Pirate Borg provides a supernatural and haunted nautical setting set in a reimagined eighteenth-century Caribbean. All that is needed is a dedicated and imaginative gamemaster ready to take a band of player characters pirates through a ship-borne campaign of sword fights, skullduggery, and piracy.

Pirate Borg, the Pirate Borg starter set, and Down Among the Dead are meant to be played at the table. The writing, production quality, and usability are extremely high. Free League was kind enough to send me review copies to aid in my ongoing coverage of their extremely well-made and GM-friendly RPGs.

Several Pirate Borg supplements enhance the main rulebook. Options include the supplement Down Among the Dead, a boxed starter set, GM screen, adventures, maps, dice, tokens, coins, and even a cassette tape are available. Every product is carefully made and wonderfully illustrated in regards to the print products. Everything is also designed to be used at the table and help a GM craft an adventure and present a dangerous, lawless world of ships, muskets, undead, and Lovecraftian horrors.

Where to Start: Starter Set

For a time-strapped GM, the starter set offers character creation and the game play rules along with everything needed to kick off a campaign and start world building. If all goes well, the GM can add the core rulebook to get monsters, NPCs, locations, and another adventure.

In addition to a Player’s Guidebook with character creation and the rules and the adventure, Trapped in the Tropics, the starter set has six laminated character creation sheets with 2 dry-erase markers, dice, maps, tokens, and rule recaps inside the box lids. The page numbers in the Player’s Guidebook match the corresponding pages in the Pirate Borg core rulebook, which is handy and an excellent design choice.

Trapped in the Tropics is designed to teach both the GM and the players the rules. The GM also gets advice on tone and style as well as game modes such as using a battlemap or theater of the mind and wilderness exploration via pointcrawl or hexcrawl. This boxed set adventure is set in the default setting of the Dark Caribbean, so the GM can start world building right away. It takes place on Eel Island, north of St. Martin, located far to the east in the Dark Caribbean.

Trapped in the Tropics is filled with interesting locations like a ship hanging from vines in the jungle, a city crawl, and conflict near an active volcano. The PCs also have the chance to acquire their first ship. An excellent first adventure to kick off a campaign.

The set includes a poster map of the Dark Caribbean, a battlemap of the ship hanging in the trees, and two ship battlemaps. All of these excellent maps will really help players take in the world and visualize it.

Pirate Borg: The Curse at Skeleton Point

The adventure in the core rulebook for Pirate Borg, The Curse at Skeleton Point, is a sandbox setting including a dungeon. It is much more open-ended than Trapped in the Tropics and will require careful reading and prep time to get the adventure ready. The PCs face off against dangerous undead and make both allies and enemies as they decide what to do, if anything, about a missing woman.

The adventure takes place on Black Coral Bay, north of Cuba. It will take a bit of sailing for the pirate PCs to travel from Eel Island to Black Coral Bay. A GM can use some of the included world lore and random tables to build some encounters and bring the Dark Caribbean to life along the journey. The supplement Down Among the Dead has additional random tables that would also be useful in filling out this nautical journey.

Down Among the Dead

A GM armed with both the Pirate Borg starter set and the Pirate Borg rulebook is ready for months of his or her PCs exploring the Dark Caribbean. An excellent supplement would enhance that campaign and help it take on a life of its own quite nicely.

Down Among the Dead is a rulebook that includes three new classes, three adventures, and additional rules and options. The adventures each have uniquely colored pages, making each one easy to find in the book. Down Among the Dead provides excellent support for a Dark Caribbean world building GM. There are tables for building islands and coral reefs, along with lots of new optional rules.

Lost to the Locker

It also includes an entirely new location and adventure called The Locker where the drowned and the shipwrecked may wash up in. It also introduces an interesting new NPC, Charon the ferryman for PCs to deal with as they try to return to the land of the living. The Great Old One Dagon has an obelisk here, perhaps of interest to a PC Deep One.

Yes, PCs have the option to play a Deep One, a Lovecraftian deep sea fish humanoid. The class brings a whole new culture into the game, access to underwater adventures, and a new type of spellcasting. This class pairs well with the excellent poster map adventure, The Sinking of C’Thagn.

PCs who escape the Locker may multi-class into the new class, the Undead Soul, at a cost. They then return to the world they knew, forever marked by their descent into the Locker.

Venom in the Veins

This snake and trap-filled dungeon crawl set in the Dark Yucatan is filled with a new serpent-based culture, complete with dark forbidden knowledge. The French assassin’s guild, The Endgame Society, is also exploring the shrine. If a PC is playing the Indiana Jones-like new class, the Antiquarian, that PC could start with a partially accurate treasure map to the Slithering One shrine. If one of the PC pirates is marked for death, so much the better, at least from the Endgame Society’s point of view!

Into the Maelstrom

Into the Maelstrom takes the classic vampire hunt out of the castle and onto a massive warship crewed by Deep One vampires. The adventure is set in the east in the Dead Islands (once called the Virgin Islands). Recommended for PC pirates with a bit of experience and not afraid to face death (and perhaps come back in the class, the Haunted Soul).

