The Electric State Roleplaying Game from Free League takes Simon Stålenhag’s dark vision of 1997 and brings it to your tabletop quite soon.
Last year, Free League’s Simon-Stålenhag-artbook-inspired RPG, The Electric State, based on the artbook of the same name, was a huge hit on Kickstarter. No surprises there. Stålenhag has a knack for creating visually appealing environments that invite exploration and storytelling. And Free League has done a great job with their other, similarly inspired project, Tales from the Loop, roleplaying in an 80’s that never was.
The Electric State, instead, promises an apocalyptic vision of the 90s in all its bleak glory. With a dark, retrowave road trip at the heart of it, it’s an RPG we’ve been waiting for since the Kickstarter last December. And now, the wait is almost over, with the book releasing next month!
The Electric State Coming Out October 1st
What excites me most about the game is the shift in tone. Where Tales from the Loop has a sort of yearning for a past that never was, for the adventures of childhood and the mysteries you can find, The Electric State taps into that idea of discovery.
Both in terms of the ruined world—littered with gigantic battle drones and discarded trash—but also the characters. This is a game about learning who you are. About being yourself. It’s the teenage counterpart to Tales from the Loop in terms of theme. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to reach for an ambient synth YouTube playlist.
“A road trip on the verge of reality.
When did it all start? I can’t really remember. It started like any recreational activity, I guess. Like TV. Sometimes they watched TV and sometimes they would sit there wearing their neurocasters. I didn’t care. It was after the big update of 1996 that things got weird. Mode Six. “
– Free League
Alongside the new game are all the accessories you can expect. You’ll find dice, a GM screen, and more.
Make sure you pack enough for your trip.
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