Competitive adventure board game for fans of Dungeon Crawlers, Metal Music and High Fantasy.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Book of Skulls: Final Kickstarter update (until Book of Skulls 2!)
7 months ago
– Mon, Aug 25, 2025 at 06:13:47 AM
Slayers!
I hope you’ve been enjoying the summer holidays. This feels like the right time to post what will likely be my final update on this Kickstarter page until I return with news about Book of Skulls 2. So I wanted to wrap up with a quick status check, a glimpse at what’s next, and some reflections.
To stay up to date on all things Book of Skulls, the website is www.bookofskulls.co.uk where you can also sign up to the mailing list and now order the game directly from the site as well.
So to the update, my draft was several pages long, and I am not sure who would really want to read my ramblings, therefore, I have trimmed this down significantly.
From the last couple of updates, it looks like everyone has now received their upgrade card set. If you haven’t, please DM me!
Book of Skulls 2
The exciting news: I’m already a few months into development for Book of Skulls 2! Last week saw the 4th playtest, which was also the first full 4-player game, which went smoothly.
I feel like I’m in a great position to take my favourite parts of Eragoth while building new mechanics for the sequel. Without spoiling too much, this one’s looking like a double-header – two campaigns in one game. (I don’t like to make things easy for myself!)
To whet your appetite, there are returning Slayers from Eragoth but in a new setting, and some of the new mechanics are called Phantoms, Doom Clock and Cook of Skulls...
It has been fun going back to the old DIY game making. My printer has been getting a workout!
Limited Stock of Book of Skulls 1
In order to get BoS2 to the crowdfunding stage, I need to sell the remaining stock of Book of Skulls 1 to fund pre-artwork and marketing (both very expensive!).
Sharing the link with a friend is one of the best ways you can support me right now.
As mentioned in the intro, here are some of my reflections on the journey, here for posterity or for anyone who is curious.
When I first set out, I wanted to make something big, not just a “starter” game, but the game I had in my head. Coming from a Nintendo background and growing up with Zelda, Pokemon etc this is what made sense to me. And although it was a huge undertaking, it was a very rewarding experience.
As a recap, the seed of Book of Skulls was a one-shot adventure I created for friends on game night, inspired by the D&D episode of Community. From there, it grew (and grew and grew) into what you now have on your shelves.
The game saw me through many things including the whole of Covid, moving and renovating a house, and even becoming a father last year, it was a constant through everything.
Was it tough? Absolutely. The little details eat time like you wouldn’t believe, and my inexperience made things harder. Then there’s the business side: ads, VAT, fulfilment, websites, social media (which I still really struggle with). Add in a near 4-hour soundtrack and all the additional lore, it’s safe to say I had my hands full!
I didn't sleep properly for longer than I could remember as I would regularly be up to 1, 2 in the morning (or later) and then going to a my day job.
But I loved it. Even the tedious bits!
If I had one piece of advice for new creators it is if you dream big, be ready to put in the hours.
What I Learned
Passion Found – I didn’t expect to discover game design in my mid-30s, but I absolutely love it. It feels like my true creative passion.
Working Smarter – As with all things, experience makes a huge difference. Book of Skulls 2 has gone from idea to table in a couple of months and is already testing well.
Player Value – I packed BoS1 with content, as player value was something that I kept in the front of mind at all times. My aim is to give the same value in BoS2 but in a more digestible form.
Solo Mode - Many potential backers didn't back as there is no solo mode. By design, BoS is a competitive game, however, I will think of something for BoS2, whether it be using the BoS App or behaviour cards to get a Solo Mode so no one misses out next time. I never knew how big the demand for solo games was!
Promo Is Tough – Artwork is expensive but rewarding; promotion often feels like throwing money into the wind or shouting out into the void, especially on social media. It needs careful targeting (I’m still learning and need help with this).
Organisation Is Key – I need to be far more organised, I have folders in folders in folders for Eragoth which made it hard to navigate. I have been much more organised so far with BoS2.
Kickstarter Lessons – In retrospect, launching on Halloween wasn’t a good idea, I thought it was thematically cool but seeing how many people completely missed the notification hurt. Early momentum matters, and cancellations are brutal. Of course everyone is fully entitled to do as they wish, however, it is really hard to see so many people drop off if the game doesn't fund in 24 hours, 48 hours etc, there are 30 days on a campaign and it is not over until it is over :). Another challenge was that I needed the Kickstarter money to make the final game to then send to the reviewers, the pre-Kickstarter version was a demo and mixed in homemade components. For BoS2, I’ll push harder pre-launch, try to build more community presence, and plan to cons again (AirCon 2026, UKGE, maybe smaller shows too).
Partners Matter – GamesQuest were brilliant on fulfilment, Nigel and Paul took me under their wing in the early days and were a huge help - I would recommend them for any first-time designer. My manufacturer and artists (Augustinas for maps, Jurijus for Slayers & Skeleton Witch) were fantastic collaborators bringing Eragoth, and its characters, to life. I hope to bring them all back for BoS2. George, who built the app, also deserves an immeasurable amount of thanks, I hope he’s in for round 2.
