The Gaming Shelf Feasts on the Undead Third Reich

The Gaming Shelf Feasts on the Undead Third Reich

Besides vampires sent to kill Nazis in occupied Paris, we've also got some classic murder mysteries and a Critical Role update.

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I’m a Grant Howitt stan, so when Rowan, Rook & Decard announced their newest endeavor, Eat the Reich, I was already in line and taking notes. This game will get a longer feature from io9 later in the week, but the quick pitch is sexy, over-the-top vampiric ultraviolence in the 1940s as you fight and bite your way towards your ultimate goal: exsanguinating Adolf Hitler.

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Included in this week’s Gaming Shelf is a new magazine: Unbound Zine, which promises a plethora of fantastic TTRPG supplements in the future. We’ve also got an esoteric ritual RPG using tarot cards (Terminus) and a shout out for 3 Minutes, which is nearing the end of its crowdfunding and is a TTRPG inspired by Ultraman and the tokusatsu genre.

So gather your friends, your dice, your various methods of divination, and get to gaming.

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2 / 5

New Releases: Diedream, Murder at Morsley Manor, Terminus, Unbound: Killers and Clues

New Releases: Diedream, Murder at Morsley Manor, Terminus, Unbound: Killers and Clues

Diedream is a one-page (front and back) solo TTRPG that you play in your head. Within two sides of A5 is an elegant game system that allows a player to go on adventures in the comfort of their bed with nothing more than their brain and their fingers.”

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“Invited to the opulent mansion of the enigmatic Mr. Shamus Morsley, you join a gathering of intriguing guests. Amidst whispered speculation, you dine in grandeur. Suddenly, a toast to a long life from Mr. Morsley is cut short by his abrupt death—a clear murder. Now, amidst the manor’s darkened opulence, you must probe into each other’s secrets, rumors, and motives. Can you uncover the murderer before the night fades?”

Terminus is a ritual tabletop storytelling game for 1 or 2 players... Assume the role of a spirit that ensouls a liminal space as its last visitor departs. Through the spirit and its visitor, relive the memories of all that has transpired here by observing your real world surroundings and interpreting prompts from the major arcana of a tarot deck. At the end of game, observe the actions of your last visitor and release the final memory made within you into the universe as your halls are left forever empty.”

Killers & Clues is the flagship issue of the Unbound Zine, chock-full of whodunnits and pointers to keep your table puzzling. If you love a good mystery or three, this is the issue for you! It includes:

  • Delicious Breadcrumbs by Cat Evans, an in-depth article about how to build mysteries your players can solve.
  • Sweater Weather by Margaret Mae, a mystery designed for Brindlewood Bay that has your Mavens solving a murder case at a yarn festival.
  • Fading Into Fog by Alex Niederberger, a system-neutral supernatural mystery about a lighthouse and its keepers.
  • Chasing Yellow by Arnout Brokking, a mystery for the Basic Role Playing system about a star cyclist and the devil who stole his heart.”
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3 / 5

Currently Crowdfunding: Eat the Reich, 3 Minutes, Obojima, Dolmenwood, Shadow of the Weird Wizard

Currently Crowdfunding: Eat the Reich, 3 Minutes, Obojima, Dolmenwood, Shadow of the Weird Wizard

Eat the Reich is a tabletop roleplaying game in which you, a vampire commando, are coffin-dropped into occupied Paris and must cut a bloody swath through Nazi forces en route to your ultimate goal: drinking all of Adolf Hitler’s blood. It’s written by Grant Howitt (Honey Heist, Spire, Heart) and illustrated by Will Kirkby (Critical Role, Image, Darkhorse, Boom).”

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3 Minutes is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by media like Ultraman, Mirrorman, and Spectreman. This game is meant to simulate the exploration, quick decision-making, and thrilling combat that we see as such in an episodic show. The name is a reference to the fact that these gigantic heroes are usually seen on screen for a very limited amount of time, making the action as memorable as possible.”

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Image: 1985

Obojima is a 250+ page campaign setting inspired by the wondrous worlds featured in Studio Ghibli films and the beloved Legend of Zelda game series. Guide your players through breathtaking locations, encounter strange spirits, discover rare oddities, and battle wild and wondrous creatures. Create your own unforgettable narrative in this familiar world with an all-new collection of curious items, magical spells, and numerous player options.”

Dolmenwood is a fantasy adventure game set in a lavishly detailed world inspired by the fairy tales and eerie folklore of the British Isles. Like traditional fairy tales, Dolmenwood blends the dark and whimsical, the wondrous and weird.”

Shadow of the Weird Wizard is a fantasy roleplaying game in which you and your friends assume the roles of characters who explore the borderlands and make them safe for the refugees escaping the doom that has befallen the old country. Unsafe are these lands: the Weird Wizard released monsters to roam the countryside, cruel faeries haunt the shadows, undead drag themselves free from their tombs, and old, ancient evils stir once more. If the displaced people would rebuild their lives, they need heroes to protect them.”

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4 / 5

In Other News

In Other News

Candela Obscura Chapter 2 | Official Trailer
  • A new chapter of the Actual Play show Candela Obscura (from the Critical Role team) will premiere August 31 at 7:00 p.m. PT on Twitch, YouTube, and in Cinemark Theatres. Buy your tickets here. Lead designer for Candela Obscura Spenser Starke will be Game Master.
  • Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk will be available on September 19 with early access to digital content on D&D Beyond on September 5. Preorder here.
  • The One Page RPG Jam returned for 2023! Check out the 600+ entries.
  • New Jersey Web Festival (NJ WebFest) has announced the complete nominations list for the 2023 festival, including a extensive group of nominated TTRPGActual Play podcasts and streams.
  • Fabian Hemmert has released a TED Talk on the transformative power of play.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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