One Night Worlds: 4 RPG Zines

One Night Worlds is a collection of four GM-less, zero-prep tabletop roleplaying games designed for one shot play. In a single evening you can learn the rules, create characters, and explore a world on the brink. All you need is a few hours and your friends to discover what happens when everything is at stake.

Prefer to adventure alone? Every game includes tools to help you explore your character and the world when you’re playing solo.

The Worlds You Will Enter

Tales of Clockwork & Chaos

None of us will ever leave the borders of the vast city known as Cogsmyre. Decades ago the Toks walled us “fleshies” in, to contain the chaotic pestilence of our humanity. Since then we’ve formed strict hierarchies, despite our collective subservience to the Toks. Our city of Cogsmyre is a steam powered machine of oppression, and these pipes can only hold for so long before they burst.

In Tales of Clockwork & Chaos, players become Groundwellers, living in the shadow of the anchored skyship district of Beaconlight, within the vast walled Steampunk city of Cogsmyre. You and your rag tag team will organize a rebellion against the Tok overlords, bring justice to the depraved Jack Up augments, and oust the Tok sympathizers at the top of Cogsmyre society.

In Alleys Dark

Rankston is known by outsiders for the big city glitz and glamour of Tempo Plaza. But away from the flickering neon, residents are stacked up like vultures on a carcass, ripping scraps where we can take ‘em.

Mayor Baker and his rival Councilman Patterson sling mud at each other for the sake of political prestige, but the real power is Commissioner Kelly's alone. The Department enforces a warped “law and order” with short tempers and fast bullets. They use the violent mysteries that plague this city as impetus to incriminate anyone with the audacity to stand in their way.

In In Alleys Dark, players take on the role of The Shiners, working in the shadows to keep Kelly and his ruffians honest. Light a fire in the dark by investigating crimes undercover to ensure justice is served. But be careful, to avoid the wrath of The Department, you'll have to move In Alleys Dark.

The Fires of Chaterra

There is magic in all of us, even the lowliest citizens of Chaterra: a surreal fairytale kingdom where the spirit of every person, animal, and plant can speak, if you'll listen. The world is burning, the Fae have been forced into hiding, the Mushroom people fight for equality, and the beloved King Aerich is lost in an eternal slumber. In the shadows, the evil Witch of the Water, Nefia plots her ascension to the Dreamer’s Throne.

In The Fires of Chaterra, players create non-noble characters that find themselves at the center of a major turning point in the fairytale kingdom of Chaterra. It is a game about good vs. evil and the struggle against inequity and class oppression.

Terminus X7Z

In a galaxy filled with advanced alien societies, many work together as one in the Coalition of Interplanetary Lifeforms (COIL). The Lattice, a network of wormholes, is the key to interstellar travel and commerce. But when the flow of a rare and precious resource is cut off, COIL and the Lattice that binds it together is in peril.

As crew members of Lattice Terminus X7Z, you find yourself in a desperate situation. Isolated and critically low on supplies, you must find a way to re-stabilize the wormhole before resources are depleted. Can you find a way to save the Lattice, or will your failure seal the fate of everyone who lives and works on your station?

Push-your-luck Mechanics

Action resolution in these games is simple, but exciting. Using the humble and ubiquitous six-sided die, the mechanics are designed to create dramatic tension. Results favor mixed success that complicates the situation, but allow you to push-your-luck for a better outcome, at the risk of complete and utter failure.

The twists and turns that this system generate keep the game exciting, and push your story in unexpected directions. This is just one of the things that makes these games work well GM-less or solo.

Media / Actual Plays

Party of One Podcast (Tales of Clockwork & Chaos)

A couple of years ago, I had a blast playing a session of Tales of Clockwork & Chaos with the amazing Jeff Stormer on his fantastic actual play podcast Party of One. We told what I think is a pretty fun story in under one hour, so I hope you'll check it out if you want to see how these games play

Instadeath Survivors Support Group (The Fires of Chaterra)

On my own podcast / youtube channel, I played The Fires of Chaterra with my favorite TTRPG designer of all time, Cezar Capacle. We spun a charming tale about two unassuming Chaterrans with big things ahead of them. Such a fun playthrough! Check it out for a great example of how you can get these games to the table quickly and tell a great story together.

Why You Should Back Now

By backing this project, you’re helping bring four indie TTRPGs to life in print for the very first time. One Night Worlds has always been about accessibility: zero prep, no GM, and no long-term commitment. This campaign is our chance to give these games the physical form they deserve. Expanding them from one-page experiences into beautifully designed, digest-size zines.

Each game in this project is already designed and written. For this campaign, we’re focusing on:

• Expanding layout and presentation for print
• Refining text and prompts for clarity and flow
• Finalizing zine formatting for both digital and physical editions

The creative heavy lifting is done. Your backing directly supports production, printing, and distribution, not concept development.

Backing now also helps us:

• Print at higher quality and better price points
• Offer the games individually and as a complete bundle

Shipping Information

Due to the unique printing, shipping, and fulfillment costs of the Zine format, we're only able to offer individual Zines and the Zine bundle for US customers.

In order to expand access for physical rewards to include global backers, we are offering the One Night Worlds Omnibus, a full-color paperback book compiling all four games into a single volume. This option is available to backers globally (including the US).

Fulfillment Timelines

We’re committed to clear, realistic delivery timelines:

• Digital zines will be delivered approximately 4-8 weeks after the campaign concludes.
• Physical zines & the Omnibus Edition will begin shipping approximately 4 months after the campaign concludes
• We’ll provide regular updates throughout production so you always know where things stand.

About Wandering Pine Press

We're the Hazzards, the husband and wife team behind Wandering Pine Press. We live in Virginia with two wild sons, two lazy cats, and a lot of love.

As an independent tabletop RPG publisher, we focus on games that help players collaborate to tell compelling character-driven stories. Thank you for taking an interest in our craft.

Brian is the creative force behind the mechanical and narrative systems in our games. As a collector of hobbies, he has studied boardgames, gamebooks, RPGs, papercraft, and magic tricks, and is always searching for another source of obsession.

Crystal is the steady and disciplined hand, and the keen eye behind our design and layout. As a multimedia artist with a particular mastery of crochet, she has a knack for simple and beautiful aesthetics.

If you believe tabletop roleplaying should:

• Be easy to start
• Tell meaningful stories
• And fit into real, busy lives

... then backing One Night Worlds now helps make that vision tangible.

Campaign video music by Rockot from Pixabay.