Dungeons & Dragons’ creative campaigns are making up for its boring sourcebooks
Recent releases have disappointed.
Features Archive
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Feature: Paranoia RPG stayed hilarious by changing satirical targets
This article is above your security clearance. Report for termination immediately.
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From Cowboy Bebop to Dark Souls, why licensed RPGs need to do better in 2022
Big names, small ideas.
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As an autistic GM, tabletop RPGs provide a perfect structure for social interaction
Things that make life difficult for me outside of the game room often make for better sessions in it.
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If Quacks of Quedlinburg had a better name, it could be the next blockbuster board game
Plus a change in artwork.
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Games of the Year 2021: Wheels on the accessible and tactical Summoner Wars: Second Edition
Second time's the charm.
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Games of the Year 2021: Liv on the re-inventive Unfathomable
Deeply engaging.
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Games of the Year 2021: Matt on the unforgettable stories of Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile
The creator of Root and Pax Pamir does it again.
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Changes are coming, however slowly.
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Tense miniature gameplay feels at odds with half-baked thematic trappings.
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‘What pain do we want to experience?’: Fandom Tabletop address community license backlash
Bart Vickers reflects on what went wrong and how the second iteration aims for clearer communication and more transparency.
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Return to Dark Tower studio owner discusses unions, expensive towers and the Heroquest that got away
Restoration Games' Justin Jacobson reflects on six years of pumping new life into old titles.
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Dungeons & Dragons brought us closer when the world said to keep our distance
Joining a nerdy, diverse D&D group when I needed it most.
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By imagining a future where colonisation never occurred, Coyote & Crow allows indigenous Americans to become the heroes of their own stories.
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The original Orb Ponderer talks sourcing memes from an old Lord of the Rings RPG
Having a crystal ball.
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Feature: The dark history of antisemitism in board games
Tabletop games have been used to express hate in ways both explicit and shockingly mundane for centuries.
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Feature: 4 scary movie easter eggs in The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 (Sponsored Content)
From flamethrowers to husky dogs.
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And explains how classes work in the Magic: The Gathering inspired book.
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A battle of galactic proportions: Eclipse: Second Dawn of the Galaxy vs Twilight Imperium 4E
Two sci-fi heavyweights enter, two are consumed by the endless void of miniature ships.
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Five games by five designers that capture the real Global South, in their own words.
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D&D 5E players are ignoring one of its central gameplay ideas - and that’s a good thing
The RPG’s growing popularity as a storytelling format has led to a shift away from endless fights.
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As Critical Role has grown, my love for the show has died
This actual play is not actually for me.
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Paizo employees have their recognition, but the hardest fights might still be on the horizon.
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The next GM-less storytelling game from Wanderhome and Wickedness creators.
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Feature: Ranking all 25 Pikachu on the Pokémon: TCG Pikachu V-Union card
A shocking result.
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Playing only trans characters in tabletop RPGs helped me understand myself
Cisgender people tend to exclusively play cis characters in games such as D&D, so what’s wrong with me only playing transgender characters?
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The greatest game that never happened.
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Games Omnivorous’ adventure books show evocative art thrives under weird constraints
The minimalist RPG publisher sets ten rules for its adventure books with fascinating results.
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Horror board games could be amazing if they took more risks
living and playing dangerously.
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Feature: Experimental lyric RPGs are pushing the poetic power of roleplaying forward
By destroying the boundary between players and characters, lyric games innovate new ways to play - or, sometimes, not play at all.
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Feature: Wonder Book looks the part of an imaginative kids game, but doesn’t play like one
Don’t judge a board game by its cover.
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“Haters gonna hate and we accept that.”
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Feature: Far Cry Beyond board game bears little resemblance to the video game series
A far cry from what we wanted.
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Feature: Azul: Queen’s Garden sprouts fresh ideas whilst sticking to its roots
Wake up and play the roses.
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“We took the mystery of Istanbul and dialled that up to 1000%.”
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“We hope players will be able to see themselves in each of the characters in one way or another.”
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“What is an RPG, but a seed of imagination designers give to players and game masters so they can grow gardens of their own?”
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The tabletop team-up have planned more than a simple almanac for Gillen and Han’s twisted polyhedral world.
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Why the Blade Runner RPG will stand apart from the cyberpunk crowd
It might not last - but then again, what does?
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An Arkham Horror legacy game could revive the genre
Don’t say Hastur-la vista yet, baby.
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Feature: 10 board games to look for at Essen Spiel 2021 - preview
The biggest board games at the biggest show.
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Clank! is a risk/reward board game that laughs at your plans, and I love it
Goofs with a great big lizard.
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“I need to slow down, but it's not happening.”
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Blades in the Dark’s TV series could blow away the D&D film
The cinematic gameplay and dramatic heists of John Harper’s RPG makes it perfect for a small-screen adaptation.
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Feature: The Civilization board game pioneered epic strategy a decade before Sid Meier
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tech tree.
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“Passion is coming through in spades right now” - Funkoverse game studio talks licensed board games
IPs are making board gamers happy.
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Magpie Games talks supply chain logistics, shielding design from bloat and contributor pay.
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“Almost everyone thinks they have something of value.”
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Feature: 10 board games to look for at Gen Con 2021 - preview
From sequels to beloved classics, to new releases from renowned creators.
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RPG character backgrounds are rubbish - here’s how to make a good one
Or; why Obi-Wan Kenobi is a terrible RPG character.
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Why should you care about a board game based on an animated show from the ‘90s?
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MTG Arena’s differences from paper Magic: The Gathering are a confusing, exhausting muddle
Digital-only cards, exclusive sets and a lack of popular formats have made it hard for players to keep up.
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Magic: The Gathering’s new Commander decks are a good thing for every player
More dedicated products for the popular format means fewer cards elsewhere - and that helps everyone.
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5 things we want to see from the new Marvel RPG
From weird superheroes to romantic arcs.
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A personal history of a worker-placement pioneer, 20 years, two continents and multiple generations in the making.
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Adventure Zone DM Griffin McElroy and Bureau of Balance co-designers chat about their new board game
And why there isn’t an Adventure Zone RPG yet.
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“If there’s going to be a new Descent game, it has to come from a great idea and not just exist for the sake of being made.”
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Adventures in the Forgotten Realms’ best gameplay mechanic isn’t new to Magic: The Gathering
Treasure decks are stronger than ever.
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“I take roleplaying with me whenever I’m performing in any other medium.”
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Alongside its descendants and its future.
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“If this is the only game I ever get to make, I should just do the thing I love the most.”
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“The first [Darrington Press] product was important, it needed to be familiar to fans.”
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Monopoly Deal is the only Monopoly worth playing, because it understands why the board game sucks
Being bad feels pretty good.
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“I understand that playing as The Man may be uncomfortable.”
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Cryptkeeper, eat your heart out.
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Critical Role’s Campaign 2 finale shows just how far the hit Dungeons & Dragons series has come
Forever throwing fluffernutters.
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Location, location, frustration.