Gates of Krystalia offers a glimpse at the future of indie TTRPGs

Gates of Krystalia is an isekai-themed tabletop RPG created by Andrea Ruggeri and Alberto Dianin that mixes a traditional 52-card deck with AI-generated imagery. The project already spans a Core Rulebook and a second volume, Part Deux, which establishes a multiverse, and the third book, Lumina, recently launched a Kickstarter campaign.

The game has provoked controversy for a Core Rulebook section titled "Hero's Harem," which presents largely tall, light-skinned, conventionally attractive NPCs and was criticized as whitewashed. Ruggeri defended those choices as an attempt to reproduce isekai and anime stereotypes, saying he wanted to bring what "Japan and its culture offer" into the game.

Fan service is prominent in Gates of Krystalia; Part Deux includes a suggestive image despite a Kickstarter description calling it "suitable for all ages," and a fox girl narrator, Nami, taunts readers who dislike the art.

Japan

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