Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard's own SON is helping police investigate his alleged sex crimes By Guy Adams Investigates For The Daily Mail
15 Jan 2021
Link to article
'He has become my arch-nemesis. I no longer regard him as my father . . . He is a monster. I am now here to serve in any way I can, to support survivors and the justice process and also to help expose the people who covered up his crimes.'
Kai Bickle's world came tumbling down one night in May 2019, when he attended a dinner party at a lavishly decorated mansion overlooking the golden sands of Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
The host was his father, Peter Nygard, a Canadian fashion tycoon famed for the hedonistic lifestyle he pursued at a global portfolio of high-end properties, including vast residences in Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal, as well as New York, and, most notoriously, a Mayan-themed 'private luxury resort' in the Bahamas.
Modelling himself on Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, the flamboyant Nygard, now 79, kept a revolving harem of girlfriends. Those caught up (often completely unwittingly) in this web had included actresses Susan Anton and Jennifer O'Neill, stripper-turned-reality star Anna Nicole Smith, and a former Wheel Of Fortune card turner by the name of Vanna White.
His Caribbean parties, meanwhile, tended to attract a better class of A-lister. Past visitors to the island property had ranged from Jane Seymour and Bo Derek to Robert De Niro, , Michael Jackson and Joan Collins, not to mention and , who were photographed there in the early 2000s on an innocuous family holiday.
The 2019 bash, during one of Peter's occasional business trips to LA, was to be a more down-to-earth affair. Roughly 20 guests, including Kai, 38, and his younger brother Jessar (one of roughly ten offspring Nygard has fathered via more than seven women) had been invited for food and drinks, followed by a late-night poker game.
That was the plan, at least. But Kai never made it to the card- table. Instead, he fled the lavish premises in a state of distress, shortly after dinner, believing that he had just witnessed his father attempting to sexually assault an eight-year-old girl.
Details of this ugly development are (it should be stressed) strongly disputed, and we shall examine them later. But the incident would kick-start an extraordinary chain of events that culminated just before Christmas, with the arrest of Peter Nygard on nine charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Currently behind bars, with his $900 million (£660 million) business empire in tatters and the FBI poring over his computer hard-drives, the fallen tycoon has now been accused of rape or sexual assault by at least 57 women. Several of Nygard's accusers were children when the alleged crimes took place, and many claim they were drugged.
At least 57 women have accused him.
He will appear in court in Canada next week, seeking bail as he fights extradition to the USA.
It is, perhaps, the most high-profile and shocking sex case since handcuffs were slapped on Jeffrey Epstein. And in a remarkable twist, it turns out that a leading figure in the increasingly public campaign to prosecute Mr Nygard is his aforementioned son, Kai.
Upcoming documentary: ‘Unseamly’ Canadian Designer Peter Nygård True Crime Documentary
Behind the scenes, I can reveal that Kai has spent the past 18 months secretly helping both the U.S. and Canadian authorities investigate his own father's alleged crimes. Keeping his role hidden from Nygard and his associates for several months, he has worked tirelessly to assist victims, and their legal teams.
On the personal front, he has changed his name (taking up his mother's surname to become Kai Zen Bickle) and used his influence over various Nygard companies to block efforts to move his assets offshore, fearing that would allow him to flee. 'We have been engaged in a brutal battle against my father and his enablers,' is how Kai summed things up when we spoke this week.
'He has become my arch-nemesis. I no longer regard him as my father . . . He is a monster. I am now here to serve in any way I can, to support survivors and the justice process and also to help expose the people who covered up his crimes.'
Perhaps most remarkably of all, Kai recently helped two of his younger siblings, one of whom remains a minor, to sue Peter Nygard over claims he 'engineered' the rape of his own sons. In an extraordinary lawsuit filed in August, the boys claimed that their leathery, multi-millionaire father instructed one of his long-standing girlfriends (who was also a sex worker) to 'make a man' out of them.
The first of these alleged attacks (which, again, are vehemently denied by Nygard) took place in the Bahamas 2004, when the son was 15 and the woman was in her mid-20s. The second occurred in Winnipeg in 2018, when the younger child was 14 and the woman was in her 40s. Court papers filed by the boys stated that the unnamed girlfriend was instructed to seduce Nygard's son by showering in his bathroom so that he 'could see her naked'. Then she raped him.
Afterwards, she allegedly told the boy he 'wasn't bad' for a 'baby.' The next morning, Nygard's girlfriend brought him breakfast in bed, kissing him on the lips and announcing: 'Mommy's got you.' Kai says he first became aware of this appalling incident last spring, and was 'sickened' to hear his brothers' claims.
He would often yell and scream at his staff.
'We all spoke and decided the best course of action was to file a lawsuit publicly in the hope that other survivors would feel safe to come forward and also file criminally against Nygard,' he says. 'We were originally going to have me in the suit as my young brother's guardian, but in the end decided not to because it would reveal to Nygard that I was working against him . . . At the time I was [secretly] doing everything I could to improve the odds that he would get arrested.'
To appreciate the extraordinary journey taken by Kai, we must wind the clock back to the mid-1980s, when his father was one of Canada's most talked-about self-made millionaires.
The son of penniless immigrants from Finland, Peter Nygard had launched his empire in the late 1960s, with an $8,000 (£6,000) investment in a struggling fashion firm. By the time he was 30, the company had become one of North America's most successful suppliers of leisure and sportswear, while his flamboyant eccentricities, which included keeping parrots in his office and filling the lobby of Nygard HQ with bronze busts of himself, turned him into an object of public fascination.
In 1987, the party-loving entrepreneur purchased a 4.5-acre patch of the island of New Providence in the Bahamas and set about turning it into a 'dream home' where he could indulge his champagne lifestyle. Over the ensuing years, he built 150,000 sq ft of Mayan-themed buildings, stretching over a dozen 'cabana-style' residences. The buildings at Nygard Cay eventually included a casino, a disco hut (with cameras beneath the dance floor, reportedly to shoot images of revellers from below), and the world's largest sauna, a 6,000 sq ft lodge made from 2ft-thick Canadian pine logs.
In the grounds were fake volcanoes that belched dry ice, a flock of peacocks, stone cobras which hissed steam at sunset, 60 ft towers festooned with hundreds of flaming torches (lit nightly by staff) and giant statues of nude women, purportedly modelled on some of Nygard's favourite girlfriends.
At weekends, he would host lavish parties, which appeared on various TV documentaries, including Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous.
The place became a magnet for freeloading celebrities and, while Kai believes they generally had the most fleeting and brief relationship with Nygard, photos of their visits were then plastered across company literature and websites.
Prince Andrew, to cite one example, was recorded for posterity wandering with the long-haired fashion magnate on the beach, wearing blue shorts and boat shoes.
Born in the 1980s, Kai spent the first three years of his life in the Bahamas until his mother, Patricia, left Nygard, with whom she'd had three children but never married.
They moved first to California and then to the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. Over subsequent years, he had almost no regular contact with the fashion tycoon aside from occasional visits during school holidays, where he met various half-siblings.
'He would have one family weekend per year at his lake cottage, and a few days set aside for Christmas,' says Kai of the somewhat unorthodox arrangement. 'During those times, the days were filled with activities like horseback riding or mini golf.
'He could be a very charismatic person when he wanted to be and the family weekends were very light and brief.'
In the very limited time he spent with his father during childhood, Kai saw nothing that gave him reason to suspect that Peter Nygard was guilty of criminality, though he did have a highly volatile personality.
'He would yell and scream at his staff often, and that always was upsetting to everyone around it, but he would describe his yelling as 'passion' because of his 'high standards',' Kai says.
Nygard's children were further told that he 'lived a consensual, non-monogamous lifestyle,' Kai says. 'He made speeches at dinner to family when we were together to talk about how he hoped everyone got a wonderful partner and wished that he could find that special someone, but that it wasn't the life for him.
'He also had girlfriends that were persistently with him, always two or three, and often they were around for years. He wasn't embarrassed about it. He flaunted it on TV, it was part of his brand, something he showed the whole world. He was proud of it.'
Be that as it may, rumours of predatory behaviour by Nygard —and worse — had occasionally reared their ugly head, only to be quickly suppressed: a relatively easy task before the internet.
In 1980, for example, he was charged with the rape of an 18-year-old, but the charge was dropped when the complainant refused to testify. In 1996, three female employees meanwhile filed sexual harassment complaints in the Canadian province of Manitoba.
It looked like his hand was on her thigh, rubbing.
One, a 39-year-old communications manager, said that, when called into Nygard's office, she would 'find him in a state of undress . . . with his hands down the front of his pants, fondling himself.' He settled by giving the women $18,500 (£13,600) and denied any wrongdoing.
Then, in 2010, a Canadian TV network put out a Panorama-style documentary about Nygard, focusing on alleged sex abuse and harassment of former employees.
It quoted a former stewardess on his private plane who alleged that on one journey — during which Nygard was accompanied by a troupe of topless women — he lost his temper with staff, shouting: 'You are nothing! You are garbage! I am God!'
The programme also alleged that Nygard had engaged in 'inappropriate sexual contact' with a young woman who had been brought to his home in 2003 from the Dominican Republic. Nygard denied that either incident had happened, and sued to stop the documentary being broadcast.
Fast forward to May 2019, however, and those ugly incidents were largely forgotten. Kai, who was by then in his late 30s, had worked for his father's companies for just over two years after leaving college, but quit to pursue a career in activism and health science.
Nygard's trip to Los Angeles afforded them a rare opportunity to catch up, so he attended the aforementioned dinner party in Venice Beach.
As the night wore on, he recalls becoming uncomfortable about his father's behaviour towards an eight-year-old girl, who was attending with her mother, one of Nygard's old girlfriends.
'He's got her sitting right next to him at dinner, which is usually his girlfriend chair. And he's a creature of routine. So I'm already thinking this is weird.
'He's trying to act like the Papa. It was just weird . . . I'm noticing things. I'm noticing that he's telling her little secrets at dinner. Putting his hand close to her ear and going all hush-hush.' At the end of dinner, most of the other 20-odd guests got up to adjourn to the card table. However, Kai adds: 'I'm still watching him. Her chair gets pushed back. He brings her round to him.
'She was on his right side. He brings her to his left side, with his arm around her waist, and I see his elbow change and start moving as if — it looked to me, I couldn't see, but it looked like his hand was on her upper thigh, and rubbing. That's what it looked like to me . . . Everything in my body told me he was doing something terrible.'
'I had a huge adrenaline rush and I immediately told the mother to get her daughter away from him,' he adds. 'I stood up next to him and looked in his eyes. At that moment, for me, it was like all the walls were crashing down around him . . . And I realised that, yeah, he's probably trying to groom that girl.'
Nygard vigorously denied wrongdoing, and even called Kai 'sick' for thinking as much. But Kai was unconvinced.
Then, in February last year, ten women filed a bombshell lawsuit in New York claiming that the fashion magnate had used wealth and status to 'entice underage girls' from 'young, impressionable and often impoverished backgrounds' into his home, where they would be 'plied with alcohol' and (some allege) date-rape drugs, before being taken to Nygard's private quarters, where he would 'assault, rape and sodomise' them. Court papers claimed they were then coerced into joining a globe-trotting harem of sex workers paid thousands of dollars from Nygard's company funds and trafficked around the world on his company's private jet, which reportedly boasts a stripper pole.
One alleged victim, who was just 14 at the time, claimed Nygard raped her and paid her $5,000 (£3,700).
Another said her encounter with Nygard began with him showing her pornography after which he raped her, 'causing her extraordinary trauma and pain', the suit states.
Three of his existing ten accusers were 14 at the time. Three more were 15.
Within days, dozens more alleged victims had come forward. By the summer, some 57 survivors were pursuing legal action — and the number of alleged victims had reached 100.
Kai again confronted his father, only to be told it was all 'lies' and asked to speak out publicly in his father's support. But days later a friend texted Kai to complain about a recent visit to Nygard's house in Los Angeles.
'He said he'd brought a female friend with him, who had one or two drinks and had started to feel very high. Nygard took her up to his room and aggressively had sex with her, not using a condom.
'When I heard that, I knew he was not only as bad as people said he was, but was a dangerous criminal and had to be stopped.' He duly alerted the authorities about the friend's message. In a podcast called Live To Walk Again, released this week, he revealed that he began helping both the police and the alleged victims' lawyers, who he regards as 'heroes'.
Over the summer, Kai also used official positions held in Nygard firms to block two apparent efforts to move assets overseas, amid concerns that the tycoon might flee to evade justice.
PODCAST EPISODE: Peter Nygard Discusses His Father
'Through the course of ten months I also helped several survivors to file criminally against him, and spent countless hours on the phone with survivors, lawyers and authorities,' he says. Last month Nygard was arrested on U.S. charges at a home in the Royalwood area of Winnipeg. He spent Christmas behind bars and has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying he 'expects to be vindicated' in court.
Kai has renounced his inheritance and is working on 'making the world a better place' by campaigning to close legal loopholes exploited by sex offenders.
'I'm very happy earning my own money, as I have all my life. We've never had a trust fund or an allowance, and since his money has been made through pain and suffering, I won't accept a potential inheritance,' he says.
His father's cash, he says, should instead go towards compensating victims. 'My focus now is to help the healing process.'

all times EST - check local listings.
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...continued in part 2

What this is:

This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter board game projects that are either:

• newly posted in the past 7 days, or
• ending in the next 7 days (starting Feb 10) and have at least a fighting chance of being funded.

All board game projects meeting those criteria will automatically be included, no need to ask. (The occasional non-board game project may also sneak in!)
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between midnight and noon PST.

