Junior Braves of the Apocalypse RPG $9.99

Junior Braves of the Apocalypse RPG: $9.99

Publisher: Oni-Lion Forge Publishing

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE! Who better to square off against an invasion of zombies, aliens, or ancient creatures than a teenage scout troop! After a week-long outdoors adventure, you and your fellow Junior Braves return home to find that the world was no longer the same. Your families are missing, there are terrible things roaming the streets, and you aren’t sure if help will ever arrive. You all need to be brave and use your skills to survive, to adapt, and to thrive. Based on the Kids on Bikes roleplaying game and the Junior Braves of the Apocalypse graphic novels, this guide is a complete, stand-alone rulebook that includes everything you need to  to tell your own stories of kids dealing with the end of the world! CHARACTERS Using stats like GRIT, CHARM, FIGHT, FLIGHT, BRAINS and BRAWN, you’ll jump into the action. Character creation is fast and easy--the better your skill, the bigger die you'll roll. But the dice explode, so even your weak skills have a chance for a stunning success! Flesh out your character with Tropes, Flaws, Skill Patches and Equipment. Earn Brave Tokens for clever play, and spend them at key points to influence how the game unfolds. AN AWARD WINNING SYSTEM Powered by the Gen Con RPG Award-winning Kids on Bikes, this game is easy to play, and quick to get started. Perfect for a fast, easy session or campaign, with a focus on rich story-telling and rewarding encounters. This game is fully compatible with Kids on Bikes, and can be used to expand or enhance your game.

Price: $9.99

Freight Chain Iron Core Rulebook $0.00

Freight Chain Iron Core Rulebook: $0.00

Publisher: jscottgaribay

Freight Chain Iron is a free-standing, complete universal Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TRPG) in the tradition of GURPs and Cypher. It presents three new TRPG innovations.

New Game Participant Type (Adding an observer role (beyond the traditional Gamemaster role and Player role)

Accelerated Play (GM starts with three sentences written and players start with a character sheet containing three words)

Player Hedge (the ability to move narrative control of an NPC, a location or an artifact from the GM to a Player)

You dream it, Freight Chain Iron lets you run it quickly and dynamically.

Price: $0.00

Orcball $3.00

Orcball: $3.00

Publisher: Rowan, Rook & Decard

A one-page game about trying to win the international ORCBALL championship despite a) the blatant cheating of the other team and b) the fact that all the refs are out of their gourds on shrooms and yelling at the moon in an attempt to learn more, better rules.

A cross between skirmish warfare and Calvinball.

Price: $3.00

The Last Thing on Your Mind $1.00

The Last Thing on Your Mind: $1.00

Publisher: Wasteland of Enchantment Games

I was in a melancholy funk. So I listened to my favorite melancholy song. Which led me to designing a melancholy little experience/ritual/game/thing.

The Last Thing on Your Mind is a solo letter writing experience that asks you to reflect on a part of your life that you once loved dearly but haven't given the attention it needs. It takes place as you (fictionally, of course) lay dying. The rest of the world fades away and you spend your very last thought considering your relationship to this neglected thing.

Price: $1.00

Under The Floorboards $15.00

Under The Floorboards: $15.00

Publisher: Loot The Room

Under The Floorboards is a tabletop roleplaying game for 2-5 players about tiny people living in a giant, hostile world, inspired by The Borrowers. The focus of the game is very story-driven, with an emphasis on collaborative storytelling and worldbuilding over stats and crunch.

Build your family and the house in which they live, then embark on an expedition into the land of giants in order to collect the things you need to survive - without being seen.

The game uses a simple 2d6 system for conflict resolution and an easy-to-pick-up story-building system to help GMs build engaging scenes on the fly.

Under The Floorboards is a low-prep game designed for one shot play but with tools to enable campaign play over multiple sessions. The game provides locations, hazards, and tools to quickly design your own content to keep surprising your players, and is perfect for convention play or to keep on your shelf for game nights when your whole group can't be there.

Under The Floorboards was funded as part of ZineQuest 2.

Print copies are available from loottheroom.itch.io/under-the-floorboards.

Price: $15.00

Critical Chill $2.00

Critical Chill: $2.00

Publisher: One Door Dungeons

Throw aside the rulebooks and dive into a system-agnostic rules-lite fantasy RPG set in Tree Vegas. A city of neon lights, orcs in suits, and adventurers on vacation.



In a few quick rolls, you will have your setting, plot, and characters to romp around the city of Tree Vegas.



Included:

1-Page (front and back) RPG setting.

Price: $2.00

Defiant Role Playing Game $19.90

Defiant Role Playing Game: $19.90

Publisher: Game Machinery

Defiant RPG is an urban fantasy game about the mighty, modern-day supernaturals, who rebelled against their destiny and, instead of destroying the world, decided to protect it. By enforcing a demanding set of rules, the Defiant aristocracy empowers protective seals around their cities, making them the only safe-havens in a world ravaged by the Apocalypse.

The Player Characters are the Defiant blue-bloods, leading the supernatural society of fallen angels, demons, ancient gods, and dragons. They are powerful rulers, with their own Holdings (like clubs or luxurious mansions) and faithful subjects.

