Monte Cook Games has launched a surprise crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit to expand the mechanical framework of their tabletop system. The project, titled Cypher—Advanced!, debuted on August 19, 2026, coinciding with the release of the publisher’s new core character rulebook. The flash campaign rapidly surpassed its initial $50,000 target within hours and is scheduled to run until September 5, 2026.
Arriving in the wake of the busy summer convention season, the campaign seeks funding for two primary supplements: Cypher Decoded and Cypher Bestiary II. Rather than overhauling the core engine, these texts offer granular, modular additions designed to customise ongoing roleplaying games. Monte Cook Games has also explicitly stated that all materials are generated entirely by human creators, addressing ongoing industry debates regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
Modular Rules and New Adversaries
Cypher Decoded focuses on providing players and game masters with specific options that might not suit every standard setting. The book introduces new genres, such as dark fantasy and steampunk, alongside expanded rules for character descriptors and species. Players can also explore elaborate new foci that change depending on specific conditions, and a new Luck statistic that allows for narrative influence when a character lacks formal training.
The second major supplement, Cypher Bestiary II, adds over one hundred creatures to the game’s existing roster. Each entry is presented with streamlined statistics for immediate tabletop use, supported by extensive lore, variant names, and unique mechanics.
Backer Polls over Stretch Goals
In a departure from standard crowdfunding practices, Monte Cook Games has opted against using traditional stretch goals for this flash campaign. Instead, both books are being developed at their maximum planned size from the outset.
As Monte and the team designed the new edition, they had loads of great ideas that could really make your game shine—but weren’t quite right for every game. There was no way to stuff all these exciting optional rules and subsystems into the corebooks, but we didn’t want them to languish, either.”
To shape the final content of these supplements, the publisher is running daily weekday polls throughout the campaign, allowing backers to vote on which specific genres and creatures are included.
Digital Integration
Alongside the physical books, the campaign introduces the Datasphere Deck Tool. This digital utility replicates the functionality of physical creature decks for online play, allowing game masters to draw random cards, sort through their collection, and share creature artwork directly with players in virtual tabletop environments.
Backer Options
The campaign offers several reward tiers for those looking to expand their roleplaying games:
- Pledge $19 (approx. £15): JUST ONE BOOK (PDF only). A choice between digital versions of either Cypher Decoded or Cypher Bestiary II.
- Pledge $35 (approx. £27): BOTH BOOKS (PDF only). Digital copies of both primary supplements.
- Pledge $45 (approx. £35): ALL IN (PDF only). Every digital asset created for the campaign, including the books, the Pocket Cypher, character portfolios, and digital creature decks.
- Pledge $49 (approx. £38): JUST ONE BOOK (print and PDF). A physical and digital copy of a chosen book.
- Pledge $89 (approx. £69): BOTH BOOKS (print and PDF). Physical and digital editions of Cypher Decoded and Cypher Bestiary II.
- Pledge $139 (approx. £108): ALL-IN (print and PDF). The comprehensive collection of every physical and digital item, plus early access to the Cypher Decoded text files.
This is an all-or-nothing crowdfunding project that closes on September 5, 2026. Early access text files are expected to be delivered roughly six months prior to the final release, with fulfilment operations planned into early 2027.
