If you’re a puzzle and game enthusiast, there are many dates and events to look forward to each year. There’s Free RPG Day, National Tabletop Day, the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, and all sorts of tournaments and contests and reasons to gather.
But after Thanksgiving, as the holiday season arrives, there isn’t really a puzzly or game-fueled event that comes to mind. (Though the Boswords Winter Wondersolve is coming in February!)
That is, there isn’t an official puzzle or game holiday in December.
But in 2013, there was a holiday festivity that brought together the worlds of puzzles and games in truly delightful and chaotically creative fashion.
For 2013 marked the birth of the White Heffalump Gift Exchange.
A heffalump… according to Disney, anyway…
You’re probably familiar with the concept of the White Elephant gift exchange, wherein everyone supplies a gift, and then a game of keeping or swapping takes over, allowing people to take turns, develop friendly little rivalries, and generally enjoy a bit of holiday frivolity.
A White Heffalump gift exchange works the same way, but with one marvelous twist: every gift is imaginary.
That year, puzzle constructor and game designer Mike Selinker brought together more than 50 puzzlers, game designers, artists, and creators from all walks of life to participate in the first ever White Heffalump gift exchange.
Constructors like Eric Berlin, Brendan Emmett Quigley, and Debbie Manber Kupfer joined artists like Stan! and John Kovalic of Dork Tower fame. Game designers like Steve Jackson, Paul Peterson, Matt Forbeck, Elisa Teague, and James Ernest showed off their imaginary creations to other attendees like writer and RPG actual play icon Patrick Rothfuss and cookbook author / Geeky Hostess Tara Theoharis.
And the entire exchange took place on Twitter, so fans and friends alike could enjoy the madcap holiday cheer.
Just some of the amazing White Heffalump offerings from its inaugural year…
A pet squid, a pocket pet named Prudence that GRANTS WISHES, “time to play with toys”, a dapper platypus, and a 29-word crossword were among some of the other silly, impossible, imaginary gifts brought to the exchange.
And although we’ve never seen anything like it again — publicly, at least — there’s no doubt that this festive explosion of maniacal creative expression inspired others to organize their own White Heffalump exchanges.
How do I know this?
Well, because I’ve hosted one for fellow puzzlers for the last eight years now, and the array of ridiculous, delightful, impractical, and mind-bending gifts have been an absolute delight to see shared.
Bob Ross’s Happy Little Trees, complete and total dominion over the planet Pluto, a paid internship with Carmen Sandiego, the ability to harness the magic of unicorn farts (*unicorn not included), a puppy-summoning button, and Your Very Own “No Pickle” Person are just a few of the glorious gifts that have been bandied about over the years of our annual imaginary get-togethers.
It’s an absolute blast, a reason to gather (virtually OR in-person), and all it costs is a little time and imagination.
Given that puzzles and games all start with that — that elusive mote of inspiration, the spark that ignites a creative wildfire — nothing feels truer to both the spirit of the season and to the heart of gaming and puzzling than a bit of White Heffalump fun.
It certainly brightens my holiday season every year. Give it a shot and see if it stirs your soul as well.
Timing is a fascinating thing. You never know what will suddenly become relevant again, or how something from the past will reemerge with new context and impact later.
Now, Feast of Legends made a big splash in 2019, but it’s fair to say that six years later, it’s not as relevant in RPG circles as it once was.
However, it’s funny that I wrote about it just a few weeks ago, and now it seems like Burger King is suddenly getting in on the roleplaying game scene!
Yes, Burger King’s Quest is a playable supplement for Dungeons & Dragons, featuring the Burger King Kingdom as its setting, and resurrecting several characters from Burger King’s promotional efforts in the 1970s and 1980s to counter McDonalds’ McDonaldland and its characters.
You definitely know the Burger King, but do you remember Sir Shake-A-Lot, the Duke of Doubt, or The Wizard of Fries? I sure don’t! (Who knew that The Home of the Whopper was a real place, not just a slogan?!)
Well they’re getting new life in this RPG supplement, which was unveiled at Lucca Comics & Games as part of Milan Games Week.
Right now, the game is only in Italian, so we’re not sure if English-speaking roleplayers will get their own version in the future. But thankfully the hardworking crew at the Burger King WIKI have some details on the game for non-Italian readers.
