MCDM Productions, a rising star in the tabletop gaming industry, has quickly established itself as a go-to source for innovative and engaging game content. Founded in 2018, the company grew from a popular YouTube channel to a thriving publisher of Dungeons & Dragons supplements and original games, such as their upcoming title Draw Steel.
Geoff, General Manager of MCDM Productions, spoke with us about the company’s contributions to the world of TTRPGs (tabletop roleplaying games), as well as MCDM’s exciting plans for the future.
Humble Beginnings and Rapid Growth
The story of MCDM Productions begins with Matt Colville, a passionate author and Game Master who sought to share his knowledge and love for the tabletop hobby. His YouTube channel, dedicated to teaching others how to run D&D, gained a dedicated following. Recognizing the demand for high-quality D&D resources, Colville launched a crowdfunding campaign to turn his homebrew book into a polished product. The Strongholds & Streaming campaign was a resounding success, exceeding its funding goal by a significant margin. This success fueled Colville’s decision to leave his day job and focus on MCDM Productions full-time.
Enhancing the Dungeons & Dragons Experience
MCDM Productions has made a significant impact on the world of Dungeons & Dragons by offering a wide range of supplemental materials designed to enhance the gaming experience. Their prestige hardcover books, such as Kingdoms & Warfare and Strongholds & Followers, introduce new elements like large-scale warfare and political intrigue to the game. The company also offers premade adventures in Where Evil Lives, that provide ready-to-play content for Dungeon Masters.
Draw Steel: A New Frontier of Tabletop Gaming
MCDM Productions’ latest venture is Draw Steel, an entirely new roleplaying game that promises a fresh and exciting experience for players. Drawing from the wargaming roots of the RPG hobby, combat in Draw Steel takes place on a grid with robust rules for movement, displacement, damage, and progression.
If you zoom out a bit, Draw Steel and Dungeons & Dragons appear similar; both games allow groups of players to come together and create an original story through narrative-based gameplay. However, the rulesets and playstyles between the two games are vastly different. “It’s an entirely new game,” said Geoff. “It doesn’t use the same dice, the same rules – it’s an original creation. It’s a very tactile game, you really want to have a grid in front of you.”
MCDM hopes the tabletop gaming community uses their books to create their own original stories in their own fantasy worlds. “[The books are] sort of the building blocks that you can use to create your own worlds and adventures. We have an open license that allows people to use our full text in their own original creations. This is kind of the bedrock we hope the community uses to build stuff on top of.”
A Massive Undertaking for MCDM Productions
Draw Steel is the culmination of a herculean effort from the employees at MCDM Productions. “We have a team of 11 people in-house and dozens of contract artists, designers, testers all working together to make these books” explained Geoff. “We don’t cut any corners. Art, design, layout, editing – It’s a huge investment in time and effort. We’ve been working on Draw Steel for almost two years, and by the time we deliver it will be two and a half years.”
Presentation is an important compliment of game design and a priority for MCDM. “We invest a lot in our illustrations and layout. Really high-quality illustrations are an important part of fantasy,” said Geoff. “Our last book, Flee, Mortals!, had almost 400 illustrations in it, so making sure all the work is delivered to customers inside a high quality book is very important to us.”
A Shared Commitment to Quality and Innovation
As MCDM Productions continues to grow and evolve, it is clear that the company is committed to pushing the boundaries of tabletop gaming. With its innovative products, dedicated team and passion for game development, MCDM Productions hope to offer great products to their customers for years to come.
One of the many things that makes Walsworth’s partnership with MCDM Productions so successful is our shared commitment to quality products. MCDM won’t send a product to their customers if it doesn’t meet their high standards, and neither will we. If you’re a publisher of game books or other art books, contact Walsworth today to learn more about what we have to offer.
