Your Favorite Roleplaying Game of 2016
It’s that time of year again! We want to hear about your favorite game of 2016! As we did last year, we will produce a special episode of The Gauntlet Podcast where the hosts reveal their favorite games of the year and discuss the selections made by community members.
To participate:
1. In the comments, tell us your favorite roleplaying game (or product) of 2016 (only one selection, please). Importantly, you can use any criteria you wish in making your selection, and it does not have to be a game released in 2016.
2. Tell us why you chose the game or product you did. Please limit yourself to one paragraph.
3. Tag the author of the game or product into your comment (if possible).
Thanks!
Mine is Bluebeard’s Bride for sure, it’s a really elegant answer to very specific design questions and embodies a very particular kind of horror that is also very unique. At least, I wasn’t aware of it at all until I came across the game and have anticipated it ever since. It’s also beautiful and I think, very important to design as a whole and also inspiring. Whitney Beltrán Marissa Kelly Sarah Richardson
Mine is Bluebeard’s Bride for sure, it’s a really elegant answer to very specific design questions and embodies a very particular kind of horror that is also very unique. At least, I wasn’t aware of it at all until I came across the game and have anticipated it ever since. It’s also beautiful and I think, very important to design as a whole and also inspiring. Whitney Beltrán Marissa Kelly Sarah Richardson
Mine’s from 2016, though I played it earlier during its playtesting stage. It’s The Beast. I thought it was great. An early card really provoked me with something I didn’t want to admit to myself, but then my humanity fought its way back over the rest of the days. I ended the game feeling more comfortable in my own skin and more confident of my humanity than before playing it. It was powerful.
Aleksandra Sontowska m foczka
Mine’s from 2016, though I played it earlier during its playtesting stage. It’s The Beast. I thought it was great. An early card really provoked me with something I didn’t want to admit to myself, but then my humanity fought its way back over the rest of the days. I ended the game feeling more comfortable in my own skin and more confident of my humanity than before playing it. It was powerful.
Aleksandra Sontowska m foczka
Mine continues to be Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel based on Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker. I’ve shared many stories of the games I run for my young children, but I think the highest praise for the system is that it is intuitive enough that I have caught one of my five year old twins GMing a session for the other without adults getting in the way of their creativity. From a GM perspective, the system was a revelation for me, and now informs how I run every other system.
Mine continues to be Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel based on Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker. I’ve shared many stories of the games I run for my young children, but I think the highest praise for the system is that it is intuitive enough that I have caught one of my five year old twins GMing a session for the other without adults getting in the way of their creativity. From a GM perspective, the system was a revelation for me, and now informs how I run every other system.
Mine’s Lovecraftesque by Becky Annison and Joshua Fox, for being the first Lovecraftian game that actually feels like one of his stories. The rules and scene structure guide you down that route without any prior knowledge necessary; I played it with a group who other than me that had never read any of his stuff and it still came out authentic. Plus bonus points for addressing how problematic Lovecraft was.
Honourable mention to Reach Escape, one of the Game Chef finalists, by Taylor Dayton for featuring actual parkour as a game mechanic in a Mirror’s Edgey cyberpunk game.
Mine’s Lovecraftesque by Becky Annison and Joshua Fox, for being the first Lovecraftian game that actually feels like one of his stories. The rules and scene structure guide you down that route without any prior knowledge necessary; I played it with a group who other than me that had never read any of his stuff and it still came out authentic. Plus bonus points for addressing how problematic Lovecraft was.
Honourable mention to Reach Escape, one of the Game Chef finalists, by Taylor Dayton for featuring actual parkour as a game mechanic in a Mirror’s Edgey cyberpunk game.
Unsurprisingly I’m with Oli Jeffery on Lovecraftesque by Joshua Fox and Becky Annison. Many super creepy games played and so smoothly done, it’s incredible. Sadly I have no time to finish my own entry for the competition… Boo. Honorable mention goes to Downfall By Caroline Hobbs. Beautiful story game for 3 players that creates and then destroys a world. Sad and poignant each time.
