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A Familiar Tower

Created by directsun games

A mind-bending escape room adventure exploring a wizard's manse. Master the rules of the dungeon and use them to your advantage.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

New stretch goal: demons!?
2 months ago – Sat, Feb 21, 2026 at 12:18:37 PM

Less than a week to go! We are nearing the 15k stretch goal for more AFT stickers from Skullboy.

I wanted to quickly get this update out because it occurred to me that something cool might happen.

A Familiar Tower is estimated to finish around 600 backers which would be insanely cool! However, in the spirit of Skullboy's Illustrated Guide to Demons which is launching in May, I thought maybe we could try for something a little more fiendish. Sam has agreed to do ANOTHER sticker. This one of a sick (positive) demon 🤘 as a stretch goal for hitting 666 backers.


So if you know anyone else that might like 80s fantasy mixed with Zelda style puzzle dungeons, please direct them to the A Familiar Tower backerkit page.

And sign up to follow Skullboy's Illustrated Guide to Demons!




$10,000! Goal has been stretched.
3 months ago – Mon, Feb 09, 2026 at 09:59:57 AM

We hit the $10k stretch goal. Wow! Thank you. With this I'll be able to order a surplus of zines to make sure these adventures stay in print for a while.

I really love that there's more ways to make this adventure fun to run. I'll be writing up 3rd-level pregenerated characters, illustrated by Skullboy, with their own motivations for being coming to the tower. Great for use one-shots or convention games or starting a new campaign.

I have some ideas for what I'd like to work on next, but it's big for me. It'd be nice to have a way to work it in smaller pieces using money already available. Further funding is for this.
The next stretch goal of 15k unlocks more stickers. 

Stickers are fun and Skullboy makes rad art.


Have you seen this ZiMo?

This project is part of zine month, where folks come up with cool ideas and make some stuff that you can look at. ZiMo is full of people who help others who just want to create. Here's another project you should look at.

The Mouth of Mentiusis 73 twisted, gritty rooms full of grid-mapped challenges. A perfect compliment for fans of Caverns of Thracia or Isle of Dread, this dungeon mini-campaign is historically inspired by Greek-Roman myth but with the otherworldly strangeness gamers love.

This is one for the real dungeon heads. It'd be cool to reach for an interconnected mini-mega dungeon when I'm feeling door dnd.
Back The Mouth of Mentius here.


CAIN SUN
is a module for Mothership RPG where players take control of alien parasites fighting for control of a host crew member's body. I'm really excited to see how this plays out. Sounds like a fun experience at the table while PCs attempt to convince the crew that everything is cool while keeping in mind their secret agendas.
I ran my own group through one of Waco's other adventures a couple of weeks ago—the paranoid slasher CRYO-SIQ. It immediately devolved into chaos with players not trusting each other and setting up traps for one another while the true saboteur taunted them. CAIN SUN looks to be more of the same wholesome horror fun.
Back CAIN SUN here.

Cheers!
directsun (Chris M)

Funded! Stretch goal for gorgeous pregens is in the future (pretty sure)
3 months ago – Tue, Feb 03, 2026 at 10:44:33 PM

We funded!
A Familiar Tower shall live in print. Aberrant Reflections shall live in print again. The remaster of The Seers Sanctum shall live in print.

Thank you for making this a success. ♥️
If you can, please share the project to folks you think would like Zelda + 80s crystal fantasy.

There's about 11 hours left to grab the early bird vinyl wizard sticker if you haven't backed yet.

We're about 3/4 of the way to the first stretch goal: Pregenerated characters with original art from Skullboy
If you're running as a one-shot, at a con, or starting a new campaign then drop these bad boys on the table. In the past I've used the OSE Rogues Gallery for pregens (leveled up to 3). They are great and I'm envious and I want more. 🥲
These pregens will be at level 3 to begin with and have their own motivations for coming to the tower.

Have you hear about this ZiMo project?

I've kind of been obsessed with the art in The Deepest Dark. There's a lot that is being done with so few lines. It's a GMless horror game about finding the beauty and terror in the deep dark cave. This sounds like an emotional gut-wrench at the table and I think I'm ready for. 


Thank you!
directsun (Chris M)