Idle Red Hands

The Finnish Foundation for Economic Education awarded a student, Aase Timonen, roughly $30,000 to fund her doctoral research into “transmedia worldbuilding in massive game franchises,” using the Warhammer franchise as her focus. Her research, conducted at the Game Research Lab at Tampere University, will examine how the broad spread of media (miniatures, novels, rules, etc.) has shaped Warhammer’s development, its shift toward competitive play, and its increasing canonicity. The classic 1984 Toon TTRPG is returning with a new 2nd Edition from Steve Jackson Games, slated for a Backerkit crowdfunding launch on December 17, 2025. Game designer Steve Jackson explains that the update, conceived at least four years prior, is being done because he likes the game and felt it was due. Key changes in the new edition include the simplification of character creation, the introduction of mnemonics, and a dramatic streamlining of the “Fall Down” mechanic to be based on missing three actions instead of three calendar minutes, eliminating clock-watching. The new edition will feature new art by Kyle Miller, all in color, and will be available in both hard and softcover. Draw Steel: Crack the Sun is a crowdfunder by MCDM Productions, which has successfully raised over $1.8 million. The campaign aims to determine the future of the Draw Steel product line and includes seven new products for 2026. These include Encounters, a 350-page third core rulebook filled with pre-made scenarios, NPCs, and skill tests; Between Sun and Shadow, a dedicated ancestry book adding eight new playable species like Goblins and Shadow Elves; and The Beastheart, a new class with four subclasses and fourteen animal companions. The main product is Crack the Sun, the first official epic campaign for Draw Steel, which is a mega-adventure in five acts for 3rd through 8th level heroes, along with three other new shorter adventures including the high-octane anti-hero adventure, The Condemned. The Temeraire RPG from Magpie Games is set to launch its crowdfunding campaign in “early 2026.” The role-playing game is based on Naomi Novik’s Temeraire alternate history fantasy series, which reimagines the Napoleonic Wars with an air force of sentient dragons and their human aviators. The game will focus on the dynamic between the dragon and its rider, incorporating elements of epic military battles, logistics, and supply lines, as well as “Regency era romance,” allowing players to take to the skies as both dragon and aviator while navigating the balance of duty and desire. The book series consists of nine novels, starting with His Majesty's Dragon. #warhammer #toonrpg #drawsteel #Temeraire Toon RPG Second Edition: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/steve-jackson-games/toon-the-cartoon-roleplaying-game Crack the Sun on Backerit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mcdm-productions/draw-steel-crack-the-sun Fallout RPG Sale: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ja/product/366742/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-core-rulebook-pdf?affiliate_id=2081746 Free Guild Ball Starter Set: https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Jeremy's Links: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ http://www.rcharvey.com ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

