Here in the north, it is finally getting lighter. It’s a short month, but we’re not through it yet.
Now, let’s start with the TTRPG summary of summaries.
- UK Games Expo co-founder Patrick Campbell has passed away.
- Ryan Dancey has left AEG after pro-AI comments.
- Atlas Games pushes on with Fork ICE.
- Nightfall Games brings SLA Industries to Savage Worlds.
- Timothy Brown brings Traveller to 5e.
We’ve upgraded the Genre Police HQ.
In the past, we had TablePres,s which I had to update by hand (which I struggled to do) as a master index of Ben’s posts. Now it’s automatic code.
You can still search the table, and it’ll look at the summary of the article and title plus the tags we used. In the past, there were also last-minute handcrafted tags, but we’ve gone with the automatic approach again.
You can also deep link to search results with URLs like https://www.geeknative.com/genre-police-index/?gp_search=Horror
Lastly, we’ve put a webring (remember those?) like mechanic at the bottom of every Genre Police page (see it at the base of The 5-Step Campaign so you can more easily browse these RPG tips).
On with the TTRPG news!
Spotlight: Surbook Press.
RPG news from Geek Native
- Paizo is skipping PaizoCon 2026.
- Big changes at AEG as Ryan Dancey leaves after claiming AI can design “as good” as humans.
- Big news from Nightfall Games as SLA Industries targets a more Savage future.
- Atlas Games is helping Minnesota with Fork ICE.
- Will printing and shipping get less expensive for people in America? US board game industry eyes lengthy refund war following tariff decision.
- D&D Beyon’d roadmap means a whole new D&D Beyond engine.
- Veteran games designer Timothy Brown will take Traveller to 5e.
- Hit Point Press revealed Big Bads: Most Wanted.
- Flirting with controversy, we interviewed and asked leading questions of Andrea Ruggeri of Gates of Krystalia.
- At the Bundle of Holding, there’s the high-tech and low-life offer on Neon City Overdrive and two from Aaron A. Reed in Downcrawl-Skycrawl.
Support: Become a Patron.
RPG news from around the web
- Sadly, UKGE co-founder Patrick Campbell has passed away.
- Rascal News is two years old! There’s a 20% off your first six-month sale to celebrate.
- Monthly Portland notes The Rise of Public Tabletop Role-Playing Games.
- Osprey Games warns fans of a fake Osprey site.
- GamingTrend has the deets on Game Theory Tables crafts the official Dungeons and Dragons table.
- Polygon writes up Exclusive: Revisit the D&D cartoon with an upcoming hardcover comic book collection.
- Wargamer’s Gab Hernandez carries Explore the stars Rogue Trader-style in this upcoming sci-fi TTRPG.
- Mollie Russell, at Wargamer, runs This quirky Google Maps tabletop RPG turns your hometown into an urban fantasy setting.
- Gen Con XVIII publishes it’s Events News & Updates.
- Kobold’s Wolfgang Baur on The importance of reviews. (I know! We should try harder!)
- Yanko Design gets into Your Tactical Role-Playing Game Setup deserves a better Command Deck. Meet the ONE BOX 4.0.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- Reviews from R’lyeh reviews Perils & Princess: A Fairy Tale RPG, Untamed Worlds, Party Favour and Welcome to Silkwood Motel.
- Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews Thistle Hold – Wrath of the Warden and Karvosti – The Witch Hammer.
- Halfway Station reports Review: Lonelog.
- B/X Backrazor reviews Pyramid of Peril and Thick Thews, Brutish Brows & Heaving Bosoms.
- Grognardia runs a retrospective on Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.
- Throat Punch Games scribes RPG Review of Drakonym: Core Rulebook.
- The Kind DM reviews The Adventurous Psion.
- V13 Media talks to musical up-and-comer Avril Jensen about her Love of Dungeons & Dragons.
- BoardGameGeek’s “Masters of Game Design” gets to Steve Jackson – GURPS Philosophy by Riccardo Scaringi.
RPG new releases
- Lost Haven has released the JRPG-inspired and human-created Skies Above.
