project-image

Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game

Created by Play On Words Studios

Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game is a TTRPG book with an exciting new setting for the 5th edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game! Immerse yourself in a world of dark clockwork noir, where the lines between reality and the supernatural blur. What's Inside: - Comprehensive Rulebook - Expansive Setting Lore - 3 Tiered Power System (Mystery, Conspiracy, Supernatural) - New Backgrounds (18), Classes (6) and Subclasses (24) - Monochromatic Magic (Shadow and Light) - Clockwork Mechanics (Brass and Iron) - City Relationship Mapping System ...and much more!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

February 2026 Update
about 1 month ago – Thu, Feb 05, 2026 at 03:02:07 AM

Hello Backers and Friends,

As we mentioned last month, writing is now complete for Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game. The manuscript is currently with our editor. They are one of the top editors in the industry, so our project is a little further back in their queue than we first expected. While that is happening, our sensitivity reader and layout artist are preparing everything so we can move directly into print production and fulfillment as soon as the edits are done.

Because of this delay, we still want you to have the game to play with now. We are working on getting a raw, unedited version of the PDF to you through Itch.io and DriveThruRPG. We expect to have these ready within the next week or so. This is our first time delivering a raw manuscript in this way, so please bear with us. If you have not completed your survey yet, please do so as soon as possible so we can deliver your files. If you have any issues, let us know at [email protected].

The good news is that this extra time gives us the opportunity to include more art in the book that would not have made it in otherwise.

⚙️ Design Update

As we mentioned last month, the rules for Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game are complete. We are now preparing additional content for future supplements and for Patreon releases. Once you have had a chance to look over the raw PDF, join the conversation on Discord to discuss the rules, the setting, and the design.

🎨 Art Update

Adam Schumpert has completed the illustration of our Police Captain and the High Priestess of the Church of Astra. He has a few more key characters to finish next, and thanks to the extra time, we will be able to include additional artwork in the final book.




Luana continues to work on the Tarot Deck. Current cards: Death, The Sun, The High Priestess, and The Hierophant.








🎲 Actual Play: House of Skye

Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern
While you wait for the early raw PDF, watch the rules in action in our ongoing actual play Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye. We stream live every Tuesday at 9 PM Eastern. 

You can join us live on Twitch and YouTube. VODs are also available on both platforms and on Spotify. Your follows, subscriptions, likes, and shares help more people discover Shadow City. We truly appreciate all of your support.

📜 Surveys

Thank you to the 95 percent of backers who have already completed your surveys. We truly appreciate it.
If you are one of the remaining eleven backers, please complete your survey soon. You can still add items to your order if there is anything you would like.

Please note that we cannot send you the raw PDF until your survey is complete, so do make sure to finish it sooner rather than later.

🛒 Pre Order Store

Open for a Few More Months
Missed the campaign? The Pre Order Store is still open, but it will not remain open for much longer. Once the book is ready in its final PDF form, we will lock orders.

This is your opportunity to grab the game, pick up exclusive items, and dive into the world of Shadow City. The store remains open for new backers and retailers.

📘 Free Quickstart Guide

If you have not downloaded the Quickstart Guide for Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game, or if you want to share the game with your friends, you can download the Quickstart for free on DriveThruRPG.

💥 Join Our Patreon

As we finish the work on this crowdfund, we will continue creating new subclasses, lore, and additional content for the RPG. Follow us on Patreon to receive new material for your games and updates on all Shadow City Mysteries projects. This is where you will find ongoing support content until our next supplement release.

🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files

Rise of the Rat King
Take control of the Rat King, an underworld mastermind navigating the power struggles of Shadow City. The demo has now been downloaded by thousands of players on Steam.

Ahead of Steam Next Fest in February, we are preparing a quality-of-life and feature update. After that, the full release of Rise of the Rat King will follow along with a demo for the next Case File.

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Unravel mysteries, conspiracies, and supernatural forces in this replayable narrative adventure. As a detective in Shadow City, each run reveals more of the truth.

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs

For more behind the scenes insights, visit our monhtly Dev Blogs where we explore game design, world-building, and our larger transmedia vision for Shadow City Mysteries.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We will be back next month with another update.

