Let’s have some game recommendations! I’m keen to try out some new stuff in 2018. I’m looking for a few things:

Let’s have some game recommendations! I’m keen to try out some new stuff in 2018. I’m looking for a few things:

Let’s have some game recommendations! I’m keen to try out some new stuff in 2018. I’m looking for a few things:

1. Games that can be played online with minimal fuss.

2. Games that are NOT Powered by the Apocalypse

3. OSR adventures and modules are welcome recommendations (to support Fear of a Black Dragon podcast).

4. Games we have not covered extensively on our shows.

Post your recommendations in the comments. A few words about why you’re recommending them would be nice.

148 thoughts on “Let’s have some game recommendations! I’m keen to try out some new stuff in 2018. I’m looking for a few things:”

  7. Hooray for number 2 on your list. (And again nothing against the Apocolypse engine, but want systems that don’t feel so “lived in?”) If you are into Beta, there is a cool looking game called Straight to VHS. See what I did there? The game has some fidly bits but stays true to its intent, which is to emulate the feel of a shitty/awesome 80’s movie. So far the rules are at 23 pages I believe, but it does have pages of trope which makes for heavy lifting on the players part.

  8. Hooray for number 2 on your list. (And again nothing against the Apocolypse engine, but want systems that don’t feel so “lived in?”) If you are into Beta, there is a cool looking game called Straight to VHS. See what I did there? The game has some fidly bits but stays true to its intent, which is to emulate the feel of a shitty/awesome 80’s movie. So far the rules are at 23 pages I believe, but it does have pages of trope which makes for heavy lifting on the players part.

  9. 3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars – does require a little finagling online (range map), but allows for open table play and while can tempt mechanical mission-only play does encourage roleplay

  10. 3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars – does require a little finagling online (range map), but allows for open table play and while can tempt mechanical mission-only play does encourage roleplay

  11. Prime time Adventures.

    A great storytelling game that nearly everyone understands the flow of the game–it is a TV show. Everyone has an idea of when a smashcut should occur, when a commercial break fits the timing, and when an episode may end in a cliff hanger.

  12. Prime time Adventures.

    A great storytelling game that nearly everyone understands the flow of the game–it is a TV show. Everyone has an idea of when a smashcut should occur, when a commercial break fits the timing, and when an episode may end in a cliff hanger.

  13. Shadow of the Demon Lord looks great. I haven’t gotten play it (or see it being played) but I want to every time I flip through the book. There are some really cool Ancestry (similar to race) options that really lend themselves to some cool fiction, and there are some interesting Madness and Corruption mechanics.

  14. Shadow of the Demon Lord looks great. I haven’t gotten play it (or see it being played) but I want to every time I flip through the book. There are some really cool Ancestry (similar to race) options that really lend themselves to some cool fiction, and there are some interesting Madness and Corruption mechanics.

  25. Games I’m hoping to play (or play more) in 2018, likely with Gauntlet peeps:

    – Coriolis

    – The Strange

    – Trollbabe

    – Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies

    – Cold City or Hot War

    – Renegade Jennys and Boilerplate Jacks

    – octaNe

    – Scarlet Wake

    – Demonmarked

    – Forthright

    – Home by Dark

    – Intrepid

    – Katanas & Trenchcoats

    – Road Trip

  26. Games I’m hoping to play (or play more) in 2018, likely with Gauntlet peeps:

    – Coriolis

    – The Strange

    – Trollbabe

    – Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies

    – Cold City or Hot War

    – Renegade Jennys and Boilerplate Jacks

    – octaNe

    – Scarlet Wake

    – Demonmarked

    – Forthright

    – Home by Dark

    – Intrepid

    – Katanas & Trenchcoats

    – Road Trip

  27. I don’t recall hearing much about ICONS assembled on the show. I definitely want to do more with it in the new year. It’s a system that could easily be done online, not PbtA, and could be tangentially-considered OSR, if you think of the 80s Marvel Superhero RPG as part of the “Old School.”

