Cyberpunk 2077 has already shown how a desktop RPG can be cleverly turned into a game, but what if a more abstract title received similar treatment?

Mörk Borg is a groundbreaking grimdark fantasy tabletop RPG from Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr of Stockholm Kartell. Released to the world in 2020, it won three gold ENNIE Awards for Product of the Year, Best Writing, and Best Layout, as well as a silver ENNIE for Best Game. The dark, dying world of Mörk Borg is in the midst of an apocalypse, and its wretched inhabitants cower in the shadow of the godlike two-headed basilisks. Life is short, cheap, and full of horrors, but despite this, Mörk Borg is currently enjoyed by thousands of players scattered across the globe, and the creative community surrounding it is thriving. The world’s noisiest tabletop RPG brings destruction to video games. Take control of the vilest scum to ever crawl the earth and wander the dying lands of the original game through a book-inspired art style. Dodge deadly flails designed to crack your skull open in a combat system that’s both dynamic and unforgiving, requiring a strategic, ruthless approach. Take on terrifying quests that will test your skills to the brink of the apocalypse.

You awaken in Galgenbeck, a revolting collection of shanties and ruins scattered around the greatest cathedral of the dying lands, dedicated to the doomsday followers of the two-headed Basilisk. From the blackened spires of the cathedral slithers a voice and a truth: the world is ending. The two-headed Basilisks demand a sacrifice. It will delay the inevitable end of all things. There is another voice. From the sh*t-smelling alleys where the rabble and gutter scum fester, comes a rumor: Whoever satisfies this demand will receive the blessing of Archpriestess Josilfa Migol. She will purify the souls of heretics and grant them passage to the Shimmering Fields when the real time comes. Those desperate enough to embark on this quest are called Cursed Walkers, and you are one of them. You know that your foul soul is rotting, and every night you are tormented by visions of eternal damnation. You need a way out. One way or another.

Cursed Walkers in Mörk Borg Heresy Supreme are no fantasy heroes. This miserable world is dying, and everyone is looking for salvation, wealth, or revenge; you can try to cross your fate with other walkers and form a party, but they will all join you for a reason. Keep everyone’s agenda in mind as you explore, and you might just get along. Wrong a companion and they’ll turn their backs on you. Or stick a dagger in yours. “Friendly” is one such alien world in the brutal, dying world of Mörk Borg. Remember that when someone offers you help! The world outside Galgenbeck’s walls is divided into regions, each worse than the last. Locations and adventures are dynamically generated based on your progress and the quests you stumble upon. Quests, adventures, bosses, and special items reset with each playthrough. Explore the dying world, but don’t get lost. You won’t get out alive. Mörk Borg Heresy Supreme doesn’t have XP or anything like that. Instead, you level up by performing certain actions during your adventures. As you level up, some of your characters’ abilities will get better, but some will get WORSE. The more you level up, the more likely you are to lose something. You can’t teach an old goblin new tricks! They’ll kill you.

The world is falling apart before the end, as written in the Nechrubel Calendar. Miseries are cataclysmic events that will affect the entire world and the poor creatures that inhabit it. The more you play and the deeper you crawl into the dirt, the more misfortunes you get. They can be triggered at the end of an quest, and the closer you get to the apocalypse, the more likely this is to happen.Rumor has it that these miseries can be delayed. The foolish claim that they can be prevented, but no one knows for sure. And whatever the price for such an unholy miracle, it’s unpayable. This world is unforgiving, but the cursed walkers have a secret trick: Omens that can be spent to deal maximum damage, reroll an ability check in a crucial situation, absorb the damage of a fatal blow, or guarantee a safe outcome by wielding the power of a scroll. So remember, you can rely on the fickle fates of alternate worlds tangled with the eyes of the Eldritch Guardians if you want to…just don’t tell the Inquisition.

Some professions can wield powers from esoteric and ancient scrolls. In the dying world of Mörk Borg, the casting of such magic is never guaranteed. Each scroll has a chance of triggering an arcane catastrophe, and no one can predict what kind of catastrophe it will bring. You might get dizzy and throw up… or explode. However, some arcane disasters may actually be better than their intended effect. Use at your own risk. Each character has four abilities – Strength, Agility, Presence, and Toughness – that determine your likelihood of survival. They affect mechanics and interactions with the world, enemies, and other characters. Some encounters, events, and decisions require you to roll a d20 modified by your ability. You should always put your life in the hands of a die roll. That’s why it’s called a die roll.

Once you have the relics demanded by the two-headed basilisk, bring your ugly sack of bones and blood to the Valley of the Unfortunate Undead and face the terrifying presence of Verhu, the truth-teller and most revered of the basilisk heads, and Gorgh and his envious brother. Will you be able to appease them in time and cleanse your rotting soul by delaying the apocalypse? Will this torment ever end? Or will your repeated suffering open your soul to the Heresy Supreme?

The game is scheduled for release on PC in the last quarter of 2025, at least a year away. This will require crowdfunding, and you can find out more on Kickstarter and Morbidware. In any case, the fantasy is fantastic!

Source: PCGamer, Kickstarter, Morbidware