Development Update - Draft Game Guide Printed

Under the desert sun development update from JAY Games:

We're excited to announce that after being under digital development since 2022, Under the desert sun's draft Meddah's Pack (the Game Manager guide) has been printed and is undergoing copyright editing. Clocking in at 116 full-color pages with readable text (not small print), the Meddah's Pack has everything you need to run Under the desert sun with helpful tips and tricks to deliver a solid story for your Play experience. The Player's Guide clocks in at around 24 pages with everything your Players need to dive into the world of Taraz and explore the story to find the truth before it's too late. Both of them include original character art by Celestine Nox. We anticipate announcing our publishing date by the end of this year - with a target for Spring 2025. Under the desert sun will be available for digital purchase here on Itch.io (Player's Pack will be a free download), and we're exploring a hardcover option as well, which would be available for pre-order in Spring 2025.

Under the desert sun is a one-shot tabletop role-play game designed for 4-6 Players with 2 different story options - an "easy" mode for 4-hour gameplay and a "hard" mode for 5/6-hour gameplay. While the story structure is laid out in the Meddah's Pack complete with full-color maps, each Play experience is able to be tailored to the ideas and parameters that the Meddah - the Game Manager - receives from their Players. This goes for JAY Games as well - our playtests have provided us with key information for refining mechanics and enhancing Player safety and accessibility. We plan on holding one more playtest this year on December 22 (registration can be found here) as well as a handful in 2025 through March/April for final touches on the game. We want to extend a heartful thanks to everyone who has playtested so far - your input has been crucial to getting us to this critical milestone!

Stay tuned to us here on Itch.io or on our socials (jaygamesllc) for the latest updates about Under the desert sun and other JAY Games releases - and don't forget to check out our Quickstart Pack available here on Itch.io for free to learn more about the JAY Games system and what separates us from other TTRPG companies!

About JAY Games:

JAY Games™ - Just As Yourself Games - is a game development company based in Chicago, Illinois that is committed to a safe, inclusive Play enviroment where anyone, regardless of experience, can enjoy a story Just As Yourself™. Players come with their imagination and bring just a playbook, a d6, and a d20. The Meddah, the game master, brings probability and rich storytelling without railroading Players with tactical combat rules or conceptual items. The rule of cool reigns supreme - but Players' safety is paramount, even if it violates the rule of cool. JAY Games's innagural release, Under the desert sun™, is expected in Spring 2025 and is currently completing playtests on StartPlaying.Games. Inquiries can be directed to inquire@jay-games.com.