State of the Epigram – Summer ’25

Welcome to the innaugural intermittent State of the Epigram post, in which I’l talk about how things have been going, what’s coming soon, and conditions willing where we’re hoping the company will go.

UKGE

We exhibited at UK Games Expo for the first time earlier this year, and it was a rousing success. A three day event was a first, and it was difficult at times, but it was an incredibly rewarding experience and each individual day was already better than any other event we’ve done so far.

It was also the first outing for the Reave miniatures, which were very well recieved (and are now available online for sale).

It was wonderful to speak to so many people, and see such enthusiam for the game and for the miniatures, and run so many demos. It is absolutely on the list to return next year, bigger and better and hopefully with more miniatures.

Personnel Changes

Epigram was founded at the beginning of 2024 between myself (CJ) and Evie to make Hypersteel Nightmare, and a lot has changed since then. We are both incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and the game we’ve made, but after the game was published a little over a year ago, Evie was offered a job working at Modiphius and more recently they have been offered a promotion to Lead Game Designer.

So it is with a heavy heart, but incredible pride for my friend, that we (now, really I) say goodbye to Evie as a member of the Epigram core team, as they focus their time on their new role, their family and their activism.

The Epigram Awards Program

This is a good segue into the first of the new plans going forward. With Epigram now being a solo endeavour, I am going to need to rely on the assistance and goodwill of the community more than ever, and I want a way to reward and acknowledge those who offer their assistance and make a positive contribution.

And so I announce the Epigram Awards Program, or EAP. This is three tiers of medals (actual, physical medals) that will be awarded to individuals who go above and beyond to contribute towards Epigram Games and our community.

At the first level is the Epigram Merit, a small copper medal, which will be awarded to people who offer a meaningful contribution to the community such as taking part in playtesting or being particularly helpful in our discord.

Above that is the Epigram Commendation, a bronze medal, which will be awarded to those who make a more significant contribution such as helping at a convention or running a local event. (Do you want to run a local event? Reach out via email or discord and we will offer what support we can)

And finally is the Epigram Honour, a silver medal, which is reserved for those who had made a fundamental contribution to Epigram Games such as departing core team members.

The intent is to grant these awards on a quarterly basis, and but the first batch will be retrospectively awarded for 25Q2 as soon as the first batch of medals are complete. But if you want to earn a Merit…

Hypersteel Meatgrinder

One of the biggest requests fromo people who’ve played Hypersteel Nightmare is for infantry. This has historically been a difficult request to answer, as Hypersteel Nightmare is fundamentally a tank game, but soon it will become a very easy proposition!

Hypersteel Meatgrinder is a new expansion, due out for Christmas this year, which introduces new rules for infantry, better rules for buildings and a host of new scenarios.

A playtest draft is currently available on our discord and all those who contribute (either through reviewing the drafts or playing test games) will be awarded a Merit.

More Minaitures and Other Products

New miniatures were planned for release shortly after UKGE, which were unfortunately delayed first by legal matters and then by the recent heatwave (it is remarkably hard to cast resin or silicone in 30 degree weather) but I am working on getting the next batch of minaitures (the Compact 50pt Starter) out in the next few weeks.

Beyond that, there are at least two more releases lined up (the bubble tanks and the remastered M36 mech) which are due out afterwards, but now that Epigram is just myself, I will need to pace myself a little better. As always you can see more information on discord or bluesky.

We are also planning a refresh of some of our ancillary products, with new cardboard tokens (good two-tone acrylic is sadly becoming more expensive and harder to acquire, and printed chipboard should be both cheaper and easier to keep in stock) as well as adding printed errata and quick references to our rulebooks going forward.

Looking Forward…

This should take us to the end of the year with plenty of releases. Plans are already afoot for what happens after that (look to the stars).

As always, you can always chat with me on discord.