Two Dresden Files Games On Preorder Now, Shipping In June

Game publisher Evil Hat Productions is currently running a preorder for Dresden Files Accelerated, as well as for The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game (along with three expansions and the opportunity to purchase the bonus and variant card decks previously available only to the Kickstarter backers). Both games will ship in June, and those who preorder Dresden Files Accelerated will get exclusive early access to an electronic PDF of the RPG as soon as payment clears. You can learn more about both games at the links found below!

Dresden Files Card Game Kickstarter Funds in Under 13 Hours

It’s launch day! The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game Kickstarter blasted out of the gate last night at just past midnight, and has hit its initial funding goal inside of the first 13 hours, which is so on theme! 🙂 You can check out the Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evilhat/the-dresden-files-cooperative-card-game

They’ve also released a 4-player play-through video if you’re curious to see how the game works in play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eftjloMmca8


There are also “learn to play” videos on the page, and the Kickstarter video up top features our own Jim Butcher speaking as Harry Dresden.

Check out the campaign today, and bring a little more fuego to your tabletop!

Jim at DragonCon • Dresden Files Card Game: Learn, Demo & Preview

Jim Will Be At DragonCon 2016

Jim has been confirmed as the DragonCon 2016 literary guest of honor (see Facebook post)! As one commenter notes, “Get ready for crazy lines at any panel that has him among the speakers.” And based on past years, they’re absolutely right. But those lines are so worth it.

Excited about DragonCon? You can discuss this over on the forums.

More Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game News

The folks over at Evil Hat Productions will launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game later this month (possibly even next week — or the week after).

Make sure to subscribe to their mailing list to get news of its launch!

Learn to Play

As part of the run-up to the launch they’ve shared the rulebook for the game and a video that teaches you how to play the game. Watch it now, and get pumped—this game’s gonna be great!

Demo Opportunities in Maryland and Austin, TX

Evil Hat founder Fred Hicks will be demoing the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game several places over the coming weeks. Here’s the schedule!

Saturday April 16th • All Afternoon & Evening • Games & Stuff of Glen Burnie, MD

Games & Stuff is hosting their 16th birthday bash this weekend, and Fred will be there to run as many games as he can fill. (With four prototypes on hand, if there’s table space, he can accommodate up to 20 players at a time.) If you’re in Maryland and are curious about the game — or just want to check out a great game store — come on by!

Wednesday April 27th • All Evening • Wonko’s Toys & Games of Austin, TX

Fred will be in Austin this week, and is stopping by Wonko’s on Wednesday evening for their tabletop night. He’ll be demoing the game for as long as there are folks who want to demo it & space to do it. See you there!

Saturday April 30th • 4pm-6pm (signing & conversation from 2pm-7pm) • Dragon’s Lair of Austin, TX

But if the weeknight at Wonko’s doesn’t work for your schedule, never fear, Austin! Fred will also visit Dragon’s Lair as a part of International Tabletop Day. With the event in full swing, the store’s sure to be packed; they can only promise Fred a demo table for DFCO from 4pm-6pm, so make sure to get there in time to claim a spot. Spectators welcome, of course! And Fred will be there for at least an hour before and after to meet & greet & talk about the game. Should be a great time!

Anywhere else?

Fred is based in Maryland and will be looking for other opportunities to demo when he can. You can best find out what Fred’s up to on Twitter and Google Plus.

The game’s designer, Eric Vogel, is based out of California, and is frequently found at unstoppable game store juggernaut Endgame Oakland, so keep an eye out there as well.

And as always, you can stay current with what’s afoot at Evil Hat by signing up for their mailing list.

An Alpha Preview

Evil Hat has also given us a second exclusive preview for the game — here’s a look at the Billy & Georgia player deck!

Click to embiggen! That is too a word.
Click to embiggen! That’s an actual real word and everything. Honest.

When’s the Next Book Coming Out?

The answer is found as always in the upper right corner of the front page of Jim’s site, with a link to his upcoming works pagehttps://www.jim-butcher.com/faq/upcoming-works

No change in status from what’s shown there, folks. Jim is working, but there’s only one of him. These things take time! Don’t wear out the refresh button on that page or anything, but we will continue to keep the information there current. 🙂

 

Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game Previews & Other News

Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game Exclusive Card Reveal & Kickstarter Date

Last week, the wizards at Evil Hat Productions demoed the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game (DFCO) for retailers attending the GAMA Trade Show (GTS). We don’t want you to feel left out in the cold with Queen Mab, so take a look at the art from the pyrofuego-hotness that is the Harry Dresden deck. Artist Tyler Walpole is hard at work to finish the game, and it’s got us happier than Toot-toot with a large pepperoni pie.

Notice that he’s not wearing his “evil hat”? Harry doesn't do hats! (Click for a bigger image.)
Notice that he’s not wearing his “evil hat”? Harry doesn’t do hats! (Click for a bigger image.)

