Midnight of the Century

Hunt serial killers in a rain-soaked city teetering on the edge of apocalypse

The Primer is a 20-page black and white rulebook from writer and designer Colin Le Sueur. The Primer serves as a quickstart guide and introduction to Midnight of the Century, a mid-'90s pre-apocalyptic serial killer investigation TTRPG inspired by '90s movies and TV shows like Millennium, Silence of the Lambs, Twin Peaks, and Homicide: Life on the Street.

This book contains everything you need to learn and run the game, including:

• A lightweight no combat framework for running investigations.
• Rules for creating an Investigator, with two Specialism to choose from offering distinct playstyles.
• See through the killer's eyes with the shrewd and analytical Profiler.
• Commune with the dead and pierce the veil with the spiritual and cunning Occultist.
• A taste of the dark secrets running under the surface of the mysterious and enigmatic Pacific Northwest of the 1990s.
• An introductory investigation tracking a ritualistic killer through rain-soaked Seattle.

The Primer is an early preview of the full Midnight of the Century rulebook currently in development. The complete book will add the following additional rules:

• Doom phases Midday, Dusk, and Midnight
• A setting guide for Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver
• An expanded Fracture table
• More Investigator Specialisms
• The full history of the Oroboro Group, both public and secret
• Guidance on building investigations and clues
• Consultants offering new expertise and complications
• Clothing options for Investigator creation
• And much more!

Purchasing the Primer gets you full access to the final game when completed.

Midnight of the Century is inspired by Liminal Horror, Cairn, Into the Odd, Mothership, Vaesen, and Brindlewood Bay.

Itchfunding is an alternative to typical crowdfunding methods like Kickstarter and is more flexible and less stressful for creators. Unlike Kickstarter, there’s no hard endpoint for the campaign or risk the funding will fail. The campaign remains open and the book remains in development until the funding goals are met.

Buying the Primer funds the development and progress of Midnight of the Century. When you purchase it, you get a playable version of the game as it currently exists, along with any subsequent updates, including the final release version.

Any payments you make go toward improving the book and funding the hardcover print run.

When we hit each funding goal, the PDF will be updated with the result.

UNLOCKED - £1,000 - Hardcover Print Run

When we reach £1,000, Midnight of the Century receives a hardcover print run. 

UNLOCKED - £2,000 - Additional Investigations

If the Itchfunding his £2,000, I'll commission a number of hand-picked designers to write new investigations for Midnight of the Century and include those in the full book.

• Chris Bissette: The Wretched, Treasures of the Troll King, Blood in the Margins, Pathfinder 2nd Edition
• Graeme Barber: The Foundation, Fight City, NOVA SUNO, Cyberpunk Red
• ???
• ???
• ???

LOCKED - £3,000 - Investigation Generator and Solo Rules

If we hit £3,000, I'll include options and tables for randomly generating investigations and killers. Alongside that, I'll include optional rules for solo play!

LOCKED - £4,000 - [REDACTED]

???

LOCKED - £5,000 - [REDACTED]

???

There are three Itchfunding tiers:

Digital (£5)

• Download now: Midnight of the Century Primer PDF and all future updates
• Midnight of the Century PDF (when the full game is complete)
• All digital unlocks
• Voucher for £5 off the hardcover version of Midnight of the Century when bought from By Odin's Beard RPG shop.

Physical (£25)

• Download now: Midnight of the Century Primer PDF and all future updates
• Midnight of the Century PDF (when the full game is complete)
• All digital unlocks
• Voucher for £25 off the hardcover version of Midnight of the Century when bought from By Odin's Beard RPG shop (shipping cost and taxes/duties collected separately)

Deluxe (£60)

• Early print version of the Midnight of the Century Primer, signed by Colin Le Sueur and shipped for free (in early June 2025)
• Download now: Midnight of the Century Primer PDF and all future updates
• Midnight of the Century PDF (when the full game is complete)
• All digital unlocks
• All physical unlocks
• Voucher for the hardcover version of Midnight of the Century when bought from By Odin's Beard RPG shop (shipping cost and taxes/duties collected separately)

MOVIES

• The Bone Collector (1999)
• 8mm (1999)
• Fallen (1998)
• Ringu (1998)
• Seven (1995)
• Man Bites Dog (1992)
• Candyman (1992)
• Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
• Manhunter (1986)
• The Dead Zone (1983)

Want to watch more films like these? Check out the Letterboxd Midnight of the Century Appendix N list!

TV

• Millennium (1995-1999)
• Nowhere Man (1995-1996)
• Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999)
• Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

COMICS

• Stormwatch (WildStorm)
• Hellboy (Dark Horse Comics)
• Sin City (Dark Horse Comics)
• Hellblazer (DC/Vertigo)

TABLETOP GAMES

• Liminal Horror (Goblin Archives)
• Cairn (Yochai Gal)
• Into the Odd (Chris McDowal)
• Mothership (Tuesday Knight Games)
• Brindlewood Bay (The Gauntlet)
• Vaesen (Free League)

MUSIC

https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3rXlxPQKm5BlY5Hg85j5Jb?utm_source=generator

• Colin Le Sueur - Writer and Designer
• Karen Twelves - Line Editor
• Amy Le Sueur - Copy Editor and Proofreader
• Chris Bissette - Guest Writer
• Graeme Barber - Guest Writer

Midnight of the Century is a clever mashup of pieces of some of my favorite systems, pulled together by inspiration from some of my favorite media. It all clicks in a way where I instantly want to get it to the table.

Emmet Byrne, tabletop writer and designer (Old Oak Games)

Midnight of the Century absolutely nails the vibe and feel of serial killer drama with a hint of supernatural weirdness. As a huge fan of Millennium, Silence of the Lambs, and Seven, I can't wait to get my hands on the finished book!

You can find Colin on Bluesky, TikTok, or YouTube.

Or you can find our store at shop.byodinsbeardrpg.com.

Midnight of the Century is a love letter to the TV series Millennium (Fox, 1996-1999), created by Chris Carter, and the show’s protagonist Frank Black (played by Lance Henriksen). Millennium was one of my favourite shows as a teenager in the '90s, and I wanted to make a game that replicated the feeling of hunting serial killers through a rain-soaked city in the Pacific Northwest.

If you have additional questions, would like to schedule an interview, or want to know anything else, please feel free to reach out via email: colin@byodinsbeardrpg.com.