Gates of Krystalia offers a controversial glimpse at the future of indie TTRPGs

I came into an interview with the creators of Gates of Krystalia, an isekai-themed TTRPG, with a great deal of skepticism. The game incorporates AI-generated art as part of its workflow — something I unconditionally oppose — and the stereotypical anime art style does not fit my sensibilities. That said, having talked to co-creators Andrea Ruggeri and Alberto Dianin, my expectations were shattered. While I’m still convinced this game is not for me, it cannot be dismissed as just a commercial operation built on the exploitation of a specific fandom, produced cheaply and quickly to maximize profit. Like it or not, the fact that Gates of Krystalia even exists is impressive. It also showed me a window into the possible future of indie TTRPGs.