Free League Publishing is teaming up with Start Playing Games and Alchemy RPG for another free learn-to-play workshop this week! GMs and players interested in running the critically acclaimed Tales From the Loop should join this free event for a hands-on look at both the system and the innovative tabletop. If this workshop is anything like the Vaesen event hosted last year, it’s going to be worth your time. To sign up, make sure you sign up on the official page, and have an Alchemy account ready to go. You don’t need to download the client, you can run it from your browser.
Fans of the Netflix series Stranger Things should look into running this system. The adventure is based on kids exploring an alternate timeline in the 80s where a mysterious corporation has moved into town with a series of strange phenomena following close behind. What strange secrets will you and your friends uncover in this retro sci-fi adventure?
What is Alchemy RPG
Alchemy RPG is a virtual tabletop whose goal is to enhance the theater of the mind experience. The VTT offers a growing library of RPGs and events with specially crafted modules for GMs to run the game. These modules will have a collection of sounds, music, and animated backgrounds to help a GM run their game. With integrated voice chat and character sheets, it makes things easy for players and GMs to connect through the system they love. There is an integrated video chat feature and streamer support coming to the platform, so there is a lot to be excited for.
I got to use it briefly with Vaesen and enjoyed using it. It was easy to use, to learn, and it had a lot of the features I needed. I like that I could add grid-based combat whenever I needed it. You don’t need to buy the modules to run a game in Alchemy, but it makes things a whole lot easier. After you see everything the modules come with, you’re going to want to buy them anyways. I’ll be joining and posting a review as soon as I can.
If you’re looking for a new system, make some time to check out the free Tales From the Loop. If you need a hard copy of the rule book, get it over at Amazon ($39.40) or the official website ($51.35)! If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow and share this with your friends.
I was sent Titanic: A Space Between for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Titanic: A Space Between is a horror VR game playable on Steam VR, Pico, and the Meta Quest 2 and 3. Play as a time traveler investigating the disappearance of a woman named Diana on the famous ship as it sinks. Solve puzzles, follow clues, and survive the most famous shipwreck in history. But there is something strange that lurks in this past. Can you solve the mystery and make it back to your own time alive?
Gameplay
This is an exploration horror game where players move through the narrative by searching for clues and solving puzzles as the ship sinks. The version I received is still in development, and was still a bit too unstable to be enjoyable.
Thoughts
The game isn’t done and this puts me in an awkward position. On the one hand, the concept is interesting, and I am invested in finding out what happened to Diana. On the other, the build of the game I received is unplayable.
The game is buggy, and a few of the games broke the game. I tried to record a video, but that made the game more unstable. I got to a point in the game where I wasn’t able to advance because the mechanics didn’t work and I didn’t want to start over. I am willing to excuse bugs and glitches, but here it felt like I was fighting with the game more than I was enjoying it.
Poor performance aside, Titanic: A Space Between is a cool concept for a game. It has an interesting story, it looks good, the voice acting is fantastic, and I love the flavor. The game also has some solid horror baked throughout. With a few more patches, I can see myself returning because I want to know what happened to Diana, but in its current state, I can’t recommend it.
The game releases on the Meta App Lab on February 13th, pick it up then if you’re looking for a spooky Titanic adventure and don’t mind playing through the bugs.
Acent Ontario was this weekend, and it was pretty cool to watch the game in action. I’ve put together the top 3 decks from the tournaments, and left links to the singles for those interested. If you need any Grand Archive, like the newest Alchemical Revolution set, get it over at TCG Player.
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With only a few sessions left in my Dragonbanecampaign, I think now is a great time to release the review. Please note that I did receive a free copy of the pdf and foundry module, but I was planning on at least running the quickstart guide eventually. That said, this will be my honest review.
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Dragonbane is a fantasy tabletop RPG based in the Mysty Vale It features unique races, an interesting combat/initiative system, and a less limiting class/character creation system than a traditional RPG. The game is easy to pick up, and fun to play once you’ve adapted to the Year Zero engine.
