Concept: “An emissary from hell, sent by the devil to hunt humans and take them back to hell”
Content: Includes the title character and its infernal entourage
Writing: Provides a general overview of the concept and covers stats for 4 types of demons
Art/design: Colors and typographical choices convey that fire-and-brimstone character
Usability: Some more complex morale rules require a bit of extra arithmetic

Concept: “The wooden cocoon of the saint burst open to reveal a horrible half human, half moth creature of godly compusure.”
Content: Includes all three phases of the monster’s lifecycle
Writing: Descriptive text serves as a legend and hook; mechanical text is simple and easy to use
Art/design: Some very cool, inspiring artwork
Usability: A big “yes” both mechanically and conceptually

Concept: “Hoodening is a folk custom […] where a person imitates a horse by hunching their back and holding out a horses head.”
Content: Items that grant strong benefits to users (at a potentially serious/hilarious cost) with some sample skeletons
Writing: A short rationale; primarily devoted to mechanics
Art/design: Graphic devices synergize well with illustrations and create a sense of sharpness and motion
Usability: Item mechanics are simple in themselves but could cause complications for PCs

Concept: “Haunted possessed manor”
Content: Is it a monster? Is it a location? Either way, it wants to exploit or extinguish some PCs.
Writing: Folds the house’s characterization and behavior into the Special
Art/design: Stylized, atmospheric depiction of a mörkt hus
Usability: As written, very straightforward, but leaves lots of options for the GM to play with

Concept: “Life is short. Steal a fort.”
Content: Events. Hirelings. Fortifications. Amenities. Renovations. Allies. Animals. Curses. Hooks. Taxes. Everything you need to run a stronghold.
Writing: Atmospheric, informative, and witty
Art/design: Graphically diverse, with efficient layouts and typographical choices
Usability: Some related content isn’t in close proximity, but page gestalts and section headers make it easy to find what you’re looking for

Concept: “‘Humbaba, whose shout is the flood weapon, whose utterance is Fire and whose breath is Death’”
Content: An ancient Mesopotamian monster adapted to Mörk Borg
Writing: Purely mechanics; some flavor text on the product page
Art/design: Layout is a bit top-heavy but not detrimentally so
Usability: Some specific death conditions could make this a recurring antagonist

Concept: “Clearly not a deer; it is not from here.”
Content: An anti-magic anti-deer
Writing: Descriptive and mechanical text both serve to establish a compelling character
Art/design: Likewise, depiction in silhouette establishes a form but allows the GM to customize the details
Usability: Ups the ante on arcane risks and consequences

Concept: “Covered in chains from which his victim’s heads dangle”
Content: A powerful, elusive enemy
Writing: Descriptive text definitely paints a picture, and the mechanics back it up with strength and maneuverability
Art/design: Metonymic; let your imagination run wild
Usability: Area attacks and the ability to disappear up the challenge for PCs

Concept: “Before, Jack would joyfully die at the hands of the mob, to release summer’s warmth. Now the procession happens day after day, pulling some poor wretch from their rest, dressing them in the ragged, threadbare finery of Jack in the Green.”
Content: A ritual replete with a set of monsters/characters
Writing: Describes the futile rites and provides 4 stat blocks for participants
Art/design: Stark but effective
Usability: A toolkit for GMs to play with and customize

Concept: “Bad tempered wisdom seeker bipolar Sea-wolf of Lake Onda”
Content: Includes lore, narrative for Reaction temperament, and a random loot table
Writing: Delivers the lore in an engaging second-person narrative
Art/design: Designs capture the petroglyphic inspiration highlighted with plenty of Borgy colors
Usability: Simple to use as a monster but has lots of narrative potential

Concept: “KNOMES are a beloved feature of any nobles’ garden. They feed on the blood of would-be thieves and vagabonds.”
Content: ; additional lore and options on product page
Writing: Covers behavior, preferred haunts, and mechanics
Art/design: Layout and design work to guide and direct the reader’s attention
Usability: Requires only slightly more effort than a regular garden gnome

