Dying Hard on Hardlight Station: Anthology Edition

August Update: Back in Action in 1365
5 days ago – Wed, Aug 12, 2026 at 04:40:13 PM

Hi everyone!

July was a short but productive month. I had a great vacation catching up with my old writing partner Haig and chatting about future collaborations. Also had some free time to imagine cool new ways to expand the Hardlight universe. But that's for another time. For now, I'm back at my desk and happy to be getting stuck into the Anthology once more.

So, what's been happening? 

First up, the Fleet Guide pamphlets are essentially done! Writing and layout are complete, and we're just waiting for Tony's final art pass before I post them for you all to download via Backerkit.

Speaking of Tony, here are some samples of his ship concepts and near-final illustrations. He's been keeping a design diary of the process along the way which he gave me permission to share a bit of with you. 

That is a taste of the process for one ship. With lots of conversation between each step. Looking good already I would say! The final phase Tony is completing now is an illustration pass to add texture, wear, and detail, to take the ship out of the realm of pure computer modelled image and make it look a little more "worn in" as it were. I'm excited to share the final form soon!

Here are glimpses of two other concepts from the guide. 

Which design is your favourite? Let me know in the poll below!

With the Fleet Guide pamphlets nearly wrapped, my attention is entirely on the Anthology itself. Work will continue on the main book over the next few months, and I'm hoping to start sharing some teasers from the completed Hardlight Station section material once Vil's art starts coming in.

For now, everything remains on schedule and I'm looking forward to sharing more next month.

All the best until then,

Dave

July Update: Stockholm 1365
about 2 months ago – Thu, Jul 02, 2026 at 02:44:22 AM

Hej everyone!

I'm writing this from Stockholm this morning, where my family and I are enjoying our first vacation since my son was born. Feeling refreshed after sleeping off a long day of travel. With my coffee in hand and a little buttered rugbrod it’s so far, so good. 

So, as we kick off our long-awaited break, I wanted to check in with a progress update. June was a productive month, with more writing complete and steady progress across the anthology, Decrypted, and the Fleet Guide. Here's where things stand as we head into July.

The Main Book

All edits are entered, along with a number of clarity and quality-of-life improvements. The sector section is now locked in, so my focus has shifted entirely to Hardlight Station itself. Once that's complete, it’ll be on to the faction guide and full star atlas. On the layout front, once the station is complete Golden will get started laying out that entire part of the book. So hopefully updated PDFs including all that content will be ready later this summer. 

Decrypted

While I work on the station, Golden has continued work on Decrypted and it is also nearing completion. It's going to be a fun blend of reworked content from the first two editions alongside brand new material, from in-universe ads and flyers to handwritten autopsy reports, blueprints, and maps scraped from NCID servers. 

A lot of fun stuff in here to both fuel Warden imaginations as well as hand directly out to players to immerse them deeper into the lore and grungy outer rim aesthetic of Hardlight Station. 

Fleet Guide

Writing for the Fleet Guide is nearly complete, including the brand new adventure The Wreck of NSV Oizys, a mud-soaked wreck recovery mission deep in an alien swamp. I was inspired by Michael Prescott's Trilemma Adventures for this one, though I couldn't quite keep myself to the 2-page format ;-). 

Looking Ahead

Once I'm back home it'll be straight back to the manuscript with work on completing the station taking priority. Everything remains on schedule for pre-production this fall. 

Until Next Time

Before I sign off, I wanted to say how much I've enjoyed hearing from those of you playing Magnum Galaxy Games adventures. Over on the Mothership Discord there's a great thread following one Warden's table through Awaiting the Burning Gods, and it's been a blast reading along. It's always fascinating to see where different groups take the same adventure.

Have any of you gotten the new anthology adventures to the table yet? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below or over on Discord.

That’s all for this month. I wish you all a wonderful July of breezy, summer night games, cool, refreshing drinks, and tasty snacks either salty, sweet, or both. 

Talk to you soon, 

Dave

June Update: Deep in the Ink
3 months ago – Tue, Jun 02, 2026 at 03:12:40 PM

Hi all!

Hope you are doing well as we transition from spring to summer. 

For me, this last month has been all about the shift from running the Kickstarter back into writing the book, which, as exciting as crowdfunding can be, is exactly where I'm happiest. So while the campaign may be over, the real work is only beginning. Let's take a look at what that means, shall we?

Managing the Pledge Manager and More

The first part of May was all about setting up the Pledge Manager and smoothing out the inevitable kinks. It was also when I received the first round of funds from Kickstarter, which means the team gets paid. A good day all around, though managing payments across an international team is a job in itself.

One of the highlights of the month was getting the Backer-Exclusive Anthology Adventure Preview into your hands. I've loved hearing the initial reactions and hope you've been having fun exploring the adventures so far.