Evil Hat Productions has opened submissions for new role-playing games, with a primary focus on titles that utilize the Powered by the Apocalypse, Forged in the Dark, or Powered by Fate systems. They are specifically not publishing 5E material. The company is looking for complete or near-complete game manuscripts between 40,000 and 100,000 words that align with the Evil Hat product lines. They offer full publisher services, including editing, art direction, and public playtesting, and are seeking partners in marketing. Pitches should include a short game description, target audience, setting/tone details, mechanics, and development progress, and should be emailed to submissions@evilhat.com. Paizo has unveiled *Starfinder Galactic Ancestries*, an upcoming 224-page rulebook for *Starfinder Second Edition*, scheduled for release in April 2026 at an MSRP of $69.95. This expansion will introduce 21 brand new playable alien ancestries, such as the worlanisi, bantrid, and novian, alongside expanded options for existing Starfinder species like Vesk and Shirren. The book also provides Starfinder updates for classic fantasy ancestries including elves, gnomes, and goblins. Additionally, it features the Gap-touched versatile heritage and the xenometric android, allowing players to create robotic versions of any Starfinder alien or human. A new official Cyberpunk 2077 trading card game, titled *Cyberpunk TCG*, has been announced by CD Projekt Red and Weird Co. A hype trailer was released on December 9th, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of *Cyberpunk 2077*. The game will draw heavily on the aesthetics and characters of both *Cyberpunk 2077* and the *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* anime, featuring Legends like Jackie Welles and Judy Alvarez, as well as V and Johnny Silverhand. Developed by a team with experience on games like *Marvel Snap* and *Universus*, the TCG is designed to be accessible to new players while offering depth for enthusiasts, with a crowdfunding campaign slated for 2026. A massive month-long sale is currently running on DriveThruRPG for the *Fallout RPG* line from Modiphius. Customers can save 33% on nearly every title, including the 438-page Core Rulebook, which uses the 2d20 cinematic roleplaying system and draws lore primarily from the Bethesda video games, particularly *Fallout 4*. The sale is an opportunity to acquire core books and expansions, such as the *Gamemaster's Toolkit*, the *Winter of Atom* campaign, or the *Wanderer's Guide Book*. Free Quickstart rules are also available for newcomers. #evilhat #starfinder #cyberpunkTCG #falloutrpg Evil Hat Game Submissions: https://evilhat.com/game-submissions/ Fallout RPG Sale: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ja/product/366742/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-core-rulebook-pdf?affiliate_id=2081746 Free Guild Ball Starter Set: https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

Chaosium is releasing a premium collector’s set to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a games company (though one article notes Call of Cthulhu’s 50th is still a few years away). The set includes the Keeper Rulebook, Investigator Rulebook, and Keeper Screen Pack in a slipcase with new art by Ola Larsson. The contents are the same as current editions. It will retail for $139.99 Guild Ball is transitioning to a more digital, print-and-play format, with all existing official Guild Ball teams—including main Guilds like the Fishermen and Butchers, and Minor Guilds such as the Lumberjacks—now available as STL files on MyMiniFactory for 3D printing. These files are provided in both supported and unsupported versions, and players can also download a free Starter Set featuring the Brewers and Masons from the Steamforged Games website, where all the official Guild Ball Cards are also located. Arc Dream, publishers of Delta Green, has released playtesting rules for an upcoming The Black Company RPG, based on Glen Cook’s dark fantasy series. The game is a d100 system designed for “fast, suspenseful play” with a focus on soldier life, a streamlined player-facing interface, and “grit-forward” mechanics for Stress and Damage. Mongoose Publishing and World’s Largest RPGs are partnering to license a version of the venerable Traveller RPG using the D&D 5th Edition ruleset. This 5E version is an expansion, not a replacement for the current Mongoose edition. The project is massive, planned as 4-5 books collected into a 2,000-page slipcase edition, and aims to go beyond the existing universe to pave the way for new settings. Development will be led by longtime RPG designer Timothy Brown. It is expected to release in 2026. Modiphius Entertainment is producing a new line of Discworld tabletop games starting in 2026. Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork (a TTRPG) will have a retail core rulebook and a starter set in Q2 2026, following a successful crowdfunding campaign. Discworld: Readers Digested (a board game reskin of Blue Moon City) will launch via pre-order on Gamefound in Q1 2026. A card game called Kill Sam Vimes is planned for Q3 2026. A second RPG campaign, Discworld: Adventures in Lancre and Uberwald, is set for Q4 2026 #coc #guidlball #blackcompany #traveler5e #discworld Free Guild Ball Starter Set: https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

