From the ENNIE-nominated creators of the comedic roleplaying game Flabbergasted!, The Wanderer’s Tome has announced the full release of its latest title, Deadline: A Clockwork Press.
The game, a GM-less, news-chronicling, and map-making TTRPG, is now available from the company’s webstore following the successful fulfilment of its crowdfunding campaign.
Deadline distinguishes itself with a unique format: the game is presented as a 24-page tabloid-sized newspaper. This innovative approach immerses players directly into the game’s world, where they take on the roles of journalists for the most prominent news house in a city of their own creation.
Designed for one to four players, including a solo mode, the game tasks participants with collaboratively building a unique industrial city defined by steam-powered technology, political corruption, simmering rebellion, and a touch of the arcane. The gameplay draws inspiration from iconic settings such as Dunwall from Dishonored, Piltover from Arcane, and the submerged dystopia of BioShock’s Rapture.
The game is structured into two main phases. First, in the ‘Establishment Phase’, players collectively create their city, defining its districts, power structures, and hidden secrets. Following this, the ‘Chronicling Phase’ begins, where players act as reporters, documenting major events and writing exposés that directly influence the city’s map and ongoing story. Every headline written has a tangible impact, steering the metropolis towards a dramatic collapse, perhaps through a political uprising, an industrial disaster, or a violent invasion.
As a tool for worldbuilding, Deadline is designed not just as a standalone game but also as a creative engine for other TTRPG campaigns or narrative projects, allowing users to generate rich, detailed steampunk settings.
To celebrate the launch, The Wanderer’s Tome is running a sale for the entire month of September. Customers can receive 50% off all accessories in their store by using the code ACC50 at checkout.
Deadline: A Clockwork Press is available now from the official Wanderer’s Tome website.
