On Sunday, October 18, Newborn Games visited Festival Literário Read On Almada 2026, Portugal, to share its experience in the development, production, and independent publishing of narrative games.

Invited to participate in an event co-organised by ALEA and Grupo de Roleplayers de Almada, Helder J. Araújo (A Máquina do RPG), Producer and Manager at Newborn Games, delivered a talk entitled “Publishing and Editing Narrative Games.”

From an idea to a finished product

Creating a narrative game is a creative endeavour. Publishing one, however, means facing challenges that go far beyond writing and developing game mechanics.

From building a team to graphic production, from managing costs to choosing a funding model, countless decisions can determine whether a publishing project becomes viable.

Throughout the talk, we explored several of these challenges, drawing on our own experience as a small, independent Portuguese publisher.

We also discussed crowdfunding, a model that has been central to Newborn Games and has helped us turn projects such as Demon Ninja, Asilo and Silent Læke into concrete publishing ventures.

We examined the opportunities crowdfunding provides, along with its limitations, inherent risks, and the importance of careful preparation.

Sharing experience, strengthening the community

Newborn Games was born from a desire to create and publish narrative games. But we also believe that the experience gained along the way can be valuable to other creators.

Sharing what we have learned, including our challenges, mistakes, and the solutions we have found, is one way of contributing to a more informed and better-prepared independent publishing scene.

There is no universal formula for publishing a game. There are experiences, tools, different approaches, and decisions that every creator must adapt to the circumstances of their own project.

It is precisely this exchange of knowledge that we hope to encourage through initiatives like this one.

A thank you and a look ahead

We would like to thank ALEA and Grupo de Roleplayers de Almada for the invitation and the opportunity to take part in this event.

Our thanks also go to everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation.

We hope to continue participating in similar initiatives and exploring new opportunities for talks, workshops, and other activities dedicated to the creation, production, and publishing of narrative games.

Because, to us, developing games and helping our community grow are two parts of the same adventure.

Newborn Games — Making games. Building community.

Our journey continues through the Asilo's world of Clinical Horror.

This time, we’re taking a closer look at the steps required to create a Patient.

You can check the episode on the Dados e Dragões channel.

Two years ago, Demon Ninja became the very first game published by Newborn Games. It was also the project that gave birth to our company.

Today, we're thrilled to see that journey continue.

New Order has officially announced the upcoming Brazilian Portuguese crowdfunding campaign for Demon Ninja, to be launched on Catarse.

?? Brazilian friends, be sure to follow the campaign and support it when it goes live. Every backer helps bring Demon Ninja to more gaming tables.

Although this campaign is entirely managed by New Order and not by Newborn Games, we couldn't be prouder.

Seeing a game we created receive an official edition on another continent is something we could only dream of a few years ago.

In just two years, Demon Ninja has grown from an independent Portuguese RPG into an international intellectual property.

Our sincere thanks to New Order for believing in the game.

And thank you to everyone who has supported us since day one.

? The ninja's journey continues.

ALEA, in partnership with NEWBORN GAMES, presents SILENT LAKE on RPGist!

For the first time, Deirdre’s story will be told in a live-action game featuring Diana Especial and João Fára as the players. The director will be Simão Vaz.

Photos of suspects, red strings, intrigue, drama. We’ll have it all!

Join us on May 26 to unravel the mysteries that lie beneath the lake.

At the last Rolisboa event, we had the opportunity to talk about our origins and delve deeper into issues surrounding crowdfunding for narrative games in Portugal.

You can watch the entire event here!

Abraham "El Jaguar" Zetina is back, and this time he is reviewing Silent Lake!

In the first part of this series, he focuses on the structure of the book and the themes portrayed in a Silent Lake session.

Check what he has to say here!

The truth doesn't speak... it screams.

Deirdre's Secret Diary PDF is now unlocked for all backers!

Check the campaign here!

Some stories are told.
Others are lived — slowly, in silence, between glances and pauses.

We are proud to announce O Abraço do Crepúsculo, the first actual play series based on Silent Læke, produced by Alea with the support of Newborn Games.

Filmed in a visual style inspired by the 90s — 4:3 aspect ratio, rounded corners, grain, and imperfections — this series is not just about showing how the game is played.
It is about capturing how Silent Læke feels.

Here, the mystery is not a race.
It is a weight.
A constant presence.

Fully adapted into Portuguese, O Abraço do Crepúsculo preserves the core of Dusk’s Embrace while embracing a more intimate and immediate language.

