📖 Overview
Kevin Siembieda is an American game designer, artist, and publisher best known for founding Palladium Books and creating influential role-playing game systems including Rifts, Heroes Unlimited, and the Palladium Fantasy RPG. Born in Detroit in 1956, he established himself as a significant figure in the tabletop gaming industry during the 1980s and continues to be active today.
Initially aspiring to work in comic books, Siembieda discovered role-playing games in 1979 through Dungeons & Dragons and became involved with the Wayne Street Weregamers group at Wayne State University. His early gaming experiences and house rules would later form the foundation of the Palladium system, which he developed after founding Palladium Books in 1981.
The Mechanoid Invasion, published in 1981, marked Siembieda's first commercial RPG release, but it was the subsequent success of games like Robotech RPG and Rifts that cemented his reputation. The Rifts RPG, released in 1990, became particularly notable for its unique blend of science fiction, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic elements.
Siembieda's design philosophy emphasizes detailed worldbuilding and cross-genre compatibility, allowing players to mix elements from different game lines. His work continues to influence the role-playing game industry through Palladium Books' ongoing operations and publications.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Siembieda's imaginative worldbuilding and expansive scope in the Palladium RPG books and Rifts series. Many fans cite the freedom and flexibility his game systems provide for creating characters and stories.
Common criticisms focus on editing issues, system complexity, and balance problems. Multiple reviews note contradictory rules, mathematical errors, and the need for house rules to make games playable. Some readers describe the writing as unfocused and repetitive.
From Amazon reviews of Rifts Ultimate Edition:
"Rules are scattered throughout different sections making it hard to reference" - 3 star review
"Amazing setting held back by clunky mechanics" - 3 star review
Goodreads ratings across Siembieda's books average 3.8/5 stars, with Rifts Ultimate Edition at 4.1/5 from 419 ratings.
DriveThruRPG customer ratings average 4/5 stars across his titles, with reviews often praising the creative content while noting mechanical flaws and editing problems.
📚 Books by Kevin Siembieda
Mutants in Avalon - A post-apocalyptic role-playing game supplement exploring a realm where magic and technology collide in the ruins of ancient Britain.
Mutants in Orbit - A science fiction sourcebook detailing space stations, orbital communities, and cosmic adventures for mutant characters.
Road Hogs - A vehicular combat supplement featuring rules for motorcycle gangs and road warriors in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Truckin' Turtles - A teenage mutant ninja turtles role-playing game supplement focused on cross-country adventures and highway encounters.
Turtles Go Hollywood - A role-playing game supplement that brings teenage mutant ninja turtles characters into the entertainment industry and movie business.
Mutants in Orbit - A science fiction sourcebook detailing space stations, orbital communities, and cosmic adventures for mutant characters.
Road Hogs - A vehicular combat supplement featuring rules for motorcycle gangs and road warriors in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Truckin' Turtles - A teenage mutant ninja turtles role-playing game supplement focused on cross-country adventures and highway encounters.
Turtles Go Hollywood - A role-playing game supplement that brings teenage mutant ninja turtles characters into the entertainment industry and movie business.
👥 Similar authors
Monte Cook - Created the Cypher System and multiple D&D supplements that blend science fiction with fantasy elements. His work on Planescape and Numenera demonstrates similar genre-mixing principles to Siembieda's designs.
Erik Wujcik - Designed Amber Diceless and Ninjas & Superspies for Palladium Books, showing mastery of both narrative and detailed mechanical systems. His work directly connects to Siembieda's gaming universe through shared design elements.
Shane Hensley - Created Deadlands and Savage Worlds, combining multiple genres in unified systems. His post-apocalyptic settings and mechanical approaches to cross-genre play parallel Siembieda's design philosophy.
James M. Ward - Developed Gamma World and contributed to numerous TSR publications mixing science fiction and fantasy elements. His work on post-apocalyptic settings and genre combinations shares conceptual DNA with Siembieda's creations.
Mike Pondsmith - Created Cyberpunk and Mekton, demonstrating expertise in both science fiction and mecha-based gaming systems. His detailed technical writing style and world-building approach mirror Siembieda's mechanical depth.
Erik Wujcik - Designed Amber Diceless and Ninjas & Superspies for Palladium Books, showing mastery of both narrative and detailed mechanical systems. His work directly connects to Siembieda's gaming universe through shared design elements.
Shane Hensley - Created Deadlands and Savage Worlds, combining multiple genres in unified systems. His post-apocalyptic settings and mechanical approaches to cross-genre play parallel Siembieda's design philosophy.
James M. Ward - Developed Gamma World and contributed to numerous TSR publications mixing science fiction and fantasy elements. His work on post-apocalyptic settings and genre combinations shares conceptual DNA with Siembieda's creations.
Mike Pondsmith - Created Cyberpunk and Mekton, demonstrating expertise in both science fiction and mecha-based gaming systems. His detailed technical writing style and world-building approach mirror Siembieda's mechanical depth.