Tabletop RPG players who are also fans of tenderhearted anthropomorphic animals and tranquil nature scenes seen in a Hayao Miyazaki film have reason to rejoice: Wanderhome. The upcoming fantasy TTRPG takes inspiration from the works of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli as well as the Redwall novel series by Brian Jacques to create a peaceful, pastoral gaming experience.
Players of Wanderhome will get to explore the world of Hæth as anthropomorphic animals called Kith. They'll be able to choose whatever specific kind of animal they'd like as well as opting for character types such as poets, dancers, guardians, and more, as established in a variety of playbooks.
As a "GM-Agnostic RPG," Wanderhome allows players to decide whether they want to play with a GM guiding the collective storytelling or would rather build the narrative on their own. The intent of the game is to create a roleplaying experience that doesn't rely on conflict. Instead of battling their way through dungeons like they might while playing D&D, characters interact with the natural world around them, tending the land and pursuing activities such as managing beehives.
The game's Kickstarter campaign, which launched on August 4 and will be live until September 3, has already raised approximately four times its initial target goal. For pledges of $25, patrons will get a full-color PDF of the game, set for release in June of next year. Patrons who pledge $45 will receive a physical copy of the game, also in June of 2021.
Although Wanderhome isn't slated for release until next summer, a free play kit consisting of everything players need to get started—an abbreviated set of rules, six of the eventual 15 playbooks, a selection of natures and character traits, etc—is available for download from creator Jay Dragon's Itch.io page.
Jay Dragon has previously worked on such rules-light TTRPGs as Sleepaway and Venture and Dungeon. Sleepaway, a summer camp-horror themed game, was released by Possum Creek Games who will also be handling the physical release of Wanderhome.
With the current popularity of video games like Animal Crossing, the appeal of Wanderhome is apparent; its focus on player collaboration, safety and care, makes the game just the sort of gentle escape from the current state of the things that people are looking for right now.
Source: Dicebreaker