Ending Soon

Project Info	Players	Backers	Min / Avg Pledge	Ends	Comments
Shifting Realms: Darkness Revealed Shifting Realms: Darkness Revealed is an expansion to Soaring Rhino's flagship game Shifting Realms. // Has raised $3,880 of $2,000 so far. (~194%) ☑	2 - 4	114	$25 / $34	Feb 11	kicktraq #expansion #reprint
Here to Slay A strategic role-playing fantasy card game from the creators of Unstable Unicorns. // Has raised $2,453,236 of $10,000 so far. (~24532%) ☑	2 - 6	30420	$20 / $81	Feb 11	kicktraq bgg
Island Siege Anniversary Edition This is your chance to upgrade your APE Games classic with deluxe components and 4-player support. // Has raised $12,940 of $19,000 so far. (~68%)	2 - 4	262	$29 / $49	Feb 11	kicktraq bgg #newedition
Jurassic Parts Collect dinosaur fossils & assemble them into complete sets in this area control game for 2-4 players. // Has raised $23,549 of $10,000 so far. (~235%) ☑	2 - 4	866	$29 / $27	Feb 12	kicktraq bgg
Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes' Murder Castle A game of backstabbing and thrilling absurdities! Collect evidence and battle each other across a sprawling castle for 2-6 players! // Has raised $50,530 of $27,663 so far. (~182%) ☑	2 - 6	826	$49 / $61	Feb 12	kicktraq bgg
All Time Franchise Team Sets for the Pine Tar Baseball Game This project introduces the 30 all time franchise teams to the Pine Tar Baseball game. Each team will have 31 players, and an announcer // Has raised $915 of $400 so far. (~228%) ☑	1 - 2	21	$16 / $44	Feb 12	kicktraq #expansion
DVG - Warfighter Battle Packs #2 A collection of Warfighter Expansions from different Eras! // Has raised $33,138 of $10,000 so far. (~331%) ☑	1 - 6	365	$18 / $91	Feb 12	kicktraq bgg #expansion
Arcane Alley: Moonstruck Market Sell your goods in this wolfish expansion to the black magic market's tableau and set collection game. // Has raised $12,994 of $7,500 so far. (~173%) ☑	2 - 6	286	$19 / $45	Feb 12	kicktraq bgg #expansion #reprint
Tortuga 2199 Build a crew, hunt space monsters, become a pirate king. A deck-building and area-control game for 2-4 aspiring space pirates. // Has raised $114,754 of $35,000 so far. (~327%) ☑	2 - 4	1799	$59 / $64	Feb 13	kicktraq bgg
Pineapple: A Visceral Truth or Lie Game Ask deep questions, reach the sweet core of your inner feelings, and find some liars. "Make100" gold metal fruit available! // Has raised $2,581 of $1,000 so far. (~258%) ☑	3 - 11	237	$8 / $11	Feb 13	kicktraq
It's a Wonderful World Ascension The "Ascension" expansion for It's a Wonderful World. // Has raised €328,499 of €20,000 so far. (~1642%) ☑	1 - 6	6570	$25 / €50	Feb 13	kicktraq bgg #expansion #reprint #dicetowerpick
The Rival Networks A 2-player version of the tabletop board game The Networks. // Has raised $33,774 of $20,000 so far. (~168%) ☑	2 - 2	899	$25 / $38	Feb 14	kicktraq bgg
Harvest Fair Board Game A quick to play family game – grow your crops, then win trophies at the end-of-year Harvest Fair! // Has raised £531 of £250 so far. (~212%) ☑	2 - 4	26	$20 / £20	Feb 14	kicktraq
Enchanters: East Quest Play an Enchanter and protect your village from monsters in this 1-4 player card-drafting game by forging infinite combos of Artifacts! // Has raised $175,461 of $30,000 so far. (~584%) ☑	1 - 4	2752	$30 / $64	Feb 14	kicktraq bgg
CUT AND PLAY - collection of free micro games : Season 2 10 free micro games each made from a single sheet of cardboard ! // Has raised €1,660 of €1,000 so far. (~166%) ☑	1 - 2	217	$6 / €8	Feb 14	kicktraq
Neko Neko Cafe - The Board Game Welcome to Neko Neko Cafe, a fast-paced resource management game where you compete with friends to serve delicious treats to customers. // Has raised $5,662 of $8,500 so far. (~66%)	? - ?	70	$37 / $81	Feb 15	kicktraq
Prohibitionists A light, co-op card game about taking down the Mob in Prohibition-era Lake City. // Has raised $5,538 of $4,000 so far. (~138%) ☑	1 - 5	176	$20 / $31	Feb 16	kicktraq bgg
Puns of Anarchy The game of rapid-fire pun-making! No bands, movies, or famous things are safe from becoming hilarious wordplay. // Has raised $117,147 of $10,000 so far. (~1171%) ☑	3 - 99	3259	$33 / $36	Feb 16	kicktraq
Potato Pirates 2: Enter The Spudnet A board game on cybersecurity and computer networking // Has raised $211,022 of $15,000 so far. (~1406%) ☑	3 - 6	2303	$52 / $92	Feb 16	kicktraq bgg
Forsaken Forest: Spirit Uprising - Reincarnation The Ethereal Expansion to the Social-Deduction Expandable-Card-Game // Has raised $7,106 of $10,000 so far. (~71%)	4 - 12	169	$19 / $42	Feb 16	kicktraq bgg #expansion #reprint
CHANCELLORSVILLE 1863 Playable in 1 hour. For 1 to 2 players. Innovative Civil War game with hidden movement, solitaire game engine, using military maps. // Has raised $17,710 of $2,500 so far. (~708%) ☑	1 - 2	205	$64 / $86	Feb 16	kicktraq bgg

New This Week

Project Info	Players	Backers	Min / Avg Pledge	Ends	Comments
Aeon's End: Outcasts A cooperative deck-building game of post-apocalyptic fantasy survival for 1-4 players. // Has raised $252,525 of $40,000 so far. (~631%) ☑	1 - 4	2666	$69 / $95	Feb 28	bgg
Bar Crawl A drinking game to play for a night of fun you won’t remember in the morning. // Has raised $272 of $10,000 so far. (~2%)	? - ?	5	$50 / $54	Mar 07	#lolwut
Catch the Letch Cats' Invasion "Catch the Letch Cats' Invasion" is a little expansion for the game "Catch the Letch" made for the kickstarter event "make 100" // Has raised €261 of €400 so far. (~65%)	? - ?	14	$22 / €19	Mar 05	#expansion
CUT AND PLAY - collection of free micro games : Season 2 10 free micro games each made from a single sheet of cardboard ! // Has raised €1,660 of €1,000 so far. (~166%) ☑	1 - 2	217	$6 / €8	Feb 14
Cyclone! Board Game A board game where players can rotate the board to steal the winning color! // Has raised $2,003 of $603,900 so far. (~0%)	? - ?	4	$NA / $501	Feb 09	#lolwut
Danger Park Danger Park is a light-weight map-building tabletop game about sabotage, fraud, and destruction for 2-4 players. // Has raised $12,520 of $19,000 so far. (~65%)	2 - 4	143	$45 / $88	Feb 29	bgg
Dawn of Empire A war-game centered on the naval aspects of the Spanish-American War of 1898. // Has raised $3,267 of $2,000 so far. (~163%) ☑	2 - 2	46	$45 / $71	Mar 05
Deep State: New World Order A game of global conspiracies from the creators of Space Explorers. Seize the reins of power and become the secret ruler of the world! // Has raised $7,882 of $7,500 so far. (~105%) ☑	2 - 4	139	$35 / $57	Feb 27	bgg
Dr Mike's Times Table Board Game A Board Game to help make times tables practice fun! // Has raised $548 AUD of $1,250 AUD so far. (~43%)	? - ?	9	$34 / $61 AUD	Mar 18
Enchanters: East Quest Play an Enchanter and protect your village from monsters in this 1-4 player card-drafting game by forging infinite combos of Artifacts! // Has raised $175,461 of $30,000 so far. (~584%) ☑	1 - 4	2752	$30 / $64	Feb 14	bgg
For Glory: The Game of Gladiator Combat and Deck Building Build your gladiator school and clash against your opponent in deep tactical combat in the arenas of ancient Rome! // Has raised $33,764 of $22,500 so far. (~150%) ☑	2 - 2	650	$39 / $52	Mar 05	bgg
Forest Fighters Squirrels harvesting acorns for the winter and the resulting woodland mayhem that prospect causes! // Has raised $1,053 of $500 so far. (~210%) ☑	2 - 5	28	$30 / $38	Mar 20	#take2
Frutticola A small town in the US in the '50s, who will be able to produce and sell the best jams by the Christmas sale? // Has raised €18,622 of €10,000 so far. (~186%) ☑	2 - 4	468	$32 / €40	Feb 26	bgg
Gray Eminence A 3 to 5 player board game about global intrigue, politics, bluffing and questionable morality. // Has raised $6,035 of $6,000 so far. (~100%) ☑	3 - 5	99	$37 / $61	Feb 20	bgg
High Roller Horse Racing a genre-blazing game that merges Game Night with Casino Night and features 8 of America's greatest racehorses ever! // Has raised $1,993 of $12,000 so far. (~16%)	4 - 8	38	$34 / $52	Mar 04	bgg
Kaiju Exchange A resource management game pitting 1-4 players + 1 Automaton against one other and getting rich by trading monster parts. // Has raised $8,269 of $12,888 so far. (~64%)	1 - 4	123	$31 / $67	Mar 05	bgg #take2
Kanban: EV The Deluxe Edition of Vital Lacerda's acclaimed efficiency eurogame with all new art from Ian O'Toole // Has raised $426,191 of $100,000 so far. (~426%) ☑	2 - 4	4321	$99 / $99	Feb 21	bgg #newedition
King Arthur's Vortex Chess Vortex Chess is a tactical Chess-like game, set in Arthurian Mythology. Merlin Ambrosius defending Camelot against Medraut ap Lot. // Has raised £992 of £999 so far. (~99%)	2 - 2	39	$38 / £25	Feb 26	bgg
Meilenstein You make the first move. // Has raised €257 of €10,000 so far. (~2%)	2 - 4	7	$55 / €37	Apr 03
PARKS Expansion: Nightfall + PARKS Memories Celebrate the US National Parks with a new expansion for PARKS & a trio of Strategic Matching games featuring Fifty-Nine Parks art. // Has raised $322,378 of $43,600 so far. (~739%) ☑	1 - 5	5638	$NA / $57	Feb 25	bgg #expansion
Sererial Fantasy Tactics A table top war game style of board game, with options for quick play, or rpg elements for deeper longer play. // Has raised $2 of $28,000 so far. (~0%)	? - ?	2	$30 / $1	Apr 05
Spotting A card game aims at training attention, reaction and observation with the theme of Hong Kong's traditional food. // Has raised HK$20 of HK$40,000 so far. (~0%)	1 - 4	2	$20 / HK$10	Mar 06
Stampede It’s simple: pick an animal and attempt to survive the Stampede by outsmarting and outracing your friends. Plus cute artwork. // Has raised $3,954 of $10,000 so far. (~39%)	2 - 4	87	$40 / $45	Feb 18
Storm Dragons - Deluxified Edition with 6-player Expansion Trick-taking - only more. Card drafting, hand management and dragon abilities add strategy. Surprise your foes by changing game state. // Has raised $1,877 of $6,600 so far. (~28%)	2 - 6	53	$19 / $35	Mar 08	bgg #newedition #expansion
take root- perennial edition a tabletop farming game featuring dungeon crawling, dating, and a chance to win the harvest festival // Has raised $618 of $400 so far. (~154%) ☑	2 - 2	39	$15 / $16	Feb 17	bgg #take2
Tanares Adventures + Arena: the Contest 1.5 A massive expansion for 100+ total hours of co-op content, a second print with reworked miniatures, and a legendary Dragon Collection. // Has raised $1,034,561 of $50,000 so far. (~2069%) ☑	1 - 8	5289	$69 / $196	Feb 27	bgg #expansion #newedition
The Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby A Space Opera board game featuring worlds created by the famed sci-fi illustrator Josh Kirby // Has raised $20,993 of $8,000 so far. (~262%) ☑	2 - 5	249	$45 / $84	Mar 06	bgg
The Museum Tour Playset The Museum Tour Playset is a playset designed to bring the art museum experience right into your home! Great for ages 2-7! // Has raised $12,433 of $10,000 so far. (~124%) ☑	? - ?	154	$40 / $81	Mar 05
The Runelords Board Game A board game for 1-4 players based in the world of the best-selling fantasy series The Runelords by David Farland. // Has raised $13,364 of $70,000 so far. (~19%)	1 - 4	208	$70 / $64	Mar 04	bgg
Tinderblox & Kittin Two different mint-tin dexterity games for every type of gamer! Includes a Kickstarter exclusive version for Tinderblox! // Has raised £20,190 of £5,500 so far. (~367%) ☑	? - ?	1119	$13 / £18	Feb 27
Tramways Adelaide Shanghai Tramways: Adelaide / Shanghai expansion: two exotic maps for avid gamers // Has raised $16,740 of $3,000 so far. (~558%) ☑	1 - 5	444	$65 / $38	Feb 29	bgg #expansion
Valiant Wars A press-your-luck battle for the Valiant Throne! // Has raised $1,895 of $12,000 so far. (~15%)	2 - 5	51	$30 / $37	Feb 20	bgg
Vampire: The Masquerade – CHAPTERS A thrilling co-op adventure set in the World of Darkness. An unforgettable story-driven board game for 1-4 players. // Has raised $966,280 CAD of $250,000 CAD so far. (~386%) ☑	1 - 4	4496	$112 / $215 CAD	Feb 28	bgg
Wishland Wishland is a worker placement eurogame for 2-4 players and 75 minutes of duration. // Has raised €36,474 of €10,000 so far. (~364%) ☑	2 - 4	688	$49 / €53	Feb 25	bgg
YOHEI An amazing skirmish game in an oriental fantasy setting. Lead legendary heroes into epic battles between asymmetric clans. // Has raised €15,421 of €5,000 so far. (~308%) ☑	2 - 4	367	$50 / €42	Feb 20	bgg #take2
Zombie Pile-Up The fastest player wins, go head to head against your friends in a frantic race to get the most zombie kills and get the highest score. // Has raised £768 of £1,000 so far. (~76%)	2 - 2	34	$19 / £23	Mar 06

