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DEPTH & DOOM CORE ENGINE IS OUT NOW!

A topic by Zombie Shark Games created 4 days ago Views: 1,776 Replies: 7

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I've always dreamed of releasing my own tabletop RPG. After six years of developing BLOODWATER, I'm finally getting close to making that dream a reality.

I'm officially launching my own game publishing company, Zombie Shark Games, along with our new website.

Today, I'm releasing Depth & Doom, the rules-light, OSR-inspired tabletop RPG engine that powers BLOODWATER. The Core Engine is available for FREE, along with a publishing license allowing other creators to develop and sell their own games using the system.

I'm hoping to finish BLOODWATER and release the full Depth & Doom SRD soon, with the BLOODWATER Kickstarter to follow.

Six years in the making, and we're finally approaching the finish line.

Check out Zombie Shark Games and download Depth & Doom:

https://zombiesharkgames.com

https://zombie-shark-games.itch.io/depth-and-doom-core-engine

jh19563 days ago

Sounds great! I admire your dedication and look forward to checking it out.

Zombie Shark Games1 day ago

Thanks!

haoyiming80097545-web2 days ago

Turning six years of system design into a free core engine—and letting other people build their own games with it—is a really cool move.

For players trying Depth & Doom for the first time, what do you hope hits them in that very first session: checking the rules less, making more calls on the fly, or the stories that come out of danger and tough choices? 🎲

I work on interactive fiction, so I think a lot about that moment when new players start actively making decisions on their own.

jh19562 days ago

A cool move and a selfless move. Wishing Zombie Shark Games great success.

Zombie Shark Games1 day ago

Thank you, you rock!

Zombie Shark Games1 day ago

Thanks! I really appreciate that!

Honestly, I think all three go hand in hand. One of my biggest goals with Depth & Doom was to create a system that gets out of the way of the experience. I want players and GMs spending less time digging through rulebooks and more time making decisions, improvising, and actually playing.

I love when mechanics create unexpected moments haha, especially when failure doesn't necessarily mean nothing happens. Sometimes success comes at a cost, and those consequences can push the story in directions nobody anticipated. That's rock and roll!

Ideally, by the end of that first session, players aren't thinking about the rules anymore. They're thinking about what happened, what they could have done differently, and what they're going to do next.

That's really what I hope people take away from Depth & Doom. The rules should support the adventure, not get in its way. And I'm excited to see what other creators build with it! #party

ming1011 day ago

Still Yiming from ISECAI here, just following up from our team's ming101 account.

"Success at a cost" is so much better at growing a story than just stalling out after a failure—that is so true haha. Wanting players to end up talking about what happened instead of flipping through a rulebook is such a clear goal. We’re also testing ISECAI, a free web AI anime academy RPG driven by free text, and I'd love to hear if you think the choices and consequences keep you invested. Down to try a short bit of the opening? If you're interested, I’ll drop the link and a unique code right in the comments.