- Edge of Mythos has released the game about adolescence challenge with Dream City Knights.
- Causa Creations Interactive Media has published the BRP-powered Forever Hold Your Peace zine.
- Justice Gaming invites you to pay what you want for the Justice System Core Rules.
- Experimental Playground has released the OSR Spellzard: Second Edition.
- Diventi has an RPG that blurs magic and technology with Primo Contatto.
- Bloat Games has the 188-paged core rules for SURVIVE THIS!! War For The Wasteland and the 48-page Goblins – Anarchy in the RPG – zine.
- Frontier Gaming says their game rewards long-term thinking, it’s out now and called The Commission.
- In physical releases,
- Snowbite Studio is now selling the Time Tails RPG hardcover.
- Magpie has released Deluxe Ruins & Expeditions (Root: The RPG).
- Chaosium is taking pre-orders on the QuestWorlds: Core Rulebook.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $64.69 with Son of Oak Game Studio’s Legend in the Mist – All Digital bundle.
- Save $55.99 in Lord Zsezse Works’ 16th Anniversary bundle.
- Save $21.98 with Wagon Wheel Publishing’s Rum & Rogues Complete Table Set bundle.
- Save $4.99 with Eduardo Camps’ The Complete Sci-Fi Mega Bundle .
- Save $4.50 in Marshal Games’ Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Pretend I never dropped the ball and welcome back Ben Jackson-Ellery and the Genre Police with The 5-Step Campaign Refresh.
- XDA’s Joe Rice-Jones suggests 8 3D prints every D&D player needs for their next campaign.
- Dice Monkey writes up Report: Session Zero Lasts Longer Than Actual Campaign.
- Sly Flourish suggests Use Slashes and Xs to Track Damage.
- At Roleplaying Tips, there’s the heavy question Reducing GM Pressure: Phase In Your Jobs.
- Helpfully, at Reddit/s RPG sub-reddit, Zonware pens I asked here a few months ago about making my RPG free; so here’s a write up on how it helped build a community and a better Zin.
RPG Crowdfunding
There’s more! You can catch up with the Kickstarter campaign we’ve written up in more detail at Kickstarter watch. Here are some noteworthy industry projects to mention:
- Dungeon Eats: Diemic Dice from comicalfoods shares “THE DICE THAT BITE! Parasitic Dice & Print to Play Games.”
- Magic in the Sands – Elves of Gresyth is a project by Fireball Studios that is “Fighting for survival in the desert. The Elves of Gresyth grew their own individual strength. Supplement for Dnd 5e (2014)”
- The Living Museum Heist D&D adventure from Ana the halfling is pitching “A Dark Fantasy Heist Adventure with Deadly Traps & Boss Fights .Designed for dnd 5e .Levels 4–7”
- Luna Moon Diamond Cut Gemstone Dice from Diving Hippo Studio presents “Polyhedral dice mixed color gold heart fantasy theme font for collections, dungeons and dragons, board games, rpg and tabletop games.”
- Infected 7-Piece Dice Set: D&D Biohazard Horror 3D STL Files is a project by The 4th Quest Games that promises “Bring apocalyptic contamination from Biohazard Relics to your D&D table with print-ready Pre-Supported STL files”
- An Acre of Barren Ground from Randall J. Harris proposes “A 3rd Party Brochure Adventure for the Pirate Borg Role-Playing Game.”
- Impractical Architect: A Guide to the Unknown by Piotr Pirogowicz is offering “200+ page collection of 100 hand-drawn RPG locations, each brought to life with maps, descriptions, hooks, and rumors.”
- More Goblins for Shadowdark! from Bryan Gillispie is crowdfunding “Join Meister Sunseri in his travels across the Grand Realms as he details the Goblins he’s encountered!”
- Elfame: A Faywild setting for Cairn is a project by Dr.SleepySloth that is “Elfame is a 20 Hex Faywild Mini-Setting for Cairn by Yochai Gal. All art and content is done by me, and will be under Creative Commons!”
