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Game design Gameplay advice

Game systems to replace D&D 5E

With Wizards of the Coast planning to make changes to the Open Gaming License and the Dungeons and Dragons itself, a lot of game designers and gaming groups are looking for alternative game engines.

So for all of you here’s my guide to modern TTRPG game systems to try for your gaming table or indie content.

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Gameplay advice

A story about TTTRPG safety tools

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Game design

How I got the Ring Mimic published

After months of on and off writing, I am extremely pleased to present to the world my first D&D publication – the Ring Mimic, published on DM’s Guild on December 20 by my friends at LM Publishing.

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Game design

The Fordlyng Caravan

I decided to take up the challenge devised by Penny Blake in celebration of Gypsy Roma & Traveller History Month (see: Why are your #ttrpg Travellers travelling?).

The challenge is simple: describe a group of Travellers, including the reason which made them choose a traveling lifestyle.

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Reviews

Braythe: a world twice unknown

I’ve just finished my first session in the world of Braythe.

Braythe is the brainchild of Heiner de Wendt, who I met on Twitter. It is a world born anew after a magical apocalypse.

While I can’t tell you much about the setting yet, I can say this: it feels great to explore an unknown and strange world.

And Braythe is unknown twice over.

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Game design Recommended media

TED Talks every gamer should watch

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m looking forward to a week off, filled with playing Diablo, watching Avengers and crunching some long-overdue game design projects that have piled up.

But that all starts tomorrow. Today, I’m feeding my brain a healthy dose of intellectual stimuli in short form with a selection of TED talks old and new. And while I always feel a bit guilty afterwards about spending a day entirely on media consumption rather than creative output, these short presentation are a treasure trove of inspiration.

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Game design

Of cultures, sensitivities & fire

This is a very old post from 2012. Reposted, since I still come back to these learnings.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been witnessing a heated debate about appropriation and racism in game design happening over at the Story Games forum, sparked by some of the entries in this year’s Game Chef competition. Sadly, my game, Lies of Passage, was one of the games that acted as the sparks here. This post is an attempt to present my views and way of thinking, as they relate to Lies of Passage and the development process.

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Game design

Game Chef Therapy

I have this thing for starting projects & then abandoning them half-way through the design or writing process. In short, I have a problem with getting stuff done.

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Reviews

Review: One Last Night

One Last Night by Abram Bussiere is not a game I expected to find in Game Chef. It’s a drinking game.

Unlike most drinking games, the object of One Last Night is not to make participants share and/or do embarrassing things. Instead it has players compile a pre-apocalyptic wish list – things to do before the world ends and we all die, and then play out the difficulties of choosing between them with limited time, as well as the joy of getting each done.

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Reviews

Review: Coyote Won’t Talk

Coyote Won’t Talk, written by Morgan Stinson for Game Chef 2012, is a rather serious game, as far as what’s at stake – judging humanity’s faults and triumphs. Four great animal spirits reflect on humanity, as the world ends around them: the Fox, the Dog, the Wolf and the Coyote (who doesn’t talk… mostly).