overgeeked
Open-World Sandbox
Sorry for the mild spoilers if anyone reads Mushoku Tensei, but one of the male characters has resting bitch face as a superpower. It’s kinda hilarious.
Tangentially related (it's about board/wargames more than anything else) Steve Jackson's Game Design: Theory & Practice is an interesting (and very quick) read. As something that came out in 1981 and was based on Space Gamer articles from even earlier, the book's pretty dated by today's standards but offers a fascinating look into design approaches of an era that was still dominated by two-player hex-and-counter games. Also a pretty solid overview of earlier trends in design from a vantage point much closer to the 70s than any modern history can be. Plus, the most dated stuff is kind of hilarious.I've started William White's Tabletop RPG Design in Theory and Practice at the Forge, 2001–2012: Designs and Discussions, and it's good so far, but we'll see how much I can get through before I lose access (it's a rental, and I've got until 5 April to finish it).
It's not quite the same tone, but I recommend Re: Monster (the anime for which premieres next month). It's also an isekai, but is notable for being written in an epistolary format, which is unusual for a light novel series.Finished another pair of Mushoku Tensei novels, 15 and 16. Now it’s on to 17. Things have gotten seriously weird in the last few novels. I didn’t think it was possible to like the series more, but I do. What a wild ride. I hope the author can stick the landing. I wish there were more. Going to need to find another series to obsess over soon.