See you in the shadows,
Christopher Mifsud
CEO and Creative Director
Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game

January Update
2 months ago – Sat, Jan 03, 2026 at 07:51:28 AM

Hello Backers and Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful holiday season and are ready for everything 2026 has in store.

We’re thrilled to share that the writing for Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game is complete. The manuscript is now with our editor and will soon move into sensitivity reading and layout. The final PDF will be in your hands shortly after, followed by print production and fulfillment.

⚙️ Design Update
Done! Aside from editorial adjustments, the rules are complete.  Once the PDFs go out, we’ll begin releasing supplemental content through our Patreon and storefront to expand and deepen the setting. Follow along for even more Shadow City Mysteries goodness. 

🎨 Art Update
Adam Schumpert is working on the final character art for the book, especially portraits tied to the House of Skye actual play and a few remaining major NPCs.


Meanwhile, Luana Zahra continues illustrating cards for the Tarot Deck. The latest additions include The Chariot and The Hanged Man.





📜 Surveys
Thank you to the 95 percent of backers who have completed your surveys. If you're one of the remaining 12, please complete yours soon. You can still add items to your order, but orders will be locked in about a month, so don’t wait too long.

🛒 Pre-Order Store – Final Final Chance
Missed the campaign? There’s still time. Our Pre-Order Store is open for a short while longer and will close once the PDF is ready.

This is your chance to pick up the game, grab exclusive content, and step into the world of Shadow City. The store is open to new backers and retail partners.

🔗 Pre-Order Here

🎲 Actual Play: House of Skye – Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern
While you wait for the final version of the book, come watch the rules in action. Our actual play series Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye airs live every Tuesday at 9 PM Eastern.

We just wrapped Session 12, with our players preparing to level up to 3. Catch us live on Twitch and YouTube, or watch the VODs and listen on Spotify. Every subscribe, follow, like, and share helps more people discover the world of Shadow City Mysteries.

📘 Shadow City Mysteries Quickstart Guide – Free Download
If you haven’t grabbed the Quickstart Guide yet, now’s a great time. It’s perfect for introducing new players or getting your own campaign started while you wait for the full release.

Available now on DriveThruRPG, itch.io, and our website.

💥 Join Our Patreon
Even as we wrap this crowdfund, we’re continuing development. Our Patreon will feature new subclasses, lore, and mechanics to enhance your Shadow City campaigns. This is the best way to keep your game fresh between releases and ahead of our next supplement.

🔗Join Patreon Here

🐀 Case Files: Rise of the Rat King
Step into the underworld of Shadow City as the Rat King, carving out power and influence among the city’s criminal elite. The demo has now been downloaded by thousands across Steam, itch.io, and Patreon.

We’re currently preparing a quality-of-life and feature update for Steam Next Fest in February, followed by the full release of Rise of the Rat King and a demo for the next Case File.

🔗 Wishlist on Steam
Demo available on Steam, itch.io, and Patreon

🕵️ A Clockwork Noir
Unravel conspiracies and confront supernatural threats in this replayable narrative adventure. As a hardboiled detective in Shadow City, each case leads you deeper into the darkness.

🔗 Wishlist on Steam

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs
Want a deeper look into our creative process? Our semi-weekly dev blogs dive into game design, world-building, and the transmedia vision behind Shadow City Mysteries.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We’ll be back next month, hopefully with our final updates before fulfillment begins.

See you in the shadows,
Christopher Mifsud
CEO and Creative Director
Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game

November Update Plus Spells Preview For Backers
4 months ago – Mon, Nov 24, 2025 at 10:06:01 PM

Hello Backers and Friends,

We hope you’re all doing awesome. This will be our last update before the end of the year. We're hard at work finishing the final sections of the book, then it's off for editing, sensitivity reading, and layout. Once that’s complete, we’ll send you the full PDF. If possible, we might share a rough version sooner, but we don’t want to overpromise. We had already underestimated how long some parts of the process might take.

This means delivery will likely roll into early next year instead of landing before December 31. As soon as the PDF is finalized, we’ll also send it to the printer. Expect more updates on that in the new year.

In the meantime, we’re excited to share an exclusive Work-in-Progress preview of the Spells for Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game. You’ll find the preview at the bottom of this update for backers.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Join us on Discord, where backers get access to a dedicated discussion space.

