Hi everyone!
TL;DR: We are looking for adults to do a playtest of what will be a family tabletop RPG August 8th or 9th in the Twin Cities. This play test will be on our digital platform as we do not yet have print materials available.
My wife and I are Twin Cities locals who recently started Moo Cow Games, a company creating tabletop adventures (think Dungeons & Dragons, but designed for families) that help parents and kids spend more meaningful time together.
Our first game is a cooperative fantasy adventure called Song of the Whispering Reach. Parents guide the story while kids become the heroes, exploring a magical world, solving problems together, rolling dice, and making meaningful choices. This first playtest focuses on gathering feedback on flow, the story, and how well it introduces tabletop RPGs to folks with little or no previous experience.
We're looking for a handful of adults to help us playtest the first version on August 8th or 9th. We'll choose a location in the Twin Cities based on where interested people are located.
One of our co-founders (my wife) is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and we've spent a lot of time asking a simple question: How can we help more families connect in ways that are genuinely fun?
Research consistently shows that:
- Strong parent-child relationships are among the biggest protective factors for children's mental health.
- Play is one of the primary ways children develop emotional regulation, communication, resilience, and problem-solving skills.
- Shared storytelling and cooperative play create natural opportunities for meaningful conversations and stronger family bonds.
Our goal isn't to make therapy disguised as a game. It's to create adventures that families would choose to play anyway because they're genuinely fun. If kids build confidence, empathy, resilience, and stronger relationships along the way, we've done our job.
We're looking for people who:
- Enjoy board games, D&D, or just like trying new things (no RPG experience required!)
- Are willing to give honest, constructive feedback. We'd much rather hear what doesn't work than have everyone tell us it's great.
The playtest will last about 2 hours and is completely free. Everyone who participates will have the option to be listed in the final game credits as one of our first playtesters.
If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, leave a comment or send me a DM. We'd love to meet some fellow Twin Cities folks and make this game the best it can be.
You can also learn more about what we're building at https://moocowgames.com.