Critical Role producer’s texting TRPG set to be turned into a film

A film based on the tabletop roleplaying game Alice is Missing is in the works.

Created by Critical Role producer and game designer for Darrington Press – the tabletop game studio behind Uk’otoa - Spenser Starke, Alice is Missing is set to be adapted into a film co-written by Starke and Becca Gleason, who has previously written and produced for the likes of Community and the Amazon television series The Summer I Turned pretty. (Thanks Hollywood Reporter.)

Paramount has optioned the rights for the adaptation, with the film set to be co-produced by the company behind classic young adult movies such as The Fault in Our Star and Twilight, Temple Hill. Producing the film alongside Gleason and Temple Hill – who will be represented by John Fischer – will be Ivan Van Norman, who is head of Darrington Press, and writer/actor Christopher De La Rosa. Clarence Hammond, a producer who has worked on films such as 2020’s Twelve and 2019’s Hala, will be overseeing on behalf of Paramount.

Alice is Missing is a tabletop RPG played entirely through text message chains. The story of the game revolves around the disappearance of a local friend named Alice, with the players interacting through message threads on the likes of Whatsapp or through mobile text messages. As a group of teenagers, players are encouraged to embody the characteristics of feeling out of control and unable to do much besides piece together the mystery through whatever information they can share with one another.

The TRPG’s story takes place in a fictional Californian town called Silent Falls, with the players gradually drawing cards and sending messages to one another as the time ticks down to each new reveal. An entire session is designed to take place over the course of 90 minutes, with new revelations being unveiled through the game’s cards as the time passes.

Players in Alice is Missing are meant to remain in character throughout their messages, with Alice’s character being determined by whichever ‘type’ of Alice players decide to select from at the start of the game. The player characters’ relationships with Alice with vary, with some being related to her and others being potential romantic partners. A player character’s relationship with Alice will not only decide their motives, but also how much they may know about her whereabouts and the general mystery behind the game. The game ends once the 90-minute timer is up.

Apart from Alice is Missing, Starke has also written for the fantasy TRPG Kids on Brooms and designed a tabletop roleplaying game about building a doomed civilisation called Icarus.

Hunters Entertainment is the publisher responsible for releasing Alice is Missing, as well as other TRPGs such as the aforementioned Icarus and Kids on Brooms, as well as a tabletop RPG based on the Altered Carbon series.

There is yet to be a confirmed release date for the Alice is Missing film.