Chaosium has announced the forthcoming release of a Tapestry: Age of Conquest, a new tabletop roleplaying game themed around the Bayeux Tapestry, the famous embroidered that depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066. From September 2026 to July 2027, the Bayeux Tapestry is on loan to The British Museum, the first time in more than 900 years it has been on English soil. This roleplaying game was commissioned to commemorate and celebrate that occasion.
Developed in association with The British Museum and the University of Edinburgh’s History and Games Lab (H&GL), Tapestry: Age of Conquest takes players through the events portrayed in the Bayeux Tapestry. Through three linked scenarios they experience the rise and fall of Harold Godwinson, culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where William of Normandy led the Norman army to victory over the English.
Tapestry: Age of Conquest was written by game designer Jason Durall, Chaosium’s Creative Director for Basic Roleplaying and designer on games like Acthung! Cthulhu, Runequest, and A Game of Thrones. It features art by Ossi Hiekkala and Katrin Dirim, and cartography by Glynn Seal. The 76 page Tapestry book contains game rules based on Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying System that are easy to learn and designed for quick play with little-to-no preparation. It also features ready-to-play characters, and three linked adventures.
“Historical accuracy was a paramount concern for this project, but the primary source was the tapestry itself,” said Durall. “So, where the historical record and the tapestry differed, the tapestry’s depiction of these events was our guiding source.”
Dr Gianluca Raccagni, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History and Director of the History and Games Lab Research “With Tapestry: Age of Conquest historical accuracy does not go against having fun, it allows players to interact with and immerse in the momentous events of 1066 via the Bayeux Tapestry”.
On December 4th, 2026, Tapestry: Age of Conquest will be released at a special games night at The British Museum. Attendees at the British Museum Games Night on December 4th will receive a copy of Tapestry: Age of Conquest, with the book going into general release on and available for purchase at chaosium.com the same day.
Images via Chaosium
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