Kobold Press’ RiverBank RPG (Deep Dive & Review)

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When most people think of fantasy tabletop RPGs, they tend to picture high fantasy heroics and blood drenched battles with monsters. Yet Kobold Press’ new RiverBank RPG is a radical departure from their usual D&D 5e fare, swapping dark dungeons for tranquil tea parties and deadly dragons for adorable animals. It’s a game steeped in a cottagecore aesthetic, with players navigating cozy social encounters in an alternate Edwardian England in which humans and talking animals live side by side.

Notably, the game is written by Hugo and Nebula Award winner Kij Johnson and is the result of a successful Backerkit project that was funded in April 2025. The book is now available to the general public from your local game store, Kobold Press and DriveThruRPG.

So is the new RiverBank RPG worth picking up? Below, we fasten our waistcoats and peruse all the details. (NOTE: For full transparency we have received a PDF review copy of the book from Kobold Press but have otherwise not been compensated for this review in any way.)

What’s included in RiverBank RPG?

The RiverBank RPG is a 192-page book that includes everything both players and Game Masters need to run the game. It’s broken out into six chapters:

Chapter One: Animals and Character Creation: This chapter provides everything you need to create a player character, including how to select your animal species, determine stats and choose your abilities and flaws. It also guides players through personal details such as choosing a home, pets and family member.

Chapter Two: Locales and Situations: This section explains how to actually play RiverBank RPG. It introduces the core mechanics of the game, how sessions and run and covers the core rules that governs each character’s balance between wild instinct and civilized composure.

Chapter Three: RiverBank Character Sheet: This chapter breaks out stats, behaviors and examples of non-player characters (including both humans and other animals). It also includes rules for creating various NPCs, including the addition of meddlesome family members who complicate a character’s life.

Chapter Four: Locations: This is essentially a setting gazetteer that details the River Bank, the nearby Village, the Wild Wood, the Hills and London (known simply as “Town”). It describes the various homes, shops and landmarks, with each location entry including atmosphere, notable residents and adventure hooks.

Chapter Five: How to run RiverBank: This chapter is basically the Gamemaster’s guide. It provides more information on how to structure sessions and includes advice on using Haphazardry cards, improvising ad hoc sessions and tracking time using the RiverBank Year campaign calendar.

Chapter Six: RiverBank Situations: This chapter Includes four ready-to-run adventures: Old Greenie’s Day, A Very Important Party, The King’s Birthday Cake and All Out of Pipe Cleaners (the latter of which is a solo scenario). Each adventure includes descriptions, stakes, catalysts, complications and codas, along with tables of situation seeds for creating new misadventures.

Appendices I–IV: The appendices contain the Sacred Texts (literary inspirations), Betweentimes and Haphazardry card decks, player aids like the Animality/Poetry tracker, plus campaign calendars for running ongoing games.

What is the Riverbank RPG setting like?

The world of RiverBank is an anthropomorphic version of Edwardian England reminiscent of The Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter, and Jeeves and Wooster. Players take on the roles of refined Animals who live in a world parallel to that of Humans, occupying their own miniature houses, clubs and shops alongside the larger world of pre-World War I Britian.

The setting’s tone is cozy, but it’s far from shallow. Instead, it’s a complex society filled with rivalry, decorum and the ever-present possibility of scandal. Characters might attend the St. Aldwin’s Day Fête, write novels or resolve inheritance disputes while trying to maintain appearances. Combat and violence are essentially unheard of and conflict is almost always low stakes, with a focus on emotion and etiquette rather than world shattering events.

It’s a unique blend that comes across as a combination of Downton Abbey and The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and if you’re a fan of those types of properties, chances are you’ll love what’s presented here. That being said, it’s also a very niche setting and tone that may not appeal as much to D&D grognards or murder hobos looking for loot some dungeons and to bash in a few orc skulls.

What are the RiverBank RPG rules like?

Character Creation

RiverBank RPG’s character creation process feels familiar yet delightfully odd. You begin by selecting your Animal from sixteen base creatures, with everything from Badgers, Bats and Foxes to Frogs, Owls and Moles. Each Animal has a specific size, a best time of day (eg nocturnal or diurnal) and key stats that impact the game mechanically.

Next, you choose three Personal Peculiarities that define your character and also have mechanical effects. These range from options such as Has a Job and Is Comfortably Off to Is Dramatic and Loves Company. Notably, your Animal choice also adds unique Innate Peculiarities (for example, Squirrels are Nibbly, meaning they’re constantly chewing on things).

You then distribute points across four key stats: Charm (your charisma and magnetism), Intrepidity (how bold and courageous you are), Pother (how likely you are to incite chaos) and Sense (your overall good judgement). These govern how you’ll perform almost any action in the game.

Next, you select four Knacks, which provide bonuses and special abilities for when you carry out specific actions known as Deeds. For example, the Good in the Kitchen knack provides a bonus when attempting to conduct a Deed around baking.

You, then select a single Insufficiency, which has negative mechanical and narrative impacts. For example, with Swooning you faint at inappropriate times, while Inclined to Growl means your animal nature may come out, even among civilized company.

Finally, you select your Entanglements, which includes both Appalling Relatives (meddlesome family members who add complications to your life) and pets (beloved companions who can bring both joy and chaos to your life).