Just in case you’re not familiar with the game yet, here’s the skinny:

Play Harry Dresden and his friends as they take on the cases from the bestselling Dresden Files novels in the ultimate what-if scenario—what if Harry was on the scene with allies who weren’t there in the original story? The core game includes Harry, Murphy, Susan, Michael, and the Alphas and plays through the first five novels as well as Side Jobs, a random scenario generator based on the short story collection of the same name.

Box art by novel series artist Chris McGrath!

Designs are already well underway for expansions featuring more series characters and more novels. You can get your paws on all of them in the Evil Hat DFCO Kickstarter, coming to a computer near you (keep Harry away or he’ll fry it) in late April-ish. Sign up for the Evil Hat newsletter or simply watch this space to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live, and in the meantime take a look at their interviews from GTS to get a deeper preview of the game and the thought that went into it.

Team up. Strike back. FUEGO!

Wild Card Graphic Novel #1 Preview on Bleeding Cool

Dresden1-600x900There’s a new Dresden Files graphic novel on the way. Join Harry, Thomas, Molly, and Murphy as they face off against a strange new supernatural threat. You can get a multi-page art preview over at Bleeding Cool, and the first issue arrives in late April. Here’s the summary:

Jim Butcher’s worldwide bestselling Dresden Files saga continues in this original limited series! Set in the aftermath of the novel White Night and comic series Down Town, a bizarre double murder draws the interest of Chicago’s only wizard for hire. But as Harry Dresden begins his investigation, the clues lead to troubling conclusions about the possible perpetrator, and set him on a path that will place him in the middle of a conflict between the city’s three most powerful factions—a conflict that could engulf all of Chicago!

Schedule Conflict Cancels Houston Appearance

We had previously reported that Jim would be making an appearance at Houston Comicpalooza in June of this year, but unfortunately a schedule conflict has torpedoed that appearance. Not our favorite thing to report, of course, but we wanted to make sure you were warned well in advance!

A New Dresden Files Short Story – Now Preorderable

Shadowed Souls is a new anthology from Roc that will feature an all new Dresden Files short story about Molly. You can preorder the book now! Here’s the Jim-relevant deal:

In this dark and gritty collection—featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad…

You can get a better look at that great cover and author list over at this blog post.

When’s the next book coming out?

Looks like everything’s coming up Dresden! That’s it for today. And remember, if you have any questions about what’s up with an upcoming book, you don’t need to email us about it—that information is already available on our website!

Jim’s Obi-Wan Has a New Book • Early 2016 Appearances • And More!

WHEN’S THE NEXT…

First things first! Many of you reply to each post we make asking when the next book is coming out. For once, we’re getting ahead of you on this one: we’ve launched a new page on the site that gives you the status on all upcoming works that we know about. Check it out here: https://www.jim-butcher.com/faq/upcoming-works

TWO CONVENTION APPEARANCES EARLY THIS YEAR

Jim will be attending CoSine in Colorado Springs this January 22nd – 24th (http://www.firstfridayfandom.org/cosine/), and the Superstars Writing Academy February 4th – 6th (http://superstarswriting.com/).

EVIL HAT HAS A NEW RPG KICKSTARTER COMING UP

Dresden Files RPG (and, eventually, card game) publisher Evil Hat Productions has given a preview of their upcoming Fate More Kickstarter campaign this week. It launches next week. If you’re a fan of theirs and their games, it’s well worth checking out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evilhat/496379176?token=4fce3954

JIM’S OBI-WAN HAS A NEW BOOK ON WRITING

The Fantasy Fiction FormulaYou may not have heard of Deborah Chester before, but you should. As his novel-writing program professor when he was at the University of Oklahoma, she was the Jedi Master to Jim’s Padawan, teaching him nearly all of the underpinning techniques that make up his writing craft. Our Jim is strong with the Write Side of the Force, of course, but he credits Prof. Chester with much of his success.

Which leads us to The Fantasy Fiction Formula, a new book for authors and aspiring writers in genre fiction, from Manchester University Press. Here’s the description:

There’s more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing a new type of magic. From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the creation of dynamic, multi-dimensional characters, fantasy author Deborah Chester guides novices and intermediate writers through a step-by-step process of story construction. Whether offering tips on how to test a plot premise or survive what she calls the dark dismal middle, Chester shares the techniques she uses in writing her own novels. Examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy illustrate her nuts-and-bolts approach to elemental story design.

With a foreword by New York Times best-selling author Jim Butcher, who studied writing in Chester’s classes at the University of Oklahoma, The fantasy fiction formula delivers a practical, proven approach to writing fantasy like a pro.

And Jim had this to say: “Listen carefully to what Debbie has to say about telling stories, aspiring writer. She knows exactly what she’s talking about.”

If you’re looking to learn at the feet of Jim’s master — check out The Fantasy Fiction Formula when it’s released Feb 1st! You can learn more about it at the Manchester University Press site.