Book Review: Berlin the Wicked City

Getting a new sourcebook which highlights a unique setting is gold for an experienced keeper. It provides you new tools and ideas that can be applied to telling a story with your players. And seriously this book has that by the bucket.

Berlin the Wicked City is a setting of Germany in a turbulent time that’s excellent for exploring the mythos. The Weimar republic in the 1920s is a place that generated advances in cinema and LGBTI+ rights that are still relevant today. While yes, you could easily put a lot of focus on extremist groups like the Nazis and other groups scrambling for power in a city on the brink, there is much more to the city than that.

From a GMs perspective this book also has a few scenarios that will put your players to the test. It’s spooky and horrifying. But also interesting while subverting and using tropes that stand out from many typical 1920s based scenarios. Also while you can play a typical Lovecraftian investigation, the scenarios really should be played as Pulp Cthulhu.

Pulp Cthulhu, is something that really supports this setting. It allows players to get into more scrapes and get into more dangerous situations. Also you can punch actual Nazis in the face. And really why not! The scenarios within Wicked City will also really terrify – and leans right into the dreadful, sanity crushing side of Pulp Cthulhu which isn’t normally explored.

That being said, these scenarios are probably not suitable to new keepers. But for an experienced keeper, this setting allows you to run a game in a familiar era but in a new location. And even if not used as a setting, this is a great resource that can help you grow as a keeper – and inspire unique stories that you and your group will be talking about for years.