Ask Creators Something: Possum Creek’s Newest Tabletop Roleplaying Sport

On this month’s version of our recurring sequence – Ask Creators Something – let’s take a peek at Possum Creek’s latest sport: Yazeba’s Mattress and Breakfast, a slice-of-life legacy tabletop roleplaying sport (TTRPG) a couple of discovered household and their magical residence. Yazeba’s Mattress and Breakfast is Possum Creek’s observe as much as their breakout hit, Wanderhome, a tabletop roleplaying sport set on the earth of Hæth, which is offered in a mode that’s parsimoniously poetic, immensely imaginative, idyllic, and inclusive. Indiegogo’s Stacy Bradford sits down with Possum Creek’s Co-Founder and Artwork Director Ruby Levin to debate all issues Possum Creek and YBB by way of Discord. Take a look at their chat under.

Stacy Bradford, Indiegogo: Hey Ruby!

Ruby Levin, Possum Creek: Hey Stacy! Nice seeing you once more!

IGG: Similar to you! Hey, I used to be serious about this earlier, and gotta ask – there’s been numerous discuss recently about daylight financial savings time – what time is it proper now in Hæth?

Possum Creek: Wonderful query! Whereas I don’t need to spoil the shock if the world is on Greenwich Imply Time or not, however I can let you know that it’s Hæth previous the hour.

IGG: Ha! Alright, we’ve rather a lot to get to in the present day – so let’s get into it. I hope I don’t gush too exhausting; I’m fairly enamored by Possum Creek. Are you able to inform me just a little about your founding story?

Possum Creek: Possum Creek is a small indie tabletop roleplaying sport publishing firm based mostly within the Hudson Valley. Once I say small, I do imply it’s simply me and Jay Dragon, our Editorial Director, and we’re simply pals who met at a summer season camp within the Catskills. 

IGG: Let me cease you proper there. I didn’t know you went to the identical summer season camp with Jay. I used to be chatting with Jay in our Instagram Dwell, and Jay talked about summoning ghosts. What are your necromancy expertise like?

Possum Creek: Ok that I can summon a conductor to maintain this practice on the tracks. So Possum Creek was based initially as a automobile to publish our debut title, Sleepaway (go on, make the connection) after which ramped up right into a full enterprise with the explosive success of Wanderhome in 2020. Since then, we’ve printed a number of different video games by pals and visionaries within the indie tabletop scene, and we plan to proceed making and publishing stunning, unusual, queer video games so long as we will.

IGG: That’s incredible. I really like that. Is that the way you’d describe Possum Creek’s mission?

Possum Creek: On a regular basis we jokingly say that we makes video games for individuals who don’t like video games (me, for one)—video games that play out just a little in another way than individuals could be used to, in methods which might be extra pleasant to, clearly, queer and marginalized individuals, but in addition younger individuals or sleepy individuals or or lengthy distance pal teams or individuals who don’t do math. 

IGG: May you do me a favor and quantify the quantity of people that can’t do math? 

Possum Creek: My math expertise put me up Possum Creek with no paddle. However! I can let you know we additionally give attention to making bodily stunning books and objects, and supporting different creators who assume the way in which we do, be it by way of recommendation, neighborhood constructing, equitable pay and contracts for our freelancers, and even small inventive loans.

IGG: Yeah, inform me extra about that. I do know you all created the Hæth Grant. Inform me extra about that.

Possum Creek: I’d like to! So the Hæth Grant is a program whereby different creators can apply for a grant of as much as $500 to make inventive work by way of an prolonged model of the third celebration license for any of our video games. And one of the best half is creators personal the rights and gross sales to something they create; and final yr we gave out over $20,000 in funds for creators to make issues like soundtracks, unique Wanderhome playbooks, apps, and even Wanderhome-themed wine!

IGG: I’m blanc-ing on a superb segue, however let’s pivot barely. Inform me about Yazeba’s Mattress and Breakfast! 

Possum Creek: Lastly! Ha. So Yazeba’s is a slice-of-life story sport. Each session is fast to arrange and play, utilizing easy however bespoke guidelines utilizing a deck of playing cards or assorted tokens to do issues like clear the home, go trick or treating, or attend a ball. On the finish of each session of this tabletop roleplaying sport, the alternatives you made throughout play will unlock new stickers, guidelines, developments to your characters, and friends for the BNB, making every copy of the sport a novel personalised expertise.

IGG: I really like that every copy of the sport is a novel expertise. It’s that replayability that retains individuals coming again. Nicely, that and a superb plot. Inform me just a little in regards to the plot of the sport.

Possum Creek: The story begins when one stormy night time our heroine, Gertrude, a trans teen runaway, discovers Yazeba’s Mattress & Breakfast and strikes into the laundry room. We observe her, the opposite everlasting employees and residents of the BNB, and 50 assorted friends via their unusual and charming day-to-day lives. 

