The miniature wargame Trench Crusade has seen significant growth since its 2024 Kickstarter raised $3 million, far exceeding its $66,666 goal. Developers at Factory Fortress Inc. continue to navigate the challenges of fulfilling pledges while expanding the game with new plastic miniatures and third-party support. The retrospective highlights the game's origins and ongoing evolution amid high fan demand.
Trench Crusade originated from concept artist Mike Franchina's visions of an alternative Earth in perpetual war against hell, blending dieselpunk technology, religious iconography, and body horror. Franchina created the setting for artwork unsuitable for his videogame industry job, describing it as a domain for "fucked up religious freaks."
In summer 2022, UK-based sculptor James Sheriff launched a Kickstarter for resin miniatures based on Franchina's designs. During that campaign, Sheriff announced that designer Tuomas Pirinen, known for 1999's Mordheim, was developing it into a wargame. Pirinen's involvement drew a dedicated community that playtested beta rules with kitbashed miniatures.
Producer Jamie Parsons joined for the 2024 Kickstarter, aiming for a modest playable game with a printed rulebook, STL files for home printing, and print-on-demand options. Factory Fortress Inc. pledged a free living rulebook forever and open licensing for third-party products. The campaign's unexpected $3 million haul overwhelmed preparations.
Post-Kickstarter, the living rulebook and STLs released promptly, but fulfillment lagged due to scale. Third parties filled gaps, with hundreds of compatible miniatures on platforms like MyMiniFactory. Official partnerships include Westfalia's The Red Brigade with rules expansions. Wargames Atlantic released the first hard plastic kit, Trench Missionaries.
Factory Fortress partnered with Archon Studios for plastics; Prussian sub-faction minis for New Antioch debuted at Essen in October 2025 and reached shelves before all pledges were fulfilled. The rulebook, received early 2026, features art by Franchina and others, including Latin-annotated maps. Pirinen's rules emphasize flavorful, distinctive factions. Ex-Games Workshop designer Jervis Johnson edited the rules.
Plans exist to convert models to plastics alongside STLs, though schedules remain fluid as the artist-led team adapts to demand.
