Related Research Articles
The Diana Jones Award is an annual award for "excellence in gaming". The original award was made from a burned book encased in lucite. The award is unusual in two ways: first, it is not an award for a specific class of thing, but can be awarded to a person, product, publication, company, organization, event or trend – anything related to gaming; second, it does not count popularity or commercial success as a sign of "excellence". The award was first presented in 2001.
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published by individuals or small press publishers, in contrast to games published by large corporations. Indie tabletop role-playing game designers participate in various game distribution networks, development communities, and gaming conventions, both in person and online. Indie game designer committees grant annual awards for excellence.
Evil Hat Productions is a company that produces role-playing games and other tabletop games. They are best known for the free indie RPG system Fate, Blades in the Dark, and Thirsty Sword Lesbians, all of which have won multiple awards.
Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) is a tabletop role-playing game design framework developed by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker for the 2010 game Apocalypse World and later adapted for hundreds of other indie role-playing games.
Blades in the Dark is a tabletop fantasy role-playing game by John Harper, set in a fictional city of Doskvol, inspired by Victorian London and Gothic fiction. The game was crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2015 and published at the start of 2017.
City of Mist is an urban fantasy neo-noir detective tabletop role-playing game (RPG) designed by Amít Moshe and published by Son of Oak Game Studio. The game is set in a modern-day metropolis where ordinary people of all walks of life become modern-day reincarnations of myths, legends, and fairy tales, gaining magical powers and abilities.
Ajit George is an Indian-American tabletop role-playing game writer and nonprofit residential school director.
Thirsty Sword Lesbians is a narrative-focused tabletop role-playing game that emphasizes telling "melodramatic and queer stories". The game was funded via a 2020 Kickstarter campaign and published by Evil Hat Productions in 2021. It uses a modification of the Powered by the Apocalypse game system.
Alex Roberts is a Canadian tabletop role-playing game designer. Her games typically lack a gamemaster (GM) and include romantic themes. Her games include For the Queen and Star Crossed.
Wanderhome is an indie role-playing game by game designer Jay Dragon about animal people in a pastoral setting, based upon the Belonging Outside Belonging game system by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. It was published by Possum Creek Games soon after Dragon's Sleepaway. Unlike typical tabletop role-playing games, Wanderhome does not use dice, turns, or a gamemaster, focusing instead on the characters' emotional journey. Dialogue takes the place of battles, and gameplay revolves around question prompts.
Visigoths vs. Mall Goths is an urban fantasy tabletop role-playing game with LGBTQ dating sim elements by Lucian Kahn, with art by Robin Eisenberg. The ancient Visigoths have time traveled to 1990s Los Angeles and are battling mall goths for control of the mall. The game's tone is silly and the setting has many puns. The game was inspired by 1990s movies The Craft, Empire Records, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Clueless.
Good Society is a tabletop role-playing game based upon the Regency era novels of Jane Austen. A live action role-playing game version is also available. Good Society was created by the two-woman Australian indie role-playing game design team Storybrewers, consisting of lead writer Hayley Gordon and graphic designer Vee Hendro. In addition to role-playing, the game mechanics include spreading rumors and writing letters. It can be played with or without a gamemaster.
Brindlewood Bay is a murder mystery tabletop role-playing game about elderly women amateur detectives, inspired by Murder, She Wrote and H. P. Lovecraft. It was designed by Jason Cordova and was published by Gauntlet Publishing after a 2022 Kickstarter campaign raised $477,518 from 7,748 backers.
The Gauntlet is a publisher/producer of tabletop role-playing games and podcasts. Their publications include Trophy RPG and Brindlewood Bay. In addition to game books, they publish a monthly game zine called Codex to encourage experimentation in indie role-playing games and OSR. Their games and podcasts have won multiple ENNIE Awards. As of September 2024, The Gauntlet has raised over $720,000 USD on Kickstarter.
Free League Publishing is a game studio and publisher based in Stockholm, Sweden, formed in 2011. The company designs and publishes tabletop role-playing games, board games, and books based on licensed properties and independent works. Their games include Alien: The Roleplaying Game, Vaesen, and Mörk Borg.
The Cosmere Roleplaying Game is an upcoming tabletop role-playing game based on the Cosmere fictional universe created by American author Brandon Sanderson. Manufactured by Brotherwise Games, the game was first announced in November 2023 by Sanderson's publisher Dragonsteel Entertainment. A crowdfunding campaign was then launched on Kickstarter on 6 August 2024, raising a total of $14.7 million and becoming the most-funded tabletop game on the platform.
Trophy RPG is a psychological horror tabletop role-playing game by Jesse Ross about doomed treasure hunters in the woods. There are two versions of the game: Trophy Dark and Trophy Gold. Trophy Dark is designed for single session play, while Trophy Gold is designed for longer campaigns. Both versions were published by Gauntlet Publishing in 2022 after a successful Kickstarter campaign raised $210,141. Trophy RPG won the silver medal for "Best Game" at the 2023 ENNIE Awards.
Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game is a science fiction tabletop role-playing game based on the Blade Runner film franchise. It was published by Free League Publishing in 2023. The game is set in Los Angeles in the year 2039 and focuses on complex stories with themes of fragile humanity and moral ambiguity. Players typically play blade runners employed by the Los Angeles Police Department. Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game won two ENNIE Awards in 2023: "Best Layout and Design" and "Best Cartography."
Masks: A New Generation is a tabletop role-playing game about teenage superheroes, designed by Brendan Conway and published by Magpie Games in 2017 after raising $107,328 on Kickstarter. It uses the Powered by the Apocalypse framework. Masks won an ENNIE Award and an Indie Game Developer Network award.
Sleepaway is a horror indie role-playing game by Jay Dragon about teenage counselors at a summer camp trying to protect misfit campers from a monster called the Lindworm that takes on the form of its victims. It has themes of trauma, LGBTQ community support, and non-binary gender exploration. Sleepaway was inspired by slasher films and the Belonging Outside Belonging game system by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum.
References
- ↑ Hall, Charlie (2021-03-30). "Breakout tabletop RPG by Native designers imagines an uncolonized North America". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ↑ Oxendine, Chez (8 December 2021). "Coyote & Crow RPG is a joyous, respectful celebration of Native American storytelling in a world without colonialism".
- ↑ "Past and Future Collide in COYOTE & CROW, a New TTRPG". Nerdist.
- ↑ "Ahu Tiiko trades Coyote & Crow's Indigipunk vibes for simmering, woodsy horror". Rascal News. 2024-07-10. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ↑ "The 2023 Award". The Diana Jones Award. 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ↑ Carter, Chase (2023-06-27). "Pathfinder, Cyberpunk and Boop win big at 2023 Origins Awards". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ↑ "Coyote & Crow". The Nebula Awards. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ↑ "The Biggest TTRPG Kickstarter Creators: Free League Is King!". EN World Tabletop RPG News & Reviews. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ↑ Hall, Charlie (15 September 2022). "Indigenous RPG Coyote & Crow is a hit, and a new anthology of adventures is on the way". Polygon.
- ↑ Meehan, Alex (2022-02-21). "Best tabletop RPGs 2024 (that aren't Dungeons & Dragons 5E)". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
