Table-Talk Month

Ah, November. Not much happens in November, really.

There's that US holiday that celebrates puritan pilgrims, I guess? In the UK we have a sort-of equivalent holiday in which we burn effigies of a puritan terrorist on communal pyres. (The turkey and good will, we save for Christmas.)

So, in the interest of keeping up what little energy I have between Hallowe'en and Christmas, here at the Graverobber's Guide I'll be running a kind of mini series all through the month of November, in addition to the normal blog stuff.

And, since I feel the need for whatever reason to Name It and Make it a Thing, I'm calling this series Table-Talk month - that's what the "T" in TRPG stands for in Japan.

I've already rambled at length both here and elsewhere on the internet about tabletop RPG culture in Japan. It's a fascinating take on the hobby, full of innovation - replays, unique d6 dice systems, a focus on ease of use and some truly unique mechanics - but with how niche the industry is, original Japanese games rarely get translations or overseas releases.

If you'd like a primer on how TRPGs work in Japan, I'd be more than happy to embark on a multi-paragraph fanboy ramble - but, instead, here's someone who really, actually knows their stuff.

Kotodama Heavy Industry's Andy Kitowski is one of the few folks translating and releasing these games in English: standouts like Shinobigami and Ryuutama. He explains "replays", once of my favourite concepts from Japanese games, and their role in the larger culture in this video.

He's also interviewed in this video from Don't Stop Thinking, giving an overview of the industry and culture in general. Watch that, the "part two" video which goes more in-depth, (and then check out the rest of Don't Stop Thinking's brilliant series in which they interview gamers and designers from various countries).

Also: this month I'll be touching on JRPGs, as in video games. If you're not familiar or just don't know how they're different from other video game RPGs, Extra Credits has a decent video series right here.

So, hey, if you weren't already aware, consider yourself all caught up!

Japanese RPG culture is its own strange and magnificent beast, and throughout this month I'll be taking lessons and inspiration from many of its facets for the kinds of RPGs I write and play. One thing we're lacking in the non-Japanese-speaking world, though, is those tabletop games themselves. Like I said, they just don't get translated.

Until they do! Kamigakari: God Hunters is on Kickstarter until the end of this month. To get a taste of the kind of design Japanese games come up with, and to help show that there really is an audience for these games overseas, consider heading over there and supporting them. I'm not sponsored by them or anything - I just want more of this kind of thing to exist!

Plus, it honestly just looks like a cool game. There's a fantastic team working on it too, and they're already funded and working on some cool stretch goals. Show 'em some love!