Into the Odd Remastered: an Ethereal Steampunk TTRPG
“Fallen cities are adorned with statues of star-beings, cultists manifest their fervour into reality, and belligerent unions prepare for a cosmic invasion. Familiar landscapes are overrun by strange weeds, corrosive mists creep in from the sea, and jet black mountains watch from the horizon. This odd world has been affected by beings stranger than we can imagine.” -pg 4, INto the odd remastered: introduction
Into the Odd Remastered is an update of the 2014 role-playing game of the same name. Written by Chris McDowall and sold by Free League Publishing, the rules-lite tabletop roleplaying game asks you to place yourself in a world long ago ravaged by cosmic horrors. The general atmosphere comes across as dark steampunk though there is room for plenty of genres to intermingle.
The rules are relatively simple. Characters have four stats; Strength, Will, Dexterity, and HP. Strength, Will, and Dexterity start as a value between 3 and 18, as determined by rolling 3d6. During the game, players roll a D20 versus their stats, attempting to roll lower than the value in order to succeed. Many effects damage the stats as well as the HP value. Additionally, all attacks always hit, with rolls being used just to determine damage.
The rules can fit on a single page as evidenced by the handy Into the Odd cheat sheet made by garkia19. As a note, this cheat sheet has some minor typos. For example, characters don’t have a Charisma score. However, I found it incredibly helpful to use as a reference while I played Into the Odd. Another great resource was Søren Nøhr Ryborg’s The Odd Generator, which auto generates characters for Into the Odd. Since we were just trying out the system, both these resources made it really easy to jump in without my players needing to read the whole rule book.
A general shoutout to Owlbear Rodeo, a free virtual tabletop software, David Wilson’s 2-minute tabletop token library, and Kenku FM for their role in creating an immersive gaming environment.
The Player Experience
The Into the Odd rulebook, in addition to rules, also contains a sample dungeon. It was this dungeon that I ran for a party of three adventurers. They found the system to be easy to understand, however, coming from more rules heavy systems they often felt like they weren’t doing enough. For example, they wanted to roll dice more often. However, they still had fun crafting a narrative and working with each other.
The Gamemaster Experience
I was in love with the idea of Into the Odd. An accessible, low barrier RPG with a splash of steampunk and cosmic horror. What’s not to love? But I found the Into the Odd system left a little to be desired. In particular, combat doesn’t feel particularly difficult or interesting. Since players always go first and everyone always does damage, it meant my party of three people were able to dispatch any enemy before it could hurt them. Skill checks felt like they had the opposite problem. None of my players could succeed in a skill check because their stats were so low. This meant that the tension was removed from both combat and skill checks. Playing the dungeon and rules as written, I didn’t feel as if I had the mechanical or narrative tools to rectify either issue.
The dungeon itself was a bit drab. I loved the art and ideas behind it, but there wasn’t much content. A smaller, more detailed dungeon would have been easier to run and better received by my players than a large, sparse dungeon. I also wished for far more traps. While I recognize I could have populated the dungeon myself, I often don’t expect to finish a dungeon myself when given one to run.
Outside of the sample dungeon, there is not much content for the gamemaster to work with. If I wanted to start running my own Into the Odd games there are very few monster, trap, and loot examples so I would have to come up with everything myself. This is not the end of the world, however, I personally like to have more content than what was provided to start doing my own adaptations. If I were to try this system again, I would want to use it for a heist narrative over a dungeon crawl.
Conclusion
The Into the Odd rulebook provides the skeleton for a rules-lite RPG adventure, however it fails to add any meat to the bones. The result is an RPG that requires far more work for a gamemaster than the rules-lite exterior would indicate. This is not inherently negative, however could be surprising given the game’s pitch. If you are looking for a new system to tinker around with, this could be a great next purchase!
(3.5 / 5)
Gaming
Lovecraft Meets Junji Ito in WORLD OF HORROR
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games.
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games. The game is available on macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. This review will cover the Steam (Windows) version of the game.
You must explore the strange goings on around Shiokawa, Japan. It appears that eldritch forces have influenced the town in incomprehensible ways. So, attempt to comprehend these forces and maintain your sanity to save the town. Plan your investigations, choose between cases, and fight for your life.
