The Cozy RPG of Charm, Whimsy, & Drama
Play anthropomorphic Animals who live a life of cake and teatime by the slow part of the river, where simple plans spiral into delightful chaos.
Created by Hugo & Nebula Award Winner Kij Johnson
Not Your Typical RPG
No Combat Required
Gameplay flows through delightful social encounters, emotional twists, and deliciously disastrous situations, which may turn a polite afternoon into a full-blown comedy of manners.
Collaborative Storytelling
Everyone builds the chaos together. Haphazardry system introduces delightful randomness every 30 minutes. Gamemaster and players co-create cozy farce.
Characters That Feel Alive
RiverBank has something for everyone. Play a Badger, Squirrel, or even fashionable Otter. Complete with homes, pets, Appalling Relatives, and personal peculiarities. 50+ Animal sorts available.
A Living World
Detailed River Bank neighborhood with seasons, festivals, and recurring NPCs. Your characters actually live here—return to the same cozy locations and personalities session after session.
Simple Rules, Endless Stories
- Betweentimes: Catch up on character activities between sessions
- Catalyst: One character triggers the situation
- The Plot Thickens: Simple goals become delightful chaos through character decisions, Haphazardry cards, and side effects
- Resolution: Stories end with warmth, often with the original goal hilariously forgotten
Creating Your Animal
9 Simple Steps To Your Character
- Select your Animal sort (Badger, Otter, Rabbit, Fox, etc.)
- Choose personal peculiarities that define your character
- Distribute stat points across your four core stats
- Select your knacks (any special abilities)
- Gain an insufficiency (your endearing flaw)
- Acquire entanglements (Appalling Relatives & pets)
- Use character-building tokens for special items
- Round out your character (home, hobbies, history)
- Complete your sheet and start playing!
Scenarios Ready to Run
“Collect Them All!”
Type: Exciting Situation
A world-famous tea importer includes ceramic Animals in their tea tins—chaos ensues when everyone wants to complete their collection. Will you trade, barter, or scheme your way to a complete set?
Perfect for: Groups who love light-hearted competition and social maneuvering
“The King’s Birthday Cake”
Type: Exciting Situation
Get the King’s birthday cake onto the 5:37 train tomorrow morning. But you’ve only just realized no one is making a cake for the King! Time for rapid baking, frantic ingredient gathering, and transportation chaos.
Perfect for: Time-pressure adventures with escalating comedy
“Old Greenie’s Day”
Type: Regrettable Situation
Navigate the summer festival without trauma or disaster. With games, competitions, and the entire neighborhood gathered together, what could possibly go wrong? (Everything.)
Perfect for: Groups who enjoy managing chaos at public events
“A Very Important Party”
Type: Exciting Situation
Host an elegant soirée where absolutely nothing goes wrong. Spoiler: Everything goes wrong. From forgotten ingredients to uninvited guests to spectacular mishaps, can you salvage the evening?
Perfect for: Groups who love improvisation and social comedy
A Cozy World Awawits
The River Bank
A cozy riverside neighborhood of burrows, homes, shops, and pubs where Animalfolk live, work, and gossip. Every adventure begins close to home.
The Village & Wild Wood
Cobblestone streets meet tangled roots. The Village hums with human bustle, while the Wild Wood hides Weasels, secrets, and daring escapades. Adventure opportunities abound.
Town (London) & Beyond
When life along the river feels too small, the wider world calls. Journey by rail to Town, an Edwardian-inspired hub of theatres, clubs, and curiosities—or wander farther into The Hills and The Deep Forest, where small heroes meet grand adventures.
Resources
Character Sheet
Get this form-fillable PDF character sheet for free.
Pre-Gen Characters
Download a bundle of ready-to-go characters.
Preview
Everything you need to play your first session tonight.
Everything You Need in One Book
200+ page core rules Includes:
- ✓ Character Creation: 50+ Animal sorts, full customization
- ✓ Rules System: Simple, elegant, chaos-friendly
- ✓ NPCs & Creatures: Full cast of recurring characters
- ✓ Locations & Worldbuilding: Detailed gazetteer
- ✓ Gamemaster Guidance: Run great sessions with confidence
- ✓ Ready-to-Run Situations: Play tonight!
- ✓ Maps, Character Sheets & Reference Cards
- ✓ Beautiful Art Throughout by Kathleen Jennings, Erika Lundrigan, and Svenja Muche
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