Adventure Beyond the Dungeon
The journey should matter as much as the destination. Travel, discovery, preparation, and consequence are part of the adventure.
About the Studio
Iron Quill Games is an independent tabletop studio creating cooperative fantasy adventures built around exploration, meaningful progression, strong worldbuilding, and memorable decisions shared around the table.
Who We Are
Iron Quill Games was founded by Scott Sysol and Mike Urban to create tabletop games that combine the depth of a fantasy campaign with the clarity and momentum of a modern board game.
We are building the kind of games we want to play: adventures where the world feels larger than a single map, heroes develop through meaningful choices, and the story emerges through exploration rather than being delivered all at once.
Our goal is not simply to publish a game. It is to build a studio, community, and fantasy setting that can grow thoughtfully over time.
Why We Founded Iron Quill Games
We wanted a game that could move naturally between dungeon exploration, wilderness travel, settlement visits, tactical encounters, character growth, and unfolding story—without requiring a game master.
The journey should matter as much as the destination. Travel, discovery, preparation, and consequence are part of the adventure.
Characters should grow through earned abilities, equipment, discoveries, and decisions rather than following a single predetermined path.
Narrative should emerge through exploration, scenario choices, revealed clues, changing objectives, and the actions of the party.
How We Design
We begin with the experience we want players to have at the table. From there, we build systems that support that experience and test whether the rules create the right decisions, pace, and sense of discovery.
Mechanics are repeatedly written, played, revised, and tested. Story content is designed alongside the systems so that narrative and gameplay reinforce one another rather than feeling like separate layers.
Presentation is part of the design. Cards, icons, rulebook pages, player aids, and components must make a complex adventure easy to understand and enjoyable to use.
Create the core loop, systems, and player decisions.
Test the experience at the table and identify friction.
Improve balance, clarity, pacing, and usability.
Bring the game to life through art, layout, and components.
Our First Project
Forlazia: Shards of the Veil is the first major expression of the Iron Quill Games vision. It is a cooperative fantasy adventure board game for 1–5 players that combines tactical dungeon crawling, overland exploration, settlement progression, evolving heroes, and scenario-driven campaigns.
The core rules are written and have undergone internal playtesting. The card systems, playable heroes, races, archetypes, and first campaign framework are developed. The project is now moving into art development, professional rulebook layout, expanded playtesting, and production preparation.
What We Value
Settings with history, mystery, cultures, conflict, and room for players to leave a lasting mark.
Decisions should affect tactics, character growth, exploration, or the direction of the story.
Depth should come from interesting decisions—not unnecessary confusion or difficult navigation.
Art, components, layout, and iconography should support both atmosphere and ease of play.