‘Ghost in the Shell Roleplaying Game’, a collaboration between Mana Project Studio and Don't Panic Games, is based on the Production I.G. anime and Shirow Masamune manga. It is currently in the final days of its Kickstarter campaign, which has raised over $418,000, with a trade release planned for 2027. The game is set at the dawn of Section 9’s birth, specifically the Arise timeline of 2027, and utilizes a heavily modified version of the Forged in the Dark system. Its unique mechanics center around two core skill branches, Ghost (soul and mind/social and hacking) and Shell (physical prowess/gunplay and CQC), which are used for Wired Actions with six-sided dice rolls. ‘Twilight Sword RPG by 2LM’ is an adventure role-playing game being crowdfunded on BackerKit by Two Little Mice and publisher Free League. Heavily inspired by classic video games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Ni No Kuni, the game is set in the world of Radia where heroes strive to bring back Hope against the scourge Vardas. The system, called Created at Twilight (CAT), is unique and d12-based, requiring players to roll under one of their eight abilities. It also incorporates a JRPG-style elemental system with a network of eight elements that interact, such as Fire beating Ice, and Thunder beating Water. The campaign has already surpassed $450,000 in its first day. ‘Daggerheart: Hope and Fear,’ the first major expansion for Critical Role's Daggerheart RPG, scheduled for release in Summer 2026. This expansion promises a substantial amount of new content, including four new classes: the Assassin, Brawler, Warlock, and Witch, each coming with two subclass options. It also provides an extensive GM's Toolkit with four new Campaign Frames, over 130 new Adversaries, and more than 100 new items. New mechanics include “transformations” like being cursed as a werewolf or vampire, and the expansion utilizes a new Dread Domain for Warlocks and Witches, alongside custom Fear tokens and a tracker for the GM. Also Black friday 2025 deals from Mantic, Exalted Funeral, DrivethruRPG and MyMiniFactory with links. #ghostintheshell #twilightsword #daggerheart #blackfriday Ghost in the Shell Quickstart: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/539123/ghost-in-the-shell-ttrpg-quickstart?affiliate_id=2081746 Twilight Sword – BackerKit https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/two-little-mice/twilight-sword Mantic Black Friday: https://www.manticgames.com/black-friday-2025/ Noble Knights Black Friday Sale: https://www.nobleknight.com/affiliate/aw.asp?B=3&A=1312& Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

Rebecca Heineman, a pioneering programmer and game designer, has passed away at age 62 from adenocarcinoma. Heralded as the ‘first-ever video game champion,’ she co-founded Interplay Productions (creators of Fallout and Wasteland) and later founded two more studios, Contraband Entertainment and Logicware. Heineman was also a trailblazer for transgender game developers, transitioning mid-career in 2003, and was honored with the Gayming Icon Award for her work and advocacy. Old School Essentials (OSE) will have a 2026 Update, which aims to streamline the core product line of the beloved old-school RPG. Necrotic Gnome is consolidating its five existing core products into two definitive, 256-page hardcovers: the OSE Player's Book and Referee's Book, based on the popular Advanced Fantasy ruleset. The new books will feature a new cover design, approximately 200 new illustrations, enhanced introductory material, a glossary and index, and minor rule tweaks and optional rules (like training and XP for magic items). Crucially, the update ensures 100% compatibility with older OSE books and makes the entire core game 100% OGL-Free for long-term legal safety. Both Fantasy Grounds and Alchemy VTT announced that their core platforms are now completely free to play. Fantasy Grounds removed its previous one-time license or recurring subscription barrier, allowing Game Masters and players to host and join unlimited games immediately. Its developer, SmiteWorks, also launched a beta for a web-based Fantasy Grounds Online Reader. Similarly, Alchemy VTT is now free with unlimited access to games, characters, game systems (“Universes”), and asset uploads, replacing its subscription with an optional “Alchemist” supporter model. The Last Call for Lankhmar Humble Bundle from Goodman Games. This bundle focuses on the Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) Lankhmar setting and includes the DCC Core Rulebook, the Lankhmar Campaign Setting, and a collection of 15 distinct adventures, such as “The Greatest Thieves in Lankhmar.” Available across several pricing tiers, including a physical tier, the bundle offers a massive amount of content for the sword-and-sorcery setting, with all purchases supporting the No Kid Hungry campaign. #konflikt47 #pirateborg #dtrpg #oneringrpg Lankhmar Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/4GbRaL Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