This adventure is customizable and offers plenty of world building options for a GM wanting to explore his or her own version of the Dark Caribbean. It is also tied to the included in-game world poker game called the Three-Eyed Parrot. An excellent map of the Maelstrom is included along with a card reading to kick things off.

Next Steps

Pirate Borg has smaller adventures available as well. Coupled with the random table and world lore included in Pirate Borg, the starter set, and Down Among the Dead, a GM will be able to create a unique version of the Dark Caribbean and see his or her pirate PCs swashbuckling and pirating their way through harrowing and exciting nautical adventures. Time to raise the skull and crossbones and set sail to explore the Dark Caribbean of Pirate Borg!

Picture credit: Nature Landscape Clouds.

Organisers of the UK Games Expo (UKGE) have revealed the Judges’ Awards shortlist for 2026, marking a major milestone as the convention celebrates its 20th anniversary. Returning to the NEC Birmingham and the adjacent Hilton Hotel from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May, the event will see thousands of attendees gathering to test the nominated titles. Crucially, securing a Judges’ Award victory is the only path to the public-voted People’s Choice Awards, raising the stakes significantly for tabletop publishers.

Earning a spot on the shortlist requires passing a rigorous evaluation by a national panel of judges who assess mechanics, accessibility, and production quality across hundreds of entries.

The final Judges’ Choice Awards will be announced on Tuesday, 12 May, on the Expo’s social channels. Here are the tabletop roleplaying games leading the charge, followed by the complete shortlist across all categories.

Roleplaying Games Shortlist

Best Roleplaying Game

• Tales of the Old West (Effekt Publishing Ltd)
• The Laundry Roleplaying Game (Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd)
• Totem – The Spirits’ RPG (Officina Meningi)

Best Roleplaying Game Adventure

• Call of Cthulhu: The Sutra of Pale Leaves – Twin Suns Rising (Chaosium Inc)
• TERMINUS (Patchwork Fez Games)
• Vaesen RPG – Mythic Carpathia (Free League Publishing)

Best Roleplaying Game Expansion

• Mausoleum (Crow & Crown)
• Ryokos Guide to the Yokai Realms (Loot Tavern Publishing)
• The Field Guide to Floral Dragons Box Set (Hit Point Press)

Board and Strategy Games Shortlist

Best Boardgame (American-Style)

• Battle of Hoth (Days of Wonder)
• Camping Season (SweaterBear Games)
• Kryptothera The Cryptid Pursuit (NoctiLux Games)

Best Boardgame (Euro-Style)

• Ada’s Dream (Alley Cat Games)
• Ayar: Children of the Sun (Osprey Games)
• Luthier: The Art of the Instrument (Deluxe) (Paverson Games)

Best Boardgame (Strategic)

• Epochs: Course of Cultures (Ice Makes Limited)
• World Order (Hegemonic Project Games)
• Zenith (Play Punk)

Best Card Game (General)

• Duel for Cardia (Hans im Gluck)
• FlipToons (Thunderworks Games)
• Otter (Charming Games)

Best Card Game (Strategic)

• Age of Galaxy (Second Edition) (Portal Games)
• Citizens of the Spark (Thunderworks Games)
• Pondscape (Pink Troubadour)

Best Story, Legacy or Adventure Game

• Cozy Stickerville (Unexpected Games)
• The Cats of Mont Saint Michel (RAYBOX Games)
• Vantage (Stonemaier)

Miniatures and Wargaming Shortlist

Best Miniatures Range

• ArcWorlde: Gremlins! (Warp Miniatures)
• Dystopian Wars: Dominion of the Dragon – Two Player Starter Set (Warcradle Studios)
• Frostgrave: Cultists III (North Star Military Figures / Osprey Games)

Best Miniatures Rules

• Hope is for the dead (Wird Designs)
• Kings of war 4th Edition (Mantic Games)
• Warmachine Core Book (Steamforged Games Ltd)

Best Accessory

• TTCombat Midwinter Minis Paint Set Bundle (TTCombat)
• Terrain Crate: Fantasy Battlefield terrain Pack (Mantic Games)
• Venetian Quarter (Chroma) (TTCombat)

Family, Party, and Abstract Shortlist

Best Abstract Game

• Ink (Final Score Games)
• Locus (Tuckers Fun Factory)
• Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics (Genie Games)

Best Children’s Game

• Flippin’ Dinosaurs (Heartborn Studios)
• Hero Slam (Laurence King Publishing)
• Splendor Kids (Space Cowboys)

Best Family Game

• Magical Athlete (CMYK)
• Sanibel (Avalon Hill)
• Twinkle Twinkle (Allplay)

Best Party Game

• Outliars (Confident Games)
• QORK (The Op Games)
• SHUG (Wandering Games)

Best Dice Game

• Crits & Tricks (Inside Up Games)
• Las Vegas (Ravensburger, Alea)
• Moonshine (Blam!)