Concept: “A devious and completely unfair beast to feast on greedy (or merely unlucky) characters.”
Content: A resilient, implacable monster that will almost certainly incur at least one fatality
Writing: Well composed and dryly witty
Art/design: Also well composed with effective design and layout choices
Usability: Highly lethal

Concept: “The faces of Bélmez function as a hostile encounter with random characteristics.”
Content: d8 faces appear on walls and do d20 awful things to PCs
Writing: Includes descriptions of behavior and adapting the faces to different materials
Art/design: The background is staring at you
Usability: Has more special abilities than most encounters, but all are fairly simple and manageable 

Concept: “An encounter with the ghostly midnight washerwomen” &  “A quest to hunt some (maybe not so real) animals”
Content: Nocturnal spirits who entice you to do your own laundry, for weal or woe;  a ruse of an adventure with multiple potential climaxes
Writing: Includes descriptive text sets the scene and mechanics to determine the outcome;  very concise but with adequate, compelling imagery and appeal
Art/design: Efficient design choices delineate segments and make for easy use and reference;  primarily textual with a fun text-based map
Usability: A two-in-one bargain

Concept: “The fool that steals from the leprechaun is cursed to be haunted by immortal wrath.”
Content: An undying, unrelenting adaptation
Writing: A straightforward stat block with matching descriptive text
Art/design: An especially Mörk Borgy illustration with effective use of color
Usability: Ability to return from death make this a good recurring antagonist

Concept: “Black or nebulous forms, they gaze upon mortals with piercing red eyes filled with mischief and wickedness.”
Content: An multiform creature and potential companion to generous scvm
Writing: Provides copious lore pertaining to behavior and ecology alongside stat blocks for various forms
Art/design: Predominantly textual, leveraging color to differentiate certain blocks; includes some cleverly placed depictions
Usability: Contains a fair number of behavioral details for GMs to keep track of

Concept: “Tuesday’s Demon rambles into desolate villages from its den high in the mountains only after a grisly tragedy has occurred on a Tuesday.”
Content: A bizarre, subversive, brutal beast and  a simmering, horror-themed investigation spanning a few days in a seemingly quiet town
Writing: Includes a standard stat block as well as additional attributes and an overview of the monster’s MO; the adventure balances subtle tension and intrigue with moments of overt violence and gore
Art/design:  Graphic design aids in navigating the adventure; illustrations add lots of creepy visual character
Usability:  Includes a town map and an appendix of character sketches for quick reference

Concept: “Second son of Kerana and Tau. It patrols the swamps and wetlands, protecting amphibians and waterdwellers.”
Content: A middleweight monster fit for amphibious adventures
Writing: Efficient stats and a dash of flavor text (with more on the product page)
Art/design: Color choices and arrangement make text easily readable without obscuring the gritty, Borgy illustration
Usability: Includes an ongoing fear effect; take note, GMs

Concept: “Your deathmarks will never heal again. But you can get revenge. Murder the rat. Murder them all.”
Content: A vengeful pagan-inspired class with tables for deathmarks and abilities
Writing:  Provides lots of character and backstory in a smaller space than other classes
Art/design: Text design gives the impression of mental turbulence and motivated madness
Usability: Character motivation is tied more intimately to backstory than some other classes

Concept: “An egg hunt riddled with danger and reward!”
Content: Lore, NPCs, items, and schedule for a high-stakes scavenger hunt in the Dying Land
Writing: A balance of lore and mechanics with lots of character folded into both
Art/design: Laid out for easy reference, with graphic elements that add strange, supernatural character
Usability: A straightforward toolkit for a grimly humorous adventure

