18 June 2025
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Blackwell Games is back with a new TTRPG Zine Kickstarter, after huge success with the likes of Apothecaria, For Small Creatures Such as We, and Delve. The four zine game focusses on death, offering some interesting new mechanics.
Written by Charlie Pettit
Who are Blackwell Games?
Blackwell Games is the design of Anna Blackwell, TTRPG designer and writer. Her games include Delve, a solo map drawing game, Apothecaria, a solo journaling game where you play as the village witch, and For Small Creatures Such as We, a solo/cooperative TTRPG about being a human captain in space, with an alien crew, amongst many others. She's known for high quality tabletop roleplaying games that can be played solo, knows her stuff about a Kickstarter TTRPG or two, and is bringing a brand new Kickstarter to life.
New Kickstarter from Blackwell Games
The new Kickstarter, called Death and Pottery, is a bundle of four zines, all focused on the theme of death - but with underlying themes of philosophy, self, and more. The zines are as follows:
Our Once Proud House
Our Once Proud House is a Game Master-less tabletop RPG, in which a noble legacy is being torn apart by squabbling, spoiled heirs – which is who you play as. Described as being a game about "taking as much as you can and watching the world burn", it plays with a tumbling block tower (See: Jenga), and playing cards. You pull blocks from the tower to represent the items or areas you're taking, with a goal of building the highest tower for yourself – so greed is a necessity!
A Conversation with Death
Played over a game of chess, A Conversation with Death is a duet TTRPG where you have, unfortunately, died. Your only opportunity to survive is to win at a game of chess with Death, but with each move comes a question – Death might ask about your life, hopes, regrets, etc, and you as recently deceased, might ask about what caused your demise, what might happen next, and more, slowly building a shared narrative over a game of chess.
Death Road Services
In Death Road Services, you play a solo journalling RPG of running a service station on Death Road. It's described as Mad Max Fury Road meets a Roadchef. It's up to you to upgrade the services, hire goons, face random events, and lure Roadmasters in, all to build the God Car...
Although solo journalling TTRPGs are absolutely proven by Anna Blackwell - her previous work has been heavily praised, meaning we know we're on good ground here using a deck of playing cards to dictate what happens – this one is a little different, as you should be making your journal out of rubbish.
“This is the apocalypse after all, you think washi tape survived?! No! Write your daily musings on cornflake boxes and tomato soup labels. Make "Do Not Serve" posters of troublesome customers out of crayon and cat hair.”
Mistorical Museum
Last of the four Zines is Mistorical Museum, described as an improv comedy party game about museum curators at the world's worst museum. You'll need to grab random items from around your home, and determine origin, purpose, and explain what it is.
“Turn a ladle into an Ancient Incan Fertility Idol and answer the awkward question of how it works; Claim that your weird Garfield plush is actually a secret weapon from World War 1; Or panic and give a demonstration of how to use your phone as a medieval avocado peeler.”
It's a lesson in Yes, And, a classical improv rule that will see the silliness only increase, and as a team you'll then decide which exhibits make the cut – by writing up informational placards that you should absolutely leave around your home to make them permanent additions.. and great talking points.
Where can I get Death and Pottery?
The Kickstarter for this project is live now, ending on the 17th July. You can back a single zine for £10, or the collection for £30.