Kara Dennison
August 20, 2024 
Thanks to LionWing Publishing, gamers around the world can get a taste of Japanese TTRPGs. From Convictor Drive to Fledge Witch, these unique releases bring your favorite genres to the gaming table. And starting today, LionWing is setting out to do it again. This time, the game up for funding is dark fairy tale TTRPG Kedamono Opera.
This lauded game needs your help to get localized! Will you join the party and pen your own tragic opera? Read on to find out what this new title brings to the table.
The Story
We’ve all heard tales of dark beasts who lure unassuming humans to their doom. In Kedamono Opera, you become one of those beasts. The “kedamono” of the game are giant creatures resembling animals known to humans—wolves, spiders, birds, and so on. But each kedamono also has a human-shaped lure that can speak and interact with humans. The purpose? To coax that human into letting the kedamono devour its soul.
This story-forward game puts players in charge of their own fate. They can choose to do just as the stories say, luring and feeding on humans. Or they can go against the narrative and form meaningful bonds.
The Opera
Like most Japanese tabletop games, Kedamono Opera uses d6es (“normal” dice). As a player, you will use these dice to overcome Ordeals. But those aren’t the only challenges ahead of you. There are also Portents: single sentences that must, during the game, come true. How they come true, and for whom, is often flexible.
Together, players and the DM will weave Portents together into a beautiful and tragic story. Each kedamono also has an Opera, or a potentially story-altering Portent. Moreover, creativity in the group is rewarded with Legends. Did you write a short story about your kedamono? Has a friend drawn fan art? Did you all play a session together? Each of those becomes part of your Legend.
And the Rest
Kedamono Opera has a goal of $10,000, which it may well have reached by the time you read this article. But it still pays to get involved! There are several stretch goals ahead, including a foreword from the game’s author and a whole new scenario to play. Plus, donating at the $99 level gets you a gorgeous special edition game set. This collector’s edition comes with an “Ever After” version of the book (including a leatherette cover and gold end papers), custom dice, and a dice tray.
Check out the Kickstarter now and prepare to weave your own dark fairy tale!