Across the episodes, Players explore Relationships, memory, and unresolved wounds in a game where:

Plot is irrelevant. Moments are everything.

This is only the beginning.

The final Scene of Last Traces is now live.

With this release, the full actual play series is now complete.

What began as a search for answers becomes something else entirely — a confrontation with memory, distortion, and the limits of what can be known.

Across three scenes, Last Traces unfolds as a Silent Læke showcase scenario, revealing not just how the game works, but how it feels at the table.

You can now watch the entire story from beginning to end.

Silent Læke launches on BackerKit on April 13th.

A new batch of Lost Cases and Drowned Cases has just been prepared at our Trás-os-Montes headquarters.

They will soon be available on our website, and your stay at the Asilo may be extended.

The Laguna Hospital Center is where certainty is expected.

White walls.
Measured tones.
Results printed in black ink.

Here, pain is catalogued.
Causes are assigned.
And endings are documented.

In Silent Læke, authority wears many faces — a badge, a voice, a contract, a diagnosis.
The hospital is where those faces meet the body.

It is where questions are translated into reports.
Where chaos is reduced to numbers.
Where truth is supposed to be final.

But even here, something lingers.

Because Silent Læke has never been a town that fits neatly into charts.

This closes Law, Order & Authority.
And with it, the People & Places of Silent Læke series.

49 fragments.
25 people.
24 places.

Pieces of a town that refuses to stay silent.

If you’ve followed these entries, you’ve already stepped into Silent Læke.
The rest is waiting at the table.

And somewhere —
someone is watching with sharp eyes and a patient silence.

Trengo Maximus has released an in-depth interview with A Máquina do RPG — and it goes far beyond Dusk’s Embrace.

The conversation covers:

• First contact with RPGs

• The iconic Lisbon game store “Lobo Branco”

• Ars Magica and formative influences

• The origin of Silent Læke and the creation of Dusk’s Embrace

• Designing a minimal character sheet

• Inspiration from music, poetry, and non-TTRPG games

• The current state of roleplay in Portugal

• And the future of the Silent Læke line

This is a conversation about craft, memory, and direction — not just mechanics.

The interview is in Portuguese. YouTube auto-subtitles work well.

? Watch here:
https://youtu.be/hSc38QsjWNM

Ophelia doesn’t wear a badge.
She doesn’t patrol streets.
She doesn’t knock on doors.

She answers the phone.

From behind her desk at the Sheriff’s Department, Ophelia hears everything first —
panic, lies, breathing that doesn’t sound right.

She decides which call becomes urgent.
Which unit gets sent.
Which version of a story enters the system.

Most people don’t remember her face.
They remember her voice.

Calm.
Measured.
Unmoved.

After Deirdre’s death, the calls changed.
The silences between words got longer.

Ophelia never raises her voice.
She doesn’t need to.

“Authority doesn’t always arrive. Sometimes it answers.”

Among her people, Enola is known as Eagle-Eye — a name given long before the badge.
The department thinks it’s a nickname.
Enola never corrects them.

She notices patterns.
Small changes.
Who looks away when certain names are spoken.

As Chief Deputy, Enola does the work no one thanks.
She reviews reports.
Checks alibis twice.
Connects dots others would rather keep separate.

She respects procedure — but she knows rules are only as honest as the people enforcing them.
And she understands authority isn’t about being seen.
It’s about seeing clearly.

Some say Enola is loyal to Sheriff Clive.
Others say she’s loyal to something older than the badge.
The town isn’t sure which one unsettles it more.

“Authority doesn’t shout. It watches.”

The Silent Læke Sheriff Department is small, understaffed, and permanently tired.
Two desks. A holding cell that rarely stays empty for long.
And walls that have heard too many versions of the same story.

This is where order is processed into paperwork.
Where authority becomes routine.
Where decisions are made knowing they won’t please everyone — or save everyone.

After Deirdre’s death, the department grew quieter.
Phones rang more often.
Answers came slower.

Some say the Sheriff’s Department protects the town.
Others say it protects the idea that the town is still under control.

“Authority doesn’t live in the badge. It lives in the room where decisions are made.”

Abraham El Jaguar’s deep dive into Demon Ninja has reached part 21!
With sharp insight and infectious enthusiasm, Jaguar continues his exploration of every corner of our supernatural ninja RPG.

Watch part 21 here!

The journey now brings us to the mission, not only what is expected from a ninja, but also the forces that can turn a simple task into a nightmare.

