Well, it's something we have been hearing rumors of, and now,
they're confirmed.
I'll just quote the letter from Free League Games, the new developers:
A new edition of the classic roleplaying game Twilight:
2000 was announced today by Free League Publishing, makers of the ALIEN RPG, in
partnership with Game Designers’ Workshop and Amargosa Press. The new edition goes
back to the roots of the franchise with a boxed set for sandbox roleplaying in the
devastation of World War III. It will come to Kickstarter in August, to be released
in early 2021.
The new edition of the apocalyptic RPG Twilight: 2000 will
be the fourth in the series, the first being released by Game Designers' Workshop
in 1984. Just like the original version, the new edition is set in a year 2000 devastated
by war – now in an alternate timeline where the Moscow Coup of 1991 succeeded and
the Soviet Union never collapsed.
"The first edition of Twilight: 2000 was an iconic game
for me back in the '80s, and we are humbled and honored to work with Marc Miller
and Game Designers’ Workshop to bring a new edition to life. The original game was
really ahead of its time. Our goal is to build on the amazing sandbox survival gameplay
and develop it further, making it more accessible using the tools of modern game
design," says lead game designer and Free League founder Tomas Härenstam.
"When I saw this proposal to revisit the Twilight universe,
I signed on immediately. As I have seen the work proceed, I have not been disappointed,
and I look forward to seeing this project become reality," says Marc Miller
of Far Future Enterprises and co-founder of Game Designers' Workshop.
Also part of the project are Amargosa Press (who have recently
announced the new Dark Conspiracy 4th Edition RPG), Polish RPG publisher Black Monk
Games (who will act as a consultant on the Poland in 2000 AD game setting as well
as publish a Polish edition of the game), and Far Future Enterprises (who publishes
the fifth edition of the Traveller science-fiction roleplaying game).
The design team is led by Tomas Härenstam (ALIEN RPG, Forbidden
Lands, Mutant: Year Zero), with setting and scenario writing by Chris Lites (Conan,
Over the Edge), editing by Angus Abranson (Doctor Who, The One Ring), interior art
by Niklas Brant (Forbidden Lands), cover art by Martin Grip (ALIEN RPG, Symbaroum),
and maps by Tobias Tranell (Forbidden Lands). Several active and retired servicemen
from the U.S. military are assigned to the project as consultants.
"Twilight: 2000 was a favorite of ours at school in the
'80s, with many a lunch hour spent salvaging what we could as we traveled across
the ruins of Europe trying to survive. I’m honored to be involved in a new edition,
and being able to work with the Free League is a fantastic bonus!” says Angus Abranson
of Amargosa Press.
Just like the original game, the new edition of Twilight:
2000 is set in a Poland devastated by war, but the game also offers an alternative
Swedish setting, as well as tools for placing the game anywhere in the world.
In the game, players take roles of survivors in the aftermath
of World War III – soldiers or civilians. Their goal, beyond surviving for another
day, can be to find a way back home, to carve out their own fiefdom where they are,
to find out more about the mysterious Operation Reset, and maybe, just maybe, make
the world a little bit better again.
The core gameplay uses a "hexcrawling" system established
in the post-apocalyptic Mutant: Year Zero and survival fantasy Forbidden Lands RPGs
(both Silver ENnie winners for Best Rules, in 2015 and 2019), developing it further
to fit the gritty world of Twilight: 2000. The core rules are built on the Year
Zero Engine used in those games (as well as in the ALIEN RPG), but heavily adapted
to fit Twilight: 2000 and its focus on gear and gritty realism.
More information about the new edition of Twilight: 2000 will
be forthcoming soon.
For further information or interview requests, please contact
pr@frialigan.se
I am personally quite happy with the news that Free League
Publishing got the nod. I have their
Alien RPG and well, I was
happy, while it’s rules light, it’s got the gritty horror feel a game on that
subject SHOULD have.
That said, I am talking to a member of their creative team
about doing interviews and asking them what kind of direction they’re going
with this? So, let me know through the blog email or in the comments if there
is anything you want me to ask. Oh, and to the other T2K blogs and podcasts out
there (I’m looking at you
Podcast at
Ground Zero,
Savant’s Rants
and
Wayne’s Books! We are the T2K
Blogosphere and we need to be working together on this! Also, with the editors
of Good Luck, You’re on Your Own get in touch? I want to coordinate this!)
I promise I will have more content. God, there’s a lot of
news to report of late. Battlefront’s making LAV-75s in 15mm soon, and I have
some of the T2K Ehliem 20mm figures done! Well, almost done. And I am going to
talk more painting and my own journey there.
So, TTFN!