Warlord Games is releasing the Konflict’47: Introductory Set in November 2025, which includes two forces (12 U.S. Fireflies and 6 Axis Stahltruppen), scenery, a battlefield map, a 68-page Field Manual, and dice for $68.00. Free League Publishing is expanding the Pirate Borg RPG with Pirate Borg: Down Among the Dead, a 148-page hardcover expansion featuring new adventures, generators, and resources, releasing March 10, 2026, for $39.99. Limithron is releasing the Pirate Borg: Starter Set on the same date for $49.99, which contains a 60-page Player’s Guidebook, a deluxe adventure (“Trapped in the Tropics”), dice, tokens, cards, maps, and character sheets. Free League Publishing is also releasing two new Lord of the Rings TTRPG adventure books centered on Saruman: Hands of the White Wizard (for The One Ring TTRPG) and Trials of Saruman (for The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E). They share parallel content, set between 2965 and the War of the Ring. The One Ring TTRPG will also get Hobbit Tales, a compilation of five previously released Shire-set adventures, including iconic Hobbit characters. DriveThruRPG is launching a “Partner Shipping Program” (PSP), allowing tabletop creators to sell physical inventory like dice, books, and cards directly on the platform, alongside their digital and Print-on-Demand (POD) titles.The program is currently limited to partners shipping from the U.S. to customers in the U.S. Fulfillment logistics are handled by the creator or their chosen partner. #konflikt47 #pirateborg #dtrpg #oneringrpg DTRPG Partner Program: https://help.drivethrupartners.com/hc/en-us/articles/33322793014423-Partner-Shipping-Program-PSP Magpie Book Bundle: humblebundleinc.sjv.io/MAMj23 Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support us by Shopping at Miniature Market (afilliate link): https://miniature-market.sjv.io/K0yj7n Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ https://www.twitch.tv/abusecartoons ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

  Steamforged Games announced a significant price reduction (a $101/£74/€88 subsidy) for the Town Founder Pledge of the Terra Mystica Special Edition on Gamefound, lowering the price from $389 to $288, based on community feedback that the original price was too high for the full five-expansion bundle. The campaign is already highly funded. IDW Games […]

  We tell the spooky story of the failed attempt at a walled garden by WotC called Sigil. Project Sigil was a 3D Virtual Tabletop (VTT) developed by Wizards of the Coast, announced in August 2022 as part of the “One D&D” initiative and built using the Unreal Engine. It officially launched in late February […]

  Cubicle 7 is launching a new 5th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) in 2026, coinciding with the game's 40th anniversary. The new edition, described as an “evolution, not a revolution,” will retain the D100 system and focus on standardizing rules and streamlining peripheral subsystems while maintaining backward compatibility with 4th edition supplements. Dominic […]

  Wargames Atlantic's CEO, Hudson Adams, has revealed his true identity as Tony Reidy, a figure previously associated with two troubled miniature wargames companies, Wargames Factory and Defiance Games. Reidy founded Wargames Factory in 2007/8 with the goal of producing hard plastic figures faster and cheaper using an all-digital tooling process. However, the company faced […]

  Vast Grimm is a dying universe RPG that offers players a chance to explore. Creator Brian Colin has relaunched the game as a Kickstarter, “Vast Grimm – Escaping Stasis,” which expands the universe and refines the rules. Colin has taken full control of the game, allowing him to directly print and mail books to […]

  The Gygax Memorial Fund is launching a Kickstarter on October 1st, 2025, to raise $150,000 for a memorial game table in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, honoring Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons. The memorial will feature a bronze map of Gygax's first ever D&D dungeon level, scaled for use with miniatures. […]

  The Invincible RPG Kickstarter, based on the popular comic and animated series, has significantly exceeded its funding goal. It utilizes the Year Zero Engine, known for games like “Tales from the Loop” and “Blade Runner RPG,” aiming to blend superhero action with deep interpersonal relationships. Backers can get a core rulebook, a Starter Set, […]