Best Gaming Novelty

• Bake Your Own Gingerbread Dungeon (Stone Fable)
• MicroMacro Jigsaw: The Home Game (Edition Spielwiese)
• Worms the gift Calendar game (Mantic Games)

Best Variant

• Disney Villainous Treacherous Tides (Ravensburger)
• Driving Me Crazy! Route 66 Edition (Simplexity Games)
• Unmatched: The Witcher – Steel & Silver (Iello)

Best Expansion

• Distilled: Cocktails (Paverson Games)
• In the Footsteps of Darwin: Correspondence (Sorry We Are French)
• Loki’s Mischief expansion for Viking Raiders (Neowulf Games ApS)

Goodman Games has announced a formal licensing agreement to produce official tabletop roleplaying material based on Michael Moorcock’s seminal Elric of Melniboné series. The project, titled The Classic Era of Elric, is scheduled to debut via a crowdfunding campaign in 2027, promising a comprehensive suite of sourcebooks, adventures, and maps.

The upcoming line focuses on the original six books of the saga, aiming to bring the doomed albino emperor and the soul-eating blade, Stormbringer, to modern gaming tables. Crucially, the publisher has confirmed that all forthcoming material will be designed for dual compatibility, serving both the Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) system and the Fifth Edition (5E) framework.

The decision to develop for two vastly different mechanical ecosystems presents a significant design challenge. Dungeon Crawl Classics, known for its high-lethality, “gonzo” aesthetic, and unpredictable magic system, aligns closely with the dark, chaotic nature of the Young Kingdoms. In contrast, Fifth Edition typically features a more regulated power curve and heroic resilience. Reconciling Elric, a character who is physically frail yet wields world-shattering, often backfiring, sorcery, requires a delicate touch to prevent the “superhero” tropes of 5E from diluting the grim sword and sorcery atmosphere that Michael Moorcock pioneered.

The project arrives during a period of sustained growth for Goodman Games, a publisher that has carved a niche by revitalising “Appendix N” literature for contemporary audiences. Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the studio has previously managed successful adaptations of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth and Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar. By anchoring the new release in the “Classic Era,” the team appears to be prioritising the raw, influential narrative of the original 1960s and 70s publications.

While the crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit is still over a year away, it has already garnered significant interest, with over 1,100 followers signed up for updates. The long lead time suggests that Goodman Games is engaged in an extensive development cycle to ensure the dual-system mechanics feel native to both audiences. Retail distribution is expected to follow the completion of the 2027 campaign, bringing the Melnibonéan mythos back to local game stores worldwide.

Goodman Games said in a statement;

Goodman Games is thrilled to announce a licensing agreement to publish official tabletop roleplaying material based on Elric of Melniboné, the iconic sword & sorcery character and setting created by legendary author Michael Moorcock.”

Quick Links

• Backerkit: Elric TTRPG

Boss Jellybean, the creative studio led by Jenel Lawson, has successfully surpassed its funding goal for Safe Mode: Disabled, a narrative-driven roleplaying game currently funding on Kickstarter. Based in Concord, North Carolina, Lawson has designed a system using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine to explore the psychological friction between our physical lives and the digital personas we inhabit. The campaign, which remains open until 5 June 2026, coincides with a period of heightened interest in “isekai” anime, in which characters are transported into fictional or virtual worlds.

The project addresses the evolving relationship between gamers and their online identities, a theme increasingly relevant as virtual tabletop platforms and digital social spaces become central to the hobby. By focusing on the tension between “real” and “virtual” selves, the game provides a structured framework for exploring identity, connection, and the emotional weight of escapism.

Mechanics of Digital Duality

The core of Safe Mode: Disabled is its dual-playbook system. Every player maintains two distinct sheets: an IRL Archetype and an Avatar Role. The IRL Archetype represents the character’s social and emotional foundation in the real world, such as a perfectionist streamer or a lonely individual seeking visibility. In contrast, the Avatar Role dictates their capabilities within the game world, often acting as a mirror or a transformative version of their physical self.

This duality is reinforced by asymmetrical relationship mechanics. Unlike many roleplaying games where bonds are mutual, this system allows for one-sided dynamics. A player may feel “Protective” toward an ally who views the relationship as “Competitive” or “Broken.” These mechanics are designed to mimic the complex, often messy social interactions found in modern online communities, where digital masks can complicate genuine connection.

Mirrored Settings and Corrupted Code

The narrative unfolds across “Paired Settings,” where a mundane reality is intrinsically linked to a virtual realm. The core rulebook includes eight to twelve of these worlds, produced in collaboration with several tabletop authors.

Safe Mode: Disabled is designed for fans of collaborative storytelling who want an easy to pick up and play system that explores the fragile boundaries between reality and fantasy.”

Current settings include Utopia/Corefall, where a pastel-perfect reality hides emotional decay while its digital counterpart collapses under corrupted code. Other environments include Hollow Earth / Revenant Network by Jayden King, a cosmic-horror survival setting, and Bravo / Zeta by Dennis Fleming, which explores a corporate dystopia where augmented-reality stakes have lethal real-world consequences. For those wishing to create their own worlds, the book provides a customisable framework for building settings around themes such as Surveillance versus Freedom or Decay versus Growth.

Reward Tiers and Specialist Bundles

The campaign offers a wide range of entry points, from digital-only access to high-value physical bundles. While the standard digital and physical editions provide the core rules, the premium tiers offer unique opportunities for deeper involvement. The Ultimate Deluxe Special Edition includes custom 24mm chonky resin dice by Maise Designs, featuring three distinct colourways: Pastel Utopia, Neon Corefall, and Cross-Dimensional. The most exclusive tiers allow backers to participate in a private online session led by Lawson, or even to have their own character concept professionally illustrated and immortalised in the core rulebook.

