Tomb Raider Licensed RPG Announced by Evil Hat Publishing

Evil Hat Publishing, makers of FATE and Blades in the Dark, have announced an officially licensed RPG based on the Tomb Raider video game franchise starring the iconic character Lara Croft.

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From the announcement:

Explore hidden tombs and uncover powerful secrets! Defy danger as you race to discover forgotten artifacts and prevent nefarious forces from exploiting them! Race to unearth secret artifacts and forgotten truths in order to save them from the nefarious forces that would exploit them!

Mystery awaits, and sometimes, the answers we seek can only be found in shadow…

In this officially licensed tabletop RPG you play members of the Truth Seekers: contemporaries of Lara Croft who strive to reveal long-hidden knowledge and thwart those who would steal and exploit artifacts for their own gains. It is a game of action, exploration, and self-discovery. Face perilous challenges and tough choices as you learn what it takes to be a hero.

Tomb Raider: Shadows of Truth requires 3-6 players, pencils, paper, the rulebook, and at least six 6-sided dice in order to play.

Your group will collectively create their Team using one of the Team Playbooks and then build individual Team members choosing from the Crafter, Scholar, Hunter, Companion, Legacy, Changed, and Reclaimer. One player, the Keeper of Truths, describes the dynamic and compelling world around the Team as they all make the connections which bring the adventure to life.

Collect Truths and draw upon your Maps, Aid, and Lore to boost your rolls as you race to enter the Final Tomb!

The Truth is hidden. The Truth is dangerous. And in the end, the power of Truth is what we make it.

Based on the hit franchise from Crystal Dynamics, Tomb Raider: Shadows of Truth will be a 8.5 x 11 full-color hardcover containing rules, advice, and adventures for both Seekers and Keepers alike. Currently under development in-house at Evil Hat, a public playtest will launch soon and crowdfunding in service of its production is expected in 2025.

To stay tuned to further announcements about the game, including the upcoming playtest, make sure to join the Society of Raiders on the official franchise website here.

Though there hasn't been a new video game in the Tomb Raider franchise since 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, developer Aspyr recently released a remaster of the first three games, Tomb Raider I-III Remaster on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch earlier this month. The only other official tabletop RPG for the Tomb Raider franchise was 2023's Lara Croft's Mark of the Phoenix released as free PDF on the Crystal Dynamics website.

As part of the promotion for the Tomb Raider: Shadows of Truth announcement, Evil Hat has provided a coupon for 20% off of any of their games with the code ENTERTHETOMB during checkout from the Evil Hat store.

 

[StarkMaximum]

Didn't Crystal Dynamics release a free Tomb Raider TTRPG just about a year ago? I'm not gonna say no to two cakes, but it's really weird that Tomb Raider of all things is going to have two TTRPGs so close to each other.

 

[Abstruse]

Didn't Crystal Dynamics release a free Tomb Raider TTRPG just about a year ago? I'm not gonna say no to two cakes, but it's really weird that Tomb Raider of all things is going to have two TTRPGs so close to each other.

It's linked at the end of the column. It looks like that was originally planned for a 2022 commercial release with actual, physical products for sale but it got delayed for some reason then eventually released as a free PDF instead. This was also about the time that the company was sold by Square Enix to Embracer Group.

 

[evilhat]

learning today that Evil Genius Games and Evil Hat Games are separate companies, after the big thread about EGG crashing and burning.

Perhaps more importantly, it's the difference between Evil Genius Games and Evil Hat Productions (our actual company name). Folks have mis-typed it as Evil Hat Games for years, tho, so you're hardly the first.

 

[evilhat]

Didn't Crystal Dynamics release a free Tomb Raider TTRPG just about a year ago? I'm not gonna say no to two cakes, but it's really weird that Tomb Raider of all things is going to have two TTRPGs so close to each other.

That one that got released, for free as a PDF, was a passion project by one of the employees at Crystal Dynamics. It didn't line up with what we proposed doing when CD approached us with interest in us working on a TR game. I'm sure some folks will prefer that earlier one — big hobby, differing tastes, all that — and that's fine. We're doing something that will feel quite distinct from that one.

 

[mikeawmids1]

Literally Nobody: ...
Evil Hat: Time to make a Tomb Raider TTRPG!

 

[evilhat]

Literally Nobody: ...
Evil Hat: Time to make a Tomb Raider TTRPG!

Actually it was more like:
Evil Hat: ...
Crystal Dynamics: Hey there, Evil Hat! We're interested in working with you to create a tabletop RPG for Tomb Raider!
Evil Hat: Thanks for contacting us, let's talk!
[Months pass, discussion happens, a vision comes together]
Crystal Dynamics: Let's do it!
Evil Hat: Time to make a Tomb Raider TTRPG!

 

[MatthewJHanson]

@evilhat Thanks for stopping by the forums to answer questions. I've never played any of the Tomb Raider games, but Evil Hat being involved means that I might check it out.

 

[Reynard]

Literally Nobody: ...
Evil Hat: Time to make a Tomb Raider TTRPG!

This is unnecessarily hostile. Game companies make games. Sometimes licensed ones.

 

[Umbran]

Literally Nobody: ...
Evil Hat: Time to make a Tomb Raider TTRPG!

Mod Note:
Everyone gets to have an opinion, including negative ones. However, it'd be better for everyone if you expressed it in something like a constructive form, instead of just leaving a steaming pile in the middle of the thread.

 

[Campbell]

I'm pretty much excited by the prospect of any game designed by Rae Nedjadi. Running Apocalypse Keys was the most fun I have ever had behind a screen.