The winner of the People’s Choice UK Games Expo Awards for Best Roleplaying Game was Be Like a Crow, and the company behind that success, Critical Kit, will join Geek Native at Tabletop Scotland this weekend.
Tim Roberts, the founder of Critical Kit, is also gearing up to release Be Like a Cat, which is on late pledge pre-order.
Ahead of Tabletop Scotland, Tim kindly made time to talk to me about solo RPGs like Be Like a Crow and Critical Kit.
Can you please give us an introduction to yourself and Critical Kit?
My name is Tim Roberts, and I am the founder of Critical Kit Ltd. During the past five years, we have grown from a small online store selling a handful of dice styles to one of the UK’s most popular dice stores as well as expanding into publishing our own original TTRG content.
Congratulations on the success of Be Like a Crow! Can you tell readers about it?
Be Like a Crow was a strange little idea I had for a game during lockdown. The original concept was on two sheets of A5 paper, but as I worked on it developed into something much bigger. The idea is that you take on the role of a corvid navigating the world. It is possible to play in any number of worlds and genres using a prompt-based system. The core rulebook contains prompts for urban, gothic, cyberpunk and more. If you’ve played role-playing games before, you’ll be familiar with many of the game’s concepts; if you are a newcomer, it’s a great introduction to RPGs.
You’ve won the UK Games Expo RPG of the Year Award for the game. Why do you think it did so well?
I’m still not sure about this one. I’ve thought about it quite a lot and concluded that its success comes down to a combination of a few things, including a bit of luck. However, the main thing that captures the public’s interest is that it’s a game about crows. The artwork by Khius is also unique, and the black-and-white aesthetic stands out. There’s also the fact that it’s a solo RPG, and despite the growth of this niche section of the RPG market, many people are still surprised to see an RPG that you can play by yourself. Finally, I have to thank my wife Sarah, and daughter Isabel, who both campaigned really hard on the weekend to help us get the votes.
Geek Native’s seen interest in solo RPGs grow and grow. Why do you think that is?
Multiplayer TTRPGs are great fun, but they have their issues. Any GM or player will tell you that the biggest problem is scheduling. Getting a group of people together regularly is tricky, and sometimes sessions are cancelled or, even worse, games fall apart. Solo RPGs allow you to get that fix of gamified escapism and creativity whenever you need it. You can play them at home, in a cafe, or on the train. Coming from a creative writing background, I prefer solo RPGs as I enjoy the room they give me to daydream.
Which other games would you recommend in the solo RPG space?
Apothecaria by Anna Blackwell is the game I wish I’d written. It’s an innovative resource management game with a lovely play on being a village witch. Colostle (French version) by Nich Angell is another card-based game with some highly original lore and beautiful artwork. I’m not a huge fan of high-fantasy outside of DnD, but Colostle definitely drew me in. These two are the perfect gateway games and will gently lead you into the world of solo RPGs.
What can you tell us about Be Like a Cat?
I don’t want to become the “Be Like a” guy, but people constantly ask me if I can make Be Like a [INSERT ANIMAL HERE]. I only write things that I want to see in the world that I feel like cats have that draw for me as RPG protagonists. That said, Be Like a Cat will differ from “The Crow Game” in a few ways. Firstly, it uses d6 rather than cards. Rather than being a game of completing many different objectives, as Be Like a Crow was, the main thrust of Be Like a Cat is about expanding and controlling territory. My working theme is Cat Mafia. I’m really excited about this one, especially the ancient Egyptian expansion, Book of Bastet, where your cat will explore the Pyramids and go up against ancient gods.
What’s in the future for Critical Kit?
I’ll keep writing as long as I can. It takes a lot of research and iterations to develop a game, and that all amounts to time and so I will only write things that I know I can see out to the end and that I will keep me invested through the hard days of editing. That said, I do want to push the boundaries. A game I am currently working on, Punk is Dead, is a music-making RPG that allows everyone a turn at being the GM and has the composition of a punk classic as part of its journey.
Is there anyone else, company or person, you think might be coming to Tabletop Scotland that you’re particularly keen to meet?
We’ll be happy to see a few regulars on the circuit, including HoneyBadger and Kasasagi. I’ll also be looking forward to chatting with Rich from Hatchling Games — he’s shown us so much love during our journey. There are so many people it’s great to catch up with at these events, and it’s also a place to meet new people, so I’ll just have to say that I’ll be keen to meet as many people as possible!
Where else might people be able to catch up with you?
We’ve had a busy convention year, and it’s going to keep rolling. Two days after Tabletop Scotland, we are flying out to Seattle for Pax West. In October you can see us at Essen Spiel in Germany, Wyntercon in Eastbourne and MCM London. In December we will be at MCM Birmingham and Dragonmeet.
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