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Era: Survival Core Rulebook Reviewed

Jeff McAleer

Jun 12, 2024

Title: Era – Survival Core Rulebook

Publisher: Shades of Vengeance

Authors: Ed Jowett with Jennifer Martin

Artists: Ed Jowett and Mikhail Greuli

Year: 2016

Genre: Corebook for a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game set in a world a century after a parasitic outbreak

Pages: 312 pages for the definitive edition

MSRP: $74.99 for the hardcover or $19.99 in PDF alone for the definitive edition

I dive on in for a review of the Era: Survival roleplaying core rulebook. The setting is one of a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to a parasitic plague. The book which is available right now is the definitive edition but, strangely enough, the book Shades of Vengeance sent along for review is NOT that definitive edition; it’s an 80+ page shorter volume titled the core rulebook, which seemingly isn’t on sale at the website.

6.5

SUMMARY

There are quite a few things in Era: Survival which are worth the price of admission while, on the flip side, there are a few aspects I dislike quite a bit. The setting, backstory, factions, and infected are very interesting and this is not your run of the mill zombie apocalypse RPG. I have to say the layout of the book is a challenge and players and GMs will find themselves flipping through the book constantly plus far too much page space is devoted to setting fiction as opposed to gamable material. While I wouldn't run Era: Survival as written but if you're looking for a unique post-apocalyptic RPG, with a relatively crunchy combat system, then give this a hard look.

Summary

6.5

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...