ZineQuest 5 + ZineMonth 2023: Here We Are!

 It's February and ZineQuest is back on Kickstarter, with a load of small but awesome ttrpg zines.

It's ZQ number 5, and the event returns to the regular February edition after last year's shift to August, which brought us the ZineMonth event, so now we have TWO platforms to check! But don't worry: I've done that for you.

Let's see what's going on, beginning with my OSR game of choice: OSE.

The Old-School Essentials Projects

Advanced Ancient Academy - An expanded version of the classic one page dungeon adventure by Stuart Robertson.

Old School & Cool Vol. 4: The Undead Issue - The fourth issue of Wind Lothamer's OSE zine focuses on undeath, with options to use undead creatures as player races, plus an undead-themed city, tables to create new unique undead monsters, new spells and magic items, and a mini adventure. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Old School are already available at dtrpg, and you can check my review of vol. 3 here.

Gary's Appendix - Issue 2 - A Thoughtful Zine for Old School Essentials - The second issue of Jeffry Jones' unique zine, offering essay-like articles on DMing, world-building, and other OSR topics. This issue focuses on languages, currency, and religion, among other topics.

Delver 7: Resources for the Random-Rolling Referee - Delver hits issue 7, continuing the series of collected random tables of all kinds. The first 6 issues are up at dtrpg.

The Doom of Blackwinter - An OSE (and Zweihander) adventure set in frozen mountains, against fey creatures, by Mark Meredith. 

CANDLE III: Fantasy Audio Magazine - The third issue of this unusual zine + cassette (and digital audio) combo. Check out issue II, which also features Kaptain Carbon, Danger Bear Art, Luka Rejec, and even me!

Ziggurat of the Blood God  - A zine adventure for OSE,  DCC, and Mork Borg, written by Christopher Willett, with strong horror vibes.

Odyssey - Black Tales RPG - A grim take on Ulysses' journey, for OSE, Mork Borg, and even 5E.

Other OSR Zines

Plenty of interesting OSR projects!

Dungeon Malarky - Levi Comb's new zine: a guide to hazards, magical items, strange plants & bizarre spell components for GMs.

The Electrum Archive - Issue 02 - Expands issue 1's science-fantasy tabletop RPG written by Emiel Boven and inspired by games like Morrowind, Ultraviolet Grasslands, Mothership, Dark Sun and Cairn. 

Cloud Empress: Ecological Science Fantasy Roleplaying - a Nausicaa-inspired fantasy campaign setting for the Mothership RPG.

Loot Hunters - Pouch of Gold - A system-neutral maps, adventures, and random tables, just perfect for OSR games. Also check out last year's Loot Hunters - First Coin.

Bio-Drones & Cryo-Clones - A biopunk facility-crawl zine for Mothership RPG by Chris Airiau, with insane art.

MisAdventure Games: Horror Compendium (upcoming) - apparently a collection of spooky adventures.

A Home Reforged (upcoming) - A dwarven-themed OSR zine, based on The Black Hack.

Carapace & In the Heart of Oz - a Hex Flower RPG Bonanza - A double-features zine project by Goblin's Henchman.

Quick and Dirties #4: The Priory of Red Peitor - A solo adventure for the Marching Order game.

Beneath the Sea of Dust 1 - A a revised, re-organized, and even play-tested compilation of Ray Otus' Dungeon23 journal.

AMMU: A Whimdark Adventure (upcoming) - A system neutral RPG adventure through the corpse of an eldritch god.

GRANDMOTHERSHIP - A sci-fi TTRPG about senior ladies in space - With a title like that, this deserves a look.

Other Zine Projects

TLD RPG - An indie RPG with OSR influences, designed by Billy Blue.

La Masseria (upcoming) - An investigative RPG Zine set in the folklore of a farm in Southern Italy, designed by Alessio Spalluto. I'll have to check this because it's set where I was born and grew up!

Electrocube War Adventures - A transformers zine for Erik Bloat's Valor Knights RPG.

MEKKAKONKRETE - A chiptuned fantasy RPG - A zine project on the new Crowdfundr platform, with Mechas in a medieval world, with insane art!

Dungeon Delver: A Card+Zine Crawl (upcoming) - Dungeon tiles + a generation system? Sign me in! Looks like something I might use with HeroQuest!

Candied Blood - An adventure set in a hungry candy factory, playable with both To Change and Trophy Dark. 

And More!?

Well, while you're checking crowdfunding, here's a bunch of projects which are not zines but you should definitely take a look at.

Yoon-Suin: The Purple Land, 2nd Edition - The new edition of the 2004 acclaimed, seminal OSR setting toolbox by Noisms Games.

Cities Without Number - the cyberpunk RPG from Kevin Crawford, the creator of the acclaimed Stars Without Number and Worlds Without Number games.

Wrapping Up

Lots of interesting projects here, and lots more I've probably missed. Use the comments below to add to the list!