• Pledge $20 (approx. £15): PDF. A digital version of the core rulebook and all digital stretch goals.
• Pledge $39 (approx. £29): Digital Bundle. Includes the PDF, Roll20 VTT support, digital journals, and digital class cards.
• Pledge $49 (approx. £37): Hardcover + PDF. A physical copy of the core rulebook and the digital version.
• Pledge $139 (approx. £103): Home Game Bundle. Includes the hardcover, physical class cards, three player journals, and a sticker set.
• Pledge $239 (approx. £177): Ultimate Deluxe Special Edition Bundle. A deluxe hardcover with a limited edition dust jacket, sprayed edges, and custom 24mm resin dice.
• Pledge $280 (approx. £207): Ultimate Deluxe + Game With Creator. All deluxe physical rewards plus an online session with Jenel Lawson.
• Pledge $445 (approx. £329): Illustrated Character Tier. All deluxe rewards plus a custom character illustration featured in the book.

The Safe Mode: Disabled campaign is an all-or-nothing project, meaning it will only be funded if it reaches its goal by the deadline on Friday, 5 June 2026. Physical products are currently estimated to begin shipping in April 2027, with digital rewards expected to arrive earlier.

Quick Link

• Back Safe Mode: Disabled on Kickstarter

dScryb, the Toronto-based publisher of descriptive boxed text, has launched an experimental multimodal smart search engine designed to improve how gamemasters navigate its extensive library of human-authored content. Developed in collaboration with Andrew Zhu, a PhD researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, the system moves away from traditional keyword matching in favour of semantic search, which identifies results based on meaning, mood, and context.

The new engine, currently live within the Opus web application, utilises a Joint Embedding Space to convert text, audio, and visual media into mathematical vectors. This makes life easier for people; for example, a search for the term “jittery” can now successfully surface audio files such as “Mineshaft Elevator” or “Eldritch Combat,” even if those files do not contain the word “jittery” in their metadata. Unlike generative AI models that create synthetic assets, this implementation uses machine learning to index and retrieve dScryb’s catalogue of over 16,000 human-written scenes and 8,400 sound files.

Andrew Zhu, known in the roleplaying games industry as the lead developer of the Avrae Discord bot, brings significant expertise in Natural Language Processing to the project. His involvement signals a continued focus on integrating complex computational research into practical tabletop tools. While the search is experimental and currently undergoing A/B testing, dScryb has maintained a “legacy search” toggle to ensure users can still access the library through traditional methods during the refinement period.

The search upgrade is intended to alleviate the pain of fruitless, frustrating scrolling often associated with massive digital libraries. By allowing gamemasters to use natural language to find a specific atmosphere rather than exact titles, the tool aims to reduce the time spent in menus during active play sessions. dScryb has indicated that while the search is currently limited to Opus, it is expected to roll out across the wider site in the coming months.

The developers are currently soliciting user feedback via “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” interactions to refine the relevance of the results as development continues.

Quick Links

• dScryb

The television history of The Walking Dead is being sliced, preserved, and encased in Lucite acrylic for a new crowdfunding campaign launching today. AMC Global Media has officially partnered with Fairfax, Virginia-based Mini Museum to release a limited-edition, 32-specimen collection of authenticated screen-used props, costumes, and set pieces from the long-running zombie survival programme.

Running on Kickstarter until 4 June 2026, the campaign seeks to democratise high-end prop collecting, a hobby traditionally restricted to private auctions. For a primary pledge tier of $499, fans secure a numbered display containing tangible fragments of the show’s 11-season run. The production run is strictly limited to 5,000 units worldwide.

The curated selection reads like a forensic audit of the show’s most memorable and brutal moments. Embedded within the clear acrylic are fragments of Rick Grimes’ stunt cowboy boots, a slice of Michonne’s katana, and soil from the clearing where the Saviours lined up Rick’s group. Fans will also find pieces of Negan‘s infamous baseball bat, “Lucille”, and a cross-section of a crossbow bolt used in the transatlantic spin-off series, Daryl Dixon. Notably, the “Walker Blood” specimen is not merely red paint; it is the official formula mixed explicitly for this project by legendary special effects artist Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX Group.

For UK collectors and our local readership, bringing the apocalypse home carries a steep logistical premium. Backers in the UK face a $25 flat shipping rate, compounded by an estimated 30% in duties and taxes upon arrival. Furthermore, direct shipping is entirely blocked for several territories, including Brazil, India, Iran, Russia, and South Africa, forcing fans in those regions to rely on third-party freight forwarding. But! It’s still tempting, right? A once in a (un)life time!

To understand the immense logistical and technical challenges of archiving a pop-culture juggernaut, Geek Native spoke directly with the team at Mini Museum.

The Launch & Logistics

We are fascinated by the sheer scale of this collaboration! How did the initial conversations with AMC materialise, and what unique logistical hurdles did you face when securing 32 distinct, screen-used props from such a heavily guarded network archive?