The rulebook contains:

• Complete game rules that will let you play exciting games in the world of Defiant 
• A comprehensive description of the intriguing Defiant universe
• Two robust chapters for the Game Master, focusing on preparing and running the game, with Basic and Advances rules to choose from
• Ready-to-play Province with dozens of NPCs, locations and two Story Arcs
• 4 Origins available to play: Angels, Deava, Infernals, and Leviathans
• 20 Personal Themes for the Characters, with dozens of Traits to choose from, Theme Questions the Players can ask during the game and special powers
• 9 Marital Themes with the rules on how to navigate the chosen marriage
• 9 Court Themes with multiple subjects to govern and problems to deal with
• 12 Great Houses the Characters may come from, with their own Creeds and Sacred Traditions
• 6 Holding Themes, enabling you to choose and customize your Character’s home

Game rules highlights:

• There’s no simple “You succeeded” or “You failed” outcome. There’s always a choice, an obstacle, or some trouble involved, but also bonuses, unexpected benefits, and lucky turns of events.
• Players can influence the story by using different Theme Questions, tailored to playing their chosen Themes. The “Gem” Character can ask, “How am I the center of this event?” or the Guide can ask, “Who approaches me about my teachings?”.
• Instead of Skills or Attributes, the Characters have descriptive Traits the Players can use creatively. The Traits may sound like “Athletic body,” “Thrives during tournaments,” “Knows how to charm,” “Acclaimed style.”

Price: $19.90

Morningstar:The Triumvirate Pacts $4.99

Morningstar:The Triumvirate Pacts: $4.99

Publisher: Frontier Gaming

Morningstar: The Triumvirate Pacts is a science fiction/fantasy roleplay game in which Players can use magic, technology or raw strategy in order to achieve their goals. Set in a backdrop of the search for harmony throughout Known Space, take up the mantel of a Morningstar Order and bring justice to the Galaxy... or use your autonomy to further your own ends.

With a unique system to track your Renown and Infamy, and a new way to measure the different types of XP your exploits will earn you, this 132 page rulebook will allow you to take part in epic adventures on a Galactic scale.

There are 8 playable Species to choose from, based on legendary and modern myth, and brought to life for you to experience now.

Price: $4.99

The Neon Game - Full Version $2.99

The Neon Game - Full Version: $2.99

Publisher: PLus Jokers Games

Shine up that chrome and tune up that cyberdeck, you’re headed straight for the intersection of the highest of crimes and the blackest of ops.



Welcome to the Neon Game, where Dealers engage freelance operators – Suits – to run clandestine Hands for business and pleasure (and sometimes both).  The Hands are dangerous, but the rewards are lucrative.  Will your Suit play their cards right, and retire rich and infamous?  Or will they bleed out in an alley, unmourned and unknown, food for the rats and the cyberware scavengers?



Based on the universal Alpha-7 ruleset, The Neon Game allows you to create and run games based in a cyberpunk world of your choosing.

• For players, this book takes you through a simple yet flexible character creation, getting you up and ready to play your first Hand in a matter of minutes.
• For GMs, it gives you access to resources for generating Hands, creating gangs, and designing virtual systems.
• For gaming groups, it gives you direction on how to create, populate and personalize your own cyberpunk haven using the Conflict system to define who, what and where the points of interest are in your world.

Price: $2.99

And You Shall Shatter Temples [Free]

And You Shall Shatter Temples [Free]:

They may be gods, but you are done being faithful.

It's time to burn their kingdom down.



Sing songs with the words they could not take from you. Raise the banner woven from the flags you stole back from them. Arm yourself with the swords you forged from their discarded bones.

And You Shall Shatter Temples is a game about rising up against an overwhelming power that is trying to crush you. All you have is what you carry with you, and those who rise up by your side. Together, you can turn the tide. Together, you can dethrone a god.

This game was written for the Attack and Dethrone God Jam. It is a GM-less game, meant for 2-4+ players, and is played with a deck of playing cards and some six-sided dice.

While the illustrated version of the game is priced at $7, the plain text version of game is available for whatever price you wish to pay for it, and I encourage you to donating whatever money you would have spent on this game to organisations supporting marginalised people, and working for a more just and equitable future. Here's a list to get you started, but don't stop there.

If you play the game, please let me know what you think of it, either in the comments here, or on Twitter.

INSOMNIA Re: DEATH [$5.00]

INSOMNIA Re: DEATH [$5.00]:

Navigate between the real world (the Real) and the realm of dreams (the Dream) as the nightmares are real. You have been suffering some insomnia and the veil between world has cause them to blur. Will you face the darkness and emerge back in the Real? Or does the nightmares of both realities come crashing down and send you deep into the void?

INSOMNIA Re: DEATH is a single-player journal-recording RPG using the Wretched & Alone system and game jam. Through a series of personal reflections, obstacles, and encounters, the player will determine their fate, unless the nightmares get to them first. 

In order to download this RPG Game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this RPG Game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Claim a free community copy of INSOMNIA Re: DEATH for those folx who have a financial hardship. Face your nightmares! Copies are limited, but will increase over time due to sales. 

• INSOMNIA arrives! 17 hours ago

A Wretched Luncheon With Your Best Friend Who Sucks at Cooking [$5.00]

A Wretched Luncheon With Your Best Friend Who Sucks at Cooking [$5.00]:

Your best friend wants to cook an unforgettable luncheon for you. They are very excited about this idea. You are less excited about this idea, since the last time your friend cooked for you, they burned down your kitchen.

