Chaosium Announces Folklorists RPG for Mid-2027

Chaosium has announced Folklorists, a tabletop roleplaying game about 1860s investigators uncovering dark truths behind folk tales and myths. Planned for general release in mid-2027, it promises short, preparation-free sessions built around ordinary playing cards, offering a historical mystery premise for groups seeking a less preparation-heavy game.

The publisher unveiled the game at Chaosium Con EU in Gdańsk, Poland, on October 30, 2026, and published the announcement on October 31. Chaosium plans to sell the book through its website and gaming stores.

According to Chaosium, investigations unfold through a sequence of scenes in which players gather clues and decide how best to deal with the myth, while a card-based countdown governs the investigation. The folklorists then confront the myth to test their theories. Correct conclusions allow them to defeat or neutralize it; incorrect ones bring consequences.

The story does not end with that confrontation. Chaosium says the folklorists must devise a new version of the folk story as a warning for future generations. That gives the investigation a distinctive final task: turning what the characters have learned into a cautionary tale.

Chaosium advertises sessions lasting no more than two hours with no preparation. It describes support for groups of two to six players, using a deck of common playing cards, note cards or paper, and six tokens. Alongside traditional gamemaster-led play, the book includes solo and gamemasterless rules. Those are publisher descriptions of the game's scope and convenience, rather than independently tested results.

Folklorists is written by Pedro Ziviani, illustrated by Martyna Starczewska and edited by Steffie de Vaan, with layout by Adam Szelążek.

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