I don’t speak Italian, but I did download the game’s PDF, naturally. The art is beautiful, and clearly a lot of work went into this promotional stunt.
But you can already see a rivalry brewing with the Feast of Legends loyalists in the RPG community. (After all, I only found out about Burger King’s Quest BECAUSE of the Feast of Legends subreddit!)
I reached out to the Burger King Public Relations team to try to learn more about the promotion and any plans for it to expand beyond Italy, but I haven’t heard back yet.
So, for now at least, this remains a roleplaying curiosity. But who knows what the future holds. Wendy’s, Arby’s, and now Burger King. The fast food/roleplaying crossover space is certainly heating up!
Happy Holidays and welcome to the PuzzCulture 2025 Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide!
Each year, we scour the world of puzzles and games for the best, the most engaging, the most creative, and the most enjoyable products we can find, and we think this year’s collection is the best we’ve ever had!
We’ve got three different versions of the Gift Guide for your perusal, each of them absolutely loaded with all sorts of puzzly goodness and designed to make your puzzle and game shopping as easy as possible!
You can scroll to your heart’s content or use our handy quick search links to jump to different sections! The products in this year’s Gift Guide are organized by category, by age group, and by price below!
So, if you’d like to view products sorted by category (puzzle games, board games, puzzle books, etc.), click the wreath!
And if you’d like to view products sorted by price from lowest to highest, click the tangram candle!
A lot of terrific companies and puzzle constructors are taking part in our gift guide this year, and we’re sure you’ll find something for every puzzle lover on your list!
Happy browsing and happy puzzling to you and yours!
Welcome to the PuzzCulture 2025 Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide!
We’re excited to be bringing you our biggest gift guide ever! There are so many tremendously fun and puzzly products to share with you. We just might be your one-stop shop for all things puzzly!
We’re sure you’ll find the perfect gift for any puzzler on your list!
Maybe you’re looking for a grab bag full of different puzzles, like their Winter Fun Holiday Pack ($27.95) or a Championship Puzzle Pack of 40 magazines ($33.95)! Or perhaps you’d prefer one kind of puzzle, with the ease of printing at home with Print N’ Solve Magazines and Puzzle Packets (starting at $4.75). Either way, the folks at Penny Dell Puzzles have got you covered.
And be sure to check out their deals on Facebook and Twitter throughout the holiday season. They’ve got bundles and discounts for days!
And while we’re on the topic of puzzle books, some of the best constructors (and many favorites of the blog) have released their own books for your perusal! And with New York Times,Los Angeles Times, and USA Today puzzles to their credit, you’re sure to find some quality puzzlers within these pages!
Many top constructors and organizations market their puzzles directly to solvers, so between email subscriptions and downloadable puzzle bundles, you’ve got plenty of quality choices!
Fragments of Chaos: An Einstein Tile Challenge (Palmetto Puzzle Works)
Einstein’s influence is still felt today, as we have recently discovered the “Einstein monotile” (a tessellation without symmetry), and naturally, someone clever has turned the idea into a puzzle. Can you place these 23 irregularly-shaped pieces into the hexagonal grid? ($22.50)
Puzzometry
For a next-level jigsaw challenge, Puzzometry is tough to top. These beautiful pieces can be combined in seemingly endless combinations, and yet, there’s only one solution. Available in seven different styles — Puzzometry ($22.33), Puzzometry Jr. ($17.58), Puzzometry Squares ($22.33), Puzzometry Hex ($22.33), Puzzometry Steps ($22.33), Puzzometry Six ($22.33), and Puzzometry Jr. 2 ($17.58) — you’ve got distinct challenges appropriate for all different ages!
[Check out the full review of the original Puzzometry by clicking here!]
Brain Teasers
Cluebox Escape Rooms in a Box (iDventure)
These multi-stage puzzle boxes are completely self-contained. You need to explore every inch of its surface to find clues and tools to unlock each stage of the puzzle box and reveal further challenges. Whether you delve into Davy Jones Locker ($49.99) or try to unravel the mystery of Schrodinger’s Cat ($44.99), you will definitely find your puzzly mettle tested by these devious devices!
Tavern Puzzles / Tucker-Jones House Inc.