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First published in Not Normal, Illinois: Peculiar Fictions from the Flyover, edited by Michael Martone (Quarry Books, 2009):

roman baker stood in the bright and crackling current of light that zipped around in patterned waves underneath the oval canopy entrance to the casino. He wasn't a gambler. The skittering brilliance didn't draw him in and he was already irritated with the piped-out carol music. A twenty, smoothly folded in his pocket, didn't itch him or burn his ass one bit. He had come to the casino because it was just a few days before Christmas and he didn't know how to celebrate. Maybe the electronic bell strum of slot machines would soothe him, or watching the cards spreading from the dealer's hands in arcs and waves. He took a step to the left, toward the cliffs of glass doors.
As he opened his hand to push at the door's brass plate and enter, a white man of medium height and wearing a green leather coat pressed his car keys into Roman's palm. Without waiting for a claim ticket, without even looking at Roman beyond the moment it took to ascertain that he was brown and stood before the doors of an Indian casino, the man walked off and was swallowed into the jingling gloom.
Roman waited before the doors, holding the keys. All of the valets were occupied. He held up the keys. A few seconds later, he put down his hand and clutched the keys in his fist. No one had seen this happen. Roman turned away from the doors, opened his hand, and saw that one shining key among the other keys belonged to a Jeep Cherokee. Immediately, he spotted the white Cherokee parked idling just beyond the lights of the canopy. An amused little voice in his head said go for it. He didn't think it out, just walked over to the car, got in, and drove away.
You couldn't call this stealing, since the guy gave me the keys, Roman told himself, but we are on a slippery slope. He checked at the lighted gauge of the Cherokee, and saw that the tank was nearly empty. There was a Super stop, handy, just down the road. Roman drove up to the bank of pumps and inserted the Cherokee's hose into the gas tank. Eight dollars worth should do it, he thought, and then he wondered. Do what? In the store, he decided he should be methodical, buy something to eat or drink. Afterwards, he would know what to do. The complicated bar of coffee machines drew him, and he stepped up to the grooved aluminum counter, chose a tall white insulated cup, and placed it under a machine's hose labeled French Vanilla. He held the button until the cup was three quarters full, and let the nozzle keep drizzling sweet foam on top. Then he figured out which plastic travel lid matched his cup and pressed it on, over the froth. So as not to burn his hand, he fitted the cup into a little cardboard sleeve. He paid for everything out of his twenty, and walked outside. It was a warm winter night in the middle of a thaw. Bits of moisture hung glittering in the gas-smelling air. There was a very light dust of sparkling fresh snow sinking into the day's brown slush.
"A white Christmas, huh?" said a woman's voice, just to the left.
"Yes, it will be enchanting," Roman answered.
He was the kind of person people spoke to in situations that could easily stay completely impersonal. His face was round, his nose pleasantly blunt, his eyes wide and friendly. His smile was genuine, he had been told. Yet women never stayed with him. Perhaps he was too comfortable, too nurturing, and reminded them of their mothers. Desperate mothers who wanted their children home before dark or wouldn't let them out of sight. Now, in addition to being motherly, plus the kind of person people spoke to on the streets or while pumping their gas, he was the type into whose comfortable palm strange white men trustingly pressed their car keys.
And house keys, too, and other keys. Roman jingled the set before his eyes and then fit the correct car key into the lock. He got into the car and carefully set the cappuccino into the cup holder before he drove to the edge of the parking lot. There, he turned on the dome light and opened the glove compartment. He found the car's registration, folded in a clear plastic sleeve, and the proof of insurance, too, with numbers to call. The owner's name was Torvil J. Morson and his address was 2272 West 195th Street, in the closest suburb. Roman took another drink of the milky, sweet, deadly tasting cappuccino. Then he put the cup back into the holder and drove carefully out of the lot.
The casino was prosperous because it was just far enough from the city to be considered a Destination Resort, and yet close enough so only an hour's quickly diminishing farmland, pine woods, and snowy fields stood between the reservation boundaries and the long stretch of little towns that had blended via strip malls and housing developments into the biggest population center in that part of the Midwest. Roman knew approximately how far he was from 195th street, and it took him exactly the 45 minutes he'd imagined to get there, find the house, and pull into the driveway, which he wouldn't have done unless he'd seen already that the windows were dark. The house was a small one story ranch style painted the same drab green as the jacket of the man who gave Roman the car keys.
Roman got out of the car, walked up to the front door, used the key. Just like that, he entered. Once in, he shut the door behind him and wiped his feet on a rough little welcome mat. The house had its own friendly smell-- slightly stale smoke, cinnamon buns, wet dried sour wool. A powerful streetlight cast a silvery glow through the front picture window. As his eyes adjusted, Roman stepped onto grayish, wall-to-wall carpet, and padded silently across the living room. His heart slowed. The carpeting soothed him. He went straight across the room to the kitchen, divided off by only a counter, and opened the freezer section of the refrigerator. He'd heard that people often kept their jewelry and cash there in case of a burglary or fire. There was a coffee can in the freezer, but it only held ground coffee. A few other promising Tupperware containers held nothing but old stew, alas. Roman shut the insulated door and rubbed his hands together to strike the chill from his fingers. Then he walked down the hall. He stepped into a bedroom, turned on the light. Posters of pop stars, stuffed animals, pencil drawings and dried flowers were taped to the walls. A teenage girl's room. Nothing. He turned out the light and found the master bedroom, the one closest to the bathroom. He was just about to turn on the light when the sound of breathing, or the sense of it, anyway, in the room, stopped his hand.
Then it didn't sound like breathing, but something else, sighing and watery. A fish tank, Roman thought. He listened a bit longer, then switched on the light and saw, on a table next to a window, a small plug-in fountain. The water coursed endlessly over an arrangement of smooth, black stones. Roman thought this must belong to the man's wife. He frowned at himself in the dressing room mirror, and adjusted the lapel of his jacket. The wife, or the teen, or another member of the family might return while he was standing in the lighted bedroom. Yet Roman had no prickles up his back, no darts of fear, no sense of apprehension. In fact, he felt as much at home as if he lived in this house himself. He was even tempted to lie down on the big queen-sized bed neatly made up with a purple quilt and pillows arranged upon pillows. Where had he read about this? Goldilocks! This bed looked comfortable. He thought of the three bears. There was a Mrs. Morson for sure, thought Roman. He pictured a bear meditating by the fountain. A meditator probably wasn't the type who would own gold and diamond jewelry, but he still had to check. There was not a safe on the closet floor, or even a velvety box on the top of the dresser or in the drawer that held underwear. No, there was only underwear, and it was decent, fresh cotton. What am I doing, thought Roman, with my hands in Mrs. Morson's underwear?
He shut the drawer firmly and sat on the edge of the bed.
I'm not going to find any cash, he decided. Mr. Morson has taken it to the casino. Treading down the hall and back across the soft carpet, he felt cheated. What had happened with the car keys was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Roman had never before done anything that was strictly criminal. But this break-in, where he hadn't had to actually break in, this was given to him. It was as though Mr. Morson had invited him to travel to his house and look for valuables. And nothing there! The house was very still now, the street outside utterly deserted, the neighboring houses dim and shut. Roman sat down on the couch, wishing that he had the rest of his cappuccino, but he'd left the cup in the car. There was a tremendous energy to the quiet, it seemed to him, a seething quality. He felt that he should do something bold, or important, with this piece of fate that he'd been handed. As he was thinking of what he might do, someone knocked on the door. Roman's first instinct was not to answer. But the expectant quality of the silence was too much for him. He went to the door and opened it. There stood a woman and a man, both in coats but wearing no scarves or hats. The woman held a wrapped gift. The man carried a crock-pot out of which there issued a faint and delicious, smoky, bean-soup scent.
"Oh, thank god!"
The woman stepped into the entryway, the man also, both exuding an air of conspiratorial excitement.
"Very clever, keeping the lights off," said the man. "But isn't that his car?"
"He gave me the keys and I just drove it here," Roman told him. The man gave a scratchy laugh that turned into a cough.
"Where should I put this?" He lifted the Crock-Pot slightly.
"In the kitchen?" said Roman.
"Let's put his presents in there, too," said the woman. "You must work with T.J. Have we met?"
"I'm Roman Baker."
"You look like an Indian," said the woman.
"People tell me that!" said Roman.
"Okay, and I'm Willa and that's Buzz with the seven bean soup. It's his specialty. Just the countertop lights! No overhead!"
"Right!" Buzz sounded gleeful. "Is Zola back yet? Did she get the cake?"
"I think so," said Roman. His skull suddenly felt tight, his eyes scratchy and shifty in their sockets. "I feel bad," he mumbled. "I don't have a gift. Maybe I should go out for sodas or beer."
"Oh, T.J. won't notice. T.J. will have a shit fit. I think we should all hide behind the counters and the couch. Will you get the door, Roman?"
"Come on in," said Roman, as he opened the door. "Wipe your feet." Two young men and an older woman stood on the steps. One man carried a neatly foil covered bowl. The other held a large, pale, tissue-wrapped gift.
"We brought Mom," one of the young men squealed, "she's drunk. She's such a hoot!"
"I drank a strawberry wine cooler. I'm loaded," said the elderly lady in a prim and sober voice. "Let me in so I can ditch these two idiots. Does he suspect?" She eyed Roman with a flare of exasperation, her scarlet mouth down-twisted.
"Not in the slightest," Roman told her. He helped her out of her coat while the two young men settled their things in the kitchen.
"Very clever, all the lights out," the lady muttered, "Zola says he'll pee his pants."
"That's pretty much what Willa says, too," Roman told the lady. Steering her toward the couch, he startled himself. A picture formed in his mind. It was himself. Crouched on the carpet. Out of control. Pissing his own pants and howling with surprised mirth.
"They're sending me out for more strawberry wine coolers," he said. He patted the woman's hand.
"You're an Indian," she said, severely and as if imparting information to him.
"A big one," said Roman.
The others in the kitchen were whooping with secretive anticipation. Roman touched the keys in his pocket, walked out the door. As he neared the white Cherokee two more people stepped into the driveway, asked him in low and enthralled voices if anybody else was there.
"Go on in," Roman told them. "Willa and Buzz are organizing everybody."
"Oh God!" said the woman. "I saw his car! I thought he'd got home already. Zola's following us. She'll be here any minute with the cake."
Roman jumped into the car, backed down the driveway, and drove the opposite way down the street from the way he guessed Zola would arrive.
Back on the turnoff to the highway, he thought, right or left? But it was inevitable. He headed toward the casino. The cappuccino was still warm and on the way there he finished it. He started to feel good. Yes, he had been given the Morson's keys, the keys to their life, and he'd visited that life. Enough. Nothing had happened after all. He hadn't taken anything except this car--for a drive. As he neared the vast casino parking lot he slowed and carefully reconnoitered, watching for extra security or flashing lights in case the Cherokee had been reported stolen. But all was bright and calm. Gamblers were walking to and fro, those who had self-parked. Others were waiting with their claim tickets on the swirl patterned carpet in the lobby underneath the lighted canopy. Roman eased the car into a marked space cautiously, far from the activity, and took his empty cappuccino cup with him before he locked the car's door.
That was your little adventure, he told himself. Now what? But he knew what. He walked back to the casino entrance and walked through, into the icy bells and plucking, continual ring that did predictable and pleasurable things to his central nervous system. He breathed faster in excitement. Possibly, the sound depressed left brain action. He felt connected to an irrational and urgent universe of lucky chance. His fingers twitched. First things first. He scanned the seated players looking for the green leather jacket, which was all he remembered about Morson. He decided to make a sweep, starting at the far end of the casino, checking the men's room first. He went up each row and down each row, passed behind each glazed, ghostly player. It took so long that he thought of giving up and simply turning the keys in at the lost and found. But then, there was T.J. Morson, green jacket slung behind him, staring into the lighted tumble of little pirate cove symbols on his machine's curved torso.
Roman tapped his shoulder and Morson waved him off, not to be bothered. Roman watched the man shove in three more quarters and hold his breath. Then sit back, dazed, rub his hand over his face.
Roman touched his shoulder again. "Happy Birthday."
"What?"
Morson turned and focused on him. His face was clean-cut and perfectly square, a solid Norwegian jawline, pale eyes, hair already white and thin, a little tousled. He was falling into heaviness around the neck and then below, like Roman, it was pretty close to a lost cause. Roman dangled the keys.
"You dropped these, I think?"
Morson slapped the pockets of his pants.
"For God sakes, thought I had it parked!"
Roman gave him the keys and turned to go, but he couldn't, not quite. He took a last look at Mr. Morson and saw that something was very wrong with him. T.J. Morson was sitting there with his mouth open, staring at the car keys. Not moving.
"Hey," Roman bent toward him, then waved his hand before the man's eyes, "you okay?"
"No," said Mr. Morson. He shut his mouth and then slowly, like a very old man, stood and shrugged on his jacket. He dropped the keys, picked them up. Sat back down and stared once more at the machine. Slowly, from his pants pocket, he drew a bit of change. Held it out questioningly to Roman, who rummaged in his own pocket and exchanged what Mr. Morson offered for a quarter. Morson held it a moment, then played it. Nothing.
"You okay?" Roman asked again.
But Morson was staring vacantly before him. His mouth was open and his hands were shaking.
"Not all right, not all right," he muttered.
"Hey," said Roman, "come on. Get up. Let's go sit in the cafe. I'll buy you a coffee."
"What I need is a drink."
"Yeah, well, maybe." Roman helped steady Mr. Morson. They walked down the aisle of light and sound, along a short hallway, and into a small interior restaurant where the waitress gave them a booth for two and poured their coffee.
"Cream. Lots of it. Thanks," Roman told her. She left the pot and a bowl of tiny plastic servings of flavored half-and-half.
"Thank you," said T.J. Morson, staring at the brown pottery cup. "And thank you for returning my car keys." His voice was heavy as a pour of concrete. The syllables seemed to harden as they fell from his mouth. "Well," he looked up, scanned the country-themed room, "this is it."
"What are you talking about?" asked Roman.
Morson put his face in his hands and then slowly pushed his hands up his face and over his hair. "That was it," he said again.
"Listen." Roman was beginning to feel alarmed. "It's your birthday. You should be heading home." He thought of all the excited people waiting in the living room of the Morson house, crouched behind the sofa and chairs and kitchen counters, the lights off.
"Weren't you supposed to be home a while ago?"
Mr. Morson looked at Roman, frowning now, momentarily distracted. "Who are you?"
"I'm a friend of Buzz and Willa," Roman told him. "Look, I'm going to let you in on something that's going to cheer you up. You've got to go home now. I'm not supposed to say a thing about it, but they're planning a surprise party in your honor. Zola's got the cake. Even as we speak, they are in your house, waiting for you. They have presents."
Telling this to Morson was surprisingly difficult. Roman felt the bleeding sensation of envy when he imagined stepping onto the warm, thick carpet. The blast of noise from friends. The bean soup. Beer. Cake.
Mr. Morson said nothing.
"You can't just leave them waiting there." Roman heard a note of accusing desperation in his voice.
Morson shook his head, now, as though his misery was a fall of water washing over him. His brilliant white hair lifted in the staticky air. Roman felt like reaching over and patting it down, but he kept his hand curled around his coffee cup.
"Fuck's sake, I can't go back there," said Morson wearily. "They don't know. Zola has no idea about this . . ." he waved his hand toward the casino through the glass doors of the restaurant. "I play when she's at work, when I'm supposed to be at work, except I don't have a job, see. That's over. She doesn't know I put a second mortgage on our house, a line of credit, then topped it. Cleaned out every one of our accounts." He stared fiercely, disconnectedly, at Roman. "There's nothing," he said. His mouth was suddenly and frighteningly sharklike, an impersonal black hungry v. A bubble of spit formed at either corner. "They'll take the house and then my car. They'll take her car. And Kayla . . . Oh god."
Morson dropped his face into the bowl of his hands. Roman thought he might either break down and sob or leap up and rake his fingers down the wallpaper. Which would it be? He was feeling oddly disconnected. Maybe this was the way a shrink felt, listening to the woes of a client from behind a clear shield of therapeutic immunity.
With a thick, jerky movement, T.J. Morson struck his hands together.
"I don't even smoke," he said as though appealing to Roman, "I don't drink. But this ..." again he waved at the lights and bells outside the door. "I think, I know, I had the vision or whatever, that because it was my birthday I could turn it all around if I had just, say, a couple hundred. And I knew where to get it. So today after Zola went to work and Kayla was at school, I sneaked back to the house and I searched Kayla's room. She has this little passbook savings account with me as her co-signer. But where does she keep the passbook? So I dug through the stuff in her drawers, her closets. Can you imagine this?"
Roman's mouth opened. Better than you know, he thought. But Morson went on quickly, "I found her secret things. They were under the bed, in this cigar box she had covered on top with a piece of paper. You wouldn't believe this knowing how sweet Kayla is, what a good girl. The box was labeled with a purple marker fuck with kayla and you die. Here she's a good little student, all As or Bs, never given anybody whatsoever any trouble in her life before. So this tough little message ... I mean . . ."
Morson stopped and drank some coffee.
"It got to you," said Roman.
"Yeah," said Morson. "Anyway, I took the passbook. Withdrew two hundred and eighteen dollars worth of baby-sitting money."
Roman nodded, poured another coffee for himself and stirred in three creamers. And yet, he thought. Here is a man for whom people will give a surprise party. Roman tapped the sugar packets, drank the rest of the coffee, put the money down on top of the check.
"I have to get out of here," he said to Morson, who stared at him for a moment, then widened his eyes and broke the look off with a cunning little grin.
T.J. Morson followed Roman out the door of the cafe. On the way past the banks of moving lights and bells and trilling knockers, he said, "C'mon. I hit, we'll split."
Roman kept walking. Morson grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "Please," he said. Roman started at the sight of him. Morson's eyes were rolled back so the whites showed. His lips were drawn away from his gums in a guilty snarl. Roman felt in his pocket, flipped out a quarter. Morson opened the hand that held the car keys. Roman took the keys and gave the quarter to Morson, who played it. The two men watched the rolling tabs of symbols spin over and over, whirling, clicking into place in a disparate row.
"Okay, you satisfied?" said Roman.
Morson wiped his hands slowly on his hips and then followed Roman out the doors, across the gleaming, wet parking lot, over to the Cherokee. Roman still had the keys. He opened the doors and got into the driver's side. Passive, concentrating on something invisible just before him, Morson got into the passenger's seat and shut his eyes. But suddenly, as Roman pulled out of the parking space onto the highway, Morson mumbled "thanks anyway," and opened his door to jump out. Roman managed to hook his hand in the collar of Morson's slippery jacket, and as he brought the car to a halt on the shoulder, he yanked the man back toward him with such surprising force that Morson's face smashed into the side of the steering wheel. There was an instant and surprising amount of blood.
"Don't worry," said Morson, his nose behind his hands, "I get these things real bad." There was a girl's striped knit stocking cap in his door's side pocket. Morson grabbed it and put it to his face. Then he said, "look, I'll just go clean up." He jumped out the door with the cap on his face, and was gone.
Roman pulled ahead about thirty feet into a blind driveway and shut off the engine. He found the lever next to the seat that dropped it backwards a few inches. He rested. A peaceful energy flowed through him. He nearly slept. Fifteen minutes, then half an hour passed. Traffic flowed by, snarled behind him, flowed again. A few people crossed before him at the far edge of an overflow lot. They swiftly entered their cars and drove away. Roman dozed another ten minutes and then he suddenly snapped to. He started the car and drove off.
As he pulled back onto the highway a screeching ambulance barreled past. The casino was filled with Senior Citizens and Roman imagined a whole scenario--a big payout, an old man elated, then clutching at his heart. This fantasy gave him the idea, as he drove toward Morson's house, of something he could say to get Morson off the hook. It wasn't that he liked Morson, but his friends were so eager, so well-meaning. It wasn't right to disappoint them. Things were going to be so bad with Morson that there was no way to make them worse. Roman decided he would announce that Morson was dead. He'd use that same scenario--payout, heart attack--and then while the pandemonium of reaction occurred he'd simply disappear. When Morson finally did show up his being broke would not be quite as bad, at least, as being dead. Roman's lie would confuse the issue, muddy the waters, give Zola and the others a pause before they condemned. There seemed no harm in it as far as Roman could see, considering what Zola and Kayla were in for anyway. At least they would have the joy of having their worst fears reversed!
Roman arrived at the house and parked in the driveway--still empty in order to fool Morson into thinking that the house was deserted. Yet all the lights were on. The little house was blazing. Roman walked up the steps and then tentatively eased the door open and poked his head around the side. He remembered to set his features in a look of tragic concern. He nearly jumped back out. All of the people he'd met before were standing or sitting at attention in the living room. They returned his look with identical stares.
"We know already," said the terse old lady who'd been drinking strawberry wine coolers. "He had his I.D. right on him, phone number. Kyle took Zola to the emergency room. Zola just called two seconds ago."
"Come on in," said Buzz. "Take a load off. I'll get you a beer. In fact," he said, "let's eat. It's some kind of custom that we all should eat together at a time like this."
Roman sat down on one end of the couch, leaned back into a stiff pillow. He looked down at his knees, then accepted a bowl of bean soup when it appeared in his line of vision. The bowl was warm and pleasant in his hands.
"They told Zola that he'd crossed the casino's main intersection, running. What is that, two lanes? Not so far, really."
"Four lanes," said Roman.
"Oh," said someone, "then."
"Zola said he was not quite DOA," said Buss, "but next thing to it. There just wasn't a thing they could do."
Now the others had bowls of soup, and bread, and were busily arranging themselves, patting napkins onto their knees, balancing coffee cups, offering butter around the group.
"We shouldn't eat the cake."
"I agree," said Willa. "We should have his cake at the funeral dinner."
"Are you going to go?" She addressed Roman. He looked at her. "It can't be true!"
Willa apologized. "I've never been much for denial. I go straight to acceptance. That's just me."
"You don't need to think that far ahead," said Buzz. He touched Roman's arm. "In fact, don't think ahead at all." Buzz put down his bowl of soup and sank forward, elbows on his knees. He cupped his hands over his head and leaned over like someone about to be sick. He stayed that way, motionless. Willa put her hand on his back and patted him with slow, regular beats. She looked over at Roman.
"Go on, eat your soup," she whispered. "It's okay."
Roman placed a spoonful of the soup in his mouth. A moment passed before he realized that the taste was unusually good. Something gave depth to the taste. Roman looked at Buzz, still hunched over. His specialty, he remembered. Maybe Buzz simmered his beans with garlic, or wine, or some kind of herb. Maybe it was the sorrow, or the strangeness. Perhaps Buzz had added a few drops from a vial of Liquid Smoke. Then again a ham bone. Or the fact that these beans were all different types. Roman finished the bowl and put it down.
"You want another?" said Willa.
"It's good," Roman nodded.
She got up to refill the bowl and Roman took over patting Buzz on the back, slow and regular, two or three pats to each of his sighing breaths. He kept feeling the wrench when he'd pulled Morson toward him, in the car, the way Morson had twisted, striking the bridge of his nose. There was the weight of Morson off balance, in his arms, the smell of his hair tonic, aftershave, and the smoke of the casino and the coffee on his breath.
Now here he was eating Morson's bean soup with Morson's friends and no doubt in two or three days he would be tasting Morson's cake. Roman shut his eyes. His thoughts flickered.
"I'll be right back."
He set the beer down, got up, walked down the hall just like an old friend who knew the place. He opened the door to Kayla's room, walked in, shut the door behind him and knelt on the floor beside her bed. Reaching underneath, he groped for and found the box that he could see, once he turned on her little homework lamp, was indeed labeled fuck with kayla and you die. He handled it carefully. You shouldn't have fucked with Kayla. Psychic time bomb for the girl, though, wasn't it? Morson had replaced her little passbook. Roman flipped to the last page, then tore out a deposit slip. Same bank as his. Anyone could make a transfer, he supposed. He put the passbook back, lay the cigar box on the floor and snapped the sides flat. Then he slipped the box back underneath the bed. He walked back to the living room, passed behind an intense discussion of who should go now to the hospital, who was needed, what arrangements. In the kitchen, he paused at the sink for a drink of warmish, chemical-tasting suburb water. He set the keys to the Cherokee on the counter. Then he slipped out the back door.