Unsurprisingly I’m with Oli Jeffery on Lovecraftesque by Joshua Fox and Becky Annison. Many super creepy games played and so smoothly done, it’s incredible. Sadly I have no time to finish my own entry for the competition… Boo. Honorable mention goes to Downfall By Caroline Hobbs. Beautiful story game for 3 players that creates and then destroys a world. Sad and poignant each time.
Oh, there’s a ton of other games that I played and had a blast, but if I have to pick one… it’s got to go to Monsterhearts by Avery Alder. I’ve played a few fantastic campaigns, and the Kickstarter for the 2nd edition has me all jazzed to play even more.
Sorry to all the other lovely games, but MH had strings on me and kept tempting me to do what it wanted…
Oh, there’s a ton of other games that I played and had a blast, but if I have to pick one… it’s got to go to Monsterhearts by Avery Alder. I’ve played a few fantastic campaigns, and the Kickstarter for the 2nd edition has me all jazzed to play even more.
Sorry to all the other lovely games, but MH had strings on me and kept tempting me to do what it wanted…
Going with Swords Without Master for 2016. I played it once at Dreamation (2015?) but my session with Leonard Balsera at NewMexicon 2016 showed me what the system can do. I basically can’t shut up about the game at this point. 😀
Going with Swords Without Master for 2016. I played it once at Dreamation (2015?) but my session with Leonard Balsera at NewMexicon 2016 showed me what the system can do. I basically can’t shut up about the game at this point. 😀
Epyllion, probably, is my #1 this year. But I’ve played more than 2 dozen new games this year so I could write a list.
Epyllion, probably, is my #1 this year. But I’ve played more than 2 dozen new games this year so I could write a list.
Epidiah Ravachol
Epidiah Ravachol
Tell us why, Matt Bohnhoff.
Tell us why, Matt Bohnhoff.
Derp. Right, so here’s my why for Marissa Kelly’s Epyllion. I’ve played it and ran it and in both situations it worked well, generating an interesting and unique setting and driving interparty conflicts. It also never takes itself too seriously.
Mechanics that create interesting moments and a whimsical fantasy world. Plus, baby dragons.
Derp. Right, so here’s my why for Marissa Kelly’s Epyllion. I’ve played it and ran it and in both situations it worked well, generating an interesting and unique setting and driving interparty conflicts. It also never takes itself too seriously.
Mechanics that create interesting moments and a whimsical fantasy world. Plus, baby dragons.
Having failed to connect with Monsterhearts several years ago, I was given the opportunity to play it again recently and boy am I glad I did. It’s fucking amazing on so many levels. It’s a book that pretty much always occupies a place in my bag and I pick it up to read, just for the joy of it. Playing it makes me hit that pleasure/pain vibe in such a way, that I can’t wait to come back and get my next fix, no matter the emotional cost. Monsterhearts By Avery Alder gets my vote for 2016.
Having failed to connect with Monsterhearts several years ago, I was given the opportunity to play it again recently and boy am I glad I did. It’s fucking amazing on so many levels. It’s a book that pretty much always occupies a place in my bag and I pick it up to read, just for the joy of it. Playing it makes me hit that pleasure/pain vibe in such a way, that I can’t wait to come back and get my next fix, no matter the emotional cost. Monsterhearts By Avery Alder gets my vote for 2016.
I’m going with Stras Acimovic’s Atlas Reckoning: Big battle mechs vs. Kaiju monster things. (Note: It’s still in beta, but got to play at GoPlayNW)
I loved coming out of this game feeling like I just saw an epic episode from some childhood animation spectacular, in all it’s glory, including those down-time drama scenes in between.
