Obscure Tides is the label of the game design work of me, Christian Svalander, a forty-something Swede with beard, wife, kids, cat, and just recently, dog (in that order). I work as a design consultant and have a background as a user experience and type designer, art director, illustrator, and writer. When I’m not preoccupied with family and work, I venture into my passion, game design.
My current projects
There are some projects I’d like to talk about, even though there are a few more still in their early stages not ready to be shown to the world.
Anomalis
In Anomalis you’re a scientist in a secret facility, trying to survive a catastrophic event. A short played game designed to play out over one or a few sessions. The game is inspired by Half-life, The Thing, and Morgan, and the engine is hacked from Sorcerers & Sellswords, World of Dungeons, Year Zero Engine, and is Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA). The first part of the Tangent Progeny setting. In progress, but is currently being play-tested.
Iron Facets
Iron Facets is a simplified fiction-first sword and sorcery story game built on the Facets Engine, and in its latest version, heavily influenced by various story games. The design goals have been to create a small and fast-played, adaptable system, with descriptive faceted abilities instead of values, and a character-centric advancement system. Furthermore, it is designed with a modularity in mind, intended to offer a low learning curve, and be usable off-the-shelf for any narratively driven game design project, in one-shots as well as in more long-playing games.
Substratum
Substratum is an action-packed, highly-ionized, narrative sci-fi dungeon-brawl, Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA). The second part of the Tangent Progeny setting. On the table, but at an early stage.
Fate of the Remnants
A post-cataclysmic fantasy game, set in a burning world during the last days of the Oracle War. The players took on the roles as survivors trying to survive the aftermath. Based on Fate Core and released chapter by chapter at Patreon. Discontinued.
