Playtest Holiday: The Shattered Cheer
Help us put Holiday through its paces at real tables.
Holiday: The Shattered Cheer is a fantasy tabletop RPG campaign that takes adventurers through four fractured holiday kingdoms—Harvest, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year.
BooneBerry Press is preparing controlled external playtesting to evaluate encounter balance, clarity, pacing, player choice, GM usability, campaign mechanics, and the overall table experience.
We are looking for players and Game Masters with a wide range of experience levels.
Want to see the work first?
Before applying, you can read a short, spoiler-limited preview from The Road to Everfest, a finished standalone adventure set in the world of Holiday: The Shattered Cheer.
This preview is intended to show our writing and presentation style. Playtest packets are focused testing documents rather than final-release layouts.
What Are We Testing?
Playtesting will focus on specific encounters and portions of Holiday: The Shattered Cheer rather than distributing the complete unpublished campaign.
Depending on the test, participants may help evaluate:
• Encounter difficulty and pacing
• Combat and noncombat solutions
• Player choice and objective clarity
• Holiday species and backgrounds
• Minor Holiday Sparks and campaign rewards
• GM instructions and encounter usability
• Rules clarity and edge cases
• Overall player experience
Who We're Looking For
You do not need to be a professional game designer or longtime TTRPG veteran to participate.
We want feedback from a range of tables, including:
• Newer tabletop RPG players
• Experienced players
• Newer Game Masters
• Experienced Game Masters
• Established gaming groups
• Players familiar with the revised 2024 fifth-edition rules
• Players with different approaches to exploration, roleplaying, problem-solving, and combat
Some tests may require particular experience levels, party sizes, or other conditions. Completing the application does not guarantee placement in a test.
What Does Playtesting Involve?
Selected participants will receive the materials required for their assigned test.
Depending on your role, these may include:
• A GM Playtest Packet
• A Player Playtest Packet
• Pregenerated characters
• Encounter maps
• Playtest procedures and testing objectives
• Feedback forms
Most initial tests will focus on individual encounters rather than requiring participants to play the entire campaign.
Participants will be expected to play the assigned material as written as closely as reasonably possible and provide candid feedback afterward.
There is no cost to participate in playtesting.
Rules Used for Testing
Holiday: The Shattered Cheer is currently being tested using the revised 2024 fifth-edition rules.
Individual testing assignments will provide any additional rules or campaign-specific mechanics required for that session.
About the Playtest Materials
Playtest materials are unpublished development materials belonging to BooneBerry Press and are provided only for the assigned test.
Selected testers will be asked to review and agree to the applicable Playtesting Agreement and Code of Conduct before receiving playtest materials.
Please do not share, repost, stream, publish, or distribute playtest materials unless BooneBerry Press has specifically authorized it.
What Happens After You Apply?
Submit the playtester application below.
BooneBerry Press reviews applications based on current testing needs.
Selected participants will be contacted with additional information.
Before receiving unpublished materials, selected testers will complete the required participation documents.
Once those are complete, the appropriate playtest packet will be provided.
After the session, participants will submit the requested feedback.
Because different tests require different types of tables, we may not be able to place every applicant immediately. An application may also be considered for a later testing round.
Interested in Joining a Playtest?
If you'd like to help shape Holiday: The Shattered Cheer, complete the application below.
Application information will be used to administer BooneBerry Press playtesting and select participants for appropriate testing opportunities. See our Privacy Policy for additional information.