Role wants to be your all-in-one Zoom, Tinder, and D&D Beyond but for any tabletop RPG.

With social distancing still in force in many parts of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tabletop gamers are turning to technology in order to get their tabletop fix. Apps like Discord and Zoom provide some measure of relief, but what if there could be a single app that combines the video conferencing of Zoom, the matchmaking potential of Tinder, and a robust, modular game asset manager so that app could play any tabletop game imaginable?

Then you’d have Role, a new app being funded on Kickstarter. The idea is to have an all-in-one solution to all your tabletop needs. With Role, you can theoretically play any tabletop game using in-app character sheets, dice rollers, and more. If you don’t have a playgroup, you can use the app’s matchmaking service to help find other players looking for group. To top it off, an online marketplace will let you purchase games with premade assets so you can jump right into the action.

At the core of the app is its modular toolset. The makers of Role say that these tools can be customized to fit any tabletop RPG, with Shadowrun and D&D 5E character sheets provided as examples. Once a character sheet is made, it’s automatically indexed with a table of contents so you can easily navigate to your spells or inventory whenever you need to.

In the upper right corner of the app is the asset tray that lets you roll however many dice you need, look at the cards in your hand, or do whatever else you need to do in whatever game you’re playing. This asset tray can be customized by game designers to allow players to use digital versions of tokens or other play objects that are specific to the tabletop RPG.

If you don’t have a playgroup already, Role also offers a player matching service to meet other gamers that are into the same games as you are. You can input the games you know, how familiar you are with the rules, and your preference for rules complexity, then Role matches you with different players. Once you find a match, you can send an offer to link up and start a game.

Then there’s the marketplace. Role says that they’ll sell games that creators can easily translate their tabletop game using Role’s in-app assets. Everything is DRM-free, so once a game is purchased you don’t have to worry about Role or anyone else snooping around your mobile device or PC.

There are two versions of Role. The free version allows for video conferencing up to 4 players and 200 MB of custom image assets, while the paid Master Subscription lets you have unlimited players in video chat and up to 2 GB of custom image assets.

Currently, Role is at $37,900 pledged of its $60,000 goal with 9 days left to go on its fundraising drive. Pledges can get early access to the app as it’s being developed and up to a year of the Master Subscription. If funded, Role will arrive in May of 2021.

Source: Kickstarter