Initiative
Dragonbane uses cards for initiative, and I love this system. While I love rolling dice, nothing beats the randomness of drawing cards. While some characters and creatures might go multiple times in a round, there are no initiative bonuses in Dragonbane. Instead, the creature or player who pulls the lowest card goes first.
This order isn’t fixed. Players can switch initiative cards with each other or enemies for an advantage, and the initiative resets after each turn. It felt like my players were no longer waiting around for their next turn, but instead were adapting to change, or planning to gain the advantage.
Combat
I love the combat system in Dragonbane. As a GM, I love how the system handles monsters. Monsters come with a roll table of abilities and attacks they can perform each turn. During a monster’s turn, GMs roll for the action. The randomness of this system makes combat a lot more exciting. I either roll for the TPK (I never did), or I waste a turn on a useless debuff. There are some monsters I’d tweak for future campaigns, but combat generally had enough fun and suspenseful drama.
From a player’s perspective, I love how strategic the action economy is. A player can use their action to attack, aid a party member, or evade/parry an attack. I like that players aren’t waiting around for damage, but can instead use their action to mitigate it. Waiting and evading a deadly attack is so satisfying.
Classes
It’s important to note that classes in Dragonbane are more like templates. While other systems limit the abilities and skills available to a character based on their class, Dragonbane gives players the freedom to play their character how they want. Classes in Dragonbane are only really to help players allocate their proficiencies and skill points.
After a player starts the adventure, players have the freedom to allocate skill points wherever they want. This means you can be a wizard who is proficient at swords, or a knight who can cast magic (depending on how your world handles magic). To people coming from other systems, some of the classes will feel underwhelming, but I always let my players change their character if they don’t like what they come up with the first time.
Leveling
Leveling in Dragonbane is based on five questions:
✦ Did you participate in the game session? ✦ Did you explore a new location? ✦ Did you defeat one or more dangerous adversaries? ✦ Did you overcome an obstacle without using force? ✦ Did you give in to your weakness? (Optional)
At the end of the session, the GM asks players these questions. I didn’t use the optional rule for my campaign because we didn’t want to deal with keeping track of weaknesses. For every yes, players get a point they can spend on attempting to level one of their skills. They then roll a D20 for every skill they want to level. If they roll a number higher than their skill, the skill increases by 1.
There will be sessions where players will level every skill they roll against, and in others, they won’t get any. The higher the level, the harder it is to upgrade which is what gives the game the system its balance. My players loved this system because they got to roll dice, and they had the freedom to customize their character to fit their plays tyle.
I loved the questions because they forced my players to play differently. My player who didn’t usually participate was suddenly roleplaying and encounters that would have usually resulted in murder were resolved peacefully. It was such a nice shift, but it also meant I needed to be ready for anything.
Adventure
The prewritten adventure is a great way to get you started in the system. GMs get access to a well-structured template of adventures, and players get a solid sense of what to expect from the system.
The adventure is a collection of quests loosely tied by lore, but they can exist independently. I changed a lot from the adventure because that’s how our narrative flows. If you’re thinking of running Dragonbane, and don’t know where to start, the adventure in the core book is fantastic. Like all prewritten adventures, use it as a template, and don’t be afraid to go off-script.
I always start with these prewritten adventures, but we usually veer way off and have a lot of fun doing so. This adventure was no different. I liked the adventure. The flavor was good, the lore was neat, the encounters felt balanced, and there was enough content for a long campaign.
Conclusion
We had a lot of fun with Dragonbane, and it’s going to be hard switching to another system. With the new Beastiary coming out in March, I’ve got a few more sessions planned, so it isn’t goodbye just yet.
I loved how easy it was to jump into this system and pick up all the rules. I love how easy of a transition it was from 5th Edition. Some mechanics took some time to get used to, but nothing that I would call impossible. It has a neat leveling system, a fun combat system, and unparalleled freedom in character creation.
