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"The Vatican Stole the Menorah and We're Going to Steal it Back" out now on itch.io!

Purchase a copy of this dreidel-power heist TTRPG by the end of New Years Day to support the itchfunder and help fund a print run and upgraded layout!

Jess Levine

— 3 min read
"The Vatican Stole the Menorah and We're Going to Steal it Back" out now on itch.io!
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We all know it’s true…

After the fall of Rome—the very same Rome that destroyed the Second Temple and carted off the massive seven-armed menorah—the temple menorah didn’t really disappear. It passed from empire to empire until finally landing in the ultimate megadungeon: the Vatican Secret Archives, an eighty-five kilometer multi-layer bunker under Vatican City. They stole the menorah.

You’re going to steal it back.

TVSTMAWGTSIB (out now on itch.io) is a silly, dreidel-powered, trifold pamphlet heist TTRPG by Jess Levine of Jumpgate Games (creator of I Have the High Ground, PLANET FIST, and going rogue 2e, the CRIT Awards 2023 Best GMless Game of the Year) about reclaiming the Temple menorah from the Vatican.

It can be played in 1-2 hours with anywhere from 2 to too many people, a few dreidels (or d4s), eight candles (or eight of anything), and faith (or equally Jewish skepticism) in The Almighty One. It has a rotating dreidelmensch (or "DM") where players takes turns setting up problems and working to overcome them during each  "night" of play. It's built for one-shot play with no prep required.

The itchfunder has already beaten its $613 goal to fund a print run of the trifold. Now, if it raises $1000 in sales by the end of January 1st 2026, the game will receive an upgraded layout before the print run of the trifold, and existing purchasers will get a PDF with the upgraded layout for free! 

Pick up a copy of this no-prep TTRPG and perfect party game for your Jewish Christmas and/or goyish New Year party ASAP, and help fund the improved layout!

Obstacles שש. Your parents (angry) נש. Another heist crew הש. Some shmuck גש. Halacha שנ. The Vatican’s many tourists (angry) ננ. The Vatican’s labyrinthian layout הנ. The Vatican’s most powerful relics גנ. The Vatican’s security system שה. The entire conclave (angry) נה. The Papal Swiss Guard הה. The Vatican secret police גה. That guy from the Da Vinci Code שג. The Pope’s hat (angry) נג. The Popemobile הג. The Young Pope גג. The regular Pope
WHO ARE YOU? You’re one of a crew of Jews determined to break into the archives and take the menorah back. You have four attributes, each of which will be associated with a letter from the dreidel, representing how effective (or ineffective) you are when applying the associated methods of problem-solving. GREAT - Bravery, skill, prowess MIRACLE - Luck, divine favor HAPPENED - Forethought, planning THERE! - Kludging, improvisation Assign ג to what you’re great at, ה to what you’re good at, נ to what you can’t really do, and ש to what you regularly screw up. If you really trust in the Blessed One, spin a dreidel to assign them randomly—no repeats.

Find The Vatican Stole the Menorah and We're Going to Steal it Back on itch.io here! You can also pick up all of Jumpgate Games other TTRPGs on sale 20% off until 1/5/26 on itch.io!

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