A day and a week late. We’ve two weeks of TTRPG news here: the first delayed by UK Games Expo, the second by my discovery that Kickstarter has a new TTRPG section that’s not deduplicated with their old Tabletop section.
Finally, on with the RPG news summaries of the summaries!
- UK Games Expo grows again, becoming NEC’s most popular event
- Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Tyrant Philosophers will become a TTRPG
- Wizards of the Coast has said they got D&D Beyond drops wrong and set up an advisory council
- Neon Odyssey has become the biggest TTRPG Kickstarter ever
The winner of June’s RPG Publisher Spotlight is Dice Average.
The five candidates for next month’s RPG Publisher Spotlight are:
To cast your vote, visit this patrons-only page.
On with the TTRPG news!
Spotlight: Dice Average.
RPG news from Geek Native
- The May spotlight with ndvmaps looked at Inkarnate maps.
- Sadly, Dead End TTRPG publisher Atomic Ninja Studios closed.
- MCDM started playtesting the brutal Crows.
- Handiwork has Morgan Davie, Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi working on Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Tyrant Philosophers TTRPG. We also have a follow-up UKGE article since Adrian was kind enough to sign books there for fans.
- Daniel D. Fox hands the logistics of Zweihander Reforged fully to World of Game Design.
- We looked at Vortex Verlag’s Serenissima Obscura setting.
- Venger’s Decks has published a physical edition of The Chaos TTRPG.
- Son of Oak has been running LaunchFest with StartPlaying.
- Sirus Dice has new Vox Machina sets.
- In Kickstarters, we looked at Tom Clancy’s The Division and Dream Realm Storyteller’s Demonheart.
- Here’s a look at Geek Native’s UK Games Expo coverage;
- It started with Safe spaces.
- First we had the UKGE Awards judges winners, and then People’s Choice.
- What’s the cost of AI? It’s eating into indie TTRPG publishers’ time.
- Why UK Games Expo’s most underground RPG only needs to convince one person.
- I was lucky enough to chat to Paizo’s Jason Bulmahn and find out more about 13 Omens.
- I got a look through UKGE’s Best RPG winner Tales of the Old West.
- I talked to Three Sails Studios about their world domination plans.
- I dug up some insight into two previously unannounced Forbidden Psalm/Kevin Rahman TTRPGs.
- Nightfall Games told me about their original plans for SLA Industries 2e and how that’s now (kinda) coming true.
- I got to talk with Critical Kit about DedBoi and their surprise hit All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl.
- Word Gorge Games went with rescue plans for Heroes of the Pacific.
- Metal-inspired Greedy Gogon Press revealed their Heavy Metal Handbook.
- Rock-inspired Uknite the Realm has published a TTRPG about mental health called a Short Rest.
- No Short Rests! had exclusive playtest editions of One Room One Shots.
- At the Loke Battle Mats stand I spied The Dastardly Deck.
- Fistful of Crits (who made all those No AI stands) also showcased their solo Sworn Heart: Alone Together.
- By Odin’s Beard (Runecairn) brought with them the dark 90s-inspired Midnight of the Century.
- Grave Goods surprised us with Red Zero Procyon City.
- Midnight Tower teased what’s next for Eastern Faraway with a steampunk x Frankenstein adventure.
- Officinia Meningi will expand their Totem RPG with Tales from the Dark.
- CobblePath Games brought and (probably) sold out of Locus TTRPG playing cards.
- Mammoth Factory had solos from their forthcoming dark D&D Fateless setting.
- The high magic in a world of industry TTRPG Steel & Scale returned.
- Royal Stag Press brought Oh No… I Started a Cult, too!.
- Hit Point Press is expanding into the UK.
- Tom Cartos expands into retail with the launch of an ecommerce store.
- It’s on Kickstarter now and going great, so MacGuffin & Co must be pleased with the launch of The Bad Year.
- Kytinous Games revealed plans for Tales of the Kytin Age expansions Franzia and Bluecliff.
- Parable Games announced a pending crowdfunding campaign for SHIVER: Cryptids.
- Beyond Cataclysm released the worst place in the world to work with MORK ORG.
- Montford Tales gave a retail debut to Asher’s Ridge.
- Stop, Drop and Roll’s Why We Fight was a smash hit.
- And I found out that Hen and Stag nights are asking for Moonshine D&D evenings.
- Oh, and it was the most popular UK Games Expo ever, breaking NEC records.
- In bundles, Humble has deals on The Lost Lands.
Support: Patreon.
