Two years ago, a dusty box was uncovered in the Deep Archives at Steve Jackson Games. On it, a note: “TO PUBLISH. WE PROMISED.” Inside, we found a stack of games, all annotated in the same careful script, and accompanied by a mysterious letter.

This project is a replica of the contents of that box, or at least, as close to what we found as we can legally publish.

This is a collection of eight short and sweet roleplaying games, tried and tested over a lifetime of gatherings in Dahlia’s parlor, and a sampler of what the wide world of indie RPG zines has to offer. You could . . .

While these games certainly could speak for themselves, Dahlia seems to have taken great pride in the details – she left helpful tips, clarifications, and the occasional witticism written in the margins. We kept them in, as her letter firmly instructed.

Fun For All

Whether you’re a storygame connoisseur, a dedicated dungeon crawler looking to branch out, or a total beginner, you have a seat at Dahlia’s table. Each game is a fully self-contained experience, and all can be played in under two hours.

Independent Creators

These eight games come from far and wide – most have seen an online release, and some even physical distribution, but none of them have ever been published to the mass market. We’ve done art, layout, and editing, bringing some diamonds in the rough to a print-ready polish. The set combines work from professional (even award-winning) RPG creators as well as up-and-comers.

3 Raccoons in a Trench Coat is a zany romp for three players and one game master, contained in a sleek trifold brochure. In this game, you are three raccoons – in a trench coat – pretending to be a “peeple.” Will you wind up on top of the stack, at the bottom, or stuck in the middle? What’s in your pockets? Can you find any snacks? Play and find out!

This game is perfect for anyone who has ever felt like a panicked raccoon piloting a human-shaped mech suit.

Designed by Z Gosck. Illustrated by Bas Goverde.

The annual Best Village competition is nigh, but the judges are early and things are not at all as they should be. Mishaps and mayhem threaten the town’s idyllic atmosphere; can this gaggle of grannies save the day? In this one-page RPG, you’re one of a close-knit group of sweet old ladies – or a squabbling gang of cranky busybodies, depending on whether you’ve had your afternoon tea yet. Use your talents in gardening, baking, emotional manipulation, and other septuagenarian specialties to get your troubled town into tip-top shape!

Grandma Club is a treat at a tea party, and great for anyone – of any age – who wants to let their inner granny take the wheel.

Designed by Conor and Katie Duffy. Illustrated by Ruby Lavin and Ben Williams.

Think of your most cherished piece of childhood media – something pure, bright, and innocent . . . Now, imagine how a money-hungry movie studio would twist it into a dark and edgy summer blockbuster. In Gritty Reboot, you’re playing in that movie. Players will take on iconic roles like the Brainiac, Badass, or Merchandisable One, while the Director sets the scene. Can you pander your way to a blockbuster hit before blowing your budget?

Gritty Reboot is a riot for players with a dark sense of humor.

Designed by Chris O’Neill. Illustrated by Alex Fernandez.

Have you ever wanted to go to a murder mystery dinner party, unraveling a twisted case and finally catching the killer in a dramatic reveal? Well, Murder Most Foolish is the madcap improvised cousin to such an event – one where your group will collectively generate a mystery on the fly and then solve it together. The catch? Everyone did it!

Murder Most Foolish can take up to six players. It can run with everyone sharing the role of Game Master or with a single GM. This game is perfect for theatrical types or fans of Clue (1985).

Designed by Jacob R. Colosi.

Overdue is a GM-less game of magical research for up to four players. You are an apprentice librarian at the Central Branch of the Omnifold Library, entrusted with an important and hazardous duty – you must retrieve one of the library’s overdue books. Of course, those books tend to be checked out by powerful wizards, so you’ll need to make sure your grimoire is filled with spells for any contingency. You may learn something surprising along the way!

This game is a treat for library lovers, occultists, and fans of the classic game Exquisite Corpse.

Designed by Ash Cheshire. Illustrated by Ben Williams.

