Investments
Private companies in which Mike is a foundational shareholder.
|Currently Under Development
Website and trailer to come soon
Location Fukuoka, Japan
Year Apr, 2021
Website: [Under Construction]
Year Apr, 2021
Website: [Under Construction]
Interested in the standards this startup and its leadership met in order to secure Mike Norton’s invested skills, mentorship, and resources?
Reviving the Magic of Tabletop Gaming
Dark Loch Studios (DLS) is a Swedish-led, Japan-registered tabletop roleplaying game company focused on delivering rich, story-driven gaming experiences that evoke nostalgia and camaraderie. The company’s mission is to create immersive worlds with game dynamics that remind players of the friendships and adventures they cherished growing up, blending classic fantasy inspiration with innovative storytelling mechanics.
DLS’s flagship product, Threnody of Archaea, is a dark high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game set in a world on the brink of ruin. Drawing on influences from iconic works like The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire, Threnody of Archaea emphasizes character-driven narratives, collaborative storytelling, and the enduring impact of player choices.
It’s designed not just as a game but as a digital experience deliberately engineered to evoke feelings of teenhood nostalgia and camaraderie between its players—one that brings people together and fosters a sense of shared history, culture, and connection…
…even if those players live in different countries from each other.
“I chose to invest in Dark Loch Studios because of their unique approach to tabletop gaming: a commitment to rekindling the joy of gathering with friends, sharing stories, and building lasting memories. What I love most about this company is that its products are rebelliously lacking in political correctness.
This investment represents my belief in the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of tabletop roleplaying games as a means of connection and creativity.”
DLS’s flagship product, Threnody of Archaea, is a dark high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game set in a world on the brink of ruin. Drawing on influences from iconic works like The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire, Threnody of Archaea emphasizes character-driven narratives, collaborative storytelling, and the enduring impact of player choices.
It’s designed not just as a game but as a digital experience deliberately engineered to evoke feelings of teenhood nostalgia and camaraderie between its players—one that brings people together and fosters a sense of shared history, culture, and connection…
…even if those players live in different countries from each other.
“I chose to invest in Dark Loch Studios because of their unique approach to tabletop gaming: a commitment to rekindling the joy of gathering with friends, sharing stories, and building lasting memories. What I love most about this company is that its products are rebelliously lacking in political correctness.
This investment represents my belief in the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of tabletop roleplaying games as a means of connection and creativity.”
— Mike Norton