AMC contacted us directly to explore the possibility of sharing production-used objects with fans in a more accessible format. They loved the way we’ve connected collectors and enthusiasts with science and history, and the deep respect we have for the tiniest details (sometimes literally tiny!). So, it was really about becoming partners in exploring the rich history of this important franchise. Access to the archives came as part of that partnership. In fact, AMC has selected all of the objects in the collection!

Mini Museum has a wonderful legacy with historical and scientific artefacts. In what way does bringing licensed television props into the fold represent a new era for you, and why was The Walking Dead the perfect universe for this exciting first step?

That’s very kind of you to say. We really love what we do. We see our partnership with The Walking Dead and AMC as an extension of the work we are already doing in sharing stories of human history. The key difference here is working together closely with the source. Typically, we’re exploring as outsiders ourselves.

This is different and incredibly enriching, but it’s also a natural fit for us in many ways. The Walking Dead is a show that deals with far more than just the surface-level events. It’s about human connections and struggles. It’s about questioning and finding your place in the universe when everything seems so chaotic. This is very similar to the way we explore many topics across human history, space, and time.

The Science of Preservation

The fandom for this show is famously passionate and eagle-eyed. When dealing with legendary items like Michonne’s katana or Rick Grimes’s boots, how do you trace and document the provenance to ensure absolute authenticity for such a dedicated collector base?

Incredible question and central to what we do. Provenance isn’t just a word for us, it’s a promise. The nature of our work changes every object that we touch. So, when we put our name on the certificate it’s because we’re guaranteeing the object is the same. As items come into our workshop, they are carefully photographed for archival purposes. Every angle and detail is captured. We also take physical measurements of all sorts. As we prepare items for inclusion, we continue that process. In fact, we’ll be sharing those details on the campaign page as well as the project progresses. From our perspective, every object in our collection is precious and the same thing goes for the items AMC has entrusted to our care.

Our goal is always to love and respect these objects in the same way that fans might revere them, but also to take it a step further, since stewardship of the collection is temporary. Ultimately, each object will go to homes around the world and be kept as cherished possessions for decades and generations to come. That might seem a little intense, but that’s how we approach each and every object.

Working with everything from aged leather to wood and metal must be a fascinating scientific puzzle. What specific engineering or chemical challenges arise when embedding such varied materials into hand-cast Lucite, and how do you ensure the longevity of these remarkable specimens?

Oh my! This is so true. A Mini Museum isn’t a single project. It’s actually dozens of projects all wrapped up in one. Each object has its own unique challenges, and no two pieces are alike, no matter how many common traits they share. Metals may have gone through different treatments or might be composed of unique alloys. Garments often seem simple, but their construction and materials vary so widely.

There’s constant testing to make sure these items will survive the intense heat and pressure of acrylic embedment. Then there’s the actual design and preparation of each object. A lot of math goes into that step, along with artistic choices about shapes and colors. I think people would be surprised to learn about the technology we use, too. We employ all sorts of things, like aerospace-grade adhesives and truly cutting-edge techniques to preserve as much material as possible while protecting it for display.

Eleven seasons of incredible television lore is a staggering amount of ground to cover! How did you formulate the criteria to whittle the sprawling, blood-soaked history of the programme down to just 32 defining objects?

In this case, we were incredibly lucky to work with The Walking Dead production team. They selected an incredible range of objects, but they were also open to additional items as well when we presented our own views. We ended up with a list of 32 items that touched on each season of the show. With a series like The Walking Dead, we knew it would be critical to include something from everyone’s favorite character and story moment. Truly a great collaboration.

On our end, we rewatched the entire series and compiled detailed notes as we’ll be writing a companion guidebook to go along with the collection. This helped us identify gaps in “the grid,” which is what we call the layout of the museum.

Fandom & The Industry

Geek culture frequently navigates the tension between affordable entry points and hyper-exclusive premium merchandise. With a limited run of 5,000 units, where do you see this project sitting within the current economic landscape of fandom, and how does it help democratise high-end collecting?

Many of us here at Mini Museum worked at ThinkGeek back in the day, so we’re very sensitive to this balance. You have to have big statement pieces, but you also have to have other objects that are accessible to every fan. This is a big part of what we do at Mini Museum, and really core to who we are. In addition to the acrylic collections, we will also have single objects available at different price points. There’s really going to be something for every fan of the show.

It must be quite surreal to carefully dismantle a piece of television history like Lucille! How do you balance the inherently destructive nature of fragmenting a screen-used prop with your foundational, archival desire to preserve it?

It absolutely is. We often talk about how expansive your perspective feels when working on these objects. Imagine for a moment, that you are holding a piece of another planet in your hand. Then imagine spending weeks looking at it under a microscope, thinking about its history. Think about what it might feel Iike to know that all that careful work is in service to sharing this object and experience with thousands of people around the world. That is really what it’s like to work at Mini Museum.

With the objects from The Walking Dead the feeling is very much the same. Holding Lucille and knowing you’re going to share it with fans around the world is a humbling experience. We can also do this in large part because it is not the only one. Every production has multiples of key assets. It isn’t infinite, mind you, but you’re not dealing with one of one. That’s a big part of why Mini Museum’s mission works. We share authentic, precious objects that only a few people can afford to own while also doing our level best to do so responsibly.

