Tabletop RPG fans around the world will soon have a chance to be squashed by the Asylum Demon, as Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game has been announced with a teaser trailer. The game is being produced by Steamforged Games, which is a company known for producing board games and card games based on popular video game franchises.
Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy were inspired by a number of different franchises, with the manga series Berserk being a huge inspiration. It's clear that fantasy tabletop RPGs also inspired the franchise, with the most obvious nod being the Mind Flayer enemies in Demon's Souls. The Mind Flayers are squid-headed humanoids that reside in the Tower of Latria. They are almost identical to the Mind Flayers in Dungeons & Dragons, which are similarly cephalopod-esque monsters that prey on humanoids and eat their brains.
The land of Lothric will soon be explored by groups of adventuring parties from around the world. The official Steamforged Games Twitter page has uploaded a teaser trailer for Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game. The trailer shows a set of tabletop RPG dice burning amidst the flames of the bonfire. There is a link to a website for Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game, but it's currently just a mailing list. It's unclear if this game will be crowdfunded, or what the expected release window will be. The fact that it's a tabletop RPG means that it can be sold as a single book, so there might not be a need for crowdfunding.
Steamforged Games is no stranger to the Dark Souls franchise. The company already produces Dark Souls: The Board Game, as well as a number of expansions, each with a beautiful selection of minis on offer. It also produces Dark Souls: The Card Game and its expansions, so it's no surprise that a tabletop RPG would be the next step for the company. Steamforged also produces board games based on Devil May Cry, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter, Ni No Kuni, and the Resident Evil series.
The Dark Souls series certainly has a setting that is fit for a fantasy RPG campaign. The question is whether the book will detail the events that transpire in the game, or whether players will be able to experience the events that are hinted at in the expansive lore of Dark Souls. The world of Dark Souls isn't known for its deep character interactions, so the game might be better suited to groups that love to explore dungeons and slay monsters. Time will tell what adventures await when Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game releases.
Source: Steamforged Games/Twitter