Mongoose Publishing Acquires Dark Conspiracy RPG

Mongoose Publishing has acquired the rights to the Dark Conspiracy RPG, originally published in 1991 by Game Designers' Workshop. The game is set in the near future in the United States, and is described as a 'dark horror' game. The US is made of massive 'metroplexes' surrounded by the lawless 'Out-Law' areas and mysterious 'Demongrounds' which spawn dark monsters.

There have been three editions of the game since 1991. The 2nd Edition was published in 1995 by Dark Conspiracy Enterprises, and the 3rd Edition in 2012 by Kinstaff Media. The new Mongoose edition is expected in 2026.

The original creator, Lester W. Smith was also trying to acquire the property. Yesterday he posted on his blog that he failed to secure the rights--

I did my best, folks. Made an offer, had it approved, negotiated for some final wording about the state of previous licenses, and learned last week that the IP was being sold to someone else.

This isn't the first game that Mongoose has acquired in recent months. In October 2024 it acquired Twilight 2000 and 2300 AD, and in August 2024 the company announced that it had acquired the rights to Traveller from creator Marc Miller.

 

[EthanSental]

That cover from 1991 brings back memories of my college days at the comic and game store. Great cover and if anyone knows the artist, please post as I try to search the web for the answer.

Larry Elmore?

 

[beta-ray]

They did? Very suspicious…

 

[MGibster]

Oh, boy! The original Dark Conspiracy was set in the near future after the global collapse of the economy leaving many nations destitute. The best part about this is nobody needs to update the setting since we're living the future now!

 

[Cergorach]

Nice move for Mongoose! But Mongoose has been part of the Rebellion family (Cubicle 7 is in that same family) for around 17 years now, they're turning into an IP company, buying up IPs left and right. MGP has been doing well with the Traveller IP, looks like they are doing well these days as they can afford to buy up these IPs, that should mean that there's money to give these IPs the treatment they deserve. To many of the small (often one man shows) that acquire these kinds of IPs often don't last long. Just look at Dark Conspiracy 2nd and 3rd edition, maybe a handful of products and then nothing until someone else acquires it and tries again (with a new edition no less)...

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

That cover from 1991 bring snack memories of my college days at the comic and game store. Great cover and if anyone knows the artist, please post as I try to search the web for the answer.

Larry Elmore?

Tim Bradstreet, I think.

 

[Morrus]

Nice move for Mongoose! But Mongoose has been part of the Rebellion family (Cubicle 7 is in that same family) for around 17 years now,

Neither have been involved with Rebellion for over a decade.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Tim Bradstreet, I think.

Nope, they already had it right. It was Larry Elmore. You can tell it's not Bradstreet because it's not a traced photo of a try-hard mugging straight into the camera.

 

[sevenbastard]

Nope, they already had it right. It was Larry Elmore. You can tell it's not Bradstreet because it's not a traced photo of a try-hard mugging straight into the camera.

Also Elmore signed it on the wall part under the car. Along with some GDW lives graffiti.

 

[BovineofWar]

Mongoose is really on a roll trying to recover all of the GDW properties. Good on them!

I hope they reach out to Lester B. Smith, I get the impression that their interactions with Marc Miller have all been positive.

 

[General_Tangent]

Oh I didnt know those existed!

The Fiddleback trilogy was one of the few works of gaming fiction I really liked. Well worth a read if you can find them.