- AnamnesiA — A GM-Less Psychological Horror RPG Zine from Riccardo Scaringi is crowdfunding “Recover fractured memories. Discover what you did. Pay the price of truth. A GM-less RPG where you don’t decide what you remember.”
- Input Brain – Robot Expansion Zine for Vast Grimm from Latt presents “A Vast Grimm compatible zine with robots, cyborgs, and HIVE minds PLUS new foes, random tables, and a short adventure!”
- Lament of the Remains: 6-in-1 Cthulhu Mythos Roulette Dice from Vermilion Concept has introduced “A spinning blasphemy.”
- Altheya: The Dragon Empire – A High-Fantasy 5E Setting from Roll & Play Press presents “Enter a land where dragons rule, planes clash in eternal wars, and magical vaults hold ancient secrets. A campaign setting for DnD.”
- Dollhouse: A TTRPG about management is a project by Joel Vreugdenhil that is described as “A game where you and your fellow Handlers complete contracts for the titular “Dollhouse”.”
- Mythforge Dioramas is a project by 3D Crafts that is “A collection of High-Detail 3D Printable Scenery & Displays for D&D and RPG Miniatures. (STL files)”
- Tower of Rime Light – A Shadowdark RPG Adventure from Jay Scott Games brings us “An arctic hex crawl adventure for Shadowdark RPG featuring two new classes, the Ridgerunner and Lamplighter.”
- Settlement Experience Cards – A Daggerheart Compatible set is a project by SPARCS Games that promises “Physical cards for your character’s Experiences — Three complete card sets that bring your character’s origins to life. Over 150 cards!”
- THE STAIN: A Folk Horror Adventure for D&D 5e/2024 by Old Simple Regal is currently raising funds for “An investigative adventure blending Folk & Body Horror for D&D 5E/24. Uncover the secret of Inkmere’s ink. PDF or Print on Demand 4€+”
- Venom & Vitae is a project by Steven Chabotte that looks at “A Complete Guide to Poisons for D&D 5e and 5.5e”
- Coolest Roll: D6 • D12 • D20 3D-Printable Dice Drink Coolers by 3D ForgePrints is now live, described as “3D-printable D6, D12 & D20 drink coolers with ice chamber insert – fits standart cans, various bottled drinks and glass sizes.”
- Bluxky Quest is a project by Asooraguy that promises “A Puzzle Solo RPG Gamebook Where Every Chapter Plays Differently”
- Dragonslayer Codex: Unslain Dragons by Sawyer Lee is currently raising funds for “A fully illustrated manual documenting the elusive and unslain dragons of the Dragonslayer Codex.”
- Sanguis Sanctus: A Grimdark Fantasy TTRPG is a project by Giuseppe Novecento Manfredi that features “Year 149X. Cleave your way through the Vampires’ Anti-Crusade, in this Grimdark RPG compatible with MÖRK BORG!”
- Dragonbane Trudvang – The Legend Returns by Free League is touted as “The iconic world of deep forests and endless mystery returns to its roots as a stand-alone RPG based on the award-winning Dragonbane.”
- Grum Hall Visitor’s Guide – Clunky Horror TTRPG Zine is a project by Ben Doran ~ Zonware that features “From the creator of Ennie Nominated Dead Halt comes a cyberpunk horror-themed sister game”
- Rumored Blades #2 by Arlin is an upcoming supplement for “An illustrated zine collecting strange and fantastic weapons and the rumors that surround them.”
- Epic Fantasy Battle Maps: 1400 Rpg Maps + 3000 Portraits is a project by Agnieszka Polanowska that looks at “1400 TTRPG & VTT Maps + 3000 Portraits.Bring your RPG worlds to life — from enchanted forests, to cosmic horrors”
- Galleons of the Thunderosa by Benjamin Gray is touted as “Team-based cross-country racing on giant vehicles for Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGS!”
- SURREALPUNK! TTPRG by Wraith People’s Library is touted as “Roleplaying Reimagined”
- The Dark Forest is a project by Dash Almeida that is “A modern tabletop role-playing game with science fiction and fantasy elements.”
