I have subscribed to many newsletters and so a lot of advertising ends up in my inbox. I usually go over that very quickly, but I’m really glad I checked out Land of Eem because it ticks so many points for me that it’s one of my top favorites for 2023.
Comicbook adaptation
Land of Eem is based on the fantasy graphic novels Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo and Dungeoneer Adventures by Ben Costa and James Parks. Exactly these two have also written the appropriate role-playing game with all its wondrous residents.
Muppets meets the Lord of the Rings
Land of Eem aims to offer fun and lighthearted role-playing in a post-apocalyptic world. Players experience epic adventures with a good dose of silliness, which is clearly supported by the illustrations.
Great choice for players
Basically, the players have six classes to choose from, the sheets are strongly reminiscent of playbooks from Powered by the Apocalypse (pbta) games. There are also 16 playable races, from humans to gnomes, gelatinous goo, mushroom people to skeletons.
Easy rules
Land of Eem primarily uses a 12-sided die and the division of the results is reminiscent of pbta games. A 1 is a complete failure, a 3-5 a failure with a plus, a 6-8 a success with a twist, a 9-11 a success, and a 12 a complete success. In my opinion, such a scale brings much more excitement than just determining success or failure.
Promoting creative solutions
In Land of Eem not everything should be solved with the sword, because defeating opponents does not provide any experience points. Instead, creativity is required and desired. Many opponents let you talk to them, which in my opinion makes the game suitable for children, especially with regard to the presentation and illustrations.
One box to rule them
I’m a big fan of boxes, both starter sets and complete sets for an RPG and that’s exactly what Land of Eem offers. In addition to the basic rules, this also includes a bestiary and the actual setting book. Printed meeples and maps are also included.
Conclusion:
Since my children are finding my hobbies more and more interesting (especially dice), I am really looking forward to Land of Eem with its child-friendly design and great scope. Precisely because some elements are strongly reminiscent of PbtA, the game is very high on my favorites list.
Dice Adventurer 