Thank you, Abraham, for your dedication and your ever-watchful eye.

Trevor owns the diner where Silent Læke starts its mornings and ends its nights.
Coffee is always hot.
The grill is never really cold.

Truckers stop here.
Night-shift workers unwind here.
Teenagers linger longer than they should.

Trevor doesn’t ask questions.
He remembers faces, routines, and who suddenly stops showing up.
That’s part of the job.

Some say he knows more about the town than anyone else.
Others say he just understands that work isn’t always about what you do —
but about what you notice.

“Some jobs feed the town. Others watch it.”

Fast Duck Gas Station sits at the edge of town, right before the road disappears into trees.

It’s a place of brief stops.
Fuel. Coffee. Bathrooms.
No one plans to stay long.

And yet, some cars linger.
Some drivers hesitate before getting back on the road.
Some never quite remember why they stopped here in the first place.

The lights buzz all night.
The clerk never seems surprised.

Fast Duck isn’t where stories begin.
It’s where they change direction.

“Every journey pauses somewhere. Not every pause is harmless.”

Part 5 of the ongoing Dusk’s Embrace video review series is now available.

In this episode, Abraham “El Jaguar” Zetina (Talking About Games) focuses on playing the game: how scenes unfold in practice, how the card system works at the table, and how player decisions actively shape tone and narrative flow.

Jaguar highlights how the system will resonate strongly with players who enjoy card games, praising its clarity and feel during play.

This fifth part explains the system of Silent Læke not as an idea, but as procedures at the table.

Watch Part 5 on YouTube:
youtu.be/uNpTmBUHwMM?si=AKCauRSMJuYSCZjm&t=87

More episodes coming soon.

Quincy works with things that grow, bloom, and inevitably die.
Flowers are her trade — listening is her real skill.

People talk when they think no one is judging them.
They talk while choosing bouquets.
They talk about grief, love, guilt… and sometimes Deirdre.

Quincy knows which flowers are chosen most often for funerals.
She knows which names are asked for again and again.
And she knows the quiet path that leads from her shop to Darkwoods Memorial Park.

Some say she’s too young to understand what she hears.
Others say that’s exactly why people keep talking.

“Flowers don’t lie. People do.”

Part 4 of the ongoing Dusk’s Embrace video review series is now available.

In this episode, Abraham “El Jaguar” Zetina (Talking About Games) focuses on character preparation and the core elements that shape play in Silent Læke:
the four Attributes — Sex, Violence, Dialogue, and Moxie — and the two Trackers, Beautiful Darkness and Melancholic Horror.

Jaguar highlights how these mechanics are not just numbers, but narrative tools designed to carry emotional weight and influence how scenes unfold.

As he puts it:

“Sex is exactly that. Your ability (…) but also your, uh… performance… in bed, right?”
“(…) when it comes to Sex and Violence, they have a very powerful impact in the game.”

This fourth part deepens the discussion around how Silent Læke uses focused mechanics to support intimacy, tension, and meaningful consequences.

Watch Part 4 on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0BP6XqdSeI&t=92s

More episodes coming soon.

If you're around Santa Marta de Penaguião, you can visit the local library and explore both Asilo and Patient 0.

Who knows if you come across the author and schedule a game session with him.

June’s Convenience is always open.
Day or night, rain or snow, tragedy or routine — the lights are on and the door unlocks with the same familiar sound.

People come here for coffee, cigarettes, snacks, and small talk.
They leave with groceries… and pieces of the town they didn’t mean to share.

If you want to know what’s really happening in Silent Læke, you don’t ask questions.
You wait in line.

“Some places run on cash. Others run on information.”

Code & Climax is a place built on vertical contradiction.

Downstairs, Code is a refined jazz pub — low lights, polished wood, live music, and an audience that knows how to behave.
People drink slowly, talk softly, and pretend this is the whole story.

Upstairs, Climax takes over.
The music grows louder.
The lights grow harsher.
Control dissolves into excess — substances, bodies, impulses left deliberately unnamed.

Everyone knows what happens upstairs.
Everyone pretends the stairs don’t exist.

“Some places hide their secrets behind doors.
This one puts them right above your head.”

Silent Læke has received its first international review.

Geek Native, a well-known website covering tabletop and roleplaying games, has published a feature introducing the game, describing it as “Twin Peaks meets tabletop” — a narrative RPG focused on atmosphere, relationships, and melancholic horror.

