Tomb Raider RPG Cancelled For Creative Differences

Evil Hat Publishing has just announced that the official Tomb Raider TTRPG has been cancelled.

Sad news: We are canceling the Tomb Raider RPG project. Due to creative differences we couldn’t get our vision to gel with the licensor’s, so we've chosen to part ways.

The stellar team designing this game put their hearts into making this an exciting, dynamic RPG of adventure and exploration.

We're proud of the work they've done and we plan to retool the project as a standalone game with a fresh, original setting.

You haven’t seen the last of it.

An official Tomb Raider RPG was originally announced by Square Enix in 2021 for the 25th anniversary of the property. 2023's Lara Croft's Mark of the Phoenix released as free PDF on the Crystal Dynamics website.

The Evil Hat version was announced in February 2024 as a full-color hardback book. The plan was to allow you to play Truth Seekers, allies and contemporaries of Lara Croft who Indiana Jones out hidden artifacts for the benefit of good.

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.

 

[agrayday]

Weird game to try to adapt to a TTRPG.

"You work for Lara Croft."

Isnt this just like the Doctor Who RPG's?

i would assume Savage Worlds or Broken Compass would be the supporting systems for this theme.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Isnt this just like the Doctor Who RPG's?

i would assume Savage Worlds or Broken Compass would be the supporting systems for this theme.

I think they lack a comprehensive cleavage rule system.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

There's money in a licensed rpg game, 100%, so I know why companies want to sell them. But I think as an rp designer, you are already a step behind trying to design something for what is traditionally a troupe style activity around an intellectual property that is so strongly focused on a single protagonist. James Bond, Lara Croft, Indiana Jones even. You'll have to make some sort of creative decision right out of the gate (like "you work for Lara Croft" or you are "Indiana Jone's B-team" or whatever) that feels like it'll hamstring the game.

Some properties require less twisting of the rpg paradigm - like Hellboy for instance. BPRD was so built up with their own several series, that designing a game set in that world would require less contortions.

 

[Reynard]

That was more or less the premise of the WEG Indiana Jones game.

"Oh, Indy's too busy right now, let's send in the B-team on this one."

I mean, it's the conceit of almost every licensed game. Star Wars? Luke is busy? DCU? Batman has a thing. Etc.

I don't know how this is a criticism of this particular brand.

 

[Alphastream]

Request for stories to come with a link to their source, please and thank you!

https://bsky.app/profile/evilhat.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3ls2wnqsums2v

 

[Professor Murder]

At some point, some behind closed doors info may come out, but it may not. I will say this. Any licensed game has a lifespan. How long the publishing company can maintain the license. If EH was just not able to come to terms quickly enough for what game they wanted to release, it honestly makes sense to cut bait. Every month they don't release the game is a failure to get a return on what you paid for the license.

 

[jdrakeh]

At some point, some behind closed doors info may come out, but it may not. I will say this. Any licensed game has a lifespan. How long the publishing company can maintain the license. If EH was just not able to come to terms quickly enough for what game they wanted to release,

This is true. It is, after all, what happened to the last try at a Tomb Raider film franchise. Which is a shame. That Alicia Vikander vehicle was pretty good.