  28. I don’t recall hearing much about ICONS assembled on the show. I definitely want to do more with it in the new year. It’s a system that could easily be done online, not PbtA, and could be tangentially-considered OSR, if you think of the 80s Marvel Superhero RPG as part of the “Old School.”

  35. Would updates on more “story” games count? Follow, The Quiet Year, etc? New games as well, as they come out.

    Dialect is incredible (just got the PDF); I’d love to see what you guys do with it.

  36. Would updates on more “story” games count? Follow, The Quiet Year, etc? New games as well, as they come out.

    Dialect is incredible (just got the PDF); I’d love to see what you guys do with it.

  43. Dialect – just reading it. Card prep on roll20 is needed but once done it’s a replayable table.

    Exuviae – is also on the list but I need to read more about the card mechanic before I know it’ll work online.

    Trouble for hire: When it arrives

    Key revisits: Downfall, Home by Dark, Perseverant, Some more from the Seven Wonders anthology, The Name of God

    Games I’m looking into: octaNe and Cartoon Action Hour

  44. Dialect – just reading it. Card prep on roll20 is needed but once done it’s a replayable table.

    Exuviae – is also on the list but I need to read more about the card mechanic before I know it’ll work online.

    Trouble for hire: When it arrives

    Key revisits: Downfall, Home by Dark, Perseverant, Some more from the Seven Wonders anthology, The Name of God

    Games I’m looking into: octaNe and Cartoon Action Hour

  51. Tresi Arvizo We have covered 7th Sea 2E pretty extensively (at least three different episodes of The Gauntlet Podcast) but I myself have not yet played it. Anxious to give it a try.

  52. Tresi Arvizo We have covered 7th Sea 2E pretty extensively (at least three different episodes of The Gauntlet Podcast) but I myself have not yet played it. Anxious to give it a try.

  65. Apologies if any of these have already been extensively covered:

    – Trollbabe, classic storygame

    – The Shadow of Yesterday, another classic storygame

    – The Bite, quick high-emotion 2 player

    – Veins of the Earth, dungeoneering done right

    – Symbaroum, next generation trad with incredible visuals and lore

    – The Nightmares Underneath, thematic twist on classic fantasy

    – Spire, latest Grant Howitt

  66. Apologies if any of these have already been extensively covered:

    – Trollbabe, classic storygame

    – The Shadow of Yesterday, another classic storygame

    – The Bite, quick high-emotion 2 player

    – Veins of the Earth, dungeoneering done right

    – Symbaroum, next generation trad with incredible visuals and lore

    – The Nightmares Underneath, thematic twist on classic fantasy

    – Spire, latest Grant Howitt

  73. Timewatch

    The Strange

    Numenera

    Star Trek (Any system from FASA to Star Trek Adventures)

    Mutant City Blues

    Beyond the Wall

    Ashen Stars

    Anything using Savage Worlds

    Dungeon Crawl Classics

    Dragon Age

    Cartoon Action Hour

  74. Timewatch

    The Strange

    Numenera

    Star Trek (Any system from FASA to Star Trek Adventures)

    Mutant City Blues

    Beyond the Wall

    Ashen Stars

    Anything using Savage Worlds

    Dungeon Crawl Classics

    Dragon Age

    Cartoon Action Hour

  81. Beyond the Wall. I don’t know why this game doesn’t get more traction in the OSR/story game crowd. It’s accessible, beautiful and a ton of fun. The game mechanics themselves are nothing special, but the group map and setting creation is a blast.

  82. Beyond the Wall. I don’t know why this game doesn’t get more traction in the OSR/story game crowd. It’s accessible, beautiful and a ton of fun. The game mechanics themselves are nothing special, but the group map and setting creation is a blast.

  83. For OSR, I cannot recommend Sharp Swords and Sinister Spells enough, its kinda like The Black Hack meets DCC, and I simply LOVE it.

    I think it takes The Black Hack and evolves it just a tiny bit, while keeping it simple/fast/ and fun.

