| Companions' Tale | |
| Designer: | Laura Simpson |
| Date: | 2019 |
| Genre: | Tabletop role-playing game |
| Players: | 2-8 |
Companions' Tale is a 2019 tabletop role-playing game by Laura Simpson about the unreliable and contradictory tales of a hero's many companions. Throughout the game, players collaborate on drawing a shared map.[1] Companions' Tale won "Game of the Year" at the 2020 Indie Game Developer Network awards[2] and was nominated for two 2019 ENNIE Awards.[3]
Awards and Nominations
Companions' Tale won "Game of the Year" at the 2020 Indie Game Developer Network awards. It was nominated for two 2019 ENNIE Awards: "Product of the Year" and "Best Game." The 2020 Diana Jones Award, which was given to "Black Excellence in Gaming,"[4] included Laura Simpson's work on Companions' Tale under honorees.[5]
Reviews
Jessica Spears for the American Library Association recommended Companions' Tale as a game to play for Black History Month, writing that "Taking on multiple roles, exploring varied points of view, and sharing in the story building process makes for a fantastically engaging gaming experience." Jayme Boucher for Roll20 recommended Companions' Tale as one of ten games to play with kids and praised the game's "evocative world-building rules" and "deck of inspirational themes and art."[6]
Scholarship
Greg Loring-Albright for Drexel University cites Companions' Tale as an example of a tabletop role-playing game played via user-created online adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]