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February 1983. As we step into a new year of gaming Ian Livingstone wonders what might come next. With Treasure Trap starting (or at...

Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Lately, my Saturday afternoons at the local library have become the third pillar of a massive...

Image courtesy of Pixabay. For years, my game room sat as a quiet monument to a dream: a dedicated space where I could play Dungeons &...

The story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 is a tragedy of American history: a cautionary tale of class bias, social anxiety, and...

So every decision made by a player in an RPG is somewhat meta by definition? IRL I don't know my to-hit bonus, damage dice, hit points...

Ideally, all RPG design teams would have this level of introspection: "Does the gameplay loop create the experience we want, or is it...

There is no question. It's a silly thing to suggest about the game. Sorry dude, you've lost the plot. The clock is just there to track...

Here's a simple example: In Burning Wheel and Torchbearer 2e, if the consequence for a character is death, but the player of that...

Ok, well I think we've firmly established where we are at. You think that nothing about AW was new or novel. You are welcome to that...

I kinda feel like, though... how do some of these folks get through basic training? I've (accidentally) seen some youtube videos about...

Ticking a clock is a consequence? You don't telegraph "a clock" you telegraph "Alerted Guards" or "Hunted." If the player doesnt resist...

I find D&D combat too limiting of my agency. The GM keeps telling me, "the Orc deftly stabs in under your shield and . . " and I'm all...

With that phrase, you're more or less describing me. Well I've been around WH40k tabletop play for years, I've only actually sat down...

I find D&D combat too limiting of my agency. The GM keeps telling me, "the Orc deftly stabs in under your shield and . . " and I'm all...

Modern D&D doesnt do mobs well. Goblins may be OP.