First: PHOTOS!
We got engaged Dec 31, 2016 and decided to get married in the Detroit area (spouse's hometown) even though we both live in Atlanta. My family would have to travel either way and we wanted to make it easier on his friends and family who we predicted would be less likely to travel.
My initial budget thought was 25-30k (he said later he assumed way more) but after looking at 5 venues in 7 hours on a weekend visit we absolutely fell in love with our expensive-as-hell venue and upped it quite a bit. My main thing was to get married on the water, have amazing food and make it as nice foeasy on our guests as possible which our venue made perfectly possible. It was also mostly-inclusive which I knew would help us with planning from afar as I work a lot and didn't want to have to track down every vendor myself.
We paid for our wedding/welcome party/honeymoon completely on our own-- we are mid-30s established professionals with one living parent between us and I already own our home, etc. I know our budget is on the higher side around here but I know I appreciated any kind of recap when I was planning so I am trying to breakdown everything I can.
Guest count: 212 invited including children and plus ones, 135 attended including 5 babies/kids. This was almost exactly the number we were planning on due to the number of people residing out of state. We had 5 people RSVP then back out last minute (one had a baby so totally excusable, the others were just jerks) but a couple of other local friends of friends filled in (we thought why not--we had already paid for it)
Venue, etc: ~$40,0000 –Waterview Loft at Port Detroit. This included ceremony with officiant, full open bar, passed apps, dinner (salad, duet of filet mignon and chicken with potato and veggies or vegetarian entree), pastries, late night snack, tables, chairs, linens, service staff, venue coordinator, pretty much everything not listed below. This also includes DJ, Cake, valet parking, and florals/design/rentals company who all contract through the venue and a few upgrades with them are included in that total as are the tips that we gave to the bartenders/valet/day of coordinator.
Cake: Sweet Heather Anne: Main cake was included above but I did spend around $100 for a smaller gluten-free chocolate cake from a separate bakery
Photographers $3200: Rosy and Shaun Wedding Photography: Husband and wife team for 8 hours of coverage and photo booth. They were amazing. We weren't super into being pulled away for a bunch of photos and did all of our posed shots prior to ceremony and they still captured some incredible images and great candid shots during the event.
HaiMakeup: $1250-- Detroit Glam: 2 Hair and makeup stylists on location at hotel for me, 5 bridesmaids and mother in law with airbrush and eyelashes included. I covered everyone and this includes tips.
Hotel rooms: $800, Two suites two nights each at the Marriott hotel next to the venue where we also had a guest block. We stayed in one suite where the groomsmen then got ready and we booked a hospitality suite with a murphy bed for me/bridesmaids to get ready. One of my bridesmaids stayed in this suite as I wanted to cover her room anyway.
Attire:$1250-- I made/sewed my own dress so approximately $800 in fabric total (silks from Mood) and maybe another $100 in notions/resources most of which are reusable. I also spent 100+ hours on it (not including muslins/toiles) over a year's time but I really wanted to use the crochet fabric from my deceased mother's dress and I am really tall and hard to fit anyway. It was truly a labor of love and though I'm not sure I'd do it again the same way I learned a TON and I ended up really loving it even if the fit wasn't as great as it would have been with professional help.
The veil was my also my mom’s my uncle bought in Europe for her wedding in the 70s-- I sewed it onto a comb. I also wore a brooch that has been worn by all the women in my family since my great-great grandmother. I found the Manolos for less than $200 at a Saks outlet but changed into ballet flats ($50) later. My earrings were from the Saks outlet and I found a bracelet to match on Etsy (<200 combined). His tux rental with shoes from Men's Warehouse was free as we had all the groomsmen get theirs there.
Rings: $500. This includes my simple gold wedding band from a local jeweler and his inexpensive titanium ring from Amazon. My engagement ring was my grandmother's wedding ring that I inherited long before engaged and that I gave to him when I was ready for him to ask me :)
Welcome Party: $6,900, Mexican-themed buffet and open bar for 75 guests at upscale brewpub next to our hotel. We invited the whole guest list but it was mostly bridal party and out of town guests staying at the hotel. I was a bit shocked when I got the final price estimate as I am fully aware that this is the cost of a lot of weddings but it was one of my favorite parts of the weekend and we really got to spend time with people who had traveled to be with us.
Day of Food: ~$500 Brunch/coffee catered by the hotel and mimosas for the ladies while we got ready, pizza and beer for the dudes. I may have pre-ordered the pizza while tipsy after the welcome party and way overestimated how much they would eat. It was good leftovers at 4 am after the casino though.
Stationary and postage: $500, super simple save the dates from Vista Print then single page invitations with a detail card with gold foil and 20 RSVP cards for older folks from Shutterfly. Waited for sales on both. We used appycouple for our website and online RSVP and I would probably choose another site/app if I were doing it again.
Favors: $500 we did Uno card decks because Uno is our favorite. I ordered them online on black friday and printed the stickers from Zazzle then assembled on Christmas while we were up there
Welcome bags: <200. Nothing fancy just water, soda, snacks from Costco, a map and transit tokens. Mostly did them because we were in a huge hotel and I wanted to make sure people had something to eat/drink around without having to do room service.
Gifts: We got random personal gifts for everyone in our wedding party (from records to curtains) and I honestly have no idea what the total was as I ordered mine and he ordered his. They were all big hits though. We also gave a restaurant gift card to MIL's friend who helped spray paint the records and a gift card to a younger cousin who recorded the ceremony/helped MIL get around all weekend.
Other assorted stuff I bought (really tried to limit this): ~$300 total--simple glass card box from amazon, pac man cake topper from etsy, photos and frames for memory table, frames for table numbers (which were my mom's watercolors I scanned and printed), flipflops for guests ($1 during an old navy sale last summer and a HUGE hit), spray paint for records we used as chargers and the menu stickers for them (records themselves were promos gifted by a friend who owns a store), cardboard cutouts of our dogs for the photo booth, marriage license. Our friend gifted us the constellation poster and it made a great "guest book."
Prenup: $2000 legal fees-- I suppose I should include this. We are odd and talked about prenups on our second date when neither of us had much of anything but now we both have more assets and I own a business so it was pretty much a given for us. Went very smoothly just each had to hire our own attorney.
Honeymoon: $3500-- We came home for three nights to see our dogs, catch up on work and repack. We then had 2 nights in Miami and rented a car and drove to Key West for 2 nights. We sprung for really nice rooms since we were staying in the country so that as well as flights is most of the cost here.
Total: $62,000 (ish)
What went wrong
• Planning a wedding when your parents are dead just sucks. I lost my dad at 18 and my mom three years ago both to cancer. Husband lost his dad when he was 19. I was really worried about how my emotions would be the day of because I had some real low points about it while planning but I tried to include a lot of personal touches that would make me feel like my mom was around and for the most part it worked. I also carved out time in the morning for being alone to think about them, cry and thank them and that helped keep the tears from coming later I think.
• Weather-- It was colder than we had hoped all weekend (approx. 45-55F though the weekend before and after were 70+) and it rained all morning/afternoon of the wedding which kept us from doing our first look outside and also our ceremony outside which was something I really really wanted. It did clear up about an hour before the wedding so we were able to do some photos outside and our guests could enjoy being on the patio/river during the reception.
• I wish I slept more the night before because I look tired and my eyes are half closed in almost all of our photos. I didn't stay up all night partying but I did stay up later than planned and couldn't sleep past 6 am.
• Lastly we started late because I really wanted to greet guests with champagne as they came in but between people then not moving into the ceremony on time and people having traffic issues we were 30+ minutes late starting the ceremony which threw us off all night and we only ended up with about an hour and a half for cake and dancing after dinner. I loved everything that we did but probably would have tried to book an extra hour to party until midnight.
What went right:
• Everything else. Everything I had worked toward for over a year came out perfectly and we felt so much joy and love all around us. Every bit of stress and money was absolutely worth it to have all our people in one place for a weekend. The venue, food and staff were absolutely amazing and we got tons of compliments on all of it.
• I loved all the "different" things that we did like greeting our guests at the door and having our speeches/toasts during cocktail hour. Though it did throw off our timeline, I thought it made for a nice flow and gave us more time to visit with guests.
• My bridesmaid's 10 month old started walking early so we decided to send him down the aisle as a "ring bearer" even though we weren't planning to have one. He did great and it was adorable.
• We took ~15 minutes of alone time after the ceremony/signing the marriage license and walked down the river just us, no photographers. This was one of my favorite parts and definitely recommend!
• My uncle (mom's brother) made a toast unexpectedly that made everyone cry and was really welcoming of my husband to the family--definitely one of my favorite moments
• Since we got married in Detroit there are several casinos and for a while I had been thinking I wanted to go play blackjack in my wedding dress after the reception. Well, a ton of our friends went to the casino as an afterparty and I won $350 my first time playing at a table!
I said this before but you guys provided so much help, wisdom, and inspiration so thank you again for your part in making our wedding so wonderful!