    This is going to be my goto for introducing people who want to try a trad/fantasy RPG for the first time. From here I would graduate them to DCC for more trad or DW for more narrative.

    But on it’s own, its simply brilliant. Get both the core book and the addendum from DriveThru for PWYW.

  84. For OSR, I cannot recommend Sharp Swords and Sinister Spells enough, its kinda like The Black Hack meets DCC, and I simply LOVE it.

    I think it takes The Black Hack and evolves it just a tiny bit, while keeping it simple/fast/ and fun.

    This is going to be my goto for introducing people who want to try a trad/fantasy RPG for the first time. From here I would graduate them to DCC for more trad or DW for more narrative.

    But on it’s own, its simply brilliant. Get both the core book and the addendum from DriveThru for PWYW.

  87. Gerrit Reininghaus​ why not current TDE 😉

    Veins of the Earth seems interesting.

    I would Not mind Hearing More about Ryuutama.

    Unknown Armies.

    Gumshoe.

    Richard Rogers​ Primetime Aventures is great but i do Like the creating a series concept together Part of it a Lot. I think YouTube last Run allready Came With a concept.

    I would Like to hear If you can figure Out how to Play Spione.

  88. Gerrit Reininghaus​ why not current TDE 😉

    Veins of the Earth seems interesting.

    I would Not mind Hearing More about Ryuutama.

    Unknown Armies.

    Gumshoe.

    Richard Rogers​ Primetime Aventures is great but i do Like the creating a series concept together Part of it a Lot. I think YouTube last Run allready Came With a concept.

    I would Like to hear If you can figure Out how to Play Spione.

  91. I think you should play D and D 5e, but Jason Cordova style. (Ie with lots of horror elements and not railroady). Use the additional background rules in Xanathar’s Guide as well as a lot of the emergent tables in the DMG.

  92. I think you should play D and D 5e, but Jason Cordova style. (Ie with lots of horror elements and not railroady). Use the additional background rules in Xanathar’s Guide as well as a lot of the emergent tables in the DMG.

  103. i would suggest chuubo’s marvelous wish-granting engine for the first two, but it is far from an osr game, so it does not hit the third criterium. it is a storygame that is about as far from osr as you can get, because it is all about the storytelling and only has gameplay to help with that. but it is my personal favorite game, and it fits the first two criterium, and probably the fourth, so i am going to suggest it.

  104. i would suggest chuubo’s marvelous wish-granting engine for the first two, but it is far from an osr game, so it does not hit the third criterium. it is a storygame that is about as far from osr as you can get, because it is all about the storytelling and only has gameplay to help with that. but it is my personal favorite game, and it fits the first two criterium, and probably the fourth, so i am going to suggest it.

  107. As someone with a real love for trad game settings, I kinda like Chris Shorb’s idea…discuss the trad games that are out there and how to incorporate the lessons from pbta/narrative gaming into something like D&D 5e or CoC 7e.

  108. As someone with a real love for trad game settings, I kinda like Chris Shorb’s idea…discuss the trad games that are out there and how to incorporate the lessons from pbta/narrative gaming into something like D&D 5e or CoC 7e.

  121. Stand out adventure: Deep Carbon Observatory (Patrick Stuart and Scrap Princess), World of the Lost (Rafael Chandler LotFP Nigeria with dinosaurs and alien robots), Hot Spring Islands (Jacob Hurst’s new hex crawl), Evil Wizards in a Cave (Johnstone Metzger’s classic old England-ish hex crawl), Maze of the Blue Medusa (Patrick Stuart and Zak Smith megadungeon).

  122. Stand out adventure: Deep Carbon Observatory (Patrick Stuart and Scrap Princess), World of the Lost (Rafael Chandler LotFP Nigeria with dinosaurs and alien robots), Hot Spring Islands (Jacob Hurst’s new hex crawl), Evil Wizards in a Cave (Johnstone Metzger’s classic old England-ish hex crawl), Maze of the Blue Medusa (Patrick Stuart and Zak Smith megadungeon).