If you are looking for a fantasy TTRPG, you need to look into Dragonbane. I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, or just needs a break from 5th Edition burnout. Pick up your copy of the rule book in PDF from Drivethru RPG ($24.99), but the art is so beautiful you’re going to want a physical. You can pick up your physical copy from the official site ($41.98 +shipping) or Amazon ($49.99 shipping included.) It is currently on sale on Amazon for $45.69.
If you’re a fan of Azur Lane, you’re going to want to collect the Weiss Schwarz set. It has a lot of cool art and cards you’re going to want to collect. If you’re looking for Azure Lane, or any other Weiss Schwarz sets, pick it up at TCG Player.
I was sent the Mutant Year Zero: Ad Astra Campaign for free to cover for my blog. I haven’t had a chance to play the game because I am still finishing up my Dragonbane campaign, but I’ve read through the book. This will be my impressions of the book.
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What is Ad Astra
Ad Astrais the latest campaign book for Free League Publishing‘s TTRPG, Mutant: Year Zero releasing onf Febuary 13th. Ad Astra picks up after The Path to Eden campaign.It is recommended you own the Mutant: Genlab Alphaand Mutant: Mechatron expansions for additional rules and stats. I don’t see why you couldn’t just make up rules on the spot, but it is always nice to have balanced stat blocks at the ready. You’ll also need a copy of the core rule book, although you might get away with just using the starter booklet.
If you’re interested in running a game of Mutant: Year Zero, I recommend you pick up the starter booklet. The booklet provides a streamlined and condensed sample of the game, and it comes with a sample campaign and character sheets to get you started. I recommend you run through the starter booklet before you invest in the system. You can grab your free copy of the PDF on Drivethru RPG, but I’ll leave a copy here for your convenience.
Society has fallen. The planet has become a wasteland. Those who survive on its surface have mutated, and are now unrecognizable to their ancestors. With the resources dwindling, survivors must fight to stay alive. This time, the call to adventure takes our heroes into space. What mysteries lie beyond the stars? What adventures await? Explore the solar system and fight new monsters in this new epic adventure.
Impressions
I love the comic book style of this system, and Ad Astra is no exception. I absolutely love the flavor of this game, and space campaigns are always fun. I am never big on following prewritten adventures, but I am coming around. It is nice to have something already prepared with lore, encounters, and loot. I usually use these as a jumping-off point, but will eventually end up off-book. When that happens, it is nice to have something to fall back on when the story needs a little nudge.
I like how this book feels like a history book. It goes into a good amount of detail about factions, history, and everything you need for World Building. How much I would use it would depend on my players, but I appreciate the book for the resource that it is.
As gameplay goes, I’ll have to run a campaign first. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Year Zero system, so if this game plays anything like Dragonbane, I am here for it.
If you are interested in a campaign of Mutant, I recommend you run the booklet first to get a sense if it’s the right game for your table. After your table has become invested, move through the rest of the resources until you’re ready to take things into space.
If you’re already playing Mutant and want to take things into space, you should consider Ad Astra. The artwork is fantastic, the flavor is great, and it introduces unique monsters, items, and mechanics you’re going to want to borrow for your campaign.
You can preorder your copy of the Ad Astracampaign on the official site for $41.80 (not including shipping), or from Amazon for $39.99 (free shipping with Prime).
UPDATE: So I watched the Anime immediately after playing this game and I have to say, this game does a fantastic job at adapting the characters to this new adventure. If you’re a fan of the anime, you’re going to enjoy the game.
I was sent KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
What is it?
KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is a visual novel based on the anime of the same name available now on Steam, PlayStation and Switch. . I haven’t had a chance to see the anime yet, but it is on the list/ Kazuma and the gang have found a mysterious black slab that curses them with desires contrary to their personality. They must now use it to create outfits to fulfill those desires and break the curse. What quirky adventure awaits our heroes?
Gameplay
This is a visual novel where you’ll read a non-cannon quirky story about characters from the anime. There is some job management mechanic in between used for gathering materials, but you’re mostly reading a story. This means you either like the anime and want more stories in the universe or don’t like the anime, and the game isn’t for you.
