Portland-based studio Grinning Portal Games has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Serenity Springs, a campaign setting and adventure module that drags the high-fantasy mechanics of a roleplaying game into the stifling, colourless conformity of 1950s suburbia. The project tasks players with surviving a purgatory ruled by Dorothy “Dotty” Davis, a housewife whose obsession with perfection has manifested as a totalitarian nightmare filled with “Commie” monsters and alien meddling.
The setting serves as a distinct tonal shift for fifth-edition players, trading typical dungeons for an endless loop of identical houses. As detailed in a recent Geek Native interview with creator Ryan Loos, the book explores the “horror of the mundane” and the mechanical impact of social censorship. Players must navigate a world where acting out of turn is as dangerous as any dragon’s breath.
Suburban Mechanics and The Hayze
Grinning Portal Games has developed several bespoke mechanics to enforce the 1950s aesthetic. This includes the Swear Jar, which penalises players for uncouth language, and “The Hayze,” a supernatural censorship fog that physically manifests to obscure violence or forbidden concepts. The geography of the town itself is designed to be nightmarishly car-centric, reflecting the urban planning trends of the mid-20th century.
The bestiary swaps out traditional goblins for Xiculans, Roswell-style grey aliens, and the aforementioned Commies, which serve as the primary monstrous threats. The book also provides eight evocative locations, including the Winston Sterling Library and the Whispering Pines Golf Course, the latter of which conceals a base of operations for the mysterious G-men.
Freaks From Beyond the Hayze
The second half of the 100-page volume contains a dedicated adventure titled Freaks From Beyond the Hayze. Designed for three to five characters of 5th level, the story spans roughly 15 to 20 hours of gameplay. It follows the party as they are pulled into the town while searching for a missing paladin friend.
The players’ investigation will lead them all around town (including into a classic Flying Saucer UFO). They’ll need to balance staying in Dotty’s good graces while uncovering her nefarious plans.”
The adventure includes an investigation into a classic flying saucer UFO and forces players to balance their reputation with Dotty Davis against the need to uncover her nefarious plans. To support this, the creators have included over a dozen period-appropriate magic items, such as the G-men’s Cognitizer and a Universal Remote, alongside custom stat blocks for the town’s most prominent residents.
Aesthetic and Audio Production
The visual identity of Serenity Springs is built on a “kitbashing” technique, using public domain artwork from 1950s magazines combined with original hand-crafted elements by artist Spagheggi. This creates a collage-like appearance that mirrors the artificiality of the setting. Additionally, the project includes a full soundtrack composed by musician Clayton, featuring easy listening, film noir, and eerie electronic tones reminiscent of Hollywood sci-fi from the era.
Grinning Portal Games has explicitly stated that they do not use AI in their products, relying instead on human artistry and layout design by Excalibird. This commitment to traditional creative methods aligns with their focus on “human ingenuity and artistry” within the geek culture space.
Backing the Project
The campaign offers a straightforward entry point for digital users at the $15 level, while those seeking a physical shelf presence can opt for a bundle that provides both the digital assets and the print-on-demand codes required to order a hardcover via DriveThruRPG. This “at-cost” printing model allows the creators to keep shipping and storage overheads low while ensuring a professional finish for the final book.
- Pledge $15 (approx. £12): PDF Only. A digital copy of Serenity Springs in PDF format.
- Pledge $15 (approx. £12): Print-on-Demand Code Only. A code to print the hardcover standard colour book at cost via DriveThruRPG.
- Pledge $27 (approx. £21): PDF plus Print-on-Demand Code. Both the digital file and the code for the physical hardcover printing.
The campaign is an “all-or-nothing” project, meaning it will only be funded if it reaches its goal by the deadline. The estimated delivery for the digital PDF is July 2026, with the physical print-on-demand codes following shortly after.
