Play-To-Lose With ‘Inevitable: A Doomed Arthurian Western,’ Now Live On Kickstarter

Welcome to the table,

SoulMuppet Publishing, known for TTRPGs like Orbital Blues, Best Left Buried, and Stygian Library, has recently launched its latest offering on Kickstarter. Inevitable: A Doomed Arthurian Western is a new RPG system that is the fusion of  Arthurian legend and.. well… western themes. This hybrid system comes with a compelling play-to-lose twist that caught my attention when it came across my desk.

The Arthurian aspect of Inevitable brings to life the world of sad knights, a struggling king, foolish virtue quests, and mysterious women in lakes. Meanwhile, the Western element introduces sweeping deserts, dusty heroes with big boots and hats, and cans of beans cooked over a campfire. The combination of these two genres creates a one-of-a-kind setting that is both familiar and intriguing yet alien and wholly unique.

From what I can gather from the quickstart guide and the available media, what sets Inevitable apart from a lot of other TTRPGs is its play-to-lose mechanics. Unlike traditional RPGs where overcoming the odds is kinda the accepted goal alongside playing with your friends, Inevitable embraces the inevitable destruction of the kingdom as its core concept.

Players are tasked with serving the King of Myth and trying to prevent the destruction of his kingdom and civilization. However, the outcome is predetermined. Players know going into the game that the kingdom will fall and that the challenge lies in how they navigate the story and discover how the kingdom meets its inevitable demise.

The system is easy to learn and play, making it accessible to both new and experienced TTRPG players alike. Inevitable is a hyper-focused system that is specifically designed for an Arthurian Western campaign and the mechanics are intrinsically linked to the story, providing a finely-tuned experience that is tailored to this unique setting.

From what I have gathered, the campaign options in Inevitable are fairly extensive. A one-shot seems very possible but the looming dread of a doomed kingdom can provide those willing to embark on an ill-fated adventure many opportunities for an extended campaign.

Inevitable seems to be a fresh and innovative TTRPG system that combines Arthurian legend with Western themes in a doomed setting that is sure to scratch the itch of those who are fans of melancholy romps like Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2. If you’re in the market for a new tabletop RPG to add to your collection, Inevitable from SoulMuppet Publishing is definitely worth checking out.

Until next time, you can break a horse to water but you can’t make him save the kingdom.