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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Wait, Kij Johnson - author of the Dream Quest of Vellit Boe and Fudoki? Oh, and also of a book called The Riverbank pubbed in 2017?

I am so backing this. (And also going to go get the book too!). Wind in the Willows one of my favorite books as a kid, and still a banger.
Yep! Though a part of me deep down hopes there’s also a place in the game for something like her rather twisted short story Ponies.
 

Wait, Kij Johnson - author of the Dream Quest of Vellit Boe and Fudoki? Oh, and also of a book called The Riverbank pubbed in 2017?

I am so backing this. (And also going to go get the book too!). Wind in the Willows one of my favorite books as a kid, and still a banger.

Ooohhh, heck yeah!

re: violence. I think that a lot of that might just be that traditionally RPG mechanics dont do good non-conflict resolution that's not just talking. I'm loving more games tackling the fact that you can face stakes and harm (including mental!) despite not drawing swords/guns/throwing down.
 




Some genres are hard to pull of in the format. But I would argue that other genres and playstyles have been around since the beginning, or even before it. It is just that action adventure and horror are the most visible -- like they are in almost every other medium. Visceral thrills are broadly popular. This should come as a surprise to no one.
Dallas was one of the first few licensed IP games (1980)... and doesn't even include fisticuffs. (It's also the earliest "resolve the scene, not the action" games I've found.)
So Bobby and JR getting into it isn't emulated mechanically.
 

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