October has been an eventful month for analog games. A few highlights that caught my eye.
Salvage Union Japanese Translation
Another game getting translated into Japanese! The prolific Frog Games releasing a translation of the post-apocalyptic mech TRPG Salvage Union. Available as a PDF.
A hobby of mine is to swing by game shops and cafes when I travel. On a recent trip to Shizuoka, I stopped by a new board game cafe Spinward Games (スピンワードゲームズ) that just opened a few of months ago in July.
The owner greeted us as soon as we stepped into the cafe, and answered our questions as we walked around. I was blown away not just by the number of games (over 2,000!), which lined every wall, but the types of games. The majority were heavier games from the owner’s personal collection. In fact, the owner bought lighter games just for the store since he didn’t have many. A fan of history games, he had an amazing selection of historic and military war games. He also likes American Football, and I saw at least one football game on the shelf.
An abnormally rainy September has finally given way to sunny skies. The month saw translation announcements in both directions, and it’s neat seeing more games cross the language barrier.
Nobunaga’s Black Castle Kickstarter
Yusuke Tokita’s Nobunaga’s Black Castle kickstarter runs until October 8th and is more than ten times over the goal! I have the Japanese edition of the MÖRK BORG compatible game, and it is a stunningly beautiful book dripping with flavor.
MÖRK BORG Japanese Translation
Speaking of MÖRK BORG, the original got a general Japanese release in September! Available in both hardcover and PDF from Malstrom. Very cool to see movement in both directions.
The heat of August has given way to a chilly September, bringing summer to a close with a number of interesting announcements.
Fifth Edition Box Set
Image: Hobby Japan promotional art
Hobby Japan continues their push on Fifth Edition with a physical box set for their heroic gothic horror setting 呪われしミストバロウ (The Cursed Mist Barrows). Continue reading August 2026 Roundup
Summer heat and festivals are in full swing in Japan. A few items that caught my eye in July:
How to become a TRPG Publisher
Frog Games posts a lot about the business of TRPG publishing, and extended this to an event at CCFolia Ikebukuro on July 26th.
I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend, but Frog Games’ Watanabe and Adventure Planning Service’s Kondo discussed the challenges of being a small publisher, such as distribution vs direct sales, in addition to TRPG specific topics. Really nice to see this type of industry support.
Ghost in the Shell TTRPG
The cyberpunk classic Ghost in the Shell is getting another TTRPG, this time from Mantic Games! I’m really digging what I’ve seen so far. Crowdfunding ends August 14th.
Sword World
The new date for the Sword World English edition crowdfunding is set for October 20th. It will apparently be divided into three books: Player, GM, and Bestiary.
HacKClaD TRPG
A TRPG adaptation of the deck builder game HacKCLaD by Susabi Games came out from Kadokawa on July, 17th. I’m not familiar with game or setting, but the author caught my attention: Tōichirō Kawashima. I’m at a bit of loss how to keep it brief, but he created the Saikoro Fiction system, Insane, Meikyuu Kingdom, Magicalogia, among many, many, more. Very cool artwork based on the few sample pages available.
Releases are a bit calmer the month after Tokyo Game Market, but some particularly big releases in June!
Rulebook App Released
The CCfolia Rulebook App released with access to a fair number of books! It costs ¥550 a month, but there’s a coupon code “start_trpg” that makes the first month free. I’ll write more about it after I’ve had a chance to check it out.
With Tokyo Game Market in May, this post would be exceptionally long if I somehow managed to cover everything. So with that being said, here are a few highlights from May!
A New Solo Game by NS Miniatures
NS Miniatures, the makers of Dungeon Origami, among other miniature products, released 灰と剣の迷宮 (Hai to Tsurugi no Meikyuu; Labyrinth of Ash and Sword) that was been quite the hit. It sold out once, but preorders for the second run are open again. I’ll do a post about this once my copy arrives.
The first of what I hope becomes a regular thing: a monthly look at Japanese TRPG news. Far from comprehensive, it’s just what caught my eye. Now, onto April!
Fantasy Commentator DX (ファンタジーコメンテーターDX) is a game whose concept I adore and makes me smile every time I think of it. It is fantasy world creation, but the players are newscasters whose reporting shapes the fantasy world. Continue reading Fantasy Commentator DX
I wanted to visit CCFolia books since I first heard about them, and finally made the trip with a friend. Located in Ikebukuro, it could be mistaken for just another bookstore. Entering, though, I was greeted by shelves of TRPG and adjacent books, as well as some murder mysteries and card games. CCFolia books is a TRPG-focused store that could be mistaken for a trendy Tsutaya books.
NS Miniatures, the makers of 