From K-1 until 7th grade I studied at an international school here in Brazil. About 70% of the students were foreign, usually children whose parents working at multinational companies were allocated to my city.
I had friends and classmates from many different nationalities; Germans, Swiss, French, Japanese, Dutch… but for some reason I got along really well with Americans. In fact, most of my “best friends” during those years were from America (although that could be a coincidence?). Of course, there were kids from the US who were complete assholes, but those were the exceptions… but for me it always seemed easier in general to befriend American kids; I guess I felt some kind of identification with their culture and sense of humor. Also my first girlfriend was from Denver.
I don’t know if this period of my life had any influence on the fact that I absolutely adore the American culture. The natural beauties, landscapes, wildlife, movies, mass media production, costumes, traditions, freedom, among many other things… I find it all so fascinating – and some of the greatest people I’ve ever met were from the US. I know it’s not a perfect place, and I’m not oblivious to its many many flaws. But which country doesn’t have’em?
I’ve lived in Germany, and also spent a decent time visiting a few other countries; France, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, India, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Uruguay...
…but it frustrates me SO MUCH that I never went to America! The one place I’d really like to visit, and the opportunity never showed up. So, I decided to compile a list of stuff I’d like to do/taste/try/experience when (if) I eventually get the chance to visit the US. I’m too old now (30yo) to do some of those things, but I’ll add’em to the list anyways. I’m also aware that a few items here are nothing more than movie clichés, but what the hell… Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
​
Regarding New York…
- I wanna try New York Pizza SO BAD
- I want to spend a snowy Christmas eve in NY
- Run in Central Park
- I wanna get the chills when I see the Dakota (big Beatles and Polanski fan here)
- Take a walk in Brooklyn Heights
- See a ball game at the Yankees stadium
- Visit the NY public library
- Dodge vomit on the subway (already do this here… but without that NY glamour)
- Whistle for a yellow cab being driven by an angry Pakistani
- I wanna make fun of the idiots who spend new years eve at Times Square
- I wanna spend new years eve at Times Square
​
And more general stuff…
- I want to have a thanksgiving dinner: complete with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, lots of drinking and family fights.
- Go TRICK OR TREATING! And later get drunk and go to a Halloween party.
- I’d like to try all that sweet sweet industrial crap: Twizzlers, Pop tarts, Twinkies, Butterfinger, Reese’s… you get the idea
- I also wanna try all those fast food places we don’t have here, even the crappy ones: Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Chipotle, Papa John’s, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A… White Castle (only know this one from Impractical Jokers lol)
- I want to overeat breadsticks at Olive Garden.
- Rent a car and drive through the Nevada desert, and Highway 12, and Route 66.
- Watch the fireworks on 4th of July!
- I want to correct people when they say "soccer"; it's football, goddammit.
- Take a stroll across those beautiful suburbs, with beautiful houses with no fences, where everything seems so quiet and relaxing.
- Try weed! And see how it compares to Amsterdam! From what I heard, the quality is way better, but there’s only one way to know for sure.
- I wanna go to Aspen and learn how to ski! I only tried snowboarding once, and it was a disaster. I wanna get good at skiing.
- Actually I’d love to travel all over Colorado. Don’t really know much about it, but it seems like a fascinating place, with great nature and wildlife. I also know a lot of nice people from Colorado.
- I wanna spend a few days in Vegas! Watch Penn & Teller (love them), lose money at the casinos and get married. Is there anything else to do in Vegas?
- Visit Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. Unless it's too crowded. Is Mt. Rushmore worth visiting?
- I wanna go to prom! Invite a nice girl, slow dance to an 80s ballad on the cheesy-decorated gym and have my “first” kiss there.
- I wanna go to a house party! The kind where there’s a beer keg with a bong, a band is playing on the living room, there’s beer pong going on and people are having sex upstairs.
- I was gonna say “live in a frat house”, but I’m way past that “party every day” phase. I would like to live in a University campus though and live a student’s life for a while, since I never went to college here.
- Visit Disneyland, and all the theme parks in the area! This has always been a lifelong dream, I have a huuuuge collection of Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck's comics.
- Celebrate St Patricks Day!
- Eat a real apple pie! And donuts! And bagels!
- Go hiking in Yosemite. Heard its awesome.
- Rent an apartment in the West Village and have four friends who spend the day there, crack witty jokes at each other while vaguely keeping the details on what they actually do for a living.
Well, that’s all I can think for now. I’m sure there’s plenty of other stuff to do, and if I can remember anything else, I might comment later. I hope that if I ever get the opportunity to visit the US, I get to do at least 10% of what’s described here.
TBH this was just an unimportant rant; I see many Americans on Reddit hating on their own country without realizing they’re living humanity’s best moment, in a great country where they are able to voice their opinions freely, with the freedom to pursue whatever they want to do – to a certain extent, sure, but
Anyway, suggestions for my potential trip are welcome!
Thanks for reading!

