Essence: Explore, Battle, Trade - A Hero-Building Board Game

December Update - Production & Pledge Manager
6 months ago – Mon, Dec 08, 2025 at 11:22:46 AM

Hey everyone!

Landon here. I hope you're all having a nice December! We wanted to send a quick update on how things are moving forward.

Production

Since the campaign ended, we've primarily been focused on fine-tuning the game assets and communicating with our manufacturer to get everything finalized at the highest possible quality. We'll be submitting our final files by December 20, which will keep us right on schedule for fulfillment next summer. Everything is going swimmingly on the production side! Here is a tentative breakdown of the production timeline:

1. December 20: Submit final asset files for proofing.
2. First or second week of January 2026: Receive pre–mass production sample.
3. March 5: Mass production scheduled to begin immediately after the factory returns from Chinese New Year (around March 5).
4. mid-April: Mass production will complete approximately 40–45 days from production start.

After production, we'll secure most of the games in the USA (certain international backers may receive their games directly from the factory) and begin fulfilling rewards. We'll keep you updated on fulfillment timing and details as we get closer, but we are confident that we can fulfill all rewards in accordance with the timeline at the bottom of our campaign page! 

Pledge Manager

As you may be aware, the Pledge Manager has not yet opened for Essence. For those who don't know, the Pledge Manager is an important post-campaign resource that will allow us to submit a "backer survey" to all of you for finalizing pledges, to ask about any reward preferences, and to receive your shipping information as needed. The Pledge Manager is where final shipping and taxes (or VAT) will be calculated and charged where applicable.  

We apologize for the delay in opening the Pledge Manager/sending the backer survey, as we were aiming for late November. The reason for the delay is that we've decided to shift platforms from Kickstarter's native Pledge Manager (in beta) to BackerKit. After gaining access to Kickstarter's Pledge Manager interface and configuring the settings, we identified two issues that gave us pause, both related to shipping: 

1. Kickstarter calculates and collects shipping fees immediately from the backer in a "complete checkout" model instead of giving us the option to send the survey now and charge shipping closer to fulfillment. This would force us to estimate shipping costs instead of having the latest info, which could potentially result in overcharging backers on shipping—which we don't want to do. 
2. Kickstarter's Pledge Manager did not give us an option for local pick-up, which means it would automatically charge shipping to our local backers in NYC. We would prefer to hand-deliver all local games to save local backers on shipping fees and to cut down on our environmental impact. 

BackerKit has features to address both of our concerns above, and we believe this will be the best option for our campaign and for all of you! Given this platform shift, we've had to start anew in setting up the Pledge Manager, hence this delay. But you can expect the Pledge Manager to open later this month, giving you ample time to fill out the backer survey and finalize your reward selections before production is complete. 

If it's your first time filling out a backer survey, don't worry about being prepared. Once it's setup, we will link access to the backer survey in a Kickstarter update like this one and give a step-by-step guide to everything you need to do. If you pledged bonus support (without a reward) you are not required to fill out the backer survey, but we will still send it to you in case you want to add any rewards. For many of you, going through the backer survey will take less than 2 minutes. 

Thank you so much to those of you who reached out to discuss Pledge Manager options with us. It is always great to hear your thoughts and preferences. Please continue to reach out any time if you have questions, comments, or concerns about any part of the process. We love to hear from you and will do everything we can to heed your concerns and honor your feedback.

Late Pledges

As a reminder, Late Pledges are open for most of the rewards we offered during the campaign. If you or anyone you know missed out during the campaign, it's not too late to secure your copy of Essence!  For now, you can add to your pledge through our Kickstarter campaign page. When the BackerKit Pledge Manager is open, current backers will be able to add rewards while filling out the backer survey. Late Pledges will shift to a "pre-order store" on BackerKit. We plan to keep Late Pledge options open as long as we can, dependent on production timing.

That's a lot of info! Don't worry about internalizing everything, we're here to walk you through. :)

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

-Landon & Cosmic Stew RPG

End of Campaign - 120% Funded! - First Stretch Goal Unlocked!
7 months ago – Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 01:31:48 PM

Thank you all for a fantastic campaign 

Cosmic Stew's first successful project is in the books... 120% funded feels absolutely magical!!