  Prepare for an epic clash in the grimdark future! One Page Rules is launching an exciting new Grimdark Future: Broken Truth Two-Player Battle Box on Gamefound, featuring meticulously designed 28mm Sci-Fi plastic miniatures. This set will introduce two formidable factions: the reptilian Saurian Starhost and the relentless Robot Legions, each with their own unique […]

  Pinnacle Entertainment Group launched a Kickstarter campaign for Deadlands: Dark Ages, a new installment in the Deadlands saga set in 877 AD Britain. The campaign, which went live on September 9, 2025, quickly surpassed its initial goal, raising over 1500% and accumulating over $135,000 in pledges within the first day. This new release, utilizing […]

  Surreal art collective Meow Wolf is partnering with Exalted Funeral to create “Tavers: The Meow Wolf Roleplaying Game,” launching on Kickstarter in February 2025. Players will take on the role of “tavers” who can rip portals through reality to explore different worlds, encountering elements like immortal cybernetic hamsters and sentient pizza while solving five […]

  We look back out our 300 episodes of the Weekly and what we will do next with Matt, Chris and Jeremy (No! Not them. The ones we got!) Help us celebrate on Patreon! All free members can click the link below to get 3 free months as a Weekling to celebrate almost 6 years! […]

  Renegade Game Studios announces a “full scale” Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG based on Matt Dinniman's popular LitRPG series. The game will immerse players in the hilariously brutal world of Carl, featuring deadly traps, absurd loot, and relentless entertainment derived from the book series about a Coast Guard veteran and his ex-girlfriend's cat competing in […]

  Warframe is making its tabletop debut through a collaboration between Digital Extremes and Paizo, bringing the popular video game to the Starfinder Second Edition rules system. “Operation Orias” launches in October as a standalone adventure where players take on the roles of Tenno characters, facing off against iconic Warframe enemies like the Corpus and […]

  Free League Publishing's Dragonbane TTRPG is getting a new miniatures collection through a Kickstarter campaign by Titan Forge. The Northern Beasts miniatures sets will feature heroes and adversaries from the Dragonbane Core Set and Bestiary, with each set including original mini-adventures. The miniatures are noted for their high detail and quality, with the Demons […]

  CMON, already struggling financially with a $3 million loss last year, suffered another major setback when its Gamefound campaign for Degenesis: Clan Wars was cancelled due to a legal dispute with IP holder SixMoreVodka. The German design studio terminated its contract with CMON after what began as a collaborative relationship deteriorated into legal battles, […]

  Meta's first significant legal victory in a federal copyright case, where Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that the company did not violate copyright law when training its AI models on 13 authors' books without permission. While the judge acknowledged that AI training is “transformative” and constitutes fair use, he emphasized that this ruling was narrow […]

  Board game giant Asmodee reported a razor-thin profit of just $5.46 million for 2024-25, despite generating $1.59 billion in revenue. The company's financial troubles stem from massive debt obligations inherited from its former parent company Embracer Group. Asmodee paid out $107 million in financial expenses, primarily interest payments on a $1.06 billion bridging loan […]

  Critical Role Productions has made a significant power play by hiring Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, two of the most influential designers behind Dungeons & Dragons' 5th edition success. Both served as creative director and game director respectively at Wizards of the Coast for decades before departing in April 2025. Their recruitment to Critical […]

  CMON, already facing financial difficulties exacerbated by import tariffs, has sold its flagship Zombicide IP to Asmodee under the Guillotine Games label. This follows CMON's earlier sale of three other prominent board game lines (Blood Rage, Rising Sun, and ANKH: Gods of Egypt) to Tabletop Tycoon in May, along with staff layoffs and frozen […]

