White-collar grimdark: Mörk Org makes its retail debut

Beyond Cataclysm has officially unleashed Mörk Org, the highly anticipated corporate parody hack of the acclaimed Mörk Borg engine, marking its formal physical retail debut at this year’s UK Games Expo. Known previously within the indie scene as the eccentric publisher that famously bought up every d13 die in the world for a solo RPG project, the UK-based studio shifted its gaze from cosmic horror to something far more terrifying: the modern workplace.

The project, which successfully raised £27,531 during its crowdfunding campaign, has seen physical books reach Kickstarter backers in recent weeks. For the wider public walking the convention floor, however, the event was the first opportunity to secure a physical copy of what is being described as “wretched office space in a hopeless place”.

Inside the Galgenplex

Designed and written by project lead CM Lowry, alongside production lead Dave Emmerson, Mörk Org strips away the typical dark fantasy ruins of traditional old-school revivals and replaces them with the Galgenplex, a sprawling, miserable corporate monolith dominated by pointless meetings, haunted photocopiers, and reality-warping human resources manuals.

The look and feel of the game maintains the distinct, chaotic aesthetic pioneered by Stockholm Kartell’s original system, bolstered by brand-new contributions from original Mörk Borg artist Johan Nohr. Far from a superficial reskin, the 100+ page hardback introduces distinct mechanical innovations specifically designed to simulate white-collar despair. Chief among these is a dedicated “Skill” stat tailored to specific corporate archetypes, allowing an Intern player character to specialise in tasks like “Sucking Up” or “Brewing Coffee”.

The game tracks corporate ladder progression through Promotion Points. Characters who cross the threshold of 10 points secure executive titles and mechanical pay rises, while those who drop to a dismal -10 are demoted to a “Level -1 Intern,” exposing them to further exploitation by management.

Cross-Borg Compatibility and First Impressions

A major draw for veteran players is the title’s built-in cross-compatibility with the broader “Borg” ecosystem, including the sci-fi horror of Cy_Borg and the nautical carnage of Pirate Borg. The physical edition includes explicit rules for “Cutthroats of the Cubicle Sea,” transforming mundane office furniture such as rolling chairs and executive desks into fully statted naval vessels, complete with hull agility, ramming capabilities, and crew capacity. The book also features a dedicated office-war-gaming miniature scenario penned by Will Rahman, creator of Forbidden Psalm.

First impressions from hands-on time with the book confirm that Mörk Org functions as an exceptionally agile system. Even for groups entirely unfamiliar with the core ruleset, the system takes mere moments to pick up and play. This frictionless barrier to entry makes it an ideal choice for a chaotic palette cleanser or a single-session parody between longer, more intensive tabletop campaigns.

The production value delivered by Beyond Cataclysm is excellent. Printed on premium recycled paper, the layout strikes a deliberate balance between bright, confrontational art pages for inspiration and ultra-clean, high-contrast tables designed for rapid reference during live play.

While the underlying themes of Mörk Org lampoon the soul-crushing nature of modern capitalism, the developers have taken a firm, real-world stance on creative labour. The manual contains an explicit anti-AI declaration, confirming that all text and artwork within the book were created exclusively by human authors and artists who were compensated above standard industry rates.