EI Studio – Q1—Q2 Updates
I’m mashing up Jan—June 2026 into a single update because that’s how I do it when I’m living the studio life sometimes!
Read on for some big updates and changes to last year’s projections on which projects would release in 2026.
Hyperlight Slice = done!
At the end of 2025, I didn’t think it was possible to complete Hyperlight Slice during the first half of 2026. I had originally thought I would work on it little by little until early 2027.
But after deciding to delay the release of Bugruckus (details below), I prioritized Hyperlight Slice. And with an intense, two-month work sprint, I was able to complete the remaining work on Hyperlight Slice and stage a Kickstarter campaign for May 2026.
I built the campaign with the goal of raising the funds needed for the first print run of 100 coloring sets. The crowd-funding goal was $1500 and we raised just over $1800. All with grass-roots, word-of-mouth, simple promotions. No big ad spending.
It’s such an awesome feeling to have now two successful Kickstarter campaigns under my belt and gives me more optimism about the Bugruckus campaign, set to launch in February, 2027.
Key lessons learned during the Hyperlight Slice Kickstarter campaign:
Start raising awareness five to six months before launch
Design diary posts on Instagram helped spark interest and DM convos
Sharing illustration process generated interest
Don’t show everything , people don’t want spoilers!
Don’t be afraid to show excitement
On that last one, if I’m not excited about the things I’m making, who will be? For a long time I’ve struggled with being shy about my successes. While I attribute that to a variety of things, it’s mostly due to not giving myself permission to embrace the joy of making something and completing it. Something, I’m not really sure what, holds me back from being too happy, or showing my excitement, or being ok with taking pride in accomplishments. Almost like if I’m too joyful, something’s going to come along and mess it all up.
Oh well, figuring myself out is a life-long effort. Do you ever feel like that?
Bugruckus = still cookin’!
I’m glad I delayed the launch on this one. Even though the card game is very close to being done, there are still some rough edges to smooth out.
In case you don’t know, Bugruckus is a two-player, turn-based card game centered around finding, collecting, and delivering bugchums to the most lucrative merchant locations. Here in the Bumble Isles, bugchums are big business! Only the most resourceful Bug Runner will emerge as champion.
Now that Hyperlight Slice is finished, work will begin again on Bugruckus – Sprout + Charm. I’m working with local game testers and aiming for a February, 2027 launch on Kickstarter. You can sign up for a Bugruckus launch notification here. Thanks for your interest and thanks for helping me spread the word!
Other updates
Here are a couple other quick updates. Even though there’s work happening on these projects, there’s no definitive release date set for either of them.
World of Rynaga – “Up and Back Again”
This a two-player card game featuring characters from the World of Rynaga universe. It’s essentially a bidding-tactics game at this point, but I’m holding back details till a future date.
I’m really excited to return to Rynaga stories and characters! The last time I visited this project was for the last World of Rynaga – Iconica release in 2017.
Vector Interplay expansion
I have an expansion deck of cards for Vector Interplay in the works. At this point, I’m spending a few hours, one day a week working through ideas for cards and prototyping their use. Testing is ramping up soon as well.
If you haven’t heard of Vector Interplay, consider giving it a look. Especially if you love strategy games with snappy gameplay, esoteric art, and lots of details to discover.
Below is my status as of the end of Q2 2026. Commissions are open. For speaking and / or workshop opportunities contact: ericsdesk@gmail.com
I want to close with big, bold Thank You to those who supported the Hyperlight Slice 2026 Kickstarter release and who support my online shop. Each successful release is another chapter in my story and a bit of growth for my studio. You are the heroes of my story.
Be well.
–E
