New Tabletop RPGs Slated For Release In 2022

Hey! How’s March treating you? It’s almost over. Spring is so close I can literally smell it in the air when the sun is shining. Yesterday, I got together with a few of my buddies for our monthly Call of Cthlulhu session and it went about as you’d expect: paranormal activities, creepy houses, and of course, lots of laughs.

I got to thinking: outside of the usual tabletop RPG suspects (think D&D, Shadowrun, CoC, Vampire: The Masquerade) what other fun themes and settings are out there for us to explore? I’m pleased to announce that 2022 has a number of really cool games slated for release covering a ton of popular IPs. Avatar, Bladerunner is on the block as well as a bunch of other awesome concepts. Let’s take a look.

CY_BORG

With Cy_Borg, design studio Stockholm Cartel looks to a future of digital noise and glaring static in the wake of the acclaimed Mörk Borg RPG. This “nano-infested doomsday RPG” shows off all the artistic flair and surprising approachability of its predecessor. While this game initially looks to borrow from Shadowrun and other dystopian future-type games, Cy_Borg promises simple character creation and streamlined gameplay. Additionally, missions, NPCs and locations come with a random generator providing endless playability.

A volcano, a pandemic, a tsunami, poisonous stones, nuclear weapons, cyclical revolutions, warring nations, warring corporations, warring neighbors; and pandemics, tsunamis, and nuclear weapons. Intercellular nanorobotics hijacked by bacteria from outer space is in the middle of all this: direct person-machine interfaces, tactical neural implants, and of course, direct person-machine interfaces. There are also lots of advertisements in the sky.

The TTRPG is set in Cy, where Mörk Borg’s rules-light system emphasizes dungeon crawling and the very real possibility of character death. Moreover, hackers and modders will be able to keep only the parts of the grungy cyberpunk game that spark joy … and probably real ones as well.

In June, crowdfunded books will be shipped for books preordered through Cy_Borg’s pledge manager. Head over to Kickstarter to take a look and pledge!

COYOTE & CROW

Coyote & Crow is a milestone game for a few different reasons. This Nebula Award-nominated sci-fi and fantasy roleplaying game was conceptualized and developed by a Native team. Set in a First Nations alternate future, Coyote & Crow imagines a reality where European colonization never took place. In March 2021, Coyote & Crow became one of the most successful role-playing games to ever fund on Kickstarter, raising more than $1 million dollars.

Connor Alexander, the lead designer of Coyote & Crow, envisions a world set in the distant future. And, while the colonials of our history may never have set foot in the Americas, there has instead been an apocalypse of sorts that lies shrouded in mystery.

The story of Coyote & Crow is set sometime after this world-changing event when the surviving peoples of Cahokia have learned to adapt to harsh living conditions. Magic is featured in this game as well which I’m personally a fan of. I find too often, futuristic games rely heavily on tech so a heady dose of spell-wielding is refreshing. A majority of the game’s writers and designers were indigenous which undoubtedly leaves its mark on the game.

A fantasy unbound by our marked European history, Coyote & Crow recently raised nearly $1.07 million in crowdfunding after putting its digital book up on BackerLit. While the Kickstarter campaign is over (backers will receive their physical copies sometime in March), look for Coyote & Crow at your local gaming store sometime this Summer.

AVATAR LEGENDS: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME

Avatar: The Game was probably going to be popular, but not as popular as the nearly $10 million Magpie Games received in crowdfunding. The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra fans will be able to create their own elemental benders (including stand-ins for Sokka) in order to explore a world beautifully depicted in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.

Character stats are broken into 4 main sections: creativity, focus, harmony and passion. By investing character points into these (or choosing to not invest in others) players will find their characters are easy to play as their behaviours are closely linked to these stats.

This RPG looks to do its best to stay true to the original concept: the story of war and all its destruction told through the eyes of the youth. Five different time periods are available for groups to choose from, including the era of myths and legends and the state of modernity in Republic City.

You can choose to undertake serious adventures or enjoy the lighter fair as well. Visit Iroh’s tea shop! Go penguin sledding! You can still back this game! Magpie Games delayed ending their campaign until sometime in the Summer of 2022

Bladerunner RPG

In Blade Runner’s official role-playing game, players take on the role of Blade Runners with their own personalities, specialties, and memories.

Through the game’s core and expansions, players will be able to play an array of case types beyond retiring replicants and push the boundaries of investigative gameplay in tabletop RPGs. Through both its setting and mechanics, the Blade Runner RPG will explore key Blade Runner themes. You can expect the same moral and existenstial dilemma’s that characters in the movies find themselves facing. What is life? Questions about the meaning of relationships. 

The rules of Blade Runner use the same mechanics as the Alien RPG, Tales From the Loop, and Forbidden Lands, but are further customized to lend to the specific Blade Runner universe.
You can choose to play as a human or the newest, Nexus-9 Replicant. Player characters start out as members of the LAPD Rep-Detect Unit.

The year is 2037 (so very close) and the cases are piling up. So get to work!  

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