Before starting this review of Totem – The Spirits’ RPG, I want to thank Officina Meningi for providing us with the manual with the various supplements, such as the spirit tablet.

If after reading this review you are interested in purchasing, you can find the manual on their website shop. The manual alone (including PDF) costs €20, while the package complete with all the supplements, which I will tell you more about later, costs €50. Furthermore, I recommend you follow them on their Instagram and Facebook pages to stay updated on their news.

The game, suitable for a mature audience, provides a very particular gaming experience. The horror scenarios in which the game can be inserted and the simple mechanics allow you to create thrilling one-shots.

Totem – The Spirits’ RPG: Review of Aesthetics of the Manual

It seems right to start this review of Totem by talking about its aesthetics. The manual consists of 76 pages with a semi-rigid cover and metallic corner decorations. Its splendid illustrations on a black background were made by Francesco Biagini (illustrator of manuals such as Apocalisse: John’s Guide to the Armageddon and game books such as Kadath) and the American illustrator Voidface.

The two illustrators used a style that in my opinion is very suitable for the tone of the manual. Images rich in cool colors like blue and purple placed against a black background allow players to immerse themselves in the thrilling stories that the storyteller will create for them. The layout and layout are also excellent. For a game that needs to convey strong sensations, the realistic images of scary creatures (like the wolf) are perfect.

Mechanics that Promote Narration

Totem is a narrative game, so it voluntarily sacrifices overly elaborate mechanics to favor immersion in the story and the description of the environments. You can also notice these elements in the session done with the author Atropo Kelevra and available on our YouTube channel. Ian Hathaway, translator of the English version of the game, also participated in the session.

In this RPG, map making has central importance. Players will have to take turns drawing the game map, describing what they will find. The master’s task will be to insert the supernatural into these areas created together. It is also possible to do this by playing remotely, given that various software is now made available to draw maps in a simple way. The resolution of the tests will be obtained by flipping a normal coin.

By carrying out the tests it may happen that the result is negative, and the players risk accumulating trauma, at the discretion of the master. A character can accumulate up to three traumas before developing unmanageable madness or being possessed by the spirit that haunts the place where he finds himself.

In addition to the coin and the manual, to play you will only need the character sheets, some blank sheets of paper to draw the map and some tape. I will explain later what the latter is for.

As well noted at the beginning of the manual, Totem is a roleplaying game that deals with strong themes, such as life after death and demonic possession. The safety tools that are made available to us are lines and veils. Furthermore, the manual suggests that we take a break from the game when necessary and do a debrief at the end of the session.

Totem – The Spirits’ RPG: Review of the Phases of the Game

The game is divided into three phases: Exploration, Contact and Catharsis.

In the Exploration phase, players will introduce themselves and explore the haunted location, drawing the map. At the end of each player’s turn, the master will be able to insert real or supernatural elements.

In the second phase, that of Contact, players will find nodes, i.e. narrative elements that represent the connection of the spirit with the earthly world. These knots can be physically represented by weaving a piece of ribbon and giving it to the player who found it.

The third and final phase is that of Catharsis. In it the players try to untie the knots found. In order to do so, they will have to find their meaning within the narrative and figure out a way to resolve it. Based on how many knots have been untied at the end of the story, the narrator can determine the type of ending to propose to the group. The table below explains what the endings could look like, based on the number of loose knots. Obviously, the more knots you can untie, the better the epilogue will be. The characters will be able to interact freely with each other, but suggestions are given so as not to exclude any player from the narrative.

The Various Totems and Character Archetypes

Totems are the spirits that haunt the places visited by the protagonists. The master can interpret five of them, each with different characteristics. We find the Wolf, the Crow, the Cat, the Moth and finally the Goat. My favorite is definitely the Wolf, a very territorial and aggressive creature that protects its spaces and secrets.

The characters, who are called Seekers, can have different archetypes. The first is the Martyr: a character willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others. As a special feature, he can shift another Seeker’s trauma onto himself. Veterans, veterans of traumatic experiences, may suffer additional damage. Next we have the Poet, a character with artistic talents who can raise or have the coin relaunched once per Phase following a failure. The last two are the Exorcist and the Medium. The first, trained to chase away spirits, can once per adventure make a check to create a safe space where spirits cannot enter. Finally, the Medium can try to contact and question the spirits once per Phase.

In the final part of the volume there are several examples of scenarios that can be proposed to players. These can be played by carefully following what is written, or taken as inspiration to create new ones. Another peculiarity that I appreciated is the dictionary of spirits, placed as the last element of the manual. Inside we will find many thrilling presences that can immerse players even better in the narrative.

Game Accessories

In the €50 package there are some valuable accessories that enhance the gaming experience.

The first is the Coin of Destiny, a golden and ornately decorated coin with the words “yes” and “no” on both sides. It is simply the official currency to be used to carry out the tests.

Then we have the Spirit Tablet, a wooden accessory complete with a carved dashboard and full of numerous artistic details. This is a real artistic gem that can be used both as a gaming tool, to contact the spirits, but also as a purely aesthetic element to create the right atmosphere.

Also included are four blank Seeker cards, in Italian and English. The cards are simple, with little essential information. Perhaps one of the most important parts is the Seeker’s background: the Master will be able to use this element to enrich the story.

Finally we have the Archetype Cards. These are five colored cards with a summary of the special characteristics of the various archetypes that can be played.

The quality of all these products is very high and the attention to detail is commendable.

Conclusions of the Review of Totem – The Spirits’ RPG

Totem – The Spirits’ RPG is not a game for everyone. It is a product designed for a mature audience, aware of what they are going to play.

It is definitely a game suitable mainly for one-shots lasting an evening. Despite this, I believe that the Master can combine several stories into a longer and increasingly scary campaign.

The quality of the materials, the precision in the descriptions and the fine illustrations make it a product that also aesthetically enriches your library. Obviously, lovers of horror and investigation will particularly appreciate this game.

I conclude by quoting the last page of the manual:

The threshold of limbo has been broken and the spirits have crossed it, but remember, every presence can be exorcised.

If you liked this review of Totem – The Spirits’ RPG, stay tuned for more terror-filled role-playing games!