The independent tabletop publisher Three Sails Studios has launched its pre-campaign community event for City of Espers, a new psychic-powered urban action roleplaying game. Designed by Nathan Blades, the project is scheduled to launch its crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit on 1 September 2026.
The campaign countdown features a weekly interactive “Launch Party” where fans can collaborate on building the setting’s central factions, known as Esper Houses. The first week of the event focuses on establishing these found families, which serve as both safe havens and the primary narrative anchors for players navigating the technicolour metropolis of Zener City.
Found Families and Sentient Turf
In City of Espers, characters are everyday citizens who have developed volatile psychic abilities. Rather than focusing solely on dungeon crawls or tactical combat, the game emphasises the bonds of found families living in a high-energy urban environment. The Esper Houses represent these tight-knit communities, united by shared aesthetics, musical tastes, beliefs, and protective instincts.
To help players understand the mechanics of building a faction, George, the studio lead at Three Sails Studios, shared The House of Barricade as an example from the upcoming book. Illustrated by Shane Melisse, this faction represents an anarchist collective of squatters who manage food banks, provide legal aid, and monitor the Zener City Police Department from an occupied warehouse.
1. Defining the Vibe
First, players establish the visual identity and atmosphere of their house. This involves answering core questions about the group’s aesthetic footprint in Zener City:
- The Colours: Players choose exactly two signature colours that every member of the house wears to signal their allegiance on the street.
- The Sound: Players define the dominant music genres (such as speed punk and hip-hop, as chosen for the House of Barricade) that blare from their speakers.
- The Persona: Players outline how outsiders react when a member enters a room and distil the group’s overall attitude into a punchy one – to three-word vibe.
2. Uncovering the History
Next, players ground their house in the fiction of Zener City by answering narrative questions that build immediate campaign conflict:
- The Base of Operations: Players define their headquarters, whether it is an occupied corporate warehouse, a hidden subway platform, or a high-rise squat.
- The Sacred Law: Houses must choose at least one specific action or behaviour that is strictly forbidden among its members. For example, the House of Barricade forbids achieving its goals through unjust means, ensuring their actions do not replicate the city’s systemic injustices.
- The Struggle: Players identify a rival entity, such as police spies, corporate land developers, or rival gangs, that has been actively working against the house’s interests.
Once both stages are complete, players crown the creation with their official House Name, establishing a fully playable home base ready to generate immediate drama, alliances, and turf wars.
Shaping the Psychic Resonance
The choices players make when designing their House directly influence “Turf” – the living, psychic resonance of Zener City itself. As a House grows in influence, the surrounding neighbourhood physically warps and adapts to reflect the group’s identity, values, and power.
The design team is encouraging fans to submit their own custom Esper Houses on the BackerKit discussion boards. Nathan Blades and the publishing team will select their favourite community creations to showcase during a live broadcast on launch day.
Quick Links
- Launch party: City of Espers
