Magpie Games has a new Humble Bundle out, but this time it’s physical books, not PDFs. For about $39 you’re getting five indie RPGs that defined the early 2010s story‑game wave, all shipped to your door. If your shelves are looking a bit too D&D‑heavy, this is a tidy way to fix that.
The bundle includes:
- The Play’s The Thing: a Shakespeare‑rewriting, actor‑drama meta‑RPG where the troupe fights the playwright for control of the story.
- Our Last Best Hope: a disaster‑movie RPG in the vein of Sunshine or Armageddon, where the crew tries to save humanity from a crisis.
- Our Last Best Hope: Expansion Book: new missions, new playsets, and hacks that turn the core system into dream‑heists, alien ruins, and more.
- Epyllion: A Dragon Epic: play young drakes solving mysteries in Dragonia, with a focus on friendship, whimsy, and lighthearted adventure.
- Epyllion: Encyclopedia Draconica: new playbooks, lore, and moves expanding the world and history of Dragonia.
This is a very “Magpie before they were Avatar Legends Magpie” bundle. You know, the era when they were experimenting with narrative structure, emotional stakes, and genre remixing. It’s a snapshot of the indie scene before Powered by the Apocalypse became the default shorthand for story game.
What makes this bundle stand out is how cleanly focused these games are. Each one has a single, sharp premise and commits to it without padding. There’s no sprawling rulebook to digest, nor encyclopedic lore to memorise. It’s a reminder of the era when indie RPGs were small, confident, and unafraid to be specific.
They’re also ideal for one‑shots or short arcs. Our Last Best Hope, in particular, is built to run like a complete disaster movie in a single session, with a beginning, middle, and end that actually lands. The others follow the same philosophy: get to the point, get to the drama, and let the table do the rest. If your group is between campaigns or needs a break from crunchier systems, these books slot in effortlessly.
The physical‑book angle matters more than it sounds. These are slim, table‑friendly volumes you can pass around without derailing a session. They feel like tools, not trophies; the kind of books that invite use rather than display.
And the mix is genuinely eclectic. A Shakespeare meta‑comedy, a high‑stakes save‑the‑world story, and a dragon‑friendship mystery game don’t share much DNA, but that’s the charm. It’s a snapshot of Magpie’s early catalogue, back when they were experimenting wildly.
Taken together, the bundle is a compact little time capsule: five games, all distinct, all playable, all from a publisher that was figuring out its voice in real time. If you’re curious about that era of indie design, or you just want a handful of smart, low‑prep games that actually hit the table, this is a strong pick.
You can click here to visit the bundle page at Humble Bundle.