At the beginning of the year, if you'd have told us that ESSENCE would be funded (and then some) on Kickstarter before the end of 2025, we may have actually laughed in your face. This year has felt like grinding for your first 99. We have learned so much, hurdled so many setbacks, and made so many cool new friends along the way.

The path has been murky and uncertain, but you all have guided us here! And now it's all so clear. This moment feels like an absolute triumph for us as a new studio of friends just trying to bring our ideas to life together. We are so honored and grateful for each and every one of you who took the plunge to support our dreams. From this point forward, getting ESSENCE on your shelves is our absolute priority.

We took the weekend to celebrate and to reflect on this journey. Now it's time to shine. We can't wait to get to work on all of your rewards!!

First Stretch Goal Unlocked

First, some exciting news! We've reached our first stretch goal of $20,000, which means we'll include a linen-finished game board in every box of Essence! Huge upgrade for the feel of the game, so thanks for helping us get there!

Late Pledges are Open

We wanted to let you know, we will be counting all late pledges toward our stretch goals. If somebody new backs the project, their pledge will count toward stretch goal unlocks for all backers. Therefore, all stretch goals are still in play. So, tell your friends and let's aim for the Dire Roach Queen!!

Next Steps

The Pledge Manager will be opening soon, after Kickstarter has collected pledges (may end up being December). The Pledge Manager includes the backer survey, where you will confirm your shipping details and have the opportunity to choose additional add-ons. We'll provide another update when the Pledge Manager is up and running to give more step-by-step details.

From there, we are intent on honoring the dates that have been listed at the bottom of our project page:

Our final asset files are due to our wonderful manufacturer by December 20, so much of our immediate efforts will go toward ensuring the highest quality product. We'll use the next month to: 

• Polish asset visuals
• Clarify confusing terms and their representation on assets (potentially change HITPOINTS to HEALTH to prevent confusion with HIT, etc.) 
• Fine-tune balancing for player, stunt, and gear abilities
• Optimize the rulebook

We'll also begin our detailed work on the Field Guide to Moltania mini sourcebook during this time. 

On the Horizon...

We'll plan to issue at least one major update each month between now and fulfillment, with occasional higher frequency depending on what's happening on the back end. That being said, we're always available here or on our social media platforms. Please reach out anytime with questions and we will answer them promptly. We are always craving your feedback and would love to connect with you however we can! 

We are working on some questionnaires for all you lovely people, to be included in the Pledge Manager. We want to know what excites you most about ESSENCE and Cosmic Stew so that we can focus our energy on the things that our Day 1's want to see! 

So much more to come and we are stoked to keep building together. Thank you again for making this happen!!! 

-Cosmic Stew RPG

We're Funded!!!!!!!!! 🎉 🎲 🎉
7 months ago – Mon, Nov 10, 2025 at 04:36:41 PM

We are so very absolutely positively thrilled to announce that we’ve officially hit our funding goal!!!!!!!! We’re fully funded at $17,000 and couldn’t be more excited to have you onboard. This is such an enormous milestone we've been working toward, and it’s all thanks to you. Seriously, your support means the complete world to us! None of this would be possible without you and every backer over this last wild month.

Now, we’re off to the races. There’s still 3 days left in our campaign, and we’re pushing full throttle to reach as many stretch goals as we can. We continue to set up play tests, spread the word, and do everything we can to make sure ESSENCE reaches even more amazing people. If you know anyone who’s into epic fantasy RPGs, board games, or just some good vibes, now’s the time to share a fully funded project with them and help us spread the love.

This is surreal. You're helping make ESSENCE a reality, and we can't wait to bring our vision to your table. Much much more information to come soon, so buckle up.

-Cosmic Stew RPG

Stretch Goals Revealed —10 Days Left!
7 months ago – Mon, Nov 03, 2025 at 06:28:35 PM

Happy November, everyone! With just 10 days left in our campaign, we’re very excited to share with you the stretch goals for if (when!) we go above and beyond our fully funded mark of $17K. We have big, long-term plans for ESSENCE, so any bonus funding we receive will be put straight into expanding on our fantasy world and gaming vision. Check out our stretch goals below: 

$20K: Game Board with Linen Finish

• If we exceed our goal by $3K, each game will include a linen-finished board. A linen finish is a textured embossing applied to the board’s surface, giving it a pattern similar to fabric for a more durable, tactile, and premium feel. Travel around Moltania in style! 

