Apocalypse Keys — Monsters save the world from the apocalypse

"Even the most powerful monsters have hearts."

Dice2d6 + Darkness Tokens (PbtA)

Players3–6

Prep~30 min

Foundry VTTNone

Complexity

What is this system

A Powered by the Apocalypse mystery game by Rae Nedjadi. Nedjadi self-published it on itch.io in 2020; Evil Hat Productions then acquired the rights and crowdfunded a new edition on Kickstarter (PDF in 2023). You play Omens, monsters working for the secret agency DIVISION: you hunt Keys, piece together a Harbinger's plan and stop them from unlocking Doom's Door. The real conflict is inside — the power that saves the world keeps pulling your monster toward becoming the next apocalypse.

Is it for your table?

Pick it if

you want monster-of-the-week mysteries in the vein of Hellboy and Doom Patrol
your players like playing monsters wrestling with their own dark power
your group enjoys building the solution to a mystery from collected clues

Skip it if

you want a GM-authored mystery with one fixed solution to uncover
your table avoids heavy emotional themes and relationship drama
you want tactical combat or detailed character builds

Setting

Our world, where ancient Doors of Power wait to be opened and Harbingers hunt them to claim that power for themselves. DIVISION is a shadowy agency and a found family for monsters with nowhere else to go. Inspirations include Hellboy, Men in Black, Penny Dreadful and Doom Patrol: big powers, bigger feelings.

What it looks like at the table

A library where the books rewrite themselves. Your Surge Grasps Keys without committing any tokens: 4 + 4 = 8 — on an 8–10 the Keeper tells you what Key you've uncovered. A cultist librarian steps out from the stacks. The Hungry Unleashes the Dark: she has 6 Darkness Tokens and commits one — 5 + 3 + 1 = 9, so on an 8–10 she picks two: get past his defences and inflict a Condition, and avoid reprisals. But after the move she still holds 5 tokens, so she's Torn Between. Instead of marking Ruin, she spends a Bond with the Surge, who helps her regain control. At session's end the team connects 4 Keys to the Facets and tries to Unlock Doom's Door against a Mystery complexity of 3: 3 + 5 + 4 − 3 = 9. They know exactly where the Door is and how to unlock it.

Playstyle

Mystery Narrative Urban Fantasy Weird

Key mechanics

Upside-down 2d6

Before rolling you may commit up to three Darkness Tokens, which add to the result. 8–10 is a clean success; on 11+ your power slips out of control — success with an unintended consequence; 7 or less is a Keeper move. Too much power is a problem too.

Darkness Tokens

Each playbook gains 2–4 tokens from its own triggers, such as embodying a marked Condition. If you hold 5 or more after a move, you're Torn Between: mark Ruin, lose all your tokens, or spend a Bond with someone who pulls you back.

Keys & Doom's Door

Grasp Keys uncovers clues; Unlock Doom's Door tests your theory: 2d6 plus connected Keys minus the Mystery's complexity, with no tokens or Bonds allowed. On a 7 or less every PC marks Ruin and the Doomsday Clock ticks forward.

Ruin & the heart

XP and Ruin build side by side: 8 XP buys a normal advance, 5 Ruin a step toward monstrosity. The final Ruin advance retires your character as a Harbinger of the apocalypse. Bonds and Reveal Your Heart — which can clear a mark of Ruin — hold you together.

What people say

Apocalypse Keys is at its heart an investigation game, and the investigation mechanics are really neat.— Aaron Marks, Cannibal Halfling Gaming

Art & materials