I also want to thank everyone who contributed feedback. There are lots of great ideas, fixes, and suggestions in there, and I've already begun implementing many of them. One especially generous backer mentioned creating a fully marked-up version of the PDF and offered to share it. The feedback form is anonymous, so if that was you, please send me a message here on Kickstarter. I'd love to take a look.

Side note: One small issue affecting pre-order backers is that delivery of the preview files is not yet automated, so I've been manually adding them as orders come in. I've reached out to BackerKit to see if we can streamline that process moving forward.

Wading into the Black Pool of Creativity

With the initial wave of logistics largely behind me, I've been able to return to writing, which will be my primary focus through June.

Behind the scenes, Golden Achiever has also been hard at work on the updated edition of Decrypted. I'm really excited to show off both the improvements to the original material and some entirely new additions. Whether you're a fan of the original or a first-timer, I think you're going to enjoy what we've got in store.

Another area moving quickly right now is the Fleet Guide. I've completed 4 of the new stretch goal ships, which means only 1 collaborative vessel remains. Tony Tran has started work on the final batch of ship illustrations, and Golden has already begun laying out the pamphlets and zine.

I'm also planning the remaining bonus content for the Fleet Guide. If there's a tool, table, or reference you'd love to see included, let me know in the comments below. I'm always interested to hear what would help get your games to the table faster.

As for the Anthology itself, writing continues steadily and I hope to have some new content to share through the Pledge Manager by the end of the month. For now, let's just say there are new ships, new horrors, and a few other surprises emerging from the dark corners of Sector 1365.

Until Next Time

Alright, that wraps things up for this month.

Keep rolling dice, playing nice, and keeping Stress levels under control with your choice of vice ;-). 

Dave

May Update 2.0: Digital Files Ready to Download!
4 months ago – Fri, May 01, 2026 at 12:09:11 PM

May Update: Pledge Manager… with a Vengeance!
4 months ago – Wed, Apr 29, 2026 at 04:30:07 PM

Hi everyone,

Big news: the BackerKit Pledge Manager for Dying Hard on Hardlight Station: Anthology Edition is opening this week. The initial Smoke Test will go out tonight to 5% of backers to make sure everything is set up correctly. If all is well, I will send the remainder of the surveys tomorrow. Once they arrive, please complete your survey as soon as possible to lock in your rewards, confirm your details, and grab your first round of digital rewards.

In this update I will walk through the steps to make sure you get everything you ordered, along with answers to some common questions.

First Things First: What You Need to Do

When you receive your survey email, click the link and:

• Confirm your reward selection
• Provide your shipping information
• Add any add-ons you would like
• Access your available digital downloads

You do not need to create a BackerKit account to complete your survey. Simply follow the link in the email and fill out the required information.

After submitting your survey, you can return and make changes at any time before surveys close and final counts are locked in.

If you do not receive your survey email, check your spam or junk folder first.

Your Digital Downloads Are Ready

A few days after surveys go out, likely Friday, I will begin distributing the first round of digital rewards for the campaign. These will be delivered through BackerKit, including:

• Hardlight Anthology Adventure Preview (Backer Exclusive)
• NCID Fleet Guide Pamphlet (for first 48-hour backers)
• All PDFs for any add-ons or back catalog adventures you selected, including titles like Awaiting the Burning Gods, Nirvana on Fire, and The Cleaning of Prison Station Echo

Still to come for all backers:

• The complete Anthology with all station and sector locations
• The stretch goal Fleet Guide additions

New Add-On: Physical Fleet Guide Zine

One new item you will see in the add-on section is a physical zine edition of the NCID Fleet Guide. This version will collect all of the unlocked stretch goal ships, expansions, and bonus tables into a single printed package, along with a few extra surprises to round things out. If you are excited for the digital pamphlets unlocked during the campaign and would like a physical copy to bring to the table, this is the way to do it. 

Even better, this physical version is significantly discounted for campaign backers, so if you want one, now is the best time to grab it.

A Note on Pay Over Time

Quick reminder for anyone using Kickstarter’s Pay Over Time option:

Backers who selected Pay Over Time will receive their survey and access to digital downloads once their final payment has been completed.

If a payment fails in Kickstarter, the pledge may be temporarily marked as dropped. In that case, you will still receive a BackerKit survey where you can complete payment and restore your rewards. So no worries, just reach out if anything goes wrong.

What About Shipping Fees?

Since shipping rates fluctuate, shipping will be charged closer to fulfillment. I will post an update ahead of time so everyone has clear notice before any charges are processed. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to keep rates reasonable and within expectations set out on the campaign page.

The Pre-Order Store Is Open

If you are reading this but missed the campaign, or know someone who did, the pre-order store is now live.

Late backers can still jump aboard, and existing backers can share the link with friends who want to join the crew. The pre-order store will remain open until orders close and production begins.

That is all for this update. Keep an eye on your inbox (and don't forget to check the junk folder) for your survey, and get ready to download a whole bunch of adventures.

Until next month,

Dave