You have formed a compromise: the cooking will take place in your friend’s house, not your own, and you will have the right to check in on them every ten minutes – just so long as you don’t actually open the kitchen door. You also intend to keep a log of key events for the sake of posterity.


A solo+ TTRPG about friendship, stubbornness and kitchen fires, based on the Wretched and Alone SRD by Chris Bissette. You will need either a 6-sided die, a deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed and a tumbling block tower or set of tarot cards. Includes a 2 player option.

Cover image by Noel Bauza, sourced from Pexels (licenced under CC0).

Content Warnings

The core premise of the game is of kitchen fires played for comedic effect, though there is no loss of life or large-scale property damage. The text contains swear words. Some prompts relate to a fictional soap opera with common tropes such as illness, non-permanent character death and non-graphic violence. Feel free to skip any prompts which cause you discomfort.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

These community copies have been set aside for anyone unable to afford the sales price. Please only claim a copy if this applies to you. I will add a new copy for each full price sale of the game.

Below 459 [Free]

Below 459 [Free]:

The year is 1968. You find yourself aboard a damaged West German Type 205 U-Boat. You’ve set out for the Baltic Sea, keeping an eye on those socialists from the DDR just next door. Then, the incident happened.

Somehow, you are the only one who survived, the dead bodies of your Kameraden all around. The boat lays still on the sea floor, water dripping from the ceiling. You cannot escape and have to wait for the rescue team. To make yourself know, you have to find the Funkboje first and launch it to the surface to send an S.O.S. Until then, you have to survive, both physically and mentally.

Below 459 is a GM-less, solo journaling ttrpg played with a set of cards, a d6, and a tumbling tower.

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Safety: This game includes themes of isolation, narrow spaces, despair, violence, death and ideological conflict.

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Below 459 was created for the Wretched & Alone 2020  Game Jam This game is based on The Wretched by Chris Bissette using the Wretched and Alone SRD.

WE ARE GONE, or The Long Walk To Wretched Bay [$1.00]

WE ARE GONE, or The Long Walk To Wretched Bay [$1.00]:

Your expedition to this vast north has gone awry and must be abandoned. Your dreams of glory are a distant, mocking memory; now all that matters is survival, pursuing the narrowest possible chance of survival. Your ship lies paralysed in the ice behind you, while before you stretches the impossible trek to the dubious safety of the whaling station at Wretched Bay. Godspeed you, Captain, and Heaven preserve you.

Made using the Wretched and Alone system, but utilising a can of spam instead of a block tower, this is a 1-person journal RPG in which you play as the Captain of a doomed expedition, trekking back across miles of ice, pursuing the faintest hope of survival.  Document your travels through the detritus your expedition leaves behind as it makes its long, slow, agonising way back to Wretched Bay.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1 USD. You will get access to the following files:

The Shape of Your Heart [$3.00]

The Shape of Your Heart [$3.00]:

Created for the Wretched & Alone Game Jam

The first time you saw them, you knew they were different.

Their friends are all clueless. They have no idea what’s coming. They have no idea what you can do. But this one is smarter, sharper, more observant. They see you around corners, catch your eye when you think you’re hidden. They sense you. They feel you. And you can’t stop thinking about them.

Is this what love is?

People will try to stop you, to tear you down. Will you be stopped by the police? The other victims? Your own shortcomings? Or the object of your obsession themselves?Going in, you know it won’t be easy.

But when has love ever been easy?

Content Warning: stalking and murder, with various other shades of slasher film tropes as well.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you're in need and would like to play the game, please feel free to take a community copy. One new copy will be added for every purchase of the game.

By the Sounding Sea [$3.00]

By the Sounding Sea [$3.00]:

Created for the Wretched & Alone Game Jam

You are the eldest child of a middle-class family in 1800s England. Despite the weight upon you to marry well and bring prestige and security to your household, you have made a grave mistake and incurred your family’s scorn.

Your punishment has sent you on a pilgrimage into the moorlands to your deceased aunt's expansive manor which looks out over the sea from a tall, sheer cliff. Throughout the halls of this empty home, the sea echoes. It beckons to your subconscious, begging you to give in to your already blooming despair.

"Come to me. 

Be with me. 

Drown in me."

You can only hope that the distractions are enough to keep the ocean out of your mind, that all of your hard work will be worth it somehow. You only need to last until your family retrieves you.

That is, if you can resist the waves for that long.

Content Warning: physical and social isolation, mental health (especially depression and psychosis), suicide, unreality, and familial abuse.

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you're in need and can't afford a copy of the game, help yourself to a community copy of the game. Every sale contributes one copy to the pool.

My Soul to Keep [$3.00]

My Soul to Keep [$3.00]:

My Soul to Keep is a solo, gm-less journaling game in which you play a young child plagued by night terrors and struggling with their faith.  You will deal with challenges and abuses during the day and translate your traumas into the horrors that haunt your dreams. You will draw cards and write journal entries based on specific prompts in order to craft a story about faith and doubt. Is the real threat the monsters under the bed or your parents' religious fundamentalism?

This game is based on The Wretched by Chris Bissette and was created for the Wretched & Alone Jam.

