As we enter the spookiest of seasons, I’m delighted to offer you at least a couple horror games to sink your teeth into. A lot of indie designers are recovering from the busy season and already preparing for the next round of conventions (looking at you, PAX Unplugged!). Today we’ve got some experimental song generators, a tarot-based character creation system, and a campaign to support one of the best, longest running actual play shows. Let’s get to that tavern!
Featured Designer: Jeeyon Shim, The Longest Rest
I’ve been aware of Jeeyon Shim’s work since she launched the Kickstarter for Field Guide to Memory in late 2020. It wasn’t long after that I became an ardent fan and admirer of the short games she posted on itch.io, hallmarked by ethereal storytelling, psychological immersion, and a unique, punky design aesthetic. While many of her games follow the suit of Field Guide to Memory, in which a keepsake is created, many others dive into the transformative, otherwordly, and horrific.
Her newest game, The Longest Rest, builds on the Apocalypse World system, and will seem familiar to anyone who’s played an RPG before. You arrive in a tavern, weary. The tavern is not what it seems. As you explore the tavern, and your own desires, the tavern will give you what you want most. All it asks in exchange is your humanity.
The Indiegogo campaign Shim has set up is already garnered a lot of attention and support, and the game is accompanied by illustrations by Connor Fawcett which are visceral and disturbing. There is a sense of loss, hopelessness, and an exploration of what makes someone human, especially when faced with the exceptional, supernatural, and even those who might already be dead.
New Releases: Slugblaster, Invasion of the Third Kind, Party First: Twilight War, Shanty-Makers
“In the small town of Hillview, teenage hoverboarders sneak into other dimensions to explore, film tricks, go viral, and get away from the problems at home. It’s dangerous. It’s stupid. It’s got parent groups in a panic. And it’s the coolest thing ever. This is Slugblaster. A Forged in the Dark table-top rpg about teenagehood, giant bugs, circuit-bent rayguns, and trying to be cool.”
“Invasion of the Third Kind is a game focused on sci-fi horror tropes from the 1980s, as aliens have come to Plainville, IN in hopes of conquering the world. With your group of friends, work to discover their secret plot as they infiltrate all levels of the local government and seek to take control, or as they overrun and enslave your town. With six character types, six alien types, six plots, and the innovative Alien Influence and Plot Twist systems, this game can provide hours of over the top fun for any roleplayer — regardless of experience.”
“In Party First, a group of players take on the roles of individuals living within the nation of the USRA in the Twilight World set during the year 1985. The Twilight World is similar to our own in some ways, but dramatically different in others. You may see some aspects that you recognise, and in most cases, it is by design. Other aspects will be more emphasised, dramatized, or horrific than the world you are familiar with.”
“In Shanty-makers, use a table of prompts and the imaginations of your friends to generate a sea shanty. Everyone at the table will get a chance to write lines and generate whatever wacky, tragic, or action-packed ideas you’d like! At the end, you can all bang out the resounding chorus and chime in on all the response.”
Crowdfunding: Rebels of the Outlaw Wastes, Session Zero, Rivals of Waterdeep
“Rebels of the Outlaw Wastes is a story-driven post-apocalypse roleplaying game where you play misfit outlaws fighting to overthrow the tyrannical overlords of a weird, wonderful wasteland. It uses an original rules system designed from the ground up to create exciting, over-the-top action and adventure, with the flow of the story firmly in the hands of the players. Fans of Powered by the Apocalypse or Forged in the Dark will recognise some familiar concepts, remixed for a unique player-driven experience.”
“The Session Zero System is a storytelling game focused on helping adventures build their backstories to be as lively and vibrant as the characters they make them for. This is a collaborative game to be played at a TTRPG table, it includes several sets of unique Safety Tools to choose from so everyone at your table can be safe while having fun, contains quick reference guides for GMs and Players on the go, and fodder for writers and storytellers of all kinds to bring characters and their world to life!”
Rivals of Waterdeep is crowdfunding to keep up its high-quality, high-impact 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons actual play campaign. It has lost funding from Wizards of the Coast and is hoping to fundraise enough money for two more seasons in order to finish the story. It streams live Sundays at 10 am Pacific, noon Central, and 1 pm Eastern.
In Other News:
- The urban supernatural game Defiant is now available to purchase after an initial release to Kickstarter backers.
- D&D podcast Warlock has begun a new season, following the wannabe sorcerer Nova.
- Everyday Heroes is closing preorders after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
- The Kids on Bikes Second Edition Kickstarter is well underway!
- Dimension 20: Neverafter, an all-new 20-episode TTRPG actual-play series led by Game Master Brennan Lee Mulligan, will premiere November 30th.
- Loot the Room opened preorders for its limited edition Dungeon Drop, a supplemental box for all your dungeon-based games.
- Dicebreaker has announced its own Tabletop Design Awards.
- Heart of Darkness, a supplemental scenario for Free League’s Alien RPG, was released today.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.