⚙️ Design Update

The final pieces of the book are falling into place. We're adding remaining NPCs, stat blocks, and extra polish. This month’s exclusive preview focuses on setting-specific spells that put a Noir spin on 5E spells.

🎨 Art Update

Adam Schumpert has returned to illustrating the core book after finishing art for our House of Skye characters. He’s working on the final key figures for A Clockwork Noir and Case Files.

Luana Zahra continues crafting cards for the Tarot Deck, including The Wheel of Fortune, Death and Justice. We'll share more art previews in the new year.



You can check out the finished character portraits from House of Skye here:
🔗 Character Art


🎲 Actual Play: House of Skye – Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern

While you wait for the final book, come see the rules in action. Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye streams live every Tuesday at 9 PM Eastern on Twitch and YouTube, with replays available on Spotify.

We just hit Twitch Affiliate, and we couldn’t have done it without your support. Every Follow, Subscribe, Like, and Share helps more people discover Shadow City. Thank you for keeping the lights on in the shadows.


📜 Surveys

Thank you to the 95 percent of backers who have completed your surveys. We truly appreciate it.

If you're one of the 12 remaining backers, please complete your survey as soon as possible. You can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like. We will be locking orders in early January, so make any changes now.

🛒 Pre-Order Store – Last Chance

Missed the campaign? You still have a little time left.

Our Pre-Order Store is open, but will close soon as we finalize the PDF. This is your last chance to grab the game, pick up exclusive content, and join the growing Shadow City community. The store is open to new backers and retailers.


📘 Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game – Quickstart Guide (FREE)

Haven’t tried the game yet? Download the free Quickstart Guide from DriveThruRPG, itch.io, or our website. It’s the perfect way to introduce friends to the world of Shadow City before you start your own campaign.

💥 Join Our Patreon

We’ll continue releasing new content like subclasses, lore, and design deep-dives through our Patreon even after the crowdfunding wraps. 

Stay in the loop for new TTRPG content, upcoming games, and more.

🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King

Take control of the Rat King, a criminal mastermind navigating the ruthless underworld of Shadow City. Forge alliances, crush rivals, and carve out your legacy.

The Demo is available now on itch.io and Patreon.
🔗 Play the Demo on itch.io and Patreon

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Peel back the layers of mystery, conspiracy, and the supernatural. Each playthrough reveals new secrets in this immersive, replayable narrative adventure.

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs

Get behind-the-scenes insights into our game design, transmedia storytelling, and Shadow City lore with our semi-weekly dev blogs.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We won’t be back until after the holidays, so from everyone at Play On Words Studios:
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

See you in the shadows,
Christopher Mifsud
CEO and Creative Director
Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game

October Update Plus the Holdings System Preview for Backers
5 months ago – Mon, Oct 06, 2025 at 08:00:36 AM

Hello Backers and Friends,

We hope you’re all doing awesome! This month, we’re excited to share a Work-in-Progress preview of the Holdings System with our backers. You’ll find the backer exclusive preview at the bottom of this update.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Join us on Discord, where backers get access to a dedicated discussion space.

🎲 Actual Play: House of Skye Premiere

Our live premiere episode is coming up on October 7 at 9 PM Eastern, with new episodes releasing weekly.

Meet our incredible cast:
  • Katie Downey as Quinn Copperpaw, Heavy of the Court of Rats
  • Winston Clark as Peryn Kestai, Mystic of the Church of Astra
  • Mandy S. as Raven, Infiltrator of the Cult of Tenebrous
  • Matt Bell as Farank Tern, Face of the Society of Ravens
  • Ariel Kasten as Reggie Wrenne, Infiltrator of the Brass Consortium
  • Matt Walsh as Ignatus Ibison, Savant of the Cult of Tenebrous
  • And Christopher Mifsud as your Game Master

Follow us on Twitch, Tube, and Spotify so you don’t miss a moment.

⚙️ Design Update

We’ve been building systems to help your crew feel truly woven into the fabric of Shadow City. This month’s spotlight is the Holdings System, which allows players to upgrade and improve both personal and organizational spaces. These holdings serve as mechanical hubs and narrative anchors for your group’s influence in the city.