  Free League Publishing has launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for two new supplements to their award-winning Dragonbane fantasy RPG. The campaign features “Arkand: City of Waves and Flames,” which introduces players to a seaside city setting with over a dozen adventure sites, complete with a full-color map. The second supplement, “Book of Magic,” adds […]

  Catalyst Game Labs announced $5 increases on Forcepacks and Box Sets, and $1 increases on Salvage Box products due to tariffs. They paid $240,000 in unexpected import taxes in March, with a 30% tariff requiring 10% MSRP increases. RPG sourcebooks remain unaffected due to a 2024 U.S. Customs ruling classifying RPG books as “books” […]

  Wizkids recently released pre-painted miniatures of the Baldur's Gate 3 characters in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, and the results were catastrophically poor. The miniatures featured severely distorted faces, misplaced features, and in some cases missing parts entirely (one customer reportedly received a headless Shadowheart). The quality was so abysmal that Wizkids issued […]

  Audio from all sessions of our Outgunned: Indy Heat 1985 actual play Matt is the Director and Jeremy, Will and Terry are the players. The setting is an 80s buddy cop movie set in Indianapolis circa 1985. #outgunnedrpg #actualplay #80smovies #buddycop From the website: Outgunned is a cinematic action rpg inspired by the classics […]

  The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce their additional tariffs on each other's imports. China will cut its extra levies on American goods from 125% to 10%, while the US will reduce its additional tariffs on Chinese products from 145% to 30%. Some of these reduced tariffs will be suspended […]

  Denver-based game creator Luke Stratton, a former concert lighting designer, developed a pirate-themed tabletop RPG called “Pirate Borg” during the pandemic. However, his business is now facing significant challenges due to new import tariffs that have more than doubled the cost of manufacturing game components in China from $50,000 to $125,000. With limited alternatives, […]

  The Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Stonemaier Games and other small business plaintiffs challenging the legality of recently applied tariffs on Chinese imports. The lawsuit, detailed in an April 30, 2025 article, argues that President Biden's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose these tariffs […]

  Stonemaier Games, a major US-based tabletop game publisher known for hits like Wingspan and Scythe, has joined a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump in response to new US tariffs on Chinese imports. These tariffs, which have soared to 145%, are dramatically impacting the board game industry, which heavily relies on Chinese manufacturing. Stonemaier's […]

  Jeremy Crawford, long-time Game Director for Dungeons & Dragons, is officially stepping down from Wizards of the Coast later this month, joining fellow veteran Chris Perkins, who recently departed as Creative Director. Both Crawford and Perkins have been instrumental in shaping the game's highly successful Fifth Edition and have served as the public faces […]

  Wizards of the Coast has officially shut down its long-anticipated Sigil Virtual Tabletop (VTT), a project that consumed years of development and significant funding. With the closure came massive layoffs, and Sigil has now been relegated to a minor feature for D&D Beyond subscribers. Despite this, Wizards released the “Unclaimed Treasure Pack” containing two […]

  Paul Sawyer, a co-founder of Warlord Games and a prominent figure in the wargaming community, passed away on March 27, 2025, after a long battle with brain cancer. His passing was announced by both his family and Warlord Games, who expressed their deep sorrow and appreciation for his contributions. Sawyer was described as a […]

  Catalyst Game Labs has announced BattleTech: Gothic, a standalone, themed-box expansion for the long-running BattleTech tabletop game. Departing from its traditional sci-fi roots, this new installment introduces a grimdark setting reminiscent of Warhammer 40,000, featuring biomechanical monsters known as “Abominations” and heavily ornamented mechs. This release is the first in the BattleTech Continuum, an […]

  Wizards of the Coast's virtual tabletop project, Sigil, appears to be in trouble after mass layoffs eliminated 90% of its development team shortly after launch. Originally announced as part of the One D&D initiative in 2022, Sigil was intended to integrate with D&D Beyond and provide a high-end 3D alternative to existing VTTs like […]

