Titmouse Brews Up a Boozy TTRPG: Drunkards, Druggies, & Delinquents Is More Than Just a Gag
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Titmouse Animation Studios, known for *Critical Role* shows, is launching *Drunkards, Druggies, & Delinquents*, a TTRPG where players take 'sips' or 'puffs' as damage, born from a hilarious gag gift and championed by Luke Gygax himself.
Alright, gather 'round, mates, because I've been rummaging through the digital tea leaves this morning, and what I've found is wilder than a rogue teleportation spell. You know Titmouse Animation Studios, right? The wizards behind the epic animated shenanigans of *The Legend of Vox Machina* and *The Mighty Nein* for *Critical Role*? Yeah, those legends. Well, apparently, they've decided that bringing fantastical D&D campaigns to life on screen wasn't quite chaotic enough. So, they've gone and cooked up a tabletop RPG of their own, and fair dinkum, it sounds absolutely bonkers.
It's called *Drunkards, Druggies, & Delinquents*, and it's billed as a "mind-altering fantasy role-drinking game." Now, my immediate thought was, 'mind-altering? Isn't that just... the drinking part?' But stick with me, because this isn't just a glorified excuse to get tipsy with dice. Well, it *is* that, but it's also a surprisingly robust, genuinely clever TTRPG system that’s about to hit tables on November 28th, after absolutely smashing its crowdfunding goals.
Imagine a streamlined version of your favourite dungeon-crawling epic, but instead of tracking hit points, you're tracking 'sips' or 'puffs.' Every time a monster lands a hit, you take some 'damage' in the form of a swig from your pint, a puff from your chosen recreational substance, or – for those of us who prefer to keep our wits about us (or just aren't into that scene) – a pushup, a hot wing, or a piece of candy. The game makers are pretty chill about the 'damage' type, as long as it's something 'mostly innocent' and physical. So, no self-flagellation, alright? Just a bit of good-natured physical exertion or a sugar rush.
The funniest bit? This whole glorious mess started as a bloody joke. Titmouse founder and CEO Chris Prynoski was looking for a 'weird client gift' a few years back – something unique to send out. He settled on a game master screen, decked out in 'psychedelic nightmare paintings' by the incredibly talented artist SKINNER. But a GM screen needs rules, doesn't it? So, Titmouse Creative Director Alexei Bochenek was tasked with writing something 'very verbose and technical,' mimicking the legendary Gary Gygax's style, but for a drinking game. Prynoski freely admits he never expected anyone to actually *play* it. It was just a gag. A brilliant, beautifully illustrated gag, but a gag nonetheless.
But you know how these things go. You cast a joke spell, and sometimes it works a bit *too* well. People played it. They loved it. And here's the kicker: it was none other than Luke Gygax himself – yes, Gary Gygax's son – who ultimately convinced the Titmouse team to flesh out the gag into a full-blown game and crowdfund it. How's that for an industry connection? From a whimsical gift to a legitimate TTRPG, championed by tabletop royalty. You couldn't make it up!
Once they hit Backerkit last November, the project went supernova. It was fully funded in a staggering two hours, eventually blasting through stretch goals to raise over $103,000. (A tiny part of me is still mourning the fact it fell just $17,000 shy of unlocking the fabled Winomancer class, but hey, maybe a future expansion, eh?)
The game itself is a delightful romp through intoxicated fantasy. There are 12 classes, each themed after beer, booze, or weed. Fancy yourself a Beerbarian, charging into battle with the might of a thousand tankards? Or perhaps a Whiskey Wizard, slinging potent spells with a dram of arcane courage? Maybe even a Druid of the Flower, communing with nature in a truly relaxed state. Each class comes with standard abilities, but also some wonderfully unique mechanics. Take the Pontificator, for example: they have to constantly monologue every game moment in excruciating detail. Stop narrating? Take a drink, mate! Or the Blazebarian, whose reefer madness means they take a hit if they forget whose turn it is, and two if they forget on their *own* turn. Honestly, these sound less like rules and more like an accurate simulation of a Friday night.
Character creation sounds super accessible too. You can grab pre-rolled character cards with base stats, attacks, special skills, and unique traits, or mix and match to build your own bespoke booze-fuelled hero. And the consumable items? Oh, they're just as absurd. A 'Bongwater Staff' that makes enemies take double damage for a round? Sign me up for that kind of digital alchemy!
Prynoski describes the game not as a heavy narrative experience, but a 'combat system that's basically a meat grinder.' It’s designed for character roleplay and combat, built around a single d12. The genius twist here, especially for TTRPG newbies, is the rotating 'Drunken Master' role. Like a traditional board game, the GM duties (running the monsters for that round) pass around the table. No one person is stuck explaining rules for hours, which is brilliant for getting those D&D-resistant mates to finally roll some dice.
And let's talk about the art. If you're familiar with Titmouse, you know they don't do things by halves. The game is absolutely swimming in vibrant, neon-soaked, unapologetically chaotic art from a roster of incredible artists, including SKINNER, Pendleton Ward, Todd James, Erol Otus, and Matt Furie. It’s a visual feast that perfectly encapsulates the game's unruly spirit.
At the end of the day, *Drunkards, Druggies, & Delinquents* feels less like a traditional tabletop game and more like a distilled essence of Titmouse's creative identity: loud, weird, utterly collaborative, and gleefully chaotic. What began as a one-off holiday gag has blossomed into a full-boxed experience, ready to unleash hilarity and (possibly) hangovers on living rooms everywhere. And honestly, if it's a way to finally trick my mate John into playing D&D, then I reckon it's an absolute stroke of genius.
Source: Polygon (Original article by Corey Plante)
Tags: TTRPG, Board Games, Indie Games, Crowdfunding, Titmouse
Original article: Polygon