While there’s a surprising amount of mechanical crunch to get through (a rules light game, this is not), it does work well once you finally wrap your head around the basic concepts. More importantly though, the rules do a fantastic job of combining both narrative and mechanical elements in a way which far too many TTRPGs seem to struggle with. Your character’s stats not only influence what you can do, but can directly shape the story, making the game feel incredibly collaborative and emotionally resonant.

Core Mechanics

Mechanically, RiverBank RPG centers on performing Deeds, the game’s equivalent of actions. Players roll a Challenge Number (1d6 + a stat) against a Target Number set by the GM. Success and failure aren’t binary, however, and every result spawns side effects or “Pother” (which as mentioned above is a surge of social or emotional chaos).

The four stats of Charm, Intrepidity, Pother, and Sense (collectively known as “ChIPS”), represent different approaches to problems. Which stat you use is determined randomly with a d4 roll. This randomness ensures even the most charming Badger may have to rely on brute Intrepidity at the worst possible moment.

Characters also balance two overarching traits: Animality (representing instinct and passion) and Poetry (representing refinement and civility). Lean too far into either and your characters risks becoming either viciously feral or unbearably genteel. This “A/P axis”, combined with the concept of Haphazardry (cards and prompts that introduce sudden calamity) gives every scene the potential to devolve into comedic chaos, which is a hallmark of the types of books that inspired the game.

Gameplay is also broken out into a few different phases:

• Betweentimes: Character can take on a variety of activities between sessions.
• Catalyst: One character triggers the situation that group finds themself in.
• The Plot Thickens: Simple goals become chaos through character decisions, Haphazardry cards and side effects.
• Resolution: Stories end with warmth, often with the original goal hilariously forgotten.

This type of flow can be a little tricky to manage and will definitely require an experienced GM to pull off (particularly when you’re also juggling some of the other crunchier mechanics in the game), but if you can get it down, it’s a satisfying progression that naturally creates compelling sessions. It also provides the kind of structural framework a game like this needs to actually work, since character goals aren’t quite as evident as they might be in other TTRPGs.

What are the adventures like in the Riverbank RPG?

Rather than traditional quests, RiverBank RPG offers episodic, social adventures that revolve around etiquette, rivalry and unexpected chaos. Example adventures include:

• Judging a flower-painting competition where bias and scandal bloom.
• Navigating a disastrous village fête while maintaining good manners.
• Escaping the gossip mill at the Nose & Tail Club after an embarrassing faux pas.

For Gamemasters, the book’s main focus is on establishing tone: stakes are small but emotions run high, and even minor inconveniences (a missing invitation, a broken parasol) can spiral into slapstick tragedy. This is great in theory, but it definitely requires a GM who is not only interested in running a game like this, but is quick on their feet and able to really lean into the world.

What is the art and design like in the Riverbank RPG?

Simply put, the RiverBank RPG is visually stunning. The interior art by Kathleen Jennings in particular, is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly captures the vibes of Wind in the Willows and the rural British landscape. The overall layout of the book is also fantastic, and it’s easy to reference and find exactly what you’re looking for.

It’s also worth noting that the writing is exceptional (which isn’t a surprise given the pedigree of award-winning author Kij Johnson), and while the book definitely nails the tone of the setting, it also shines in terms of its description of the rules and makes it easy to wrap your head around some of the key concepts. It’s easily one of the most unique TTRPGs I’ve ever read, and it’s genuinely ambitious in a field crowded with D&D clones and 5e supplement.

How much is the RiverBank RPG?

The hardcover edition currently retails for $49.99 USD, with the PDF version going for $29.99 USD. Notably, you can also purchase a Hardcover and PDF bundle for $59.99 USD or a Limited Edition Hardcover for $99.99 USD.

When was the RiverBank RPG released?

The RiverBank RPG Backerkit was completed in April 2025, with PDFs released to backers in October 2025. The public release, however, occurred on November 5th, 2025, with the book now available for purchase online and from local game stores.

Is the RiverBank RPG worth picking up?

Pros

• A unique cottagecore setting inspired by Wind in the Willows and classic British literature.
• Elegant, easy-to-learn mechanics with strong narrative flavor.
• Beautifully written and lavishly illustrated.
• A rare TTRPG that emphasizes humor, civility and social storytelling.

Cons

• Mechanics can be unnecessarily crunchy at times (while the setting is light, the rules are not).
• Requires players comfortable with improvisation and social roleplay.
• May be tough to run for inexperienced Gamemasters.
• The tone may not appeal to groups who prefer D&D and more traditional hack n’ slash TTRPGs

Final Thoughts & Review Score

The RiverBank RPG is a rare delight, as a roleplaying game that trades swords and sorcery for wit, charm and emotional intelligence. Kij Johnson and Kobold Press have created something quietly revolutionary: a game about manners as mechanics and chaos as comedy. If you’re looking for a much needed break from dungeon crawls and min-maxed power fantasies, RiverBank is a charming, cozy and critter-filled critical hit that puts the “tea” in TTRPG.

Final Review Score: 19 out of 20

You can pick up RiverBank RPG now from your local game store, Kobold Press and DriveThruRPG.