Last week, in the face of an evident (and still extant, if not as prominent) financial crisis, we talked about ways that you can keep getting new experiences with games you’ve already acquired. This time, we wanted to discuss ways that you can access totally new (to you) games without requiring the kind of investment it takes to be on the cutting edge of releases. While we all have those inner voices (that may or may not sound like our parents) telling us to just be happy with what we already have or that we have games at home, if we have any interest in the way the medium of games develops, we want to at least be aware of what’s new and catching people’s attention. So how do we get our hands on games we don’t own (yet) without handing over much loot? - B B : We’re all gamers here, we’re all used to representing concepts as numerical models and converting values within that model. If we’re trying to cut down on one form of currency (cold, hard cash), we need to make up for it in other ...

The way things are going, it looks like we’re headed straight into the third worldwide economic crisis in less than two decades… and the second since we started this blog. So while it seems likely that things will be very, very bad by the time you read this, even if catastrophe is somehow averted, it should be clear that we’re all living in a world that could melt down at any moment. Gaming, in both electronic and tabletop forms, may not be as expensive as some pastimes (particularly if we limit ourselves to… legal activities), but there’s still some degree of investment if you’re pursuing new and innovative experiences. As well there should be, corporate profits notwithstanding, artists and creators should be paid for their work. But, as COVID isolation reminded us, when you’re stuck with the Old Favorites, they well… get old pretty quick. Going into a future where we can assume we’ll all have less money to work with, how are we able to keep having novel gaming experiences and stay on...

Tabletop roleplaying games are all full of helpful hands, particularly in Dungeons & Dragons . You and your teammates are always helping each other - there's even a "help" action. There are quite a number of hand-y spells such as Chill Touch, Shocking Grasp, Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp, and Vampiric Touch. You even have spells with the word "hand" in them like Burning Hands and Bigby’s Hand. Today, though, we’re specifically focused on one hand in particular. A simple cantrip, but a favorite of many spellcasters, and extremely useful. We’re talking about Mage Hand. While we could expound upon the multiple uses of this utility spell, and maybe we shall eventually, today we’re going to focus on a meme . That’s right, this is another edition of Never Say Dice Ruins Your (shitty) TTRPG Memes. You can see our previous work regarding the Peasant Rail Gun ,  animating skeletons and the Divine Bovine earlier in this series. The set up this time is rather simple: y...

Quick, can you name the most popular (in terms of units moved) games for the Atari 2600? The Nintendo Entertainment System? The Sega Genesis? The Super Nintendo? If you know your console history, you can name them without having to check any sales figures: Combat , Super Mario Bros. , Sonic the Hedgehog , and Super Mario World , respectively. This doesn't come from rote chart memorization, but simple logic: these were the initial games included when you bought a new system in North America, so every single household with the first round of one of these consoles also had a copy of these games. (Unless it got stepped on, the dog chewed on it, a younger household member decided the cartridge needed a bath, etc.) Okay, Sonic is a bit more complicated, since the Genesis originally shipped with comparatively lesser-known arcade port Altered Beast (although if you are familiar with the game, you probably immediately said "wiiise fwom your gwaaave" out loud upon reading the tit...

Some five years ago, when it seemed like the world was coming apart, two friends decided to create something together - a space where they could talk about the things they cared about, where they could share their thoughts and maybe a few people might even listen in. And this endeavor was inaugurated, naturally enough for 3/14, with a series of riffs on pie puns. We find ourselves in a similar situation today, with uncertainty, chaos, and cruelty swirling around us. But we’re still putting out this blog, and every year, we’re still putting out another round of terrible pie riffs. (Not about terrible pie, mind you - everyone knows there’s no such thing.) And this year is no different. As the world falls apart around you, take time for each other and make an effort to keep doing the things you care about. Even when it’s a bunch of pie jokes. -  B Save the Twin Pies Mall! For 80s movie-inspired games like Kids on Bikes or Tales from the Loop . The PCs come from a town centered around...

This blog talks largely about the finer aspects of storytelling. Tips on keeping players engaged , to bringing life and expanding our story worlds , and video game tie-ins . Rarely do we focus on a singular character that captures our imaginations. A hero to the masses. Perhaps even someone that may one day define a generation... or perhaps as one history's great villains. Time will tell. Sure, we’ve talked about Tapper , and Bad Dudes like the Nazis , but this week it's only fitting that we focus on someone else. Someone recently in the news even. So sit back a moment and indulge us as we extort the virtues of this particular individual. Appearances At this point, it would be hard to believe if you don't know the name. He's been everywhere! I hear the ladies think he is pretty attractive, too. Sure, he isn’t the tallest fellow at 5’8”, but one would imagine he's still taller than most of his crew . Besides, with the dark hair and blue eyes, I’m sure it's quite...