The End of Cthulhutech

Over twitter, Mike Vaillancourt of WildFire announced that Cthulhutech is done after they’ve completed the original books they planned (which, I believe, means about four more, with one, Burning Horizons, on the way):

“@WyattSalazar leaking info here and now. CTech is through. We’re finishing the original set of books and that’s it. We’re moving on.” – Tweet Link.

Cthulhutech is an RPG that creates a multifaceted setting where lovecraftian investigative horror, aliens vs mechs anime-esque stories and cyberpunk anti-corporate shadow warfare intermingled, with a global, apocalyptic war as the backdrop. Though it becomes a bit difficult to blend the games, each plays pretty well on its own. The setting is pretty interesting, if a bit crazy in parts, and the system has some innovative touches like its poker-like dice mechanic, and the card-play variant, and is pretty simple to make a character for and get going. Though some parts lacked clarity, the designers were quick to answer questions and pretty hands-on and reachable. They always engage the community via their forums, and the game built up a cult following.

Cthulhutech has had some pretty rough ground though, and I don’t blame Mike at all for this decision. Their first partnership with Mongoose was rife with publishing problems, including book bindings that literally fell apart in your hands, and their stint with Catalyst ended with them being shafted out of royalties when the company basically melted down in a financial scandal that, to this day, has me avoiding buying any products of theirs (not that they have anything I care about anymore, anyway). Now they’re on to a third publisher, and that’s a lot of problems to contend with for a small press RPG that’s supposed to be a part-time labor of love.

Mike cites these as some of the factors in his decision. He says that Cthulhutech’s gone on for two years too long and they can’t make a living out of it, and it’s a lot of work for something “part-time.” However, he does cite it as having been a positive experience overall, so I guess that’s good. I wish him and the rest of Wildfire luck in their future endeavors.

UPDATE: Cthulhutech and the rest of WildFire’s products will continue to be available via e-formats and POD. This include Cthulhutech and The Void. More info on this forthcoming, so follow Mike’s account on Twitter if you’re interested.

If you’re interested in Cthulhutech, you can download a quick-start here or purchase the Core Rulebook. It’s 15 bucks right now which is pretty much a steal for what it is. Hell, I’d pay that much if it was only TAGERS: THE GAME. You can check out my review of another product, Vade Mecum (going for $25 now), which I consider a must-buy for Cthulhutech gamers.