MemoryCore turns 32-bit games into stories we can share
Horrible Guild's anthology pays homage to 1990s videogame masterpieces
There is a particular kind of nostalgia that belongs to the generation that grew up with memory cards. Late 1990s console games were deeply personal affairs—we wandered through gothic castles, escaped terrifying biohazards, fought impossible machines and followed sprawling JRPG narratives in our bedrooms and living rooms, but they were mostly solitaire experiences. The memories remain vivid, but they remain ours. We can describe them to others, but we cannot truly recreate them.
Translating these experiences for a TTRPG environment is the challenge that Horrible Guild is tackling with MemoryCore. It's an anthology of six TTRPGs paying tribute to masterpieces of the 32-bit era, each one presented in a jewel-case-inspired packaging that evokes the aesthetics of late-90s console gaming, from survival horror to stealth action, fighting games, racing titles and JRPGs.
The structure of the anthology highlights the understanding that different genres require different solutions. Rather than forcing every concept through a single mechanical lens, each game introduces its own rules and design elements layered on top of the shared system, contained in the User Manual.
The core system takes a welcoming approach with roll-over, fail-forward test resolution, but it doesn't shy away from interpreting the language of videogames: if the GM calls for a Cutscene, Players will be button-mashing by rolling their entire dice set and then looking for straights and matching numbers.
Each game box contains a game rulebook outlining the dedicated mechanics, as well as providing a campaign spanning 1 to 10 sessions, and pregenerated dry-erase character boards, memory cards (weapons, items or equipment), a game-specific cardboard disc tracker and an exploration map.
With a BackerKit crowdfunding campaign launched on June 9, publisher Horrible Guild is preparing to bring MemoryCore to print in Q3 2027. The game is the latest project from designer Claudio Pustorino, best known for Not the End, an RPG that earned six ENNIE nominations—including Product of the Year, Best Game, and Best Rules—and went on to win Role-Playing Game of the Year at Lucca Comics & Games 2020, and Vileborn, another cooperation with Horrible Guild.
