For the Queen’s creator on the new edition, her many copycats, and her balloon-kink RPG
If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, Alex Roberts’ For the Queen might be the most lavishly complimented game in indie role-playing game history. First published in 2019 by Evil Hat Productions, the company behind Fate, Blades in the Dark, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Monster of the Week, and Apocalypse Keys, among many other games, For the Queen was an immediate sensation among indie tabletop fans. It’s a no-prep, no-GM storytelling game that’s designed to build high drama and deep emotion quickly: Players create their characters through play by drawing from a deck of narrative prompt cards that let them build a fraught, conflicted relationship with the enigmatic queen they love and serve. The best proof that Roberts’ design is appealing and inviting? It’s inspired a huge wave of independent, self-published copycat games.