Matt Forbeck, New York Times bestselling author and lead designer of the Marvel Multiverse RPG, partnered with his son Marty to release a new tabletop adventure set in the world of Minecraft. Now available for pre-order, Minecraft: Roll for Adventure: The Temple of the Charged Creeper is meant to imbue the mass appeal of the online open world crafting game with an easy-to-learn set of role-playing rules.
The publisher, Penguin Random House, doesn’t offer any description of the mechanics — a common theme in pre-orders for big IP-based tabletop releases. The book’s cover depicts two six-sided dice, and the publisher’s listing states that “four dice” are included with the gamebook. The brief description also says the book includes “a removable character sheet” and a “rules reference to help you track your heroic progress,” suitable for solo play or to hand off to a game master. (In this context, referred to as “your narrator.”)
The adventure is set in an isolated village which has recently been invaded by “illagers,” a type of hostile mob in the Minecraft universe. (They’re also the main antagonists in Forbeck’s 2020 novel Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager.) Much as in a traditional Dungeons & Dragons quest, the player is called on to aid a village that’s under attack by finding the source of the issue (the Temple of the Charged Creeper) and destroying it.
While there have been collaborations between Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons in the past — like the Lightning Keep adventure geared toward young players — this standalone adventure is entirely the Forbecks’ creation. Matt Forbeck’s previous work, both as a designer of tabletop games and as an author of novels for properties like D&D, Minecraft, Halo, and Life is Strange, alongside his own original titles, gives the lack of description on the game’s page some weight to throw around. Whether it lands with Minecraft fans and tabletop gamers will be seen when the book hits shelves in July 2025.
The hardcover edition of Minecraft: Roll for Adventure: The Temple of the Charged Creeper is available for pre-order on the Penguin Random House site for $20.
