Solve charming village mysteries, build a living community together, and uncover secrets in a countryside full of gossip, tea, and entirely too many cousins.

Pelgrane Press has announced Merryshire Detective Club, a cozy fantasy investigative tabletop RPG powered by the award-winning GUMSHOE system. The crowdfunding campaign launches on BackerKit on July 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT.

Designed by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Merryshire Detective Club invites players into the peaceful villages of Merryshire, where amateur detectives solve mysteries involving suspicious neighbours, awkward family feuds, questionable inheritances, eccentric local traditions, and the occasional murder.

Set in the idyllic countryside of the Riding, the game blends cozy fantasy, classic detective fiction, folkloric weirdness, and collaborative storytelling into a long-form mystery campaign experience centered on community and recurring characters.

“In a hole in the ground, they found a body…” begins the game’s campaign copy, setting thetone for a world where tea, gossip, nosiness, and clever deduction matter far more than combat.

Players create halflings, dwarves, pooka, or boggarts, each bringing their own distinctive abilities and perspectives to investigations. During character creation, the group collaboratively builds a shared village map filled with homes, landmarks, neighbours, rivalries, and local scandals. Over the course of a campaign, the village evolves into a living record of the group’s adventures.

Powered by the GUMSHOE investigative RPG system, Merryshire Detective Club focuses on uncovering clues, interpreting evidence, and piecing together mysteries through roleplaying and deduction rather than failed dice rolls or combat encounters.

The core book will include:

– the complete GUMSHOE investigative system
– collaborative village creation tools
– richly illustrated setting material
– mystery design guidance
– ready-to-play mysteries
– campaign resources and player aids

Merryshire Detective Club continues Pelgrane Press’ tradition of investigative roleplaying games, joining acclaimed titles such as Trail of Cthulhu, Night’s Black Agents, The Yellow King RPG, TimeWatch, and Swords of the Serpentine.

The BackerKit campaign launches July 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT.

Follow the campaign before launch to receive previews, updates, stretch goal reveals, and community events.

Tags | gumshoe, pelgrane press