replayability in a very small box.
Both games are fully designed, illustrated, and ready for print, and the campaign has already been awarded Kickstarter’s “Project We Love” badge.
(No pressure, of course — just sharing in case it’s your kind of thing!)
Ricky Royal Preview
And finally, here's the great Ricky Royal from Box of Delights to tell you why you might like to take a look:
Thank you, as always, for supporting our work and helping us keep making these worlds and stories. We couldn’t do it without you.
— Tristan & Francesca Hall or Nothing Productions
Sublime Dark Update 14 - Christmas Comes!
5 months ago
– Mon, Dec 08, 2025 at 05:55:08 PM
Hello there,
Business Responsibility vs Secrecy & Fun
Trust is the very practical reality of doing what you’ve allowed me to do with Sublime Dark. I’ve kept you in the dark — deliberately, and for fun — so far, so thank you genuinely for letting me. It’s made Sublime Dark a campaign unlike any other I’ve seen, let alone been involved with.
With that in mind, Francesca and I have talked at length about how much of this secrecy is fun for all of us, versus how much we still owe you in our responsibilities as a publisher. As you know, in just a few hours we’re about to launch our next game (Night of Wolves) now that the Sublime Dark files are being sent to the printers.
This overlap of projects has been our normal rhythm for the last 10 years — it’s how we keep the lights on — but previously we’ve always been able to reassure backers by showing how far along each game is before launching the next. So, since you’ve trusted us this far, and since we have many new faces on this journey, I’m offering you the choice of seeing exactly where we’re up to.
It’s been bloody hard keeping progress so deliberately vague, but perhaps my excitement at this stage has finally pierced the fog of Blackfell. So if your curiosity gets the better of you, or if you simply want the reassurance that manufacturing is pressing ahead as planned, click the YouTube link below and you’ll see a short video from the printers — including the white box samples and lots of spoilery glimpses of the newly designed Caro boards, cards and tokens.
And if you’d rather keep everything a surprise, that’s absolutely fine too.
SPOILER VIDEO!
In any case, have a ruddy lovely Christmas, and we’ll see you in the New Year.
