Hi Everyone, 

It’s been a little while since I sent you an update on Fortuna. Some of you may be wondering: Is Fortuna still a thing? And the answer is: yes! Now more than ever. 

(For those who are instead wondering: sorry, what is Fortuna?? Well, it is a strategic card game for family and friends set in the golden age of sail, where the aim is to bluff, scheme, and negotiate your way to retirement as a gentleperson of independent means. You’re in for a treat when the game is launched, and I very much value your continued support!) 

We’ve been doing quite a lot of playtesting in the last couple of months to bed in the changes I outlined last year, and I’m happy to report the game is now playing better than ever. It is easier to learn, without sacrificing player interactions and those “gotcha” moments that make it distinctive and fun. We’ve changed it to an all-card game (sorry to fans of tokens and timers) and managed to reduce the pack size by about a third, making Fortuna even more portable and making the all-important shuffling that little bit easier. And the game is also more stable, with matches consistently lasting about 60 minutes (previously they could vary quite considerably). All the characters now have a unique special power, making character feel like an integral part of the experience. Overall, whilst luck is still central to the whole affair, I think each turn now feels more significant, strategic, and fun. There may be a few very minor changes made to fine-tune the balance in the next few months, but there won’t be any more big changes going forward.

I’ve been lucky to have a resourceful company of playtesters here in Padua who have been helping out with all this. I can only say that despite all the devious dealing and duplicitous double-crossing, it’s been a pleasure to get to know you all better through the game!

So, where are we up to on the practical side of things? At the moment, I’m aiming to begin a serious marketing campaign using final prototypes in September. Depending on how quickly we build up a following, we could be looking at a Crowdfunding campaign in October/November 2026 or else February/March 2027.

Now that we have the game in its final form, the next step is art. I’ll soon be recommencing the search for an artist and a designer (or someone who does both). For those with long memories, the result of the Black and White illustrations vs Colour illustrations vote was… a tie. So, not all that helpful in some ways, though it was great to have you guys engaging in the process for the first time, and thanks to those who got involved. In the end, I opted for colour illustrations: we will specify organic textures with a warm colour palette, giving the game a sumptuous but grounded feel. 

This is where I need your help. If any Fortuna fans know someone who would be great for this job, I’d love to hear from you. It’ll be a fairly big assignment (around 45 illustrations for the artist), so it needs to be someone who does this professionally or at least semi-professionally. These cards should feel like valuable commodities in themselves.

I’ll be sending updates roughly every month from now on: to keep you in the loop, ask your valuable opinion, and maybe share a few fun facts about the world of the game. In the meantime, thanks for your support. It means a lot. 

All the best,

Jake.