Rat Me a Poem, Sweetheart is a short game for three players about a messy love triangle comprising two humans and one rat – it’s basically Ratatouille meets Cyrano de Bergerac. The Ratstermind writes a love poem while the Puppet keeps the Beloved engaged in idle banter, and then the Puppet must profess their love in verse . . . that they are reading for the very first time. Who will secure the Beloved’s favor?

This game is perfect for improvisers, poets, and furries. And it’s really short – under half an hour!

Designed by Irene Zielinski. Illustrated by Emily J Stegamos.

This game is unique among the set – it’s meant to be played alone, on a bus or train commute. But once you embark, you will no longer be simply commuting; you will be Riding the Ley Line, a transit network that connects many dimensions. Your surroundings will take on a whole new meaning as you interpret them through an interdimensional lens. Mind the Rift!

Guaranteed to delight daydreamers and fans of public transit.

Designed by Moss Bosch.

The Social Season is a short zine game, inspired by Honey Heist and Jane Austen. In it, you will play an eligible bachelor or bachelorette from a high-society family on the verge of ruin. Can you land the perfect match to secure your fortune? You will need to balance your Composure and Scandal – lest you succumb to the vapours or find yourself cast out in disgrace.

This game caters to fans of literary romance, period dramas, and soap operas. 

Designed by Scott Sexton.

Dahlia’s original collection was kept in a modified candy box that looked really old . . . we’re bringing these games to you in a printed booklet envelope. Enclosed will be a few printed extras to allow you to customize any container you’d like.

Although not yet revealed, our stretch goals for this campaign will add additional flavor to the games included in Dahlia's Diversions for Peculiar Parties, along with cash bonuses for the game designers!

It took some doing, but we were able to track everyone down and secure their permission to reprint their work . . . meet the minds behind the games!

Moss Bosch (they/them) is an educator, TTRPG designer, and LARPwright based in the Pacific Northwest, whose games focus on social intimacy, self-discovery, and the supernatural. Their breakup-processing RPG This Party Sucks was featured on Dicebreaker's list of “6 Queer tabletop RPGs that everyone should play,” and their cryptid childcare LARP DAY CARE(A) 51 received a 2023 Golden Cobra award.

Ash Cheshire (they/them) is a game designer living in Oakland, California. Ash was a contributing designer for Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Fate of Cthulhu, and Deathmatch Island. Their game Abyssal: A Monstrous Undertaking is coming soon from Evil Hat Productions. Find more of their games, including Calamari of Cthulhu, Ships That Pass, Weasels Are ILLEGAL!, and many others, at ashcangames.itch.io.

Jake Colosi (he/they) is a graphic designer located in Toronto, Canada, where they spend their free time running RPGs for the local hobbyist community. In his games, he loves to bring drama, mystery, queerness, and camp, grounded by interesting mechanics. Jake is looking forward to sharing this collection with their local community in Toronto and creating more games.

Conor Duffy is a writer and game designer, originally from Ireland but now based in Northeast Ohio with his wife and collaborator, Katie. He loves weird fantasy, ridiculous concepts for games, pro wrestling, and long hikes in the wilderness. He and Katie produce their work through their imprint, Third Country Press.

Katherine Duffy (she/her) started playing make-believe and writing stories at a very young age. She’s written for local newspapers, alt-weeklies, magazines, and websites, but it wasn’t until 2020 that she tried her hand at creating games with her husband Conor. The two continue to make weird games as Third Country Press, a tribute to Conor’s journey to America.

Z Gosck (they/them) is a California-based game designer and illustrator who makes weird and wacky games about everything from romancing ghosts to punching capitalism, often with the goal of expanding the kinds of stories explored in TTRPGs. Z also talks about games on YouTube (zigmenthotep) with in-depth reviews and instructional videos on all manner of tabletop games.

