What MCDM Productions does

MCDM Productions LLC is a privately-held tabletop role-playing game publisher founded in February 2018 by Matthew Colville in Irvine, California. The company operates two product lines: Draw Steel, a proprietary tactical heroic cinematic fantasy RPG system launched in 2024 with core rules split across Draw Steel: Heroes and Draw Steel: Monsters, and a catalog of D&D 5th Edition supplements including monster books (Flee, Mortals!; Where Evil Lives), organizational tools (Strongholds & Followers; Kingdoms & Warfare), and character classes (The Talent, Beastheart, Illrigger). Draw Steel is supplemented by The Delian Tomb starter adventure and the Crack the Sun five-act epic campaign. The company serves tabletop RPG players, dungeon masters, and hobby content creators globally, with international shipping demonstrated across multiple crowdfunding fulfillment rounds.

MCDM's revenue model combines direct e-commerce through mcdm.shop, recurring Patreon subscriptions (MCDM+), timed crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and BackerKit, and a revenue-share miniatures partnership with Trenchworx. The company has run four major crowdfunding campaigns since 2018—Strongholds & Followers (over $2M within days in 2018), Kingdoms & Warfare ($1M+ in 2019), Flee, Mortals! ($1M+ in 2022), and Crack the Sun ($2.6M in January 2026)—with the most recent campaign attracting roughly a third of its backers from the 2024 Draw Steel launch. A DS Creator License program enables third-party developers to create and sell Draw Steel-compatible content, extending the game's content surface without proportional internal headcount.

MCDM's go-to-market is community-led and founder-driven. Matt Colville's YouTube presence (the Running the Game teaching series and Designing the Game development vlogs) functions as the primary customer acquisition channel, with the company's social presence on Instagram and Twitter and earned media coverage (Polygon, Geek Native) supplementing top-of-funnel reach. The team of approximately 11 includes industry veterans credited on Critical Role comics, DUNE RPG, and Star Trek RPGs. The company is founder-controlled with no institutional equity investment disclosed, having funded product development and operations entirely through crowdfunding revenue, ongoing sales, and Patreon subscriptions.

Name

MCDM Productions

Legal name

MCDM Productions LLC

Website

https://mcdmproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MCDM Productions is a privately-held tabletop RPG publisher founded in 2018 by Matthew Colville, producing the proprietary Draw Steel fantasy RPG and D&D 5th Edition supplements through direct e-commerce, crowdfunding campaigns, Patreon, and a third-party creator licensing program for the global TTRPG community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Role-Playing Game Publishing

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

akta.pro primary industry

Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tabletop RPG Miniatures & Terrain (CRALAKAD)

Keywords

• Tabletop role-playing games
• Fantasy RPG rulebooks
• D&D 5th Edition supplements
• RPG adventure modules
• RPG miniatures and accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time purchases of rulebooks, supplements, and adventure modules sold through MCDM's e-commerce storefront (mcdm.shop/shop.mcdmproductions.com). Products include Draw Steel core rules, monster books, adventure modules, and character class supplements.
2. Patreon Subscription: MCDM+ Patreon providing exclusive content, behind-the-scenes development updates, and early access to materials for supporters. Recurring monthly subscription model.
3. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Timed crowdfunding campaigns on platforms like BackerKit and Kickstarter for new products. Attracted roughly a third of backers from the game's initial 2024 launch. Draw Steel: Crack the Sun campaign raised $2.6 million in January 2026.
4. Miniature Sales Partnership: Miniatures produced by Trenchworx and sold through their storefront, with MCDM receiving revenue from these co-branded products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MCDM Productions designs, publishes, and sells tabletop role-playing game rulebooks, adventure modules, character classes, monster books, and digital content. Its flagship offering is Draw Steel, a proprietary Tactical Heroic Cinematic Fantasy RPG, alongside a catalog of supplements for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Products are sold through the company's own online shop, crowdfunding campaigns, Patreon, and through a miniatures partnership with Trenchworx.

Product overview

MCDM Productions is a tabletop role-playing game company that produces both original RPG systems and D&D 5th Edition supplements. Their flagship product is Draw Steel, a Tactical Heroic Cinematic Fantasy tabletop RPG consisting of core rules (Draw Steel: Heroes, Draw Steel: Monsters), the starter adventure (The Delian Tomb), and the epic campaign (Crack the Sun). The company also produces D&D 5th Edition supplements including monster books (Flee, Mortals!, Where Evil Lives), class options (The Talent, Beastheart, Illrigger), and world-building tools (Kingdoms & Warfare, Strongholds & Followers). Products are distributed through their online shop (mcdm.shop), crowdfunding campaigns (Kickstarter, BackerKit, Gamefound), and Patreon membership. The company also partners with Trenchworx for miniatures production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Draw Steel: MCDM Productions' proprietary tabletop role-playing game system, described as 'Tactical Heroic Cinematic Fantasy.' The core rules include Draw Steel: Heroes and Draw Steel: Monsters volumes.