$27K: World Map Poster (8” x 10”)

• If we exceed our goal by $10K, each game will include a poster map of the world ESSENCE inhabits. This map features a full view of Moltania (including Myrrh and Chasmadia), as well as the surrounding continents and lands from our deeper lore. 

$32K: Custom Painted Character Mini

• If we exceed our goal by $15K, every Signed Limited Edition backer will be able to select a character and receive a custom-painted 28mm miniature that can be used as that character's piece in-game.

$50K: 15 Additional Gear Cards

• If we exceed our goal by $33K, we’ll include at least 15 additional Gear cards in each game - further expanding the Gear deck and opening the door for new builds. 

$75K: 5th & 6th Player Expansion

• If we exceed our goal by $58K, we’ll release two new playable characters for every Signed Limited Edition backer (and available as an add-on for other tiers). These new characters will center unique play styles and include new player boards and hero, militia, and shop meeples. They will be playable in a standard 4-player game or in new expanded 5 or 6-player game formats.

$100K: Dire Roach Queen Boss Expansion

• If we exceed our goal by $83K, we’ll release a new Boss system for every Signed Limited Edition backer (and available as an add-on for other tiers). The Dire Roach Queen will dramatically change the nature of city, monster, and player interaction, offering a completely different collaborative, competitive, or solo play experience.

We want to continue to thank our backers and everyone who is helping us bring ESSENCE into the world. Please reach out to us with any questions (on our stretch plans or general questions about the game). Talk soon, and thank you so much for being a part of this journey!

⁃ Cosmic Stew RPG

Over 75% funded — Gateways of Moltania lore
7 months ago – Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:18:53 AM

Hey all! Jumping in with another quick update: we’re over 75% funded! With about two and a half weeks left, we’re going into overdrive to get as many eyes on ESSENCE as possible to keep up momentum. Our team is traversing New York City, Chicago, Maine, Nebraska, and more at an Isa-like pace with fliers and playtests as we explore every nook and cranny of our neighborhood gaming communities. If you know someone—a friend, family member, coworker, enemy, politician—who might be interested in a fantasy RPG board game, now’s the time to spread the word! 

Thanks again to everyone for their continued love and support. Onward to $17K… 

Now, how about a bit more lore on the great cities of ESSENCE? 

A rapid history of the Gateways of Moltania: Yoringheim and Omeyllond

Yoringheim

Population: 50,000, with a majority of Lurzians and small minority of Stonesoles

Yoringheim, once a fortified Chasmadian stronghold guarding the main gateway to the continent, fell in battle to a Myrrh invasion and subsequent eruption of Lady Chasmatus. Its shattered gates now serve as landmarks for the bustling Lurzian Lurch trade route, the city reborn as a hub for new traders and adventurers.

The collapse of the Great Gates

Yoringheim was founded long ago by Chasmadians to act as both a key trade checkpoint and military stronghold. If the southern continent of Lurzia wished to trade with Chasmadia (and, by extension, Myrrh to the North), they needed to pass through Yoringheim; no other route was feasible for long-lasting trade. The monumental Great Gates served as a stark symbol for how Moltania was perceived in the South: rich, austere, and mysterious. Still, Yoringheim itself was an immense cosmopolitan metropolis, and further north from the wall, along the prosperous river delta and mountain canyons, many Chasmadians, Lurzians, and some adventurous Myrrh folk enjoyed a sophisticated, peaceful lifestyle.

On the day of Lady Chasmatus’s eruption (and nearly a century into the great War), half of the Yoringheim’s able-bodied civilians were laying siege to the towers of Omyellond. This left Yoringheim vulnerable. Led by King Isyl from Galfanas, tens of thousands of Myrrh soldiers and woodland warriors such as the Giant Sage Sloths and Elder Tree-sirs charged down from the northwestern valley and poured through the ill-defended inner Yoringheim gates. The city was quickly seized, with citizens fleeing into the sea or perishing at the locked gates to Lurzia. 