NOTE: A new "Everything We Know" post is up, containing everything we know! Check it out here!
Disclaimer: I'm trying to cram two months' worth of info in here, so please let me know if there are any important details or links I've left out. Thank you in advance for your time!
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This post will summarise everything we know so far about Persona 5 Royal. I've been using this as a master thread until now, but with it getting a bit cluttered (and also because some of the theories there have already been dis/ proven) I'm writing this to be a clean slate and starting point for future analyses. This also means that I'll try to be a bit more 'clinical' with the following write-up and keep the theorising to a minimum until the end, unless I feel there's enough evidence to make a strong case for a particular idea. If you want the unabridged run-down of everything, feel free to check out that link!
I'll be dividing this post into four main sections, which will have their own subsections. Let's begin!
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STORY
Characters
There are at least two new characters being added with Atlus confirming there will be more: Kasumi Yoshizawa and Takuto Maruki:
Kasumi Yoshizawa
Kasumi is a first year at Shujin, meaning she joins at about the same time as Ren. She's a rythmic gymnast who made a name for herself even in middle school, meaning Shujin Academy also has high expectations for her. She is represented by the Faith Arcana, which comes from the oldest known version of the Tarot, the Visconti-Sforza deck. It doesn't match any of the existing Arcana, which is why its in-game graphic has no number. While she acknowledges that the Phantom Thieves are good people, the first thing we learned about her (in the March teaser trailer) was that she disagrees with their methods; she instead thinks people should be responsible for changing themselves in order to truly make a difference. That said, she still works with the Thieves, though Atlus says she does so to reach her own ends.
As a Phantom Thief, she wields a rapier (which Atlus points out is a weapon used for duelling, i.e. fighting foes honourably) and a lever action pistol. Her Persona is Cendrillon, the French version of Cinderella, and uses Bless and Phys Skills - we know for a fact that she can use Heat Wave and Kougaon. While her Persona may be the exact opposite of Arsene in looks and abilities, her Thief outfit was intentionally designed to resemble Joker's, hence the longcoat, gloves and red/ black colour scheme.
As for her Confidant, we know from her trailer that one of her Ranks is set in the Yongen-Jaya batting cages while her Rank 4 ends outside a clothes shop in Kichijoji and unlocks the Chaines Wire ability (named after a gymnastics manouevre and allows long-range Ambushes). While her Confidant appears to cap at Rank 5, the fact that this event ends with "I feel a strong bond of trust from Kasumi" instead of "I have a deep bond of friendship/ I share a special bond with Kasumi" tells us Rank 4 is nowhere near the end. More likely is that the second half of her Confidant will unlock later in the story, e.g. after she ("truly") joins the Thieves, OR that her Arcana will transform for the second half as in P4G. Maybe the reason Rank 6+ have been hidden is because unlocking them is optional and you can only trigger an Arcana transformation through certain actions (and/ or which Arcana she changes to depends on how you treat her)? This incoming change may also be why her card appears damaged, which doesn't occur for anyone else - i.e. it's incomplete until your relationship with her heals/ fills in the gaps. (One suggestion is that the damage indicates her Arcana has been reversed, which in turn implies she represents having faith in the wrong things at the start of the story.)
Personality-wise, she's described as being stoic/ closed-off but is quite open around Ren, even playing around with him in Hawaii. She's also quite cheeky in the Metaverse, winking while performing a Follow-Up attack and having very relaxed poses when in combat, but admits to being nervous around and wanting to impress her senpais (this was also implied by her cosplayer emoting the exact same way at the end of both performances at the Persona Concert). She also has a massive appetite as shown to humourous effect in the Kasumi trailer and despite her gymnastic talent seems have slow reflexes if the batting cages event is any indicator. Her awkward posture with the bat suggests that not only is this her first time at the cages, she has no idea how baseball even works - which raises the question of what else she's been left ignorant of (either because she was too absorbed in her own activities like Makoto, or because she was never given the opportunity to try new things).
In terms of the story, she introduces herself to Ren on May 30th (though the May 9th Morgana Report suggests we'll encounter her at least once beforehand). We know from screenshots that she isn't in Futaba's Palace but IS in the Casino. She also complains about the public turning their back on the Thieves in the reveal trailer, which only happens after Okumura's Palace. I shared my thoughts in more detail here, but I believe Kasumi will get her Persona on September 6th (the day before the Hawaii trip) and make an alliance with the Thieves upon their return from Hawaii.
For a bit more speculative talk: Kasumi can mean "mist" while Yoshizawa is the surname of the inventor of origami folding, which could be a reference to the illusion/ wish-fulfilment theme suggested by the reveal trailer (she wouldn't be the first character to be named after a literary or historic figure). Meanwhile, Ren (Joker's canon name) means "rain," so having another wet weather-based name may be a further thematic link between the two. Also, she says she has fond memories of the aquarium in Kichijoji when you take her there as shown in the May 9th Morgana Report (and as mentioned above, Kichijoji is where her Rank 4 event ends), which implies she lives in or near the city.
Takuto Maruki
Takuto is a part-time counsellor who's hired by the school after the incident with Kamoshida, and is introduced to the students on Monday, May 9th (for context, Kamoshida confesses on May 2nd and exams start on May 11th). He will take some classes such as on the 16th, where he displaces a question you could answer for free Charm points with a lesson on the (most likely emotional) heart. He will have the Consultant Arcana, which is the El Gran Tarot Esoterico version of the Magician (which tells us he'll act as a guide/ close companion to Joker, as Morgana does). His Confidant can be advanced in the After School time slot and is stated to improve negotiation skills. He was designed to counterbalance the "teens good, adults bad" message of the core story though this hasn't stopped anyone from suspecting him to be the new big bad of the game. Of note is that Ryuji and Ann are explicitly called out as benefitting from interacting with him, though we don't know if this is purely because of their baggage with Kamoshida or if they'll continue to grow through him throughout the game.
What we've seen of him suggests he's quite clumsy - he bumps his head against his mic after his introduction - and casual immature. The latter is suggested by his unbuttoned jacket and upturned collar, along with him wearing sandals to school and a seeming fondness of apple juice cartons if his official render is any indication. However, the students are said to like him because he's a good listener and "gives tactful advice," so clearly his skill makes up for his outward appearances. The image on his Tarot card shows figures looking to an elderly sun for guidance, which helps drive home this aspect of himself.
Speculation: His card shows people seeking "him" for aid, but also shows the people above the sun falling or being upset. This could either be part of Persona 5's more cynical interpretation of the Tarot or a hint at some sort of superiority complex (i.e. anyone who considers themselves as above him are wrong/ doomed to fail).
Plot Additions/ Changes
The biggest draw is that there will be a third semester added to the game (i.e. January to April), which means Joker doesn't get arrested in this version of the story. We're also told that the Metaverse will be around "in some way," meaning it isn't destroyed for Christmas.
Stepping back a bit, we know there's a new event on May 30th where Makoto runs an event to clean up Inokashira Park that Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Mishima and Haru attend (this is also where Kasumi introduces herself). There's also a voiced scene at a pancake shop in Kichijoji with Ren, Kasumi and Akechi, which is where the dialogue in the teaser trailer comes from. Morgana Report 2 implied there would be more Akechi scenes too. As far as fluff is concerned, we know Kasumi will be in Hawaii too (however, she's in a tracksuit, which implies she's either dedicated to fitness or is just there for a gymnastics event instead of a school trip).
In terms of the main plot, not only will Kasumi be in the Casino, we know she and Joker will be alone for a segment of it, which implies the getaway sequence (and possibly the prologue) has been rewritten. Of course, for her to even be in the Casino means there's a scene inserted into the main story for her to get her Persona, which we see in her trailer. Said trailer also included a voiced scene of Ren treating her to a meal where she confesses to having "performance troubles," possibly setting up her own Palace/ story arc.
The reveal trailer also suggests there's now a stalker the group has to deal with, with the English dialogue heavily implying it to be Kasumi (i.e. Morgana asks "Isn't she acting suspicious?" while Kasumi is on-screen, though admittedly this could just be trailer misdirection). This trailer also showcases a different version of the "Akechi shoots Ren" cutscene, though since Ren snaps into/ out of a vision it could just be a warped recreation of the original event. However, not only does the trailer spoil his role as the traitor but Akechi looks much more malicious on the boxart too, which implies he/ the story will be much more open about his true intentions. (His character trailer will be very interesting!)
Coming back to the completely new material, we have the ominous threat from the trailer that Kasumi "crushed [a] dream" along with screenshots of a human Morgana and alive Wakaba, with the Ryuji trailer ending with members of the track team - who seem much friendlier with him than in the original game - telling him he's been scouted by a university. This all leads to a popular theory right now that some or all of the third semester is just an illusion that the cast has to break out of.
Onto more definite details however, among the new story content is a shrine visit on January 1st featuring all the Thieves including Kasumi but excluding Akechi. There will also be a new Palace for the end of the game, and eagle-eyes viewers of the reveal trailer spotted Black Mask!Akechi's sleeve in a shot set here, suggesting he'll be returning after his ambiguous demise in the Cruise Ship.
In addition, Joker has the line "Did you know? We can all change ourselves...if we just believe." at the 1:55 mark of the reveal trailer (it's easier to identify him in the Japanese version). He rarely talks more than one sentence at a time in anime cutscenes and the tender tone of his voice in both languages suggest he's trying to soothe someone - which implies a teammate(s) is on the receiving end. What's telling is that he's paraphrasing Morgana's line about cognition post-Yaldabaoth, but given the trailer has Ann and Makoto asking about changing people's cognitions, it's possible this aspect of the Metaverse will be introduced sooner than it was in the original story.
Finally, Atlus has stated that while Kasumi will be around from the beginning of the game, she won't impact the original story too much. That said, the English reveal trailer implies she'll at least have a cameo in the Kamoshida arc as he can be heard warning someone about Ren and Ryuji (and who else would he talk to than a pretty girl who's new to the school?)
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GAMEPLAY
School Life
The biggest change to the overworld half of the game is the addition of Kichijoji which Atlus has hyped up as being a huge new region to explore with lots to do. You first visit it on June 5th (the day Madarame confesses) with Ryuji as you look for Penguin Sniper, the place where you play darts and billiards (Ryuji is specifically looking for the former in this instance). This isn't an ordinary hangout spot, as you will be able to invite multiple teammates: we've seen Ren invite the full team sans Kasumi and Goro to play darts and also invite just Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke to play billiards (all in the reveal trailer). We don't know if the player invited everyone possible in both instances, if there's a hard limit to the number of invitees to each game, or if there's an option to invite specific members (for example, maybe Kasumi and Goro were left out of the first group to avoid spoilers), nor what the benefits of doing so are.
Kichijoji also has the aforementioned aquarium, which functions as a hangout spot for single Confidants, and an old temple - presumably where the shrine visit takes place. There's a new theme park with a Disney-styled castle too, though it's unclear if this location is new or just a new region of the existing Destinyland.
Speaking of this new locale, the twins can now be taken outside of the Velvet Room (like Elizabeth in P3 FES) and this is one of the places you can take them, Big Bang Burger being another. We don't know if this replaces their Confidant from the base game or if these are part of a separate series of requests (again, as with Elizabeth).
There seem to be some customisation options for Ren's appearance in the overworld this time around, as we've seen him with gold (such as in the scene with Kasumi and Goro) and brown (in the Ryuji trailer) versions of his school bag. For confirmed customisation options we have guns, which can now be modified to increase their individual stats (ammo count, damage, accuracy) OR gain elemental effects/ the ability to inflict technical damage at the cost of ammo capacity and damage. Morgana Report 2 also showed Makoto as able to inflict technical damage with her melee attack, though it's unknown whether you can now mod melee weapons or if it was Makoto's own Skill that let her do so, since she's the Nuke member of the team and Nuke is the only element that can inflict Technical Damage (save Wind getting a bonus against burning enemies). We also don't know if Iwai can mod weapons other than his own, so I'd greatly appreciate anyone fluent in Japanese looking at the footage we have and letting me know! To facilitate this added utility, ammo will now be replenished between fights. Have fun with your new tools, everyone!
The School Life half of the game has also had a QoL mechanic added in the form of the Play Assist system. Not only can you check what actions other players took as before, the game will now list available Confidants and places to boost your Social Stats, let you fast travel to them and can give you recommendations on what to do. The example given by the developers is the game noticing Charm is your lowest Social Stat and advising you to visit the bathhouse (complete with a fast travel prompt).
We have screenshots of Ren having lunch with Kasumi in the school cafeteria on at least two separate occasions. While these could be plot related (Kasumi's made lunch for Joker in the former and is confessing to being uncomfortable around her senpais in the latter), they could also indicate the return of the ability to have lunch with your Shujin-based Confidants, a feature cut from the original game. The dialogue for those were generic unlike the Kasumi examples though - and considering how small this subset is, quite unfair to the other Confidants - so take this with a huge grain of salt.
Thief Life
The Thieves now have grappling hooks (referred to as Wires) for use in traversal and the aforementioned long-range Ambushes, with this new tool deemed important enough to be used with the game's logo both times it appeared in the reveal trailer. The screenshots accompanying the reveal also confirmed the addition of new stronger enemies called Kyouma (devils) in Japanese that appear as early as the Castle. These take the form of Shadows from the current Palace covered in shadows and have the chance to immediately counter any attacks directed at them. However, defeating them causes them to explode and damage surrounding Shadows, which gives an incentive to defeating them first despite the risk. Doing this also unlocks one of the new trophies for P5R, "Let's get flashy".
Another new mechanic is the addition of Ishis, sets of three skull-shaped items hidden in each Palace. Collecting all three combines them into a new accessory; for example, the Castle trio forms the "Chromatic Crystal" which lets the user cast Dia. Incidentally, we know the general locations of two of the Ishis in the Castle: one in the underground prison area and one atop one of the castle towers. The name can mean both "stone" and "willpower," so I'm unsure how the English version will translate this (or if they'll even bother adapting the wordplay).
There are now more Shadows to fight in the Metaverse. Jatayu, a fusion-only Persona in the base game, appears as a new enemy in the Casino (so far we've seen it in the Joker and Kasumi only sections) while Byakhee (who last appeared in Persona 2) and Macabre (who has only been in the mainline SMT games until now and was first seen in Ryuji's trailer) appear in the new Palace(s). Byakhee also doubles as the Shadow Kasumi Awakens in front of, though her ability to land Critical Hits on it makes me wonder if it really is a mini-boss (if anyone can confirm whether or not you can do so and launch AoAs on them, I'd again be very grateful).
The Phantom Thieves have new ways to fight too. Futaba gets an All Out Attack, though we still don't know how to activate it, and the Thieves as a whole now have Unison Attacks as seen in P4G and PQ2. Thankfully, each party member has multiple options for Unison partners like the latter game (the three examples we know of so far being Haru/ Morgana, Ryuji/ Makoto and Ryuji/ Yusuke) and these are unlocked by interactions between the characters in the real world. The Ryuji/ Yusuke example we saw was voice-acted and took place without Ren's presence, so these could be unlocked automatically as the story progresses (though I suspect it's related to how much time each pair spends together at hangouts like Penguin Sniper).
Third Tier Personas are also back from P4G. So far we know of only Ryuji's, William, whose birth is visualised as a fusion between Captain Kidd and Seiten Taisei. The Ryuji trailer showed him alone at home when William was formed, which suggests these new Personas may be locked behind story beats as in Persona 3 (or, if they're unlocked by hanging out with your teammates after reaching Rank 10, after a short delay). That William is a modern reimagining of Ryuji's first Persona implies the other Tier 3s will also be updated versions of one of the owner's prior Personas, though presumably we'll have to wait for subsequent character trailers to confirm or deny this.
Baton Passing has been buffed as well. Not only do buffed characters get a flame aura around them depicting the strength of their boost (red for Level 1, yellow for Level 2), the characters also maintain the boosted status after taking an action. The example we saw had Joker passing to Ryuji who attacked right after, yet retained the red aura on his own turn and could still pass on the Level 2 boost to Morgana. This also confirmed that either Morgana unlocks Baton Pass during the Kamoshida arc OR that you can now Baton Pass to Thieves who don't have the Skill for themselves.
The Velvet Room has seen a change too: at certain points it can go into high alert, during which Persona Fusions require "greater effort". We don't know what this means (either Fusions now get additional EXP boosts or accidents are more likely) or how it occurs, but it may be related to sending Calling Cards, since Palaces also go on high alert when this happens.
Mementos has also been changed. There is now a bright yellow counter on the side of the screen as you traverse the tunnels. We don't know what this is (maybe it counts the number of items picked up?), but the counter is the same colour as the plinths that can be found in new rooms there. Furthermore, at some point streamers appear throughout Mementos. Makoto comments on this so we know this isn't the new default look of the place, but the cutscene we saw has her do this only after Haru and Kasumi - but not Goro - have joined the party (note that this could simply mean the player only visited new!Mementos after recruiting both). Finally, there are now white lines that appear in the corners of the screen when roaming the Metaverse that become kaleidoscopic patterns at certain points (such as in the aforementioned plinth room and this automated segment of Okumura's Palace). However, these patterns are absent from cutscenes and combat encounters.
Smaller tweaks include a new, more jagged text box for Shadows. However, Palace Rulers don't get this effect until after they transform into their boss forms as seen with Kamoshida. Also, a new song - Take Over from the Kasumi and Ryuji trailers - will play during Ambushes while Last Surprise will be used for regular combat encounters.
In terms of QoL changes, Atlus has confirmed that it's now easier to level up. Also, it was recently confirmed that Dream Needle has been changed from a Phys Skill to a Gun Skill, which opens the door for other changes down the line - possibly all of them converting Skills to the Gun "element" since there are only four of those in the original game.
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OTHER
While we didn't see it in action, Morgana Report 2 confirmed that an event/ cutscene viewer would be added to the game. We also know that there are over 20 new music tracks in Persona 5 Royal, covering both vocal (like the new theme Colors Flying High and the aforementioned Take Over) and instrumental pieces such as the track heard during Takuto's introduction and the end of the teaser trailer.
Atlus has said that the game has been revamped to a greater degree than other releases like P4G, but this means that you will be unable to transfer save data from the original game. However, having a save from the game will unlock a bonus that will "help you early on" (PS3 players can upload a save to the network and get the bonus that way). The changes also extend to the trophy list, which has been almost completely revamped as well. You will be able to access the DLC you already bought for the original P5, but will have to pay a 10 Yen handling fee per item (which equates to ~£0.07 and $0.09).
The game is being developed exclusively for the PS4 and is PS4 Pro enabled, but this also means visual improvements for owners of the original console. For example, character models are more detailed with more intricate body and facial animations - such as how Kasumi's eyes dart left and right while being accosted in Shibuya Square and how her head twitches after missing each ball in the batting cage at the start of her trailer. As seen at other points in that trailer, each character's face can now match the expression of their current sprite art as soon as it appears too.
There's more activity in the background of events too. For example, we can now see cars moving about in the background of cutscenes - such as when Kasumi is accosted - and backdrops of locations while using the train. The cars in the first example seem to be 2D images, but you'd only notice it if you were actively looking at them and it's still impressive stuff regardless!
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THEORIES (including information from the June 28th update) are provided in this comment due to a lack of space in the main body of this post.
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Thank you again, everyone! And again, let me know what I can add and improve!
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UPDATES:

