What is an Ashcan and Why is Austin Walker’s Sparking So Much Excitement?

Austin Walker has just released Realis, an intriguing tabletop role-playing game that delves into how the way we talk shapes the world around us. Walker, known for his work as a former Waypoint editor and host of the influential Friends at the Table series, created this RPG without the usual dice. Instead, it uses the crafting of sentences to explore a place called the Thousand Moons and transform classic hero figures into complex characters with real flaws. The announcement earlier this week has electrified the tabletop gaming community. However, there’s a twist—it’s not the complete game just yet. This version is what’s known as an ashcan. So, what exactly is an ashcan?

In the realm of tabletop games, an ashcan refers to an unfinished game version. It includes playable rules but lacks the final polish you’d expect to see online or at your local game shop. It’s a vague term that can cover anything from a brief 10-page rule set in a Google Doc to something like Walker’s Realis, which is a substantial 125-page document featuring 20 playable classes, 40 non-player character (NPC) classes, factions, and original artwork. How did this term come to cover such a wide array of things? Like many century-old terms related to media, it evolved through borrowing and adaptation.

Originating in the world of comic books, the term “ashcan” dates back to the 1930s and 40s—often called the Golden Age of Comics. According to a 1994 issue of Wizard: The Guide to Comics Magazine, ashcans were quick, unfinished versions of comics, sometimes without lettering or coloring, or even just a cover with blank pages inside. Publishers would use these to establish copyright with the U.S. Patent Office for titles and characters based on an initial publication date. The name “ashcan” implied these items were destined for the trash, not public consumption.

The term fell out of regular use with the changes to copyright laws in 1946. However, it made a comeback in 1984 when comic book collector and publisher Bob Burden used it to describe prototype editions of Flaming Carrot Comics which he sent to friends and collaborators. In the 90s, the term was further popularized by Rob Liefeld of Image Comics. He promoted Youngblood using the rarity aspect of Golden Age ashcans as a marketing tool.

In film, the term has a similar use, often describing unaired TV pilots or concepts proof, sometimes employed for legal licensing reasons. In tabletop RPGs, which draw heavily on creator-driven content and have roots similar to the comics industry, the ashcan represents a phase between a public beta test and the final release. The rules are generally stable, though they remain open to adjustments based on feedback and public reception.

Walker’s Realis ranks among the more developed ashcans findable today, a testament to the four years he’s dedicated to its development. With contributions from Possible Worlds Games, artwork by Sam Beck and Oddesque, design input by Jack de Quidt, additional writing by Janine Hawkins, and character sheets crafted by Takuma Okada and Brendan McLeod, the project is impressive.

Priced at $15 on Walker’s itch page, this current ashcan version offers considerable value. Though it’s just a glimpse of what’s to come, it’s definitely worth exploring.