Reynaldo and Grey Wizard have returned to the crowdfunding arena to expand their acclaimed roleplaying game, BREAK!!. Following a successful 2024 that saw the system take home a Gold ENNIE at Gen Con, the London-based duo has launched a campaign for “START”, a 200-page companion book designed to facilitate immediate play.
The project has already demonstrated fan enthusiasm, securing over £100,000 from nearly 2,000 backers in its opening days. This latest expansion serves as a streamlined onboarding tool, housing adventure content that was originally excised from the massive 470-page core rules to maintain its portability. By refining and expanding these materials, the creators aim to bridge the gap between character creation and active exploration.
A Structured Entry into the Wistful Dark
The “START” volume is partitioned into three distinct segments to support a campaign’s natural progression. It begins at Kuro’s Keep with a tutorial adventure designed as a one-shot to familiarise players with the d20-based mechanics. From there, the narrative expands into the settlement of Beacon, an open-ended adventure site where player choices regarding factions and ruins have tangible consequences on the game world.
Finally, the book provides a sandbox region known as the Shadowed Lands. This area is populated by the “Blades of Blight” and various night-hunting predators, offering Game Masters a modular environment to transition a group from their first quest into a long-running saga. The content is explicitly designed to support the “zero to hero” progression typical of 80s anime and classic JRPGs that inspired the setting.
Mechanical Depth and Production Standards
The BREAK!! roleplaying game is noted for its “Colossal Combat” rules, which allow players to scale and dismantle titanic monsters, and its robust crafting systems. The companion book continues this trend, introducing new adversaries and ancient technology remnants. These items are designed to encourage creative problem-solving rather than simple numerical optimisation.
The physical production maintains the high standards set by the core rules. Both the new companion and the reprinted core books are Smyth-sewn hardcovers designed to lie flat at the table. They include reading ribbons and high-opacity paper to prevent “show-through” during play. Grey Wizard, an information design specialist, has focused on easy-to-parse text and cross-referencing to ensure the books remain functional during high-intensity sessions.
START is just the first of many planned books for BREAK!! as we have never-ending love for the world we created for you to play in. We’re still on the journey and would love to see you come with us!
Funding and Reward Tiers
The pledge structure is designed to accommodate both returning backers and those new to the system. Existing players can obtain the digital version of the START companion for approximately £15 or the physical hardcover for £35. Newcomers can choose a digital bundle containing both the core rules and the expansion for around £35, while the equivalent physical bundle costs roughly £80.
- Pledge £15: START PDF. A digital, hyperlinked copy of the new 200-page companion for the roleplaying game.
- Pledge £35: START Physical. The hardcover expansion features a reading ribbon and Smyth-sewn binding, as well as the digital version.
- Pledge £80: Core Rules + START. A complete starter bundle featuring the physical core rulebook and the new adventure companion.
- Pledge £120: Special Edition Bundle. Includes the metallic ink variant core rules, the new companion, and the dedicated Game Master screen.
- Pledge £170: The Complete Collection. For the ultimate collector, this tier provides both rulebook variants, the expansion, and the screen.
The BREAK!! START campaign is an all-or-nothing project with a funding deadline of Thursday, 28 May 2026. The creators have indicated that the book is approximately 90% complete, with an estimated delivery date for physical rewards in March 2027.