Playtest, Playtest, Playest – Playtesting is the best part, it is like performing a gig after you've been at rehearsals for weeks. Due to the nature of summoning from a large pool of Demons, the number of Slayers you can choose from, and the interchangeable maps, it is impossible to test every permutation. However, my regular group put in 100+ hours, and that is just the logged playthroughs, when you add in everything we did outside of that, and the virtual work in the App, it must be double that. That is the beauty of BoS, you never know what you're going to get!
I hope that wasn't too longwinded, but I feel this is the right moment to put a full stop on this campaign.
Thank you to my wife, family & friends for the support and from the bottom of my heart: thank you for backing, playing, and believing in Book of Skulls.
Your support gave me the chance to take something from homemade excel printouts to a fully produced game and now I get to carry that momentum into Book of Skulls 2 where I hope we will meet again.
Until next time… keep slaying! ⚔️
Best Wishes
Andy
June Update - Upgrade cards delivered
9 months ago
– Mon, Jun 30, 2025 at 01:51:28 PM
Slayers!
Hope you're all doing well, it is hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2025!
You may have noticed there wasn’t an update in recent months. I decided to hold off until I had something substantial to share and now I do.
There have been some fantastic new posts on Instagram about Book of Skulls from Positively Board and Good Game Fair Play, both part of the UK Board Game Review Circle.
Upgrade Cards All Upgrade Cards were dispatched between April and May! If you haven’t received yours yet, please reach out.
As this was a personal project, funded and coordinated by me, I had to get creative with distribution, calling in favours from friends in France and the US to post them locally, avoiding the extra shipping costs from the UK.
I’ve also handed the remaining Upgrade Cards to GamesQuest, so any new purchases will now come with the additional deck automatically included.
Retail Sales Exciting news! Geek Retreat Ipswich is now stocking Book of Skulls as part of their board game display.
This marks the first direct sale to a retailer and is a big milestone for the game, hopefully the first of many!
As mentioned in previous updates, the Book of Skulls App is already available on the Apple Store.
However, launching on Android has been more challenging. Despite reaching the required number of sign-ups multiple times, the current hurdle is that all testers need to be active within the same time window. It is trickier than it sounds...
In the meantime, I’ve updated the Android App link so that you can request to join the test group. If enough activity lines up, we’ll finally meet the criteria to go live on the store.
That’s it for the June update I’ll be back in July with some exciting news about what’s next for Book of Skulls.
Until then, Best wishes, Andy
Important Update for Book of Skulls
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 01:15:18 PM
Slayers!
Hope you’re doing well and have had a great start to 2025. It’s been amazing to see the positive feedback on Book of Skulls! If you’re so inclined, please consider helping to grow awareness by leaving a rating on Board Game Geek:
Before I can fully close this chapter of Book of Skulls, some cards will be reissued—specifically, Demon cards that have single-use moves.
To maintain consistency with the other types of moves, I’m adding additional clarity to these cards so you don’t need to rely solely on iconography. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from continuing to play as normal at the moment. The reissued cards are being printed in February and should arrive with you in March sometime.
I hope this demonstrates my ongoing commitment and support to both you and Book of Skulls.
For your convenience (and in case you are interested to know now), I’ve included a link to a Dropbox folder with the updated Demon cards being reprinted. Additionally, the Book of Skulls App will remind you of this when opening.
Note: Moves that are obviously single-use (e.g., a Demon is defeated after using) will not be reissued. The Demon, Hathfor the Great, name was incorrectly named Hathfor the Giant Slayer so I am taking the opportunity to include him as well.
As mentioned in a previous update, even after over 100 hours of playtesting, this hadn’t posed an issue, however, as more games move beyond the immediate supply chain, I think it’s best to have this additional clarification.
The Apple App has been updated to version 1.3! This is a significant update, so please ensure you’re using the latest version.
Many thanks to the volunteers helping test the Android App—you should have all received links to the testing area by now. Your ongoing feedback is invaluable!
If you spot any bugs, please flag them to us through any of our social platforms, here on Board Game Geek, or by email at [email protected].
Important: If there is ever a discrepancy between the App and the manuals, please consider the physical manual to be correct.
While the App is optional, it does provide some great features. Last month, I shared how the audio works; this month, I’m highlighting the Tracker functionality:
If you’d prefer not to track your Slayer stats using pen and paper, you can use the Book of Skulls App instead!
(1) Select your Slayers and choose whether to track just your team or both teams. If you’re on the same Wi-Fi connection, two Apps can sync to host games collaboratively.
(2) Once your Slayers are selected, you’ll access the Tracker, where you can manage HP, upgrade items, held Action cards, Boss Souls, and more.
(3) HP Amendment: For example, If Adder has lost 40 HP, simply enter the value and press APPLY to instantly update your stats (4).
(5) One of the coolest parts of the Tracker is that you can save your game and return to it later to slay another day!
I will be back in March with an update on the card prints. Thank you for your continued support!
Best wishes, Andy
Book of Skulls App is live!
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Jan 06, 2025 at 02:31:58 PM
Slayers
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and wish you the very best for 2025—both in life and in slaying those demons!