Kickstarter is increasingly home to massive intellectual properties. As a passionate boutique creator, how do you ensure a campaign like this stands out on the exquisite physical merits of the Mini Museum rather than just relying on the power of the AMC brand?

This is a pretty interesting challenge. We’ve been around since 2014, and in our little world we sometimes forget that there are lots of people who don’t know who we are or even what a Mini Museum actually is. When working with larger brands and concepts, we often spend time explaining who we are and what we do. But one thing we have is a passionate community of our own and we know that they’ll also come and provide support. That kind of shared passion is contagious and so I think it helps us enormously. What we do is real, and it has been for more than a decade. Plus, they look really cool. :D

Pledge Tiers & Availability

If you are looking to secure your own piece of the undead apocalypse, the campaign offers several entry points ranging from standalone objects to the comprehensive display:

• $19 (Sheriff’s Deputy): A single fragment from Rick Grimes‘ boots mounted on an authenticated collector card.
• $39 (Walker): A stainless steel vial pendant filled with the Walker Blood formula.
• $89 (Warrior): A glass-topped display case housing a katana slice and a fragment of Michonne‘s glove.
• $499 (Featured Mini Museum): The complete 32-specimen acrylic display, companion guidebook, and certificate of authenticity.
• $539 (TWDMM + Display Stand): The full 32-item museum paired with a custom LED display stand.
• $799 (Survivor’s Stash): An all-in pledge that bundles everything offered in the campaign at an exclusive discount.

The Human Connection

At Geek Native, we talk endlessly about immersion in tabletop roleplaying games, specifically how tactile objects ground players in a fictional world. How do you believe owning a genuine physical piece of The Walking Dead alters a fan’s psychological relationship with a universe they love?

It’s one thing to talk about dinosaurs, but it’s another to hold an actual fossil tooth in your hand. This is a truly human experience and everyone feels it instinctively. If you’re playing a game with dice and minis, you know that feeling too. This is the power of the human mind, but it’s also a reminder that we are physical beings too.

The Walking Dead Mini Museum is certain to be a powerful experience for fans, since they’re literally holding the entire series in their hand. That can mean memories of the show and the characters, but also their personal memories of how they watched the show and with whom. We hear this sort of thing all the time from people in the Mini Museum community.

You have both handled some truly astonishing pieces of history over the years. What was the most emotionally resonant, or perhaps entirely surprising, item you had the privilege to handle while preparing this specific collection?

For me (this is Jamie), it has to be the objects associated with Rick Grimes, and of those objects, I’d say the boots more than anything else. It’s just such a personal object, and it represents the real physical struggle of the journey. When the show first aired, I was about the same age as Rick, and the struggles of a man, a father, and husband in the face of so many challenges really resonated deeply with me.

We absolutely love the concept of a “handheld museum.” In what ways do you hope this collection changes the broader community conversation around what constitutes a valid, meaningful personal collection in modern pop culture?

I hope it opens up the possibility of access to a broader base of fans. So many objects in the world of collectibles have become unattainable. They are financially and physically out of reach. A personal museum like this changes the dynamics. It democratizes ownership and allows people to share their passions with others. In the big picture, this brings us back to people connecting with each other, which is really what culture is all about. I also hope that our careful work helps people see a different path to connecting with cultural icons. This is more than just cool merchandise. It’s a direct connection to the source.

Beyond backing the campaign when the embargo lifts on the 5th of May, how can our readers best follow the brilliant, ongoing preservation work you and your team are doing, and are there any adjacent community causes you would like to champion today?

Our campaigns are very different than most. We post long updates detailing the process of preparation. We’re very open about successes and challenges. So I think the best way to keep up to date is to follow the project on Kickstarter. If our broader mission of interest, I’d recommend signing up for our email newsletter.

With respect to larger causes, I’d encourage everyone to get out and visit a local museum, no matter how small. In fact, the smaller the better. Don’t just walk through either; talk to people entrusted with caring for the objects. Take people with you too! Museums might seem like places where things go on display behind glass, but the whole buildings are alive with stories of the past. Connecting with those stories is how we improve our sense of place in the world and make it a better place.

Fans of history and pop culture alike can browse the creator’s wider catalogue of scientific and historical artefacts at the Mini Museum shop or examine the full array of undead specimens directly on their crowdfunding page.

Quick Links

• Kickstarter: Back this Campaign
• Visit the Mini Museum

Free League Publishing has announced a 2 June launch for a trio of new titles within their Middle-earth roleplaying range. The upcoming releases include Hands of the White Wizard for The One Ring, Trials of Saruman for The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying, and a Shire-centric supplement titled Hobbit Tales.

The June lineup offers a rare narrative pivot for the franchise, focusing on the period between 2965 of the Third Age and the onset of the War of the Ring. While traditional Tolkien gaming focuses on the clear-cut battle against the Shadow, lead designer Francesco Nepitello is steering this campaign into the moral ambiguity surrounding Saruman the White. Players are invited to journey into Isengard to serve or observe the wizard before his definitive fall, deciding whether his fate is fixed or if his pride can be tempered.

