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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:

November Update Plus Spells Preview For Backers
9 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
10 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
11 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

August Update Plus City/Relationship Building System Preview for Backers
about 1 year ago – Tue, Aug 05, 2025 at 08:25:23 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 City/Relationship Building System with backers. You’ll find the 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.

🎨 Art Update

Adam Schumpert continues to bring Shadow City Mysteries to life with striking new character art from the Iron Union. This month’s art preview features Alston Siskin, a powerful Union Boss and key figure within the Iron Union. Siskin ensures the city’s industrial operations run smoothly. When they don’t, he makes sure that anything or anyone causing delays is removed efficiently and without apology.

This key character will appear in both the narrative adventure and our upcoming Visual Novels, along with gracing the pages of the TTRPG.


⚙️ Design Update

We’ve been developing systems that help your crew feel truly rooted in Shadow City. This month’s backer preview, the City/Relationship Building System, lets players and GMs map out the power structures, personal ties, and shifting alliances that define their version of the city.

🎲 Actual Play

Our cast has been selected, and preparations are underway for the premiere of the official Shadow City Mysteries Actual Play. Expect behind-the-scenes peeks and cast reveals soon.

Want to follow along? Join us on Discord for early updates and community chatter.

🎮 Gamescom 2025

Our CEO/Creative Director will be attending Gamescom 2025 at the GamingMalta booth, representing Play On Words Studios. We’ll have a playable demo of Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King, along with other sneak peeks.

If you’ll be in the B2B section, stop by:
Hall 3.2 | D041g – C040g | GamingMalta
📅 August 20 to 22 (Wednesday to Friday)

📜 Surveys

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

If you’re one of the remaining 13 backers, please complete your survey 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? No problem. Our Pre-Order Store is still open.

This is your chance to grab the game, access exclusive content, and dive into the world of Shadow City. The store is open to new backers and retailers.

🐀 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’s criminal elite. Forge alliances, crush rivals, and leave your mark.

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Unravel secrets in this replayable narrative adventure. As a detective, you’ll peel back the layers of mystery, conspiracy, and supernatural forces hiding in plain sight.

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs

Want more behind-the-scenes content? Check out our weekly dev blogs where we explore game design, world-building, and the broader 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

June/July Update Plus Maker Preview for Backers
about 1 year ago – Thu, Jul 03, 2025 at 11:46:23 PM

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 Maker Class with our backers. Be sure to check it out at the bottom of this update! As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts—so join us on Discord, where backers get access to a special discussion section.

🎨 Art Update

Adam Schumpert continues bringing Shadow City Mysteries to life with new character art from the Cult of Tenebrous. This figure will play a key role in both the narrative adventure and our upcoming Visual Novels.

This month’s art preview features The Curiosity Shop Owner, a representative of the elusive Cult of Tenebrous. This enigmatic purveyor of antiquities will sell you just the item you need and perhaps whisper your fate, drawn from her special tarot deck.

⚙️ Design Update

We’ve finished our pass on the Maker Class, the final class for the game! Whether you’re tinkering with intricate gears or mixing dangerous chemicals, this class is all about inventive creations and uncompromising toughness.


🎲 Actual Play

Many thanks to everyone who applied to be part of the official actual play campaign of Shadow City Mysteries, run by the Play On Words Studios team! We’re currently reviewing applications and assembling an awesome team.
Want to stay in the loop? Join our Discord and keep an eye out for updates!


📜 Surveys

A big thank you to the 95% of you who have completed your surveys—we truly appreciate it! 🙌 If you’re one of the remaining 14 backers, please complete your survey at your earliest convenience. Remember, you can still add items to your order if there’s anything else you’d like to include.


🛒 Pre-Order Store

Missed the campaign? No worries—our Pre-Order Store is still open! 🎉
Now’s your chance to grab a copy of the game, add exclusive items, and immerse yourself in the world of Shadow City.

Know someone who would love Shadow City Mysteries? Spread the word! The Pre-Order Store is open to both new backers and retail stores.

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

Step into the underworld of Shadow City in this narrative game. As the Rat King, you’ll forge alliances, crush rivals, and carve your legacy into the city's criminal fabric.

🕵️ Shadow City Mysteries: A Clockwork Noir

Play as a detective unraveling layers of mystery, conspiracy, and supernatural intrigue. Each playthrough brings new revelations in this replayable narrative adventure.

✍️ Play On Words Studios Dev Blogs

Want more behind-the-scenes content? Check out our dev blogs, where we dive into design decisions, lore, and the making of our transmedia world.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! We’ll be back next month with more updates, including deep dives into other aspects of Shadow City Mysteries.

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