It’s easy to dismiss Ruination. Its another one of those games with dudes walking across a map so they can battle other dudes, petroleum leaking from broken plastic bodies as slaughter begets slaughter. But this one takes place in the post-apocalypse. Or rather the post-post-apocalypse as the primary mode of transportation is foot and hoof.…
I took one look at Deranged and it crawled through my retinas and into my brain. So much about this experience appeals to me, including an exceedingly stylish gothic horror setting, semi-cooperative player friction, and variable scenarios with both scripted and emergent narrative. Those games that play with fire and risk utter collapse also flirt…
Rocky Mountain Man is the latest LP from artist Nate Hayden. There are few principles chiseled into my bones, but blindly buying the new Emperors of Eternal Evil publication is absolutely one of them. I expected an interesting and weird experience. What I got was enlightenment. It’s impossible for me to talk about this game…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are power in those words. What is the MCU? No, not a collection of films. I’m looking for essence. Nature. Emotion. What is the MCU? A dagger of lightning echoed through Mjolnir and into every inch of your mortal tissue. Maybe for you, but not for me. It’s April 27th…
Ryan Laukat has made a career pairing Euro-style adventure mechanisms with threaded narrative content. This is most directly seen in Near & Far, but it’s also present in Above & Below and Empires of the Void II. Unfortunately none of those games have felt perfectly comfortable or expertly integrated between their various elements. Iteration, however,…
I didn’t really expect to be writing about Spartacus right now. When the new edition arrived on my doorstep I was certainly surprised, but I was also curious and more importantly, interested in taking a reflective look at this title from an academic angle. Most of my plays of this game have occurred in the…
Devil May Cry: The Bloody Palace is a Steamforged Games title. There’s some baggage there. It’s also a James Hewitt lead work. And there lies expectation. Like Sabertooth meeting Wolverine, impediment meet badass. May the stronger come out on top. I know a bit of the Devil May Cry series. Enough to examine this game…
I was impressed with Unmatched. I thought the character choices were interesting and varied, the ruleset was tight and fluid, and the product design was simply outstanding. What’s perhaps shocking is that I was never much of an Epic Duels fan, yet this release felt warm and comforting in ways I didn’t expect. It even…
Core Space is a semi-cooperative miniatures skirmish system that was one of my most beloved releases of 2019. It continues to see a substantial amount of play and my enthusiasm remains elevated. Dangerous Days functions as the second season of this system, featuring the first expansion material developed post-release. I’m using the title Dangerous Days,…
The “Jyhad” is the eternal war between ancient Methuselahs in White Wolf’s popular World of Darkness setting. It’s a conflict of clandestine offensives launched from the shadows. Vampires endlessly crave, desiring not just cruor but demonstrable power. Perhaps its their lingering vestiges of humanity, perhaps its a heightened need to control others. Regardless, we Methuselahs…
