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Break!! Appendix Nes Roleplaying
Appendix NES, as in Nintendo Entertainment System, the 8-bit console that birthed a gaming generation in the 80s, is how someone apparently described Reynaldo Madrinan’s OSR adjacent original game design on RPG.net, way back in 2016. The game was a success on Kickstarter much later, and landed in glorious 470-page hardcover format early this year.…
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Five Parsecs From Home
Five Parsecs From Home is a popular solo adventure wargame – an excuse to play with all your (scifi) miniatures, all by yourself, no need to match schedules with your busy friends. I picked this up because I like to play with miniatures, and don’t get enough games going because of challenging schedules (primarily, my…
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Chariot of the Gods: Second run
We played the Alien RPG beginner box “cinematic adventure” Chariot of the Gods for the second time. Most players were new, but one of them came for a second round. What was different this time? Would I run this again? The Cinematic Adventure The “cinematic adventure” format is meant to generate an experience very close…
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Alice Is Missing
They had me at “a quiet roleplaying game”. All roleplaying games are a conversation, whether that’s at the table or over videochat – how does a quiet roleplaying game even work? In Alice Is Missing, the players are all in the same space physically, but talking is not allowed. Instead, you text on your phone.…
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The Mountain Witch
Playing The Mountain Witch makes your table better at playing roleplaying games. The Mountain Witch was released in 2005, and I was active in online RPG circles at the time, where it would’ve been discussed, and could be that I’ve run it since around then. I believe we first played the game jam version of…
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Why we gather
I am forty five years old. I’ve been playing tabletop roleplaying games for thirty five years. I am middle aged, and increasingly aware of my limited time on Earth. I wonder what is the point in most things I do. I am ridiculously into Taylor Swift, despite not being a young woman in dramatic heart…
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Heavy Gear 4
Heavy Gear is the game series I have the most feelings for, ever since seeing a print ad in White Wolf Inphobia magazine (1995 – oh cool, a mere 29 years ago! I’m not old). It showed a charging, bright yellow mecha in a dense jungle. I had never seen giant robot design like it,…
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Stars & Wishes
Stars & Wishes is the one system agnostic mechanic I advise any GM to deploy. It is really simple: at the end of a session, take five minutes to remember and record what was great about the game, and what wishes everyone has for the next game. You’re basically harvesting for both positive and corrective…
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Monsterhearts 2
We played a four session campaign of Monsterhearts 2 in February-March 2024. We’ve played Monsterhearts quite a bit, but never with this specific group. How we did it I had picked four players, which I feel works best for the game. It gives some room for characters to find their way, without having to give…
