Folklore Americana is a folk horror TTRPG set in the shadows of the Great Depression, where dead crops whisper secrets, folk heroes fade into myth, and the Devil himself rides the rails. Powered by a custom take on the Year Zero Engine.
Folklore Americana: A Tabletop Roleplaying Game of Folk Horror During the Great Depression.
What’s in the Book?
The Folklore Americana corebook is a complete tabletop RPG experience — a folk horror sandbox set in a haunted, alternate-history America during the Great Depression. Built on a narrative-focused version of the Year Zero Engine, it balances streamlined mechanics with atmospheric, story-first gameplay.
This is a game about belief, survival, trauma, and the stories that stick to places long after people are gone.
Core Sections
Introduction A moody, unsettling welcome to the world of Folklore Americana. Learn the themes, the horror tone, and what kind of stories this game is made to tell.
Rules Overview A modified Year Zero Engine tailored for folk horror. Push your luck, manage stress and scars, and let the consequences tell the tale. No hit points. Just choices.
Character Creation Build layered characters with pasts that matter. Choose your Calling—such as the Preacher, Rambler, Gravedigger, Granny Witch, or Rail Rider, and more —and flesh out your history, burdens, secrets, and gear.
Skills, Talents, and Scars Define what your character can do, what they've survived, and what it’s cost them. Talents reflect the strange and specific. Scars show what never healed.
Equipment & Survival Your tools matter. From pocket knives and prayer books to jars of grave dirt or a bloodstained guitar — what you carry might save you…
Conflict, Harm, and Consequences Rules for fights, breakdowns, fear, and fallout. Conflict in this game is dangerous — and rarely without a price.
The World of Folklore Americana Explore an America rotting from the inside out. Travel cursed highways, starved farms, mountain hollers, swamps full of bones, and deserts haunted by dying myths. Each region pulses with its own horrors and histories.
Faith and Folk Magic God’s gone quiet, but people still pray. Learn the rules for rituals, charms, backwoods witchcraft, and supernatural bargains. You might be saved — or cursed.
Monsters and Legends Not just monsters, but manifestations of cultural dread: the Hollow Man, grave hags, Riders in the Storm, dying demigods, and things America never buried deep enough.
Running the Game A full guide for GMs on how to run effective horror with tons of additional options, random tables, and bonus content.
Character Sheet & Tools Printable and digital versions of everything you need to play: character sheets, reference aids, and safety tools.
Built for Longevity
Over 300 pages of setting, mechanics, and story tools
Designed for both campaign and one-shot play
Modular and region-friendly—pick your flavor of horror
Fully supported by future regional guides and stretch goal content
All Backers Receive Free Digital Poster and Wallpapers!
Folklore Americana is a folk horror tabletop RPG rooted in trauma, survival, and the ghosts we carry —personal, historical, and supernatural. It is not a safe or comfortable world.
The corebook contains themes that may be disturbing or triggering to some players, including:
Graphic violence and bodily harm
Psychological trauma and emotional breakdowns
Dark folklore, cryptids, and supernatural horror
Religious imagery, spiritual torment, and cult behavior
Addiction, exploitation, and moral decay
Death, grief, and generational despair
Poverty, prejudice, and the weight of history
Isolation, loss of agency, and mental deterioration
These aren’t included for shock value—they’re part of the bones of this setting. Horror in Folklore Americana is meant to be haunting, not cruel, and the game includes clear tools and guidance for handling these themes with care at your table.
If any of these elements are personally distressing to you, we encourage you to review the safety guidelines or consider whether this experience is the right fit for you and your group.
Delivery Timeline
We’re keeping things lean, clear, and on schedule. Folklore Americana is built around digital delivery and print-on-demand fulfillment, which means no warehouses, no shipping delays, and you get your content as soon as it’s ready.
Many core pieces are already well into production. Stretch goals will follow in structured waves through 2026 to ensure quality and breathing room.
Immediately After the Campaign
Come All Ye Sinners (Session 0 Sourcebook – PDF)
October–November 2025
Folklore Americana Core Rulebook (PDF + PoD Code)
January–March 2026
New England
Appalachia
April–June 2026
The South
Dust Bowl
July–August 2026
Out West
Deck of the Damned
September–October 2026
The Backroads Almanac (Adventure Anthology)
Alone on the Road (Solo/Journaling Rules)
November–December 2026
Of Hill & Hollow (Short Story Anthology)
Digital rewards will be distributed through BackerKit and DriveThruRPG. Print-on-demand codes allow you to order physical copies at your convenience, anywhere in the world.
The Team
Founded by industry veterans Rick Hershey and Lucus Palosaari, Kids in the Attic is a prominent TTRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) company known for its innovative and imaginative game designs. With a shared passion for storytelling and game mechanics, Rick and Lucus bring decades of combined experience to their creations.
Kids in the Attic specializes in crafting diverse tabletop experiences. For their latest projects, Rick and Lucus are joined once again by longtime collaborator Geoff Gander, returning to help edit and write content that dives deep into the weird and the wonderful.
Written by Rick Hershey
Additional Content + Editing by Lucus Palosaari and Geoff Gander
