Project update: as usual, nothing is according to plan!

In the recent past I’ve been diving into a few great posts about how RPG modules should present information to GMs, and it sent my brain spinning in the best possible way. For the sake of completeness hereby the 3 main readings that helped me to tackle this topic: Refinement by James Maliszewski, Just tell them what they need by Nate Whittington, Commentary again by James Maliszewski.

Long story short: some folks argue for rich, story‑like text that gives GMs all the flavor and context. Others swear by super‑concise, table‑ready info with zero fluff. And honestly? Both approaches are awesome… depending on who’s running the game. So here’s the spark that hit me: Why not use both, side by side?

Imagine an adventure where each spread shows the same content in two forms:

1. Left page: the full narrative, evocative and immersive.

2. Right page: the ultra‑terse, at‑the‑table version.

One glance, two styles. Total GM freedom.

Sure, it’s a bit of extra work on the editing/writing side, but with modern tools it’s absolutely doable. The big question is: Would players and GMs enjoy a “dual‑exposure” adventure? Personally, I think it could be a game‑changer. What do you think: good idea or page‑count madness? In addition would it have made more sense to leave a blank “whiteboard” page and leave room to the GMs notes? Do you believe this can become a new standard?

Big progress update on the other current sub-projects, and I’m really excited about how things are shaping up!

I’m working in parallel on the game setting and on VIII·XII·XX.
For the setting, I’m deep into the lore of the Roburian Empire: its culture, mindset, and the worldview that defines its people. It sounds simple, but it’s honestly one of the hardest parts of the whole project, because I wanted a world where people think in ways very far from our own. Building that kind of cultural distance is tough, but incredibly rewarding.

As for VIII·XII·XX, I’ve made some major decisions. Instead of being “just” an expansion with extra rules, it’s evolving into the ideal companion to the Hackssential Rules. The idea is that a GM should read both to run the game with full independence. Think of this manual as a sort of DM Guide: no setting, but everything a GM needs to run a complete KUP game. Ah, btw the above picture is likely the new cover of the book, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

This redesign led me to add several new chapters. Alongside the expanded rules (called Regulae), I’ve introduced Praecepta, dedicated to all GM‑side procedures. Then there’s Personae, covering how to create and manage NPCs. After that, Ferae and Foeditates, two bestiary chapters featuring animals, fantastical creatures, and guidelines to design your own.

The entire “How to Run a KUP Game” section has been reworked and will now be part of the VI·VIII·X Primer. Speaking of which, here’s a sneak peek at the other manuals “under construction”.
The VI·VIII·X Primer will introduce and explain the game. Its current structure includes: a player‑facing section (basically the whole “Lazy & Cozy” series, but rewritten as a warm, accessible introduction),a section full of examples for both players and GMs, and the updated How to Run a KUP Game, designed to help GMs keep the core principles of a KUP session sharply in focus.

Meanwhile, while I continue to push forward with the setting, the cosmogony manual is on hold, I just can’t physically advance every sub‑project at once!

I’ll close with one last update: I’m working on the Hackssential Rules errata. And it’s not just typos, a few small rule tweaks will be in there too… …and who knows… if the list gets too long, maybe it’s the first step toward a Hackssential Reloaded!

Stay tuned, more coming soon!