Tabletop Games

Critical Role trod new ground with their latest mini-saga, Threshold. Unlike all the other RPG-based stories they’ve weaved up, which tended to be adventure comedies, Threshold was CR’s first attempt at horror. They must have felt inspired enough to try it again: the next mini has been announced and it is also dark and dramatic.

Age of Umbra is what they call this eight-parter set in the Halcyon Domain, a world abandoned by gods and consumed by darkness. The series will follow five people from the isolated community of Desperloch, a place surrounded by bloodthirsty monsters and other nightmares. By the way, the mini also ties into Daggerheart, the upcoming TTRPG designed by Mercer and planned for release May 20, before this campaign starts.

The Halcyon Domain is a lethal, foreboding land where the souls of the dead are cursed to return as twisted, nightmarish forms. A dark, ethereal mass known as the Umbra roams and holds these fiendish monstrosities, further corrupting anything it touches. Sacred Pyres keep the corruption at bay, and small communities endure through cooperation. Out in the beyond, whispers speak of ancient secrets and powers, wonders of a lost age, ready for discovery to those brave enough (or foolish enough) to seek them.

Unlike the previous few minis, everyone’s back for this one: the main Critical Role team you know and love. Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham and Game Master Matther Mercer will play all the parts.

The series will be preceded by an “Episode Zero” where the CR team will develop their characters live, along with locations, adventure hooks, and narrative threads. If you wish not to spoil yourself, the actual story starts the following week, May 29 at 7 PM Pacific / 10 PM Eastern, at any place Critical Role traditionally broadcasts from: Twitch.tv/CriticalRole, YouTube.com/CriticalRole, and beacon.tv.

Tonight marks the beginning of the next mini-campaign from Critical Role! As we’ve covered before, the team puts together these experiments and short adventures while they’re crafting their next huge epic quest. In the recent past we’ve had the summer camp romp Wildemount Wildlings and before that, the four-part miniseries Exandria Unlimited. Up until now, most of CR’s shows have been comedic adventures. That’ll change in a big way with this next one.

It’s called Thresher, and it’s a two-parter presented in cooperation with 12-Sided Studios and Paragon Pictures. It’s Critical Role’s first cinematic actual play horror game. Here’s how they describe it:

Set in the crushing silence of the ocean’s abyss, the series follows a fractured crew aboard a claustrophobic submersible on a mission to investigate Rán Boer Station—a long-abandoned geothermal facility lost to time and pressure. As paranoia sets in and mutiny brews, ancient forces begin to stir in the deep.

Blending sci-fi horror with signature Critical Role storytelling, Thresher is a chilling descent into psychological unraveling, buried secrets, and monstrous threats—where survival depends on more than air supply. Crafted using the Illuminated Worlds system, the series features immersive Unreal Engine environments and a cast of powerhouse talent from across TTRPG, gaming, and screen.

Said talent includes players Abubakar Salim (House of the Dragon, Raised by Wolves), Jacqueline Emerson (The Hunger Games, Good American Family), Mark “Sherlock” Hulmes a.k.a Mara (High Rollers, Candlekeep Mysteries), Jane Douglas (Outside Xbox, Oxventure) and Noshir Dalal (Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Forbidden West), with Jasper William Cartwright (3 Black Halflings, Dimension 20) serving as Game Master.

Thresher starts tonight at 7 PM Pacific / 10 PM Eastern, at any place Critical Role traditionally broadcasts from: Twitch.tv/CriticalRole, YouTube.com/CriticalRole, and beacon.tv.