A retrofuturist tabletop RPG of investigation, survival, and exploration

The World of 

RETROGRADE

Retrograde imagines a far future where humanity achieves faster-than-light travel by supernatural means. A genetic mutation imbues human blood with magical properties, and when this mutated blood is used to print star charts, it teleports the printing press to the exact location indicated by the star chart. Humanity builds starships to be massive printing presses, and by bloody and occult means, humanity prints itself across the stars.

The Retrograde System

The Retrograde system centers around expendable skill points that also serves as a threshold for successful dice rolls. If you fail a roll, you can spend a point to succeed it, but it will make future success all the more difficult. This system simulates stress and exhaustion while ensuring your characters can succeed without being completely dependent on the roll of the dice–but no matter skilled they are, everyone reaches their breaking point.

You can download an early-access version of the Retrograde ruleset here.

Overprint

Overprint is the introductory scenario to the Retrograde Tabletop Role-Playing Game. The Caligo Overprint, the worst teleportation accident in history, has rocked civilized space and threatens the monopoly of Gutenberg, Ink., the most powerful corporation in the galaxy. The players are charged with investigating the cause of the Overprint and unraveling a conspiracy surrounding Blood Ink that threatens to change the course of human history.

You can download an early-access version of Overprint here.

Read more about the development of Retrograde

Linocut, Letterpress, and an Analog Recipe for Retrofuturism

Why the revival of analog printing methods are a perfect opportunity for science fiction

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