Concept: “On the Bones of Bathala is a grimdark game inspired by Ancient Philippines and Filipino folklore creatures.”
Content: Includes alternate apocalyptic lore, setting-specific character creation and rules, gear, and monsters
Writing: Maintains Mörk Borg’s tone and focus but adds a markedly more-condescending attitude and humor
Art/design: Graphic design and layout all show Nohr’s influence but tend toward more distinctly liberal utilization of space and an aesthetic that leans more toward clear mimesis than affective expression
Usability: A stand-alone, fully functional product exploding with character

This entry was sponsored by momatoes as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
“I’m completely blown away by how much content is packed into this stylish, evocative RPG that blends unique mythopoeia with doom. Heck, there’s even dedicated sections for character creation and GM content!! The premise is ‘simple’ (you dive into Lambana, the Great Balete Tree in the Old World, to seek fulfillment of a deep desire) but the brief prompts offer the foundation for a creative GM to build a crazy, multilayered world where one-eyed giants, rotting humanoids, and half-horse half-men roam an ever-shifting environment. I can’t praise the content, theme and even illustration highly enough.”

Concept: “Never sleep like the dead do or you’ll attract malevolent spirits.”
Content: A malicious entity that targets characters at their most vulnerable
Writing: Split between descriptive and mechanical text
Art/design: Perfectly illustrated by Fuseli’s Nightmare
Usability: Complex enough to have depth without being complicated or difficult to use

Concept: “These half-stag, half-eagle abominations fly above the fell trees of Graven-Tosk, swooping down to kill unwary travelers below.”
Content: A Borged-derived monster with a strange, supernatural motive
Writing: Concise and to the point
Art/design: A sensible layout oriented around the illustration
Usability: Not to be confused with a peryton

Concept: “Has no head. Only razor sharp maw for eating children.”
Content: Exactly what it promises
Writing: Concise and sharp (like the monster's teeth)
Art/design: Well executed but on the explicit side
Usability: Involves eating children

Concept: “This mottled bloom is known for its decadent perfume; once inhaled, it must be picked, petal by petal.”
Content: Modifies stats & HP based on whether she/he/it/they loves you or loves you not
Writing: A short overview and mechanics for consumption and death
Art/design: Tally and revisionary marks convey a sense of crazed infatuation
Usability: Layout has a sense of hectic energy without ultimately hindering usability

Concept: “Find Randal in d8 rounds and return the head to Samson’s body before all the blood drains out and Samson’s protective magicks over Sarkash are lost.”
Content: An adventure hook and stat blocks for a chase through Sarkash
Writing: Concise, unambiguous, and to the point
Art/design: Well organized and cleanly laid out
Usability: GM will need to fill in incidentals, but the framework is there

Concept: “Two monsters […] some scenario seeds you can roll up and a small dungeon”
Content: See concept
Writing: Monster entries provide sufficient context while the dungeon is clear and concise
Art/design: Monsters are well organized with appropriate illustrations; dungeon is primarily typographical, which guides reading, but includes a map and a creepy crayfish-baby
Usability: A bit of a variety pack; straightforward and easy to navigate

Concept: “Rumors have begun to spread of what lies in its cemetery: one of the seven gates to Nech itself—portal to a god.”
Content: A bitterly satirical scenario centered on a deal with the devil
Writing: Concise but descriptive and punctuated with sardonic wit
Art/design: Well organized with visually differentiated sections and expressive illustrations
Usability: Gives GMs latitude to work setting and situation into campaigns and adventures as they need or see fit

Concept: “These creatures take up residence in wells throughout the dying land.”
Content: Includes stats, random well generator, real-world lore, and tactics for fighting one
Writing: Delivers the necessary information but stays scant to spotlight the art
Art/design: Features plenty of visceral, gritty depictions
Usability: Content is spread cross several pages but well organized for easy use

Concept: “None of you know anything about fighting daimons, wyches, or restoring heads to princesses, but the whole world’s dying anyway and a job’s a job.”
Content: A strange, surreal fetch-quest with lots of bizarro elements and flavor
Writing: Well-written, laden with subtle humor and overt viscerality
Art/design: A more traditional OSR presentation, both textually and graphically
Usability: Includes a separate map and bestiary for quick reference