Content Warning: This game includes themes of child abuse, religious trauma, fear, isolation, and unreality.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you're in need and can't afford a copy of the game, help yourself to a community copy. Every sale will add another copy to the pool, and tips in $3 increments over the asking price will add additional copies on top of that as a way of paying it forward.

The Creation [$3.00]

The Creation [$3.00]:

The Creation is a game of survival, fear, and monsters. In it, you play the role of agolem that has been abandoned by your creator. You face threats from withoutand within. The mob, driven by hate and fear, will return and assault the castle.Meanwhile, something has poisoned your body. Your only hope is to recreate the

catalyst of your “birth” before your body fails or the villagers arrive to destroy you.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Before The Dawn [$1.00]

Before The Dawn [$1.00]:

Before the dawn is a solo journaling game using the Wretched & Alone SRD. It is played using a pack of cards, a tumbling block tower, a handful of twigs, and one six-sided die.

This is a folk horror tale like many others - someone has ventured too deep into the woods and awakened something terrible. A hungry, ancient thing.

In this version of the story, however, you are the horrible creature.

Your continued existence is tenuous, and relies on sacrifice and solitude. You must rid these woods of the intruder before the sun rises or be torn to pieces beneath its firey gaze.

Before The Dawn comes as an A5 print-ready .pdf file.

--

“From the very core of each of them, their ancestors seemed to cry out in inarticulate voices. right then, they screamed in alarm from times before symbols and language could depict such things that hunted and meant murder.”

Adam Nevill, The Ritual

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

For those experiencing financial hardship or marginalised access to the tabletop community, select this to claim a free copy of Before The Dawn.

Community access is supported by everyone who purchases a copy at the recommended price.

Purchase at or above the recommended price to make a copy of Before The Dawn available for marginalised gamers or gamers experiencing financial hardship.

You will also receive a copy of Before The Dawn

There's More to This House... [$4.00]

There's More to This House... [$4.00]:

WHERE DID THAT DOOR COME FROM?It wasn’t there when you fell asleep. But it appeared in the middle of your wall. Even though you just moved here with your family, you would have noticed it before. The door doesn’t feel safe, but your hand gravitates to the knob anyway.It’s unlocked...An impossible hallway extends into the darkness. You can’t see what’s at the end. Your family is terrified, but you’re curious about what lies in the depths of your home.

You plan your expedition.

There's More to This House... is a solo survival and mapmaking RPG played with a deck of cards, a tumbling block tower, two 6-sided dice, and graph paper.

You are a new homeowner that discovers their home is growing and expanding on the inside. Even though you sense danger deep within your home, you're drawn to explore the new hallways and rooms that appear.  You are alone. You can’t communicate with your family, and they aren’t able to reach you. As you venture deeper, your mental stability cracks. It’s not likely you’ll survive, but something draws you deeper inside.

Note: There are heavy themes of hopelessness, isolation, gaslighting, and death. If you are not comfortable exploring any of these concepts, this may not be the game for you.

There’s More to This House... draws heavy inspiration from House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and short stories such as Brian Russell’s “NoEnd House” and Charlotte Bywater’s “Hidden Door”.

There's More to This House... comes as a 17-page PDF and was created for the Wretched & Alone Game Jam.

---

There’s More to This House... is based on The Wretched by Chris Bissette using the Wretched & Alone SRD. 

In order to download this solo RPG you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $4 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this solo RPG at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you can't afford a copy of the game, please help yourself to a community copy of the RPG. There are 25 copies available, but more can and will be added.

• 1 community copy will be added with each PDF purchase
• 1 community copy will be added for every $3 increment tipped above asking price

The Dusk Before Dawn [50% Off] [$2.00]

The Dusk Before Dawn [50% Off] [$2.00]:

You are but one of only a few of your species still remaining in this world. As climate change begins to rapidly bring about disruption and turmoil, you have no choice but to migrate to new pastures. Though the climate is not the only challenge awaiting you. New creatures, similar to you in some ways, but very different in others, are migrating as well. For them this is their dawn, and for you and your kind, dusk approaches.

In this solo journaling game you are a member of a species in decline. Your world is changing and extinction is rampant. Not only are there environmental challenges abound, but to make matters worse a new apex species is on the rise. Time is running out for you and your kind, and the prospect of survival lessens with each lunar cycle.

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The Dusk Before Dawn is a game about loneliness, perseverance, and survival in a world that is no longer suited for your kind. You are not human, but rather are a precursor to them. You will face overwhelming odds in your bid to outrun extinction.

At minimum, all you will need in order to play is the downloadable PDF of all the rules and vital information, a deck of cards, a 6-sided die, a writing utensil, and a piece of paper. To experience the game at its fullest you will also need a tumbling block tower and a coin. 

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Safety

This game includes themes of fear, isolation, suspense, despair, violence, and death.

Read and play with caution, keeping in mind that you can take a break or stop completely at any time. Your mental health is important, and this is just a game.

This game is designed to make success very difficult and very unlikely. It is meant to be challenging and harrowing and emotional. If that doesn't sound fun to you, that's absolutely fine.

Remember that you can change, ignore, rewrite or abandon any part of this game that you want.

