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Red Tides: A Tale of New Caribbea - A Co-Op Pirate Boardgame

Created by Tortugas Games

A strategic pirate co-op game for 1 to 4 players. Scour the wild ocean for merchants to plunder, build up your ship, and learn devastating naval tactics. Work together to take down John Davies and his lackeys to free New Caribbea!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

November Update - PAX, Production, Pledge Manager, RPG, and KAEN!
7 months ago – Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 02:29:50 PM

Avast Captains! Stop and peer at the swell of news!

We have several updates to share today, including PAX Unplugged plans, production progress, the pledge manager, our current fulfillment timeline, and news about the Red Tides RPG. Long Lost Notable - Pirate Lord seak peek at the end!

PAX Unplugged 2025 Play - 10am 11/21

We will be hosting an open public play gathering in one of the free play areas at PAX Unplugged 2025 starting at 10am 11/21.

WE WILL EMAIL LOCATION THE MORNING OF FRIDAY 11/21.

(If you still need to share your email fro PAX Unplugged - provide it here.)


This is not an official PAX event - we are just allowing folks to show up, play the game, and connect. We plan to run up to four sessions, each for up to four players, beginning Friday morning. Everything will run on a first come first serve basis, and we will keep tables going as long as players want to keep playing (or we fall out from exhaustion).

We will also bring a preview of the Azteca faction. For PAX we are presenting the Azteca faction through a small set of paper prototype components: a prototype ship layout, a curated set of altar cards, and a short reference sheet. These pieces offer a focused taste of the faction, though they will not be part of the play sessions. 

We will also have a first printing of Red Tides: Shore Leave - our 1-pager RPG. Details below.

Key notes:
• Free play area
• First come first serve
• Starts Friday morning
• Azteca shown as a curated prototype set
• Red Tides: Shore Leave - a 1-pager RPG set in the world of New Caribbea

Production Update - Dice Molds Started! 

The most complex item is getting the dice molds created and perfect.  Our custom dice molds are now in active development. Engineering samples are ongoing, and the factory has begun cutting molds for volley dice, challenge dice, mighty challenge dice, and fortune dice. Once test shots arrive we will share photos so you can see the exact colors and icon layouts before mass production begins.

Rulebook and card layouts are moving through final pre-press checks.

Key notes:
• Dice molds underway
• Test shots coming 
• Rulebook and card files nearing final approval

Pledge Manager Update

The pledge manager is nearly ready. This stage is important because it lets us collect every final detail before locking the full mass production run. We know some of you have been eager to adjust your orders, whether changing items or adding more. You will be able to do all of this once the pledge manager opens. Having accurate and up to date information ensures you receive exactly what you expect, and hopefully a bit more.
Thank you for your patience as we finalize this step. Some projects move to their pledge manager very quickly, but we want to make sure everything is correct before it goes live so your final delivery meets our expectations as well as yours.

Key notes:
• Pledge manager in final preparation
• Adjustments and add ons will be available
• Accurate responses guide production
• Thank you for your patience

Project Timeline

We remain on schedule.
Fulfillment is targeted for Q2 2026.
If anything shifts, we will let you know right away.


Red Tides RPG: Shore Leave

Our Red Tides RPG is titled Shore Leave, an expanded one pager designed for fast, chaotic storytelling in New Caribbea.

Players wake up after a night they cannot remember. Each recalls only one thing: the captain gave them an important task, but none of them remember what it was. They have one day to uncover it and carry it out before the captain returns.

Shore Leave is built to use the fortune dice included in Red Tides but can also be played with a standard D8.
We expect to have a beta version ready for playtesting by mid December, making it easy to bring to holiday gatherings. Your feedback will help us refine the final release.

Key notes:
• RPG is called Shore Leave
• Uses fortune dice or a D8
• Beta planned for mid December

Join Our Discord

If you want ongoing discussion about Red Tides, the best place to join us is our community Discord. It is where we share smaller updates, answer questions live, and chat with players about strategy, ideas, and development.
If you enjoy following the creation process or want to connect with other captains, the Discord is the easiest place to stay in the loop.

Key notes:
• Best place for live conversation
• Development previews and Q and A
• Active community of captains

https://discord.gg/fC3NEP3Vuj

Stretch Goal - Long Lost Notable Sneak Peak

We present Kaen and his ship, Fang of Abyssian

Red Tides Update 3 - So close to starting Manufactuering!
8 months ago – Sun, Oct 19, 2025 at 09:36:15 AM

Hail and well met Captains!