  127. Jason Cordova Ha, I’d not looked to closely at the FoaBD podcasts because I associate OSR with dungeon crawls and the old school stuff I played was more scifi (Battletech/Shadowrun/Star Wars)…I’ll have to give it another look!

  128. Jason Cordova Ha, I’d not looked to closely at the FoaBD podcasts because I associate OSR with dungeon crawls and the old school stuff I played was more scifi (Battletech/Shadowrun/Star Wars)…I’ll have to give it another look!

  131. OSR stuff is not necessarily trad or the trad mainstream, there are a lot of games that do something else. It might be worth looking at those as well. The Dark Eye and Star Finder got mentioned for example.

  132. OSR stuff is not necessarily trad or the trad mainstream, there are a lot of games that do something else. It might be worth looking at those as well. The Dark Eye and Star Finder got mentioned for example.

  137. A departure from the norm: Always Never Now and it’s “parent” Lady Blackbird (I know that one has been covered).

    Tenra Bansho Zero

    Hollowpoint

    Our Last Best Hope

    Wushu

    Sorcerer

    Wield

    Risus

    Houses of the Blooded (actually a whole John Wick presents show would be awesome)

  138. A departure from the norm: Always Never Now and it’s “parent” Lady Blackbird (I know that one has been covered).

    Tenra Bansho Zero

    Hollowpoint

    Our Last Best Hope

    Wushu

    Sorcerer

    Wield

    Risus

    Houses of the Blooded (actually a whole John Wick presents show would be awesome)

  141. Some games by postworldgames. Protocol and Praxis systems have plenty of skins/scenarios; Protocol more free-form with story cues in the vein of Fall of Magic (without a map), and Praxis a more mechanically complex version of that game with a little more “game” meat. Also some of the older GM-zero line of games like Dying Memoryes and George’s Children would be really cool. (I’m running 2 versions of Forget-Me-Not this coming month).

  142. Some games by postworldgames. Protocol and Praxis systems have plenty of skins/scenarios; Protocol more free-form with story cues in the vein of Fall of Magic (without a map), and Praxis a more mechanically complex version of that game with a little more “game” meat. Also some of the older GM-zero line of games like Dying Memoryes and George’s Children would be really cool. (I’m running 2 versions of Forget-Me-Not this coming month).

  143. Tomer Gurantz Jason Cordova Second the Protocol and Praxis games. George’s Children is fun, as is the one where you are fighters from a long drawn out war that has come to an end and you are coming home (appropriately called “Home”).

  144. Tomer Gurantz Jason Cordova Second the Protocol and Praxis games. George’s Children is fun, as is the one where you are fighters from a long drawn out war that has come to an end and you are coming home (appropriately called “Home”).

  145. Rich Glover I second Always/Never/Now. It is a fantastic game! 🙂

    I would suggest that potential players should not read the plot, as there are fantastic plot twists that can be spoiled.

  146. Rich Glover I second Always/Never/Now. It is a fantastic game! 🙂

    I would suggest that potential players should not read the plot, as there are fantastic plot twists that can be spoiled.

  147. GURPS

    Mutants & Masterminds/DC Universe RPG

    The old DC Heroes RPG from the 80s-90s.

    Star Wars: Revised, Expanded, Updated (West End Games)

    Fantasy Flight Star Wars

    Lore RPG

    Traveller

    Stars Without Number

    Burning Wheel

    Cyberpunk 2020

    Paranoia

    Also, some one page RPGs

    Everyone Is John

    Lasers and Feelings

    Pack of Strays

    Digital Shades

    Roll For Shoes

  148. GURPS

    Mutants & Masterminds/DC Universe RPG

    The old DC Heroes RPG from the 80s-90s.

    Star Wars: Revised, Expanded, Updated (West End Games)

    Fantasy Flight Star Wars

    Lore RPG

    Traveller

    Stars Without Number

    Burning Wheel

    Cyberpunk 2020

    Paranoia

    Also, some one page RPGs

    Everyone Is John

    Lasers and Feelings

    Pack of Strays

    Digital Shades

    Roll For Shoes

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