The article highlights:

• the game’s character-driven, emotional approach;

• the use of cards instead of dice;

• an experience designed for small, intense tables;

• and the unsettling mystery at the heart of Silent Læke.

This is not an in-depth review, but a first look — and an important step in bringing Silent Læke beyond its immediate circle and into the international scene.

Read the full article here:
https://www.geeknative.com/218372/silent-laeke-twin-peaks-meets-tabletop-in-new-card-based-rpg/

More to come soon.

Our store is now live! You can now purchase products like digital files, postcards and T-shirts. There will be updates soon, but, until then, explore the store and let us know what you think.

Vance is not officially in charge of anything in Silent Læke.
And yet, very little happens without his knowledge.

He doesn’t threaten. He doesn’t shout.
He smiles, listens, and remembers favors long after others forget them.

Some call him a businessman.
Others call him a parasite.
Most simply avoid saying his name too loudly.

Vance claims he never met Deirdre.
Still, he knows exactly who did.

“Power doesn’t need to be visible to be absolute.”

Simon has been the priest of Silent Læke for over twenty years — soft-spoken, impeccably polite, and always present at key moments in the town’s life.

People used to call him comforting.
Now they just call him… attentive.
Too attentive, some say.

Since Deirdre’s death, Simon has changed.
He keeps the church open late into the night, pacing the aisles as if waiting for something — or someone — to return.

No one knows why he avoids certain questions.
And no one forgets how often Deirdre visited the church in the weeks before she died.

Some say Simon is simply grieving.
Others say grief isn’t the only thing that keeps him awake.

“Faith casts long shadows. And some shadows look back.”

Julian runs the only hotel in Silent Læke — the old Serene Harbour Resort, a place that once hosted weddings, anniversaries, and perfect summer holidays.
Now he mostly hosts silence.

He dresses sharply, smiles often, and never raises his voice.
But anyone paying attention notices how tired he looks… and how quickly he changes the subject when Deirdre’s name comes up.

Some guests say they’ve heard footsteps in empty hallways.
Julian insists it’s just the pipes.
No one believes him — not even Julian.

“Hospitality means welcoming everyone. Even those who never checked in.”

The woods around Silent Læke are vast, old, and strangely watchful.

Every path feels familiar, yet never quite the same.
People say the trees shift when they’re not looking.
And that shadows move even without wind.

Alyss says the forest remembers the town’s oldest secrets.
Children say the forest remembers Deirdre.

“If you get lost in these woods, they decide whether you return.”

Hidden deep in the woods lies a rusted, abandoned train carriage — a fragment of the old Grand Continental Line, left behind when the rails were torn up decades ago.

No one remembers how it got there.
No one agrees on who used to ride it.

Inside, the seats are dusty, the windows fogged, and the air strangely warm.
Some say if you sit long enough, you’ll hear the train starting to move.
Others claim it never stopped.

“Some journeys don’t need rails to keep going.”

After the release of Demon Ninja at last year's Rolisboa, our friends at MiniRPGWonders reached out to assist into bringing something special to the game table. From their vast catalog of miniatures, this was the one that better resonated with the author, and so, a journey of numerous painting sessions began.

This is the end result. A piece that reminds us all that, in the world of Dark Japan, not everything is what it seems.

Hidden deep in the woods lies the Witch’s Steps — a ring of old stones carved with symbols no one fully understands.

Teenagers dare each other to step inside.
Some say you hear whispers when you do.
Others say you come back different.

Alyss claims the stones mark where Silent Læke’s voice begins — and ends.

“Every town has its witch. Ours left footprints.”

Rolisboa was an incredible success, and we sold way more than expected — thank you to everyone who stopped by and took a piece of our worlds home!

Due to high demand, we’re temporarily closing the online store until November 20, while we restock and update inventory.

❗ That said, if you’re really hoping to grab something, feel free to reach out via our contact form.
There might still be a stray copy hiding somewhere — it never hurts to ask.

Ryan is eleven.
Too young to understand everything that’s happening in Silent Læke — and old enough to feel it anyway.

He used to see Deirdre around the lake. Sometimes, he says, he still does.
The adults tell him it’s just his imagination.
But Ryan insists that she talks to him.

“Kids see what grown-ups are too scared to notice.”

The Asilo special Halloween episode by Dados à Portuguesa continues, and you don't want to miss it:

https://dadosaportuguesa.transistor.fm/episodes/ultima-noite-2-eu-ganhei

Note: the game session is in Portuguese.

