Black Coffee Games

Black Coffee Games aims to shift the paradigm of the existing gaming market that is centered around the “for profit at the expense of the game” model. We believe this “for profit” model of game design has inadvertently convinced most people that they would not enjoy a roleplaying game.

We build games centered around joy, creativity, and inclusivity, not quarterly profits. We want to see if it’s possible to be a successful company that is transparent in what its goals are, what it spends its money on, and what it pays its employees, and a company that doesn’t leverage its customer’s data or privacy. What we want is to make incredible games that bring new players into the fold, that bring people joy, and promote the exploration of stories and community.

We possess no delusions that we have somehow reinvented the wheel when it comes to TTRPGs. We recognize that we have borne our ideas and philosophies by standing on the backs of giants and will forever be honored to be gifted this exploration by the magnificent efforts of men and women much smarter, wiser, and likely, better looking, than us.

And thanks to our better looking predecessors, Black Coffee Games has created the single greatest story-focused RPG to grace the human experience: Spectrum, the universal collaborative storytelling system. Spectrum is completely free (yes, really!), flexible, and built for players, not boardrooms. We hope that someday Black Coffee Games will be recognized as the team who ushered in the next great gaming paradigm.

Human-first

Joy over profits

Transparent

Our Core Values

Radical Transparency

We don’t hide fine print, sell your data, or pretend we know what we’re doing.

Human‑Made, Human‑First

Every word, every piece of art is made by real humans.

Joy and Quality Over Profits

We optimize for fun player experience, not quarterly profits.

Inclusive creativity

We built a TTRPG that empowers your unique story, championing diverse voices, play styles, and genres.

Our Rating System & Consent

Black Coffee Games uses the standard rating conventions provided by the Motion Picture Association and the Classification and Rating Association: P, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17, with one additional consideration. We have added the rating Z for content that is deemed “Not suitable for any age, play at your own risk, we’re not responsible for your nightmares”. We have decided to add this additional rating because we believe that no topic or story should inherently be considered off limits. At the same time, we also recognize that not everyone wants to play a module or genre that has absolutely no guard rails. This is perfectly understandable and we do not want anyone worried or anxious about exposure to such story elements.

Consent is Sacred

Collaborative stories can go to powerful, unexpected, sometimes dark places. And while that is part of the magic, it only works when everyone at the table knows what they’re signing up for. We cannot stress strongly enough that consent is a vital component to all things and always makes the story better. Narrators, before you begin any campaign, talk to your group and develop a clear understanding on what is and is not acceptable in terms of themes, topics, and sensitive subject matter. How you choose to tell your story is up to your group.

What the Ratings Mean for Our Content

All written content published by Black Coffee Games will fall within these guidelines. The ratings apply to our genres, worlds, modules, NPCs, and any external writer submissions. Black Coffee Games is not responsible for any Narrators’ or Players’ adherence to these ratings – that’s between you and your table.