Game Research Lab, Upturned Table -- Tabletop Everything From Everywhere

The Finnish Foundation for Economic Education awarded a student, Aase Timonen, roughly $30,000 to fund her doctoral research into “transmedia worldbuilding in massive game franchises,” using the Warhammer franchise as her focus. Her research, conducted at the Game Research Lab at Tampere University, will examine how the broad spread of media (miniatures, novels, rules, etc.) has shaped Warhammer’s development, its shift toward competitive play, and its increasing canonicity.

The classic 1984 Toon TTRPG is returning with a new 2nd Edition from Steve Jackson Games, slated for a Backerkit crowdfunding launch on December 17, 2025. Game designer Steve Jackson explains that the update, conceived at least four years prior, is being done because he likes the game and felt it was due. Key changes in the new edition include the simplification of character creation, the introduction of mnemonics, and a dramatic streamlining of the “Fall Down” mechanic to be based on missing three actions instead of three calendar minutes, eliminating clock-watching. The new edition will feature new art by Kyle Miller, all in color, and will be available in both hard and softcover.

Draw Steel: Crack the Sun is a crowdfunder by MCDM Productions, which has successfully raised over $1.8 million. The campaign aims to determine the future of the Draw Steel product line and includes seven new products for 2026. These include Encounters, a 350-page third core rulebook filled with pre-made scenarios, NPCs, and skill tests; Between Sun and Shadow, a dedicated ancestry book adding eight new playable species like Goblins and Shadow Elves; and The Beastheart, a new class with four subclasses and fourteen animal companions. The main product is Crack the Sun, the first official epic campaign for Draw Steel, which is a mega-adventure in five acts for 3rd through 8th level heroes, along with three other new shorter adventures including the high-octane anti-hero adventure, The Condemned.

The Temeraire RPG from Magpie Games is set to launch its crowdfunding campaign in “early 2026.” The role-playing game is based on Naomi Novik’s Temeraire alternate history fantasy series, which reimagines the Napoleonic Wars with an air force of sentient dragons and their human aviators. The game will focus on the dynamic between the dragon and its rider, incorporating elements of epic military battles, logistics, and supply lines, as well as “Regency era romance,” allowing players to take to the skies as both dragon and aviator while navigating the balance of duty and desire. The book series consists of nine novels, starting with His Majesty’s Dragon.

#warhammer #toonrpg #drawsteel #Temeraire

Toon RPG Second Edition:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/steve-jackson-games/toon-the-cartoon-roleplaying-game

Crack the Sun on Backerit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mcdm-productions/draw-steel-crack-the-sun

Fallout RPG Sale:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ja/product/366742/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-core-rulebook-pdf?affiliate_id=2081746

Free Guild Ball Starter Set:

https://steamforged.com/products/guild-ball-starter-kit

Warmachine on MyMiniFactory:

https://mmf.io/upturned

Mantic Companion App: