“Gunsmoke & Dread”: Daggerheart Meets Weird West and Cosmic Horror

Gunfights, endless deserts, and something incomprehensible lurking beyond the familiar world: Gunsmoke & Dread takes Daggerheart to an alternate American West in 1885—and builds upon Daggerheart’s Hope and Fear foundations to create an extensive campaign blending Weird West, cosmic horror, and the “Nameless Dark.” The project’s pre-launch phase on Gamefound begins in early September.

The independent Daggerheart-compatible project from Temple Games is designed and written by Riccardo Scaringi. Gunsmoke & Dread was developed specifically for Daggerheart, expanding its core mechanics with new systems tailored to the Cosmic Weird West setting.

These include rules for Gunfights and Showdowns, as well as mechanics designed to gradually draw the horror deeper into the game. Mental Fortitude and the Dread it accumulates, Corruption Tracks, and the connection between Fear and the Nameless Dark are intended to represent how cosmic horror increasingly transforms both the characters and the world around them. Frontier Survival rules also bring resource scarcity, isolation, and long journeys across the West into play.

“Gunsmoke & Dread — Temple Games. Project artwork used with permission; see press kit credits.”

Nine Adventures Form One Major Campaign

In terms of scope, Gunsmoke & Dread also goes far beyond a small setting supplement. The project includes nine complete adventures totaling more than 156,000 words. Each of the nine volumes can be played as a standalone Daggerheart adventure, while together they form a larger campaign. The developers estimate that each individual volume will take around one to three sessions to complete.

The journey includes a train ride across the high desert in Blood on the Rails, a Rocky Mountain observatory in Where the Stars Fall, and a traveling carnival in The Great Carnival that appears precisely where it is needed. In The Last Gold Rush, gold is discovered in places where, geologically, it should not exist at all. The campaign concludes with The Judge’s Court, where the characters’ earlier decisions are intended to come back into play.

The complete project also includes more than 50 creatures, two boss encounters, six pre-generated characters, and 93 handouts.

What is particularly notable is how far development has already progressed: According to the project, all nine adventures have already been written. The Bestiary, pregenerated characters, and handouts are also said to be complete. The crowdfunding campaign is therefore primarily intended to fund illustrations and professional layout.

Free Quickstart Already Available to Play

Anyone wondering whether the combination of Daggerheart and cosmic Western horror works at their own table does not have to wait for the crowdfunding campaign.

As Riccardo Scaringi confirmed directly to Daggerhome, a free Quickstart is already available. And it is unusually substantial: It includes the core Weird West rules, six pre-generated characters, a Bestiary, and two complete adventures.

That means players can already try Gunsmoke & Dread with two full adventures before the crowdfunding campaign begins.

Gamefound Pre-Launch Begins September 1

The next step follows on September 1, 2026, when the project’s pre-launch phase on Gamefound begins. Scaringi confirmed this date directly to Daggerhome.

There is an important distinction here: September 1 is not the launch date of the actual crowdfunding campaign. The pre-launch phase is intended first to build a community, gather feedback, and showcase more material from the already-written game.

The official project website currently lists November 2026 as the planned launch window for the actual Gamefound campaign. Daggerhome has not yet received confirmation of a specific date.

Alongside Scaringi, the creative team includes Mala Spina for cover art, layout, and graphic design, Alessandro Paderi (“Acheo”) for interior illustrations, and Chiara Di Francia for maps.

Gunsmoke & Dread is an independent Daggerheart-compatible project published under the Darrington Press Community Gaming License. The project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Darrington Press or Critical Role.