A Curious Update: 2023 and beyond

Notice something a little different in this parts? Today’s our 5th anniversary (wow, it’s been that long already?!), we’re launching our new logo together with a slight redefining of our original purpose and focii. Here’s a brief update on the new directions to come!

NEW LOOK, STILL CURIOUS

When we first started Curious Chimeras, we had an initial focus on bringing TTRPGs to younger audiences, and our logo was designed towards that aim, with our friendly and amiable Chimera mascot Kay. 

Over the years, our market has grown and evolved, and we thought that it was time to update Kay to reflect the older audiences we now cater more to, and the more mature themes we intend to explore in our upcoming products. 

Kay remains part of our identity and branding, but now with a sleeker look and profile. We’ve also emphasised the Curious part of our name with Kay’s snake tail forming a question mark. 

REDEFINING AND REFOCUSING

Tabletop Roleplaying Games
If you’ve been following our TTRPG game offerings on our online store (https://curiouschimeras.itch.io/) , you might have noticed a definite focus in the direction of our works. With games such as the xianxia-inspired Shrine (2021), the love letter to wuxia films in Huaquan (2020), and the rural existential Cold War horror of Mere Gods (2019), we’ve been honing our voices and visions to centre stories rooted in Asian experiences and imaginations, to invite players and readers to co-create fantastic worlds inspired by the diverse histories, societies, and mythologies of Southeast and East Asia. 

What’s the big project for this year, with regards to this new TTRPG direction? We’re working hard to develop Saintrest: Sword and Sutra, a Forged in the Dark (FitD) game of melancholic bodhisattvas and cultivators seeking both to find a place for themselves in a world of turmoil.. as well as nurture a little space for peace, compassion, and justice to flower amidst ambition, bitterness, and hatred. 

Saintrest: Sword and Sutra adapts the FitD engine to expand the Three Paths rules we explored in Mere Gods (2019); players discover and tell wuxia and xianxia-inspired stories of a reluctant immortal making their journey across a war-torn world of vendettas and feuds…. And the transient wonders and fragile beauty of the lives that persist in spite of all the bloodshed and strife. If this sounds like something up your alley, please keep a lookout for more updates on Saintrest: Sword and Sutra! 

Immersive Puzzles and Mysteries
A new game space we’ve been exploring over the past two years is immersive puzzle games. We started with an experimental, online escape room written for the National Heritage Board that was immensely well-received, and after a few more forays working with key clients to turn original narrative and historical content into deeper immersive puzzle experiences, we feel confident enough to offer this genre of games as a significant part of our portfolio.

Moving forward, you’ll also see us share our thoughts on puzzles and puzzle gaming, and how we can enjoy these games not just as a form of leisure, but also as an engaging form of education and literacy training. 

Consultancy Work
Finally, we will continue to provide services as consultants on games, storymaking and other projects that align with our core values and the areas of our subject matter expertise. For example, last year, we had the privilege to speak at Singapore Writers Festival on SEAsian storytelling and gamemaking; in this coming year, we will be working with the Singapore Book Council and other organisations to produce more seminars and workshops on the intersections between games, literature, and playfulness.

As specialists in narrative and game design as well as Asian studies, we believe in the importance of appreciating our region’s perspectives and honouring our shared connections and legacies; in a world and climate increasingly under pressure to homogenise and mechanise stories, we remain proud adherents to our core values of curiosity, imagination, and the commitment to articulating stories across diverse voices and manifold vistas. 

THANKS FOR BEING HERE!

If you’ve read this far, and in fact if you’ve been following our journey for the past five years, thank you for being here! We’d also like to give especial thanks to our Patreon supporters who have quietly yet passionately supported us through the years. We started as a tiny company building a niche for ourselves, and we’re proud to be part of a now vibrant community of other TTRPG businesses in Singapore. We’re looking forward to yet another five years, and beyond!