Nemesis, a free horror RPG written by several industry veterans, is now available for free download in PDF format. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one, ever since Dennis Detwiller first proposed it using the “ransom” (or “patronage”) publishing model. I’m pleased that enough funds came in to make it a reality, and I hope that this means we’ll be seeing more games released in this manner.

Aside from the economics behind its release, Nemesis is exciting because it makes use of two of the most interesting game mechanics in the game hobby. The basic rules use the fast-and-deadly One Roll Engine that first appeared in Godlike, combined with the sanity rules from Unknown Armies. The sanity system in UA quite impressed me when I first read it; it steps beyond Call of Cthulhu‘s rather basic “hit points for the mind” sanity system and offers a method for observing how different types of stress and trauma affect a character. I think it’s a perfect fit for a horror game like this.

And it’s always good to see a solid “generic” game freely available–here’s hoping that the authors (or others) will take Nemesis in some interesting directions this year.

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