What did I like about it? The game bakes a likely premise with questionnaires you answer (“Why are giant mechs the only way humanity could combat this threat?”). There is dual-pilot sync for team-work action, so you need to be co-pilots. The card-game mechanic that comprises mech-kaiju battles is intense. Love the amazing playbooks which give you character drama, conflict and cohesion in a very PbtA-reminiscent fashion. Although I played a one-shot, you can see how this easily handles and shines in a campaign. And the GM role is similar to World Wide Wrestling’s “creative”: a very light version of a GM, to the extent that you could play this game GM-less if you wanted to. What’s not to love!?
I’m going with Stras Acimovic’s Atlas Reckoning: Big battle mechs vs. Kaiju monster things. (Note: It’s still in beta, but got to play at GoPlayNW)
I loved coming out of this game feeling like I just saw an epic episode from some childhood animation spectacular, in all it’s glory, including those down-time drama scenes in between.
What did I like about it? The game bakes a likely premise with questionnaires you answer (“Why are giant mechs the only way humanity could combat this threat?”). There is dual-pilot sync for team-work action, so you need to be co-pilots. The card-game mechanic that comprises mech-kaiju battles is intense. Love the amazing playbooks which give you character drama, conflict and cohesion in a very PbtA-reminiscent fashion. Although I played a one-shot, you can see how this easily handles and shines in a campaign. And the GM role is similar to World Wide Wrestling’s “creative”: a very light version of a GM, to the extent that you could play this game GM-less if you wanted to. What’s not to love!?
That was my honorable honorable mention Isa Wills it’s been quite a revelation this year!
That was my honorable honorable mention Isa Wills it’s been quite a revelation this year!
My honourable mention would have been Lovecraftesque for sure. Our last session was totally badass, in a creeping horror kind of way.
My honourable mention would have been Lovecraftesque for sure. Our last session was totally badass, in a creeping horror kind of way.
Mine is Swords without Master. That game has never fell flat for me once and it feels like playing the stories of Fafard and the Grey Mouser and Conan. It also appeals to the writer and storyteller in me.
Mine is Swords without Master. That game has never fell flat for me once and it feels like playing the stories of Fafard and the Grey Mouser and Conan. It also appeals to the writer and storyteller in me.
A lot of my almost-top picks have already been talked about, so I’ll say I’ve had the most fun playing Into the Odd by Chris McDowall this year. Chris ran a few sessions that I played, and he’s a talented GM, and runs NPCs like he’s a god-damn actor. A few games run by Andrew Shields got me into Hangouts gaming after moving twice in two years and losing my face-to-face gaming folks and it has been a revelation.
A lot of my almost-top picks have already been talked about, so I’ll say I’ve had the most fun playing Into the Odd by Chris McDowall this year. Chris ran a few sessions that I played, and he’s a talented GM, and runs NPCs like he’s a god-damn actor. A few games run by Andrew Shields got me into Hangouts gaming after moving twice in two years and losing my face-to-face gaming folks and it has been a revelation.
For me, that would be Uncharted Worlds by Sean Gomes. This marriage of Powered by the Apocalypse and Space Opera (ala Traveller) has totally charmed me and the story arc that I ran for my friends went very well. The modular character generation system is a departure from the usual play book mechanic we see for PbtA, but it is a perfect fit for the setting and spirit of the game.
For me, that would be Uncharted Worlds by Sean Gomes. This marriage of Powered by the Apocalypse and Space Opera (ala Traveller) has totally charmed me and the story arc that I ran for my friends went very well. The modular character generation system is a departure from the usual play book mechanic we see for PbtA, but it is a perfect fit for the setting and spirit of the game.
Mouse Guard. I ran it after not having played it for a couple of years and it’s still reliably fun. I think the players had fun, but who cares? Most games suck to GM. Not this one!
Mouse Guard. I ran it after not having played it for a couple of years and it’s still reliably fun. I think the players had fun, but who cares? Most games suck to GM. Not this one!
