MUNCHKIN®: Critical Role

Product: MUNCHKIN®: Critical Role | product page |,
Publisher: The Op Games, In Conjunction With: Steve Jackson Games, Critical Role,
Release Date: 2021, Genre: Licensed Products, New Media Tie-Ins, Strategy Games

The venerable MUNCHKIN® game from Steve Jackson Games has been a “love to hate” or “hate to love” source of table flips for decades. The streaming sensation Critical Role has been an obsession for some (myself included) for years now. The chance to pair the two together was exciting, indeed. The only question I had when the chance to meld them together came up was: how do I want to do this?

As writer, my task was to adapt the IP of Critical Role to the game’s framework. With as many sets as exist for MUNCHKIN, the game’s mechanics aren’t very flexible, so it was important to nudge the rules and directives ever so slightly in the direction of the theme, without disrupting the established formula. (For example, the inclusion of the d20 or the use of NINE in some mechanics which would otherwise be 10.)

When dealing with an IP as nuanced as Critical Role, it felt truly important to choose a good balance of references. Humor is a MUNCHKIN staple, but the seriousness of the Mighty Nein’s adventures shows through in some of my favorite cards' flavor text.

The game has proven to be a popular one. My fellow Critters are hungry for whatever adventures on Exandria they can get. I know I sure am…but since that’s not in the cards (ahem) right now, why not check out Becca Scott and the Good Time Society as they play a game?