Products and services

• Draw Steel: Heroes Core rulebook for players of Draw Steel covering character creation, abilities, and gameplay mechanics.
• Draw Steel: Monsters Monster rulebook for Draw Steel containing creature statistics, behaviors, and encounter guidelines.
• Draw Steel RPG (Flagship System) Draw Steel is MCDM's flagship Tactical Heroic Cinematic Fantasy tabletop RPG system, spanning core rules, monsters, adventures, and campaigns.
• The Delian Tomb (Draw Steel Starter Adventure) Classic starter adventure for Draw Steel, expanded and updated from Matt Colville's Running the Game series, including a step-by-step tutorial for both players and Directors.
• Crack the Sun (Draw Steel Epic Campaign) First official epic campaign for Draw Steel, a five-act campaign totaling 16 victories and spanning two worlds. Funded through a BackerKit campaign that raised $2.6 million by January 5, 2026.
• Flee, Mortals! - The MCDM Monster Book D&D 5th Edition monster book containing monsters that are fun to run and fun to fight.
• Where Evil Lives - The MCDM Book of Boss Battles D&D 5th Edition book of boss battles containing everything needed to run a lair directly out of the book, usable for one-off encounters or as the climax of a campaign.
• Kingdoms & Warfare D&D 5th Edition supplement allowing players to lead an organization that takes on villainous realms in shadowy intrigues and to build an army to battle enemies.
• Strongholds & Followers First major D&D 5th Edition supplement from MCDM, giving characters something to spend their money on and extend their influence in the local area, including rules for raising armies, researching spells, and spying on enemies.
• The Talent (Psion Class) D&D 5th Edition character class — a hero that uses mind powers to battle monsters and overcome obstacles, MCDM's take on the psion.
• Beastheart and Monstrous Companions D&D 5th Edition character class codifying the fantasy of adventuring alongside a wild companion.
• Illrigger Class D&D 5th Edition character class featuring versatile armored warriors with a wide array of supernatural abilities that reflect an infernal source of power.
• ARCADIA Digital Magazine Monthly digital magazine for D&D players and Dungeon Masters, available bundled as issues 1–30.
• The Road to Broadhurst (Convention Adventure) Free convention adventure for Draw Steel, written by Carlos Cisco, designed for experienced Directors who want to introduce Draw Steel to new players at conventions or in game stores.
• MCDM Minis by Trenchworx Miniature figures and .stl files for tabletop gaming produced by Trenchworx in partnership with MCDM Productions, including characters such as Sporeling, Marquis of Acheron, Khorsekef the Infinite, and Owlbear.
• MCDM Patreon (MCDM+) Membership Recurring Patreon subscription offering exclusive content, behind-the-scenes development updates, and early access to materials for supporters of MCDM Productions.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TrenchworxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrenchworx has produced all the miniatures for MCDM Productions' crowdfunding campaigns over the years. They carry a large selection of miniatures and .stl files for tabletop gaming, available on their storefront.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paizo: Paizo publishes Pathfinder, the leading non-D&D fantasy tabletop RPG system with a deep catalog of adventures and supplements, also selling via crowdfunding, direct e-commerce, and retail. Directly comparable as a competing full-system fantasy TTRPG publisher with active crowdfunding cadence and a strong community-led GTM.
• Onyx Path Publishing: Onyx Path publishes a portfolio of tabletop RPGs (World of Darkness, Trinity Continuum, Scion) using a community-driven, creator-owned licensing model similar in spirit to MCDM's third-party license approach. Comparable as an independent RPG publisher leveraging licensing/partnerships to scale content production beyond its small core team.
• Pinnacle Entertainment Group: Pinnacle publishes the Savage Worlds tabletop RPG system, a generic multi-genre ruleset with strong companion miniatures lines and a long history of adventure supplements. Comparable as an independent tabletop RPG publisher with its own proprietary system, adventure catalog, and miniature integration.
• Kobold Press: Kobold Press is an indie tabletop RPG publisher that pivoted from producing D&D third-party content (like Tales of the Yawning Portal and the OGL-driven Tales of the Valiant after the 2023 OGL crisis) to launching its own system. Closely comparable to MCDM's trajectory of building a proprietary system after a D&D supplement heritage.
• Goodman Games: Goodman Games publishes Dungeon Crawl Classics and a deep catalog of old-school and D&D-compatible adventures via Kickstarter campaigns regularly exceeding $1M. Directly comparable independent TTRPG publisher using crowdfunding, classic-fantasy adventure design, and ties to the OSR/TTRPG community.
• Chaosium: Chaosium publishes Call of Cthulhu and other BRP-based tabletop RPGs with a long-running adventure catalog, community presence, and a partnership-style model for third-party content. Comparable as an established independent TTRPG publisher anchored by a proprietary system and a deep adventure line.
• Modiphius Entertainment: Modiphius publishes licensed tabletop RPGs (Dune, Star Trek, Conan, Achtung! Cthulhu) plus original systems, with Kickstarter campaigns, miniatures partnerships, and a third-party creator community. Comparable as an independent creator-friendly TTRPG publisher with a complementary mix of original and licensed IP.
• Critical Role / Darrington Press: Darrington Press (Critical Role's publishing arm) launched Daggerheart, a proprietary tabletop RPG system with a built-in creator-community distribution model analogous to MCDM's. Comparable as a creator-led TTRPG publisher converting an audience into a full proprietary game system.
• Free League Publishing: Free League publishes award-winning tabletop RPGs including Dragonbane, The One Ring 2e, and Mörk Borg, with production values comparable to MCDM and a similar crowdfunding-driven direct-to-consumer model. Comparable as an independent high-production-value TTRPG publisher building its own IP rather than relying on third-party licenses.

Broad incumbents

• Wizards of the Coast: Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro subsidiary) publishes Dungeons & Dragons, the dominant tabletop RPG with massive retail distribution, marketing budget, and a deep third-party ecosystem. Comparable as the incumbent MCDM's Draw Steel directly positions against; provides market context rather than direct head-to-head competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hellomcdm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hellomcdm
• Instagraminstagram.com/hellomcdm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcdm-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MCDM Productions