The Isengard Campaign

Both Hands of the White Wizard and its 5E counterpart, Trials of Saruman, contain six interconnected adventures. The content promises new lore, allies, and mysteries specifically tied to the Orthanc and the surrounding vale. This focus on the “White Wizard” era allows players to interact with one of Middle-earth’s most complex figures during the height of his influence and the beginning of his secrecy.

Return to the Shire

Complementing the weight of the Isengard campaign is Hobbit Tales, a supplement designed for The One Ring. It provides a detailed description of the four farthings of the Shire alongside five ready-to-play adventures. Players can take on the roles of established figures such as Bilbo Baggins, Paladin Took, or Primula Brandybuck.

Free League has noted that the material within Hobbit Tales was previously available in the original starter set for The One Ring. This standalone release serves as a collection for players who may have bypassed the starter box but wish to explore the hyper-local geography of the Hobbit homelands.

Pre-orders and Access

All three titles are currently available for pre-order through the Free League webshop. In line with the publisher’s standard digital-first policy, customers who pre-order physical books receive immediate access to the PDF versions to begin preparing for the June launch.

Quick Links

• Free League: Webshop

Against the Slave Lords is a series of adventures set in the World of Greyhawk. When a DM combines a well-built world with superb adventures, all it takes is some well run and beloved player characters to enter the world and take center stage. World building, adventure questing, and future story telling will all unfold after that.

Against the Slave Lords is a series of adventures set in the World of Greyhawk. When a DM combines a well-built world with superb adventures, all it takes is some well run and beloved player characters to enter the world and take center stage. World building, adventure questing, and future story telling will all unfold after that.

Several Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks are available as print on demand from DriveThruRPG: Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, and Unearthed Arcana, along with Against the Slave Lords. In addition, there are two digital copies of Dungeon Magazine with adventures that support the series: Dungeon #221 and Dungeon #215. Slavers includes a map of the city of Highport and a few details on the settlement.

Clues in Darkshelf, Nyrond Pointing to Highport, Pomjarj

Clues to follow to Highport in the Pomjarj can be found in Nyrond for player characters who successfully complete the adventure, Danger at Darkshelf Quarry found in Against the Slave Lords. While the adventure does not provide clear indications of the slaving operation unless NPCs are captured and interrogated, a clever DM can include a second option.

The evil elemental clerics operating from beneath the quarry keep records for the slavers. They may have ledgers, likely hidden and trapped and in code, that point to shipments of kidnapped prisoners being transported to Highport in the Pomjarj. They also send payments back to the Temple of the Earth Dragon in Highport. This ledger could be hidden under the bed in the cleric’s chamber number 65. This chest should be locked and trapped.

Overlord Neistor can confirm that Highport is a good place to investigate if the PCs want to stop the slavers’ operations. He checks on rumors out of Highport and will tell the PCs that Mikaro Valasteen, a cleric of Trithereon, has quietly been looking for assistance. Trithereon is a foe of evil and oppression, and he is allied with Pelor as well. Mikaro can be found at the House of Quiet. Anyone inquiring there needs to stay calm and very quiet; Highport crawls with both evil men and monsters of various sorts.

In fact, the House of Quiet is run by a mind flayer nicknamed Quiet. While he keeps slaves, Mikaro meets there because whispering is the norm, and no one would suspect his allegiance to a god of freedom. Mikaro finds the place extremely distressing, but like the rest of the city, he must accept the larger evil that he cannot defeat so he can help overcome the smaller evils he can successfully oppose.

Sea Journey

NPC ship masters discussed on page 33 of the book if the PCs need to hire a ship to sail from Nyron to Highport in the Pomjarj. Waterborne adventures are covered on page 53. Waterborne encounters are found on page 190.

Dungeon 221: Lowdown in Highport

Lowdown in Highport, found in digital Dungeon #221, is a good bridge between Danger in Darkshelf Quarry and Slave Pits of the Undercity. PCs can learn a bit more about the dangers and mysteries of Highport before delving into the undercity. Slavers provides more details and a simple map of the city.

One optional change to the adventure: change the wraith and skeletons in the Burial Vault 26 to a coffer corpse and zombies. The coffer corpse looks like a zombie, but will be an interesting surprise if downed by non-magical weapons and returning to unlife a round later. Level drain is a rough attack, and the PCs would have no warning about the possibility of a wraith: no chance to get holy water, more missile weapons and perhaps silver arrows, et cetera.

Mikaro can point the PCs in the direction of a temple taken over by the Slave Lords, A1: Slave Pits of the Undercity. He tells them he believes that the source of the slaving activity can be found somewhere in the pits under the ruined temple. It is very likely a deadly undead could be hiding there as well, cursed with unlife. Mikaro could either become a regular source of information and aid for the characters, or he could be captured and later found as a prisoner of the slavers.

A1: Slave Pits of the Undercity

This ruined temple with sewers underneath offers the first real opportunity for the PCs to strike at the slavers. For campaign play, the map on page 53 should be used. Doors into courtyard 9 could be added in both rooms 3 and 4. Room 21 in the sewers includes a caravan route the slavers use and leads directly into A2: Secret of the Slavers’ Stockade. The map indicates a route from Highport to an old fort in the middle of the Drachensgrab Hills.