RPG news from around the web
- Polygon shares the latest on Neon Odyssey becomes the most-funded TTRPG Kickstarter of all time.
- Gab Hernandez, at Wargamer, highlights Viva La Dirt League apologizes after using AI thumbnails on Critical Role’s DnD streaming service.
- The team at Wizards of the Coast discusses their new D&D Community Advisory Group and admit mistakes on D&D Beyond Drops: Update on the Program.
- Over on Wargamer, Timothy Linward shares the sad news that John Blanche, father of Warhammer 40,000’s grimdark aesthetic, has died.
- Mongoose have been releasing previews of the forthcoming Dark Conspiracy.
- R. Talsorian Games’s latest Cyberpunk RED DLC is Night City Hook Book.
- Angus covers Chaosium Announce Raft of New Titles at Chaosium Con UK.
- Checking in with EN World, Christian Hoffer pens a piece on Hasbro launches AI studio, allowing third parties to license Hasbro IP.
- Rascal recently posted RPG Trader Enters Public Beta Ahead Of June Launch.
- Over at ICv2, the team reports on ICv2: Darrington Press Will Release ‘Daggerheart RPG’ Expansion Book.
- Gizmodo published a piece by Jen Lennon about ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Releases New Free Adventure.
- At Kidscreen, Cole Watson asks Can Dungeons & Dragons roll with Gen Alpha?.
- At Vice, Denny Connolly argues that Dungeons and Dragons – DnD Beyond’s Latest Upgrade Is a Game Changer.
Support: Fight the Algorithm.
RPG reviews and interviews from around the web
- The Kind DM looks at Huckleberry: A Wyrd West RPG.
- Read the new review of Many Sought Adventure published by The Kind DM.
- Dice Monkey pens a review of In Nomine.
- Reviews from R’lyeh has published a review of Altar of Madness.
- Ill Met by Morrslieb evaluates The Imperial Zoo.
- Jaesa Evermore at the Temple of Geek takes an early look at Creating Your Own Horrors With Ravenloft: The Horrors Within.
- Stargazer has been interviewing a batch of Puerto Rico game designers and creators such as lala Magica, Carbo Creates, Enrique Velez and Angel Miranda.
- For Wargamer, Alex Evans talks to Evie Moriarty about How the Wolfenstein TTRPG is blending “ludicrousness and vicious satire” with a whole lotta killing.
- Polygon talks to DC Comics legend Mark Waid who is making an official Justice League game.
RPG new releases
- Stillfleet has published the (free) The Danse Macabre Rulebook PREVIEW.
- Sixpence Games expands their catalogue with The Nancy Drew RPG.
- Catalyst Game Labs has published the Shadowrun, Sixth World Core Rulebook: City Edition: Hong Kong.
- New from Zenith Entertainment Group is ZENITH COMICS PRESENTS: HEROIC 5e – Playtest Edition.
- Black Site Studios has hit publish on Titanic – The Tabletop Roleplaying Game and the Avalon Rising Core Rulebook.
- You can now download Slime Rewind RPG! from Saves and Sorcery.
- The Black Orifice expands their catalogue with Rifts & Raptors Core Rulebook.
- Zachary Burrell has expanded their catalogue with Secrets of Myst: Bloodlines.
- Dominic Graham has published Primeval World Worldbook.
- Elven Foundry has unveiled Seed of Ruin Collector’s Edition.
- Free League Publishing has unveiled Blade Runner RPG Core Rulebook | Roll20 VTT. The PDF has been out for a while.
- We now have Free League Publishing’s Vaesen – City of My Nightmares | Roll20 VTT.
- Hit Point Press has hit publish on The Field Guide to Floral Dragons | Roll20 VTT.
- Independence Games published Clement Sector Core Rulebook.
- New from Original Frontiers is Beowulf: Song Of The Sword – Core Rulebook.
- InfiniBadger Press published The Necroid Host: An OSR Horror Science Fiction Campaign Setting.
- LeoHMartini expands their catalogue with Caliope RPG – 2nd Edition.
- The OG GM Adventures brings us PORT LEVIATHAN.
- Legions of Tekumel published Legions of Tékumel, Player Edition Rules.
- Duck and Crow Press has published DEVOUR.
- In merch Nemesis Now’s official Beholder Goblet is out.
RPG bundle deals
- Save $40.87 (80%) in Skirmisher Publishing’s Post-Apocalyptic Settings bundle.
- Save $27.97 (14%) with Wagon Wheel Publishing’s Lodesyia Core Collection (Print) bundle.
