A fantasy TTRPG about insatiable hunger in a blighted land, inspired by Hollow Knight, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring.
We aim to start shipping physical rewards by June 2026. Digital rewards for already-existing books will be sent when orders are locked down (July 2025). Once they're ready, all other digital rewards will be made accessible (estimated Q2 2026).
Pre-order sales are final. Shipping will be charged closer to fulfillment. You can check estimated shipping pricesHERE (Shipping and Fulfillment section)
Latest Updates from Our Project:
The Gates are Closed!
11 months ago
– Tue, Apr 29, 2025 at 10:03:01 AM
Hello Dowsers,
The campaign has ended—but our journey into the Blighted Lands has only just begun!
First, a huge thank you to all our backers for making this game possible. We’ll do everything we can to live up to your expectations.
We launched Bitter Chalice at a tricky moment for the tabletop industry, and honestly, we weren’t sure how things would go. Thanks to you, it went better than we could have hoped. Here’s my promise: while some challenges still lie ahead, we’ve already proven our resilience—we made it through COVID, when everything broke at once. If we can survive that, we can navigate whatever comes next. Besides, we wouldn’t be the team behind Bitter Chalice if we weren’t ready to stare adversity in the face.
Second, we have unlocked the final Stretch Goal, and we’ll be able to add more art to Dirge of the Dust King, and possibly in some of the other books as well.
And finally…enough serious talk—it’s time for a little celebration!
Come join us on our Discord server. It’s a small but welcoming community of players and creators, and we’re always happy to welcome new blood (insert high-pitched “hehehehehe” here).
Gates of Krystalia is a tabletop role-playing game that fuses the wonder of anime with a unique, strategic card-based system. Its new campaign, Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux, is now live on Kickstarter!
Step into a vibrant fantasy world where you play as a hero summoned from Earth, tasked with exploring mysterious dungeons, battling fantastical creatures, and uncovering the secrets of a magical realm teetering on the edge of collapse.
The game is available in six languages: 🇺🇸 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇩🇪 German | 🇫🇷 French | 🇪🇸 Spanish | 🇧🇷 Brazilian Portuguese.
Group Meeple unlocked, Path of the Distiller Epilogue
11 months ago
– Mon, Apr 28, 2025 at 08:39:02 AM
Hello Dowsers,
Just over 24 hours to go. We've unlocked the Group Meeple, but there's still something we can unlock before the end.
We also wrote a small epilogue to the Path of the Distiller storyline. If you missed the previous episodes, you can read them here: FIRST, SECOND and THIRD.
Stretch Goals
60 000€ UNLOCKED - Group Meeple in the Upgrade Pack
A big 30 x 15 x 8mm meeple to represent the group of Dowsers in the map will be added to all Upgrade Packs at no extra charge.
70 000€ (UPCOMING) - Extra Art
If we hit this Stretch Goal, we’ll be able to commission additional artwork for Dirge of the Dust King, illustrating key parts of the world’s deep lore through a stunning series of “stained glass windows.” While a few pieces are already planned, unlocking this goal will allow us to triple the number of illustrations, adding even more beauty and depth to the book.
Path of the Distiller - Epilogue
Orios leafed through the pages of the Ramul Manuscript—one more time among countless others. The parchment, wrinkled with age, crackled under his ink-stained fingers. Orios paused, gazing at his hands: old, spent embers.
Years had passed—decades, certainly—since he first received that tome, and yet most of its secrets remained stubbornly hidden.
There was a time when he and Diacro had believed they could bring the Sovereign back to reason, that they could stop Coira, that they might halt the spread of the Dust. But, as Gravan had once said, this world had already reached its end.
Diacro had lost himself within those pages… perhaps he had understood something Orios still could not grasp, or perhaps he had simply grown too weary to fight. He raved about how the Holy Water was not salvation but the root of all evil—the very thing they had so desperately sought to harness.
Diacro grew more distant with each passing day, until at last, he disappeared entirely. In his place rose the Walls of the Seal: high, solid, and dark—a looming companion that every soul in the lands of Vathan would soon have to accept.
Orios turned another page, his eyes roaming across the twisted Ramul symbols—an alien script, difficult to decipher, inviting too many interpretations. His study was littered with notes, filled with the endless combinations of what each phrase—each word—might mean.
