Chaosium

Chaosium is an American publisher of role-playing games, board games, and fiction, best known for creating and publishing the influential horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu and the fantasy RPG RuneQuest.

History and Founding

Chaosium was founded in 1975 by Greg Stafford in Oakland, California. Initially, the company focused on publishing Stafford's board game White Bear and Red Moon, which was set in his original fantasy world of Glorantha. The company's name, a portmanteau of "chaos" and "ium," was chosen to evoke a sense of elemental power and creative potential. In its early years, Chaosium operated as a small, enthusiast-driven publisher, releasing board games and supplements that were deeply tied to Stafford's intricate mythologies. The pivotal moment in the company's history came in 1978 with the publication of RuneQuest, a groundbreaking fantasy role-playing game designed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson, and Warren James, with Greg Stafford providing the Gloranthan setting. Its skill-based system and detailed worldbuilding set it apart from other RPGs of the era. However, Chaosium achieved its most significant commercial and critical success with the 1981 release of Call of Cthulhu, a horror RPG based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, designed by Sandy Petersen. This game revolutionized the genre with its focus on investigation, sanity mechanics, and a tone of cosmic horror, becoming one of the best-selling and most enduring RPGs of all time.

Major Game Lines and Publications

Chaosium's publishing portfolio is anchored by several major game lines. Call of Cthulhu remains its flagship product. The game's core mechanics, using a percentile (d100) skill system, have remained largely consistent through seven editions, fostering a vast library of scenarios, campaigns (such as the iconic Masks of Nyarlathotep), and sourcebooks. It has also inspired related board games like Arkham Horror (originally published by Chaosium in 1987) and the Call of Cthulhu Living Card Game. RuneQuest has seen multiple editions, with its second edition (1979) being particularly influential. After a period of licensing the game to other publishers, Chaosium regained full control and successfully launched RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha in 2018, returning the game to its Gloranthan roots. Other significant RPG lines include Pendragon, a Arthurian roleplaying game created by Greg Stafford, and Basic Roleplaying (BRP), a generic system distilled from RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu that has powered numerous other games. Chaosium has also published fiction, including novels and anthologies set in Glorantha and the Cthulhu Mythos, and maintains an active program of reprinting classic editions and materials.

Business Operations and Influence

Throughout its history, Chaosium has experienced periods of both great success and financial difficulty. In the 1990s and 2000s, licensing of its core properties and management challenges led to instability. A significant turnaround began in 2015 when Greg Stafford and Sandy Petersen, along with a group of longtime fans and designers, successfully regained control of the company from prior ownership. This "Chaosium Renaissance" refocused the company on its classic game lines, leading to a successful series of Kickstarter campaigns for new editions of Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition), RuneQuest, and Pendragon. Chaosium's influence on the tabletop role-playing industry is profound. Call of Cthulhu popularized horror RPGs and investigation-focused gameplay, while RuneQuest demonstrated the potential of skill-based systems and deeply integrated settings. The company's Basic Roleplaying system is one of the earliest and most widely adapted generic RPG systems. Chaosium is also noted for its high production values, scholarly approach to game design and source material, and its engagement with a dedicated, global community of players.