Dahlia’s Diversions for Peculiar Parties, a collection of eight bite-sized RPGs from Steve Jackson Games, is funding on BackerKit – but only for a few more days. Created by nine indie designers in collaboration with Steve Jackson Games, it is truly one-of-a-kind. Each quick game offers opportunities for both seasoned GMs and roleplayers as
well those delving into the world of RPGs for the first time. It’s a fun way to experience one-shot RPGs that are easy and accessible to all.
Included in the compilation are the following:
● 3 Raccoons in a Trench Coat – Designed by Z Gosck. Illustrated by Bas Goverde.
3 Raccoons in a Trench Coat is a zany romp for three players and one game master, contained in a sleek trifold brochure. In this game, you are three raccoons – in a trench coat – pretending to be a “peeple.” Will you wind up on top of the stack, at the bottom, or stuck in the middle? What’s in your pockets? Can you find any snacks? Play and find out!
● Grandma Club – Designed by Conor and Katherine Duffy. Illustrated by Ruby Lavin and Ben Williams.
The annual Best Village competition is nigh, but the judges are early and things are not at all as they should be. Mishaps and mayhem threaten the town’s idyllic atmosphere; can this gaggle of grannies save the day? In this one-page RPG, you’re one of a close-knit group of sweet old ladies – or a squabbling gang of cranky busybodies, depending on whether you’ve had your afternoon tea yet. Use your talents in gardening, baking, emotional manipulation, and other septuagenarian specialties to get your troubled town into tip-top shape!
● Gritty Reboot – Designed by Chris O’Neill. Illustrated by Alex Fernandez.
Think of your most cherished piece of childhood media – something pure, bright, and innocent . . . Now, imagine how a money-hungry movie studio would twist it into a dark and edgy summer blockbuster. In Gritty Reboot, you’re playing in that movie. Players will take on iconic roles like the Brainiac, Badass, or Merchandisable One, while the Director sets the scene. Can you pander your way to a blockbuster hit before blowing your budget?
● Murder Most Foolish – Designed by Jacob R. Colosi.
Have you ever wanted to go to a murder mystery dinner party, unraveling a twisted case and finally catching the killer in a dramatic reveal? Well, Murder Most Foolish is the madcap improvised cousin to such an event – one where your group will collectively generate a mystery on the fly and then solve it together. The catch? Everyone did it!
● Overdue – Designed by Ash Cheshire. Illustrated by Ben Williams.
Overdue is a GM-less game of magical research for up to four players. You are an apprentice librarian at the Central Branch of the Omnifold Library, entrusted with an important and hazardous duty – you must retrieve one of the library’s overdue books. Of course, those books tend to be checked out by powerful wizards, so you’ll need to make sure your grimoire is filled with spells for any contingency. You may learn something surprising along the way!
● Rat Me a Poem, Sweetheart – Designed by Irene Zielinski. Illustrated by Emily J
Stegamos.
Rat Me a Poem, Sweetheart is a short game for three players about a messy love triangle comprising two humans and one rat – it’s basically Ratatouille meets Cyrano de Bergerac. The Ratstermind writes a love poem while the Puppet keeps the Beloved engaged in idle banter, and then the Puppet must profess their love in verse . . . that they are reading for the very first time. Who will secure the Beloved’s favor?
● Riding the Ley Line – Designed by Moss Bosch.
This game is unique among the set – it’s meant to be played alone, on a bus or train commute. But once you embark, you will no longer be simply commuting; you will be Riding the Ley Line, a transit network that connects many dimensions. Your surroundings will take on a whole new meaning as you interpret them through an interdimensional lens. Mind the Rift!
● The Social Season – Designed by Scott Sexton.
The Social Season is a short zine game, inspired by Honey Heist and Jane Austen. In it, you will play an eligible bachelor or bachelorette from a high-society family on the verge of ruin. Can you land the perfect match to secure your fortune? You will need to balance your Composure and Scandal – lest you succumb to the vapours or find yourself cast out in disgrace.
Those interested in the project can learn more about each game on BackerKit. International shipping options are available for the United States, Canada, the UK, and select countries in the EU. Dahlia’s Diversions for Peculiar Parties is expected to ship in late fall or winter 2025.
Images via Steve Jackson Games
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