Infinite permutations, each one pushing his mind closer to its breaking point.
Diacro could no longer help him.
Ghildan had never returned from his expedition to the mountains.
Coira, after witnessing firsthand the curse she had unleashed upon Vathan and its beloved Sovereign, had vanished forever.
Even Gravan, with her mocking smile, was now just a distant memory.
Orios was alone.
Alone with the withered pages, the ruin of all things, and the faint flicker of hope that still clung to his heart.
• Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device.
• Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
IMPORTANT: what happens after the end of the campaign
11 months ago
– Sun, Apr 27, 2025 at 10:16:24 AM
Hello Dowsers,
The campaign has entered its final 48 hours—please read this carefully!
Before the campaign ends:
Check your pledge: Make sure you’re pledged for what you want. To add anything, click “Manage your pledge.” If you selected the Broken Ones (Book Only) Add-On, you can now upgrade to the full bundle for a small extra cost.
Check your payment method: If you’re using a prepaid card, ensure it has enough funds. About 5% of payments fail at the end of a campaign—don’t let that happen to you! Failed payments will delay things and impact Stretch Goals, so please double-check now.
Some banks/cards may require an extra confirmation. Kickstarter will email you if that’s needed. (This is especially common with German banks.)
Coming Soon: Pledge Manager
The campaign ends Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00 PM CET. After that, no changes can be made.Check the FAQ to avoid surpises.
Kickstarter transfers funds to us within a couple of weeks.
We’ll spend May setting up the Pledge Manager on BackerKit.
In late May or early June, you’ll get a survey confirming your pledge and giving you a chance to add extras.
Shipping costs will be finalized later to secure the best rates.
No extra charges when completing the survey—payment will only be requested closer to shipping time.
After that, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and wait for updates!
The Work Ahead:
I’ll be taking a short break after the campaign wraps.
Expect regular development updates, roughly once a month.
Let’s unlock everything we can in these last two days and have fun!
– Tommaso
Reminders
There is still time to submit your entry for a Bitter Chalice Cocktail to be immortalized in the Core Book. Read the rules HERE.
You can still vote in the third and last episode of the Path of the Distiller, HERE.
You can find us on multiple platforms:
• Discord: Join our community and chat directly with us.
• Facebook: Follow The World Anvil Publishing page.
• Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device.
• Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
Path of the Distiller #3, and our horror game about fairytales
11 months ago
– Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 08:11:06 AM
Hello Dowsers,
TL;DR: the final episode of Path of the Distiller and a few things that are good to know about our most famous game.
Path of the Distiller #3
A reminder: the choices you make in this interactive story will directly shape how we develop Orios Volgir, Grandmaster of the Order of the Distillers, as a fully realized NPC in the Core Book. You can read Episode #1 HERE and Episode #2 HERE. In the previous episode, most votes went towards opposing Coira's plan.
Orios Volgir walked heavily through the crowd, inexorable and slow like a storm on the horizon. Today, his centuries weighed upon him more than ever, though physically he appeared barely over thirty.
Many of the people gathered in the Central Square of the Knot stopped to let him pass, murmuring worried prayers as he moved by. These were dark times. Orios did his best to offer words of comfort to those who, for the first time in nearly half a millennium, watched their hair turn gray and their skin grow lined—a destiny the people of Vathan had long forgotten was inevitable.
He turned his gaze toward the statue in the great square, in front of the Temple of the Knot. A white veil had been draped over the solemn figure’s face to conceal the scar. This act of open rebellion against the Sovereign did nothing to calm the people’s troubled spirits, and discontent continued to spread.
Below the statue, children played chase, singing a strange nursery rhyme:
“Rags, rags From above the sky, from beneath the crags! Give me a rope, give me a line Give me the dust under the dunes so fine Grant me the water from the fountain’s source Veiled in the womb of the mountain woods, of course!”
How ironic. These innocent children unknowingly mocked Orios’ bitter fate, second only to the dreams that haunted him like demons long after he awoke. He tried to ignore their voices, cautiously scanning his surroundings. This was the agreed-upon place and time. He hated waiting; waiting fed the shades in his heart.
