Critical Role is meeting the fourth quarter of 2020 on full steam, launching into the end with plenty of announcements. While it seemed like their recent creation of the Critical Role Foundation might’ve been their ending note, they’re back with more!
Earlier today, Critical Role announced their new tabletop publishing company, Darrington Press. Named for Sam Riegel’s character, Taryon Darrington, the Darrington Press just stepped into the field with not one, but four titles in the works.
The one that we have the most information on is the one that they expect to be releasing first, coming in the first quarter of 2021. The game in question is one that would strike fear into the heart of any Critical Role fan – Uk’otoa.
“A battle for life and death on the high Lucidian seas!” the team describes via their website. “This flagship title from Darrington Press is a tactical game of semi-cooperative card play as factions of sailors vie to be the last claimed by the raging sea leviathan Uk’otoa.”
Players will be fighting to see who is the last to die – with no winners on the table against the might of Uk’otoa. While the ship falls into the ocean, players push past each other, even sacrificing each other when needed, to stay alive.
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Uk’otoa the False Serpent is best known as the patron of Fjord Stone, Travis Willingham’s warlock in the second campaign of Critical Role. An evil, scheming leviathan trapped beneath the sea, Uk’otoa stops at nothing in his quest to be released from his chains.
Including, it seems, crossing into tabletop territory!
Darrington Press has the title as best suited for 3-5 players, suggesting it be played by those aged 12 or higher. Each game is expected to take around 30-45 minutes, and comes with, to quote, “a VERY COOL Uk’otoa mini.”
There hasn’t been any word on a price or anything else, but the team expects to sell it in the first quarter of the upcoming year. Players will be able to find the game online in the Critical Role shops for the US, UK, and AU.
That said, Critical Role also strongly encourages players to contact their local comic shop or game store and see if they’ll be carrying the title – something that they undoubtedly hope players will do for all future releases as well.
“We believe very strongly in supporting local and small businesses while we’re doing our best to stay safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Press says. “We’ll share more launch day details just as soon as we can, so stay tuned!”