Neon Odyssey Sets Record as the Highest-Funded TTRPG on Kickstarter

If you ever thought Dungeons & Dragons and sci-fi were an odd pairing, think again. Neon Odyssey, the latest venture from the popular actual-play group Avantris Entertainment, has taken the gaming world by storm, raising over $3 million on its first day and smashing Kickstarter records by amassing over $15.2 million in just 30 days, making it the most-funded tabletop RPG in the platform’s history.

What sets Neon Odyssey apart is its approach; it’s not just “D&D with lasers.” Previous attempts to merge the iconic fantasy tabletop RPG with sci-fi themes, like the Spelljammer products, didn’t quite hit the mark. Instead, Avantris Entertainment has crafted a fully realized science-fantasy space opera, infused with synthwave and optimistic cyberpunk vibes, drawing inspiration from classics like Star Wars and Cowboy Bebop.

The project boasts an impressive amount of content, featuring three substantial books that total over 1,400 pages. These tomes introduce a wealth of new character options for D&D 5.5e, including more than 40 new subclasses and 30 unique species. Plus, players can expect a host of space monsters ready to challenge them. All of this contributes to a vibrant campaign setting known as Space Rhapsody. You can catch a glimpse of Neon Odyssey’s essence in the official AMV trailer, which has already racked up over 2.5 million views on YouTube, set to a catchy synthwave pop track.

“Honestly, this is hard to wrap our heads around,” said Mikey Gilder, Co-Founder of Avantris Entertainment. “Neon Odyssey started as this big, ridiculous dream of building a massive science-fantasy universe for people to play in, and the community showed up for it in a way we’ll never forget. We’re incredibly grateful to every single backer who helped make this happen.”

In the same announcement, it was revealed that Dungeons & Dragons media veteran Todd Kenreck has officially joined Avantris Entertainment as the director of media.

If you missed out on securing your copy of Neon Odyssey before the campaign wrapped up on June 3, don’t worry; the books will also be available through Avantris Entertainment’s webstore.