Oh, that's nice! I didn't see that.

Really lovely thread here about Odyssey Aquatica, my first and most niche game (Jacques Cousteau/Life Aquatic/Wes Anderson stuff).

Also, the Awards rule, and having them recognize Odyssey Aquatica gave me the motivation to make more games beyond that 🙏

it's the vince mcmahon meme over here, Tom

@olddog.games sorry about your hard drive space

damn, this is good

today in '68 west marches: chose to kidnap a spy over body snatching a doppelganger, bombed the sidewalk outside the cafe, led the cops on a wild goose chase and sped off in a borrowed spy car, locked the asset inside, got reverse honeypotted, psychically crashed a pursuit vehicle, and REMEMBERED

done writing my Blades '68 thing 😌 📺

Reddit post titled: "What's the most elegant mechanic you've ever seen?" With the body text: "Elegance" meaning the most complex/nuanced outcome from the simplest input

A post from Reddit user fluxyggdrasil: The moment I think I "Got" Realis was a session where they were protecting a noble kid at a feast. Good kid, super naive, super surrounded by usurpers. One noble was found stabbed in the main hall. "Does anybody have a counter for the sentence "I always take drastic measures to achieve my goals?" The intent is to kill this woman." Naturally, the doctor of the group ran out and into the hall to save her. ...what they then learned was that this was a ploy to separate the doctor from the noble kid. "...The Doctor is busy, it's just you two now. And now I need to ask you: Do either of you have a counter for the sentence "I always wield an undetectable poison?" Their intent is to poison the child to death." No 'dice' or random chance, but watching those players SCRAMBLE over their sheets to try and find a sentence they could leverage in a way to counter this sentence and un-poison the kid. (Which credit where it's due, they managed to do!) But man, I never thought Diceless gaming would have any stakes or "High-Pressure" situations until I pulled that admittedly mean trick on them. Consider me a Realis believer. That entire mini-campaign was fantastic.

A follow up question from Strayl1ght: What was the counter? Now you have me invested A response from fluxyggdrasil: My Duelist PC countered by invoking their sentence +0 "I always carry a beautiful and distinct (weapon)." Their intent was to do some medieval-style bloodletting to get the poison out of the blood (or at least keep them stable long enough for the doctor to come back) as their weapon would be sharp as any scalpel, so it would be a much safer and easier cut to stitch back closed.

This is suuuuuch a good example of how Realis works. Both the way that it allows for a sort of narrative maneuvering /and/ the way it pushes everyone to really get creative with what they have on their sheets.
www.reddit.com/r/rpg/commen...

Realis, by Jack de Quidt from the album Realis: Friends At The Table Soundtrack

If you enjoyed the Realis theme in @austinwalker.bsky.social's kickstarter trailer, you can buy it here, along with an explosion of that sound out into a whole album! notquitereal.bandcamp.com/track/realis

Thanks Carly!!

possibly too cute, but I couldn't resist! to be fair there were some funny little cars in the 60s.

Cheers Ryan! Love me a bit of in-world graphic design (I would be happy only doing that).

Don Draper looking out a dang window

It's definitely one of the top features of modern life, for sure.

A spread from Blades '68 featuring a Ministry of Stability propaganda poster: "Don't Let Them Burst Our Bubble", it reads, with a sinister handing holding a needle near a blue bubble.

A spread from Blades '68 showing "Life in '68", including 6 little cars/autopods in a variety of colours and styles.

A spread from Blades '68 showing Hit Squad opportunities, accompanied by an illustration of a figure silhouetted in front of a round window. The city sky is red. She holds a silenced shooter.

A spread from Blades '68 showing the Time Traveler From the Past write-up. The illustration shows a cloaked and hooded figure holding a blade, standing in a 1960s-styled apartment, looking out at the city beyond.

More art of Blades '68! It's almost out of my hands 🥲

The Explorateur: Issue #18 Monthly design jams, critique, theory, and inspiration for tabletop rpg designers by rpg designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.

A decidedly unfunny, non-jokey newsletter for April 1st, it's The Explorateur! This month's issue has a landslide of design links including a call for volunteer judges for The Awards.

Oh! And there's a non-rpg link all about book cover art rates 👀

www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...

the cover to the new issue of Wyrd Science, featuring an illustration of psychedelic mushrooms growing out of a pink skull by tom j newell

what if we put issue 8 of Wyrd Science on sale? What if this got more likes & shares than our stupid jokes?

featuring Dolmenwood, Blades In The Dark, Doomsong, Kamping Kitbash, Lee Gold, The Old King's Crown, weird fiction, aggro comics, dungeon synth & lots more

shop.wyrd.science/products/wyr...

This is extremely good..!

Wow, impeccable

Conner did such amazing work here (and as one of the 17 artists featured throughout the book, too!)

Kickstarter goes live tomorrow! Follow now to make sure you don’t miss it.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/cru...

Cheers!

Yes! Agreed.

The analysis is spot-on, Thomas completely understands what the game is aiming for, and I agree with the critiques too.

Give it a listen!

I was nervous seeing Deathmatch Island next for the GM section season. Because it doesn't really have much of a GM section! Especially coming after Apocalypse World and Mothership, two titans of GM advice.

Naturally though, Thomas has delivered an interesting and thoughtful episode, as always.

Our @evilhat.bsky.social shelf is looking fresh with a big round of restocks ✨

A photo of the range of a|state books and accessories

a|state is the acclaimed 2nd edition of this classic British dystopian scifi RPG. Using the Forged in the Dark rules & presenting innovations used in the recent Blades '68, a|state casts your characters as Troublemakers trying to improve life in your corner of The City. handiwork.games/games/astate

Tonights’s your Last chance to back the TTRPG adventure that’s Freaky Friday but with Dragons! www.kickstarter.com/projects/out...

100%

Definitely appreciated! Checking my final edits from Karen that I haven't implemented yet, that one was caught. Phew.

A spread from Blades '68, showing the Special Procedures chapter opener. Three bluecoats chase a scoundrel.

A spread from Blades '68, showing the Advancement rules. An illustration shows a 60s band on a stage; drums, singer, sitar, etc.

A spread from Blades '68, showing Shadows Opportunities. Two figures exchange briefcases on a park bench.

A spread from Blades '68, showing the Running the Game chapter. An illustration shows Yugo Xantara, a CEO, at a desk. He is an orangutan-man, like Dr. Zaius. But in a brown suit and orange tie.

Rounding out Blades '68 as it prepares to go to print. Lots of new illustrations!

Karen's the best!