These hand-forged beauties are ready to challenge your dexterity and cleverness, as you accept the Tavern Puzzles challenge. Whether you’re trying to remove twice as many pieces in a Collaborative Effort or free the triangle from Tridiculous, you’re sure to put your skills to the test. ($29.95 each)
Athena (Project Genius)
Put your chess skills and tactics to the test with Athena. A puzzle requiring you to think several steps ahead in order to reunite a statue with its pedestal on a busy archaeological dig site, Athena has over 50 challenging patterns for you to solve! ($24.99)
A puzzle box unlike anything you’ve ever seen, Lightboxcreates different patterns of shadow and light as you shift and arrange the various plastic plates that make up the box. As you twist and reset them, different electrical connections are made, and different plates light up. As gorgeous as it is challenging, Lightbox is a very eye-catching puzzle that always wows new solvers. ($85)
[Check out our full review of Lightbox by clicking here!]
Egyptian Triglyph (Project Genius)
It’s hard enough to build a cube out of Tetris-style puzzle block shapes, but imagine trying to disassemble — and then reassemble one — INSIDE a 3-D triangular frame. Egyptian Triglyph bends your brain into new shapes and taxes your spatial awareness in very cool ways. A topnotch reinvention of a puzzly classic! ($19.99)
Some of the puzzliest games on the market today are being made by top-flight board game companies, and we’ve got some marvelous games that will appeal to puzzlers of all ages!
Leviathan Wilds (Moon Crab Games)
In this exciting strategy board/card game, you must climb one of seventeen leviathans and scramble all over it to heal it while avoiding its attacks. Be both action hero and environmentalist by scaling these beautiful beasts and trying to save them! ($74)
US Patent #1 (Crab Fragment Labs)
You’re all scientists that have invented time travel, but can you outfit your time machine and outrace your fellow inventors to the day the patent office opens and claim US Patent #1? This strategy game is an all-time favorite and it’s a perfect Print-and-Play joy for friends and family to try out! ($5)
Bring the insane real-life rivalry of paleontologists Cope and Marsh to life in The Great Dinosaur Rush! As you collect fossils and discover your own unique dinosaur, you must also steal bones, sabotage other scientists, and more! Show off your cunning and creativity in this game that proves historical truth is weirder than fiction! ($50)
Arcs (Leder Games)
Each player represents a different alien civilization, trying to complete their established goals and rule the galaxy. Arcs is a fairly complex game, and it’s definitely one that takes some time to play. But the art is beautiful, the gameplay is nicely balanced, and there are tons of different choices to make. ($54)
Godzilla: Tokyo Clash (Funko Games)
Choose one of these four iconic monsters and let loose your fury all over Tokyo in Godzilla: Tokyo Clash. This tactical monster-vs.-monster game allows you to smash buildings, vehicles, and your fellow monsters on a game board that’s different every time you play! Will you be King of the Monsters by the time Tokyo is in ruins? ($42.99)
[Check out our full review of Godzilla: Tokyo Clashhere!]
Tsuro: The Game of the Path (Calliope Games)
A path-laying game with tons of style and historical spirit, Tsurocasts up to eight players as flying dragons, and tasks you with laying out your path with special tiles. Try not to meet any other dragons or fly off the board! It’s a simple mechanic with plenty of replay value, and perfect for quick games with large groups. ($40)
Chessplus
The first thing you learn in chess is how the pieces move. But what if that could change? What if you could make new pieces that move in unexpected ways? How would that change the game? With Chessplus, you’ll find out, as you mix and match chess pieces in order to capture your opponent’s king. The possibilities really are endless! ($45)
A wonderful mix of Uno and Mexican Train Dominoes, Qwirkle is a tile-placing game where you try to maximize your points while minimizing the help you give to your opponents. With six bright colors and six different shapes to match up, Qwirkle is endless fun that’s so easy to jump into! ($22.99)
The chaos and ever-changing rules of Fluxx have taken many forms over the years, from anatomy and astronomy to Star Trek and Alice in Wonderland — and they’ve made their most accessible Fluxx games yet with Word Fluxx and Cat Fluxx. Build your words or delight in your feline friends as you try to win this classic quick-changing card game! ($20)
Get Lucky (Crab Fragment Labs)
In this quick-play card game, you must scheme against your fellow players to be the first to kill Doctor Lucky. But Doctor Lucky is called that for a reason, so it’s gonna take a few tries, even with upgraded weapons, motives, and opportunities. Will you be the one to succeed? ($14.95)
12 Days (Calliope Games)
A proper holiday-themed game for the holidays? You betcha. This wagering game, based on the 12 Daysof Christmas, has some of the most beautiful art in the entire card game genre. Plus the two ways to earn points — winning each day of Christmas with the lowest card in the pot vs. keeping as many of a certain value card as possible for the end of the game — offer tons of strategic opportunities in a simple card game. What a treat! ($20)
Gloomand Gloomier (Atlas Games)
Do you enjoy The Addams Family or the art of Edward Gorey? Then Gloommight be a strategy game worth checking out. In this tactical game with a sinister twist, you’re trying to make your Victorian family miserable for points and the lives of your opponents’ families better! Yup, misfortune equals good fortune for you! With gorgeous transparent cards you can lay over each other to track your scores, there’s no storytelling game out there quite like it.