Dungeon Crawl Classics by Goodman Games. 1. Because things like Mercurial Magic, Patron Taint, spell burn and luck points put the player in awkward postions and force them to choose between options that have booth good and bad aspects. 2. Because of the incredibly evocative art by folks like Doug Kovacs. 3. Because I think it has some of the best modules ever written for roleplaying games (at least the most trippy) by writers like Harley Stroh.
Dungeon Crawl Classics by Goodman Games. 1. Because things like Mercurial Magic, Patron Taint, spell burn and luck points put the player in awkward postions and force them to choose between options that have booth good and bad aspects. 2. Because of the incredibly evocative art by folks like Doug Kovacs. 3. Because I think it has some of the best modules ever written for roleplaying games (at least the most trippy) by writers like Harley Stroh.
Mine is definitely Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel based on Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker. I came across it a couple years ago and ever since then I have used it as a basis for every game we play. It saved me from Pathfinder’s bookkeeping and steered me towards the powered by the apocalypse way of role-playing and I can’t thank the creators enough.
Mine is definitely Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel based on Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker. I came across it a couple years ago and ever since then I have used it as a basis for every game we play. It saved me from Pathfinder’s bookkeeping and steered me towards the powered by the apocalypse way of role-playing and I can’t thank the creators enough.
My best game of 2016 was Bulldogs! Fate Core Edition by Brennan Taylor. More specifically, it was the adventure, John Britch ran at Dreamation, “On Her Majesty’s Dating Service.” It was funny, suspense filled, and the table of players were creative problem solvers. The Fate Core edition is so nicely streamlined, and the slapsticky, Han Solo style adventuring is so much fun. I’m still not sure if it was the setting, the players, or the GM that made this game my favorite, but that was far and away the best game I played 2016.
My best game of 2016 was Bulldogs! Fate Core Edition by Brennan Taylor. More specifically, it was the adventure, John Britch ran at Dreamation, “On Her Majesty’s Dating Service.” It was funny, suspense filled, and the table of players were creative problem solvers. The Fate Core edition is so nicely streamlined, and the slapsticky, Han Solo style adventuring is so much fun. I’m still not sure if it was the setting, the players, or the GM that made this game my favorite, but that was far and away the best game I played 2016.
I feel like I should somehow give my award to Powered by the Apocalypse, since (outside of Lovecraftesque) has dominated my play this year. Two Apocalypse World campaigns, some Masks, a Night Witches campaign, and a whole lot of PBTA-related design and playtesting.
Anyway, if you pin me down to one game it’s going to be Night Witches by Jason Morningstar, because my Night Witches campaign is kicking ass. I’m loving the mix of tense interpersonal relationships, struggling against sexism and BLOWING SHIT UP.
I also have to say that we’re both deeply flattered to be mentioned on this list. Thanks Oli Jeffery and Eadwin Tomlinson – it’s wonderful to know that people are enjoying the game. :)
I feel like I should somehow give my award to Powered by the Apocalypse, since (outside of Lovecraftesque) has dominated my play this year. Two Apocalypse World campaigns, some Masks, a Night Witches campaign, and a whole lot of PBTA-related design and playtesting.
Anyway, if you pin me down to one game it’s going to be Night Witches by Jason Morningstar, because my Night Witches campaign is kicking ass. I’m loving the mix of tense interpersonal relationships, struggling against sexism and BLOWING SHIT UP.
I also have to say that we’re both deeply flattered to be mentioned on this list. Thanks Oli Jeffery and Eadwin Tomlinson – it’s wonderful to know that people are enjoying the game. :)
Monsterhearts by Avery Alder is my favorite of 2016 and of all time. It has consistently shown a level of emotional depth and complexity I never expected to see in an RPG. It has made my table a more intimate, more trusting space. It has made great impact on my thinking about questions of sex and identity. And after 20+ sessions, I’ve walked away satisfied from every single one. I can’t say that for any other game.
