The Shab-al-Hiri Roach & The Roach Returns

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach is a dark comedy of manners, lampooning academia and asking players to answer a difficult question – are you willing to swallow a soul-eating telepathic insect bent on destroying human civilization?

No?

Even if it will get you tenure?

A fast paced and hilarious game, The Shab-al-Hiri Roach requires no Game Master and can be played in a single evening. If you enjoy crazed one-upmanship, furious stake-setting, and chanting guttural commands in Sumerian, The Roach would like to have a word with you.

This game—originally published in 2006— is soon to be completely out of print. These are the last copies, and have been bundled for sale with the supplement The Roach Returns while supplies last!

The Roach Returns

The Roach is back! This supplement to The Shab-al-Hiri Roach includes two new settings and 16 new Command/Opportunity cards. Overlord, written by Jason Morningstar, takes place in WWII England. Darker, written by Graham Walmsley, brings the Roach to the halls of Oxford.

What's Included?

This print bundle includes the two booklets, the original deck of Roach cards, and a sheets of ready-to-cut cards for the Roach Returns.

For digital downloads of handouts, character sheets, and other Roach-inspired fun, see our public downloads directory!

Digital-only Edition

Once this limited supply of print copies are gone, the Roach will continue to be available in PDF format from DrivethruRPG and Itch.io.

Praise for The Shab-al-Hiri Roach

“If you like the idea of a roleplaying game that requires little set-up and no GM, then I give it a green light. If this sounds attractive, go for it! If you’ve ever done roleplaying and want to capture that again without a lot of hassle, I’ll strongly recommend The Shab-al-Hiri Roach.” – Scott Nicholson

“Everything about the game rules drip with theme, and every card reminds you that you will end up doing the Roach’s bidding…sooner or later. Brilliant.” – Chris Bennett

“What a winner of a game. I think this one’s top-notch.” – Ron Edwards

“Jason Morningstar’s The Shab-al-Hiri Roach… may be the best Lovecraftian RPG I’ve seen in several years.” – Ken Hite

“Overall, a lovely physical book and interesting game design. Play should be absolutely hilarious. Well worth a look.” – Mike Sands, Gamester at Large

“Worth playing: You bet. The satirical element is very entertaining, and the cockroach beckons.” – Thomas Munkholt

“The Shab al-Hiri Roach is the perfect game for blissful nonsense galore and I can’t wait to set fire to Pemberton University in my next game!” – Christoph Boeckle