Some card games go quickly, but FALLING only takes 90 seconds. You’re all falling, and you want to hit the ground last. This game is insanely fast, chaotic, and an absolute riot to play over and over. Give it a shot. Trust me, you’ve got the time. ($10.98)
Codenames (Czech Games)
It’s a race against time to locate all of your spies before your opponents. But in order to do so, you need to communicate information with a single word. Codenames will put your word association skills to work as you try to find secret agents disguised with code words, while avoiding innocent citizens and dangerous assassins along the way! ($19.94)
Tired of turn-based combat and strategy? Light Speed has you covered. In this real-time card game, you play your ships as quickly as you want until one player runs out of cards, and then you see what happens! With combat, mining, strategy, and speed, this card game is great fun. ($10.95)
Spaceteam (Timber and Bolt)
Can you repair your ship and get the engines up and running before a black hole ends your space adventure forever? That’s the name of the game in Spaceteam, a cooperative, communication-based game where you have to accomplish various tasks with your fellow players while sharing tools. It’s delightful chaos, heightened by the five-minute hourglass timer counting down your dwindling seconds before disaster strikes! A definite favorite around here. ($27.95)
Dice Games
Knot Dice Celtic Animals (Black Oak Games)
Can you twist, turn, and spin these dice to complete beautiful, elaborate patterns inspired by Celtic knots? That’s the name of the game with Knot Dice Celtic Animals, a dice game as challenging as it is gorgeous. With single-player and multi-player puzzles included, you’ll be tying yourself in knots for days! ($45, available in several colors)
And you can add new wrinkles and patterns to your solving with Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared! ($40 and $45, respectively)
[Click here to check out our full review of Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared!]
Math Dice (ThinkFun)
Can you out-think and out-math your opponents when it comes to addition, division, square roots, and more? That’s what awaits players with Math Dice, a deviously fun game of who can get closest to the target with only their math skills and cleverness! ($7.99)
One of the most beautiful strategy games on the market today, Sagrada is a singularly peaceful gaming experience. Compete with other players to build the most beautiful stained glass window, but with dice instead of glass! Unique and challenging, Sagrada is something else. ($40)
Tenzi
All of us have rolled dice in games before, but can you roll what you need as fast as possible? That’s the challenge of Tenzi, a game that pits up to four players against each other in tests of speed and dexterity. Can you roll ten 6’s before everyone else? ($18.95)
Marble Puzzles / Games
Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL (Ravensburger)
Simply the coolest marble run builder I’ve ever seen, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL offers hundreds of pieces and a terrific base to build upon. Create ramps, loops, and elaborate patterns with ease! And although there are smaller Gravitrax games to start with, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL is an absolute wonder! ($129.99)
Bring your puzzle skills to life as you assemble a working roller coaster from these wooden pieces. Assembling handcranks and gears to operate the machine along with the structure of the roller coaster itself makes this 3-D puzzle more exciting and satisfying than the average 3-D puzzle. ($39.95)
Escape Room / Solve the Mystery Games
Escape Room Advent Calendar (Insync Games)
This advent calendar has no numbers on the doors, and solving a daily puzzle is the only way to figure out which door to open! This clever, festive, chocolate-filled treat is a puzzly twist on a holiday classic! ($27)
Exit: The Game: Dead Man on the Orient Express (Kosmos)
Exit: The Game products create an escape room experience by combining a deck of cards, a guidebook, a sliding decoder ring, an interactive phone app, and miscellaneous items to be used throughout the game. What sets Dead Man on the Orient Express above and beyond is that there’s a mystery to solve in the background, even as you tackle all the delightful escape room-style puzzles! ($14.99)
Alice is Missing (Hunters Entertainment)
Can you and your fellow players solve a mystery without ever saying a word? That’s the challenge offered by the uniquely atmospheric and haunting RPG mystery gameAlice Is Missing.
