Indie TTRPG studio Creature Curation has brought Vast Grimm, its sci-fi horror roleplaying game, entirely in-house, even going as far as to purchase its own digital printing press. The move gives the creative team full control over production ahead of a new Kickstarter campaign.
The original creators of the game took over publishing last autumn and have now vertically integrated the process. Co-creator Brian Colin acquired the printing press in August and has begun printing the latest releases personally. The decision was made to gain more control over publishing costs, especially in the face of potential tariffs that have concerned the tabletop industry.
Vast Grimm is a rules-light game set in a dying, würm-infested universe. Described as what might happen “if you took Guardians of the Galaxy and threw it in an Alien movie,” the game uses the Mörk Borg system as its foundation. Players take on the roles of Legionnaires attempting to survive in a bizarre and brutal setting where most of humanity has been infected by parasitic würms.
The upcoming Kickstarter, titled Escaping Stasis, will introduce a new, modular zine-based format for the game. Brian Colin explained that this approach allows fans to purchase only the components they want, making it easier to bring just the necessary materials to a game session.
A new Starter Set will serve as an entry point for players, containing a Crew Member Manual, a starter adventure with quickstart rules, and character sheets. All new books will be backwards compatible with previous editions of Vast Grimm, and the studio has committed to providing free downloadable resources for fans who own the original materials.
The Kickstarter campaign is set to launch on September 30th and will feature a range of items, including:
- The Starter Set
- Crew Member Manual (for players)
- Netwürk Operator Manual (for GMs)
- Threat Registry 01 (a bestiary)
- Several adventure and lore zines
- A novella titled Of Würms and Men
Creature Curation has confirmed that a free, artless version of the rules, called Skeleton Crew, will remain available, and the game will continue to be compatible with the broader Mörk Borg third-party scene.
