Kobold Press Announces 'Cozy' RPG Riverbank

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Kobold Press--known for its D&D 5E compatible products--is diversifying into the world of cosy TTRPGs with Riverbank, a game of 'elegant animals, chaos, & whimsy'. The game has a page on Backerkit already, and launches in April.

Illustrated by Kathleen Jennings, and designed by Kij Johnson, the game allows you to attend tea parties, compete at the village fair, and dance at fancy balls. It uses a new game system which utilises a balance between the Animal and Poetry sides of your character.

In a RiverBank game, you join an intelligent society of anthropomorphic Animals and enter their life of cake and teatime by the slow part of the river. Here, the charm of cottagecore meets the whimsy of sophisticated critters as they navigate the intricacies—and often the bedlam—of polite Animal society.

Riverbank is a game about roleplaying, where your character choices directly impact the narrative. Weave farcical or dramatic tales of elegant characters on curious quests as you celebrate friendships, navigate social niceties, and weather the unique dynamics of Animal life. Attend tea parties, stroll through gardens, dance at fancy balls, and win the prize at the village fair—all while trying to keep a stiff upper lip and dodging difficult relatives.
 

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I get why RPGs started as predominantly action-adventure games regardless of the setting-genre. That action-adventure has utterly dominated the RPG industry until today is something of a mystery. There are more kinds of stories. Why is it either action-adventure fantasy/sci-fi or mystery-horror? There are more genres than that.
I agree.

The good news is that, the further one gets away from D&D's gravity well, the more genres pop up.


The dominant thrust of the industry is still 99% about kicking down doors and sticking pointy pieces of metal into folks the PCs disagree with. But hopefully it won't be that way forever.
 
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There is a market for cozy games. In my solo FB groups, many women play cozy RPGs; men also play them. They are looking for a different, non-violent experience.

I've got like 300 hours in Star Dew Valley, but...

a) Star Dew Valley is a solo experience and...
b) Not strictly non-violent, as if you get tired of the cozy life you can go slay slimes in the cozy dungeons.
 





The further one gets away from D&D's gravity well, the more genres pop up.


The dominant thrust of the industry is still 99% about kicking down doors and sticking pointy pieces of metal into folks the PCs disagree with. But hopefully it won't be that way forever.
I think my wife would like Nancy Druid. I'll ask.
 


Riverbank is going to have its own system, not related at all to 5e. Even if it's just used for a few sessions as a palette cleanser, I agree, that these kind of games are catching on. And for some, this genre will be more engaging than killing monsters.
Absolutely see that now.:oops:

I hope this does well, but I'm less interested now. I already have games I could use for this purpose and I think a completely different system will be a harder sell with people who are just starting out in the hobby. But with that said, good luck!
 

I guess 'cottaging' is not a term familiar to most people on here then.. :) Because cottage + 'core' evokes something very different for people this side of the pond!
 

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