Client
Bandai Namco
FromSoftware
Year

2022

Disciplines
  • Concepting
  • Art Direction
  • Layout Design
  • Packaging Design

Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game is a series of rulebooks and supplements that bring the world of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls video game franchise to the tabletop.

The creative brief called for a visual language that closely mirrored the aesthetic of the original series. This led to a design approach informed by European gothic and classical Renaissance influences, combined with the structure and typography of prayer books and religious manuscripts, reinforcing the bleak and oppressive tone of the Dark Souls universe.

The final product was designed to feel like a tome found within the world itself. Artwork sourced from FromSoftware’s Design Works library was integrated throughout, further grounding the content in a setting inhabited by Hollows and monsters.

After the Core Rulebook was released, it was followed by several series of miniatures, expanded into a trilogy of books, a Dungeon Master’s screen and Dice Set.

A Collector’s Edition was also produced, featuring an embossed and foiled hardback cover with gilded page edges, creating a distinctive statement piece for dedicated fans of the series.

Beyond The Realm of Lordran

Each book in the series provides key components to bringing te world of Dark Souls to the Tabletop.

The Core Rulebook (Left) supplies players with the full ruleset to deliver a 5E compatible Dark Souls experience. The Tome of strange Beings (Centre) arms the Game Master with a bestiary of creatures and enemies from the world of the Unkindled. Finally, The Tome of Journeys (Right) provides a number of pre-written adventures set in the world of Dark Souls, ready to be played through by a player group straight away.

Atmosphere In Motion

The trailers for each title release needed to lean into the atmosphere of the game, showing the book and elements from from the inner content, paired with the solemn music found within the game soundtrack.

A slow pace, paired with a sense of foreboding was key, giving the audience enough to entice them to explore more about each title in the series and pre-order their copy.