Dandies & Dandyzettes: A Regency Role-playing Game

Dandies

Four years ago, the good people at Storybrewers released “Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG” (and an expansion October 2021). But who knew that Jane Austen and her world would make for such delightful acquaintance that another RPG would arrive?

Well dear readers, that is exactly what has happened.

Cassidy Percoco, the creator of “Dandies & Dandyzettes: Being a role-playing game set in Regency England” reached out to me last week to let me know the game was now available on Kickstarter (and it’s also arrived at its first stretch goal! Congrats Cassidy!) and of course I snapped up a pledge.

From the Kickstarter:

Welcome to Regency England!

Dandies and Dandyzettes is set in Great Britain at the end of the reign of George III. The once-hearty monarch is ailing, locked away in Windsor Castle while his son, the Prince Regent, holds the throne in his place. Players inhabit the roles of members of the gentry and aristocracy, moving through society in order to improve their individual or family standing or to gain their own more personal goals. 

This is essentially a social game, focused on character interaction and telling a story, and therefore there is not necessarily an equivalent of the traditional combat-based dungeon crawl or quest.

Sounds like the perfect game to play at your next JASNA meeting!

Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG Update

A couple of years ago, I wrote about Good Society, a Jane Austen RPG that was on Kickstarter.

Looks like the good folks over at Storybrewers have a new pre-order available of the complete set, expansion packs, plus a lot of other goodies.

The pre-order includes:

  • Good Society Hardcover
  • Good Society Base Deck
  • Expanded Acquaintance Hardcover
  • Service and Ambition Deck
  • Swords and Magic Deck
  • Love & Longing Deck
  • Good Society PDF
  • All Expansion PDFs

The cost is $150 AUS with a $15 AUS flat shipping to the US. The complete package is set to be released in October 2021.

Austen Translation

Image of a quote from the game Austen Translation

One of my many hobbies is gaming. My partner and I recently got a Switch and I’ve been playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild heavily for the last couple of week. I also own a N64 (good lord, I’m aging myself), a DS3, and I have games via Steam. We’re also big fans of table top games.

Gaming is in my blood.

There has a been a recent stash of Austen-esque games out in the last year. There has been Good Society, Jane Austen’s Matchmaker, and the Facebook game, Jane Austen Manors to name but a few.  Now comes Austen Translation.

Developed by Worthing & Moncrieff, Austen Translation is “… a satirical strategy game set in the world of Jane Austen—a tongue-in-cheek riff on caustic rivalries, appalling preconceptions of the roles of women and men, and, of course, the unending quest to marry well. In “Austen Translation,” the player takes on the role of an innocent young woman who has to convince a wealthy bachelor to marry her so she can escape a future of poverty and destitution. ”

Austen Translation is set to release on Steam on May 1.  The introductory price will be $4.99USD and you can bet I’m buying the game!

 

Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG

Story Brewers: Good Society

Back in September, I wrote about Polite Society, a tabletop game that was Kickstarted to much success. Now comes Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG which is another tabletop game done by StoryBrewers, another game company out of Australia.

According to the Kickstarter,

Good Society is a collaborative roleplaying game that seeks to capture the heart, and the countenance, of Jane Austen’s work. It is a game of balls, estates, sly glances, and turns about the garden.

Underneath this, just as Austen’s own work, it is a game of social ambition, family obligation and breathtaking, heart stopping and deeply repressed longing.

Good Society is currently live on Kickstarter and backing, which ends on March 5, 2018, and has currently, widely, surpassed their funding goal. The date set for release is October 2018.

 

Jane Austen’s Matchmaker: Second Chapter game is out now

Jane Austen Matchmaker: Chapter Two

Earlier this year, I reported the game, Jane Austen’s Matchmaker, had a new add-on: Zombies! If that wasn’t enough for you, now there is more!

Sabrewolf Games has recently announced an additional game, Chapter Two, a standalone and a continuation of the first game. The game includes new locations and characters from Austen’s books. Get to matchmaking!

