Cities of Mystery (1989) & Castles (1990): TSR Goes All-In on Folding Buildings

We’re all accustomed to elaborate gaming terrain and structures (Dwarven Forge, and the like) and even Do-It-Yourself 3D-printing. Back in the 1980s TSR was bringing such projects to RPG tables with DIY folded paper buildings.

They’d been experimenting for years, adding such projects as the centerfold feature of Dragon Magazines.

“Build Your Own Castle” (Dragon Magazine 86 – June 1984)

In 1985, the Battlesystem box set featured a few folding buildings (see link at bottom of post). In Cities of Mystery (1989) & Castles (1990), the fold-up structures became the focus of the set. The first was branded with the Forgotten Realms, though the actual contents were setting-free. Castles was the opposite, no setting branding front and center, yet the contents inside were specifically tied to FR, Dragonlance, and Greyhawk.

Later sets:

Strongholds & Dungeons of Mystery (1992): Folding Buildings Kick Off the GR-series

These sets were obviously designed to be consumed. Most used sets I see, the former owner punched out a handful of pieces, with no follow-through. Sometimes sets are missing parts. Confirming a complete set with those loose pieces can be frustrating. With a couple of unpunched sets passing through the shop, I made a collector guide.

Cities of Mystery

1989 … Jean Rabe … 64-page book; 33 cardstock fold-up buildings; 2 poster maps … TSR 9262 … ISBN 0880387440

Check Wayne’s Books Inventory

Noble Knight | DriveThruRPG (PDF / Reprint)

Box

Even the box is coded! Bottom is TSR 9262XXX9401. Lid is 9262XXX9402

Booklet (64 pages, TSR 9262XXX1501)

Building Sheets (24, in four pads of 6)

Sheets are 9262XXX1401, 9262XXX1402, 9262XXX1403, 9262XXX1404

The punch-out building pieces are generally numbered on back, and a given sheet will only have pieces with a single integer. So here are the counts:

#1: 4
#2: 4
#3: 2
#4: 2
#5: 4
#6: 2
#7: 2
#8: 2
#9: 2

Maps / Mats

The maps are printed on both sides. The first is 9262XXX0701

Second map is uncoded.

Castles

1990 … WRITING: Jeff Grubb & David “Zeb” Cook & Bruce Nesmith CASTLES: Dennis Kauth & David C. Sutherland III & Ronald Kauth … TSR 1056 … ISBN 0880388838

CONTENTS: