Overview
Welcome to a world near our own. The volcanic mineral atma empowers the living and entwines the dying, while artificial intelligence and alien titans join humanity in this daunting new century. Yet in the Restless Zones, beyond society and law, trouble lurks. Gather your fellow adventurers and prepare to test yourself against the world’s most dangerous frontiers. The sky’s getting darker…
Atma is a complete roleplaying game system in a tiny package. It's portable, quick to set up and teach, and plays in just 2 hours — perfect for game nights or pop-up sessions! A Game Master and 1-4 players use illustrated tarot cards to fuel RPG gameplay focused on creativity and quick thinking. Atma excels as a tutorial for first-time GMs who've always wanted to run an RPG, while allowing limitless creativity for roleplaying pros.
Overview
2-5 players / 2 hours / Ages 13+
Cards - A stage in Atma contains 51 illustrated tarot-sized cards for the GM, while players choose from premade character micro-decks of 8 cards. Set up and play in seconds, then expand the story as you go.
Gameplay - There are no turns in Atma. The GM describes the scene and helps manage the spotlight. Players can try anything that fits the narrative — get creative! Two 6-sided dice resolve conflicts. If you’ve played any Powered-by-the-Apocalypse RPG, you’ll feel right at home.
Story - Every GM and player card is packed with lore for you to use, adjust, or ignore as you see fit. A play session has one concrete goal determined by the story card, with micro-goals for each scene — which also unlock new character abilities. Everyone gets a chance to steer the narrative and explore the world’s history.
What makes it unique
Fast - Many roleplaying games take days to learn, weeks to prepare, and months to play. Atma is fast to learn, to teach, and to finish. Sneak a full RPG into your weekly game night rotation, or use it to run pop-up sessions with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Colorful - RPGs embrace creativity and imagination, and Atma is no different — but with hundreds of beautifully illustrated cards, you can quickly set the stage, visualize characters, and get to the gameplay. And every card is packed with surprises, suggestions, and unusual uses. There are no “combat only” cards here.
Welcoming - RPGs can be intimidating, especially for new players asked to be creative under a time limit. Atma’s takes the pressure off until players get comfortable. Best of all, Atma makes the hardest job in roleplaying — the Game Master — fast and easy. If you’ve always wanted to GM but never felt brave enough, Atma is a fantastic introduction to this rewarding role.
Try it free!
Interested in Atma, but not sure you want to commit? Now you can play it online — completely free! The Virtual Tabletop will let you get a feel for the system, explore the cards, or supplement your physical copy when you want to play with friends remotely. Join our Discord server to find public sessions, fellow players, and advice on running games.