A game played entirely through text messaging, each player takes on the role of a character in the town of Silent Falls, trying to find out what happened to Alice Briarwood. We promise, you’ve never played anything like it. ($21.99)
The Light in the Mist (Allplay)
We’ve got puzzles in calendars, puzzle boxes, games, and playing cards, but how about a puzzle AND a story hidden in a tarot deck? The Light in the Mist walks you through the memories of a missing friend and creates a unique puzzle-solving experience! ($34)
Enigmas Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards: Midnight edition (David Kwong/Dave Shukan)
A puzzle hunt lurking within a normal deck of cards? It sounds impossible, but when you’re dealing with puzzler and magician David Kwong, anything can happen with Enigmas! Can you unravel the mystery hiding amongst these playing cards? ($20)
Unlock!Games(Asmodee)
Unlock! games consist of entirely of a deck of cards and your app. The cards provide locations, challenges, helpful items, solutions, and warnings, all identified with numbered or lettered cards in the deck. There are numerous Unlock! escape games to try — covering everything from haunted houses to desert islands — and they’re offered in sets of three! ($39.99)
Party/Group Games
Flip 7 (Eric Olsen/USAopoly)
In this push-your-luck card game with the cards numbered one through twelve, the concept is simple: flip over your cards and don’t repeat a number. Problem is, there’s 1 one and 12 twelves, so you’re bound to repeat sometimes. Can you Flip 7 and score extra points? ($7.99)
The Game of Wolf (Gray Matters Games)
In the dog-eat-dog world of trivia, is it better to go alone or with the pack? In The Game of Wolf, trivia and strategy meet as you try to answer questions and double your points! With fresh topics and loads of interesting questions, The Game of Wolf has become my go-to trivia game. ($23.48)
That’s Not a Hat (Ravensburger)
A White Elephant gift exchange is always a fun time, especially watching the gifts getting traded all around. But, if they were still wrapped, could you remember every gift as it moved from person to person? That’s Not a Hat puts your memory to work, asking if you can recall each gift as it is hidden from view and passed around the table. It’s tougher, and more fun, than you think! ($9.99)
A trip to the beach in game form, Seaside is all about collecting tokens from the sea and building the biggest stack. This simple game offers surprising depth and strategy, and the tokens are beautiful and environmentally friendly. You could take this game anywhere and set up in seconds! ($31.99)
There’s Been a Murder (Pressman)
Can you and your friends solve a murder? In this card game, every card can help you solve the crime (or hinder the investigation, if you’re the murderer). It’s amazing how Pressman boiled down all of the elements of a murder mystery into a card game this easy to learn, a game that you’ll happily play again and again. ($8.99)
Coaster Games (The Dark Imp)
Coaster Games is a six-pack of games encompassing all sorts of gameplay styles. Counting, word building, deduction, strategy, resource management, and more, and they all fit in your pocket. Perfect for parties or quickplay fun between longer game sessions, you’re guaranteed to find something to enjoy here! (£6.99)
What’s better than a trivia game? A trivia game with bluffing! Can you convince your fellow players that your fake trivia answer is the correct one? Try your luck and your skill with Sounds Fishy! ($19.99)
Wavelength (Asmodee)
Can you get your teammates to pick the exact spot on the dial you want… with a single word? That’s the challenge of Wavelength, a literal game of inches that shows where our opinions differ and where they align. A terrific party game you can learn in seconds! ($39.99)
Cracker Games: The Imp Box (The Dark Imp)
Six unique family games in a reusable box that looks like a Christmas cracker? What an idea! Voting, collecting, observation, and trading are among the gameplay styles you’ll find in The Imp Box, and this neat little package packs a lot of variety into a small space! (£19.99)
Slapzi (Tenzi)
Slapzi will keep you on your toes. In this quick-reaction game, you’ve got to match your picture cards to the clue cards before your opponents. But with clues like “Not sold in a hardware store” or “Two of the same letter together,” this isn’t as easy as it appears! ($23.95)
[Click here to check out our full review of Slapzi!]