“So, what will you do, Grandmaster Orios?”
The voice struck him like a whip. He turned toward a little girl with a shoulder bag. She didn’t look a day older than ten, but he knew the truth: that small body, preserved by Holy Water, had seen centuries—perhaps even millennia—pass by.
“Nice song, isn’t it? I taught it to them. If only children knew what it really meant…” the little girl smiled devilishly.
“Damn you! I didn’t expect you to enjoy tormenting already-tormented souls.”
“I certainly didn’t tear them apart. Blame your Sovereign—or Grandmaster Edel, perhaps. Trying to imprison a deity! What could possibly go wrong? I’m just rubbing salt into the wound.” The child paused. “Much as I enjoy it, I didn’t come to watch you suffer. You’ve had plenty of time to think. Did you bring it?”
Orios parted the edge of his cloak just enough to reveal his hand gripping a silver chalice, shaped like a human skull.
“I brought it, but I didn’t expect you personally to come for it.”
“What difference does that make?” the girl replied sharply. “A deal is a deal. And frankly, I doubt you have much choice. Look around you—do you really think it matters? Even if the Hooks somehow manage to defend Vathan from palace intrigues, revolutionaries, the United Churches, and the outer kingdoms… even then, don’t you sense the end approaching?”
Orios stood frozen.
“Still, though I never truly believed in you Distillers, I respect your efforts to oppose Coira and her blasphemous studies. Unfortunately, the coming war has left the Sovereign with no choice…” The little girl paused again.
“The Dust means death. This entire world is coming to an end. But you can provide us the key to its rebirth and, in exchange, obtain the secrets of the Ramul.” The girl rummaged through her bag and withdrew a book, clearly centuries old. “This won’t save you, but I know you scholars crave answers more than life itself. Of course, we do have other ways of obtaining the Chalice—less courteous ones. Decide now. I can’t linger much longer.”
---
What will Grandmaster Orios Volgir do?
A) He will hand the Chalice over to Gravan, Daughter of the Waves, in exchange for the Ramul Manuscript.
B) He will refuse the Ramul Manuscript and keep the Chalice for himself.
Only comments under THIS UPDATE will count for the final tally!
2 ENNIEs nominations, and counting
You might already know this game—maybe it’s even the reason you’re here. Or perhaps this is your first time hearing about it. Either way, let me introduce you to Broken Tales.
Nominated for Product of the Year and Best Adventure at the ENNIES (2023), named TTRPG of the Year in Spain, and a finalist for TTRPG of the Year in Italy, Broken Tales has made its mark. I might be forgetting a few accolades, but you get the idea—we think it’s a pretty special game.
Written by Alberto Tronchi and illustrated by Daniel Comerci, Broken Tales is best described as “Fairytale Suicide Squad meets X-Files.” You play as reimagined villains from classic fairy tales, made good by the misguided wish of the Child Savior, now working for the Order—a secret society hidden within the Vatican. Your mission? Investigate fairytales that have gone wrong.
While the tone is mature and often dark, there’s plenty of fun to be had. Across three books (Broken Tales, The Broken Ones, and Lost Stories), familiar stories are warped into gripping, investigative adventures. And yes, it’s as gorgeous as it sounds—check out these unboxing videos to see for yourself:
You can add Broken Tales and its expansions as Add-Ons by clicking “Manage Your Pledge.”
A quick note for those who added The Broken Ones expansion:
At the start of the campaign, we listed only the book-only version (without the printed Hunters Sheet vinyl) because our inventory count suggested we had run out. But surprise—we found one last box!
So we’ve removed the book-only option and made a limited number of full bundles (book + printed Hunters Sheet) available. You can switch your selection via Manage Your Pledge. If you have any trouble, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to help.
The full version is only 5€ more, and we think it’s definitely worth the upgrade.
– Tommaso
Reminders
You can submit your entry for a Bitter Chalice Cocktail to be immortalized in the Core Book. Read the rules HERE.
You can find us on multiple platforms:
• Discord: Join our community and chat directly with us.
• Facebook: Follow The World Anvil Publishing page.
• Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device.
• Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
A new Art Print and the Bitter Chalice Cocktail Challenge
11 months ago
– Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 08:01:45 AM
Hello Dowsers,
TL;DR: We unlocked a new Art Print, then we ask you to create a cocktail (yep).