Sometimes what is lost, doesn't stay lost forever... but at what cost?

Get your Asilo scenarios today and you can pick them up at Rolisboa.

At the request of some of you we also extended the time our limited time Asilo T-Shirts are available so grab them while you can!

Newborn Games now has an official store!

Explore all our available products, from the exclusive Rolisboa 25 T-shirts featuring Asilo-inspired art by Grotesco Joe, to the Demon Ninja corebook, and everything the community unlocked during the Asilo Gamefound campaign:

• The hardcover corebook, including the solo adventure Patient 0;
• The Lost Cases and The Drowned Cases;
• The ever-familiar Asilo postcard.

Visit the store and enjoy a special RLXMINUSONE, with €1 off EACH product, and pickup at Rolisboa during the weekend of November 1st and 2nd.

Make your purchase and claim your own portable door to a new nightmarish playground.

Note: The Asilo T-shirts are an exclusive pre-order for pickup at Rolisboa, and the pre-order ends on October 17th. Make it count.

A group of Asilo Pacients got together to experience the final night. An innocent Halloween activity shows the promise to be much more than that.

This is the first part of a game session from Dados à Portuguesa.

Note: the game session is in Portuguese.

This week, content creator Trengo Maximus published an in-depth review of our RPG Demon Ninja — both on his blog and on his YouTube channel.

⚠️ Please note: the review is in Portuguese.

In his review, Trengo dives headfirst into the violent and intense experience of Demon Ninja, highlighting the balance between brutal combat and the existential dilemmas of the game world. It's an honest, informed and personal take on the game’s core themes and mechanics — well worth a read (and a watch!).

Blog: ocantinhodotrengo.weebly.com
YouTube: Demon Ninja Review

Stay tuned — next week, Trengo will be publishing an interview with the game's author, M. Solid, exploring the creative process behind Demon Ninja.

Recently, Disciple Studios announced that there is a new Pilgrim among us, and we share the enthusiasm.

It is no easy feat to undertake this journey and survive. We can only wish the best for the Pilgrim Afonso and his travels across the lands of dark Japan, this time with the power of a very special Kun.

And darkness takes the rest.

✨ A special moment for Silent Læke.

This week, we received the new prototype of the Coffee & Shadows card deck.
It’s a strange feeling, seeing something that lived only in drafts, sketches, and dreams become real — printed, tangible, something you can hold in your hands.

The prototype contains the core of the game: characters, places, and fragments of Silent Læke. Each card is a window into the town’s secrets, and flipping through them feels like walking its streets.

While we can’t embed the video here, you can watch the full unboxing on our social channels. The audio is in Portuguese — but we’re sure you’ll enjoy the visuals, the atmosphere, and the first glimpse at the cards themselves.

Meanwhile, here’s a photo of the prototype on the table — the new glimpse of Silent Læke as an object in the world.

This piece by Jose M. García was created for Dark Waters, a crossover scenario between Asilo and Silent Læke.
Tense, melancholic, and quietly haunting — it captures the kind of horror we love most: the one that whispers before it screams.

Silent Læke is made of faces and places.
Every smile hides a story.
Every corner keeps a secret.

Starting this week, every Tuesday and Thursday, we’ll unveil another fragment of the town.
25 people. 24 places.

Together, they form a map of secrets and silences.

The Journey Ahead

• September – Family & Trauma
• October – Youth & School
• November – Spirituality & Isolation
• December – Culture & Decay
• January – City & Work
• February – Law, Order and Authority
  

Welcome to Silent Læke. The truth is out there, but digging into it might hurt.

Art by Ludmila V.

It's official: our website is live!
This is our new digital space, where you'll be able to follow everything we're crafting, from the eerie secrets of Silent Læke, to the clinical nightmares of Asilo, and the blood-soaked shadows of Demon Ninja.

But today we're not just launching the site.
We're also announcing the crowdfunding campaign for Silent Læke!
The campaign will launch on Backerkit on April 13, 2026, but you can follow the project right now to get all updates as they drop:
Follow the Silent Læke campaign on Backerkit

Some features are still being fine-tuned, including the online store (yes, we know you've got your eyes on it!) and a few extra surprises coming soon.
But starting today, you can explore the site, register as a user, and even leave comments on our blog posts.

This blog will be your direct link to Newborn Games:

• News
• Behind-the-scenes updates
• Events, releases, and much more!

In the meantime, take a look at our games and stay close.
The world of Silent Læke is waking up and you can be part of it.