- DON’T BRING ME BACK – A 5e Horror Solo Adventure from Black Anvil Studios is working on “A solo horror adventure about resurrection, identity, and the unbearable cost of bringing heroes back.”
- Ariadne’s Book of Legends – D&D beyond 20th level! by Ariadne’s Codex of Strings is offering “Rise above all limits, fight god-like monsters, and cast 10th-level spells in the ideal D&D expansion for the epic fantasy genre!”
- Backgrounds, Subclasses, Races and Blood Magic vol. 2 🩸☠️ by Cibola Designs is a new roleplaying games project for “Subclasses, subraces, backgrounds, blood spells… what else? New blood spell for each 10 new backers.”
- Deadlands 30th Anniversary Celebration from Shane Hensley is crowdfunding “Deadlands: 30 Years of Games, Grit, and Ghost Rock!”
- Shadowdark: Crowned by the Horn by Aynbath Official is an upcoming supplement for “A game of occult, mystical fantasy based off the Shadowdark ruleset.”
- Murker of Mörks! Omni-Compatible Borg Adventure! is a project by Recluse that is described as “A twisted tournament that spans the whole Borg-Verse!”
- Befouled for Mörk Borg is a project by Christian Eichhorn that invites players to explore “An Omnibus Hardcover for Vaults of Torment, Death & Taxes, and Dungeons!”
- Where There Are No Roads is a project by Brian that promises “You play as caravan drivers trapped on a hostile alien world helping communities fight predators and raiders for survival.”
- Twilight Riders – A Weird West Fantasy TTRPG by Patrick James Cullen is an upcoming supplement for “A weird west fantasy tabletop roleplaying game on the wild frontier.”
- the ossuary is a project by Postworldgames Jim Pinto that looks at “Roleplaying in a strange fantasy reset. Dozens of classes and endless options. Old school meets new school. Three PDFs.”
- ECHO LIFEBOAT by Occupied Hex Games is offering “Space horror in the palm of your hand.”
- Cloak and Dagger: Sneaky Classes for D&D and Pathfinder is a project by Legendary Games that looks at “Killer new classes and class options for rogues, assassins, ninjas, and more for D&D 5E and Pathfinder First Edition!”
- Blood Flows South – Zine for Shadowdark from Thomas Miller brings us “Hexcrawl and Dungeons for Shadowdark centred around a river, easy drop in or suitable for small campaign levels 1-3”
- Norse Subclasses compatible with DnD 5e/5.5e is a project by Fool’s Hand Studio that is described as “Two subclasses: the apocalyptic Chosen of Ragnarök (Barbarian), and the Giant-Blooded (Sorcerer), heir to primordial power.”
- The Silverhill Gauntlet from Trinity Knot Studio seeks funding for “Hired to guard a vital silver shipment through bandit country, you must survive the gauntlet of the Ashwood Trace”
- Press Pot Games’ Mini Handmade TTRPG Zine Anthology Bundle is a project by Travis D. Hill that looks at “Get a collection of 3+ TTRPG single-sheet, 8-fold zines, printed and folded by yours truly.”
- Shmorbo! by Team Graham is offering “The super-silly tabletop RPG where (almost) anything is possible! Now with 100% more Shmorbo!”
- Cursed Lands – 200 Dark Fantasy Battle Maps is a project by Alex1805Kings that looks at “Cursed Lands – 200 Dark Fantasy Battle Maps for VTT & TTRPGs – Enter the Realm of Decay”
- Adventures in the Afterlight by Vicente del Cid is currently raising funds for “A gritty superhero TTRPG of investigation, sacrifice, and desperate hope.”
- Nat20: Fest – A Fantasy & Tabletop Gaming Festival is a project by Josh & Mike that promises “A weekend festival for TCGs, D&D, tabletop games, cosplay, music & community.”
- The Dice Board: Portable, handcrafted leather dice board. from robb burnham is nominating “The Dice Board is a 2-player, portable, handcrafted leather dice board with metal dice, pegs, and built-in scoring system.”