It’s been over 2 months since we finished crowdfunding and we’re still crunching towards manufacturing. We’re scanning every square inch of the production files, finalizing contract details, solidifying fulfillment plans, testing some final balance tweaks, and wrapping up the final art and design for a few of the bigger stretch goals.


Tortugas Games @ PaxU
We’re gonna be there! While we won’t have a booth (we’re planning booths once we have the game in hand), we will be wandering around, playing Red Tides, and just having a good time. We would love to hear if you have any interest in playing the game! Let us know here:


Partnership for Retail and Online

We're close to making a decision for a partner for our retail and brick and mortar strategies. As two creators with full time jobs we want to focus on making the best game possible and leave the wild world of retail to some serious pros. We're looking for a partner to bring vast experience into handling retail and online sales. Since you already backed, this may not matter to you but it's an important step give us more time on the game, and builds a stronger base for more expansions and games in the future. 

Rulebook Updates

We’ve hired William Niebling to handle the final version of the rulebook. William has been a freelance rules writer/editor for the last 18 years, and worked within the hobby games industry for over 30 years. He came highly recommended and we are thrilled he’s taking the lead on this critical part of the game. As a designer myself, it's incredibly encouraging to get feedback on the rules from such a pro. I was mostly happy with the state of the rules given the amount of testing we've done, but William is taking it to the next level. So pumped to be working with him.

Post-campaign Purchasing
BackerKit offers a way for folks who missed the main campaign to purchase the game. We don’t have a timeframe in which we’ll keep this open but we wanted to make sure the folks who missed out can get in on Red Tides with all the benefits and value of the crowd-funding campaign. We try to keep it simple and not play games. We’ll offer this for as long as we can, but once the final button is pressed on manufacturing, the version available here will only be available to you folks that took a chance on us, (and maybe at conventions if we have left-overs). In order for Tortugas Games to stand firmly on its own two feet we can’t offer this version going forward. I think we treat crowd-funding a bit of an antiquated way, using it to actually fund the game and our dream, but our stated objective from the beginning has been, and will be: get the game into the hands of as many people as possible. 


Production Timeline
We’ve received our final production timeline from our manufacturer, LongPack. We’re working non-stop to get the game shipped from the manufacturer before the start of Chinese New Year to make sure we stay on track for a Q2 2026 launch. We’ve built in some additional time to increase the odds of hitting that goal, but we know that unexpected things can happen so we don’t want to dawdle.

A quick note on tariffs: when we launched the campaign, we were still in the middle of uncertainty around tariffs for games bound for the U.S. We built in enough margin to absorb what we thought was a reasonable cost. Given the shifts since then (first down, then back up again) we remain hopeful that tariffs won’t affect our ability to deliver at the costs we planned. We’ll continue to absorb as much of that as possible without compromising the game or the future of Tortugas Games.

In times of uncertainty, we double down on communication. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we encourage you to join our Discord and connect directly with us there: 

https://discord.gg/fC3NEP3Vuj


Seas of Sacrifice – Design Origins
We’ve said little about the Seas of Sacrifice expansion for Red Tides outside of what we showed on the campaign page. We’re going to start to chronicle some of the lesser-discussed aspects of Red Tides and the expansions in the coming months.

The Seas of Sacrifice expansion for Red Tides came about from an intense love of history and a fascination with those tiny moments when a small change can spark a completely different world. As I researched and read about pre-Columbian civilizations, I realized that my education up to that point had been vastly incomplete, a realization that happens with all history I study. The deeper I went, the more I found it to be nuanced and fathomlessly complex, far beyond what I had imagined.

Given the setting of New Caribbea and its fantastical portrayal of a time and place parallel to our own history, I found myself constantly drawn to understanding the path that led to this moment. While we’ve imagined many different expansions over the years and worked on them off and on, the concept of a Mesoamerican presence kept pulling us back.

Though we’ll likely never publish it directly, there exists, at least in our internal canon, a chain of events that led from a small, struggling city in the middle of a vast swamp, defending itself and creating a religion to secure its place in the world, all the way to one of the greatest republics in the world of New Caribbea.

When the forebearers of the protagonists in Red Tides arrived across the sea, they discovered vast, thriving centers of human society rich in technology, religion, and all the complications that human civilization brings. Nestled among these impressive, though not unprecedented, cultures scattered across the new world was one that seemed, at first, fairly unremarkable compared to its peers: what is now known as the Azteca Republic.

The Azteca would go on to forge alliances with their greatest enemies and conquer those who stood in the way of unification. They extended north into the deserts, establishing human centers in inhospitable lands, and pushed south until they reached the rocky rainforests of another rising empire.

