The Secret of Weepstone Could Be the Classic DnD-Inspired RPG I’ve Always Wanted

The Secret of Weepstone is a monochromatic RPG love letter to 80s Dungeons and Dragons that launches next year.

Developed by Talesworth Game Studio, there's already something deeply nostalgic about this stylized throwback to classic DnD campaigns. Offering a black and white dungeon-crawling RPG influenced by older TTRPGs, The Secret of Weepstone takes us to the cursed titular village. This once thriving settlement has fallen to ruin after its Lord becomes bedridden by a strange illness and the town's citizens must confront these strange forces.

"This is not a tale of heroes, this is a tale of those who do what they must to survive," states the studio, abandoning the traditional party of heroes for everyday villagers. Guiding a party of misfits across these encounters, combat and skill checks all involves rolling a D20 while also navigating traps, puzzles, and other secrets.

Your party gradually levels up over time, you'll find new equipment and in true TTRPG fashion, you can loot "anything not nailed down." Should one of your eight party members die, a group that curiously ranges from average commonfolk to "potential" heretics - which frankly could be anything - you'll also gain "Mortal Favors." What specifically that means isn't clear right now, though.

As someone still looking for a new DnD campaign after finishing my five year one in 2023, I keep telling myself I'll eventually start that next Baldur's Gate 3 run eventually. However, The Secret of Weepstone immediately caught my eye with its striking visuals, and I'm keen to see how this turns out.

The Secret of Weepstone launches on Steam in 2026, and a demo is being shown at PAX West later this month.