New York Times bestselling author Matt Forbeck, who also serves as the lead designer for the Marvel Multiverse RPG, has teamed up with his son Marty to craft an intriguing new tabletop game set within the beloved Minecraft universe. The upcoming release, aptly titled Minecraft: Roll for Adventure: The Temple of the Charged Creeper, is now open for pre-orders. The game seeks to capture the widespread allure of the online crafting behemoth, coupling it with a set of role-playing mechanics that are easy for newcomers to pick up.
However, don’t expect to find much detail about the gameplay mechanics just yet. Publisher Penguin Random House has kept things under wraps, which is not uncommon for major tabletop releases tied to big name franchises. The cover does reveal a pair of six-sided dice, while a few snippets on the publisher’s site mention a total of "four dice" coming with the gamebook. Additionally, the package includes a "removable character sheet" along with a "rules reference" to guide your heroic endeavors. The game is flexible, allowing for solo adventures or handing over control to a game master, also referred to as “your narrator” in this context.
The storyline unfolds in a remote village that’s suddenly overrun by "illagers," familiar foes in the Minecraft world and the antagonists in Forbeck’s own book, Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager. Players are tasked with the classic role-playing mission: defend the village by uncovering the mysterious Temple of the Charged Creeper and putting an end to its threat.
Previously, there have been collaborative efforts linking Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons, such as the younger player-focused Lightning Keep adventure. Yet, this new adventure is an entirely new creation by the Forbecks. Matt Forbeck’s extensive background in crafting both tabletop games and novels, spanning titles like D&D, Minecraft, Halo, and Life is Strange, certainly lends weight to this project’s potential. It’ll be interesting to see how this blend of Minecraft’s charm and RPG dynamics resonates with both its fans and seasoned tabletop gamers once the book finally releases in July 2025.
If you’re interested, the hardcover edition can currently be pre-ordered from the Penguin Random House website, priced at $20.