This game was inspired by Chris Bissette’s game “The Wretched” (http://loottheroom.itch.io/wretched), is based on the Wretched and Alone SRD (https://sealedlibrary.itch.io/wretched-alone-srd), and was created for the Wretched & Alone game jam. 

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $2 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Want to play the game but don't have the funds to do so? Well fret not! Please help yourself to a free copy of the game.

I hope you enjoy your experience! 

Escape(Dot)Gov [$5.00]

Escape(Dot)Gov [$5.00]:

Escape(Dot)Gov is a solo journaling RPG, made using the Wretched & Alone rules by Chris Bissette and Matt Sanders.

You are the greatest leader of the greatest country on the greatest planet in the entire world. At least, that's what you tell everyone. Your self-serving interests have ruined the ecosystem and destabilized the atmosphere, and with dissenters calling for your head, it's time to leave.

There is no escape for you on Earth. Can you build a colony ship and rig the Escape(Dot)Gov lottery to secure your own survival and outrun the consequences of your actions against the planet and its people before your schemes are revealed and your administration is dissolved?

Escape(Dot)Gov is meant to be a nearly impossible game satirizing the struggle to escape your guilt and treachery as a megalomaniacal leader whose time is running out. For those seeking alternate themes or a more positive outlook, alternate rules are included for Escape(Dot)Org: an experience from the perspective of the people after having overthrown this tyrannical leader, working together to build colony ships and offer a fair shot to everyone for the world to board while stabilizing the ailing planet.

For the  experience as designed, this game requires a block tower, deck of cards, six-sided die, ten tokens of any kind, and a method of journaling or recording. Any or all of these requirements can be substituted as desired or needed. Enjoy the game!

Content warnings include gaslighting, dystopian and doomsday scenarios, narcissism, and public speaking. Please prioritize your mental health and adjust gameplay accordingly.

*EscapeDotGov and EscapeDotOrg are not actual websites affiliated with this game*

This game was made as part of the Wretched & Alone jam. Details on the jam can be found here:

https://itch.io/jam/wretched-jam

The Wretched, by Chris Bissette can be found here:

https://loottheroom.itch.io/wretched

The Wretched & Alone SRD can be found here:

https://sealedlibrary.itch.io/wretched-alone-srd

In order to download this Solo Journaling Game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this Solo Journaling Game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you're in need and cannot afford to purchase Escape(Dot)Gov but still want to play, grab a copy from the pool of Community Copies no questions asked.

If you enjoy the game, please spread the word! 

Before the Boats [0% Off] [$15.00]

Before the Boats [0% Off] [$15.00]:

This game is about War, Pain, Fear, and Hate.

You warred with the Colonists.

You warred with yourselves.

Then the Imperials came to your “aid”.
Your cousins to the North fight under the banners of the North Valley Army and with the (allegedly) radical Valley Commandos.

You and your family are residents of the Southern Capital, occupied by a coalition of the Army of the Republic of the Valley, the Southern state to which you belong, and the Imperial States Army, foreign soldiers. 

Imperials do not look like you.

Imperials rarely like you.

Imperials never think of you as their equal. 

You can only hope to see the other side of the War.

So… Before the Boats is a game designed within the Wretched & Alone framework by Chris Bissette for 1 player about surviving in a state of war. A specific state of war. One in which a foreign power has co-opted your land, forces, and cause for its own machinations. The war will take the lives of hundreds of thousands. Chances are you’ll be among them.
If you’re one of the lucky few to make it through you might not like what you find.

Content Warnings: 

War, Imperialism, Colonialism, Occupation, Violence (including violence against children), Death, Racism, Corruption, Politics

Disclosure

This game is meant to speak to a very specific experience that is part of a larger pastiche that is the War. It is not intended to speak for all experiences for all affected by the War or even all the experiences of any given individual during the war. The intention is to recenter the lens on the often overlooked and washed over experiences and perspectives of those often relegated to the background, supporting cast, or faceless antagonists of narratives about the War. While some of the prompts are exaggerated few are wholly fictional.

The conflict this work is based on was terrible to many groups including some systematically preyed on and forced to take part in the “police action” by a country that at the time and at the time of this writing did not treat them as equals to those in power. There were many victims but only a few true perpetrators who exploited the conflict for selfish gain and spilled the blood of innocents on all sides.

Credits

This work is based on The Wretched, product of Chris Bissette and Loot The Room, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

THE WRETCHED™️ is a trademark of Chris Bissette. The Wretched and Alone logo is © Chris Bissette, and is used with permission.

Before the Boats was written by Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen and was created for Wretched Jam.

Developed with “ Make a Wretched Game” by Litza Bronwyn  (https://litzabronwyn.itch.io/make-a-wretched-game)

Cover designed and laid out on canva.com

Editing & Content Consultants

While not working on this game specifically, they each consulted on

They Took Our War by Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen

with which Before The Boats borrows a lot from and overlaps with.

Hans Chun

Twitter: @HansCTweets | https://hanschun.itch.io/

Vian Nguyen

Twitter: @Jubnuggest | https://jubnuggets.itch.io/

Twitter: @PnoyXP | https://pnoyxp.itch.io/

Simon Moody

Twitter: @LuchaLibris | https://colorspraygames.itch.io/

Viditya  Voleti

Twitter: @VidityaVoleti | https://vidityavoleti.itch.io/

A note about Before the Boats & They Took Our War

Beyond the Boats and They Took Our War are two games developed in conjunction with one another. There is significant overlap between the two, particularly with the prompts provided. Each offers, in the designers opinion, a unique experience.

