Interviews
Episode 039: Desolation RPG with Greymalkin Designs by The Game's The Thing
"Everybody should go out and get this RPG. If nothing else, they should have it for the phenomenal ability that these gentlemen have for invoking the setting." More»
Reviews
Casting Shadows Review by Runeslinger
"Desolation provides an interesting combination of elements which somehow manages to mix the clarity of a detailed setting with the open-ended freedom of a merely outlined setting. I found this approach to be both refreshing and liberating ... In this game, the world is laid out before you and then destroyed to whatever extent you see fit, and with whatever alterations to the map that suit your fancy. How accommodating!" More»
Knights of the Dinner Table Review by Brian Jelke
"If you're looking for a fantasy RPG filled with cheerful folk and cute, magical creatures, Desolation is not for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for some gritty fantasy roleplay with a post-apocalyptic setting, then this game will knock your socks off." More»
RPGnet Review by Mitch A. Williams
"Desolation is a fun and interesting game to read and looks like it will be a great game to play. However, given its dark tone, dangerous magic system, and the amount of detail left up to the GM, I don’t believe that just any group could make it work as it should. Without a skilled GM and players willing to get into all of the roleplaying aspects provided, the nuances could be lost. And that would be a shame because it is all the glorious details that make Desolation stand out from the norm." More»
Ain't It Cool News Review by Massawyrm
"I've seen a number of campaigns like this in the past, but never so richly laid out and wonderfully conceived. They've even included rules on playing through the "Night of Fire." reading the fluff provided with this book is worth the price alone. It's a hell of a well conceived apocalyptic event which leads to a rich delicious world with nothing but possibility. Everything is a ruin. Everything can be dangerous. A shattered city is now an open air dungeon, teeming with mutant creatures and savage beasts just looking to eat. And speaking of eating, there are rules for how much nutrition each animal and creature can provide when properly prepared." More»
RPGnet Review by Christopher W. Richeson
"I also enjoy that they stress the magical effects of the Night of Fire. Forests turned to bone and other magically chaotic scenery is found next to ash dunes, chasms, and similarly post-apocalyptic places. In play I had a great time with this since I felt like I could let my imagination run wild and then sharply reign it back in, with characters traveling through harsh scrubland only to find a forest made of pure crystal with creatures of light and glass dwelling within. It’s also fun if you enjoy thinking up weird ecosystems that could develop around such things." More»
EN World Review by Crothian
"The world as it is now is a very different. One of the great choices the publishers made was to include no maps of what the world looks like. No one knows what it is like. There are stories of coast lines changing, mountains being turned in upon themselves, and even islands being moved some thousands of miles inland. The world looks different but no one has a full understanding of just how different and in what ways it has changed. This will leave a lot of open room in the setting for the GM to set up villages and alter the landscape as he sees fit." More»
RPGnet Review by Chris Birch
Clever twist on the post-cataclysm setting. Nice fantasy interpretation of the Ubiquity rules if you're a fan of HEX and want something else to play with. The Ubiquity rules encourage speedy play by using the average of a dice roll rather than needing to roll, and very very easy to learn for people who are new to gaming. A great depth to the game setting for advanced players to try out really dramatic characters. The nature of value is turned on it's head — bags of seeds and steel swords or ploughs make gems and gold feel worthless. It's a great way of breathing new life in to a stale fantasy campaign. Lovely production quality on the book. More»
