This week: Polygon looks at Kickstarter’s last year of tabletop games and considers its future. Meanwhile, Edge revives an old Fantasy Flight setting. And Mörk Borg gets an Orcish twist from Grant Howitt.
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Become a Patron!Kickstarter & Blockchain
Polygon looks at the top-performing Kickstarter campaigns of 2021, and considers the impact of Kickstarter’s planned move to the blockchain.
Kickstarter answered questions on the Blockchain move by email, which was a good choice, because they would never have got away with answers like this in front of anyone who could ask follow-up questions. Amidst all the empty buzzwords, this beautiful bit of PR spin: “We’ve heard from members of our community that we could have told the story of why we are supporting a decentralized protocol better.”
Blockchain doesn’t have to be terrible, but this failure to acknowledge concerns that it usually is terrible is depressing. What a milquetoast and cowardly response. — Amy
New & Upcoming
Grant Howitt announces Orc Borg, a Mörk Borg-based game about cybernetic orcs.
Edge Entertainment announces Midnight: The Legacy of Darkness, a revival of Fantasy Flight Games’ setting for 5e.
Edge has promised a lot since it took over Fantasy Flight’s games, but it has published very little so far. With every project announced, my eyebrow raises a little higher. At this rate, it’s turning into a face-lift. — Amy
Paizo announces new board games based on Pathfinder & Starfinder, in partnership with Gale Force Nine.
Bundles & Deals
Bundle is offering two bundles of Palladium books, a bundle of Goodman Games books, and a bundle of Baker Street books.
Humble Bundle is offering a bundle of 3d-printable miniatures.
Crowdfunding
ZineMonth
ZineMonth, a platform-neutral campaign to promote zines, is just getting started but there are already over 100 projects listed on it, albeit not all of them have launched yet. Check out their website for complete coverage.
Closing Soon
Hull Breach Vol. 1 is an anthology digest for Mothership. So far this project has raised $400,000 from 5,200 backers. Ends February 3rd
Good numbers for a third party Mothership supplement, suggesting that the game is really finding an audience now. — James
Limitless Heroics: Better worlds via Dice & Disabilities is a rules supplement for 5e with a focus on characters with disabilities, mental illness and neurodivergence. So far this project has raised $71,000 from 1,900 backers. Ends February 3rd
Adorablins is a mini-story game that fits in a tin, powered by the apocalypse. So far this project has raised $32,000 from 1,400 backers. Ends February 4th
The Adventurer’s Guide to the Bible is a campaign setting for 5e inspired by the Christian Bible. So far this project has raised $58,000 from 1,100 backers. Ends February 5th
I dunno. The more I look at this project, the more convinced I am that 5e is not suitable for all settings — let alone a very surface-level interpretation of the New Testament! — James
5e
The Goblin Tower: A low-level 5e adventure, by Dark Realm Roleplay (Murder at Morley’s Workshop, RPG Maps Zine — Issue 1, 10 Dungeon Escape Room Battle Mats) — February 22nd
Seeds of Decay: A sourcebook and adventures set in a decaying forest under threat, by Darryl Jones (Dobbers: Quest for the Key, RPG, deck building, quest TTBG) — February 24th
Augmented Arcana: A collection of Augmented Reality spell cards, by MageCraft LLC — February 24th
OSR & Retro
Hexagram #9: A retro zine for The Fantasy Trip, by Warehouse 23/Steve Jackson Games — February 2nd
Delver #4: A zine of random tables and tools for OSR games, by James Floyd Kelly (Delver) — February 14th
Other & Generic Fantasy
Hex-n-Screen: Undying Sands + Bottled Sea: Two RPG settings featuring modular hexes and other tools, by Andre Novoa (The Insectiary) — February 9th
We see so many RPG settings here, but this one’s format and style really stand out for me. — Amy
One More Quest: A dexterity-based comedy RPG set in the world of the Dungeon Fighter board games, by Horrible Guild (Dungeon Fighter, Railroad Ink Challenge, Vampire: The Masquerade — Vendetta) — February 15th
Combining roleplaying with dexterity games is by no means a new idea, but this does look like a fun implementation of it with some notable designers behind it. — James
Grok?!: A gonzo trans-dimensional fantasy RPG, by Lester Burton — March 5th
Sci-Fi / Cyberpunk
CyberMetal 2012: A weird-fantasy cyberpunk RPG, by World Champ Game Co — February 8th
Storygames & Experimental
Heckin’ Good Doggos!: An indie tabletop RPG of “Dogs Doin’ Dog Stuff”, by Wet Ink Games (Never Going Home: World War Occult Role Playing, Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, Into the Wyrd and Wild – Revised and Reprinted) — February 20th
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