It was at the height of this expansion, when the Azteca Republic reached its maximum extent, that Davies burst onto the scene, upsetting what had been a delicate balance between the land-based might of the Azteca and the incredible sea power of the Seven Sisters. Seeing an opportunity, the leader of the Azteca Republic met with Davies in secret to assess his potential as an ally. A plan was hatched, and a treaty was enacted: Davies would swear that no non-native would set foot in the Azteca Republic, and no Aztecan would launch a ship into the seas of New Caribbea.

To seal the pact, the Azteca leader provided Davies with special items of power to enhance his ship, the Dead Drifter. Within the Azteca Republic, it is widely believed that these artifacts ultimately tipped the balance in Davies’ favor and led directly to his rise in New Caribbea.

Believing they had secured the better end of the deal, ceding a worthless sea to a man they were certain was doomed but gaining precious time to bring their costly war against the Southerns to a close, the Azteca withdrew from the seas.

We know the story of Davies, and as captains, you embark on a quest to remove him and his ilk from power. For the Azteca Republic, however, the story did not unfold as expected. What they viewed as an ultimate victory over their greatest rivals became instead a fragile peace meant to prevent mutual annihilation. What they saw as one man’s doomed quest to fight a juggernaut of state and culture became a legend of triumph of the determined over the entrenched. And what they believed would be insurance and protection against an exposed flank became a mark of weakness and a thorn in their side.

Hemmed in by nature, threatened with destruction by their adversaries, bound by an outdated treaty, and driven by a religion that balances the fate of the world on the feeding of their gods, the Azteca now look to the seas of New Caribbea for their future.

Having long derided the ways and means of the outsiders, the Azteca have begun to steal their technology and their ships, imbuing them with their own knowledge of the physical and spiritual worlds. They have launched their dual temples into the sea itself, bringing with them the might of the land upon which the sun god stands. Like a continent floating on a sea of lava, the solidity of their mighty ships now rides upon the water and blood of New Caribbea.





Next Up: Azteca Gameplay…



Red Tides 1 Month Update!
10 months ago – Tue, Aug 26, 2025 at 07:11:17 PM

Holy cow it’s been a month since the Red Tides campaign ended! We are missing all of the constant updates and drama of the campaign but excited about getting the game to everyone!

Gen Con 
Fresh off the heels of the campaign we were in Indianapolis for Gen Con. We ran events daily and they all sold out! We underestimated demand and I apologize to all of you who wanted to sign up but found no spots available. We’ll open up many more spots next time! It was amazing to talk to backers who came to find us. We also sold many copies for folks who missed the campaign. I can’t reiterate enough how much the campaign has meant for Red Tides and for us. You enabled us to put in this extra time and polish. 

Production Updates
We’re still on track for Q1 2026. We’re hard at work, putting all the little polish on the various pieces across the campaign. The most critical is the dice, given the long lead times. 

I’m happy to announce that we’re going to be able to put the Azteca on ALL of the Fortune Dice. This means that you won’t have to buy additional separate Azteca Fortune Dice if you got the Seas of Sacrifice expansion -  the dice in the core game will work for them too! I’ll be honest, we considered committing to the next 3 factions in order to fill out the other blank sides but we want to see how the game develops before locking in the NEXT 3 EXPANSIONS!

The various stretch goals are taking up most of the design time because we want to make sure they meet our super high level of expectation. I’m VERY excited about the sub-factions. Such tiny little cards doing TONS of lifting!

Pre-Orders
This doesn’t apply to most of you but, if you’re interested, we have BackerKit’s version of late pledges up - Pre-Orders. Don’t ask me why it’s called that. It works pretty similarly to Late Pledges but it’s actually a full on store. Maybe there is something interesting we can do with it. For now we have a trickle of folks coming through buying the game. This bodes well for the long life we envision for the game!

Pre-Order Link

Wooden Token Pack
As a part of our stretch goals, we included a number of wooden tokens to kit out your crew, faction, and status tokens. We had many people ask if they could buy more in order to replace ALL OF THE TOKENS?! Well, thanks to y'all we’ve got the ability to offer Extra Wooden Token Packs, much like our Extra Dice Packs. The Extra Wood Token Pack will be an option in the pledge manager, once we send that out.

Pledge Manager and Timing
We want to wait as long as possible before sending out the pledge manager to reduce the amount of chaos we let in between the closing of the pledge manager and the shipping of the plunder. Keep your eyes peeled for updates via email or Discord!

Discord
Speaking of discord, come join us! It is the most active area of Red Tides (and increasingly, one of our other games in the development) of all of the internet. We’d love to have you, and you’re welcome to pepper us with questions or ideas!

