The system is interesting (d6-d12) stats with rolls being [Stat + Stat]+modifier vs DL. If you are a fan of anime and jrpgs look no further this game is for you.

The chibi art in the book and the format (like the old video game guides) is wonderful. It has a depth to it that will require I read it more before I go to the Atlas, having said that I am LOVING what I am reading and look forward not only re-reading it in the future but running it as soon as I can to get a feel for it.

I picked this up in hardback at my FLGS, and while I have issues with the layout ("Press Start", an otherwise excellent intro to the game, is on page 145, among other issues), the game taken as a whole is a breath of fresh air.

A really well formated book and a very exciting game. The ties to jrpgs are fantastic if you're into that genre, but even beyond that association I think its just a solid fantasy rpg in general. Im a big fan of the simplicity of older dnd and osr games but often dislike the tone theyh are forced into for a very grim and gritty dungeon crawly experience. This system does a fantastic job of beiing very simple to pick up, without skimping on meaningful choices during character creation and combat but still can be used for more high fantasy vibes where you play as super heroic characters.

Great game if you want an unique way to create the feeling of a classic JRPG on tabletop. I truly recommend it, since it's a very different product from everything else I've seen on the market. The brighter tone it brings is also very distinguishing from most TTRPGs made in the last two decades at least, which have a focus on horror or mindless combats. The book also has a sandbox component within its thematic that proves itself very useful, as well as very nicely designed. I'm hopeful for more from this IP and its creators.

"In its quest to be the perfect onboarding tabletop RPG for JRPG players, Fabula Ultima wound up being a near-perfect onboarding game for… pretty much anyone." - Seamus Conneely

Read the full CHG review here.

I have now ran a couple of One-Shots and i am planning a campaign. I have fallen in love with this system. Here are some short points that i think people should know before buying:

• This book does not offer a Setting/World to play in. You are supposed to make this world together with your players
• You HAVE to multiclass in this game, you start with 2-3 classes and you will end up with at least 5 if you play to the max level.
• the rules are simple, the fun comes with the crazy amount of options, when it comes to character building.
• Some aspects of the game are very free form. Players can basically "homebrew" Spells (called rituals) and items (called projects). Though the game also has normal pre-written spells and a good amount of Items.
• Monster stat-blocks are super easy to use and run and the rules for making your own monsters are great!

Overall, you get a full ruleset for your JRPG-flavoures games. The art is great and it's a very easy read! On top of that you get an active Discord and an active author who is currently creating expansions and Playtest Material.

I hope this helps any buyers on the edge. For the price you get great value.

Fabula Ultima is one of those special games which accomplishes something new and unique. Using a simple, new player-friendly system it successfully captures the beauty and grandeur of Japanese RPGs in a way that no game before it ever has.

Game balancing and simple mechanics aside, the art and writing in Fabula Ultima is extremely evocative and well-done, and provides fluid means of capturing an original fantasy world and translating it into something real for your table. It encourages excitement and interest, giving you encouragement to include things in your original world that your players would enjoy to experience.

The game also gives a lot of power to the players by having them be involved in world building, which can give clear and strong indications to the GM about the kind of stories they would like to experience. The variety of classes, and the fact that regular, free DLC is being released, give both players and GM a wealth of options to build upon their ideas.

I've been playing RPGs for 23 years, since my earliest school days, and habitually collect new systems; I can offer no greater commendation to it than to say that Fabula Ultima sits atop my amassed collection as perhaps my favourite RPG to date.

Really fun, is easy to do almost any character in mind, and as master i really like the npc creation

This book is beautiful and the layout is well-done. The page are not dense, so it's easy to read through it all. The art is inspiring and the style is consistent. If you like old school jrpg video games (think Final Fantasy IV or Tactics), you'll see it's really a good ttrpg system to get the same feeling. I've been GM for 3 game sessions so far. The rules are easy to understand, and the page spreads can make cheat sheets very quickly (for example the page for actions in combat). The skill-less system took a bit of time getting used to, but we're getting the hang of it now. I recommend it. I'll be getting the paper version if it ever becomes available in Canada.

I am 35. I play video games since I'm 5 and J-RPGs since I'm 10. I played a crapton of J-RPGs.

If you want to put Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Bravely Default, Octopath Traveller or the recent Chained Echoes, this is game is for you.

It's a cheap game (French Physical will come in February under 50€) all in one and gives you all the tools to make you J-(TT)-RPG.

• World building comes from Apocalypse World and is cooperative
• Villains have clock, PCs have to move their ass
• Character creation is great taking both the better of the worlds of 13th Age and FATE
• Optimisation does exist but isn't busted
• Art support well the style
• GM advices are great for beginners
• Classes are well designed and easy to "reskin"
• PC evolution is great, both simplier and richer than D&D
• Magic and summons are easy to use
• Using only attributes for actions instead of skills gives a lot of freedom
• There are tools to make you own ennemies and villains
• Character relations are used like in Cortex Prime
• Character sheet is greatly made and there are already fillable one

I don't really see any flaw in this game. Even the fact that it's made for at least 2 PCs is said in the beginning. This is a hidden gem which is cheaper than D&D 5 and many people can enjoyed. At least, give it a try with the "press tart" quickstart.

