Fists & Fiends: New Indie Combat Game Created by a Real Martial Arts Master (Year Zero Engine)

[1mm0rtal]

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share an exciting new Kickstarter that Year Zero Engine fans might be interested in. Fists & Fiends is a martial arts survival horror RPG that takes the YZE in a completely new direction.

What makes it unique:

• Developed by Randy Brown, a martial artist with 26 years of real-world fighting experience
• Six authentic fighting disciplines (Mantis Boxing, Monkey Boxing, etc.) each with distinct mechanics
• 89 real martial arts techniques drawn from actual kung fu traditions
• Set in flood-ravaged 1800s Northern China where superstition has become deadly reality

The YZE Implementation: Uses the familiar four-stat system (Might, Slight, Wit, Grit) but revolutionizes unarmed combat. Instead of generic "punch/kick" actions, you're choosing from specific authentic techniques that create tactical depth rarely seen in RPGs.

Setting: After catastrophic floods wiped out millions, 108 survivors emerge from a fortress to face pirates, rebels, warlords, and supernatural fiends. Think "The Walking Dead meets kung fu movies" in historical China.

Beta testers report sessions so intense they "crawl out of their skin" - the combat system makes every technique choice matter tactically, while staying true to the YZE's risk/reward mechanics.

Kickstarter Campaign Details:

• Dates: September 9 - October 8, 2025
• Pledges: $25 PDF / $60 physical book
• Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fistsfiends/fists-and-fiends-tabletop-rpg
  
  
  
  

 

[aco175]

@1mm0rtal welcome to the site. Seems like it could be cool but a little complex for some who might be used to something more plain, like DnD.

I first read the tagline and thought about being created by a real martial arts master. I thought about Bruce Lee vs. Jackie Chan and how each might be wildly different.

 

[1mm0rtal]

Thanks! The appeal is definitely niche, I'm a 10+ year student at the creator's martial arts school so it lines right up for me but not everyone.

The use of the Year Zero Engine will make it feel very familiar to people who have played YZE games before though, and the general gameplay has a D&D flavor to it as well.