 Cover of the first edition | |
| Designers | Luke Crane, David Petersen |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Archaia Studios Press |
| Publication | 2008 |
| Genres | Anthropomorphic Fantasy |
| Systems | Burning Wheel |
The Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game is a tabletop role-playing game created by Luke Crane based on the Mouse Guard comics and his own Burning Wheel system. Boom! Studios' imprint Archaia Entertainment released a second edition of the game on 3 November 2015. [1]
The game itself has been released in two editions - a hardback in 2008 and a deluxe boxed set was brought out in 2011. [2]
Mouse Guard is a pseudo-medieval setting about an order of anthropomorphic mouse rangers. The setting itself was written by David Petersen in a series of Eisner award winning comics. Many details of the setting such as "How does a mouse become a member of the Mouse Guard" were fleshed out specifically for the RPG. [3]
The game system is a simplified version of the Burning Wheel system, using standard six-sided dice, with each result of a 4-6 being a success. Each character has an overriding belief, an immediate goal, and an instinct that guides them, all with mechanical weight.
Critical reception was strong, with the Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game winning numerous industry awards. It won the 2008 Origins Award for best roleplaying game [4] and numerous Indie RPG awards, [5] [6] [7] as well as being silver winner for three ENnies [8] and shortlisted for the 2009 Diana Jones Award. [9]
Tor.com called it "a fantastic game which challenges players imagination and creativity". [10]
The 2011 Box Set was called "easily the most beautiful RPG I have ever laid eyes on" by Wired . [11]
Basic Role-Playing (BRP) is a tabletop role-playing game which originated in the RuneQuest fantasy role-playing game. Chaosium released the BRP standalone booklet in 1980 in the boxed set release of the second edition of RuneQuest. Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis are credited as the authors. Chaosium used the percentile skill-based system as the basis for most of their games, including Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, and Elfquest.
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos. The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium; it was first released in 1981 and is in its seventh edition, with licensed foreign language editions available as well. Its game system is based on Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing (BRP) with additions for the horror genre. These include special rules for sanity and luck.
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An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside a corporate environment. Indie role-playing game designers participate in several development communities and game distribution networks. Indie games also grant their own awards committees.
Mouse Guard is an American bi-monthly comic book series written and illustrated by David Petersen and published by Archaia Studios Press. Differently from American standard comics size, it is published in a square format.
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A tabletop role-playing game, also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a classification for a role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech, and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines, usually containing Dice-Rolling. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.
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Luke Crane is a game designer specializing in indie role-playing games.