Coriolis: The Great Dark, Free League’s New Sci-Fi RPG Edition, Launches Worldwide
Shaun M Jooste 
Free League Publishing has officially launched Coriolis: The Great Dark, the brand-new edition of their original sci-fi roleplaying game. Starting today, the core rulebook, GM screen, and custom dice set are available through the Free League webshop, in digital format via DriveThruRPG and the Foundry virtual tabletop, and will soon be arriving in hobby stores across the globe.
Coriolis: The Great Dark Press Release
Today, Free League Publishing officially released Coriolis: The Great Dark, the new edition of their original sci-fi RPG. The core rulebook, alongside a GM screen and custom dice set, is now officially available via the Free League webshop, in digital format via DrivethruRPG and the Foundry virtual tabletop, and soon if not already in hobby stores worldwide.
Inspired by 19th-century expeditions, deep-sea diving, and pulp archaeology, Coriolis: The Great Dark is a roleplaying game about exploration and intrigue. Join dangerous expeditions, navigate the Byzantine schemes of Ship City, and hunt for the keys that unlock the mystery of this Lost Horizon. The core rulebook features:
- Rules for creating your crew of Explorers, with upgrades such as talents, vehicles, and crew maneuvers to enhance campaign play.
- Rules for delving into the unknown, traveling on Greatships through the dangerous Slipstream, and trekking across wild planets.
- A detailed gazetteer of the Lost Horizon, the eleven systems of the Charted Sphere and the asteroid-metropolis of Ship City.
- The Black Ziggurat, an introductory adventure that will take you deep into an ancient ruin on a distant moon.
- Tools and rules for solo play, making it possible to explore the Lost Horizon all by yourself.
Coriolis: The Great Dark immerses players in a hauntingly atmospheric sci-fi setting known as the Lost Horizon. Drawing inspiration from 19th-century expeditions, deep-sea diving, and pulp archaeology, the game is built around exploration, intrigue, and survival in a remote, perilous frontier.
Players inhabit Ship City, a sprawling asteroid metropolis created by human refugees who converted their fleet into a semi-sentient city while seeking refuge from past conflicts. Governed by factions like the Navigators, Machinists, Gardeners, and the Explorers Guild, survivors now venture into alien ruins in search of artefacts and resources, despite encountering a devastating cosmic plague known as the Blight.
At its core, the game runs on the upgraded Year Zero Engine, with mechanics tailored to evoke tension and dread. Actions are resolved by rolling dice based on character attributes and talents. Successes and failures are visually and mechanically meaningful, while pushing dice can cause you to lose Hope, a fragile mental resource indicating resilience under cosmic horror.
The rulebook includes tools for creating explorer crews, handling gear, conducting delves under resource strain, navigating Greatship travel and the Slipstream, and facing supernatural threats. It also contains a detailed gazetteer, an introductory adventure (The Black Ziggurat), and supports both solo and campaign play.
Discover the Origins Before the Great Dark
Before stepping into the mysteries of Coriolis: The Great Dark, it’s worth revisiting the legacy that paved the way. The previous edition, Coriolis: The Third Horizon, introduced players to a rich universe of exploration, political intrigue, and deep space drama.
Our full review of that game dives into its unique mechanics, immersive setting, and the storytelling potential that made it a standout in sci-fi roleplaying. Reading it will give you valuable context for how Free League has evolved the Coriolis experience, and why The Great Dark feels like both a continuation and a bold new chapter.
Read our full Coriolis: The Third Horizon review here: Coriolis: The Third Horizon Review.