Concept: “An experimental sonnet, adventure, and bestiary”
Content: A relatively brief but compelling, supernatural dungeon
Writing: Poetic text reinforces the dark, haunted theme and provides DM with inspiration as well as interpretive flexibility
Art/design: Some extremely rich colors with A LOT of creepy baby doll faces, even by Mörk Borg standards
Usability: Paginated by room for easy operation

Concept: “A monster based on unfinished business, misplaced trust and faulty armour”
Content: A trap/monster/item targeting unwary and acquisitive adventurers
Writing: Includes background, behavior, effects, and a stat block (of course)
Art/design: The illustrations will make you want one despite the adverse effects
Usability: Multivalent but ergonomic in any capacity

Concept: “A tangled mass of darkness and flesh—a cock on a cat on a cur on an ass—united by stitches and witches.”
Content: A strange, tenebrous monster based on a 12th-century German folktale
Writing: Descriptive text is playful and clever; mechanics are clear and concise
Art/design: Silhouette illustrates the concept while contrasting nicely with pink and yellow
Usability: Requires a few rolls each turn—but what GM doesn’t love playing with dice?

Concept: “Their king obsessed with making his mountains touch the very skies, he invented a new species of creature, obsessed with construction and architecture.”
Content: A race of labyrinth-building bird-people
Writing: Includes a description of their history and purpose alongside stats
Art/design: Appropriately creepy depictions of the subject and their lair
Usability: Easy to use, and its monster-summoning Special makes for difficult, escalating encounters

Concept: “MÖRK BORGified Polish urban legend about the fearsome vehicle driven by former regime’s secret service, satanists or the Satan himself”
Content: An ominous vehicle and a malicious occupant
Writing: Folds the mechanics into the lore
Art/design: More traditional text blocks superimposed over background images
Usability: GMs will benefit from taking a few minutes to familiarize themselves with this before using it at the table

Concept: “The Bone of Batrasaxas makes any animal it touches devoted to the wielder.”
Content: An overview, crafting and use instructions, critical failures, and a sample wielder
Writing: Mechanics are concise, and the descriptive text is full of detail and character
Art/design: Relatively conservative but efficient and effective for its purpose

Concept: “Have you fvckers got my eggs?”
Content: A crazed, skin-suit wearing axe murderer
Writing: All mechanics, with a table of curses for whoever kills hem
Art/design: Putrid, visceral graphics in line with the concept
Usability: Escalating attack damage will require a bit more attention from GMs; small script may be challenging to read in print

Concept: “A party cruise gone awry.”
Content: A literal boatload of cursed souls pursued by infernal spirits; the canoe itself is pretty nifty
Writing: Furnishes background and a setup to lure PCs into a chase/fight
Art/design: Colors create a haunted, supernatural feel; text conveniently splits backstory from in-game concerns
Usability: GM may have to use some subterfuge, but otherwise pretty straightforward

Concept: “A random encounter generator based on the lore of meeting the Devil at the crossroads. He’ll take your soul and force you into playing his little death games.”
Content: Complete one of six death matches or be dragged down to Hell; includes some clever conditional mechanics and rewards for completion
Writing: A balance of context and mechanics with strong imagery in the descriptive text
Art/design: Designs and layouts reinforce the themes and concepts from the text with plenty of grimness and grimness
Usability: Unforgiving to unlucky PCs (not that that’s anything new in this game)

Concept: “Based on a real-life location in Chatham County, North Carolina”
Content: A cursed location and potential infernal encounter
Writing: Straightforward delivery of lore and mechanics
Art/design: A frenetic layout (but in a good way) with good use of color and form to differentiate text blocks and add emphasis
Usability: Handy as a random encounter or the object of a quest

