Gossamer Frontier is a witchy, sci-fantasy solo-TTRPG with a narrative focus. In a time of strife, become the Captain your people need. Build a crew, earn their trust, and find companionship along the way.
“There’s one catch. The ship has some… less-than-legal tech.”
“That’s a pretty big catch.”
“And it runs on blood, or souls… I don’t know, it’s a bit temperamental. Listen, it’ll take you anywhere you need to go, and we need to be everywhere. There’s no other way to do this.”
“It’s a phylactery engine then? No one in their right mind is going to crew a ship that has one of those whispering in their ears.”
“We found people who might, and they're mostly in their right mind. It’s up to you to seal the deal though, or the pact, I guess.”
“You’re hilarious.”
“And you’re a natural leader. We know about your past... even the pieces you tried to bury. But we also know what you're capable of. If you really want a chance at a new life, and to do some good at the same time, this is it. Are you in, or not?”
“...I’m in.”
One of the reasons I love Mass Effect, is that the player is the lynchpin around which everyone else finds stability. You build a team of memorable characters, and then earn their loyalty by helping them conquer their own ordeals. It's all incredibly compelling.
Gossamer Frontier pulls directly from that dynamic.
Whether you're more of a Commander Shepard or a Han Solo type of leader is up to you, but in every case, you'll assemble a roster of crewmates with their own stories, quirks, and motivations, and help them banish the shades of their past, all while dealing with existential threats plaguing the galaxy.
Gossamer Frontier is a solo-TTRPG where you drive the game forward from decision to decision, scene to scene, unfolding a greater narrative in written word. A combination of ad-lib style randomization and the jurisdiction to choose where you go and what you do gives you ownership over the experience.
The Player's Role
You're in a unique position as Captain. With a reliable Navigator at your side, your ship can sail the gossamer, an opalescent weave of possibility that takes you anywhere in the galaxy... if you can keep the engines running. In Gossamer Frontier, you'll maintain your ship, build relationships with your crew, and if you've got time between outrunning or outgunning existential threats... maybe even fall in love along the way.
What's a solo-TTRPG?
When you sit down with Gossamer Frontier, you'll need a couple of six-sided dice, and some pen and paper. The guidebook gives you a set of rules and instructions, and will prompt you with "scenes". These scenes are half structure, half imagination. You'll overcome challenges posed by the book, get to know your crew through multi-choice dialogue, and record the story as you go. Limited resources and dice rolls keep the world surprising, unpredictable, and make the results of your actions feel earned.
Duration of Play
Your adventures in Gossamer Frontier are all part of an overarching Campaign with three separate Acts. Your decisions and achievements in each Act will affect the next one. Campaigns are meant to span days or weeks in the real world, and give you off-ramps between assignments to pause the action. The narrative of play is a major focus, and is meant to unfold over time.
The idea of romance and companionship is baked into Gossamer Frontier. In the guidebook, you'll recruit up to five crewmates, each with their own backstory, baggage, and opportunities to grow close.
Earning the Cutscenes
Over time, you'll learn what stokes or cools the fires of romantic interest for crewmates. Unlike the game's inspirations, there are no "love-interest buttons" to press. Your actions as Captain determine your opportunities.
Romance is not freely given (and is always optional.)
Crewmates are unique, with distinct interests/disinterests.
How you solve problems as Captain matters.
As crewmates gain interest, new scenes unlock that further your relationship.
(Scenes are at most, suggestive, and never explicit.)
There are no limits on who/how to love someone(s).
Gossamer Frontier is a solo-TTRPG where you drive the game forward from decision to decision, scene to scene, unfolding a greater narrative in written word. A combination of ad-lib style randomization and the jurisdiction to choose where you go and what you do gives you ownership over the experience.
As a product, Gossamer Frontier is aiming for a lightweight, zine-like format, targeting roughly 60 pages. Crowdfunding goes toward the art, printing, and production.
Mockup of the physical version. You'll write in this thing, too.
Hey there, I'm Michael Henderson, better known as Wrelby most folks. I'm the solo author, designer, and jack-of-all-trades on this project, and Distal, which was my first project on Backerkit! Making amazing things to share with others is my lifeblood.
Both digital and physical versions of the game are expected Q3 of this year (or the end of Q2, optimistically). Due to ongoing tariff nonsense, and unstable global economies, it's hard to pin down shipping prices before surveys go out. That said, zines are lightweight, and easily fit into pocket mailers, so this should be quick and simple.
Regional Limitations (to Physical Copies)
We won't be able to deliver physical goods to the following countries, but digital is totally fine: Belarus, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan.
💥 Zinetopia 2026
This project is participating in Zinetopia! A Small-format TTRPG event celebrating Zine Month running February 2–27, 2026.
📖 What is Zine Month? Zine Month is a month-long online celebration observed every February by the tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) community where creators share and launch new DIY zines.
🔥 Unlock the Limited Zinetopia Freebie! Receive the limited edition Zinetopia 2026 Group Zine when you back 5+ projects featuring 60+ pages from participating creators full of mini-games, sketches, activity pages, and more!
