Dungeon crawling and tabletop RPGs fit together like Studio Ghibli and anime-loving millennials. There’s a universal force that just keeps pulling these aspects together and it always works, every time. It is a bit strange how an adventure full of monsters, traps and dark magic can end up so comfy for players if you think about it. Even so, that strangeness is just part of the charm of the humble dungeon crawler.
This upcoming TTRPG takes the cozy dungeon crawling experience to the next level.
Eternal Ruins: The Roleplaying Game is a fantasy dungeon crawler by Mythworks with an emphasis on exploration and narrative. Vibes-wise, it’s inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Hollow Knight, ICO, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. From the soft and soothing artstyle alone, you can see the influence of these iconic works. That quality alone puts it on par with the stylings of the best tabletop RPGs.
As for gameplay, it comes in three distinct modes. Freeform is the sandbox portion, where players can interact with NPCs, monsters, and other aspects of their immediate environment. Exploration condenses travel time with a random chance of something spectacular (or terrible) happening. Lastly, camping allows for wanderers to rest and perform essential homestead tasks in a montage style.
Success (or failure) is determined via a pair of d6 dice, courtesy of the Wild Words engine. A roll of six represents success, five to four a mixed victor, and anything lower a disaster. If you roll doubles on your total, that means a great triumph or a devastating loss. Naturally, the origin and path you choose for your character will affect these rolls.
There are more in-depth mechanics to dive into, but the overall impression is one of “accessible complexity.” There are many mechanics at play, but they seamlessly blend together into something intuitive, even for TTRPG newbies. If you’d like to check out the rules for yourself, Mythworks has provided the 190-page quickstart for free on the official site.
While there’s already a handful of cozy TTRPGs out there, Eternal Ruins stands out to me for two reasons: using a non-5e system and its wonderful artstyle. I confess that I love narrative driven systems over crunchy ones any day, and the Wild Words engine scratches that itch for me.
As for the style, I love how it never lets its influences rob it of its uniqueness. It’s surprisingly hard to toe the line between homage and copycat, but the game impressed me. Creator Sam Carr’s passion for the project, alongside his team, shines through and makes me confident in the final product. With many weeks to go and already tripling its funding goals, Eternal Ruins has a bright future ahead.
You can back Eternal Ruins on Kickstarter here.
The Wargamer Discord is also eternal, but thankfully not a ruin. Since Eternal Ruins also has a solo mode, you may be interested in checking out the best solo RPGs guide.