How about the chance to build your own game? Is that puzzle enough for you? Pinbox 3000 provides all the pieces you’ll need, plus valuable advice for brainstorming and creating your very own pinball game. It’s endlessly customizable, so you can make your Pinbox pinball game as simple or as complex as you like! ($49.95)
Thank you to all of the constructors, designers, and companies taking part in this year’s holiday puzzly gift guide! So great to have so many of you back, and so marvelous to welcome so many new faces and new puzzles and games!
The PuzzCulture Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide launches next Tuesday — it would have launched this week, but sadly I’ve been ill AND took a tumble down the stairs, good times.
But, to be fair to all the puzzlers and board game fans in the audience, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a huge, first-time-ever collaboration between a plethora of companies to offer great deals before the holidays.
Running from November 18th to December 1st, you can grab bundles of games as well as brand-new games, miniatures, stuffed animals, enamel pins, roleplaying games, and more!
Seeing this kind of collaboration is so cool, especially after a year where tariffs wreaked absolute havoc with the puzzle and game industry. Hopefully people will enjoy discounts and these companies will do well. It would be fantastic to see the Backerkit Holiday Market return next year.
But how about a little more festive cheer before I go today?
Our friends at Penny/Dell Puzzles have put out a free puzzle packet this week in celebration of National Game & Puzzle Week!
I didn’t know it was National Game & Puzzle Week. To be honest, EVERY week around here is Game & Puzzle Week. Who decides these things anyway?
It’s a great mix of art puzzles, deduction puzzles like Logic and Sudoku, plus some of my favorite Penny Press offerings, like What’s Left? and Stretch Letters.
Happy puzzling, playing, shopping, and gaming, everyone!
Thanksgiving is coming soon, and with some time off looming, I’ve got both food and gaming on my mind.
There are plenty of food-fueled board games and card games out there.Just Desserts, Sushi Go!, Devil Bunny Needs a Ham, and Bread Basket (which we just reviewed!) all come to mind, alongside the dozens of food-themed Monopoly games out there.
But I’m a roleplaying game guy at heart, which means my thoughts turn to food-fueled RPGs. Thankfully, there are some choice options there.
Ninja Burger casts you and your fellow players as ninja deliverypersons, with the goal of sneaking into the customer’s house, delivering their food, stealing the correct amount of money from them, and leaving, all without being seen.
It is a riotously good time and one of my all-time favorite RPGs.
The Tasty Lands of Silverplate, on the other hand, isn’t a game on its own. It’s a setting for Dungeons & Dragons, allowing you to create characters made of food to go on adventures. Yes, as one of the foodfolk of Silverplate, you will trudge through mushroom forests and cotton candy swamps while engaging in acts of derring-do.
Silverplate is a terrific setting, welcoming lighthearted and pun-riddled gameplay to your table.
Oh, if you’re looking for food/RPG entertainment, you should definitely check out Dimension 20’s campaign A Crown of Candy on Dropout, which is Game of Thrones if it took place in the fridge. It has big Silverplate vibes and it is excellent and heartbreaking all at once.
You know, it’s funny that one of my favorite roleplaying games is fast food-related, because there is (as the title of this blog post promised) some unexpected crossover between the worlds of fast food and RPGs.
Oh, I don’t mean roleplaying games ABOUT food. I mean roleplaying games and materials manufactured BY fast food companies.
For instance, on two separate occasions, Arby’s produced a short run of Arby’s-themed roleplaying dice.
The original set was designed with an Arby’s hat at the center of each die, as well as the Arby’s logo for the number 20 spot on the D20. They sold out instantly in 2021, and a restock in 2023 was snapped up equally fast.
The second time around, Arby’s went to the company Norse Foundry, who are known for high-end quality dice, particularly their metal ones, and the newest iteration of Arby’s Dice were the beautiful beefy boys pictured above.