• July 5th: Ann's Trailer Analysis!
• July 9th: Yusuke's Trailer Analysis!
• July 11th: Morgana Report 3 Analysis!
• July 17th: The July 18th Famitsu Article Analysis, Part 1 (on Wordpress) and Part 2!
• July 19th: Makoto's Trailer Analysis!
• July 23rd: Futaba Trailer Analysis!
• July 26th: Haru Trailer and Fiends Gameplay Analysis!
• July 30th: Morgana Trailer Analysis!
• August 2nd: PV 02 Analysis!
• August 2nd: Akechi Trailer Analysis!
• August 2nd: Morgana Report 4 Analysis!
• August 8th: August 8th Famitsu Article Analysis!
• August 15th/ 17th: Japanese Press Release and Western "Release Season" Trailer Analyses!
• August 23rd: Takuto Trailer Analysis!
• August 24th/ September 10th: Game Informer Interview and new Opening Analyses!
• August 30th: Joker's Trailer Analysis!
• August 30th: PV 03 Analysis!
• August 30th: Persona Royal Experience Livestream Demo Analysis!
• September 6th/ 12th: Morgana Report 5 and Famitsu #1606 Analysis!
• September 27th: P5R Prologue Gameplay Analysis!
• October 3rd: Morgana Report 6 Analysis!
• October 8th: New Elements Overview Summary/ Analysis!
• October 10th: October 24th Famitsu Article Mini-Analysis!

The imgur album containing my translations.
The masterpost of all the information we have on P5R so far.
This trailer doesn't have as much footage as the others but it still has enough worth discussing, so let's begin!
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The trailer starts with Morgana and Ann's Unison attack, which looks like it was ripped right out of a 90's romance manga and is just as horrifying as that implies. We see the end of it at the end of the trailer, so let's hurry right along.
What's interesting about the intro is that it uses the same excerpt from Take Over as Ryuji's trailer, but not Kasumi's. Does this mean returning characters and new ones will get different music? And where does this leave Goro, since he didn't get a trailer for the original game but is confirmed to get a trailer for P5R? After all, assuming any new Confidants don't get trailers, Kasumi would be the only one with her own version of the theme (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but still worth mentioning). On that nore, what about Joker? Being the protagonist, will he get Kasumi's version of the theme or something else entirely (maybe not even from Take Over)?
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The first proper scene is set in the "Inokashira Park clean-up" event on May 30th. While we saw the Phantom Thieves and Mishima together in an earlier screenshot, this scene shows that everyone will be separated into their own groups at some point (this may be when Joker meets Kasumi). Ann is working with students from all three year groups at Shujin which in turn confirms that the different years won't be working in shifts (and also explains why Haru appears in the original trailer as a participant alongside the second years). This also suggests the theory that Joker went back to the park to return something Kasumi dropped (which then led to their introduction) is false, though since he's walking back to the station in his gym clothes when she's being harrassed in the original trailer, take this rebuttal with a grain of salt.
As far as Ann is concerned, this segment shows her applying her simple mindset to problem solving and being praised for it, which is nice considering the scorn she got just four weeks prior to this due to Kamoshida. While the voice acting is likely for the sake of Kasumi's introduction, it seems this entire clean-up is voiced so it's nice that this "Ann moment" gets this extra attention as a side effect (this presumably holds true for Ryuji, Haru and maybe Makoto too).
(And as stated in other posts, remember that this is set during the Madarame infiltration.)
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The remaining two scenes of this trailer aren't voiced, but are set in the third semester and are thus ripe for speculating. This particular one takes place in the Underground Mall and features Shiho! Ann is apologising for not doing her best in a competition of some kind, which could be modelling...but knowing Ann could really be anything. The scene ends with some light teasing between her and Shiho, but while everyone's happy to see the latter again, she's also where the speculation comes from.
For those who don't know, Shiho moves away as a result of the Kamoshida arc to save her from the attention it brought her. While it's possible she's just visiting, it's also possible that this is all an illusion and that the real Shiho wouldn't risk coming to a popular haunt for Shujin students. As mentioned in the masterpost, there's a popular theory right now that the third semester's plot involves some sort of wish-fulfilling dream state. We already know what Morgana, Futaba and Ryuji would want and this is likely Ann's version.
Of course, that this one could make sense both in and outside of a dream is likely why it was included in the main body of the trailer with no fanfare unlike Ryujis's. As an aside, this is set in the Daytime time slot, which means this is a non-school day and would still leave Joker with two activity slots. This, coupled with it being in the first week of the year (which is when all the other bizarre things seem to take place) leads me to believe this is a mandatory event.
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The next scene is very brief - only a single line of dialogue - but is still worth discussing. Here, Ann has invited Joker to her room during the third semester. While that may not be much on its own, we know from Ryuji's trailer that he obtained his third Persona in his room, so could this be what's happening here? Note that this scene occurs after the previous. They're 15 days apart here, but because it isn't voiced we don't know if it's a fixed event or optional (like Confidants). Note that this event even takes place in the After School timeslot, which is when her normal Confidant is made available.
In any case Ann looks upset here, which may be because we're about to tell her that the Shiho that just showed up is a fake. Maybe her Third Awakening is a result of her accepting this and choosing reality instead? As mentioned before, this occurs in the same timeslot as her Confidant, so perhaps we have to do this for every teammate? However, as we saw with Ryuji, one's final Persona is a fusion of your existing ones, so will we only be able to free teammates whose Confidants we've already maxed out? Both Ryuji's "dream" and the prior scene with Shiho only stand out as strange if you've already completed their Confidants before Christmas, so will these illusions (and thus Third Awakenings) only occur for maxed out teammates in the first place? And does this mean we'll only need to talk to them once to show them they're seeing an illusion because we've already done the work of maxing them out, or will we need to spend a bit more time to win them over?
And what does this mean for the final Palace of the game? Will it be available at the first sign of trouble, or only once you have enough friends (either "Awoken" or those who didn't have an illusion to break in the first place) to have a full party? And worst case scenario: if you didn't max out a party member, are you rendered unable to recruit them in the final act...or will the third semester give you time to max them out and then showcase their dream-come-true for you to crush? (After all, Morgana will likely only ever enter the Metaverse in cat form since the alternative would mean redoing all his animations and Unisons and replacing the Morgana-mobile, since the "cats are buses" mentality wouldn't apply if he were a human.)
On a lighter note, we know this scene takes place right after school because Joker's in his school jacket. Since he has a brown bag with his brown jacket in the earlier scene, this may mean he canonically has two bags now and this isn't a result of being able to customise him (though this doesn't explain the gold bag he has in a screenshot with Goro and Kasumi as mentioned in the masterpost).
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The sole clip of Metaverse gameplay confirms that unique skills return from P4G and PQ2. Ann's is called Overkill♥ and functions as a stronger version of Marin Karin, though since we only see it used when one enemy is present, we can't tell if it affects multiple targets or not. Since we saw this after the scene with her and Joker in her room though, could it be possible this skill is only unlocked by her third Persona (like how Hecate comes with Evade Ice)? And if this is the case, what skills would the other characters get? Ann has it lucky since her character happened to fit an existing skill, but will everyone get stronger versions of normal abilities as their unique moves or completely original ones?

• On the other hand, as noted by u/Solacis, her Persona doesn't appear when using Overkill: is this just a streamlined animation because it's a personal skill, or will the Thieves themselves gain skills in the Metaverse? And if so, will these occupy one of their Persona's Skill Slots or be in addition to them (like Aigis' Orgia Mode)?

Also of note is that this is the Bank, yet the Shadow we see is Kurama Tengu who only appears in Palace 7. This isn't the first time we've seen this - Jatayu appears in a new section of the Casino despite being a Fusion-only Persona originally - so this begs the question of if we're in a new section of the bank or if the lists of Shadows that spawn in the entirety of each Palace have been revamped: after all, this is a clip of combat only so we don't know where exactly in the Palace we are.
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The last thing we see is the end of Ann and Morgana's Unison, which involves Morgana throwing a cartoon bomb at the enemy. Ryuji also had a grenade in his Unison with Yusuke, which again begs the question: will grenades be part of the Thieves' regular arsenal this time around? Morgana having a different kind of "grenade" also makes sense since his original weapons are also more cartoony than the others'. Speaking of Ryuji and Yusuke's Unison, we saw that they gained theirs after a private conversation. Will Ann and Morgana gain theirs the same way, and if so, will Joker still be present or will Morgana leave him alone for this meaning it is guaranteed to take place during the day?
Also, given the Unison starts with Morgana giving her flowers and the two will likely be alone for a moment, will Ann finally get the hint that Morgana likes her? That's the real question here.
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Thank you for reading! As always, please let me know what I can do to make this better! Have a great day :)
P.S. If we assume Kasumi went first because she's the newest member, then the two trailers we've gotten so far are in roughly the same order we recruited the Thieves in the original game. This means the next trailer will probably be either Morgana's or Yusuke's (if Morgana's being saved for the end for any number of reasons).

Please, feel free to add any events below! Check out the Events Calendar and Visitor's Guide for more info!

