Product– Quest Calendar
System- Sundial games quest calendar
Producer– Sundial games
Price– $31 here https://2023-quest-calendar.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders?ref=SundialGames23
TL; DR-five minutes of RPG EVERY DAY! 93%
Basics– NO GM, NO PROBLEM!. Quest Calendar is a desk calendar that has a simple story that you walk through each day with puzzles, combat, and a solid story to draw you in. 2022 had a fantasy, world hopping adventure, and this year 2023 is a universe spanning Sci-Fi epic. let’s break it down!
Basics- Each day the calendar has a picture and a short story. The back of each previous day gives rules for combat, discussions and short side quests with towns folk, or puzzles for you to solve based on the story.
Dice- It wouldn’t be a RPG without dice! Each character has a bonus to hit, defense, damage dice, and hit points. Combat is simple where you roll to hit and if you hit you deal damage. Deal enough damage and the opponent is stunned. Don’t hit or don’t do enough, you are attacked. Depending on your defense, you take more or less damage. Other checks are the same as if you roll a d20, add the statistic used in the check, a number between 0 and +3 typically, and compare to the rules.
Powers and characters- There are multiple characters to choose from each with their own backstory. Each character has information from levels 1 to 6 as well as powers and abilities. Powers and abilities range from one per page things, constant bonuses to actions, or powers that have a limited number of uses before you must rest.
Ok, now my thoughts.
Mechanics or Crunch– This adventure a day calendar honestly is like a daily Shadow of the Demon Lord game. D20 + a number and compared to the results is a fantastically simple RPG that doesn’t get enough love. You do not get crazy complex here, because you can’t have crazy options since its a simple mechanic. But, it’s rolling dice everyday to have some fun and play through a story. 4.75/5
Theme or Fluff– This is a simple story that is executed well. First, the bad- you can’t have a crazy branching RPG when it’s a linear object. You’re playing through a story like Lord of the Rings, but you can’t really change what the fellowship does. That’s the inherent limits of this medium. That said, I loved the story of 2022 and can’t wait for 2023. Sure, it’s simple fantasy, but sometimes I just want to be a guy on a world saving quest in bite sized pieces. That’s what this is, and it is done well! 4.75/5
Execution– How much you love what is here will really depend on how much you spend. 30 gets you the calendar. That’s a bit high for a calendar, and the calendar is a bit small. It’s a desk calendar, so that’s a bit annoying and since it is small and thick, it can break the glue holding it easily. But that’s the end of the negatives. Solid art, easy to read, and a simple flow and layout make this a fun product. I love the character books and layout of them. I didn’t like the markers that the books came with, but they fixed that in the 2023 edition. I also LOVE the tiny dice. Those went right into my backpack at the end of the year when I got new ones. And this year its metal tiny dice! This product has a few small flaws, but it’s still something I love. 4.5/5
Summary– Will this be the greatest RPG you have ever played with branching story and complete autonomy with the most intricate character build options that you have ever seen? Absolutely not, but the important this is it is not trying to be. This is a short adventure every day that builds an interesting world and lets you play a quick game as a fun distraction while also being a calendar? YES! And its amazing at that goal. I continue to hate small things because of being clumsy, but if that is the worst complaint I have with the calendar, then you need this now. 2022 is done, but you have plenty of time to get onto the ground floor of 2023. I’ve bought myself and my wife calendars and I hope you have a fun adventure in space with me! 93%
Throat Punch Games 