It’s the last RPG news summary of 2022! Can you believe it?
Kickstarter is a bit of a ghost town, but there is still tabletop news bubbling to the surface, with plenty of new releases and bundles.
Those news bubbles? Okay, here goes!
- There’s end of year statements from several publishers.
- Geek Native’s patrons will get a gift.
- Reviews from R’lyeh have been busy with an impressive fanzine series.
- Tabletop RPG Kickstarter is a ghost town as we head to 2023.
The final RPG Publisher Spotlight of the year is out, and I talk to Handiwork Games. We talk about AI art, The One Ring, China and the strange practice of employing full-time staff.
Geek Native has also been publishing daily OneBookShelf best sellers of 2022 details (except on Boxing Day – I overate and hibernated), which you’ll find in a whole category below. OBS sites include Storytellers Vault, DMsGuild as well as DriveThruRPG so far. Tune in tomorrow to see if there’s more.
Now, the RPG news!
Competition: Roll vs Evil | Roll20Con tee
RPG news from Geek Native
- Lost in Dungeon published a free for Christmas, but now a few bucks, Journeys into the Unknown.
- Chris Chadruc has released English folk horror in RPG form for free, and it’s Welcome to Grimsbury.
- TGS Games released the core and free rules to the baroque apocalypse of Vault Peddlers.
- C.K. Ipson published the OSR game of mythic Scotland, with many free books, Isle of Dragons.
- In the Bundle of Holding, there are two Shadows of the Demon Lord offers and the return of Fate Worlds.
- At Humble’s Goodman Games have a new Dungeons Crawls Classics bundle
Spotlight: Handiwork Games
2022’s best selling OneBookShelf/Roll20 products
At the end of the year, for the last few years, Geek Native has been lucky enough to showcase the top sellers from DriveThruRPG published in the year. I’m getting to do the same in 2022 and will leave a running tally here.
- Fantasy RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Horror RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Modern RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Sci-Fi RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Family RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- Miscellaneous RPGs on DriveThruRPG.
- New publishers on DriveThruRPG.
- Titles on the DMsGuild.
- Titles in the Storytellers Vault.
RPG news from around the web
- Chaosium has released 78 pages of free Rivers of London RPG content, and the hardback pre-order is open.
- Chaosium also announced Announcing Call of Cthulhu in Ukrainian.
- “2022 has been a momentous year for Pinnacle Entertainment Group” is the headline of Shane Hensley’s End of Year Address.
- “It was both an exciting and oftentimes frightening way to spend my first year as the Director of Product Development for DCC” concludes Michael Curtis in The 2022 DCC Year In Review.
- Onyx Path and Eddy Webb reveal Realms of Pugmire – What’s New?
- R. Talsorian Games has released more free Witcher TTRPG with Travelers on the Road.
- Covering the D&D movie, Hayley McCullough writes up Dungeons & Dragons Star Incorporates Sign Language Into His Spellcasting.
- Savvy Charlie Hall finds a new angle in the One D&D OGL story by noting D&D will change to defend itself against crypto and other forms of exploitation.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Reviews from R’lyeh continue the fanzine focus XXX with;
- Aaron T. Huss reviews Loremaster’s Screen & Rivendell Compendium (The One Ring).
- Andrew Peregrine’s retrospective on Dragonlance hits part two.
- Rob Wieland reviews the modern 5e system of Everyday Heroes.
- At EN World, Charles Dunwoody reveals Clarence Redd about The Comae Engine.
RPG new releases
- R. Rook Games complete a successful Kickstarter and follow from the free quickstart with the full rules of the cosmic horror Moonlight on Roseville Beach.
- Atomic Overmind Press and the respected designer Greg Stolze have released the Reign Rules and the expanded Reign: Realms.
- Western Spaghetti invites you to pay as much as you want for the uber-lite OSR hack Strange Brew RPG.
- Harald Smith has a copper best-seller already with the new Homeland for RuneQuest Edge of Empire.
- The bleak sci-fi future of Stillfleet is out at Itch and DriveThruRPG.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $10.74 (49%) with Chaosium’s community content The 2022 Collection bundle.
- Save $10.73 (50%) with Chaosium’s community content Stars Are Right New Year 2023 bundle.
- Save $8.00 (50%) with Gabrilo Desprint’s Merchants of Alveria bundle.
- Save $3.95 (18%) with DC Bradshaw’s Little but Fierce: Starter Edition and Expansion bundle.
- Save $3.00 (46%) with Rarr! I’m A Monster Publishing’s ~Rarr! I’m A Christmas Bundle!
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Ben and the Genre Police talk downtime and social events with Passing Down(time).
- Lucian Manon guest posted tips with Survivor’s Guide to the Ascension War.
- A wholesome viral D&D birthday photo.
- Is it too late for D&D Christmas carols?
- Magnetic Merchoid dice cage keyrings.
- BookRiot’s Emily Martin shares their The Best Tabletop Roleplaying Games.
- CNET’s Adam Benjamin offers up the Best Online Tools for Dungeons & Dragons.
- The Alexandrian asks the critical question Do I Need to Use the Open Gaming License?
- For context, Justin also wrote up Open Gaming License: A Brief History and with a part two.
RPG Crowdfunding
You can see those Kickstarters and other crowdfunding campaigns that caught Geek Native’s attention over at Kickstarter watch. Here are some industry projects worth a mention;
- SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES: The Madness of St. Avon – ONLY $1! from the Laidback DM is a collection of monsters, maps and one-shots for 5e.
- Sharp Edge Dice Monthly Subscription from Robin’s Nerd Supplies has been funded so people will now be able to get monthly shipments of mathrocks.
Do you know of an RPG news source that I don’t? Let me know, or leave a comment below.
Great summary again! Thanks for your huge efforts in the hobby. I wish you a happy new year!