Ritual Magic for Besties gives a slice-of-magical-life

Magic exists and it is in the connections we're willing to make with each other. Play a group of inter-woven magic users, explore your history together and use that exploration to cast spells. These spells might be to help yourselves, help each other, or just a way of messing around. This is Ritual Magic for Besties, a tabletop roleplaying game for two-to-six players, using a deck of tarot cards, currently raising funds on Crowdfundr until the end of February.

You play a group of magic users, in an urban fantasy setting, gathering together to cast a ritual spell. Ritual magic relies on the connections between the gathered group , a de-facto coven . In play you build stacks of cards and establish details of your connections as well as how the in -progress ritual is developing. Ritual Magic for Besties is played across six rounds, a round covering as many turns as there are players. Players match cards on each others stacks and ask questions that shade in your shared backstory, using the answers to power the ritual. Once all rounds have passed it’s time for the ritual to be activated and for magic to fill the air.

As part of Zine Month 2024/Tabletop Non Stop, Rat Wave Game House (Terminal, Transgender Deathmatch Legend) are crowdfunding for a print run of the game, as a full colour a5 zine presented in a scrapbook layout full of gorgeous vibrant art.

Ritual Magic for Besties features:

• A straightforward central mechanic using card stacking that serves as a way of establishing the relationships between your characters
• Evocative and quirky character creation giving your characters a style (featuring options such as Ecto Greaser and Counter-Hex Bohemian) as well as magical background and then placing your characters on a relationship map (think the chart from The L Word)
• Eight different rituals that can focus on enchantment, fortune, or divination as well as more specific things like a gender crisis or help getting over a break up.
• A Phonogram-inspired remix of the game that adds a playlist creation mechanic
• Light GMless play that focuses on meaningful slice of life situations rather than world ending stakes
• Beautiful art by the wonderfully talented Molomoot
• Striking prose by Diana Jones Award Emerging Designer Kayla Dice (including an in-fiction opening vignette)

The campaign has met its initial goal covering editing and printing costs with any additional money raised being split between the creative team. Ritual Magic for Besties is written, designed and laidout by Kayla Dice and illustrated by Molomoot. Assorted tiers mean you could pick up the zine digitally, physically, signed copies, playlist commissions or thanks in the book itself.