However, keeping the city proved unexpectedly costly for King Isyl. Rusty Constructs—an industrial being being unknown to Myrrh folk—emerged from deep within the mountains in a frenzied state, wreaking havoc on entire legions of Myrrh’s army. Much of the city was caught in the crossfire, including the enormous outer Great Gates. As Myrrh’s army waited, trapped against the crumbling southern gates and running out of time, Lady Chasmatus erupted in the East. A tsunami of ash and magma of mythical proportions quickly spilled down the eastern mountains and flooded the city. The battle of Yoringheim broke down into a mad scramble to open the gates and escape into the Lurzian Plains. But King Isyl and his army were never heard from again.

An era of trade and exploration 

Now decades later, the Great Gates lay toppled in the surrounding valley, with a few Constructs frozen at the base of the destruction. Pioneers, traders, and adventurers move freely between their home continent and the Great Gates ruins via the Lurzian Lurch, a post-eruption trading route that stretches from Lurzia to Omyellond. Yoringheim sits at the heart of this road, acting as a major guild-focused settlement for supplies, equipment, and traveling parties. Very few original Chasmadians or Stonesoles remain here; of those who do, only faint memories of Yoringheim's past remain. 

Omyellond 

Population: 10,000, with a maojrity of Lurzians and small minority of Isylians and Stonesoles

Built atop a soaring forest of magical towers and ambitious trade routes, Omyellond collapsed under the weight of rebellion and a Chasmadian invasion. The eruption of Lady Chasmatus saved the former great city from complete destruction, though its scorched ruins and scattered slums now make up a modest frontier outpost that lingers like a graveyard of old power.

The toppling of a unified city

Omyellond was a glistening city of towers and megastructures that stood tall for centuries as the Gateway to Myrrh. Before the great War, architects and tycoons from Chasmadia worked with the craftspeople and sorcerers of Myrrh to construct skyscrapers that grew with the surrounding forest, sprawled out into the western valley, and extended all the way to the tops of southward mountains like grasping fingers. Entire networks of vital trade routes and lively urban neighborhoods existed high above the ground, with mountainous cloisters blending with natural and enchanted wood, rock, and metal. The nexus of political, economic, academic, and military activity also intertwined within these great columns and situated itself into a vertical hierarchy: power rose to the top, and decay sank to the bottom. 

The decade before the eruption saw a surge of ground rebellions in the city, with one capturing the attention of all Moltanians through a deep, violent, and ultimately unsuccessful ascent to the innermost cloud spire. Martial law was enacted, entire lift columns and buildings were destroyed to isolate classes, and Chasmadian trade was severed and replaced with deportations and detentions.

Chasmadian retaliation against Omyellond was swift. In less than a year, Chasmadia had positioned an invasion force in two distinct chokepoints: the western valley, with troops funneled from Peldupaik and Yoringheim, and the southern mountain cloisters, with troops from Yoringheim, Phlia, and Hedonheim. With boiling social unrest and a relatively small military, Omeyllond watched with shock and dread as the masses of troops slowly piled up to their borders. Citizens near the ground were able to quickly flee into the Eluardian Wood—toward Eslanora—while many in the hundreds of towers found themselves trapped between the invading ground force and those descending from the mountain pass. Raging battles and skirmishes took place on the various floors, platforms, and walkways of Omyellond’s gleaming skyscrapers, with Chasmadians quickly gaining and holding territory in a single day. 

Fighting ceased in an instant when Lady Chasmatus erupted, with those on the edges of the megastructures getting a front row seat to breathtaking columns of pyroclastic gas and molten ashfall. Before many had time to move, this explosive, otherworldly cloud reached the Omyellond towers and buried both Myrrh folk and Chasmadians in a vortex of crumpled white metal.  

Relics for a new frontier

A few of the strongest towers still stand in Omeyllond today. But newer residents stick to the ground, staying far away from the ominous towers that remain scorched by the mythical eruption. The city mostly exists as organized rubble, with makeshift slums, trading posts, and supply depots scattered next to the Lurzian Lurch trading route. Omyellond is a frontier for a new generation of Moltanians, a seedling for the regrowth of settlements brought in from Yoringheim and the deeper southwest. 

Thanks for reading, y'all. More updates soon!

 - Will & Cosmic Stew RPG