- Save $24.95 (42%) on Keith Baker’s Complete Exploring Eberron bundle.
- Save $15 (20%) with Ghost Ape Games’ Imperium Corebooks bundle.
- Save $11.97 (40%) in the Four Years of PocketQuest with Seamus bundle.
- Save $11.90 (35%) in d12 Studio’s RPG Expansion Pack.
- Save $1.01 (51%) with Ink that Binds Entertainment’s Warlock bundle.
- Save $1.25 (56%) in Marshal Games’ Foundations of the Savage West bundle.
RPG ideas, tips and discoveries
- Kickstarter’s Brandon Rollins explains Why Kickstarter Campaigns Fail After Funding (And How to Avoid It).
- Lizzie Magnolia has found Every Single Samurai in Dungeons and Dragons.
- For some alternative coverage of UK Games Expo beyond Geek Native, find out what game designer Richard Green got up to.
- In recent tabletop coverage, Ill Met by Morrslieb writes about WFRP as Romantic Fantasy.
- Dice Monkey gives us The Dirty Secret of Great RPG Campaigns: Most of the World Does Not Matter.
- Sly Flourish shares the latest on Roll to Target.
RPG Crowdfunding
There’s more! You can catch up with the Kickstarter campaign we’ve written up in more detail at Kickstarter watch. Here are some noteworthy industry projects to mention:
- The Bad Year by MacGuffin & Co. is currently raising funds for “53 horror investigation adventures for any RPG system, playable as one-shot mysteries, concise arcs or a year-long interwoven campaign.”
- Vagabond RPG | Spellbook – Hero Expansion & Reprints! by Land of the Blind is touted as “The first character option expansion for the hit OSR fantasy game, Vagabond // Pulp Fantasy!”
- TTRPG Random Generator Cards is a project by Evil Pigeon Games that features “Make millions of random NPCs, Quests, and Towns with just a few cards!”
- Eldritch Wastelands: the Weird South for Shadowdark RPG from Matt Gullett shares “Setting book with Mutants, Moonshine, Swamp gods, Rusted relics, and Shotgun sorcery under a crooked Piney woods sky.”
- WARLOCK: Crown of Thirteen is a project by Kickgames Dark that is “A 5e-compatible open-world horror campaign of witch domains, cursed dungeons, pact fragments, and a dark patron-king.”
- Stash & Dash – Dice Bags For Dice Goblins 2 from Alice shares “Unique randomised dice bags handcrafted for chaotic adventurers.”
- BOSS RPG – The Basic Old Skool System from Larry Wickman & GameWick Games presents “The compleat three-volume boxed set for our Old Skool sword-n-sorcery system.”
- 🎲 Trade Dice – Fresh Picks from the Dice Aisle is a project by Desiree Stovall that invites players to explore “Roll for Flavor. Collect the Harvest.”
- Dinosaur Expedition Battle Maps from Agnieszka Polanowska seeks funding for “Explore. Survive. Discover the Lost World.280 Rpg maps for Vtt”
- ModuWorld: A Modular Magnetic Map System from ModuWorld kickstarts “A professional-grade tactical map platform built for D&D and tabletop RPGs”
- The Blood Tax: Campaign Setting & Modular D&D 5E Adventures by Triton Game Studio is touted as “A Table-Tested, 5E-Compatible Dark Fantasy Campaign of Ritual Gladiators, Faction Intrigue, and Sacred Horror.”
- Battlemaps Scenery is a project by Mario Barbati that promises “Hand-drawn, old school, 3D Dungeon Rooms from a single sheet of paper!”
- Blades of Power is a project by Barrel Rider Games that looks at “Synth and Sorcery Roleplaying”
- Castle Defense #3: Fully Modular Dungeon – 3D Printable STL is a project by Sol Invictus that is described as “Expand your stronghold with a modular dungeon! Support-free FDM STLs, 28/32mm resin minis & props for RPGs & tabletop wargaming.”
- The Beastiary of the Professor from Professor Dudley Proose kickstarts “A scholarly field guide to 22 wondrous beasts, compiled across a lifetime of expedition by Professor Dudley Proose, Esq. For D&D 5E.”
- Raccoon Sky Pirates: Total Chaos Edition by Chris Sellers is offering “The epic return of the RPG-slash-board game about flying to the suburbs in a janky trash ship and creating furry, ring-tailed chaos”
- Anesidora by Hard Sand Entertainment is now live, described as “A Mythic sci-fi tabletop roleplaying game set in the far future on the inhospitable and alien world of Anesidora”
- Sewers and Cesspits: a RPG supplement by Lee and Andrew Fearnside is touted as “A zine all about poop in RPGs – spells, creatures, background and subclass. Ready to play!”
