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This week the GAMA Trade Show, put on by the Game Manufacturers Association (also GAMA), in Las Vegas is in full swing. This is a trade show, so only publishers, retailers and members of the press attend. There have been some reports trickling out of the show, which is in its third day today, about some of the games being offered, but so far I haven't seen a lot of announcements that I've been particularly excited about. Truth be told, this year likely will be spent collecting some of the games and RPGs that have already been around for a year or two.
On Saturday I am getting together with some co-workers for a roleplaying game session. I believe we are going to try out Truth & Justice, the superhero RPG from Atomic Sock Monkey Press (I am so envious I didn't think of that name). The game is more about narration than throwing dice, and the better you describe a scene or action, the better your chance of success. It is an interesting idea, though that is just one part of the game, and I am excited to see how it plays. I also received review copies of Spirit of the Century and Don't Rest Your Head from Evil Hat Productions. These games use a similar basic game system, but are very different in tone and setting. Spirit is all about over-the-top pulp-style action, while DRYH is more like superhero horror, where your powers come at a price and the villains are nightmarish... well, things. It is likely we will look over the character creation mechanics for those games on Saturday after we playtest T&J for a bit.
Other than that, not a lot going on this week. Because of the trade show in Vegas, I can't really touch base with any game companies, because most are out-of-pocket this week. Same with the good folks at GAMA in Columbus (which is why I hadn't heard back about my press badge for Origins). Still, I am working on my roleplaying game reviews, and have touched base with a couple of local readers on the subject of gaming groups. I might have more on that later depending on how this weekend goes.
Until then, game on.
ME
- Location:@ work
I have a good number of board game reviews on the way, which should be out over the next several weeks. Among them will be reviews of "Vanished Planet," another independent game with some very interesting gameplay; "Nottingham" by Uberplay, a game about the Sheriff of Nottingham's deputies collecting gold at tax time; and one I am very much looking forward to, "Mission: Red Planet" by Asmodee, a game about a race for Mars set in 1800s steampunk Victoriana.
Also within the next few months, my column will shift gears from board and card games to a roleplaying game focus. My intention is to do several theme months, with an emphasis on independent roleplaying games. Some of the games I already have lined up include "Truth & Justice," a superhero rpg that uses the PDQ system to resolve combat (more detail on that later); "Monster Island," an incredibly fun set of games that combines roleplaying with miniatures to simulate giant monster combat, ala "King Kong vs. Godzilla."
I'm also hoping to receive a review copy of "Spirit of the Century," a pulp heroes game that allows you to play characters focused on specific aspects, such as "Always first on scene" or "Unlucky at love." These aspects act both as your character's powers and abilities and as story hooks for adventures. I am already brainstorming my character, "The Brown Recluse," a former sidekick who was forced to take on a heroic identify of his own after the death of his mentor. If you are wondering what a "pulp" setting is like, think "The Shadow," "The Phantom," "League of Extraordinary Gentleman," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and even "Dick Tracy" to a lesser extent. I am really looking forward to this game.
I also hope to review a couple of games that use the D20 core rules from Dungeons & Dragons. Goodman Games was kind enough to send me copies of two of their games, "DragonMech" which introduces giant robots into a fantasy setting and "Etherscope" which is a combination of that Victoriana steampunk I mentioned earlier with a bit of "The Matrix" thrown in for good measure.
A review I've been working on for a while now is "Cadwallon: The Free City" players handbook, a tactical roleplaying game that combines a story-driven game with miniatures rules. Though I've had the book for several months now, the actual review has been slow in developing, because both the game and the setting are huge and very rich. This is a review I want to do right, and it is at times a daunting task to try and sum them up in a single article.
That's just a few of the highlights for the coming months. There are a bunch more games I am trying to find time to play and some other games that should be on their way to me soon. If you have any requests or know of something I should check out, let me know.
ME
- Location:@ home
