ZINEQUEST 3
Our picks from the successful indie RPG Kickstarter event
Way back in the before-times of 2019, Kickstarter launched a new event. A month long celebration of indie RPGs and the DIY craftiness of the early game making pioneers. The result was Zinequest, a time where anyone could toss their dice in the ring and have a go at making an RPG zine. Now we wave goodbye as Zinequest 3 rounds off with 800 projects launched over a single month, leaving many of us much lighter in the wallet. We’re here to share a few of our favourites, as well as the ones that we think will stand the test of time – eventually influencing the roleplaying game mainstream.
WHAT IS A ZINE?
It’s a magazine, without the ‘mag.’ Originally this referred to alternative publishing processes, often with a link to fandoms, alternative media and political movements. Zines are often quick, dirty, and entirely thrilling short run publications crudely bound – all in the best way. For Kickstarter’s purposes, a zine is an A5 stapled or saddle stitched booklet printed in black and white or single colour. For Zinequest, it has to have some connection to role playing games be that quests, items, NPCs, a whole game in and of itself, or even just a prop to go along with your games.
This year we’ve seen so many first time creators get the funding they need to create weird and wonderful projects and that is why Zinequest is so cool. With a lowered barrier to entry and the deliberately indie-DIY aesthetic of zines, designers don’t need to compete with big companies and design gurus just to grab people’s attention. All that’s needed is an idea that people can get behind. Whether that be Mari Zellout’s Gay Survival Guide (a queer system-neutral fantasy bestiary) or MÖRKAL KOMBORG (a Mortal Kombat inspired module for MÖRK BORG). In fact, if you’re a fan of MÖRK BORG, this year’s Zinequest has plenty of content for you.
So, to celebrate the influx of new talent and new games, here is the very tiniest tip of the iceberg. Here all the projects we loved that we can fit into a double page spread.