Before the Boats, one of an individual trying to desperately survive.

They Took Our War, one of a group of people in a shared traumatic situation trying to get by.

Considering such both games are available as a bundle at a discounted price for those interested:  https://itch.io/s/32763/the-war

If you have purchased either but would like the other please get in touch with me directly and I will find a way to send you the sister game for the difference of the game you’ve purchased and the bundle.

If you are a marginalized person

And you want this game but cannot afford the price and there are no community copies at the time available please reach out to me directly and I will send you a copy at no charge, no questions asked.

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Each copy of Before the Boats purchased helps make more Community Copies available.
If you cannot afford the listed price of Before the Boats please feel free to claim a Community Copy if available.
If you appreciate the game please consider leaving a review of 5 stars on the game's itch page and letting the designer know your thoughts via Twitter. 

They Took Our War [0% Off] [$15.00]

They Took Our War [0% Off] [$15.00]:

This game is about War, Pain, and Hate. 

You warred with the Colonists.

You warred with yourselves.

Then the Imperials came to your “aid”.
Your cousins to the North fight under the banners of the North Valley Army and with the (allegedly) radical Valley Commandos.

You and your family are residents of the Southern Capital, occupied by a coalition of the Army of the Republic of the Valley, the Southern state to which you belong, and the Imperial States Army, foreign soldiers. 

Imperials do not look like you.

Imperials rarely like you.

Imperials never think of you as their equal. 

You can only hope to see the otherside of the War.

So… They Took Our War is a game designed within the For the Queen by Alex Roberts framework for 3-6 players about living in a state of war. A specific state of war. One in which a foreign power has co-opted your land, forces, and cause for it’s own machinations. The war will take the lives of hundreds of thousands. For any hope to survive you’ll need to learn to navigate the new world order.

And even then you might not be lucky enough.

Content Warnings: 

War, Imperialism, Colonialism, Occupation, Violence (including violence against children), Death, Racism, Corruption, Politics

Disclosure

This game is meant to speak to a very specific experience that is part of a larger pastiche that is the War. It is not intended to speak for all experiences for all affected by the War or even all the experiences of any given individual during the war. The intention is to recenter the lens on the often overlooked and washed over experiences and perspectives of those often relegated to the background, supporting cast, or faceless antagonists of narratives about the War. While some of the prompts are exaggerated few are wholly fictional.

The conflict this work is based on was terrible to many groups including some systematically preyed on and forced to take part in the “police action” by a country that at the time and at the time of this writing did not treat them as equals to those in power. There were many victims but only a few true perpetrators who exploited the conflict for selfish gain and spilled the blood of innocents on all sides.

Credits

This work is based on For the Queen (found at http://www.forthequeengame.com/), product of Alex Roberts and Evil Hat Productions, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

The X-Card was originally developed by John Stavropoulos and is adapted for use in this game. To learn more about The X-Card, visit http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg

Editing & Content Consultants

Hans Chun

Twitter: @HansCTweets | https://hanschun.itch.io/

Vian Nguyen

Twitter: @Jubnuggest | https://jubnuggets.itch.io/

Twitter: @PnoyXP | https://pnoyxp.itch.io/

Simon Moody

Twitter: @LuchaLibris | https://colorspraygames.itch.io/

Viditya  Voleti

Twitter: @VidityaVoleti | https://vidityavoleti.itch.io/

A note about They Took Our War & Before the Boats

They Took Our War and Beyond the Boats are two games developed in conjunction with one another. There is significant overlap between the two, particularly with the prompts provided. Each offers, in the designers opinion, a unique experience.

They Took Our War, one of a group of people in a shared traumatic situation trying to get by.

Before the Boats, one of an individual trying to desperately survive.

Considering such both games are available as a bundle at a discounted price for those interested:  https://itch.io/s/32763/the-war

If you have purchased either but would like the other please get in touch with me directly and I will find a way to send you the sister game for the difference of the game you’ve purchased and the bundle.

If you are a marginalized person

And you want this game but cannot afford the price and there are no community copies at the time available please reach out to me directly and I will send you a copy at no charge, no questions asked. 

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Each copy of They Took Our War purchased helps make more Community Copies available.
If you cannot afford the listed price of They Took Our War please feel free to claim a Community Copy if available.
If you appreciate the game please consider leaving a review of 5 stars on the game's itch page and letting the designer know your thoughts via Twitter. 

The Andromeda Ward [100% Off] [$0.00]

The Andromeda Ward [100% Off] [$0.00]:

"Those damn insectoid slimes will stop at nothing before every last one of us is a wasp. Rev up the hospital-issue speedboat: it's time for some slime and punishment."

Ever wanted to create an original episode of the worst TV show never filmed? In The Andromeda Ward, you play the cast, crew and characters of a fictional sci-fi-horror-drama with big storylines and a tiny budget. Pick your actors, pick the characters they play, roll your randomised A and B Plots, and start filming!

The Andromeda Ward is a tabletop role-playing game for 4-6 players plus Game Master, inspired by the B-Movie genre, plus movies like GalaxyQuest and shows such as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.

