The best versions of Powered By the Apocalypse games are the ones that also serve as useful guides to the genre they are emulating. Even if you never use Monster of the Week, Dungeon World or Urban Shadows they are still chock full of great advice on how to create smart storylines and compelling...
Out of all the members of the MORK BORG family, Vast Grimm stands out for a few reasons. Its distinctive art style continues the fine tradition of grisly images with a color palette that takes it in more of a 90’s video game direction. The game has built a dying universe that gives players a...
We are surrounded by darkness. Our world is a beacon of light in a void. Our stories reflect our fears and desires reflected back on us as monsters. Ex Tenebris, the latest game from Black Armada currently on Kickstarter, aims to take gothic, mythic space mysteries in a whole new direction. We...
It seems like there’s a natural line from the Nordic Black Metal Apocalypse of Mork Borg and the apocalyptic sagas of viking mythology. A jagged, blood encrusted line but a solid line nonetheless. Broken Brain Games laid an early claim to this idea with RaganaBorg: Saga of the Chosen.
While...
I ran City of Mist for my AP crew. While I enjoyed the game, I felt like sometimes the PbtA influences and the Fate influences were pushing against each other. One of them had to go and Otherscape shows that getting rid of moves for the most part is the right call.
Reading this reminded me of...
“Old School” fantasy tends to refer to games tinged with elements of sword and sorcery fiction. These are your games with Conan-like vagabonds and dangerous magic. However, time moves every forward, and for many, old school fantasy now refers to films like Willow or Ladyhawke where magic can...
Dungeon crawler games look to expand with new classes, new loot and new stuff for the players to acquire. Heart is no different, with a new expansion full of fresh ideas currently crowdfunding called Ways And Means. I spoke with the head of the project about what fans can expect from the...
The best way to keep an evil or antihero campaign on track is to supply the players with bigger villains to go after. It’s a joy to see the thieves from Leverage or the symbiotes from Marvel use their dastardly knowhow or vicious powers to take on bad guys that deserve the worst. The Sickest...
Exploration is a vital part of many role playing games. It often takes a back seat to other aspects such as the big battle at the end of the dungeon or the tidy profit for a space smuggler crew. Mappa Mundi, from Three Sails Studios, puts exploration front and center in a game where players are...