When I moved to the Bay Area some years ago, I did a deep dive into all of the regional conventions we could reach with a day trip. One of the most intriguing was a small local event called PolyCon hosted by Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo. Back then we didn’t have the … Continue reading PolyCon 42 – My Son’s First Game Convention
I particularly despise committing to run a session only to have a wave of ambivalence wash over me. Given that I'm normally decisive, it's a weird and uncomfortable sensation. For me ambivalence comes on like nausea. Not long ago the feeling of wanting to back out of Game Day hit me hard. GMing duties fell … Continue reading What to do when you don’t feel like gaming
I enjoy writing about games, and I really enjoy writing about games I've had deep engagement with. Most game writing consists of buzzy pieces about hot new things. Those can be fun to read, but honestly, I'm here for the deep dives when I can get them. In that spirit, I offer up my reflections … Continue reading Black Stars in a White Sky: Reflections on a Year of Playing the Yellow King RPG
If you haven't read my previous posts from this series, I'm playing The Mecha Hack, an OSR take on BattleTech-style games, with my wife and our 7-year-old son, Xander. Here's the setup... We're using the off the shelf Mech Hack "mini-setting," Lodestar Alpha. There are three main factions from Old Earth. Our scrappy heroes, Thumper … Continue reading The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 6: The Raid
Reset: In Prince Valiant: TSG you play knights of derring do in the "time of King Arthur." My wife, Deanna, plays Lady Elyse Dulane, "permanently" in disguise as her murdered twin brother, Envil. My son, Xander, plays Sir Gareth Jewelwing, a knight virtuous and bold. In her guise as Envil, Elyse is Gareth's squire. Gareth … Continue reading Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 2, Homecoming
It was one of the those weeks. There was the bedbug scare. (Just a scare.) The fender bender. The COVID tantrum. But what the hell am I telling you for? You're alive in 2020, so you know the drill. When our regular GM needed to travel out of town for work, I was sure to … Continue reading No Prep? No Problem. Running The Black Hack on a Wing and a Prayer.
Reset In Prince Valiant: TSG you play knights of derring do "in the time of King Arthur." My wife, Deanna, plays Lady Elyse Dulane, "permanently" in disguise as her murdered twin brother, Envil. My son, Xander, plays Sir Gareth Jewelwing, a knight virtuous and bold. In her guise as Envil, Elyse is Gareth's squire. Gareth … Continue reading Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 1, Rumble in the Tiltyard
I can't remember quite how it started. I was never a fan of the Prince Valiant comic strip growing up. And, yeah, that's back when newspapers were still a thing. Anyway, it was not my jam. Valiant seemed to go on endlessly with no beginning, middle, or end. And then a couple of years ago … Continue reading Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 0, Ye Tangled Web
What is this? This is a map-drawing game. You collectively explore the struggles of a community of monsters, trying to rebuild and heal after driving off the human occupiers. It’s a game about community, difficult choices, and decolonization. —The Deep Forest This is a review of Mark Diaz Truman & Avery Alder's The Deep Forest. … Continue reading Indie Game RPG Review: Mark Diaz Truman & Avery Alder’s The Deep Forest
If you haven't read my previous posts from this series, I'm playing The Mecha Hack, an OSR take on BattleTech-style games, with my wife and my 7-year-old son, Xander. Here's the setup... We're using the off the shelf Mech Hack "mini-setting," Lodestar Alpha. There are three main factions from Old Earth. Our scrappy heroes, Thumper … Continue reading The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 5: Meltdown
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