  Dungeons & Dragons' new virtual tabletop platform, Sigil, has launched with high expectations but demonstrates significant shortcomings, feeling incomplete and more akin to a pre-alpha version than a polished product. While it boasts aesthetically pleasing 3D graphics and ties to D&D Beyond for character integration, the app struggles with functionality, lacking essential features for […]

  Ernie Gygax Jr., son of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, passed away recently after struggling with health issues, as confirmed by his brother Luke. He played a pivotal role in shaping early D&D by participating in its playtesting and contributing to the game's mechanics. Notably, he introduced the character Tenser, a wizard whose […]

  Free League and Skybound have announced Invincible – Superhero Roleplaying, a tabletop RPG based on Robert Kirkman's Invincible comic series, which has been adapted into a Prime Video animated show. The game, set to launch on Kickstarter later this year, will feature a Core Rulebook and Starter Set with illustrations by original artists Cory […]

  Fallen London: The Roleplaying Game is an officially licensed tabletop RPG set in the eerie, gothic world of Fallen London, a subterranean Victorian city filled with intrigue, immortality, and eldritch horrors. Developed by Magpie Games using the Ædana System, the game allows players to create unique characters and form a “concern”—a group bound by […]

  Blades '68 is an official supplement for Blades in the Dark by Tim Denee and Evil Hat Productions, moving the setting forward 100 years into the turbulent 1960s. Set in Doskvol after the end of Unity War III, the world is now shaped by electroplasmic fusion and the so-called Age of Consensus, marked by […]

  Green Ronin Publishing is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 with a yearlong series of special events, sales, and reflections on its history. Founder Chris Pramas entered the RPG industry as a freelancer in 1993 and worked on various RPGs before joining Wizards of the Coast in 1998. After spending time writing for Advanced […]

  Games Workshop has unveiled a new teaser trailer for Astartes II, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Astartes animation. While the teaser doesn't showcase actual footage from the upcoming project, it hints at the backstories of key characters and sets the tone for a grimdark narrative deeply rooted in Warhammer 40,000 lore. Syama, the […]

  The upcoming release of “The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship”, a cooperative tabletop game by Matt Leacock and Z-Man Games, brings the world of Middle-earth to life this June. Players will work together as heroes to protect Middle-earth's havens from advancing enemies while helping Frodo evade the Nazgûl on his journey […]

  The Batman: Gotham City Chronicles – The Roleplaying Game has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound, featuring 127 miniatures, books, tile maps, dice, and other materials to immerse players in the Batman universe. Following Monolith Boardgames' earlier successful campaigns, this new project includes the “Skyline Edition” pledge for RPG content and a “Sidekick” option […]

  Hasbro has partnered with digital gambling firm Games Global to develop online slot games featuring the Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) brand. The first game in this collaboration, Dungeons and Dragons Tales of Riches, will be created by Neon Valley Studios and is set to release in the first quarter of 2025. The game aims […]

  Matt and Jeremy talk about their best and worst of 2024! ACTUAL PLAY GAMES OF 2024 ALIEN RPG Destroyer of Worlds ALIEN RPG Chariot of the Gods Outgunned: Indy Heat 1985  Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkins  Outgunned Adventure RPG (Dune break) Dune 2d20 RPG (16 sessions) Blade Runner RPG – Case File 02 Fiery Angels […]

  The UK government's proposal to reform copyright laws to accommodate artificial intelligence companies has sparked significant controversy. The suggested opt-out system allows AI firms to use copyrighted material for training unless creators explicitly request otherwise, raising concerns about undermining intellectual property rights. Critics, including creators and industry leaders, argue that this system unfairly burdens […]

  PAX Unplugged has solidified its position as the second-largest tabletop gaming convention in the U.S., boasting its largest post-pandemic event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Its prime location near major metropolitan areas like New York City and Washington, D.C., gives it a significant advantage, drawing attendees and exhibitors alike. While specific attendance […]