Steve Jackson Games Announces 2024 Release Schedule

Steve Jackson Games announced their 2024 product release schedule. Meredith Placko, the new CEO fo Steve Jackson Games, posted a list of upcoming releases and crowdfunding campaigns expected in the upcoming year. Several new RPG releases are here among the Munchkin expansions, Car Wars sourcebooks, and new miniatures for OGRE.

Starting in February, The Fantasy Trip Bestiary is scheduled for release along with a Kickstarter launching for Munchkin Shadowrun which has an expected July 2024 release.

May will see a Kickstarter for an untitled collection of one-page RPGs with an estimated August 2024 release.

July will have the release of another tie-in Munchkin: Age of Sigmar: Dire Domains along with a Kickstarter for Foes 3, the third entry in the line of 3D printable fantasy miniatures.

August has a scheduled Kickstarter for Choose Cthulhu Books 7-10, expanding the offering of choose-your-own-adventure style books covering the classic works of H.P. Lovecraft.

There will also be two Kickstarters for Hexagram, the magazine for The Fantasy Trip with #12 in January for a March release, #13 in June for an August release, and #14 in December for a February 2025 release.

Throughout the year, the company looks to expand on their PDF offerings of classic GURPS books with digital re-releases of Template Toolkit: Spirits in February, Infinite Worlds: Atlantropa in April, Meta-Tech in June, Fantasy Folk: The Reptilian Races in August, Monster Hunters Adventure: The Face of Fire in October, and Loadouts: Starship Crew in December.

The release also mentions “semi-secret projects in the works” and one title in November is listed simply as [Redacted]. Meredith Placko said in the update “One is so secret that if I say any more, I'll be [REDACTED]. And just wait for our all-new as-yet-to-be-titled RPG project!” Knowing Steve Jackson Games’s love of exploring conspiracy theories in games, that may very well be the title.

Placko also was sure to point out that “dates are always subject to change based on manufacturing and shipping issues”.

 

[uzirath]

Just bought these thanks to help from Doug from Gaming Ballistic - he's awesome!

Fantastic! Doug is indeed awesome. I've had the privilege of meeting him multiple times since he has been super supportive of the GURPS summer camp that I run here in the Twin Cities. He even did a demo on Viking martial arts for the kids one year. Gaming Ballistic has published a ton of great material over the past few years.

I love most Steve Jackson games stuff, I'm kind of over Kickstarter though. I wish I got ads when kickstarted stuff was retail available rather then when a kickstarter was about to launch.

I know you can subscribe to GURPS news which provides a monthly report on new GURPS publications and how the future pipeline is looking. (Follow the link and click "Join group.") There may be similar options for other Steve Jackson Games lines, but I don't know for sure.

 

[jaycrockett]

I know you can subscribe to GURPS news which provides a monthly report on new GURPS publications and how the future pipeline is looking. (Follow the link and click "Join group.") There may be similar options for other Steve Jackson Games lines, but I don't know for sure.

Yeah I'm on SJG's mailing list. I meant more when I browse around the internet I wish the ads were "This thing is available in our store now!" instead of the constant "Signup to be notified when our new kickstarter starts!"

All the SJG games I've kickstarted have turned out great, actually. I'm just burned out on crowdfunding generally.

 

[Jiggawatts]

What is the difference between The Fantasy Trip and the Dungeon Fantasy RPG?

 

[Abstruse]

What is the difference between The Fantasy Trip and the Dungeon Fantasy RPG?

Dungeon Fantasy is GURPS, The Fantasy Trip is a different RPG system Steve Jackson designed before GURPS.

 

[aramis erak]

What is the difference between The Fantasy Trip and the Dungeon Fantasy RPG?

