We are thrilled to announce that our next project, Eldritch Escape: Tokyo is coming to Kickstarter this Halloween! Eldritch Escape: Tokyo is an encounter-based, grim-fantasy tabletop RPG for 1-2 players that immerses players in a relentless battle against Eldritch monstrosities, challenging them to embrace death repeatedly as a means to grow stronger, all the while offering strategic gameplay with roguelike elements, and hauntingly beautiful art.

OVERVIEW

Eldritch Escape: Tokyo invites players to step into the shoes of ordinary individuals who find themselves thrust into an extraordinary and horrifying world. In the midst of the game's eerie and ever-darkening Tokyo, there are no elite soldiers or heavy firepower, only regular people armed with determination and a will to survive. At first, players may struggle to survive as they face the overwhelming might of the Eldritch and succumb to their relentless onslaught.

However, in this world, death is not the end. Each player is accompanied by a mysterious partner known as the Bellwether, who has the power to revive them each time they fall victim to the monstrous Eldritch. As players repeatedly die and resurrect, they will gradually uncover the Eldritch's weaknesses and unravel the mysteries of their terrifying existence. But in this unforgiving realm, trust is a luxury, and the line between survival and transformation into something unrecognizable becomes increasingly blurred.

SETTING AND CHARACTERS

Unending Night The game's backdrop is a world plunged into an eerie darkness where the sun has mysteriously ceased to rise. Oddly, the inhabitants of Tokyo continue their daily routines without acknowledging the absence of daylight. This uncanny phenomenon creates an atmosphere of dread, as those who do dare to speak are met only with lifeless, vacant stares.

The Eldritch

The Eldritch are colossal monsters that roam the streets of Tokyo, devouring any unsuspecting humans in their path. These monstrous beings, towering 6 to 10 meters in height (or sometimes even more), leave destruction in their wake as they meander aimlessly through the city. Each Eldritch possesses a grotesque and unsettling appearance, seemingly composed of an amalgamation of different creatures. Strangely, despite the horrifying carnage, the people of Tokyo appear to remain oblivious to the presence of these monstrous behemoths.

The Hunters

Players in Eldritch Escape: Tokyo assume the roles of Hunters, ordinary individuals who must confront the Eldritch. These Hunters are not superheroes or seasoned warriors but are, in essence, everyday people. They employ their resourcefulness and whatever tools they can find to defend themselves against the Eldritch menace. But they will die. A lot. And yet, with enough fortitude, they'll eventually emerge victorious over the Eldritch monstrosities.

The Bellwethers

The Bellwether serves as the Hunter's enigmatic partner, a being of pure mental energy offering guidance and the gift of resurrection. The Bellwether's form is deeply personal, as they possess and control whatever the hunter treasures most. This dynamic sets the stage for an emotional journey as players delve into the game. It's important to note that the Bellwether is controlled by the GM, thus requiring the gamemaster to play the dual role of both antagonist and partner to the player.

ROLEPLAYING IN ELDRITCH ESCAPE: TOKYO

While combat is the central focus of Eldritch Escape's gameplay loop, it also contains a slew of opportunities for roleplaying. Players will interact with their Bellwether regularly, and when combat is not taking place, they will be tasked with trying to get out of Tokyo alive. In this process, they will be presented with a variety of choices, such as choosing whether or not to save a helpless Tokyoite they come across, whether they should attempt to sneak past an enemy or engage them in battle using the element of surprise to their advantage, or which paths they'll take to escape the city.

These are just a few of the many choices players will face in any given scenario, and the consequences of these choices can be significant and impact how the entire session unfolds. There are even roguelike elements in one of the included scenarios; here, players will be forced to make a myriad of choices during each session, and the fallout of those choices feels different with every playthrough. Of course, as mentioned, there's plenty of roleplaying to be done when players interact with their Bellwether, as it's in those conversations that players will learn about how to slay the Eldritch monstrosities that stand in their way.

INFLUENCES

Eldritch Escape has been influenced by a number of dark fantasy anime, manga, and video games. Works such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, GANTZ, and Blood+ can all be felt in the game's theme, visual tone, and gameplay approach.

ENGLISH RELEASE

Eldritch Escape is the world's first-ever Japanese-English simul-release TTRPG. It began as a short combat system that was introduced in a Japanese TTRPG magazine and then, through a collaboration between LionWing and design studio Draconian, was developed into a full-fledged roleplaying game.