Walking the floor at the 2026 UK Games Expo, it is impossible to ignore a distinct thematic shift in the indie tabletop space. There is a palpable 90s nostalgia sweeping through the halls, a vibe deeply indebted to Twin Peaks and The X-Files. It is almost as if gamers are looking back with wise, slightly nostalgic eyes, not entirely convinced that the current powers that be aren’t up to bizarre mischief. Nowhere is this supernatural, slightly paranoid renaissance more evident than at the Critical Kit booth.
Best known for hit solo roleplaying games like Be Like a Crow and the cosmic horror Crowthulhu, Critical Kit has found itself wrangling an unexpected phenomenon. All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl, a solo RPG designed by Tim Roberts with art by Simon J. Curd, currently commands a highly prominent position at their stand. The game puts players in the shoes of an outsider hosting a supernatural investigation podcast in an isolated town.
A representative for the studio told Geek Native at UK Games Expo that All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl was initially conceived as a “potential one-and-done bonus” for another project, only to organically explode into a cult hit.
That sleeper success has directly birthed a spiritual successor: DedBoi. Having recently raised over £18,000 from more than 650 backers on BackerKit, this solo investigation game strips players of everything, including their life. You wake up dead, with no memories, and the powers above and below are entirely unsure where to place your soul, or if you were even supposed to die in the first place.
Mechanically, DedBoi introduces a brilliant quirk: you have no starting stats. You discover your attributes entirely through action. If you attempt to shoulder-charge a locked door, the resolution mechanics dictate whether the wood splinters under your charge (confirming you are buff and meaty) or if you simply bounce off (confirming a milder, weaker build).
Beyond the supernatural, Critical Kit is also tackling mechanical fatigue. Everspark, designed by Cezar Capacle, aims to capture the initial, untarnished allure of fantasy roleplaying games—the heroic vision that attracts players before the reality of counting coppers and crunching turn-based maths sets in. Conflict resolution in Everspark eschews traditional character sheets in favour of Post-it notes, where players draw star-shaped “sparks” to track progress, replacing rigid skill lists with a highly visual, tactile system.
For Games Masters looking to inject a sense of the uncanny into their own campaigns, Capacle’s Weird, Whimsy & Wonder is also drawing attention. Currently on pre-order, the book serves as a toolkit designed to rescue encounters from tired tropes. Whether a player is drinking an astral potion, or a druid is harvesting ominous mushrooms, the book provides 648 unique seeds and procedures to transform mundane actions into something dreamlike, eerie, or majestic.
Critical Kit remains one of the most innovative and prolific indie studios in the UK, anchoring their mechanics in deep narrative and physical novelty.
Quick Links
- Pre-order Weird, Whimsy & Wonder via Critical Kit.
- Pre-order Everspark via Critical Kit.
- Pick up All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl.
- Check out the DedBoi BackerKit page.