Here’s the latest update:
All games were dispatched in 2024. Depending on your location, and any local postal backlogs, you should have received your shipment by now or very soon. If it hasn’t arrived within the next few days, please let me know so I can look into it!
The Book of Skulls App is now live on the Apple Store! You can download it via the link below or use the QR code on your game’s box. The latest version is 1.2.
We’ll be providing ongoing support for the App, therefore, if you come across any bugs, please let us know via social media, the BGG forum, or email at [email protected].
In the rare case of a discrepancy between the App and the manuals, the manual should be considered correct until they are aligned.
While the App is optional, it enhances your experience, here is how the music works. 1 - Interactive Maps Under the “Maps” section, select the level which you are on. Each level features its unique overworld theme which will play automatically when entering. 2 - For non-boss battles, press the “Random Battle Theme” button to trigger a track. This will loop. 3 - For boss battles, when in their Landmark, press “Play” to activate the level’s unique boss theme. This will loop. 4- To return to the overworld theme after combat, simply reselect it.
For Android users: The approval process has been more complex. To move forward, we need 10 more Android users to sign up as "testers", if you’d like to help please email [email protected] or comment below.
A massive thank you and congratulations again to George Hilsdon, the App’s developer, for doing an incredible job bringing this to life!
The website has had a substantial update, including Slayer bios, additions to the resources tab and a general freshen up.
To finish, I wanted to spotlight the Status Emblems, these are the icons under an Art's text. These are a visual aid to quickly clarify on the overall effect of an Art.
Some Arts (moves) are straightforward. For example: - The Art Darkside deals 55 damage to one Slayer. Its icon represents “deal damage to one" (see 1).
However, with 300 Arts in the game, some are more complex. For instance: - Dream of Mirrors recovers HP (1), summons other Demons (2), and is single-use (3). This is indicated by its set of icons.
There’s a glossary in the rulebook explaining all the icons. While many are frequently used, always refer to the rulebook if in doubt.
That’s all for the January update! I’ll continue providing updates for the next couple of months before wrapping up with a “final thoughts” message. Support for the game will of course be ongoing.
There will also be information about where the series is going next both in board game and in other formats.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via social media, email, or the BGG forum
Fulfilment Underway!
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Dec 22, 2024 at 07:51:08 AM
Slayers!
Hope you’re all doing well—and to get the cliché out of the way early, can you believe we’re at the end of 2024 already?!
There’s a lot of good news to share this month, so let’s dive right in.
Fulfilment is well underway! It’s been fantastic to see so many of your photos and messages confirming that your games arrived safely and in good condition. I believe all of the UK is complete and some backers in Europe as well. Hopefully the Skeleton Witch's sleigh will make his way to North America, to Asia, and, all the way to the backer from Australia over Christmas.
Considering there were about two months of delays in the shipping process, having Book of Skulls delivered on time feels like a solid win for my first project!
Reminder: There are additional standee bases included in the outer box, these are provided in case the ones inside the game box are too loose, it seems to depend on where the standee is on the punchboard. They should be taped to the games' shrink wrap, however, please check your packaging before recycling it.
Website Updates: The Book of Skulls website now features a RESOURCES tab, where you can download PDFs of Character Sheets and the expanded Lore. This lore includes additional world-building on top of what is in the physical Walkthrough, concept art, and more—all compiled from the Book of Skulls App in a convenient book format.
Interested in Purchasing? I’ve received messages from new Slayers asking how they can get their hands on Book of Skulls. Great news: I have stock at GamesQuest's warehouse. I’m currently finalising the details for new orders—whether that will be managed through BackerKit still, my own site, or GamesQuest’s platform. I’ll share more news soon!
Both soundtracks are now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. The links are below or search for Bards of Fire!
Metal Soundtrack
Overworld Soundtrack
If you’re playing the game, remember that the Book of Skulls App integrates the looped versions of these tracks at specific points—no need to manually repeat songs during gameplay. These are triggered by using the interactive maps.
For those who prefer local files instead of Spotify streaming, you can download the soundtracks via Dropbox from the RESOURCES tab on the website.
The Book of Skulls App was submitted to both Apple and Android stores. While the approval process has been slower and, more cumbersome, than expected , we’re anticipating approval very very soon. Once the App is live, I’ll share an update.
The App is designed to enhance your gameplay, but it’s not essential—you can enjoy the physical game fully without it. In the meantime, scanning the QR code on the Book of Skulls box will take you to a placeholder page, this will be updated once the App link is ready.
Just to clarify again, there is no additional cost to downloading the App and it is optional in case you want to leave phones away from the gaming table.
The short How-To videos are done, these can in part act as an alternative to the rule book
While the Book of Skulls website hasn’t been updated as frequently as I’d like, I’m working on a comprehensive refresh. As we transition from a Kickstarter pre-order phase to a “real game” (for lack of a better term), I’m excited to give it a fresh update soon.
And with that, I’d say we’re almost mission accomplished! I’ll post another update soon to announce the App’s launch.
If not before then I wish you a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!