- Night Breeds: Vampire Dark Fantasy 5E Mod is a project by Andrew Frinkle that is “A rebuilt character/class system for 5E, with characters inspired by Vampires, Lycanthropes, and other dark creatures, PLUS a campaign!”
- Skwirl’s Wild Shape Cards – 5.5e Edition! by Aaron Miller is currently raising funds for “5.5e – 123 wild shape stat cards for your druid. Quick reference illustrations on one side and all the stats you need on the other.”
- Blood-Pact is a project by Seth that looks at “A dark fantasy survival epic for 5e”
- Critical Hit Decks: Damage & Tactical Play for 5E from Hrothgar’s Hoard presents “Two 50-card decks that replace standard crits with lethal damage and battlefield-shaping tactical moments.”
- City State of the Immortal Goddesses rpg Campaign is a project by Steven Crompton that is “Detailed Fantasy maps & campaign adventures for ANY RPG, plus Monsters! Monsters! By Ken St Andre, Crompton, Debora Kerr & more!”
- Ceikeinu: Write Your Story. Shape Your World. is a project by foundertdgllc that looks at “A D&D 5E-Compatible Supplement of Choice, Consequence, and Living Worlds”
- Necrons dice new designs is a project by LunaDice that promises “new dice designs for collectors and tabletop games”
- The Book of Unnumbered Worlds is a project by Kevin Crawford that is described as “A worldbuilding handbook for fantasy role-playing games”
- Primus Sharp Edge Dice 2026 from PRIMUS Sharp Edge Dice introduces “Handcrafted, custom-designed sharp edge dice inspired by Myth and Magic!”
- Modular RPG Tracker System – STL Files is a project by Crosaden that is described as “Magnetic Click-Dial Number Tracker for HP, Mana, Stamina, Spell Slots & Conditions – Compatible with Tabletop RPG & DnD Games”
- ALLFX Ultimate Edition | Premium Metal Dice for Vanguard from Will Peng (DuelSpec) shares “Machined aluminum, color-coded anodized dice markers in a secure magnetic case compatible with Cardfight!! Vanguard®”
- Hunter Planet 3rd Edition by David Bruggeman is a new roleplaying games project for “The All Australian Roleplaying Game is back. Minimum rules, maximum enjoyment.”
- The Tomb of the Dragon Rider – A Solo Fantasy Gamebook by Christopher Bünte is now live, described as “Armed only with a pen and two dice, you will embark on this solo fantasy mystery!”
- Emergency Dice | Sir GameAlot Set of 7 Themed Resin DnD Dice is a project by Sir GameAlot that invites players to explore “Use in Case of Emergency | Great Gift for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), and Other Role Playing Games (RPG)”
- Six Chambers: Spacepunk TTRPG is a project by DICEREAPERS that looks at “A fast, brutal TTRPG about head hunters operating on the fringes of a dying galaxy. Take contracts. Push your luck. Face consequences.”
- 100 Ways Across – A GM supplement for 5e or any TTRPG is a project by Cryptic Quill Chronicles that looks at “A GM supplement with 100 crossing locations, ready to use for your 5e or TTRPG campaign!”
- Compendium of the Black Twilight from Gi&Gi is developing “A Compendium for Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 Dark Fantasy Campaigns”
- The Celestial is a project by James Smith that is “A robust tabletop RPG featuring fresh mechanics, paired with a mind-bending sci-fi/fantasy novel series.”
- Colostle: The Moat is a project by Nich Angell that looks at “Explore a new area in this expansion to the solo RPG about a castle so massive that there are continents and oceans within its rooms!”
- Fuck Me’ 3.0 | Glass & Gemstone Edition is a project by Only Crits that is described as “Turn your Natural 1 into a Natural ‘Fuck Me’ and your Natural 20 into a Natural ‘Fuck You'”
- Strange Roads is a project by Revenant Cowboy Press that features “An RPG about psychic teens taking a bizarre road trip across a 90’s inspired not-America to stop a corrupting, otherworldly signal.”
- Tomb of the Spider-God – A New Cthulhu Mythos Gamebook by Simon Birks is touted as “Trapped underground with nothing but your wits, you must do everything you can to escape from the giant spiders and their young…”
- THE VEIL: Apocalypse (Season 5) by Death Angel Entertainment is currently raising funds for “The world is divided. Mages are hunted by the remnants of mankind. Each seeking to change their fate in this Dark Fantasy Deck Builder.”