Chapter Two can be purchased from Sabrewolf or Amazon.UK. It does not look like it can be purchased in the US just yet.

P.S. The Zombies! add-on is now sold out on SabreWolf’s website but you can still get it at Amazon.co.uk and from third-party sellers at Amazon.com.

Polite Society: The Jane Austen Board Game

Polite Society: The Jane Austen Board Game

Recently backed on Kickstarter, Polite Society is a table top board game that brings, “…all your favourite Jane Austen characters to life, in Polite Society players compete to collect guests to complete their ultimate dinner party table.” According to the game’s description, you do not need to be a fan of Austen’s work to play but Austen fans should enjoy the trivia and quotes that are sprinkled through the game.

If you missed the Kickstarter, you can pre-order the game for $49.99AUD ($39.61USD). Shipping to the US is $10AUD ($7.92USD). The game will be shipped in April 2018.

Jane Austen Monopoly Game is Coming

Jane Austen Monopoly

I did not see this coming. To celebrate the city of Winchester, UK, a Monopoly version of the game was released this past week. The game was influenced by the 200 death-versary of our Jane.

From the BBC:

Playing pieces could include the King Alfred the Great Statue and its cathedral, and banknotes in the game could feature a portrait of the author.

Residents can nominate landmarks in the city to fill the spaces on the board.

From the Hampshire Chronicle:

The game will see around 30 leading Winchester landmarks replacing the famous Monopoly addresses like Mayfair and Park Lane. We are inviting the public to help us put this edition together by sending in votes and suggestions. From very initial soundings we have so far had the most wonderful response.

We are absolutely sure this will be one of the best Monopoly editions anywhere every in the world. It may probably prove a case of what is left off rather than on.

The Chance and Community Chest cards will be Winchester themed too. One could send players back three spaces for getting stuck in a Winchester traffic bottleneck. It’s a blank canvas at the moment but it will be ready to be released in time for this Christmas and will hit shop shelves this October.

 

 

Facebook Game: Jane Austen Manors

Jane Austen Manor

Games centering around Jane Austen’s worlds continue to pop up.  So far I’ve covered The Lady’s Choice (computer) and Jane Austen’s Matchmaker (cards) with plans to cover several other games I know are out there – I know, I know. Marrying Mr. Darcy (cards) is on top of everyone’s list. I have it but it’s in storage – including a game for the iOS so I wasn’t too terribly surprised to find out there is also a Facebook based game entitled Jane Austen Manors.

Looks like the goal of the game is to decorate homes, persons, and make and solidify connections.

From the developer:

Featuring a Furnishings shop for the latest in decor, and a Clothiers for your wardrobe in the latest Regency fashions, Jane Austen Manors also offers mini-games that reflect the past-times of a begone era such as Needlework that can be displayed in your parlour at completion. And don’t forget the importance of having connections! In Jane Austen Manors, your neighbors can make calls by visiting your manor and leaving calling cards and gifts.

I’ve never been a big fan of Facebook games so I more than likely won’t give this a go but if you do, let us know in the comments what you think.

(I don’t know if the developer means to do this but I’m cracking up at the pun of “manors” for “manners” as a rich part of the game is having connections with other players.)

The Lady’s Choice: A New Regency Era Visual Novel

The Lady's Choice

Oooohhh…this looks fun!

A choose your own adventure type game, The Lady’s Choice is a “light visual novel” set in the Regency era that places the player as a lady of good standing coming back into society. Your quest is to navigate your new (and upcoming) social standings though not strictly for marriage. According to the developers, “The goal is to give the feel of a regency romance novel, but an interactive one!”

(They also caution the game is not wholly historically accurate due to liberties for the sake of the plots so please stop clutching pearls by rushing emails off to correct inaccuracies.)

The game is currently available for Windows / OSX / Linux users and while the game is free, there is an option to pay what you think the game is worth as well as tipping the developers.

(I’ve downloaded the game and will report back!)


(H/T Kotaku)