Tabletop RPG · since 2017 · #47 most discussed

City of Mist

Play ordinary people hosting mythic legends in a modern noir city, solving crimes while their dual identities pull them apart.

City of MistUrban fantasy2d6partial successinvestigationbeliefs and drivestokensclasslessCampaignsNeeds a GM

5.7

Geek rating

From 17 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 5.8.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion6.3 / 10

189 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Medium. Hype 4.7 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate City of Mist from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

Didn't work for usOne of our best

What players say

At the table

Players like City of Mist's setting, its myth-based characters and the habit of rolling two dice and choosing which tags fit. They split on the rules around that. Combat, tag negotiation and the GM side get the most complaints. Some tables say the game settles once the MC holds tags to a specific standard.

What works

Setting, character creation, advancement and the creativity of the myth-based PCs get praise. (thread)
Always rolling two dice and picking fitting tags feels fluid. Power tags all being +1 lets very different myths team up on equal footing. (thread)
Character development is built in. One 2-year campaign saw big character changes. (thread)
Capping each character at one broad tag, or using establishing moves, keeps play smooth. Negotiation gets quicker with practice. (thread)
The narrative tags are loved, and progression works well for some. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Combat effectiveness follows the number of tags invoked, not the action or the risk taken. Some find it gamey and calculation-heavy for a cinematic game. (thread)
Broad tags like Gifted or Quick get stacked onto every roll unless the MC polices them. Arguing over whether a tag applies slows the table. (thread)
Long-term progression feels unsatisfying to some players. (thread)
The GM side is hard to use, and the GM must invent new moves for every threat. (thread)
One player found the rules cumbersome and the layout hard to work with. (thread)

Who it suits

Tables who want myth-driven characters and narrative tags, and who will give it a few months to click.
MCs willing to keep vetting tags, and players who buy in rather than game the system.
It fits crunch-averse groups, or those wanting fast cinematic combat, less well.

In players' words

"I ran a 2 year City of Mist campaign and it was one of the best ttrpg experiences I've ever had." (thread)
"I overall disliked the combat part, especialy in a game that wants to feel very cinematic." (thread)
"I LOVE the concept of CoM, but bounce off the GM side of the rules pretty hard." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

6.0

City of Mist Sucks

The firsthand reports are split. The OP quit over tag stacking and clunky combat, but other players say that comes from letting broad tags through, and a 2-year campaign runner calls it one of their best experiences. Most reports say City of Mist works once the MC enforces tag specificity and limits, and that this takes a learning curve and constant vetting. 7 firsthand · 102 comments

Open on Reddit

5.8

The city of mist combat system????

Players who ran or played City of Mist like the setting, character building and always-roll-two-dice fluidity, but several find tag-count-based combat and Dangers mechanical, underwhelming and counter to the cinematic feel. A few GMs say it works if you use statuses, Change the Game and lighter moves for minor foes, and that the designers see the 1e status rules as a flaw. 5 firsthand · 37 comments

Open on Reddit

5.5

Random tip: if City of Mist is too crunchy for you, you can easily adapt Neon City: Overdrive

The thread is mostly about Neon City: Overdrive and Freeform Universal 2, with only a few brief firsthand remarks on City of Mist. Those remarks say the setting and narrative tags are loved, but the GM-side rules felt clunky to crunch-averse tables. One player found the game fine as written. 4 firsthand · 14 comments

Open on Reddit

4.0

Games like City of Mist that are not City of Mist set in the occult 1920s with above normal power level?

The thread is mostly about alternative games (Fate, Dresden Accelerated, The Between, Capers, FIST), and the only firsthand City of Mist report is the original poster's. They played it and found the rules cumbersome and the layout hard to use, even though they love PbtA and FitD. 1 firsthand · 17 comments

Open on Reddit