- The Apprentice’s Arsenal: 100+ Makeshift Magic Items for 5e is a project by GM’s Satchel that is “A digital compendium of 100+ clumsy, cobbled-together items for low-level D&D adventurers. Includes printable cards, and VTT tokens.”
- Grimdark Forge Altar — STL & PHYSICAL Sci-Fi Terrain is a project by StoneAxe Miniatures that is “Grimdark Sci-Fi Gothic Terrain — STL & Physical for Tabletop Wargames and RPGs”
- The Spear of Horrendous Iron is a project by Samuel Taylor that features “A dungeon adventure for Shadowdark about devout religious Anarchists.”
- Dungeon Helper Dice: Delightful Details is a project by Petulant Pudgies that is described as “In one roll, these dice instantly visualize a new character or NPC — great for Dungeons & Dragons or any role playing game or story.”
- The Frost War Cycle: The Chill of War 5e D&D from Legends Ink brings us “When Winter Becomes the Weapon”
- Tabletop Tools for Games and Magic by David Savedge is a new roleplaying games project for “Handcrafted Tools for Play, Practice, and Intentions.”
- Moon Base Countdown: A Dumarest: The RPG One-shot Adventure by Matt Cipriano – Burnt City Games is offering “A Zine adventure for Traveller, Cepheus Engine RPG, Stars Without Numbers and other sci-fi role-playing games”
- F*ck You Dice & Moon Dice — Diamond Cut Crystal Dice is a project by Desiree Stovall that promises “Custom-designed Diamond Cut Dice Set created by Your Magic Dice Let the dice decide. Or let the moon guide you.”
- Parallel Shadows (Volume 1): Highway over the Mountain by Parallel Dimension Gaming is now live, described as “An adventure plus bonus materials and articles for the Shadowdark RPG”
- THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER 2 by Mitchell Tierney is a new roleplaying games project for “Murder Mystery. Single Player Role-Playing Gamebook. LitRPG. Dice Driven Game. Choose your own Path. Collect Clues, Solve crimes.”
- Modular Battle Maps for D&D & Tabletop RPGs — Ready & Custom from Gummy Goblin offers “DM-ready D&D battle maps: 600 premade maps to run encounters fast—plus 1 custom map tailored to your adventure.”
- MAZES A Manual of Monsters by 9thLevel is an upcoming supplement for “A bestiary and lorebook of weird classic monsters for MAZES Fantasy Roleplaying, OSR style games, other Old School roleplaying games.”
- Mudbones: A forbidding dungeon delve for the Shadowdark RPG by Scott Craig is now live, described as “A dead god stirs in his mud-drowned temple; an ancient horror stalks the foetid depths. A Shadowdark RPG adventure for levels 1-4.”
- MAGE BORG by Screye Games is touted as “A magic academia full of envy and dark secrets. Full university courses, extra-curricular activities, professors and wicked relations.”
- Remembrance: Character Creation / Trial Of The Eight is a project by AnotherDesperateFool that promises “A beginner’s guide and module for every single person who wishes to explore a world of death looked over by eight gods.”
- Agility Solo for 5e from Peter Rudin-Burgess shares “A solo rules supplement powered by Nimble.”
- Darkthorn: $3 Dark Fantasy TTRPG (Zine Quest) from Tricky Troll Games is developing “Inspired by fairy tales and gothic folklore, Darkthorn is a tabletop RPG of strange woods to explore and twisted monsters to slay.”
- Siluscia: The Sea of Dreams from Bandicota Collective is launching “Chase your dreams across the Spiraling Seas. A handcrafted TTRPG zine introducing a wondrous new world of pirates and adventure.”
- Big Shiny Scores Slugblaster Supplements from Michael Elliott is developing “3 volumes of unofficial print and play supplements with new runs, signatures, and monsters for the award-winning TTRPG.”
- JANUARY from Shing Yin Khor is crowdfunding “A postcard writing game for two people, set in a kaiju-filled alternate history, about distant but persistent friendships.”
[What’s this chart? We use Kickstarter Heat to measure how busy the crowdfunding season is.]
Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.
