I want first of all to thank Games Omnivorous for sending us a physical review copy of Eat the Rich, a macabre sci-fi horror adventure. The author is Ambika Kirkland, an illustrator who gave her personal and inspired interpretation of the Manifestus Omnivorous, a system-agnostic series of adventures with common rules readable on the back of each manual; other examples we’ve covered in the past are The Feast on Titanhead, Bring Me Her Bones, and Mouth Brood.
In case you are interested, this manual is available for purchase in physical copy on the official store at the price of 15 euros; the digital version is included in the purchase, but not obtainable separately.
But now let’s start the climb to the lair of the “gods”!
The Hunger, the Gods and the Godspire
We must first understand the context in which this adventure takes place. Honestly, this is the aspect that I appreciated the most, both for the quality of the ideas and how they can make people think about important matters; we will talk about this aspect of Eat the Rich, later.
We are on Earth, in the not too distant future, precisely in 2177.
A disease, known as the Hunger, has spread and devastated society, causing it to implode. People began to devour each other and those who didn’t fall victim to it began to seek salvation in small communities. In a situation similar to that of a zombie apocalypse (but without undeath), humanity seems to have no longer any chance of salvation.
Meanwhile, the rich, also known as “the Gods”, have taken refuge and isolated themselves on a levitating rock known as the Godspire, where they enjoy the pleasures of life regardless of the situation. Technologically very advanced, many of them also have grafts or cybernetic improvements.
How to Manage the Protagonists of the Adventure
The protagonists are people who have resisted the Hunger. A Cult has revealed to them that they are like the “chosen ones”; should they manage to scale the Godspire and bring back one of its opulent inhabitants, then they could give hope to their loved ones suffering from the disease. This mysterious group of people can also lead the protagonists to the base of the levitating rock.
Through random tables, the manual allows you to quickly give the main traits to the characters. It’s nothing too specific: background, motivations and starting equipment donated by the Cult; if you’re short on time or out of ideas, there are also four pre-generated characters. However, the thorough creation of features depends, of course, on the chosen game system. I personally would recommend an OSR with macabre tones, like Mörk Borg or CY_BORG.
The manual then explores three crucial aspects for convenient event management:
- Hunger: all stages of the disease and guidelines on how to manage them, with related consequences, are present.
- The Godspire: this section contains general information about where the adventure will take place, such as the reason it levitates.
- The Illusions: many elements in the Godspire may not be as they appear; so the manual explains what originates these illusions and how to unmask them.
Inside the Godspire
Eat the Rich then presents the interior of the Godspire and in this review I will try to make you understand the air you breathe in this macabre setting. First of all, there are two tables that are useful for inserting curious and themed content; both random encounters and artifacts (with their malfunctions) can give interesting narrative cues and create subplots; after all who wouldn’t want to implant dark glass spheres in place of her eyes? There is also a section that explains how the Gods evolved in their confinement but, to avoid spoilers, I won’t add any more details about it; suffice it to say that this completely turns the exploration of the place. All these elements also involve the Technology Priests, the worshipers of the Gods, with their Energy Weapons.
The manual then goes on to describe the entrance and the eight levels that make up this vertical structure, including the links between them. I loved how the author indulged in characterizing the locations with a few expert guidelines, leaving great freedom to the narrator who will bring them to life. Don’t expect long-winded descriptions or detailed situations; each of the nine explorable areas is characterized by details on the Illusions and the Technology Priests present, as well as obviously the rooms and their features of greatest interest. The complex has iconic elements of futuristic imagery, such as rooms with engines and machinery, hangars, stairs and elevators. By putting together what is found in them, the characters can understand what possibilities it offers; they will then be able to try to achieve what they are looking for and, if they are lucky enough, exit the place.
Eat the Rich Aesthetics Review
As in the other products of the Manifestus Omnivorous series, also this manual features the map of the places that can be visited on the inside cover. The latter can easily be separated from the rest of the manual by removing an elastic, but it is less useful than in other cases. In fact, the various areas are not represented in detail, but there is only a general outline.
In any case, the materials and design are treated in detail, offering a practical and resistant product. It comes in a format slightly larger than an A5 and contains 24 pages. The layout is tidy and on a single column, the font simple and easy to read, so as to make the manual even more practical.
As you can see from the images in this review, Eat the Rich comes from the combination of only two colors: burgundy and silver gray. This pairing is nice, but probably less impactful than other Manifestus Omnivorous works. The illustrations are minimal, but certainly very evocative and suitable for this kind of work.
Conclusions of the Eat the Rich Review
This adventure certainly has style and character, as well as strong themes and at least one interesting twist. One aspect I want to underline, however, is the fact that it is a dystopian (but not too much) representation of the civilization in which we live. The conflict between rich and poor and the support of technology are central themes that can also give rise to interesting thoughts.
To conclude this review, given all the reasons listed above, I recommend Eat the Rich. Grab your favorite gaming system and spend an evening or two chasing the Gods!