Monsterhearts by Avery Alder is my favorite of 2016 and of all time. It has consistently shown a level of emotional depth and complexity I never expected to see in an RPG. It has made my table a more intimate, more trusting space. It has made great impact on my thinking about questions of sex and identity. And after 20+ sessions, I’ve walked away satisfied from every single one. I can’t say that for any other game.
My favorite is not a game, but a product. At the risk of sounding like a complete fan, it’s Richard Rogers’ podcast, +1 Forward. I didn’t really get PbtA games until Rich opened the brains of several developers and shared their insight into the PbtA design process.
(I think Discern Realities paved some of the way, but I don’t really get fantasy either. I do think I’m a better GM after listening to DR, especially the comic-strip AP.)
Anyway, uh, fancreature out.
My favorite is not a game, but a product. At the risk of sounding like a complete fan, it’s Richard Rogers’ podcast, +1 Forward. I didn’t really get PbtA games until Rich opened the brains of several developers and shared their insight into the PbtA design process.
(I think Discern Realities paved some of the way, but I don’t really get fantasy either. I do think I’m a better GM after listening to DR, especially the comic-strip AP.)
Anyway, uh, fancreature out.
My top pick is the play test of Dialect I had the pleasure of being a part of. I am struggling for the author’s name… Dialect was such a unique experience. By the end of the game, words meant different things to me. I have to applaud any time a game makes me feel something I never would have felt before, and this game does. I felt like I had become a citizen of a foreign civilization in just a few hours. I thought about that game session for days and weeks after it was over.
My top pick is the play test of Dialect I had the pleasure of being a part of. I am struggling for the author’s name… Dialect was such a unique experience. By the end of the game, words meant different things to me. I have to applaud any time a game makes me feel something I never would have felt before, and this game does. I felt like I had become a citizen of a foreign civilization in just a few hours. I thought about that game session for days and weeks after it was over.
OMG, Tomer Gurantz… Atlas Reckoning sounds like everything I need. I’ve been craving a big robot game since my Heavy Gear crew fell apart.
OMG, Tomer Gurantz… Atlas Reckoning sounds like everything I need. I’ve been craving a big robot game since my Heavy Gear crew fell apart.
David LaFreniere, the designers are Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalioglu.
David LaFreniere, the designers are Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalioglu.
Glad to hear it. I was having backer doubts but am comforted David LaFreniere
Glad to hear it. I was having backer doubts but am comforted David LaFreniere
Mine is also and still Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel. I played it a lot last year and now I have GMed several campaigns. I love the community and discussion around it, in large part from the Gauntlet but also a few other communities. I love how easy it is to bring players into the game. My favorite part is finding out and adapting to the unplanned details that the characters point out or focus on. I have looked at running a few other systems and catch myself constantly thinking “I could just do this in DW and it would just work”. I don’t remember ever having the opposite thought.
Mine is also and still Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel. I played it a lot last year and now I have GMed several campaigns. I love the community and discussion around it, in large part from the Gauntlet but also a few other communities. I love how easy it is to bring players into the game. My favorite part is finding out and adapting to the unplanned details that the characters point out or focus on. I have looked at running a few other systems and catch myself constantly thinking “I could just do this in DW and it would just work”. I don’t remember ever having the opposite thought.
River Williamson Atlas Reckoning has a public G+ site for announcements, but write to Stras Acimovic directly if you are interested in testing.
River Williamson Atlas Reckoning has a public G+ site for announcements, but write to Stras Acimovic directly if you are interested in testing.
Hi! This is a working thread for us, so if you guys could restrict comments to your submissions for favorite game, that would be great. Thanks!
Hi! This is a working thread for us, so if you guys could restrict comments to your submissions for favorite game, that would be great. Thanks!
Mine is Godbound by Kevin Crawford.
I like what he does with the basic D&D chassis and the tools he gives DM’s to populate a sandbox.
It is cool to play that and also play Stars Without Number and see how much better at the craft of layout and game design he’s gotten.