Play once for a standalone episode, or use multiple sessions to generate an entire season of your own so-bad-its-amazing TV show!

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Trigger Warnings: body horror, gore, insects and character death can all come up in the fiction-within-a-fiction that is the TV show. They are treated in a schlocky fashion, and any can be removed from play if desired.

Assault Heaven, Overthrow God [$2.99]

Assault Heaven, Overthrow God [$2.99]:

Assault Heaven, Overthrow God is a Wuxia-style mini RPG primarily intended for one-shot style play. Your heroes grab the things at their disposal, and head off to destroy the unacceptable reality of an unjust local God.

This game is part of the Assault & Dethrone God Game Jam.

Cycle of Play

1. Create your Hero; decide their Honour, Vengeance, and Benevolence
2. Talk about the themes of your game; get a list
3. Name the God; determine the nature of the God
4. Name their Heaven; determine what sort of heaven that God would create
5. Assault Heaven, Overthrow God
6. Describe the new Earth you will all create after overthrowing that God.

How do you resolve actions?

You use Mahjong Tiles (you can find a Print&Play here and may also be released on platforms with Print on Demand options) to create scoring hands and if your score is high enough then you succeed at your risky task. The scoring hands are related to traditional scoring combinations in Mahjong but related to your hero's traits.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $2.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:

A Tale of Blood and Oil [Free]

A Tale of Blood and Oil [Free]:

A cyberpunk tabletop RPG for 2-6 players loosely based on Metal Gear Solid and the Escape From ... series of movies.  To play it, you only need something to write with, paper, playing cards, and Lady Luck on your side.

“Okay punks, here’s the deal. Seven hours ago, Air Force 1000 crash landed in the Silicon Gallows, the cyborg dump I was supposed to ship you off to. The good news is the President is still alive somewhere in there. The bad news is that he was carrying a very important item with him on the flight.The item cannot fall into the wrong hands. I’d really rather not rely on a sorry bunch like you, but we can’t risk whoever’s got the president to make rash decisions if they saw us marching in. So, save the president, retrieve the item at all costs and escape from the Silicon Gallows. In returns, I’ll make sure you lot don’t have to spend the rest of your miserable lives in that hellhole.”  

A Tale of Blood & Oil is a game about a ragtag group of criminals who are sent into the world's largest cyborg-prison to save the President, and possibly the world. In return, their freedom.

The rules of this game are most suitable for oneshots, but can be adapted for multi-session adventures.

Super-Craft [4.50€]

Super-Craft [4.50€]:

Super-Craft is an anthology game inspired by media such as My Hero Academia, Strong Female Protagonist and X-Men: Evolution.

Utilizing the phenomenal Firebrands system, Super-Craft is about growing up in a world where superpowers and the heroes/villains who use them are as common as a car on the street.

You are the next generation superheroes. All gathered together in a school specifically made for teaching you just how to be heroes. In it, you will train with one another. Hangout in the parking lot, kicking back. Fight villains in your local shopping mall. And discover the real fact that superheroes are, above all, human.

The amazing cover art for Super-Craft was done by Minevra Fox.

Safety Tools advice was inspired by the work of Marn

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a 0.5 version of the game. It is still in development. It is currently a google doc PDF but layout will eventually be commissioned for the finished product. Any feedback given will be taken into account alongside playtesting done by the creator. If you buy it at this stage, you will receive the completed version for free when finished.  

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of 4.50€ EUR. You will get access to the following files:

The Last Thing on Your Mind [$1.00]

The Last Thing on Your Mind [$1.00]:

I was in a melancholy funk. So I listened to my favorite melancholy song. Which led me to designing a melancholy little experience/ritual/game/thing.

The Last Thing on Your Mind is a solo letter writing experience that asks you to reflect on a part of your life that you once loved dearly but haven't given the attention it needs. It takes place as you (fictionally, of course) lay dying. The rest of the world fades away and you spend your very last thought considering your relationship to this neglected thing.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Identity [$5.00]

Identity [$5.00]:

You haven’t always had it easy, but now things are worse. A chance encounter on the street changed your life. It was like looking into a mirror. But surely, you would have known if you had a twin.

You only learned you were a clone 1 month ago. Now, alongside your siblings, you are being hunted by the corporation that created you. You thought you were being smart, you thought you were well hidden, but the corporation is on to you. The corporation knows your location, and you need to run. Thankfully, you know this large city well, and if you talk to the right people you might be able to access all the resources you need. Can you stay hidden long enough to take the corporation down before it kills you and all your siblings?

It’s going to be tough. But someone has to take a stand.

Identity is a solo journaling game using the Wretched and Alone System. This work is based on The Wretched (found at http://loottheroom.itch.io/wretched), product of Chris Bissette and Loot The Room, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).


THE WRETCHED™️ is a trademark of Chris Bissette. The Wretched and Alone logo is © Chris Bissette, and is used with permission.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Community copies for people experiencing financial hardship. 

Being Looked At [40% Off] [$3.00]

Being Looked At [40% Off] [$3.00]:

Being Looked At is a solo journaling game about being
isolated by an experience you cannot share with anyone. It is a game about
losing touch with reality and fixating on a threat no one else can see. It is
about tapping into a primal fear of being stalked with no means of protecting
yourself.

