Songbirds 3e

The book is A5, hardcover, 128 pages, sewn binding. The pre-order is open for the new two weeks post-kickstarter. In this window you can order additional copies of Blue & Red. 

PDF available for free over on itch.io! Or just click here for it.

"Moon's haunted."

Songbirds 3e is a tabletop roleplaying game about undeath, supernatural powers, and the blue dreams of the moon. In the game, you create a strange survivor of the world who was chosen (or cursed) by Death. Spirits aren't able to pass on to the afterlife and grow monstrous with each passing day. You know the songs to send them on. You have the abilities that help you find them. You are the canary in the coal mine.

History

This is the third edition of the legendary game that started as a hack of Into the Odd and has grown into its own thing. It's everything that I want in a dungeon crawler and what I use to run my home games with. It has several, smaller magic systems, some open-ended potions and psychic powers, body-modifications for when a limb is inevitably cut off, and all the little quirks of eldritch fantasy that I enjoy. It's very much a passion project.

Click here for my pinterest board of setting inspiration.

Version Exclusives

In Blue, you can be a berserker, blue mage, dragoon, fang, moon child, red mage, songbird maiden, sorcerer, volfe knight, or Unseelie. Along with version exclusive "otherworldly pacts," summons, magical tomes, and magic systems such as Songs and the draconic language.

In Red, you can be a black dog, black mage, familiar, guardian nail, tiefling, necromancer, princess, experiment X09, jinx, or white mage. Along with version exclusive "otherworldly pacts," summons, magical tomes, and magic systems such as Gore Art and the Demon Hand.

Choose the one that speaks to you!

Signed Copies

These are kickstarter exclusive usually and are just signatures and little messages written in your copy. This is for the die-hard fans <3

Reviews

"I really like how much of this is just... cool shit." - Emma Levin

"First of all, the layout fucks. This is gorgeous. Secondly, this game lives and breathes in a weird, dangerous, uncomfortable world seething with sex, drugs and violence. No death, no love, just survivors in a hollow and liminal place. "Communist" is a language. The lore is rich as butter and the rules draw from that story like a well. Frankly it's gorgeous and it makes me sad. 5 stars, I can't wait to play it." - ShoutingCrow

"Songbirds 3 is like coming home to a town you only half-remember, one that's grown sprawling and mysterious without you. [...] And god, does this game beg to be played: there are so many deftly-woven hooks, tantalizing loose ends, and sly little implications of the world beyond the page, a setting-without-a-setting that feels fresher and more exciting than anything I've read in recent memory." - gwencie (full review here!)

"Masterclass of Layout and game design." - Yuki

"all this to say: i certainly did not expect to open this book and feel confident calling it my GOTY. it's beautiful. it's elegant. i would call it art. it's charmed the pants off me[...]" - thursday garreau

Say something nice to be featured here <3

Touchstones

These are the fantasy and sci-fi worlds that inspired the setting for Songbirds.

• Mononoke, Nakamura
• Psychonauts, Double Fine
• Dark Souls, From Software
• Mushishi, Urushibara
• Ico, Team Ico
• Blame!, Nihei

Inspirations

These are the systems (both TTRPGs and video games) that have inspired my understanding of dungeon crawlers and adventure games. You'll find their DNA and workings within.

• Into the Odd, McDowall
• Wonder & Wickedness, Strejcek
• Whitehack, Mehrstam
• kill puppies for satan, Baker
• Disco Elysium, ZA/UM
• Fallout New Vegas, Obsidian
• Persona 5, Atlus
• Blades in the Dark, Harper
• Red Giant, Burns
• bastards., Anderson

About Me

I'm a queer neurodivergent designer in the U.S. I've been a full time game designer/writer for three years now. I've written stuff like .dungeon, My Body is a Cage, and Lilancholy. Songbirds 3e continues with my obsessions. 

Join my mailing list for future announcements: https://substack.com/@snow117