TTPRPGs have always showcased amazing art but there are select few titles that i think have created a visual style that sits above the rest. From Design and Layout to illustration and artwork see some of our favourites below.
1. Mork Borg
Every spread is a different layout. A spiked flail to the face! This is quite litteraly one the greatest examples of print design implementation i have ever seen. From the striking colours to the off the wall design layouts, this book itself adds to the feeling and setting of morkborg as a game.
2. Mothership
Mothership art and design encapsulates the Scifi Horror theme in a simple and minimalistic way. The clean and simple layout pared with the unique stylistic illustrations makes this book a pleasure to flip through while learning the ruleset but also when going back to reference for session information or inspiration.
3. Shadowdark RPG
We cant have this list without the Winner of best layout at the 2024 ennie awards. This layout is so exceptionally clean, everything is readable, each rule or mechanic is confined to at most a single spread of pages so you will never have to go flicking through the book to find different sections on a single topic. echoing the Old School vibe that this game is designed for is the art and illustrations, these are simple black ink drawings but evoke so much feeling and inspiration.
4. Crown and Skull
Designed and Written by one of my favourite artists, Brandish Gilhelm aka Hankerin Ferinale aka Runehammer. The books clean layout is accented by a number of illustrated pages as well as a large world map sprawling the end papers.
The art of the Print medium is alive and well in the Indie RPG scene and i see no reason for it to slow down. From hard cover leather bound special editions to well designed and produced saddle stitched Zines there is room in the print design space for large and small projects.