Update 1 - The Good, The Rad, and The Beautiful!
11 months ago – Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 08:50:41 AM

Fair winds and following seas of the highest order!

6 days ago we wrapped up the crowdfunding campaign and you absolutely smashed it! Not only did you make it possible to make the game, you made it better with all those stretch goals!

What we're doing now...

Going to GenCon

Tortugas Games will be at GenCon! Well, we won't have a booth, but we do have several activities we want to announce. We will go out of our way to show you the game - either hit us up on Discord or send an email to [email protected]!

Join Discord to sync at GenCon!
 https://discord.gg/agVAxdQ7Dm

Red Tides Teach and Play - Feel Like a Pirate, Fire Cannons, Board Ships, and Take Plunder!
Learn to play the recently crowdfunded co-op pirate adventure with designers Nick Raynor and artist Micah Tyson. Plunder Merchants, battle Pirate Lords, and free New Caribbea from the Pirate King.

Social Gathering and Celebration!
Aug. 2 Saturday 7:00pm to 9:00pm – Sun King Brewery

Casual hangout to meet Nick, Micah, and other Red Tides backers. We’ll have the production samples of the game (pre-stretch goals obviously!) and will be hanging out and just enjoying each other’s company. We’ll have NACHOS and other such snacky snacks available!
 

Preparing for Manufacturing

We're scouring all the components of the game, making changes to nearly every aspect to address findings from the last version, reviewing all text, touching up art and UI, final version of the rule book, completing development of the stretch goals, and a lot more.

The Process to Get You the Game (and Everything Else)
Manufacturer Refresh – this is where we assess our manufacturers one last time to get the best quality and price possible. We are already good to go with our lead manufacture but I’m a big believer in due diligence and solid process. Always shop so we can give you the best game possible. We are targeting Q1 2026 but we won't compromise the quality of the product to hit a date. We will keep you informed EVERY step of the way and you can always reach out to us on Discord or at [email protected] if you have any questions or worries!
  1. Design Files – This has been happening non-stop for months as we print updated versions and hone in on the final configuration but this time we’re aiming for the final product, so all final little decisions made, all details complete. We must make pixel-perfect files for the manufacturer. This includes the game and every accessory.
  2. Design Verification – This is where the manufacturer reviews the design files, using their plenitude of experience, to make sure everything will print, inject, cut, and mold as expected. They will highlight problems and risks and will make suggestions to resolve them. We’ll then make those adjustments, and then they will verify again. Once everyone agrees we’ll give them the go-ahead of the pre-production sample. 
  3. Pre-Production Samples – This is where the manufacturer makes a version of the game that will be as close to the final product as possible. Cards, punchboards, dice, box, trays, wrapper, logos/warnings/legalize – all of it. Things that require molds such as mold-injected dice will use a different process (like laser etching) since the molds are thousands of dollars and you don’t want to make them until you are sure. In addition to the game, we’ll also get all of the accessories – trays, mats, card sleeves.
  4. Assess Pre-Production Samples – They send us the physical sample and we pour over every single component – all art, all words, every edge and corner, the weight and feel of the dice, the way the top of the box hugs the bottom. We also assess every accessory as a special product in and of itself – the stitching on the neoprene mats, the snaps on the dice trays, etc. 
  5. Mass Production – This is making the molds, testing them, doing test runs, and finally, producing the thousands of items to be packed, palletized, and made ready to find you.
  6. Shipping – Putting the pallets in containers and sending them throughout the world, going through customs, arriving at the fulfillment centers.
  7. Fulfillment – Packing the shipping boxes for every item you ordered and shipping it to you. 

 

Stretch Goal 9 Unlocked - Vote to Change New Carribean History!
11 months ago – Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 06:32:52 AM

Well that was FAST!

Both the stretch goal and the campaign, tbh. Feels like just yesterday I was sitting on Discord with Micah, finger hovering over the launch button, nervous if we'd hit our goal.

Stretch Goal 9 Unlocked - Long Lost Notable - A New Pirate Lord Challenge!
We have a special one for $120,000. We're adding an additional Pirate Lord to the mix; one from the history books and a key ally for John Davies, The Pirate King, in his rise to power against the 7 Sisters. Someone he betrayed is back with unknown loyalties!

What's most special is we're letting you choose. Vote in the poll to change history and raise the Long Lost Notable from oblivion!



NEXT UP - SHINY TABLE
Some treasure gleams brighter than flash powder when you pull it from your foe’s hold. Mighty pretty!