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Folk Hero - a solo mode and sourcebook for the Punk is Dead TTRPG

Created by Critical Kit Ltd

Folk Hero is the first official expansion for The Punk is Dead songwriting TTRPG. In addition to new roles, lore and gigs to play, the 90 page, 7 inch hardback contains a new solo mode.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

We won an Ennie!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 04, 2025 at 09:39:31 AM

Heyo,

Sorry to come at you twice in one day with an update, but we have just found out that we have won a Judges' Spotlight award in the Ennies for Punk is Dead, the game which Folk Hero is based on.

I'm  totally over the moon at this accolade and we want to give recognition to all of my backers. Without you, Punk is Dead would have never existed as it does today.

Thank you!

Tim x





Friday smorgasbord (a delibrately uncaptivating subject line).
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 04, 2025 at 01:38:32 AM

Heyo,

Let's get off on the right foot by wishing each other a Happy Friday!

I couldn't really think of a hyper-marketing-focussed subject line that would ensure you opened this email because it's a jumble of stuff, so I really hope you are here reading this. If not, I'm always happy writing into the void - you should see the plethora of draft games that never made it into the public realm.

Here's the cyptic contents section in case you want to skip some stuff or bail out now.

  • Free sh*t
  • Woody's on board
  • A bulleted list of clarifications for something that doesn't exist yet but is likely to in some form in the near future
  • Trecento porcento
  • The Bournemouth identity
  • Bye


Free as in Game

If you didn't read through the campaign page yet, you might have missed the fact that all backers get a free game at some point between the end of the campaign and fulfilment. I've done this on my past two campaigns and I think it's a good way to ease the pain of waiting, to let you know I value you, and to kick my ass into finishing a game I've left percolating for a while.

On that note, I have put a poll up with three game titles (no context) for you to vote on. I've never done this before, but I'm going to let you choose which game I finish. Here are the covers:



I woke up this morning to the news that Michael Madsen had passed away. I'll no doubt be watching something of his this weekend just to remind myself of what a great talent is missing from our reality today. Please drop me any suggestions in the comments of what I might watch (NO RESERVOIR DOGS! - I do love that movie, but I also want something more nuanced). 


Woody's in the book!

I completely forgot about this little bit of news on the campaign. At the begining of the year, I sent a long-shot email down the inter-tubes to the estate of Woody Guthrie asking if we could use some specific lyrics in the Folk Hero. Several weeks passed and then to my surprise, I received the following from his grandaughter, Anna:

Thank you for your interest in including this excerpt from Woody Guthrie’s song “All You Fascists” in your forthcoming book. Since it’s just those lines, we’re happy to approve this request... Also, if you don’t mind sending a copy along to our office for our records, that would be great.

So, I don't know which part of this is exciting: getting the quote permission or knowing that Folk Hero will be somewhere in the estate of Woody. I dunno. It's a lot. As for which lyric I am using, you'll just have to wait. In any case, here is a super cool pic of Woody.



We're heading towards 300% funded.

Thank you! For someone who usually has a lot of words, I don't really have any that would relate to you how grateful I am that you trust me to produce a game that is also a piece of art and a tribute to folk music and British Folklore. I'll let the end product relay that to you. (I still managed to make that quite a lot of words, didn't I?)


Clarifying that Crowdfunding idea from yesterday.

The overall response to that crowdfunding idea I put forward yesterday was positive. There were questions, so I am going to address the main ones here:

  • There is no subscription commitment - you an back any Zine of The Month and ignore any that don't feel like your vibe.
  • There will PDF and Physical options.
  • Previous zines will be add-ons in future campaigns, so if you miss one, you can pick up from two months after the original campaign.

If you have any more questions, on that one let me know.


Wishing I was back in Bournemouth.

Last week, Sarah and myself took a two hour trip to see St Vincent. She was straight off the back of a Glastonbury performance at a much more intimate venue. My journey to St Vincent was through her collaboration with David Byrne and I can't recommend her enough. I love pretty much everything she does and the energy she brings, but her back catalogue is eclectic enough to have something for everyone: from ballads to metal anthems. If you haven't already, given her a go, I recommend starting with her latest album, All Born Screaming, then work backwards.


What was the last gig you went to see?

Okay, I'm wrapping it up here as I have games to create and a little publishing business - that punches well above its weight - to run. If you're not into my random updates, please feel free to ignore them. I'll always mark in the subject line if something is a must read (i.e. project related).