📜 Surveys

Thank you to the 95 percent of backers who’ve completed your surveys. We truly appreciate it.
 If you’re one of the remaining 12 backers, please fill yours out soon. You can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like to include.

🛒 Pre-Order Store

Missed the campaign? You can still jump in.
 Our Pre-Order Store is open to both new backers and retailers. This is your chance to grab the game, pick up exclusive content, and step into the shadows of Soreta.

🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King

Take control of the Rat King, a criminal mastermind navigating Shadow City’s underworld. Forge alliances, crush rivals, and leave your mark.

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Investigate mysteries, uncover conspiracies, and confront supernatural forces in this replayable narrative adventure. Each run reveals more of the city’s hidden truths.

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs

Looking for more behind-the-scenes insights? Our semi-weeklyish dev blogs explore design decisions, world-building, and how we’re weaving Shadow City Mysteries across formats.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey.
We’ll be back next month with more updates, including new mechanics and deeper dives into the evolving world of Shadow City Mysteries.

See you in the shadows,
Christopher Mifsud
CEO and Creative Director
Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game

September Update Plus Player Organization Building System Preview for Backers
6 months ago – Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 09:06:33 AM

Hello Backers and Friends,

We hope you’re all doing great. This month, we’re excited to share a Work-in-Progress preview of the Player Organization Building System, available exclusively to backers at the bottom of this update.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Join us on Discord, where backers get access to a dedicated discussion space.

🎨 Art Update

Adam Schumpert continues to bring Shadow City Mysteries to life with fresh character art. He’s currently working on portraits for the cast of our actual play series, Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye. Once those are finished, he’ll begin illustrations for several key roles in the city, including a priest of the Church of Astra, a Brass Consortium madame, and a captain of the Soreta police.

These characters will feature across the TTRPG, the narrative adventure, and our upcoming visual novels.

🔮 Tarot Update

Luana Zahra is currently hard at work bringing our custom Tarot deck to life. This month, she’s illustrating three of the major arcana: The Wheel of Fortune, Death, and Justice. Each card reflects the haunting and symbolic tone of Shadow City Mysteries, blending noir sensibilities with occult undercurrents. We’ll be sharing more previews of these cards in future updates and across our socials as they take shape.

⚙️ Design Update

We’ve been hard at work building new systems that help your crew feel grounded in the fabric of Shadow City. This month’s feature is the Player Organization Building System, which gives players the tools to create and grow their own factions. Whether you're running a neighborhood watch, an outlaw crew, or an underground resistance, this system lets your organization grow its power, resources, and influence across the city.

🎲 Actual Play: Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye

Our actual play campaign is almost here. Want a sneak peek? You can already watch Part 1 and Part 2 of our City Relationship Map building sessions on YouTube.

The campaign premieres October 7 at 9 PM on Twitch and YouTube, with new episodes airing weekly. Follow us now so you don’t miss it!

📜 Surveys

Thank you to the 95 percent of you who have completed your surveys. We truly appreciate your support.
If you’re one of the remaining 12 backers, please complete your survey as soon as possible. You can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like.

🛒 Pre-Order Store

If you missed the campaign, the Pre-Order Store is still open. This is your chance to grab a copy of the game, pick up exclusive items, and explore the world of Shadow City.

The store is open to both new backers and retailers.

🐀 Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King

Step into the underworld of Shadow City as the Rat King, a criminal mastermind fighting for control of the city’s underbelly. Make alliances, crush rivals, and carve your legacy into the city’s criminal history.

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Take on the role of a detective in a city of secrets, where conspiracies, mysteries, and supernatural forces collide. With multiple narrative paths and outcomes, each playthrough brings you closer to the truth.

✍️ Dev Blogs from Play On Words Studios

Looking for more behind-the-scenes insight? Visit our website for semi-weekly dev blogs where we explore design choices, lore development, and the bigger transmedia vision of Shadow City Mysteries.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We’ll be back next month with more updates, including new mechanics and deeper dives into the evolving world of Shadow City Mysteries.

See you in the shadows,
Christopher Mifsud
CEO and Creative Director
Shadow City Mysteries: The Roleplaying Game