Indie RPG Spotlight: ‘City of Mist’ is a Different Kind of Urban Fantasy
The City of Mist may look like any other city, but a mist surrounds it, and sometimes entities will come out have you solve a mystery or two.
Published in 2017 by Son of Oak Game Studio and Modiphius Entertainment and designed by Amit Moshe, City of Mist is yet another example of unique, interesting premises for tabletop RPGs pulling in a ton of player interest. Like many others, the game was originally funded with a Kickstarter campaign in 2016. And of its $14,000 goal, more than 1,700 backers raised more than $100,000. And this urban fantasy neo-noir with an approachable system and a constantly shifting world didn’t let backers down.
City of Mist
Some games do one thing, but they do that one thing really well. If you want to play superheroes, for example, there are a handful of specific systems made for that specific genre. But City of Mist is a little broader and a little more open-ended. It has an urban fantasy setting- a genre we’re all very familiar with. But there is also an aspect of noir and detective theming to it as well. And this sort of multi-faceted, large theming is mirrored within the mechanics of the game with a setting that changes and evolves as much as the characters.
The eponymous city is a lot like any other, but it’s surrounded by a mysterious thick mist. Most are unaware that the mist has its own power linked to the magical mythos of the city, but others are able to see right through it. Players themselves are usually regular people who are suddenly awakened by a bit of this mythos and now have mysteries to solve or missions to carry out. These jobs always relate back to some other mythos aspect or entity and there is always something new about the city and the mist to learn.
Character Creation & Game Play
City of Mist is built on a modified version of the ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ system. This means that at its core, this game is pretty easy and pretty approachable. Especially for newcomers to the TTRPG hobby.
Character creation encourages players to work with the GM (or MC in City of Mist) to find a concept that will work. But basically, you’re picking what bit of mythos you want your character to be possessed with. If you’re familiar with PbtA-style games, you probably have a pretty good idea of what character creation will look like. But in short, every character type has a ‘playbook’ that breaks down your skills and abilities. Once a player decides on a playbook, creating their character is as easy as picking from a short list of abilities and descriptors.
In gameplay two d6 are rolled from everything and modifiers are added depending on whatever’s listed on your character sheet. There aren’t levels, but characters can grow and gain new powers with good roleplaying, and cinematic storytelling moments are almost as important as core story play.
It makes for a system where players can do—or attempt—anything they can imagine with little pushback from a rigid ruleset. And in a world that’s always changing, flexibility may just be key.
If you’d like to check out City of Mist for yourself, you can learn more on the official website.
Have you played City of Mist? What do you think of a game with a fluid setting? Do you prefer rule-light systems, or games with a little more crunch? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
