We don’t time RPG Publisher Spotlight interviews with Kickstarters, as that task feels almost impossible. First, the publisher needs to be nominated, then in the next month, Geek Native’s patrons vote, and then, a month later, I get in touch with the winner.
Yet, for the second time in a row, the monthly RPG Publisher Spotlight is talking to a games maker currently on Kickstarter. Bloat Games has hit its funding goal and still has some time on the clock for a DCC-powered superhero game called Evolved.
Can you imagine how busy Eric Bloat must be? Nevertheless, Eric very kindly made time for us.
Getting to know Bloat Games…
If you know the Bloat Games brand, then let me ask you this: is the indie publisher just Eric Bloat?
I admit I’ve been guilty of overlooking Josh.
Who are Bloat Games?
Bloat Games at is core, is just me, Eric Bloat. However, my writing partner (and best friend) Josh Palmer does way more than he gets credit for and certainly deserves to be acknowledged for his contributions. Beyond that my wife Jaime Bloat helps significantly with the business aspect of Bloat Games, and we proudly work with over 40 freelance artists, writers, and designers on a regular basis.
What do you think you’re most well-known for?
Dark Places & Demogorgons, for sure. It’s our 1980s tabletop roleplaying, where you play as teens in small town and strange things beginning happening all around. Then it’s up to the teens and their friends to figure out what’s going on and put a stop to it.
What do you want to be best known for?
Being a nice guy. 😊
How many Kickstarters!?
If you’ve spent much time in the RPG corners of Kickstarter, then you may well have come across Bloat Games and Eric. It’s Eric’s account that faces the crowdfunding activity.
Bloat Games have launched 35 Kickstarters!
Even more impressively, Eric’s also backed over 600.
Which was your toughest Kickstarter to run, and why?
Dark Places & Demogorgons for Old-School Essentials. We did a conversion to OSE of our most popular title, and as expected it became our most successful Kickstarter to date. However, there was an issue with not being able to offer international shipping, due to the outrageous increase in shipping from the US, to international addresses. A lot of people were very dissatisfied with every option we gave around the shipping cost. It’s hard to do this when you let people down, and it’s even harder to do this when people start name calling, and posting untrue things about you and your team on the internet. So, while it was our most successful Kickstarter, by the time the campaign ended, I was just glad it over with. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience.
How important is Kickstarter to the TTRPG community?
I think it is very important to the TTRPG community! Especially to small indie publishers, like myself. Kickstarter accounts for about 70% of all revenue that Bloat Games brings in. It also, puts a lot eyes on your game, that otherwise, would not know it exists.
Congratulations (hopefully no jinx) on the success of Evolved, your Powered by DCC superhero RPG, on Kickstarter right now. Are you surprised at the reception?
No, actually I’m not. I’m part of the loyal DCC fanbase myself. DCC has some of the best fans in the industry! I knew going into this campaign that this one was going to do well. I also, knew I could count on Goodman Games to help spread the word. They’re the best when it comes to supporting Third Party Publishers of their games.
I admit the decision to use DCC for Evolved caught me by surprise. How did you come to pick DCC, and did you consider it a risk?
I’ve wanted to do a major DCC supplement for a while. When I got the idea for Evolved, I immediately thought of spells in DCC and how each has it’s own page description with failures and successes built right in. I thought, instead of spells, make them Evolved powers, give each a page with their own failures and successes and the DCC players would eat it up.
The ups and downs of superheroes and Marvel
I’ve enjoyed the last few Marvel movies, but I am also very aware the shine seems to be coming off the once-unstoppable MCU. I wondered where Eric stood…
Are you a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? What should Marvel do next?
HUGE FAN of the MCU! I am most excited for a new Spider-man Trilogy. One where maybe Peter is in college. Let the character age as Tom Holland ages. Take us on a new series of adventures. Maybe introduce a live action Miles Morales. And of course, bring X-men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool into the fold!
How strongly coupled is the fate of superhero TTRPGs and superhero movies?
I don’t think they are strongly tied together. Superhero TTRPGs have always been a niche, in niche industry. There will always be comic book fans that want to play supers game. If the modern superhero movie franchises fail, and go away for a while, Supers TTRPGs will still have the same players it always has had.
Is it scary to have lost the acronym ‘RPG’?
I like change but and dislike gatekeeping but I admit that I feel a bit defensive of the acronym ‘RPG’. Evolved, though, is billed as a TTRPG.
Speaking of scares, I also took the chance to tap up Eric for some GMing advice!
The acronym RPG is often now used for computer games, while a whole new generation uses TTRPG, and I noticed Evolved does, too. Should we cede the letters?
As publisher, it’s just easier for me. Yes, ttrpgs were the first to use rpg, however, the times when I haven’t used ttrpg as the designation on my games for Kickstarters, without fail, I would get questions about what console my video game was for? After time, I just caved and used TTRPG.
You’ve several horror games, too, which invite a killer question: “How can a GM scare veteran players?”
That’s a difficult one. But the best way, is start by setting a serious tone. No joking, or cutting up. Be fair in your rulings, but also be lethal. Reward good play, punish dumb mistakes. A TPK goes a long way in showing the players that this game is going to be different.
Is there a license you think Bloat Games would excel at?
I would LOVE to make a Batman The Animated Series TTRPG. I’m a huge Batman fan, and the Animated Series is my favorite incarnation of the Batman mythos. I think I could make a really awesome TTRPG of that show.
What’s next for Bloat Games?
Bloat Games has a lot coming this year! Up next, we have an indie TTRPG “Now That You’re Dead!” that is Odd Thomas, meets The Shining by Stephen King, meets The 6th Sense, meets X-files. After that we’ll be doing We Die Young for Old-School Essentials, a conversion of our supernatural roleplaying game set in the 1990s in Seattle at the start of the Grunge movement. Then a couple of card games, and some more RPGs later in the year.
(Art by Phil Stone)
Bloat Games
- Bloat Games’ website.
- Kickstarter for Evolved.
- Bloat Games on DriveThruRPG.
- Bloat Games’ shop.
- Eric Bloat on YouTube.
- Bloat Games on Facebook.
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