Concept: “One hand frozen to the rock face, the other raised in defiance of her own death, Moll Dyer was blessed by Nechrubel with the undying spark of anti-life.”
Content: A persecuted witch bent on vengeance
Writing: Includes a prose-poetic description in addition to stats for lich and her rock
Art/design: Layout creates a strong visual flow, and the colors reinforce the integral sensatiosn of heat and cold
Usability: Not only very useable but also very compelling

Concept: “a baleful toolkit”
Content: Optional rules for the evil eye (source, gossip, affliction, ward, and aftermath)
Writing: Some interesting concepts and foreboding imagery
Art/design: Borg-ful layouts and colors with lots of macabre eye (or lack of eye) imagery
Usability: A set of 5 easy-to-use tables

Concept: “Schleswig’s Courtroom drama”
Content: A courtroom-dungeon generator
Writing: Delivers a backstory to motivate a crawl in search of fabled treasure
Art/design: Primarily textual with typographical emphasis and illustrations to establish ambience
Usability: Straightforward to use, and interesting change of scenery for an urban adventure

Concept: “The titular knight of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the dying world”
Content: A suitable grimdark adaptation that retains the legend’s dynamic and spirit
Writing: Concise and clear without sacrificing character
Art/design: Primarily textual with conventional typography; medieval graphics against a Borgy background on the cover is an appropriate visual representation of the concept
Usability: Straightforward and provides a compelling long-term, impending threat

Concept: “The hills hide goblins.”
Content: Everything you wanted to know about hill goblins, and then some
Writing: Clear and descriptive with little flourishes of humor and weirdness
Art/design: Overall coherent design choices with graphics that are varied but always expressive, entertaining, and appropriate
Usability: Components are well organized on the macro and micro scales

Concept: “You’ve heard that everyone abandoned the house except for the baby. Or was it because of the baby?”
Content: A floating, telekinetic devil baby replete with horns and hooves
Writing: Provides concrete mechanics but leaves the lore and details ambiguous
Art/design: Easy-to-navigate layout, colors add emphasis and facilitate quick reference, and damn if that isn’t one seriously evil devil-baby head
Usability: Lots of room for GMs to adapt situation to their needs

Concept: “A one way descent into facing the divine destruction that sleeps deep in the planet.”
Content: A massive subterranean monster that can kill PCs directly or indirectly after it is defeated
Writing: Conveys the sense of eldritch, ineffable horror that surrounds this being
Art/design: The semi-obscured subject of the illustration supports the concept’s nature, and use of color helps to add emphasis and visually organize information
Usability: GMs will need to track dead things encountered prior to the battle

Concept: “How the protagonists have learned that there is no power stronger than love”
Content: A twisted archetypal comedy in 4 acts; emphasizes weirdness over grimness
Writing: Presented as a script for stage; full of humor and clever wordplay
Art/design: Makes powerful use of a limited palette of vivid colors in traditional page layouts and images
Usability: A fairly linear adventure; as a document, easy to read and use

Concept: “It is said that that those who sit upon this ‘Lonely Throne’ […] can attract the attention of something buried deep under Graven-Tosk that can grant them treasures and forbidden knowledge… for a price.”
Content: 12 random encounters, 3 otherworldly entities, 21 rewards, 8 consequences, and more adventure possibilities than I feel like calculating
Writing: A clever concept well executed with lots of descriptive flair
Art/design: Organized for usability with illustrations and other graphic elements that contribute atmosphere
Usability: Linear, dual-column layout makes the document easy to read and navigate

Concept: “Here lies what remains of these once mighty warriors.”
Content: Profiles of four legendary heroes and the relics that can be found in their resting places
Writing: Appropriate grimness tempered by occasional bouts of humor
Art/design: Nonlinear layout leverages a variety of typefaces and abstract as well as representational designs
Usability: Spatial organization, graphic choices, and visual cues help readers navigate a fairly dense page