You play as a typical person living a typical life in a
typical town. The only thing remarkable about you is that a fucked up guy looks
at you. The uncertainty about this guy’s origin and motives are almost as
disconcerting as him looking at you. To make matters worse, no one else seems
to see him.

—

This game also requires a standard deck of 52 playing cards, a 6-sided die, 10 tokens, a tumbling block tower (optional), and a way of recording your play: a audio or video recording device is recommended, but pen and paper will also work.

—


Being Looked At was made as part of the Wretched & Alone game jam using the Wretched & Alone SRD. The Wretched was created by Chris Bissette. It was also made for the Fucked Up Guy Jam hosted by Marn S. and Ben Roswell.

—

Community Copies are available for those experiencing economic hardship. For every copy of Being Looked At sold at full price ($5 or more) a free copy will be added for those who cannot engage with Being Looked At due to economic hardship, especially as a result of being part of a marginalized group. 

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Machine Hearts [Free]

Machine Hearts [Free]: A two player game that requires nothing but complicity.

My Dear Siblings [Free]

My Dear Siblings [Free]:

In this postage-themed roleplay, players take the part of orphaned siblings in a noble, Victorian-era family. In the wake of the untimely demise of your parents, the role and responsibilities of the family head fell to your eldest sibling. However, the prestige of your noble name, the wealth behind it, and the fact that it is now headed by a child has given many an insidious idea.

Beyond the façade of niceties, other families try to get close to yours and especially the eldest, thinking they can manipulate a child into using either their standing and/or finances. Your most distant of relatives—anyone who thinks they have a chance of inheriting the title—now become a threat to all of you. War has not been declared, but every tight smile is secretly a new strategy enacted. There are few whom you may really trust.

Author’s Note:

This roleplay was created during the period of isolation in 2020, when rampant loneliness encouraged long-distance communication even from the most reclusive. However...being stuck at home, there wasn’t much to keep in touch about. A product of its time, this game doesn’t have a win condition, but rather provides prompts for players to create a wonderful experience about staying close despite distance, bringing players together under the bonds of family, and adds a little bit of Victorian drama, because exercising the imagination and such is also a good thing.

What if You Were a Fucked-Up Guy and I Was a Fucked-Up Guy and We Both Looked at Each Other (And We're Both Boys) [$4.00]

What if You Were a Fucked-Up Guy and I Was a Fucked-Up Guy and We Both Looked at Each Other (And We're Both Boys) [$4.00]:

A dark and stormy night.

A sense of foreboding floating in the air.

A chance encounter.

Two fucked-up guys who would normally look at a normal guy.

But tonight… They’re looking at each other.

What if You Were a Fucked Up Guy and I Was a Fucked Up Guy and We Both Looked at Each Other (And We're Both Boys) is a story-building game for at least one player about two monsters trying to communicate and grow close despite their monsterousness. You will need a deck of cards.

If you purchase the game, or even if the title made you chuckle, please leave a rating!

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $4 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If the price is a barrier for you to obtain the game, then you can claim a community copy. Every purchase adds another community copy, as do purchases above the minimum price.

Under Hill, Over Hill [$5.00]

Under Hill, Over Hill [$5.00]:

“WHERE dips the rocky highlandOf Sleuth Wood in the lake,There lies a leafy islandWhere flapping herons wakeThe drowsy water-rats;There we've hid our faery vats,Full of berriesAnd of reddest stolen cherries.”

- W. B. Yeats "The Stolen Child"

They crave beauty, the people that live under the Hill. Are drawn to it, like moth to flame.

Sometimes they find it in a spider’s web beaded with dew. Or the silver-quick dart of a snake in the grass. In the music of the crickets, or the call of the owl at twilight.

But sometimes, they find beauty in an unlikely thing.

Sometimes, the people under the Hill find beauty in a human.

And what they admire, they must have.

But there are rules for these things, and something cannot be taken for nothing.

So when a human is brought away, led down the moonlight path and under the Hill to join the dance, another must be left in its place. To become, as best they can, the one that was taken away.

---

Under Hill, Over Hill is an epistolary game for two players, exploring what it is, to become someone else. A changeling and the human they have replaced exchange letters about their lives, and their belonging, or lack thereof.

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Play for free.

In the spirit of valuing the creative labor of game writing, I am choosing to charge for my games rather than list them as pay what you want.

But more than anything, I want people to be able to play them. So if finances are a barrier, please go ahead and download it for free. 

Planet D'arak - The Impossible Planet [Free]

Planet D'arak - The Impossible Planet [Free]: An Alternate Gaming History RPG

A Space I Don't Know [$5.00]

A Space I Don't Know [$5.00]:

A Space I Don't Know is a solo TTRPG about being asexual, or part of the asexual spectrum, in an unfamiliar space where even the support of other queer people is not guaranteed. More broadly, It is about figuring out who is safe to out yourself to, and the found family that may be gained from doing so.

All you need is a deck of tarot cards and some sort of journal or method of recording things.

The pdf is 17 pages long, including 8 pages explaining how to play and 8 pages explaining how to interpret the cards.

Content Warnings: Aphobia

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

If you cannot afford this game due to financial hardship, you can claim a free community copy of the game. For every $5 I earn from my itch.io TTRPGs, I will add another copy.