They sold out in less than a day, despite the price jumping from $12 for the 2021/2023 dice to $40 a set for the Norse Foundry dice.
Those dice are impressive to be sure, but not nearly as impressive as the complete, standalone roleplaying game designed for Wendy’s. It was called Feast of Legends.
Feast of Legends sets players in Freshtovia, one of the nations of Beef’s Keep, trying to ward off the impending threat of The Deep Freeze by rival nations with more than a passing resemblance to some other fast food franchises.
By taking up arms and representing organizations like The Order of the Spicy Chicken or The Order of the Sides, players can battle in honor of Queen Wendy and protect the realm from mediocre food and the horrors of freezer burn.
The PDF of the game was released for free, and a limited number of physical copies were produced for New York Comic Con. It was even played as a one-shot by internet actual play juggernaut Critical Role, though some negative press generated by some of the executives at Wendy’s (and through no fault of the hardworking team producing the game), caused the one-shot to be removed from YouTube, hurting the promotion of the game.
Still, Feast of Legends resonated with some RPG fans, and to this day, there’s an active subreddit dedicated to the game. Physical copies of the game are obviously quite rare, so fans were surprised to learn in an Instagram post last year that there are some physical copies in the hands of the game’s creator, Matt Keck.
I reached out to Matt (who was also the absolute wizard behind Wendy’s social media at the time, particularly their Twitter account), and he kindly took some time out to answer my questions about the creation of this unique roleplaying property.
What did the creative process look like? Who had the initial idea for the adventure?
I’m actually the reason it even got made. I worked on the Wendy’s team at the agency VML in Kansas City. My primary work was doing the Twitter jokes/roasts/etc., but I really got to work a little on everything. I love TTRPGs and I wanted to write a Wendy’s module.
When I realized they probably wouldn’t do an official partnership I took it upon myself to write it. I didn’t want too many questions about how we would get it done, so I had written the majority of the finished project before even pitching it. I still have a notebook with old sketches of maps and monsters. I really had all of the classes or Orders built out, the world drawn, and most of the story planned before showing anyone. That made it easy to get it made.
There’s a subreddit dedicated to Feast of Legends that still gets attention from the fan community. Does the game’s longevity surprise you? Were there plans for additional content? (A post from the Wendy’s reddit account suggests there might have been.)
It does and doesn’t surprise me. I had boasted it as a long-term brand play, but just because I say something that doesn’t mean it will always play out that way. I’m pumped any time someone has a good time playing it, or makes their own content for it, or even just tells me they enjoyed reading it. That was truly my passion project on that account, and I can only hope to do more in the space.
There were plans for more content, but after the pushback from the Critical Role episode, future plans got scrapped.
I had a breakfast module ready to go, along with exploring even more of the map. Plans always change, but I would’ve loved to make more in that world.
Is there a piece of lore/worldbuilding or idea of yours in the game that you’re particularly proud of? Or, conversely, one that you can’t believe actually made the cut?
I’ll tell you about one that got cut I loved, and that was the Grimagorgon. He was a two-headed grimace monster, and the first thing the lawyers said no to. My favorite piece isn’t something a lot of people would expect, but anyone who watches my videos will see my partner and friend Paul. In Feast of Legends there is a character named Old Man Paul that I wrote into the book just to roast him. As a good friend does.
As someone who really enjoyed playing Feast of Legends — and totally didn’t print out the PDF in its entirely at work so I could play it that week, no siree bob — it was a joy to talk with Matt about the game. Learning that it was something fun and important to him, and that it was a result of the famous axiom “don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness later” makes it an even more epic endeavor in my eyes.
These creative and unexpected crossovers between fast food and roleplaying games proves there’s an untapped market there, and I wish more companies would make the leap into the RPG realm. (Matt himself said “the card game space is still untapped and wide open. Give me a Secret Lair x Wendy’s.”)
Anyway, I’m hungry. I’m gonna go grab some fries and ponder a Feast of Legends one-shot centered around dipping French fries in Frosties. Perhaps Queen Frostina and Fryderick of House Starch have run off together, and the party must keep them safe, seeking to turn the hearts of those who disapprove of the marriage of Frosties and French Fries!
Will you be indulging in any food-fueled gaming over Thanksgiving, friends? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.
PuzzCulture 