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New Year's Eve Events

• Ballpark Village
  • Ballpark Village is ringing in this New Year with added entertainment featuring the region's best DJ's along with the Pop 2000 tour hosted by Chris Kirkpatrick of *NYSNC with performances by O-Town, Ryan Cabrera & LFO's Brad Fischetti.
• Brennan's Work & Leisure
  • Brennan’s Work & Leisure and Anti-Agency invite you on a space odyssey to celebrate the New Year, 2020.
  • Once aboard the ship, enjoy a premium bar selection, heavy appetizers of the future by Chef Josh Galliano (Companion Bakery, The Libertine) and interstellar desserts by Pastry Chef Tai Davis. Groove to the night's soundscape provided by DJ Black Guy, then step into the Zero Gravity Live Feed Photo Booth to send evidence of your journey back home.
  • All passengers must report to the orbiter near midnight for a live music performance, projection show and champagne toast to the New Year. Dress: modern cocktail attire / space shuttle launch
• Casino Queen
  • Casino Queen invites area residents to partake in one of St. Louis’ biggest parties of the decade during its New Year’s Eve celebration on Tuesday, December 31. Guests will enjoy a specialty buffet, live DJ cranking out the tunes on the casino floor, a countdown to midnight with party favors for all and exclusive prize giveaways throughout the evening.
• Chase Park Plaza
  • Dress to impress for 7th Annual New Year's Eve Ball at The Chase Park Plaza. The celebration takes place in the legendary Khorassan Ballroom and will feature musical performances of DJ Greasy, Lamar Harris & The L, and a Frank Sinatra tribute.
  • Also, the event will have a premium open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, a balloon drop, and a champagne toast at midnight.
• Downtown NYE Bar Crawl
  • Take your tribe into the New Year at the 2020 NYE (New Year’s Eve) Bar Crawl taking place Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at many locations in St. Louis
  • Washington Ave Venues (List Can Change)
    • Lucas Park Grille (1234 Washington Ave)
    • Flannery's (1324 Washington Ave)
    • Rosalita's (1235 Washington Ave)
    • Hair Of The Dog (1212 Washington Ave)
    • 314 The City Bar (1137 Washington Ave)
    • Missouri Bar & Grill (701 N Tucker)
    • OveUnder (911 Washington Ave)
  • The Landing Venues (List Can Change)
    • Big Daddy's Landing (108 Morgan St)
    • Morgan Street Brewery (721 N 2nd St)
    • The Lou Eats & Drinks (710 N 2nd St)
• Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House
  • On New Year's Eve, Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House will host live music of all genres beginning at 6 p.m. until 12:45 a.m. The restaurant's full menu is served until 10 p.m. with a complimentary appetizer buffet from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and a champagne toast at midnight. No cover; cash bar. Tuesday, December 31, 6 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.
• From Skybar & Union 30
  • Your evening begins with a three-course, prix fixe dinner at the swanky Union 30 restaurant in Hotel Saint Louis, where options include a 30-ounce tomahawk ribeye, a 24-ounce dry-aged sous vide pork chop, or king crab legs. The $125 price includes admission to the NYE Blast at FORM Skybar on the 14th floor, which will host the Kim Massie Band, an open premium bar, and an appetizer buffet. There’s no charge for the prime view of the fireworks show at Kiener Plaza
• Four Seasons
  • In one of the most picturesque locations in all of Downtown St. Louis, meet us in the exclusive Sky Lobby to ring in the New Year. Recreating the eclectic energy of New York City, join us to watch the ball drop under the stars at midnight and move your feet to Spanky's Dueling Piano!
• Gateway Arch Riverboats
  • Ring in the new year with a view of the magnificent St. Louis skyline at this party cruise hosted by the Gateway Arch Riverboats. Featuring an elegant three-course dinner, open bar, DJ entertainment and a midnight champagne toast, the fun kicks off at 9 p.m. Reservations required.
• Helium Comedy Club
  • Ring in the New Year with an evening filled with laughter courtesy of Ryan Niemiller! Skip the chaos of the bars and enjoy a special night with food and drinks from the comfort of our restaurant, bar, lounge, and showroom.
• Hollywood Casino
  • Put a little Great Gatsby in your New Year’s Eve celebration with the Roaring '20s New Year’s Eve party at Hollywood Casino.
• Hyatt Regency
  • Ring in the new decade with two ballrooms with live music and fun at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch’s Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party. The celebration will include a delicious dinner buffet, an open bar, photo booth, party favors and live music throughout the evening from Groovethang and Broseph.
• The Last Hotel
  • Celebrate the last day of 2019 at The Last! Join others in the Lobby Bar + on their fabulous Rooftop and toast to the New Year in style.
• Molly's in Soulard
  • Get ready to party! Molly's In Soulard has one of the THE BEST New Years Eve parties in STL. They've got: 5 open bars, Two balloon drops, Champagne toasts, VIP buffets, VIP tables, and cabanas
• POP & Baileys' Chocolate Bar
  • One of the more appropriate places to ring in the new year and decade is POP, Dave and Kara Bailey’s bubbles bar and restaurant in Lafayette Square. This year, POP and Baileys’ Chocolate Bar (located upstairs) have teamed up to provide an all-inclusive celebration on December 31. The all-inclusive celebration begins at 9 p.m. Food stations include appetizers from POP and specialty desserts from Baileys’ Chocolate Bar. Tickets include beer, wine, bubbles, and cocktails, including chocolate martinis and dessert cocktails.
• Powell Symphony Hall
  • Music Director Stéphane Denève and the SLSO bring 2019 to a close at the BMO Wealth Management New Year’s Eve Celebration. Enjoy an evening of music and surprises at St. Louis’ best-kept secret. Bring family and friends together for this musical celebration you’ll remember throughout 2020.
• Tin Roof
  • Out with the old and in with a new decade. Celebrate with Tin Roof at their NYE "End of a Decade" Black and White Ball. Dress up in your best or come as you are and catch the best live music and DJ's around.
• Westport Social
  • Celebrating NYE at Westport Social means you can play like a kid while partying like an adult. For just a $25 cover, guests can play the full range of games at the Westport Plaza watering hole while also indulging in a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight and dance to live music.
• Wheelhouse
  • Another year in the books and there’s no other holiday party like Wheelhouse NYE. And nothing is better than closing out 2019 and starting 2020 with you, your closest friends and WH doin’ what they all do best, wild out.

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• Anheuser Busch Brewery Lights
  • November 22, 2019 - December 30, 2019
  • Brewery Lights is a family-friendly event, open to all ages at no cost. Guests can attend every Friday through Sunday, from 5 to 10 p.m.
  • Join others when they Flip The Switch on November 22nd with St. Louis Blues Captain, Alex Pietrangelo.
  • Witness and experience the magic of more than a million twinkling lights during the 34th annual Brewery Lights at the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery! Guests are invited to stroll down Pestalozzi Street to marvel as the brewery is turned into a remarkable holiday experience with something for everyone, including a Kids Zone.
• Candy Cane Lane
  • December 2019
  • Every holiday season, the neighbors of this Saint Louis Hills street transform this ordinary lane into a winter wonderland that most of St. Louis knows as “Candy Cane Lane.” Hundreds of strands of Christmas Lights are strung, inflatable snowmen and Christmas trees are blown up, wreaths are hung, and even sand displays are made. Every year, hundreds of family-packed cars drive down Candy Cane Lane to see the wonderful Holiday sights.
• Disney on Ice Presents: Celebrate Memories
  • January 2-5, 2020
  • Your favorite Disney stories come to life at Disney On Ice presents Celebrate Memories, coming to Enterprise Center January 2-5! Sail along with Moana on her high-seas adventure and dance with Woody, Buzz and all the Toy Story friends. Feel inspired when love wins in Frozen and dreams come true for the Disney Princesses. Share the excitement and make new memories the whole family will treasure forever!
• First Fridays at the St. Louis Science Center
  • January 3, 2020
  • Learn the real science behind science fiction and mingle with others interested in the geekier side of life. Each month, First Friday features a different theme, hands-on activities, pub-style trivia, engaging presentations, photo opps for showing off your costume, and food and drink specials.
• Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden
  • November 23, 2019 - January 4, 2020
  • Garden Glow features a million lights surrounding visitors with a spectacle of unique installations amid some of the Garden’s most iconic locations. Enjoy interactive photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, delicious food and drinks and more as the Garden is transformed around you into a winter wonderland.
  • Santa will visit Garden Glow from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday nights from November 25 through December 17. (Note: Garden Glow is not open on Dec. 9.)
• History Made: St. Louis Blues Exhibit
  • Running until January 26, 2020
  • History was made on June 12, 2019. It’s a date that will forever live in St. Louis sports history. On that day, the St. Louis Blues hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, the Missouri History Museum, in collaboration with the St. Louis Blues, will open History Made.
  • Featuring more than 20 artifacts on loan from the St. Louis Blues from the historic playoff run and the Stanley Cup Finals, History Made tells the story of the underdog team that took home the NHL’s highest honor and united its community in the process.
• Holiday in the Park at Six Flags
  • November 23 - January 1, 2020
  • A dazzling winter spectacular featuring more than a million glittering lights, holiday entertainment, delicious seasonal treats, visits with Santa and many of our popular theme park rides. Combine holiday traditions with a thrilling family experience that is uniquely Six Flags.
  • Six Flags St. Louis extends its season and will be open weekends and select weekdays from November 23 through January 1, 2020 for this one-of-a-kind magical event.
  • A unique mix of holiday cheer with some of your favorite coasters & thrill rides makes Holiday in the Park a family tradition like no other. Meet Santa Claus in the North Pole or jump on Mind Eraser or Roar for a mid-winter rush. Then you can roast marshmallows near a cracking wood fire before you catch one of our many holiday shows.
• Holiday Spirits Holiday Pop Up Bar
  • November 29, 2019 - January 9, 2020
  • Looking for somewhere new to get your party on this Holiday Season? For just a few weeks only, Oaked will be providing the very best in holiday-themed libations, good food, and an immersive atmosphere.
  • Housed in a historic brick building with almost 6,000 sq. feet of space (excluding the outdoor heated patio & bar), featuring 3 bars, and 2 levels of fun. Once inside, you’ll be transported to a Winter Wonderland and treated like family. Santa Claus will be on hand to spread holiday cheer and greet our guests as they arrive.
  • Oaked is located at 1031 Lynch St. St. Louis, MO 63118
• Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits at the Botanical Garden
  • Kwanzaa is a Swahili term that means “first fruits,” and this contemporary African-American holiday centers around the feast table of the harvest. A Kwanzaa ceremony highlights a day of storytelling, craft and jewelry displays, and authentic African drumming and musical performances.
• The Loading Dock Ice Rink in Grafton, IL
  • November 23, 2019 - March 8, 2020
  • It’s that time of year! The Loading Dock Bar & Grill in Grafton is gearing up for the Grand Re-Opening of their Ice Skating Rink on Saturday, November 23rd. Each November The Boatworks is transformed into a Winter Wonderland offering ice skating, s’mores tables, and a full menu and bar, that is sure to entertain adults and kids alike.
  • The rink will be open Friday, Saturday, & Sunday through March 8. 2020 with extended hours during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Special events this year include a visit from Santa and a New Years Eve party.
• Miracle Christmas Pop Up Bar
  • November 25, 2019 - December 31, 2019
  • Venue: Small Change 2800 Indiana Avenue St. Louis, MO 63118
  • Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally-developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to, Miracle is sure to get even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.
• Polar Express Train Ride
  • November 29, 2019 - December 30, 2019
  • Guests will take a real train ride from St. Louis Union Station to the 'North Pole' and discover the magical journey of one boy's search for the real meaning of Christmas. The Train Ride departs from St. Louis Union Station for a 45-minute adventure to the North Pole. The train ride is promised to be filled with magic, songs, and cheer.
• Soulard Farmer's Market
  • Wednesday - Saturday
  • 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Soulard Farmers Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different eateries that have many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
• Steinberg Ice Skating Rink in Forest Park
  • November 15, 2019 - March 1, 2020
  • Steinberg Skating Rink is the largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Midwest, offering public skating all day, everyday—including all holidays. Your skate admission is valid for all day. You may arrive at anytime during business hours & skate as long as you like.
• Up on the Rooftop Holiday Pop-up Cocktail Experience
  • November 29, 2019 - December 31, 2019
  • Go "Up on the Rooftop" for a whimsical holiday cocktail pop-up experience with extreme decor and delicious seasonal drinks, small plates and more. Three Sixty at the top of the Hilton at the Ballpark overlooks the downtown lights and the glowing Gateway Arch. Cozy indoor spaces and outdoor patio fire pits.
• Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo
  • November 29, 2019 - December 30, 2019
  • Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo offers a chance for you to stroll through an enchanting holiday experience.
• WinterMarkt at Urban Chestnut
  • November 30, 2019 - December 21, 2019 (Saturdays Only)
  • Usher in the holiday season with a “traditional” European WinterMarkt at Urban Chestnut’s Midtown Brewery & Biergarten. Eat, drink, and be merry with local vendors on hand for holiday shopping
• Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park
  • November 22, 2019 - January 2, 2020
  • 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
  • Enjoy a stroll through more than one million twinkling lights at Winter Wonderland. Tickets are $6, not including MetroTix fees. Pre-registration is required. Dogs on a leash, cameras, strollers and wagons are all welcome. Desserts, hot chocolate, and other beverages will be available for purchase. Also, be on the lookout for a special visitor from the North Pole until 8:45 pm!
• Winterfest at the Arch
  • November 23 - January 26, 2019 (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays)
  • A favorite St. Louis winter tradition for all ages, the fourth annual Winterfest, presented by Bank of America and World Wide Technologies returns to Kiener Plaza and features a community ice rink, a Winter Market shopping district, reserved Igloo seating with Sugarfire table service and more exciting events than ever before.

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Sporting Events This Week

• St. Louis Cardinals schedule
• St. Louis Blues schedule
• St. Louis FC schedule
• Gateway Grizzlies schedule
• Gateway Motorsports Park

Attractions Around the Area

• Anheuser-Busch Brewery
• City Museum
• Gateway Arch
• Missouri History Museum
• National Blues Museum
• St. Louis Aquarium
• St. Louis Art Museum
• St. Louis Science Center
• St. Louis Zoo

Recurring Outdoor Activities

• Big Muddy Adventures – STL Riverfront Adventure
  • Big Muddy Adventures was established in 2002. They are the first professional outfitteguiding company providing access to the wild wonders of the Middle Mississippi and Lower Missouri Rivers.
• Hidden Valley Zip Tour
  • ZipTour zip lines take about 2.5 hours to complete. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riders are assigned to tour groups which are escorted through the course by two safety guides.
• Hidden Valley Ski Resort
  • Running until March 1, 2020
  • Always check the Snow Report before coming out to Hidden Valley for updates on snow and tubing conditions. Skiing, snowboarding, and tubing are weather-dependent activities and conditions and hours are subject to change without notice.​

Recurring Events on the Mississippi River

• Gateway Arch Events

Comedy This Week

• Funny Bone Comedy Club
• Helium Comedy Club
• The Improv Shop

Live Music This Week

• SoFar St. Louis
  • Experience the Gateway to the West with Sofar! From The Grove to Cherokee Street to The Loop, they're reimagining live events through curated, secret performances in intimate settings. Come mingle with touring acts, local and international artists, fellow music lovers and our imaginative hosts.
• St. Louis Symphony Concert Calendar
  • Celebrated as one of today's most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 140th year with the 2019/2020 season and its first with Music Director Stéphane Denève. Widely considered one of the world's finest orchestras, the SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community connections – all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.
• This calendar includes the following venues.
  • Blueberry Hill Duck Room
  • Delmar Hall
  • Halo Bar
  • The Pageant
• Other Live Music Venue Calendars
  • Atomic Cowboy
  • BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups
  • Chesterfield Amphitheater
  • Broadway Oyster Bar
  • Enterprise Center
  • The Fabulous Fox Theatre
  • Fubar
  • Game 6 Honky Tonk
  • Firebird
  • Off Broadway
  • Old Rock House
  • Sheldon Concert Hall
  • Stifel Theatre
  • St. Louis Blues Museum
  • The Ready Room
  • Venice Cafe