The Walking Dead present has been round for over a decade, and in that point has grown to a media franchise that almost eclipses the comics that the TV sequence relies on. Beyond Telltale’s critically acclaimed video game saga, there’ve been a number of board and card video games, a theme park journey, and novels which have expanded on Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Tony Moore’s comedian e book universe. One space that the franchise hasn’t dipped into earlier than, nevertheless, is tabletop roleplaying, however that’s about to alter.

Per Polygon, Free League Publishing is partnering with AMC to launch The Walking Dead Universe Roleplaying Game, whose Kickstarter will launch in spring 2023. The award-winning writer has equally created TTRPGs for franchises resembling Blade Runner and Alien, together with its unique video games Mörk Borg, its sci-fi spinoff Cy_Borg, and Coriolis. Directing the sport can be co-founders Tomas Härenstam and Nils Karlén. Serving as its lead author can be Nils Hintze, and Martin Grip and Gustaf Ekelund its lead artists.

The Walking Dead sport can be utilizing the writer’s Year Zero system (from the Mutant: Year Zero TTRPG), which Free League advised Polygon was a “perfect fit” for the zombie franchise, significantly its Threat Meter system. “It’s a really tangible and effective way to manage the presence — and threat from — nearby walkers,” mentioned Free League. “Mechanically, walkers are not treated as individual monsters but rather a constant flood of death and dread.”

Going together with the tabletop sport, AMC introduced its plans to create and distribute an Actual Play sequence. Actual Play sees gamers inform their very own tales utilizing tabletop sport methods, like Dungeons & Dragons (see: Critical Role, Dimension 20). Helping to information that eventual sequence alongside can be ex-TWD showrunner (and the franchise’s chief content material officer) Scott M. Gimple. That sequence can be an unique story that Free League and AMC are hoping could have a few of the exhibits’ actors make an look and roll some cube.

“If the stars align (literally and figuratively), tuning into every live play episode to discover which fan-favorite characters, settings, and events might appear should be part of the fun,” mentioned Free League. “That’s an exciting opportunity for this live play for sure.”

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With how common the Actual Play style has grow to be, and with how massive the TTRPG business has boomed, it is sensible that AMC would wish to get in on that market. There’s little doubt that this gained’t resonate with Walking Dead followers on the identical degree of the spinoff exhibits, or perhaps even a few of the video video games. But it’ll be extra fascinating to see what this implies for the bigger media franchise panorama, who’ve been increasing TV sequence by means of issues like official rewatch and recap podcasts.

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