IGG: That sounds so enjoyable! May you inform me in regards to the characters within the sport? Additionally, gotta ask – is Parish an important character or the best character?!?!

Possum Creek: They’re all nice, Stacy! So Gertrude is shy and candy however studying to be extra herself (or extra Yazeba, if she can handle it.) Yazeba is a grumpy, heartless chain-smoking witch with untold energy who hates you, in all probability. Sal is her former apprentice, now Night time Porter on the BNB, the cool uncle of the group and an unimaginable musician. Parish, the Chef of the home, was a valiant and chivalrous knight however was cursed to be a frog, and he’s coping with it in his personal means. Hey Child is just a little demon baby in each sense of the phrase. Amelie is our robotic housekeeper, tireless and selfless in each means, as their programming calls for…except?

IGG: Except?

Possum Creek: …

IGG: That’s tremendous ominous, and I gotta say – I’m just a little scared. Ha, I’m kidding. Your video games are too pleasant to be scary. That’s a part of the rationale why I like them a lot – as I’m going to allow you to in on a secret – I used to be born a coward. That’s why I can’t do horror. Haha. However talking of issues I really like about Possum Creek – I really like the paintings within the sport. What went into it?

Possum Creek: Yazeba’s really has a tough aesthetic to nail down. We need to evoke nostalgia for youngsters’s books and Saturday morning cartoons and obsessive fanfiction abruptly, and people issues all look fairly completely different. Primarily we prioritize a way of shade, enjoyable, and variety of illustration. The most typical artwork route I give out is to remain inside a form of iridescent-sunset shade palette, or to present a personality a sillier expression and a gayer haircut.

IGG: With route like that, now I get why there’s the same throughline when it comes to your video games that continues into the on-line model of YBB. What was it like working with One Multiverse Media?

Possum Creek: Working with OMM has been so nice, they really perceive what we’re making an attempt to do with the sport and have introduced so many good concepts to the digital model of YBB. Even after engaged on this sport for years there are few delights as pure as digital Parish really hopping across the kitchen making a stew, or establishing a wet temper with lighting and results, and even the massive absurdist fried egg tokens on the sting of gameplay. OMM can also be planning some actually thrilling stuff with gamers with the ability to actually design their very own gameplay and chapters, and including some friends that may do issues unique to the digital model!

IGG: That’s so cool! You all have a podcast as properly. How’s that going?

Possum Creek: Good! All of the episodes have aired and can be found wherever you and many others and many others 😉

IGG: Now I do know we’re just a little over time right here, so let’s begin wrapping up. When do you anticipate to ship YBB?

Possum Creek: August 2023—we’re giving ourselves a extremely lengthy lead time as a result of provide chain, labor points, pandemic, giant workforce, making an attempt to prioritize wellbeing. So I’m completely not in any means saying it might drop earlier than then. 

IGG: Have a look at you managing expectations there! Are you able to handle backers expectations round any sustainability points to the sport?

Possum Creek: We’re printing YBB and its sport elements with Panda Video games; and collectively we’re dedicated to utilizing soy-based inks and water-based varnishes on recycled waste paper and plastic as a lot as potential. In truth, 30% of the video games’ cardboard elements are recycled and that quantity is 100% for delivery cartons.

IGG: I assumed you mentioned you weren’t good at math! Haha I really like that although, as sustainability is tremendous essential to me and Indiegogo has been referred to as the business chief in sustainability. And on that observe – the place can we discover all issues Possum Creek on social media?

Possum Creek: We’re largely lively on twitter! You’ll be able to observe @possum_creek, @rubylavin, or @jdragsky for each little little bit of information. We’re additionally on Instagram and Fb as @possumcreekgames. Additionally, please be a part of the Possum Creek Campsite on Discord.

IGG: Extremely encourage everybody who will probably be studying this as soon as it’s posted to observe the above. You and Jay actually do have nice Twitter accounts, and I really like studying what you’re each as much as. That mentioned – in closing – any recommendation for creators seeking to get into tabletop roleplaying sport?

Possum Creek: Make pals after which work with them! Make belongings you really like and imagine in that solely you could possibly make, a philosophy I typically confer with as “going full loopy.”

IGG: This has been a lot enjoyable. Thanks to your time in the present day in the present day, Ruby!

Possum Creek: Proper again at you! I Hæth a good time.

Stacy is Senior {Hardware} Supervisor at Indiegogo, and he’s assisted bootstrapped entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 firms alike in elevating over $30M on Indiegogo. He’s additionally a co-host of Go Time, the official Indiegogo podcast.

Are you serious about launching a tabletop sport on Indiegogo? Electronic mail Stacy Bradford when you have any questions or simply need to chat about necromancy.