Journey to the Hill Fort

As detailed in A2: Secret of the Slavers’ Stockade, it is 120 miles from Highport to the slavers’ stockade. The PCs will likely want to buy supplies in Highport and rest before setting out. A ranger would be invaluable out in the wilds. Mikaro will offer a place to stay that is hidden and help as he can. He plans to stay and get more prisoners out from this end as the PCs move on and try to cut off the head of the operation.

A DM may want to roll up some random encounters ahead of time, using the Wilderness Encounter Table on page 58 in Against the Slave Lords. This will save a bit of time and might inspire a more in-depth location or two along the route that the PCs might uncover.

Next Steps

A Dungeon Master can continue to develop his or her version of the World of Greyhawk as the player characters continue to pursue the head of the slaving operation. Opportunities to add details to the world can be added in during the wilderness trek and with roleplaying with Mikaro Valasteen, cleric of Trithereon.

Picture credit: Nature Landscape Clouds

Syncanite Games has launched a new Gamefound campaign for Expansion I, the latest addition to the Syncanite Foundation board game. While the campaign introduces fresh mechanics and a new soundtrack, the studio’s broader strategy involves a significant pivot toward the film industry, with plans to present a series pilot at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.

The “crystal punk” universe, which pits oligarchs against one another for control of rare resources, is being positioned as a multi-media ecosystem. Alongside the current board game expansion, the studio has confirmed that the world of Syncanite will be further developed through a trilogy of novels, a strategy game, and a tabletop roleplaying game.

Timon Thöne, CEO of Syncanite Games, is the lead designer on the project. Thöne, whose background includes co-founding the German Institute for Virtual Realities, has guided the property through a decade of development, transitioning from early augmented-reality concepts to its current physical tabletop format. His team will be stationed at booth 2.13 in the Palais -1 during the Cannes Film Festival, hosting a dedicated press day at the Carlton Hotel on 16 May 2026.

A notable shift in the studio’s messaging is evident in the creation of its visual assets. Despite the company’s history as an early adopter of technical disruption, the current campaign explicitly markets the new project as featuring only human-made art. This move appears to be a deliberate effort to align with the tabletop community’s preference for traditional craftsmanship as the franchise expands into more narrative-heavy formats like the upcoming roleplaying game. Gen AI is not popular in tabletop games.

The campaign for Expansion I also includes a first novel and an “Epic Music” soundtrack to deepen the immersion for both returning players and newcomers. Thöne suggests that this phased approach allows the narrative to evolve beyond the “antagonist” focus of the original board game, finally introducing the “original hero story” to the setting.

Timon Thöne, CEO at Syncanite Games, said in a statement:

The board game was always based on the novels but told the story of the antagonists. With this new campaign, we add the original hero story, making Syncanite a whole experience. This campaign reflects our philosophy that players want worlds to immerse themselves in, but also want to share their experiences with others.”

The Syncanite Foundation expansion is live on Gamefound as of 5 May 2026. While the studio focuses on its international film pitch in France, it remains a prominent fixture in the Dortmund tech scene, often appearing at local events like the Digital Week Dortmund.

Quick Links

• Gamefound

Amit Moshe‘s Son of Oak Game Studio, based in Boston, Massachusetts, has announced that its rustic fantasy roleplaying game, Legend in the Mist, has surpassed $1,765,000 in total funding. This figure more than doubles the initial $855,000 raised during its 2024 Kickstarter campaign, reflecting a significant appetite for narrative-heavy alternatives to traditional d20 systems.

The studio is currently hosting “Launchfest”, a month-long digital celebration running until 17 June 2026, designed to bridge the gap between the game’s digital acclaim and its physical arrival. Physical copies are scheduled to ship in mid-June, with a wider retail release expected in July.

The success of Legend in the Mist highlights a growing trend of players moving away from power levels and rigid combat rules in favour of words over numbers. By utilising the Mist Engine, a system that prioritises character-driven tags over numerical stats, the game has secured its place as a top-rated title on DriveThruRPG. Despite its departure from mechanical crunch, the studio is actively courting the mainstream audience through 5e crossover tools, allowing players to port existing characters into the rustic setting of the Dales.

The inclusion of 5e crossover tools comes at a time when alternatives to Dungeons & Dragons are finding traction, and publishers see value in providing an easy on-ramp for groups curious but worried about leaving the d20 ecosystem behind. Amit Moshe said in a statement:

After its digital release last summer, Legend in the Mist became 2025’s top-rated game on DriveThruRPG, with its 5-star reviews surpassing titles such as Daggerheart and Marvel Role-Playing Game.”

The Launchfest event features a “Peddler’s Cart” that provides daily digital rewards at 9:00 am ET, including new “Theme Kits” such as the “Overly Righteous Sword” and “Tale Weaving” magic systems. The community is also engaged through a “Cauldron of Mist” competition, where creators can win up to $300 for original content uploaded by 2 June 2026.

Recent stretch goals have already been met, including the “War of the Shrews” sidequest, while new objectives aim to unlock a “Beaverkin” game faction and “Herbal Concoction” recipes as the funding nears the $1.8 million mark. Kevin Carpenter will join Amit Moshe for a livestream on 6 May 2026 to further detail the portrayal of NPCs and companions within this expanding world.

Quick Links

• Legend in the Mist: Launchfest