Double Summon Games is bringing the killing game to the tabletop

Is there ever a bad time to start another killing game? If the popularity of Danganronpa and Squid Game have proven anything, it is that we cannot get enough of watching dangerous games where lives are on the line. Now, rather than wait for a new visual novel or find a new show, indie creators Double Summon Games is planning to bring the killing game to the tabletop so you can mastermind your own.

Despair Dilemma: A Death Game Mastermind TTRPG is the latest upcoming project from Double Summon Games. Taking inspiration from Danganronpa, Squid Game, and Zero Escape, the game is designed to facilitate the creation of your very own killing game. The game achieves its goal of letting you and your friends puppeteer a playful little murder party by being a part-collaborative storytelling game and part-player-versus-player improv murder mystery. You’ll create a large cast of characters, build the rooms your characters will travel between, select which nefarious elements of the plot to portray, and trade off the role of Narrator–or steal it from another player. All the while trying to stop the killing and save everyone, unless you’re the person who needs to keep killing. The game already has a demo version available for free, in anticipation of the crowdfunding campaign in mid-March.

Despair Dilemma is the big follow-up to Double Summon’s previous, popular crowdfunded game, Perfect Draw!. Perfect Draw! is a Powered by the Apocalypse game that pushed the system to its limits. Inspired by card game anime like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Duel Masters, Perfect Draw! is a carefully crafted game that allows you and your friends to invent whole new card games and mechanics for that card game while actively dueling one another. The game is also notable for the kinds of support it received from Double Summon alongside its release. This included an expansion book and a custom tool for designing cards for your deck. Despair Dilemma has already shown signs of getting similar support, as the demo page includes a link for an official Tabletop Simulator workshop mod for playing the demo online.

Despair Dilemma: A Death Game Mastermind TTRPG is going to be crowdfunding on Backerkit. The crowdfunding campaign launches on March 13th.