Chris O’Neill (he) is an award-winning game designer, best known for KOBOLDS ATE MY BABY! and Mazes Fantasy Roleplaying, and as the creator of the polymorph system. He is the founder of 9th Level Games, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. Chris collects vintage RPG ephemera and Star Wars action figures, and loves a blended scotch.

Scott Sexton (he/him) is a hobbyist game designer who lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and two children. He has been creating worlds and adventures since his first homebrew D&D game in 1989 and enjoys high fantasy, political intrigue, and stories of etiquette and scandal. He can often be found on Threads talking about tabletop roleplaying games.

Irene Zielinski is a game designer, editor, amateur performer, and menace from Atlanta, Georgia. She created Scurvy Buggers, a troupe-style dramedy about found family and romance in the Golden Age of Piracy (available now from 9th Level Games). You can also find her lurking on TikTok, Bluesky, and itch.io as spacejob.

After the project closes, we will open the pledge manager. There you will provide the necessary information to fulfill your pledge items, and you may select additional items to add to your pledge. The final shipping total will be calculated by the total weight of your pledge and any add-on items you may have selected. Please see the shipping table for base costs.

Extra Copies

You can never have too many dice! If you are starting your collection, looking for a host gift for your next game night, or want something to complement your Dahlia’s box, then treat yourself to a set or two.

Random Fun Generator packs a lot of games (21, to be exact) into a small space – perfect for road trips or when time is too short for a roleplaying session. Another excellent use for your dice! 

Estimated Delivery: Fall-Winter 2025 

Shipping for your pledge will be collected in the pledge manager (BackerKit) after the campaign closes. Based on the final shipping destination, you will be charged according to the total weight of your order. 

A few weeks after the project closes and all pledges are processed, we will open the pledge manager. Once invited, you will be guided through the survey and add-on store where you will need to provide your physical address and finalize payment for shipping and applicable taxes along with any additional add-ons you might've selected.

United States Shipping & Taxes: Pledges shipped within the United States will have state taxes applied where we are legally required to collect. We will likely use USPS, FedEx, or UPS for your shipment.

International Shipping & Taxes: We will use a delivery-duties-paid shipping service to collect VAT/GST for the following countries: CA, AU, NZ, GB, DE, IT, FR, and ES. We hope that your packages clear customs with no additional requirements from you. 

International backers in countries not listed above will have their shipments sent with delivery duties unpaid. Ultimately, backers will be responsible for addressing any additional fees beyond what is collected in the pledge manager.

In the event that your package is not collected or your required fees are not paid, the package may be marked "to abandon/destroy" (instead of "return to sender," which results in prohibitively expensive return-shipping costs for Steve Jackson Games). Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer refunds or replacements for pledges in these cases. 

If you wish, you may choose to use a fulfillment service. This allows you to pledge for the project and then provide us with a qualifying address for the delivery of your rewards. Forwarding from the fulfillment service, as well as any local fees, is your responsibility when using a fulfillment company. We are not responsible for pledges sent to forwarding services after tracking has confirmed delivery.

You’ll be able to find printable sheets and extra background lore at sjgames.com/dahlia after the campaign closes. 

Fans of all things Steve Jackson Games-related can join the community on our official Discord! Chat with gamers who share similar interests and take deeper dives into channels dedicated to Munchkin, Illuminati, Car Wars, Ogre, GURPS, and other titles . . . and visit the brand new Dahlia’s Sitting Room!

Have a question or need some help? If you think others might want to know the answer, feel free to leave us a message in the comments. If it’s a question about payments or other private-type matters, visit our support site.

Finally, you can view our crowdfunding refund policy here.

Steve Jackson Games, based in Austin, Texas, has been publishing games, game books, and magazines since 1980. Our top hit is Munchkin, with over 12 million games and supplements in print worldwide. Other hits include GURPS (the Generic Universal RolePlaying System), The Fantasy Trip, Zombie Dice, Car Wars, Ogre, and Illuminati.