Pitchfork Extended: A Folk Horror RPG Now on Kickstarter

Pitchfork Extended, a tabletop RPG that combines slice-of-life hearth fantasy with the eerie tension of folk horror, has successfully launched on Kickstarter. The campaign achieved full funding within the first 25 hours.

The game offers a distinct take on both folk horror and fantasy RPGs, focusing on the lives of ordinary medieval villagers rather than traditional adventurers or heroes. Players take on roles such as blacksmiths, shepherds, and midwives, striving to protect their community from an unnatural terror born of war. The narrative balances the quiet, everyday moments of village life with the looming threat of a monstrous presence, creating a blend of survival, resilience, and difficult choices.

Originally created as a one-page RPG for Itch.io’s 2024 One-Page RPG Jam, Pitchfork Extended has been expanded into a 16-page A5 zine for ZineQuest. This new edition refines the game’s OGREISH framework, a D6 dice pool system designed for intuitive, conversation-driven gameplay. The mechanics are easy to learn but robust enough to support immersive, long-lasting stories.

The gameplay revolves around a three-phase cycle: narration, challenge, and outcome. Players describe their actions, face challenges influenced by environmental and situational elements called “facets,” and resolve outcomes based on dice rolls. These outcomes range from triumphant successes to catastrophic failures, each shaping the ongoing narrative. Facets, such as weather, terrain, and relationships, add depth to the gameplay, ensuring that every decision carries weight.

Set in the war-torn Lower Princedoms, Pitchfork Extended explores themes of survival, community, and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. The game draws inspiration from works like The Witcher, Bloodborne, and Midsommar, but it distinguishes itself by focusing on the quiet heroism of ordinary people. Players must uncover signs of the monster’s presence—tracks in the fields, missing livestock, unnatural growls—while grappling with the weight of their choices and the fragility of their community.

The zine includes expanded lore, core rules, village creation tools, monster design guidelines, and villager playbooks. Backers will also receive downloadable resources such as village sheets, monster sheets, and facet sheets to streamline gameplay. Stretch goals will expand the zine to 20 or 24 pages, adding more illustrations and content, with higher funding tiers potentially including a bonus monster-hunt playset titled Shadow of Salt.

With 27 days left in the campaign, there is still time to support this unique RPG and be part of its journey.