Mine is Godbound by Kevin Crawford.
I like what he does with the basic D&D chassis and the tools he gives DM’s to populate a sandbox.
It is cool to play that and also play Stars Without Number and see how much better at the craft of layout and game design he’s gotten.
I was part of three campaigns of Hamish Cameron’s The Sprawl this year, and it’s been my fav to get to the table. During a time when I’m utterly burnt out by ‘meh’ Powered by the Apocalypse reiterations, The Sprawl offered so much polish and clear design intent that left me feeling excited by PbtA.
I was part of three campaigns of Hamish Cameron’s The Sprawl this year, and it’s been my fav to get to the table. During a time when I’m utterly burnt out by ‘meh’ Powered by the Apocalypse reiterations, The Sprawl offered so much polish and clear design intent that left me feeling excited by PbtA.
Dungeon World. Sage LaTorra Adam Koebel
Why? It’s the one I played all year long and ran, finally wrapping up a 20+ episode campaign. While I was also in a nice D&D 5e campaign as a player, there’s something really fun about the Apoc/W engine. What Daniel Fowler said is true about PbtA – I look at every other game and think – wouldn’t it be easier to power that by the Apocalypse? (a recent thread I started showed me that that is flawed thinking, but that’s still my first reaction). Dungeon World is that version realized for D&D. And my son asked recently if I could show him how to run Dungeon World for his friends. Mission accomplished.
Dungeon World. Sage LaTorra Adam Koebel
Why? It’s the one I played all year long and ran, finally wrapping up a 20+ episode campaign. While I was also in a nice D&D 5e campaign as a player, there’s something really fun about the Apoc/W engine. What Daniel Fowler said is true about PbtA – I look at every other game and think – wouldn’t it be easier to power that by the Apocalypse? (a recent thread I started showed me that that is flawed thinking, but that’s still my first reaction). Dungeon World is that version realized for D&D. And my son asked recently if I could show him how to run Dungeon World for his friends. Mission accomplished.
Tim B Yup. The Sprawl all the way. I get it. I feel good running it. Very little gets in the way of the story or action. I love the playbooks. Gush gush gush.
Tim B Yup. The Sprawl all the way. I get it. I feel good running it. Very little gets in the way of the story or action. I love the playbooks. Gush gush gush.
The Sprawl. The best cyberpunk RPG ever. Hands down. Played a work-in-progress at Big Bad Con two years ago, run by Hamish Cameron himself and it was amazing then. And then this year it came out and I can’t get enough. I think it’s the best emulation of genre from any PbtA game, and perhaps any game, any system…
The Sprawl. The best cyberpunk RPG ever. Hands down. Played a work-in-progress at Big Bad Con two years ago, run by Hamish Cameron himself and it was amazing then. And then this year it came out and I can’t get enough. I think it’s the best emulation of genre from any PbtA game, and perhaps any game, any system…
Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel has finally gotten its hooks into me. I’ve actually only played in one session so far (at a con), and I really wasn’t sold on the game after that. But thanks to Discern Realities and some other podcasts and AP stuff, its potential has exploded into my imagination. I get to run it in twelve days (and hopefully weekly until the end of the year) and I couldn’t be more excited. So under-experienced as I am with it it’s definitely my game of the year.
Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel has finally gotten its hooks into me. I’ve actually only played in one session so far (at a con), and I really wasn’t sold on the game after that. But thanks to Discern Realities and some other podcasts and AP stuff, its potential has exploded into my imagination. I get to run it in twelve days (and hopefully weekly until the end of the year) and I couldn’t be more excited. So under-experienced as I am with it it’s definitely my game of the year.
Palace Gates from The Heads of State Collection by Mark Vallianatos was the one for me this year. The concept, looting the palace of a dictator after he dies, is great and the mechanics work perfectly for it. It’s driven by one of the most interesting random item tables in RPGs, and over the course of the game, as we explored this dictator’s life, it did an amazing job of showing the human side of a person who was pretty objectively terrible. I don’t think I’ve ever had more sympathy for a villain. Also, it has the same sort of mildly creepy voyeuristic vibe as Wilhelm Person’s Until Dawn, which is fantastic in its own right and gets my honorable mention.
