Black Stars in a White Sky: Reflections on a Year of Playing the Yellow King RPG

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

The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 6: The Raid

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

Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 2, Homecoming

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

No Prep? No Problem. Running The Black Hack on a Wing and a Prayer.

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.

Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 1, Rumble in the Tiltyard

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

Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game – Actual Play – Ep. 0, Ye Tangled Web

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

Indie Game RPG Review: Mark Diaz Truman & Avery Alder’s The Deep Forest

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

The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 5: Meltdown

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

The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 4: Ambush!

If you haven't read any of 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." There are three main factions from Old Earth. Our scrappy heroes, … Continue reading The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 4: Ambush!

An Apocalypse for Two, Maelstrom Dreamers – Ep. 1: Village of Notor

I've wanted to play Davide Pignedoli's Maelstrom Dreamers for a long time. This underrated title features one-to-one play where the protagonist's real life dreams are a key component in the game's highest stakes moments. As I mentioned last week, Maelstrom Dreamers riffs on some of the implied setting for Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World without relying … Continue reading An Apocalypse for Two, Maelstrom Dreamers – Ep. 1: Village of Notor