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 15 - Progress, Playmats, Promos, and P... Rulebook!
4 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!
6 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!
6 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.
Cheers!
Tristan
Sublime Dark Update 13 - November Rained
6 months ago
– Mon, Dec 01, 2025 at 08:17:31 AM
Hello there,
I was supposed to send this last night but… you know, Stranger Things Season 5!
Sublime Tales
Quick update: we’re still ironing out a few of the more ambitious graphical components and testing a couple of new printing techniques that we haven’t used before — and I’m dead excited about them. Our lead monster artist, Carlos Villas, has just sent me another two pieces of disgustingly beautiful art. There are hundreds of written concepts in Sublime Dark that are left to the reader’s imagination, but I wanted these particular moments visualised — and Carlos has delivered the goods in fine fettle, as always.
And here they are no—just kidding :D
Below is a pic of my locally printed copy of the mahoosiveSublime Tales storybook — the final version will be stitched, not spiral-bound. Over the run-up to Christmas, Francesca and I will be spending much of our time meticulously going through all 40,000 + words of this behemoth, checking for typos, quality, and consistency (and pain and suffering).
Veilwraith in the Top 5
Great to see Veilwraith featured in the Top 20 Solo Board Games for People New to Solo Board Games from the excellent Rolling Solo!
Gloom of Kilforth, People’s Choice
Gloom of Kilforth has now been voted into the People’s Choice Top Solo Games list for seven years running :O A huge thank-you to everyone who keeps adventuring across Kilforth, posting stories, sharing photos, and introducing new players to the world. It means a lot to see the game still played and loved after all this time.
And finally, the big news: my next game — and our first new release of 2025 — Night of Wolves will be launching in time for Christmas! :D
Night of Wolves has been an entirely different design challenge for me. To deliver thematic and intricate experiences, most of my games use semi-complex rules systems — so to switch things up, I wanted to create a game you can grab off the shelf quickly and either rattle through in 30 minutes, or take your time with and journal your adventures, or even build into an RPG experience.
It takes about two minutes to learn, and offers a relaxing, almost zen-like rhythm of card-flipping and adventuring in a choose-your-path environment — another big old homage to Fighting Fantasy and D&D!
Sublime Dark Update 12 - Timeline Update
8 months ago
– Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 03:01:24 AM
Hello there,
In the dark of Blackfell, the lamps burn low and the fog never quite lifts. Beneath the silence, the Eremites stir — restless, half-formed, awaiting their final shapes. But even nightmares take time to perfect…
Timeline Update: Expected Delivery in Q1, 2026
Given where we currently are with Sublime Dark, and the state of the global shipping and manufacturing industry right now, we’re now aiming for delivery in Q1 2026, rather than Q4 2025. If it’s any consolation, we’re still well ahead of the timeline for OG Gloom of Kilforth — if anyone remembers that… :D
This adjustment allows us to maintain the production quality you expect from Hall or Nothing, while navigating the continued uncertainty around tariffs, freight costs, and scheduling at our manufacturing partners. I’ve already begun submitting files to the printers, but there will be some back-and-forth on these, so it’s not the super-exciting “final files submitted” update just yet. Still, I'm pushing forward and making steady progress — the files, artwork, and layout work are all advancing, and each stage brings Blackfell closer to life.
The Sublime Tales storybook alone is the largest written work I’ve completed since my first novel — presently at roughly four times the word count of the Kreel Manor storybook. Beneath all the blood and fog, Sublime Dark has drawn quietly from many wells — from Sartre’s gaze and Nietzsche’s cycles of becoming, to the body horror of Clive Barker and the melancholy beauty of Hidetaka Miyazaki. All those echoes surface somewhere in Blackfell, reshaped through a sort of fevered logic.
As mentioned previously, Sublime Dark is too important to rush or compromise. The extra time ensures every component — from the Eremite Behaviours to the Caro Boards — lands exactly as intended.
Meanwhile, over in the world of Kilforth, Return to Kilforth fulfilment is complete — thank you all for helping make it our fastest campaign turnaround ever.
And for those following our upcoming releases — the 2025 launch of Night of Wolves is fast approaching. Expect more news on that front soon...
Thank you again for your patience and continued support. Every step brings us closer to the moment when you’ll finally descend into Blackfell and face both the Sublime and the… well, you know.
Cheers, and have a ruddy brilliant Halloween!
Tristan
P.S. Hit me with your best music recommendations — what are you listening to today?
