Truthfully, a lot of times I back a Kickstarter, particularly something like a Zinequest thing, I am vaguely disappointed when it finally arrives. Usually, it isn't that the actually content disappoints particularly (though sometimes it does), but it's just that having the object in my hands fails next to the expectations from all those months ago when I backed it.
Not so with GRIDSHOCK 20XX!
What's GRIDSHOCK 20XX it's a post-apocalyptic, superhero setting with a 80s future aesthetic. It's a bit anime and manga, a bit Rifts, a bit American and British sci-fi comics of the mid to late 80s. It runs on the superhero game ICONS, but the setting is the real draw.
This is not a review. The author is a friend of mine, and I did some editing and playtesting on it. But if anything, I think that sort of familiarity would have made the final receipt of the books as perfunctory. Not so! Chris Vermeren's layout and design, and the art of Grey Wizard and Steven de Waele, work so well with Paul's vision of the world, that it's like finally seeing it the way it was meant to be.
Plus the printing is high quality, too.
Sure, you could say these perhaps stretch the definition of a zine--but they are not the product of a corporate environment. This wasn't made by committee, but rather it's the product of talented individuals.
Hit Paul up on twitter and see if you can convince him to do a second printing!
That looks really good, sorry I missed the KS. Thanks for the heads up, will keep an eye out for second printing. Not on DTRPG as a pdf yet, is it?
ReplyDeleteLet me repay the rec. Take a look at Glimmer's Rim on DTRPG. It was a zinequest entry as well, a system agnostic fantasy hexcrawl in a very exotic setting. You can read a surprising amount of it in the preview and I think both the the writing and artwork really shine. Very creative concepts there, even if it's not quite done getting a final polish. Another one I'm sorry I missed.
I'll check that out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe PDF of GRIDSHOCK 20XX is available for preorder until February 8th, 2022.
ReplyDeletehttps://paulvermeren.pledgemanager.com/projects/gridshock-20xx/participate
GRIDSHOCK 20XX will be available for purchase on DriveThruRPG (as a PDF) and from Floating Chair and Exalted Funeral (in print) shortly thereafter. I may also have a few extra print copies of my own left over when all is said and done, but we'll see.
A second print run is possible if the demand is there!
Duly noted - I prefer print to pdf so I'll keep an eye out for them to hit Exalted Funeral or Floating Chair. Really looks very promising, and I particularly like system agnostic settings for supers games. If nothing else a dystopian/PA super-future is a fine origin point for supers in a more four-color campaign, or a place for "regular" supers to wind up stuck in for a story arc.
ReplyDeleteGRIDSHOCK 20XX isn't system-agnostic - it uses ICONS for stats - but the focus is definitely on the setting more than the rules. I think it's quite usable with any supers RPG. I have used it for its own series/campaigns and as a brief stop for "regular" supers campaigns, as you suggest.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest!
I can always count on you for some interesting suggestions! Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteGRIDSHOCK 20XX print zines are available in limited quantities from these fine online retailers.
ReplyDeleteFloating Chair: https://floatingchair.club/products/gridshock-20xx
Exalted Funeral: COMING SOON