• Attributes
  • TFT: ST, DX, IQ, MA; MA isn't used for any rolls RAW, and cannot be raised from racial base with starting discretionary points. Adj MA and Adj Dex are figured from their parent with gear.
  • GURPS: ST, DX, HT, IQ; MA is figured; Will and Charisma are pseudo-attributes derived from IQ and advantagages/disadvantages.
• Skills
  • TFT: most "talents" are simply boolean skills, generally knocking a die off a difficulty, medium width
    • OE: IQ sets number of talent/spell slots.
    • LE: IQ sets number of starting talents/spell slots, but further slots can be bought without raising IQ
  • GURPS: skills are adjusted from attributes; they range from medium width to insanely narrow, especially if using the optional specialization rules.
• Advantages
  • TFT: most of the rest of the talents are directly comparable to GURPS advantages. a couple modify attributes conditionally. many allow otherwise impossible things. Spells in TFT fall into this.
  • GURPS: One of the most robust advantage systems in print... some are special cases enablers, some are conditional attribute modifiers (esp. Magery), some set the levels of the pseudo-attributes, some are penalty reductions.
• Disadvantages
  • TFT: formally, no disads. In practice, two disads: Wizards pay extra for most talents, Heroes pay extra for spells.
  • GURPS: a rich and varied set, being the mirror of its advantages.
• Character gen
  • TFT: Pick race, note attributes, apply discretionary points to ST/DX/IQ, pick talents/spells as allowed (all have minimum IQ, some have min ST or DX. Buy gear based upon standard wealth.
  • GURPS Find starting point total from GM, buy using points a mix of attributes, skills, advantages; taking disadvantages gives more points to spend. Buy gear based upon purchased wealth level.
• Resolution mechanics
  • both are d6's only, roll low, and have provisions for Critical Success and Critical Failure, as well as minimum success and minimum failure chances on all rolls.
  • TFT: 1d6 to 7d6 (highest I've seen by rules, but not a limit by RAW) by difficulty for under the relevant attribute, possibly modifying the number of dice down for talents or adjusting a attribute up for conditional modifier talents. Most combat rolls 3d6, but unskilled weapons use is 4d.
  • GURPS: All ability rolls on 3d6.
• Damage and Fatigue
  • TFT: both marked against ST
  • GURPS 1e-3e: Damage against HT, Fatigue on ST.
  • GURPS 4e, option in G3:CI : Damage against ST, fatigue against HT.

They're really very similar from a play experience, but TFT is easier to get characters going. GURPS is a little more consistent.

Note also: Dragons of Underearth is a simplified variation on TFT, and wasn't recovered in the TFT CRA action; its major difference is the simplification of resolution - no minimum success, no minimum failure, no critical hits nor critical fails. It only implements some of the spells and talents, as well.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

Disadvantages

• TFT: formally, no disads. In practice, two disads: Wizards pay extra for most talents, Heroes pay extra for spells.

True, but the new edition isn't so different from the original that you couldn't crib some of the disads from old TSG 51 magazine article. SJG even put the guts of the article up here. Some of them are less workable than others, of course, and a GM needs to keep an eye on things to avoid exploits, eg all the melee characters being Near-sighted.

Ooh, I'm up to three bonus points just from Old now. Joy.

 

[overgeeked]

Groo the Game and Munchkin Paranoia. That’s fantastic. Can’t wait to see those.

 

[aramis erak]

True, but the new edition isn't so different from the original that you couldn't crib some of the disads from old TSG 51 magazine article. SJG even put the guts of the article up here. Some of them are less workable than others, of course, and a GM needs to keep an eye on things to avoid exploits, eg all the melee characters being Near-sighted.

Ooh, I'm up to three bonus points just from Old now. Joy.

I'm leary of the expansions in SG/FG ... the Superheroes in TFT article was pretty much a poor fit.

 

[Argyle King]

I'm glad to see a strong release schedule.

SJ Games has become one of my favorite companies. It's been a rare experience that I am disappointed in something I purchase from their store. Most often, I find that they deliver a fun experience across a wide variety of complexity levels and game styles.

I also like the various dice they've been producing. I bought one of the Munchkin Polyhedral sets a while back.

I've also picked up a few of the combination (d12/d3; d8/d4; d20/d5) dice. When I'm on the DM side of things, I like that they work as the "normal" dice they are, while also having an extra option to be used to roll for things that a typical set of dice can't cover.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I'm leary of the expansions in SG/FG ... the Superheroes in TFT article was pretty much a poor fit.

Next you'll be saying Autoduel Champions was a bad idea. Or Magic in Car Wars.