Palace Gates from The Heads of State Collection by Mark Vallianatos was the one for me this year. The concept, looting the palace of a dictator after he dies, is great and the mechanics work perfectly for it. It’s driven by one of the most interesting random item tables in RPGs, and over the course of the game, as we explored this dictator’s life, it did an amazing job of showing the human side of a person who was pretty objectively terrible. I don’t think I’ve ever had more sympathy for a villain. Also, it has the same sort of mildly creepy voyeuristic vibe as Wilhelm Person’s Until Dawn, which is fantastic in its own right and gets my honorable mention.
I feel like I was one of the earliest town criers for Hamish Cameron’s The Sprawl here at the Gauntlet before I had even played one session or most anyone had. And thankfully it delivered. In spades. I’ve loved it each time I’ve played it,
I feel like I was one of the earliest town criers for Hamish Cameron’s The Sprawl here at the Gauntlet before I had even played one session or most anyone had. And thankfully it delivered. In spades. I’ve loved it each time I’ve played it,
Monsterhearts by Avery Alder for me. Had been impressed in previous years by playing in and running a one-shot, and especially by reading the book; but have been playing in a campaign over last few months and I have not been so enthusiastic and invested in quite some time.
Playing allows me to push my boundaries and encourages me to imagine people not entirely like me in complex ways – I like that
Monsterhearts by Avery Alder for me. Had been impressed in previous years by playing in and running a one-shot, and especially by reading the book; but have been playing in a campaign over last few months and I have not been so enthusiastic and invested in quite some time.
Playing allows me to push my boundaries and encourages me to imagine people not entirely like me in complex ways – I like that
Dresden Files with Fate System by Evil Hat. After playing mostly PbtA games, I had so much fun going back to Fate and playing the Dresden Files setting.
Dresden Files with Fate System by Evil Hat. After playing mostly PbtA games, I had so much fun going back to Fate and playing the Dresden Files setting.
Well 2016 is the year I discovered Dungeon World so you will all understand this is THE game for me this year. Took me a while to wrap my head around the system but now that I get it. (Thanks in great part for the Discern Reality podcast) I dont see myself ever playing D&D or Pathfinder again.
Well 2016 is the year I discovered Dungeon World so you will all understand this is THE game for me this year. Took me a while to wrap my head around the system but now that I get it. (Thanks in great part for the Discern Reality podcast) I dont see myself ever playing D&D or Pathfinder again.
The game of my 2016 would have to be Blades in the Dark by John Harper. We played fantastic 12 session campaign this year. I love the aesthetic, the gritty struggle, the gang development, the way it sets up the game with a instigating scene to help get into it immediately, the way it prepares the city to live and breathe and react to players, and how it just oozes the genre it’s emulating.
The game of my 2016 would have to be Blades in the Dark by John Harper. We played fantastic 12 session campaign this year. I love the aesthetic, the gritty struggle, the gang development, the way it sets up the game with a instigating scene to help get into it immediately, the way it prepares the city to live and breathe and react to players, and how it just oozes the genre it’s emulating.
Avi Waksberg aye BitD came close second for me. Can’t wait for the final product. I really like the flashback rule. 😆
Avi Waksberg aye BitD came close second for me. Can’t wait for the final product. I really like the flashback rule. 😆
Exactly! Blades in the Dark is a terriffic game! I just haven’t fully embraced it yet… I’m pretty sure it will be my favorite game of 2017, Avi Waksberg , Maxime Lacoste .
Exactly! Blades in the Dark is a terriffic game! I just haven’t fully embraced it yet… I’m pretty sure it will be my favorite game of 2017, Avi Waksberg , Maxime Lacoste .
