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Everything you need to know about “the Borgs.”

Mörk Borg, is a game that has spawned thousands of fan creations. It has been described as a 5/10 game with a 10/10 community, and while I might not agree with that rating (it’s at least an 8/10 to me), I agree that the fantastic community support has made making sense of it all less than straightforward.

If you are like me and you tend to prefer TTRPGs that aren’t D&D or Pathfinder, then you have had the same conversation at least 200 times. It goes a little something like, “hey I hear you like D&D?” To which you respond, “Yes, but I have really been into Mörk Borg (or some other game) lately,” and that naturally turns into you describing what the game is and what makes it different. But with the Borgs, that conversation tends to get complex fast, so I put together this evolving compendium to help others make sense of it all.

What are “the Borgs?”

“The Borgs” is a loose term used to refer to Mörk Borg and all its offshoots, hacks, and inspirations like Cy_borg, Pirate Borg, and the like (see below). They are rules-light TTRPGs, sometimes referred to as a part of the NSR or new school renaissance (view my article on the NSR, “Why I love the NSR,” for more info) defined by their grim, dark settings and visual style.

Who is behind Mörk Borg and the Borgs?

Mörk Borg was created by Swedish game designers Pelle Nilsson of Ockult Örtmästare Games and Johan Nohr of Stockholm Kartell and published by Free League Publishing in February 2020. Official content is led by them and a rotating cast of some of indie gaming’s best designers, like Christian Sahlen, who created Cy_Borg along with Johan Nohr. Other hacks and releases are usually community-created and vary by product.

What does Mörk Borg mean, and how do you pronounce it?

“Mörk Borg” is Swedish for “Dark Fort,” and it is pronounced like “murk BOR-ee” in English. But, with the addition of Cy_Borg to the official family of games, which chooses to use the typical English mispronunciation “BOR-gh,” I don’t think you can say it incorrectly, so don’t sweat it and roll some dice!

What makes Mörk Borg so unique?

While this is hotly debated and often criticized, I believe the distinctive death metal-esque visual style and open license for Mörk Borg are what have made it so popular. I think that those two things, in combination, are what have caused these games to find their niche and explode in popularity. Attracting creators of all experience levels to jump in, make things, and spread the word.

That’s all in addition to being on top of a great game system that is quick to learn and fun to play. Without those two things, no amount of open-source spirit would have led to such a successful game—the winner of eight Ennie awards.

Mörk Borg’s eight Ennie awards.

What do I need to play Mörk Borg?

One of the coolest things about Mörk Borg is that you can get started playing without ever paying a cent. And, the open-source spirit of the game means that you can basically run an entire campaign off of free adventures and supplements, but there is so much incredible fan content being made I find it hard not to buy something.

Optional items:

  • A d2 coin and d3 (or roll a d6 and divide by 2 or 3)

  • Maps, Adventures, etc. (see below)

  • Minis, any will work, but I am particularly fond of these meeple-style ones

Borg-like bastards from Severed Books, Games & Toys.

How do you play?

Zack, over at World of Game Design, has put together a great video explaining the system of Mork Borg and how to build a character that will get you started in about 13 minutes. If you’ve never played a TTRPG before, I would suggest heading over to YouTube and searching for an “Actual Play” video for the specific game you are thinking of playing, which will give you a great example of what to expect.

I also normally recommend that players who are new to the OSR/NSR style of play take a read through Principia Apocrypha, especially if the player is coming from a modern TTRPG like 5th edition D&D. I find that it really helps to outline the differences and set a good expectation for what gameplay should feel like.

These articles are also helpful:

Can you play the Borgs solo?

Yes! Solitary Defilement by 1d10+5 and Max Moon Games is the defacto option for playing Mörk Borg, or its hacks and clones solo. For a full breakdown of how it’s done, check out this video by Man Alone.

What other Borg games are there?

Officially, there is one first-party of Mork Borg published by Stockholm Cartel and Free League, Cy_borg. It was released in 2022 as a follow-up to Mork Borg and takes place in a grim cyberpunk setting. Pirate Borg is also published by Free League but was created by Limithron and is considered to be a hack of the rules system. It has very high production value and tends to be well known amongst Borg players, having recently raised over half a million dollars in its second successful Kickstarter campaign.

The “Hacks”

In no particular order, here is an ever-evolving list of Borg hacks and settings:

Where can you find Borg content and products?

In addition to listings on DriveThruRPG and Itch.io, Ex Libris is a project that categorizes many fan creations. While its updates tend to lag under the sheer mass of things being published, it is a great resource to turn to.

Physical product retailers

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