We’ve mentioned before that our conception of backpack fantasy seems rooted in games, from indie tabletop RPGs like Ryuutama to AAA video games like Breath of the Wild. The art and mood of these games is an ongoing inspiration. So imagine our delight to discover there’s a TTRPG publisher out there producing lush cozy fantasy games!
Possum Creek Games, led by designer Jay Dragon, made a splash with their inaugural release Wanderhome. If the name didn’t clue you in, Wanderhome is backpack to the max. Just check out this description:
Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about traveling animal-folk, the world they inhabit, and the way the seasons change. It is a game filled with grassy fields, mossy shrines, herds of chubby bumblebees, opossums in sundresses, salamanders with suspenders, starry night skies, and the most beautiful sunsets you can imagine.
You might be a tamarin who dances with small and forgotten gods, a leporine mail carrier who relies on moths to get packages where they belong, a little lizard with a big heart and a mysterious past, or a near-endless number of other thrilling possibilities. No matter what, we’re always travelers—animal-folk who go from village to village and get to see the length and breadth of all the world of Hæth. The seasons will change as we play, and we will change with them.
How can you say no to that?
The Ryuutama influence is clear, but I think it’s safe to say there’s room in the world for more than one pastoral fantasy travel RPG.
Over on the hearth side of the spectrum, Possum Creek is currently crowdfunding their next release, Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast, described as a “slice-of-life TTRPG about a found family in a magical house.”
Wanderhome has gotten a ton of press and some impressive blurbs. Anyone out there had a chance to play it?
Wyngraf 