Huge fan of this system. I'll keep it brief-ish:

• It is delightfully structured; chapters flow well into the next, topically and in terms of information presentation (learn THIS, then learn THIS, etc.).
• It is easy to read; the font and color scheme is easy on the eyes for long duration reading and referencing.
• It is well formatted; information is presented cleanly and not in giant blocky chunks of mind-numbing text.
• It is thematically on point; the art, flavor, and mechanics are beautifully evocative of the genre.
• The system is delightfully simple while also allowing a great breadth of character archetypes. I can figure out a way to create nearly every character from the games of my youth with the way choosing your classes works.

This is the single best JRPG emulating game I have yet seen and it is an absolute delight to just sit and read it, which I have done from cover to cover easily a dozen times now. You can tell it was made with love and it shines through in every page. I love this game and I can't wait to see what else the creators make for it.

I was pretty hesitant to pick this game up. I thought Ryuutama was a cool game and beautifully executed, but just wasnt my cup of tea. I'm running a mermaid game for my two kids and their friend, ages 5-8 and had done some tweaks to D&D 5e to make the game flexible and intuitive, but it was all house ruled (lots of inspiration from Professor Dungeon Master and ICRPG). I decided to give Fabula Ultima a look, not just the Press Start freebie stuff, but the core rules. Man. My opinion of the game was a full 180. Character creation is a blast, creating monsters inspired by the JRPG greats. The tools they provide in the game NPC design and item design are great! I just swapped out the 5e ruleset for Fabula Ultima for that mermaid game and it's looking slick. I have yet to play this game, but so far from a GM, game prep stance, I'm loving. Solid job and thank you to the team at Need Games! Cheers!

I have played dozens of tabletop rpgs over the years, and I am also an avid fan of JRPG's. One of the first games I ever owned was Final Fantasy Tactics for the playstation. This game reminds me of the feeling I had when I first discovered the mechanics in that game way back when. It is fantastic. It has a great easy to learn system but a very deep approach to character building and combats. I was able to teach my group all of the major rules in a single session. The boss fights in the game in particular are fantastic, actually some of the best design I have seen in a tabletop game for a cool way to do bigger and tougher enemies. I will probably steal it to use in other games I play in the future. This game feels like a fantastic love letter to all those JRPG's I've played an loved over the years. I cannot wait to see it at the table more.

Very nicely done Game. It's easy to learn but still has meat on its bones and doesnt stray to far into boring rules light territory. The items are adorable pixel sprites and the enemies look like they were pulled right from a 90's RPG manual (You know, back when we got manuals with games)

Its well written and easy to read through and learn without constantly flipping through looking for charts and rules.

Disclaimers: Warning, this review contains (justifiable) hype. Also, I have yet to try running this game for folks and my impressions are subject to change.

Fabula Ultima TTJRPG is an absolute triumph of a game, and I will summarize why with some highlights:

• Clean page layout with crystal clear writing; I wasn't able to find a single typo which is a big deal for me
• A wonderful mix of modern rules from a variety of sources without feeling like they've been haphazardly thrown together; this feels like its own game with its own identity, theme, and origin
• A respectable committment to the optimistic, colorful worldbuilding of classic JRPGs with attention paid toward inclusivity and safety for the play group
• Smart progression and metacurrency rules (i.e. "Fate Points") that are intrinsically linked to the core tenets of the game (characters, villains, bonds, etc)
• Excellent prompts to get you started with creating worlds, characters, and more
• Thoughtful advice to walk you through any questions you might have about the rules and expectations of the game
• A colorful and playful art style that feels consistent throughout the book

This game is a perfect fit for you if:

• You prefer a "theater of the mind" playstyle
• You like lots of character customization options
• You want tactical depth without all of the headaches
• You can be satisfied with a certain level of narrative abstraction rather than relying on realism
• You enjoy collaborative worldbuilding with your play group
• You like having creative leeway as a Game Master when adding new items, monsters, and villains to the game world

I'll leave the rest for you to discover, but I will say this:

• There are 15 classes each with 5 skills (many of which can be taken multiple times). Each character level means 1 skill from 1 class. Characters start at Level 5 and can go all the way up to 50! There is a lot of room for expressing yourself through character building just like any good JRPG "Job System"
• The core dice mechanic is simple and fun, you will only ever roll 2 dice of varying sizes and add their results together with any other bonuses/penalties that apply. This core mechanic is twisted and expanded in various ways to give you lots of tools depending on the situation.
• I personally think Fabula Ultima has a chance at being one of the greats. I read a lot of RPGs and this one just has something special about it. I can see Fabula Ultima serving as an excellent replacement for groups that grow tired of more popular fantasy games.

What are you waiting for? Action, Adventure, Drama, and more are all right around the corner!