CiNDER

Introduction: Welcome to the Smolder-Core

CiNDER is a tightly focused, rogue-lite card game packed into a travel-sized custom tin, designed for solo survival or head-to-head competition. You play as the Wanderer, descending through seven increasingly hostile floors of a shifting, industrial labyrinth. Using a fixed 18-card deck of room tiles, you must navigate environmental hazards, manage your oxygen, and scavenge for scrap before the maze collapses around you.

Why You Should Be Excited

CiNDER takes the deep, tactical progression of a digital rogue-lite and distils it into a fast, physical tabletop experience without the deck-bloat.

If you prefer to test your mettle against another player, CiNDER features a cutthroat competitive mode. Two Wanderers enter the labyrinth, but only one escapes. You will race to navigate the shifting corridors, strategically place blockers to dead-end your opponent's route, and force them to choke on the labyrinth's ash before you do.

Instead of arbitrarily upgrading the labyrinth, the Wanderer upgrades their gear. You will gather permanent Artifacts—like the Brass Reflector or the Scrap-Iron Gauntlet—that fundamentally change how you interact with the base cards. But the deeper you go, the more the labyrinth fights back. Every mistake forces you to shuffle "Soot" penalty cards into your deck, simulating your lungs filling with ash. Draw three Soot cards at once, and your run is over.

There are no random "gotcha" mechanics here. Every descent requires rigorous tactical planning, risk management, and fail-forward logic.

The Project Story & The Realm Stray Universe

I am raising funds to manufacture the first 1,000 physical copies of CiNDER. But this game is just the beginning; it serves as 'World Zero'.

CiNDER is the flagship origin point for The Realm Stray, an overarching brand and lore-driven ecosystem I am building to bridge tabletop games, premium apparel, and tactile gaming accessories. The Realm Stray tracks the Wanderer’s journey across multiple realities, and to tie this growing universe together, physical copies of CiNDER will include our very first "Dimension Log"—a premium, A6 double-sided postcard featuring exclusive art on the front and narrative lore on the back. Your pledge helps breathe life into this very first world.

How We Plan to Make It Happen

The mechanics are tested, the rules are refined, and the manufacturer is locked in. The funding goal of £4,000 directly covers the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) of 1,000 units, the bespoke tooling costs for the embossed tin boxes, and the freight shipping required to bring the games into the UK. By keeping the campaign tightly focused on the base game and our premium neoprene Campaign Mats, we are ensuring a straightforward, delay-free production cycle.

Who I Am

I’m Matt, a tabletop game designer, long-time Dungeon Master, and wargamer based in West Yorkshire. When I’m not running campaigns, building custom magic items, or painting miniatures, I am dedicating my time to building The Realm Stray into a home for high-quality, immersive gaming merchandise and experiences.

I have spent years studying what makes tabletop encounters engaging, from list-building strategy to narrative roleplaying. I design games the way I like to run them: prioritising player agency, thematic immersion, and tactile, high-quality components. CiNDER is the culmination of all those passions in one heavy little tin.