Horrible Guild, the Milanese publisher behind Wilderfeast and The King’s Dilemma, has announced MemoryCore, a new anthology of roleplaying games designed to evoke the aesthetic and mechanical spirit of the 32-bit video game era. Scheduled for a BackerKit launch on 9 June, the project is a collaboration with Claudio Pustorino, the award-winning designer of Not The End.
The anthology consists of six distinct games, each housed in a physical container designed to mimic the iconic, and notoriously fragile, jewel cases of the late 1990s. While the publisher describes the titles as “inspired by masterpieces,” the marketing materials reveal a clever use of legally distinct homages. Early visual assets confirm three of the six titles: Solid State (likely drawing from Metal Gear Solid), Bloodsong (suggesting the gothic tone of Castlevania or Soul Reaver), and Extinction Protocol (a clear nod to the survival horror of Dino Crisis).
The project represents a significant pivot for Horrible Guild. While the studio has an established track record in the roleplaying space with titles like Wilderfeast and Vileborn, MemoryCore appears to be a formal merger of board game production values and narrative-heavy game design. By including physical components like bespoke pens and custom-shaped boxes, Horrible Guild is absorbing the high overhead costs typically associated with board games while targeting the more niche, margin-sensitive audience of roleplaying games.
Horrible Guild said in a statement that the goal was to transform single-player video game memories into collaborative table experiences.
Each game in the first MemoryCore anthology comes in a nostalgic box that recalls the iconic jewel cases of that era. Inside, you’ll find everything needed to play that specific title, neatly stored within the case—no extras or additional components required.”
This “all-in-one” approach mimics the “plug-and-play” nature of 32-bit consoles, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for new players. However, the reliance on physical gimmicks poses a challenge: roleplaying game fans often prioritise digital portability and longevity over plastic packaging. The success of MemoryCore will likely depend on whether Claudio Pustorino’s HexSys-adjacent narrative depth can outshine the initial hit of 90s nostalgia.
The anthology covers a broad spectrum of visual styles, from the jagged edges of low-poly 3D to refined pixel art. By focusing on the “32-bit era” rather than a specific genre, Horrible Guild is casting a wide net across the “PlayStation Generation,” aiming to capture the “feeling” of 1990s gaming through tactile elements and atmospheric writing.