Have a lovely weekend, go do a random good deed, and I'll see you on the other side.

Tim x


We need your feedback!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jul 03, 2025 at 02:03:32 AM

Hey there,

This is a bit lengthy, but please do make it to the end as it would mean the world to me to get your understanding and feedback on what I am putting forwards.

Firstly, we adore our community. That isn't just a platitude, without you we would not exist and we never take that for granted.

Though I steer our little business on a day-to-day basis and navigate the storms that arise when capitalism and creativity mix, and my little team work dilligently to help me do that, ultimately it is your support that drives everything Critical Kit does. It does not matter if you have been with us since day one or are just hopping on the ride now, you are important to us.

It's for this reason I am coming to you for feedback on some future plans related to our crowdfunding. Raising money from backers is one of the most wholesome ways that our business can run. It allows us to bypass financial instituitions, lowers risk for us when it comes to printing and also offers us a way to engage with people who play our games directly. Let's be clear, Crowdfunding as the sole source of income for a business is a poor strategy and it leads to all kinds of problems, mainly because it doesn't make us as rich as it might appear to do, so for us it is just a part of our overall strategy to survive as a small business in a world of greedy corporations.

So, here are our thoughts for our future Crowdfunding strategy and we would love your feedback:

  • To do a maximum of two large campaigns a year and never launch a large campaign without having fulfilled the previous one.
  • To launch a new Zine of The Month campaign that will have precreated, quick turnaround projects (as we did on Unleashed).

Let's look at Zine of the Month in more details:

  • Each month we will crowdfund a new TTRPG zine with a price range of £5-£20.
  • Campaigns will last 21 days (1st to 21st of the month).
  • Campaigns will be fulfilled the following month.
  • We will use a network of distributors in the UK, US and EU to keep shipping costs low and in many cases we will subsidise shipping.
  • As well as my own work, we will publish new creators from across the world that I have curated for their originality.
  • There will be no stretch goals.
  • There will be a consistent early bird of a free signed art postcard of the game cover.
  • There will be all of our other games available on each campaign with a one-size-fits-all shipping rate.
  • We will not sell these games publicly until the month following fulfilment, so backers get the first copies before they are in retail.

Of course we want to make money for what we do, but we also want to do this in an equitable way. My business was founded on the principle of doing things differently and so it will always be.

Less than four years ago I was doing this alone. Now I have three well-paid staff, a warehouse and studio, eight creators who are paid the highest royalty rate in the industry and new friends from all over the world. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Thank you for not making me have to get a real job! 

Oh, and though I have a weird relationship with awards, this little business just won the South West start up of the year and we are now in the finals for UK Startup of The Year. Not bad considering we were among a sea of AI companies.

I do hope you made it this far and can offer comments/feedback in the comments that will help us develop this idea.

As always, thank you for your support whether it is financial or just shouting from the rooftops. 

Tim

(Plus Sarah and Josh)

We're funded! That's a can of update worms opened!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Jul 01, 2025 at 11:26:25 AM

Thank you so much to everyone who has backed, shared or supported Folk Hero in what ever way they could. 

This is the second of three games I am creating under the banner of Music is Hope; the first being Punk is Dead. These are games I have wanted to create for the longest time, so the fact that so many people have put their faith leaves me humbled. I promise I will create something special for your gaming table and shelves.

Now, speaking of being lost for words, being funded also kicks off that wild updates ride that seasoned backers of my work will be used to. I've decided to make this one even wilder and weirder, hopefully to give you some entertainment as the campaign progresses. Expect some inbox titillation every couple of days or so.

There's also the promise of a free "low-key-launch" game for all backers on the horizon. I'm not announcing that yet but, come on, it's like the encore at a great gig. We have an unspoken contract. Clap loud enough and I'll do it!

And I suppose I should remind anyone who hasn't yet backed two things:

1. All physical backers in the first 48 hours get a free enamel pin badge.
2. If you're not in a position to back, I understand, but you can help by sharing the campaign with a friend or loved one who you think may like it.

Once again, thank you for heading out on this journey with me.

I'll leave you with a fabulous Woody Guthrie track reimagined by Billy Bragg and Wilco. The very song that was the inspiration for this game:



Have a Happy Monday!

Tim x