- Mice of Legend: Burrow Gods & Demon Cats is a project by Paul Hoeffer that is described as “Bring your party into a deadly AD&D / OSR mouse-world where giant predators, cults, and dark gods rule.”
- Project Cerberus by Travis is touted as “A new kind of Fantasy RPG”
- A Tome of Monstercrafted Relics for D&D from CraftRiot proposes “A tome of monstercrafted relics that bring danger, power, and dark wonder to your adventures. Fully compatible with DnD 5e!”
- Taverns, Towns & Trouble by Samuel Steele is an upcoming supplement for “A system-neutral fantasy settlement generator zine for TTRPGs”
- Fey Bargains from Dark Eagle Games is pitching “5e rules for fey bargains, boons, and curses. Power has a price. The Fey always collect.”
- Grand Library- A Dnd 5e adventure inspiration treasure trove from Secrets of Alexandria is nominating “A huge library used as adventure trigger trove for Dungeons and Dragons 5e, 3d printable STL terrain and miniatures, 150+ pages & maps”
- The Hunter’s Guide: Beasts of the Fey Realm for 5E from DumbProductions is launching “A 5E-compatible folk horror bestiary of the Fey Realm, featuring hierarchical monster families and group mechanics.”
- Divine Dungeonmaster from Garnet Divine offers “A TTRPG campaign manager and co-pilot software for helping the busy (or thorough) DM navigate every session seamlessly.”
- The Temple of Skoll 5E, A Frozen-Frontier One-Shot Adventure is a project by Eric Bleney that promises “A buried temple, a hungry wind, and a renegade scholar selling sacred maps to raiders. A ready-to-run dungeon-heist one-shot.”
- Northern Wildling Presents: Save The D8 is a project by Ben Edwards that is “Northern Wildling presents, Save The D8. 3 part DnD one shot based around weddings, part 1… the stag.”
- The Alchemist’s Codex for D&D 5E & Any TTRPG by Ana the halfling is an upcoming supplement for “What if alchemy in 5e actually felt dangerous, experimental, and magical?”
- Arcana Mastery – 100 new spells for D&D 5e by Elven Foundry is offering “100 new spells for fantasy tabletop campaigns, expanding every school of magic, 5e-compatible options.”
- Spring-Heeled Jack, a Gothic Horror 5e Module from Laurie has introduced “The police say drunks. The papers say Jack. The widows want a body. A D&D 5e investigation. Twelve nights to the new moon.”
- Strigovia – A Slavic Darkfolk RPG from Dark Orb seeks funding for “A complete, standalone Slavic dark-fantasy RPG where your dice are a currency and every spell is a debt. Free 140-page quickstart.”
- The Old Tales Are Hungry is a project by Steven Chabotte that is “Ten Dark Folk Horror Adventures for 5e”
- The Golden Double – A Mystery Adventure for TTRPGs from WyvernDen is nominating “A Mistery Adventure / NOIR-NEO where you try to solve a mystery about some guy that might or might not be dead!”
- GROK?! 2e: A Gonzo Science Fantasy RPG from Lester Burton is pitching “Grok?! is a [human made] rules-light science fantasy RPG in a post-apocalyptic world of advanced technomancy and boundless plausibility”
- Odd Jobs: Four Off-Beat D&D Adventures from Darklight Interactive is developing “Four D&D 5E adventures where nothing is quite what it should be.”
- Sea Legends: Subclasses & Monsters for DnD 5e / 5.5e by Fool’s Hand Studio is touted as “Two ocean-born subclasses and five legendary sea monsters inspired by cursed seas and maritime folklore.”
- Daggers on the Table is a project by Alexander R Davis that invites players to explore “Down with the Rat King! (Your next TTRPG)”
- Wonderous & Dangerous Consortiums & Xendria World/Lore Book from Agile Monk is working on “A Collection of Wisdom, Tools, and well-crafted Consortiums and a World Setting & Lore Guide for Sandbox and West Marches Campaigns.”
- Off the Beaten Path: Encounters for Forests, Hills, & Swamps by Phil Beckwith is currently raising funds for “D&D 5e/5.5e | 60 Encounters | 9 New Monsters | 6 Quest Paths | 3 Terrain Books”
- DARK LENINGRAD by Kobayashi is touted as “A roleplaying game set in a Soviet Union that never was”
[What’s this chart? We use Kickstarter Heat to measure how busy the crowdfunding season is.]
Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.
