Long-form analysis on tabletop RPGs, video games, sports, politics, and culture
Beyond D&D: A Guided Tour I’ve created this guided tour for GMs and players who are looking for games to play instead of D&D. It features 12 games arranged in a specific sequence, designed to show the full spectrum of RPG design philosophies. Think of it like a cruise with carefully chosen stops, each game … Read more
The Top Full-Spectrum Tabletop RPGs What the heck is a full-spectrum game? Here’s a definition for you: A full-spectrum game is a tabletop RPG world where success requires mixing multiple gameplay modes—combat, stealth, hacking, diplomacy, magic—often in the same adventure. These are very versatile tabletop RPG systems and settings. These modes interact by design, where … Read more
How to Learn and Play Ars Magica Let’s talk about Ars Magica. It’s a great ttrpg with a vibrant following, it’s been around since 1987, it’s now in its 5th edition, but it’s somewhat notorious for its complexity. Even the name of it needs explaining! I’ll explain it. Ars Magica is Latin, and translates as … Read more
Getting Started with Burning Wheel Burning Wheel. It could be argued it is the ultimate ttrpg. I previously wrote an article that featured BW, and it took the top spot for what I was analyzing. It’s got a lot going for it. It takes dedication and a sincere willingness of everyone at the table to … Read more
How to Get Started Playing or Running GURPS GURPS hit the ttrpg scene back in 1986, and Steve Jackson had an entirely new approach. He designed a Generic Universal Role Playing System, which is what the acronym stands for. He wanted a system that could be used in any setting: fantasy, scifi, western, superhero, horror, … Read more