Stretch Goals
50 000€ UNLOCKED - New Art Print in the Bundle
We're adding a fourth illustration by Harry Conway to the bundle of prints at no extra charge, featuring all the game’s Classes!
60 000€ (UPCOMING) - Group Meeple in the Upgrade Pack
One thing you won't find in the box by default is a meeple to show where your group is on the map - you don't really need it, but wouldn't it be cool if we included one in the Upgrade Pack, and it was HUGE? Because that's what we'll do if we reach this stretch goal!
The Bitter Chalice Cocktail Challenge
We’ve passed the halfway point of the campaign and are quickly closing in on the end—but before we get there, we’ve got one more fun, interactive surprise for you (besides the final chapter of Path of the Distiller, coming this week!).
Let’s create the official Bitter Chalice Cocktail—because why not?
Cocktail, you say?
Here’s how it works:
You can use up to 5 ingredients, excluding ice and garnishes.
At least one ingredient must be a “bitter” – This includes classic bitters, amaros, or bitter infusions, syrups, or juices. Examples:
Iconic red bitters like Campari, Martini Bitter, Fusetti
Aromatic bitters such as Angostura or Peychaud’s
Central and Eastern European amaros like Unicum, Petrus, Montenegro, Jefferson, or Jägermeister
Herbal, peel, or root-based bitter infusions in any form—think gentian, absinthe, radicchio, rosemary, and similar
At least one ingredient must be a “water” – These are sweet, clear, or aromatic components that bring balance and clarity. Examples:
Syrups, infusions, or juices made from elderflower, cardamom, vanilla, lemongrass, palo santo, lily, wisteria, lychee, white grape, light apple, white peach, or similar
Delicate and fragrant liqueurs like Maraschino, Triple Sec, White Crème de Cacao, Bergamot Liqueur, or White Crème de Menthe
The other 3 ingredients can be anything you like.
Post your recipe in the comments section of THIS UPDATE.
“Wait, can you actually evaluate cocktails?”
Yes, we can—because Giacomo Gordesco, one of the writers of Bitter Chalice, was once a serious bartender in another life. So bring your A-game.
Pro Tips (You don’t need to include any of this in your recipe, but it might elevate your game):
You’re welcome to use all the classic mixing techniques: build, layer, stir, shake, muddle, roll, and throw.
Feeling ambitious? Go for advanced methods like milk punch, rapid infusion, foaming, dry shaking, smashing, pre-batching, smoking, or carbonating.
Homemade ingredients are absolutely allowed, but keep them accessible! If we can’t recreate your drink with reasonably available components, we won’t be able to test it. Try to stick to things like: foams, sodas, syrups, dried fruits or vegetables, candied items, cordials, infusions, and essences.
Make it creative, but make it makeable!
We’ll review your creations and choose the best one to become the official Bitter Chalice cocktail. The winning drink will be:
Featured in the Core Book with credits
Given an original illustration by Fabio Porfidia
Immortalized as part of the Bitter Chalice universe
You’ve got until the end of the campaign to submit your concoction—plenty of time to experiment and (hopefully) create something that doesn’t kill anyone. We'll pick the winner as soon as we can try the submissions.
Need some inspiration? Join the conversation on our Discord, where backers are already sharing the coolest glasses they have at home—perfect for serving a classic Bitter Chalice.
Projects we love
Well, we heard that you like solo games. We knew that, and that's why Bitter Chalice includes a Solo Mode right out of the gate. But what if I told you that there are moar cool solo TTRPGs out there? Have you heard of our decaying lord and savior MÖRK BORG? What if you could play that solo?
Its designer Patrick Buechner (which has a cool Substack about solo games, check it out HERE) describes it as such: “SOLO BORG is fast, flexible, and built for dark fantasy storytelling. Designed to run in satisfying 30-minute chunks, it’s for both veteran solo players and the solo-curious—no MÖRK BORG experience required, just a willingness to die brutally and often. It’s the result of three years of writing The Soloist, listening to what frustrates players, and learning how designers solve those problems.”
We need more cool games, and sometimes all your friends are dead. Check out SOLO BORG!
