Apocalypse Keys
{{Short description|Tabletop mystery role-playing game}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox game
| name = Apocalypse Keys
| image= Apocalypse_Keys_cover.webp
| designer = Rae Nedjadi
| publisher = Evil Hat Productions
| date = 2020, 2023
| genre = tabletop role-playing game, mystery
| system = Powered by the Apocalypse
|players=| skills = role-playing
}}
Apocalypse Keys is a mystery tabletop role-playing game about monsters who decide to save the world, designed by Rae Nedjadi and published by Evil Hat Productions. It uses the Powered by the Apocalypse game engine by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker. The game is inspired by Hellboy, Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Men in Black, Penny Dreadful, and Doom Patrol.
Gameplay
Players create monster characters based on emotional wounds instead of typical archetypes, and their world-saving organization operates like a queer chosen family.{{Cite web |last=Wieland |first=Rob |title=Monsters Save The World In The Apocalypse Keys RPG |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robwieland/2022/10/10/monsters-save-the-world-in-the-apocalypse-keys-rpg/ |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2023-01-19 |title=7 most anticipated new tabletop RPGs coming out in 2023 |url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23552077/most-anticipated-indie-tabletop-rpg-2023-best-ttrpg-releases |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} Nedjadi designed the game with emotional safety in mind, driven by the questions, “How do I build in a sense of narrative power that's not just in the GM’s hands? How do I build in this ability to communicate and collaborate?”{{Cite web |last=Sridharan |first=Keerthi |date=2022-09-12 |title=Tabletop designers are making players cry, and working to keep them safe |url=https://www.polygon.com/23331167/tabletop-games-make-you-cry-keep-you-safe |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} The game is for three to six players and plays like a detective game.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2021-03-10 |title=Hold back an impending disaster in Hellboy-inspired RPG Apocalypse Keys |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/apocalypse-keys/news/apocalypse-keys-hellboy-evil-hat-rpg |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}
Reception
Chase Carter for Polygon named it one of seven most anticipated new tabletop games of 2023.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2023-01-19 |title=7 most anticipated new tabletop RPGs coming out in 2023 |url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23552077/most-anticipated-indie-tabletop-rpg-2023-best-ttrpg-releases |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}
Publication History
Nedjadi originally self-published Apocalypse Keys in pdf form on Itch.io in August 2020.{{Cite web |title=Apocalypse Keys by Rae Nedjadi |url=https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/apocalypse-keys |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=itch.io |language=en}} Evil Hat Productions acquired publishing rights in March 2021{{Cite web |title=Evil Hat |url=https://twitter.com/EvilHatOfficial/status/1369403814902706183 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Twitter |language=en}} and ran a Kickstarter campaign for Apocalypse Keys in October 2023, raising $165,883 from 3,226 backers.{{Cite web |title=Track Apocalypse Keys's Kickstarter campaign on BackerTracker |url=https://www.backerkit.com/projects/evilhat/apocalypse-keys |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=BackerKit |language=en}} Roll20 soon released a fully online version of the game.{{Cite web |title=Apocalypse Keys Complete Book - Play on the Roll20 Virtual Tabletop |url=https://roll20.net/ |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Roll20 |language=en}} Evil Hat released the pdf version on Itch.io on April 19, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Apocalypse Keys by evilhat |url=https://evilhat.itch.io/apocalypse-keys |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=itch.io |language=en}}
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