Son of Oak’s LaunchFest Signals the Arrival of TTRPG Legend in the Mist’s Print Edition
- Paula van Unen
- May 23
- 2 min read
There is something captivating and sometimes even exhilarating about watching a tabletop RPG company build momentum. Through crowdfunding, community outreach, social media, live plays, quick starts, and previews, roleplaying fans all across the world are able to get a better sense of the settings their characters will be adventuring in – and of the rules they will be using to decide their actions’ outcomes – than ever before.
Thanks to the success of the unique, award-winning urban investigative superhero TTRPG City of Mist and the somewhat less prolific but undeniably mucho cool cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game :Otherscape, Son of Oak Game Studios has been able to build one of the strongest narrative RPG ecosystems out there in the span of only a few years. Fantasy remains the most popular genre amongst gamers, however, and the patience of rustic fantasy fans who have been waiting for the physical release of Legend in the Mist will be rewarded this Summer, as the print versions of the game will finally become available.
Drenched in folklore, melancholy, local legends, wandering travellers, forgotten paths, isolated villages, and ancient mysteries rather than endless dungeon corridors, monstrous gods, and ancient evils, Legend in the Mist takes its characters on a more personal heroes’ journey, more akin to Lord of the Rings than what aficionados of settings like Waterdeep or Eberron are used to.
A Growing Fanbase
The more intimate take on folkloristic fantasy seems to be appealing to gamers, as Legend in the Mist is on track to top 20,000 supporters and has generated more than $2 million through Kickstarter, pre-orders, and additional sales – a clear signal to game studios and designers that they don’t necessarily need to adopt D&D 5E mechanics to make their game stand out amongst the plethora of competitors.
Part of that success, of course, is accessibility and intuitive play, as the Mist Engine Legend in the Mist is built on attempts to blend meaningful progression, thematic abilities, combat tension, and character growth, and although sometimes we miss the crunch and variety of more complex games, we feel it mostly succeeds in what it is aiming to do, offering a fairly good balance between cinematic storytelling and mechanical structure.
LaunchFest Is Unique
Although LaunchFest is structured somewhat similarly to a regular crowdfunding campaign, it definitely feels like a fresh and far more fan-driven, unique take on the process.
Instead of simply pushing advertisements and trailers, Son of Oak has built the entire event around participation. Daily livestreams, community challenges, Discord activities, meme contests, trivia nights, creator spotlights, downloadable bonus content, and AMA sessions with developers all form part of the celebration. With so many extras and goodies to be had on top of what’s already out there, we heartily recommend checking it out and – of course – contributing to this amazing initiative!
Text: Paula van Unen
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