World of Dungeons by John Harper has been my go-to game in 2016 for running fantasy games with between 1 and 4 players, often at short notice.
I’ve used it to GM adventures in Yoon-Suin, Qelong, the Wizardarium of Calabraxis, and Verona (which seems a lot like Vornheim but with more Italians). I’ve only had one recurring PC but in my head they all exist in the same world. Carcosa, yet to be explored, lies to the east of Qelong.
World of Dungeons by John Harper has been my go-to game in 2016 for running fantasy games with between 1 and 4 players, often at short notice.
I’ve used it to GM adventures in Yoon-Suin, Qelong, the Wizardarium of Calabraxis, and Verona (which seems a lot like Vornheim but with more Italians). I’ve only had one recurring PC but in my head they all exist in the same world. Carcosa, yet to be explored, lies to the east of Qelong.
If anyone on this thread wants to give us an audio version of their submission, we’ll include it in this episode.
Here are the specific instructions
-Start with “My name is [your name here] and my favorite game of 2016 was [name of game]. The reason why I chose it…”
-No more than 30 seconds long
-WAVformat
-Deadline 12.10.16
-Send it to this Dropbox link:
dropbox.com – Dropbox – Submit files
If anyone on this thread wants to give us an audio version of their submission, we’ll include it in this episode.
Here are the specific instructions
-Start with “My name is [your name here] and my favorite game of 2016 was [name of game]. The reason why I chose it…”
-No more than 30 seconds long
-WAVformat
-Deadline 12.10.16
-Send it to this Dropbox link:
dropbox.com – Dropbox – Submit files
That is hands down Urban Shadows by Andrew Medeiros and Mark Diaz Truman. The cover had me the moment I saw it, with mixing images on a black backround, as did the idea of an urban fantasy game with a…darker side. People that play with me know, almost everything I play takes a turn for the dark, even if I’m playing a happy-go-lucky Middle-Eastern looking hipster Fae that is fascinated by Uber. The nature of the game seems to filter for people that are willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones and build intense stories, and my first group certainly has done that. We’ve had some of the best roleplaying sequences I’ve ever experienced: intimate moments when a bullet was pulled out of me, awkward relationship moments when you try to tell the one you’re in love with what’s really going on, but can’t because she’ll either run from you the monster, or she’ll be eaten by the monsters who now know she’s on the board and in the game. The Powered by The Apocalypse mechanics and playbooks are just the springboard for your dark imagination to take flight. The game drew us like moths to a flame, because the closer you get to that beautiful brightness, the more everything around you seems dark and you only want more. We only planned to play 6-8 sessions, but we’re now on 15+ and still haven’t saved the world or grown tired of our characters. Without this game, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to try Monsterhearts. Now I’m ready for anything!
That is hands down Urban Shadows by Andrew Medeiros and Mark Diaz Truman. The cover had me the moment I saw it, with mixing images on a black backround, as did the idea of an urban fantasy game with a…darker side. People that play with me know, almost everything I play takes a turn for the dark, even if I’m playing a happy-go-lucky Middle-Eastern looking hipster Fae that is fascinated by Uber. The nature of the game seems to filter for people that are willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones and build intense stories, and my first group certainly has done that. We’ve had some of the best roleplaying sequences I’ve ever experienced: intimate moments when a bullet was pulled out of me, awkward relationship moments when you try to tell the one you’re in love with what’s really going on, but can’t because she’ll either run from you the monster, or she’ll be eaten by the monsters who now know she’s on the board and in the game. The Powered by The Apocalypse mechanics and playbooks are just the springboard for your dark imagination to take flight. The game drew us like moths to a flame, because the closer you get to that beautiful brightness, the more everything around you seems dark and you only want more. We only planned to play 6-8 sessions, but we’re now on 15+ and still haven’t saved the world or grown tired of our characters. Without this game, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to try Monsterhearts. Now I’m ready for anything!