Death Valley - A horror/western TTRPG
Deaths overworked, so when you died, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, Death missed picking you up. Now your rotting, changing waking back up. Your bloods gone cold, you are no longer mortal. . .
Death Valley is a TTRPG for you and your friends who might like to play the dead folk, ghosts, ghouls, and zombies. You died at the wrong time and now your are cursed to walk the earth, don't worry though Deaths looking to make that mistake right, on top of that mortals, and other undead might get to you first. Its one hell of an unlife.
Death Valley is currently being developed by Aaron Bryant, building on the foundations of the original game created by Tim Roberts. This collaboration marks the beginning of an exciting mentorship initiative, with Aaron proudly taking the role as the first of what we hope will be many talented developers mentored by Tim. With a shared love of western films, their collaboration sings truth to those dustblown tales of a bygone era.
In addition to its rich narrative and game design, Death Valley will also showcase original artwork by Vincenzo, harkening to the spaghetti western posters of the 1950s. This art style brings a sense of isolation, and grit to a world where the dead are still walking among us.
This creative team seeks to evoke the spirit of the west in every page, and in every rattling bone. Come out to Death Valley, were all dying to meet you.
COMING TO BACKERKIT 14th OCTOBER 2025!
Death Valley - Locations
During your time in Death Valley there are few key places you may want to get acquainted with before you go and get yourself killed again. For the majority of your stay you can expect to reside in Bardo’s Bluff. The place where all the cold bloods live.
Bardo’s Bluff is nothing short of a little bit of everywhere. This town is made up of immigrants, refugees, and also colonisers and outlaws. The Black Veil church towers over the rest of the homes, businesses and towns, keeping a watchful oppressive eye over the residents.
On the other end of the spectrum is Iron Ridge a haven for the warm bloods. Living humans have mining operations all over Death Valley and Iron Ridge was built to house miners and their families. Due to it been so close to the undead it was natural that this town became the Head Quarters for The Thanatos Guild and that Guild stands as the judge, jury and executioner for any undead that try to step foot in the town.
Each of these towns lie within what is known as Scorpions Gulch - The Gulch provides and taketh away. Venom river through the middle giving substances to the living. The Petrified Grove is a hidden wealth of corrupted energy and everything in the Gulch is isolated from the country by large out croppings of ancient stone.
There’s more to the valley than what is written on your map.
Folks talk about ghost towns like Shady Rock, ruins in the south and other oddities buried in the desert sand. Maybe you and your crew discover out there or many you’ll become part of the scenery.
The Coldbloods of Bardo's Bluff
The original cold blooded setters came from all over the Eurasian continent, looking for refuse. These heretics held the believe that undead and mortals could live together. Today things look a little different. Some still seek refuse from persecution in their homeland but some wish to continue that persecution and maintain order.
Others walked until they answered Death Valley's siren call, and others have still been here the whole time. Regardless of how you got here you are now part of one of the largest undead networks in the United States, Bardo’s Bluff.
Bardo's Bluff is home to a mix of new and ancient and this can lead to a divide in the way the undead think of the world should work. There is a toxic air of push and pull within this community, a dance macabre between power and balances.Those who view themselves more highly tend to stick to the center of town closer to the Black Veil church. Main street is filled with various businesses, run by working class undead to fulfil the needs of the town. Further away from the center are the residential areas, notably the Cribbs. Part of the town where skeletons and others allure undead congregate. Once you start seeing the boundary stones at the border of town is when you will find Great Golds tending to their plots. The experiences, myths and culture that the undead bring to Bardo Bluff breathe life into a town which is constantly on the edge of final death. Politics aside Bardo's Bluff offers community to everyone if you know where to look.
Year Zero Engine
The Year Zero Engine (YZE) is a modular and rules-light RPG system known for emphasising story-driven, gritty, and cinematic gameplay. It was first introduced in the post-apocalyptic RPG Mutant: Year Zero and has since powered several award-winning games.
📦 Open License
In 2023, Free League released the Year Zero Engine Open Gaming License (YZE OGL), allowing independent creators to build their own games using a version of the system.
⚙️ Core Mechanics
1. Dice Pools:
Players roll a pool of D6s, usually grouped into attribute dice, skill dice, and gear dice.
A roll of 6 is a success. More successes = better outcomes.
No success? You can push the roll, re-roll the non-success dice to try again, at a cost (e.g., stress or damage).
2. Attributes & Skills:
Characters have a small set of core attributes (e.g., Strength, Agility, Wits, Empathy).
Each attribute is linked to a few broad skills.
3. Push Mechanic:
Encourages taking risks by allowing a re-roll of failed dice.
Adds consequences like damage, stress, or other narrative setbacks.
Mechanically simple, but adds tension and drama.
4. Resource Management:
Many YZE games use mechanics like degrading gear, limited ammo, or encumbrance to add survival pressure.
5. Modular Systems:
The engine is customized per game, with add-ons like:
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Stress & Panic (e.g., ALIEN RPG)
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Mutations (e.g., Mutant: Year Zero)
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Survival & Exploration (e.g., Forbidden Lands)
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Time Loops (e.g., Tales From the Loop)
MEET THE TEAM
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Aaron Bryant
Lead Creator
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Tim Roberts
Solo creator, layout and production
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Vincenzo Ingenito
Artist
Let me introduce myself, my name is Vincenzo Ingenito and I am a digital illustrator, specialized in the Art Nouveau style.
It was while I was at school, when I glimpsed a small paragraph in an art history textbook, that I discovered the Art Nouveau style, and it was love at first sight. The artist who most influenced me was Alphonse Mucha , whose works made me understand what my creative path would be, the style I so longed to explore: elegant, sinuous, and, in its simplicity, dauntingly difficult.
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Chrissy McMorris
Chrissy McMorris is an editor by day and an avid tabletop gamer by night (and also by day). She has copyedited and proofread hundreds of books and zines over the last fifteen years, including Don't Play This Game (Parable Games), Be Like a Cat and the ENNIE award-winning Punk is Dead (both Critical Kit).
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Rowan Asbel
Video production and social media marketing.