Thoughts
KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! is a well-produced game with fantastic voice acting and terrific artwork. The art and tone are a bit on the fan service side, but they are pandering to a specific audience. This means that this game is niche and unless you’re a fan of the anime, I wouldn’t touch it until you are.
I haven’t seen the anime and couldn’t get engaged. I didn’t catch any of the nuances or references. The production value makes me assume that the characters are truly represented in this quirky adventure, but there is no way of knowing without watching the anime first. There is nothing essentially wrong with the game, but its not for everyone. This is for the fans of the series who want to see their favorite characters go on another adventure and don’t mind the fan service.
If you’re looking for a web novel and love the series, you can pick up KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire! on steam for $49.99 on Steam, PlayStation and Switch.
I was sent Eresys for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
What is Eresys
Eresys is a Lovecraftian horror survival game out now on PC. Team up with friends, or brave it alone as you collect clues while a horror hunts you. Do you have what it takes?
Gameplay
There are three different hunts currently available in this game, but one hunt is basically unplayable. The game does very little hand-holding and throws the players into the fray without much guidance, or a tutorial. It is up to the player to read through the comprehensive guide made available from the start. Players spend the hunt sneaking around, looking for magical pages, and avoiding the horror. If the horror catches you, it’s game over unless you have friends to revive you. I never did, so it meant I needed to restart a lot. The game runs great, but I felt like the AI was a bit unfair. It always knew where I was, no matter what I did.
Thoughts
This game looks so good. I love the aesthetic, the environment is spooky, and I like the art style. Eresys has the bones of a solid horror game, but the game isn’t fun. I felt like no matter what I did, I couldn’t win. The AI felt unfairly omnipotent, and the few times I was able to survive for longer, it felt like I was wandering aimlessly. The game has seen some improvement, and it looks like it will continue to get more, but I don’t have it in me to wait for a better version.
If you love the Lovecraftian aesthetic and don’t mind the roughness of the game, you might have a better time with this title. Otherwise, I can’t recommend this game. It’s not the worst game I’ve ever played, but I just don’t see it being worth the trouble.
Eresys is available now on Steam for $8.99, but I’d at least wait for a sale.
I was sent the Pyrene demo to cover for my blog. It is a little too early to review it completely, but I will be as honest as possible with my impressions. If you enjoy my reviews and content, please leave a like, comment, follow the socials, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
What is Pyrene
Pyryne is a deck building roguelike coming to Steam. Monsters have destroyed your village, and it is up to you to rebuild and save the towns people. Do you have what it takes to restore Pyrene to its former glory, and rid the land of its evil?
Gameplay
Pyrene is a unique deck builder because it involves movement. Each encounter has a board that fills with randomly generated monsters, items, and artifacts. The RNG is relatively fair, but I did have a couple of runs where the odds were stacked against me. The goal is to clear the win condition without dying. The game feels like a puzzle because the game rewards efficiency.
Like most roguelikes, the more you play Prylene, the stronger your character becomes. You get access to new power-ups, buildings, and cards to help you with your journey. This also means the loop is somewhat repetitive, but it doesn’t feel like a grind. The game is very relaxing but with enough of a challenge to keep things engaging.
Impressions
This is a good demo that paints a solid picture of what to expect from Pyrene. It looks great, plays well, and most importantly, the demo is fun. I loved that every encounter felt like a puzzle, and each puzzle had enough of a challenge to keep me wanting more. If you are in the market for a new deck builder, I recommend you pick up the Pyrene Demo. I’ll be working on getting the full version for review, but so far, I am impressed.
The Altered TCG Kickstarter was fully funded in only two minutes. Since then, it has continued to see support, and I can see why. The art is beautiful, the concept is neat, and the gameplay seems fun. I think it can break two million.
I’ve listed the starter deck lists, now let’s move on to the rest of the set. There are a lot of cool and interesting cards in this set, so let’s kick things off with Yzmir:
If you want to try the game, the starter decks are available for print and play in both letter and A4 format. PnP support for the rest of the set is on the way. Looks like I’m going to need to buy a printer.
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