🐙 Return to the sea

The latest issue of TUMULUS is shipping now, including creative inspiration, game design exercises, deep sea treasures, pirate islands, and unfortunate shipwrecks. Plus a simplified order page!

Issue 04. Return to the sea

Tumulus 04 recently shipped out to subscribers around the world! If you haven’t yet received yours, you should expect it soon!

Tumulus is a quarterly collection of analog gaming inspiration, tools, design theory, and playable content from Skeleton Code Machine. Each issue has a theme such as “Keep the wolves at bay.” or “Kick open the door.” The included articles, games, random tables, and art are interpretations of that theme. Most include design exercises for you to try what you’ve learned.

Tumulus is creative, thought-provoking, and worthy of a place on your shelf.

Here’s what’s inside this issue

This issue’s theme is “Return to the sea.” and is focused on the ocean’s depths, sailing the high seas, fishing, and the creatures that lurk in the dark abyss.

It can be a challenging theme for tabletop games, as we see in “The Problem of Naval Games” but one that can be quite fun if executed properly.

TUMULUS 04. Return to the Sea.

In “FISH,” Nate Wittington (Grinning Rat, Adamiir) makes the case that great games include fishing as an optional mechanism, giving us a mini-game to inspire our own designs. Junk Food Games (Moon Rings, Death Cap Saute) takes a different approach with “Desperate Depths” with a small boat, diving suit, and limited oxygen. Seek hope, escape horrors, and grasp in the darkness.

Each issue is about 50 - 55 pages of articles and inspiration that never expires or becomes outdated.

New, simplified ordering system

New order page. Subject to change.

It’s now easier to subscribe (and resubscribe) to Tumulus:

1. Single order page: Previously there were separate order pages for US, International (Canada), and International (UK/EU/AU) subscriptions. They have all be unified into a single order page that can be used by everyone. Shipping charges will be calculated based on your location after you select your country. This also means that Tumulus now ships to almost anywhere in the world.

2. Select your issues: Which issue of Tumulus is your first can depend on when you subscribe or resubscribe. To make this more clear and explicit, you can now select your four issues when subscribing. If you are resubscribing, please check your selection to ensure you do not receive a duplicate issue.¹

If you start a new subscription, your first issue will ship out right away. Subsequent issues will be mailed to you once per quarter.²

As always, if you have any questions about your order or need to update your address, please send an email to games@exeunt.press.

Creative inspiration delivered to your door

Get Tumulus 04 as your first of four issues if you subscribe between now and November 30, 2025. Your first issue will ship right away, and then you’ll receive three additional issues (one per quarter) as they are released.

Subscriptions do not auto-renew by design. Watch for the last issue notice included with your fourth issue to resubscribe for another four issues. If you are resubscribing, be sure to select the correct set of upcoming issues so you don’t receive a duplicate.

A limited number of back issues are available.

— E.P. 💀

P.S. “A beautiful, straight-forward, and inspiring book.” Get ADVENTURE! Make Your Own TTRPG Adventure, the latest guide from Skeleton Code Machine, now at the Exeunt Press Shop! 🧙

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Skeleton Code Machine is a production of Exeunt Press. All previous posts are in the Archive on the web. Subscribe to TUMULUS to get more design inspiration. If you want to see what else is happening at Exeunt Press, check out the Exeunt Omnes newsletter.

Skeleton Code Machine and TUMULUS are written, augmented, purged, and published by Exeunt Press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission. TUMULUS and Skeleton Code Machine are Copyright 2025 Exeunt Press.

For comments or questions: games@exeunt.press

1. If, for example, the final issue of your subscription was Issue 04 and you want to resubscribe, you’ll want to make sure you get Issues 05, 06, 07, 08 when you place your order. That is available as a selection when adding it to your cart. This ensures that you do not accidentally receive Issue 04 again as a duplicate.

2. New issues ship in December, March, June, and September of each year. Issue 05 will begin shipping December 1, 2025. Issue 06 will ship starting March 1, 2026.