The challenges of supporting a crowdfunded game are well-known; it is not uncommon for a successful campaign to falter in delivering its promises, often due to inexperience among the creators. However, the situation surrounding the tabletop RPG Grimwild appears to involve more serious concerns.
Initially launched in 2024 on the crowdfunding platform BackerKit, Grimwild secured backing from 590 supporters totaling $40,000, followed by a hardcover edition which garnered another $47,000 from 597 backers. The project was hailed for its innovative “cinematic narrative rules system,” focusing more on dramatic gameplay than strict adherence to rules. After a few updates and production delays, physical copies of the rulebook were expected to arrive in July.
That deadline has come and gone without any deliveries. Last month, a moderator on the game’s community Discord addressed the issue, informing backers that there had been a complete lack of communication with the designer, J.D. Maxwell, for several weeks.
“As many of you have noticed, Max has been absent for nearly two months,” the statement read. “Initially, we weren’t too worried. We knew he needed a break…Max had also been going through some real-life changes that we hoped he was taking time to adjust to and enjoy.”
Per Janke and Luke Saunders, Maxwell’s colleagues in design and production, have been actively attempting to contact him or someone who can verify his status. They have expressed empathy for fans, acknowledging that the uncertainty is perplexing and troubling.
In most cases, a designer’s disappearance after funding can spike concerns about project completion, but the situation with Grimwild differs. The game itself is reportedly complete, with manufacturing costs already covered. Supporters have been able to access a downloadable version of Grimwild for months, and both Maxwell and the game’s free PDF received accolades at the Ennies just weeks ago.
However, physical shipments remain stalled because the manufacturing arrangements are tied to Maxwell, whereas Janke and Saunders, who are freelancers and not employees of Maxwell’s company, have encountered similar challenges with accessing the game’s BackerKit page. To compound the issue, Oddity Press, Maxwell’s publishing entity, has seen its website go offline, displaying a “website expired” error.
“None of us were involved in the actual process of the crowdfunding or the printing order,” Janke commented to Aftermath. “We’re trying to make every effort to figure out the situation surrounding J.D. Maxwell and the current state of the crowdfunding campaign. I contacted the printer, and as far as we know, the order for the Grimwild print did go through. But without a final go from J.D. as the sole legal entity from Oddity Press, the printing process can’t be commenced.”
This leaves the remaining team members to acknowledge in their update that until Maxwell is located, “fulfilment of the project appears to be on hold indefinitely.” Saunders lamented, “Until a few months ago, it seemed like everything was on track for the expected delivery in July, but Max has been gone for a while now, and there’s nothing we can do on our side to assist with fulfilment.”
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A few days after discussions with Janke and Saunders, the latter shared an update on Discord stating they had “submitted a detailed report to the BackerKit Trust & Safety Team regarding the current situation,” expressing hope that BackerKit could help move forward due to their greater legal clout and resources.
In the meantime, the Grimwild community is appealing to anyone with information on how to contact Maxwell to reach out to the game’s Discord moderators directly.
