I’m incredibly excited for this expansion.
This project was announced at Gen Con 2025 by 2 Blind Mice, makers of Outgunned RPG, Household, and Memento Mori. Twilight Sword is a TTJRPG (Table Talk Japanese RolePlaying Game) in the vein as Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, and Dragon Warrior. My love for this play style is deep rooted as my Dungeons & Dragons group used to keep track of video game elements such as bombs and keys back in the old days.
The system Twilight Sword will be using, called the CAT system, has its roots in my favorite fantasy TTRPG: Dragonbane (*Drakar och Demoner.) 2 Little Mice recently revealed a bit more about the CAT system in this video on YouTube. The CAT system reminds me a lot of the beloved d20 roll under system only it’s a d12 roll under with advantage/disadvantage. The major difference is CAT is going to have +/- to the roll instead of just advantage/disadvantage.
A brand new take on TTRPG game play.
Old Nintendo Entertainment System fans probably remember spending hours at a time grinding dungeons, oceans, and overland maps trying to gain enough experience to level up and take on a boss. The CAT system is going to remedy this problem with a new take on experience reminiscent of Daggerheart called Despair and Hope. When the heroes defeat all of the bad guys in any given region, the Despair goes down, and the Hope goes up. This will unlock more resources for the group and make overall quality of life better for the local population.
Unlike traditional TTRPGs, Twilight Sword also comes with some board game elements such as boss monsters and an end boss, Varda. If the group were to defeat Varda, Hope will shine throughout the land until another evil rises to take his place someday, thus ending the campaign. Of course, GMs are free to create additional challenges, create new lands to explore, and even revive Varda or create a new end boss entirely. However, the idea here is much like in Final Fantasy, once the group is strong enough to conquer the end boss, their powers will far exceed those of mere mortals and there might not be much left to challenge them.
Did I mention Mallards?
Okay, I’m completely unashamed of being a Dragonbane nerd through and through. 2 Little Mice revealed another tip of the hat to my favorite game the other day when they said Mallards will be a playable Kin. I think Free League’s involvement with this project is evident. Then again, I wouldn’t have heard of 2 Little Mice or Twilight Sword had it not been for Free League. The Mallards are a nice tip of the hat, though.
Just when I think there are no more good fantasy games, Free League and their various partners come along to prove my notion incorrect. I don’t think it will replace Dragonbane for me, but Twilight Sword does look like something I’m going to run or solo game with. Or I could just steal Radia and run it with Dragonbane rules, but I think the CAT system is worth trying out first.
I will have more on this story throughout the BackerKit campaign. I’ll also try to get a YouTube video up if time/noise permits. I think this one is going to be a winner.
Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.
Jeff's Game Box 