There are a few game modes but three difficulty spikes. The easiest is a specific case with some random events. This mode teaches you the basic mechanics of the game. The harder difficulties give you access to an apartment and choices on which case you investigate. Completing objectives earns you customization options for the customized mode.
What I Like About WORLD OF HORROR
Running on GameMaker Studios, the pixelated aesthetic shows influences from Lovecraft and Junji Ito, though the latter more so than the former. WORLD OF HORROR haunts its viewers with its aesthetic, allowing the pixels to evoke those horror legends.
Random generation remains a key feature of the game, with various options and choices giving a massive variety. Your character also has some limited customization to access perks and further development. I will bring up some weaknesses later, but it is surprisingly vast. Adding to this variety, WORLD OF HORROR provides mod accessibility.
The combat allows for a great deal of thought and planning. You select your character’s actions within an action bar and perform the tasks (or combos) to beat an opponent. This JRPG style provides variety in action that makes it engaging and unique.
The random generation and variety make each playthrough different. You might acquire a devastating katana in one playthrough only to bleed out unceremoniously in another.
While not a terrifying gaming experience, WORLD OF HORROR strives to provide an eerie and intense experience. At this, the game is a success. The weird and unnerving collide to invest the player in this strange world.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Body horror deserves a mention, but the aesthetic and pixels doesn’t particularly evoke realism. Regardless, many designs evoke body horror.
Aside from this, here are some points of consideration. First, WORLD OF HORROR uses JRPG turn-based combat, which seems a point of division among some gamers. However, there are enough interesting mechanics and complexities beyond clicking an action and waiting your turn.
Second, WORLD OF HORROR isn’t a cult detective. You’re experiencing events and choosing how your character responds. Some sage wisdom I heard for WORLD OF HORROR is to focus on the whole campaign instead of a single case. Failing a case isn’t a game over, so prioritize your character’s longevity.
What I Dislike About WORLD OF HORROR
Only a few issues hindered my experience. Some scenarios replay on a single case, let alone a playthrough, which becomes repetitive. Some scenarios have multiple solutions to add variety or require perks to access new options, but that’s not always true. This issue makes the randomization taxing at times.
This next issue is likely a bug or an oversight. After losing my reason (sanity), I found myself still able to investigate despite the game claiming that means death. An unrelated event finished me off, but I can’t help but assume this is a bug.
Final Thoughts
WORLD OF HORROR has its quirks but earns massive replay value and surprising depth. It’s a unique and ambitious indie title worth the price. If Junji Ito’s style or cosmic horror is your particular brand of horror, WORLD OF HORROR delivers an experience you’ll likely enjoy. Though this combination synergizes well, few games combine these elements successfully.
(4.5 / 5)
Step into the mind-bending world of Eldritch Automata as we sit down with Game Designer Nick Francia at GenCon 2024!
Uncover the secrets behind this Lovecraftian mecha-masterpiece and get a glimpse of what’s to come.
In this exclusive interview, Nick Francia shares:
• The intricate game development process • Inspirations behind the eerie Lovecraftian elements
• Unique mecha-infused gameplay mechanics Calling all Lovecraft fans! Dive into a world where eldritch horrors meet steam-powered marvels.
Eldritch Automata promises an unforgettable gaming experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
👉 Ready to embrace the madness? Check out our playable demo at a con near you! #EldritchAutomata #GenCon2024 #LovecraftianGaming #IndieGameDev
Prepare for a spine-chilling experience as Jim Phoenix delves into the shadows with Trick or Treat Studios at GenCon 2024!
In this exclusive interview, we uncover the terrifying secrets behind their latest bone-chilling creations: “House of 1000 Corpses” and “Halloween II” board games.
These games aren’t just about rolling dice – they’re about immersing yourself in the blood-curdling atmosphere of beloved horror films. With unique survival (and kill!) horror mechanics and cooperative gameplay, you’ll feel the terror coursing through your veins with every move!
But wait, there’s more! With the Kickstarter to House of 1000 Corpses shipping soon, we have an in-depth review coming up for that game, Halloween II–AND…Chucky. BOOMMM!!!
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