I. Spotlight
Three Youtubers who are experts on fashion and costuming do a cool larp and the results are stunning.
Judd Karlman has a post linking to all the videos here.
II. Media of the Week
- Rascal Reading Club is back and the first episode on Blades in the Dark was one of the best. Kieron Gillen came on the talkback and that was really fun, with lots of talk about what the setting does well.
- Cezar Capacle makes a thoughtful explainer about how he makes a living as a full-time game designer.
- Chris McDowall appears on The Smiling Fox, a Mythic Bastionland podcast, and tells the long story of the game’s development alongside the forthcoming Intergalactic Bastionland.
- You too can support the newsletter on patreon!
- If you’ve released a new game on itch.io this month, let me know through this form so I can potentially include it in the end of the month round-up.
III. Links of the Week
- A fun idea for a newsletter: Shelfie is Jonas Schumacher interviewing people about their RPG collection. The first one is with Clayton Notestine.
- The Carouse Carouse folks have another lovely issue, with a fantastic review of a new cyberpunk game, Universal Riche, by Aaron King and A Degen.
- “What’s Inside? Indescribable excess. The world is locked in a glitzy prison of unstoppable desire. The people are ruled (not led) by the Faces in the Sky – massive floating visages of unclear origin and immense power. In place of judiciary process, the Faces send hooded death squads to kill one or both sides of any legal dispute according to their whims. Everything is under their control. Everything. Kissing is only legal while the Faces’ eyes are closed; sex is only legal while they’re open.”
- Playtest Material is a new magazine / journal with a bunch of academia-adjacent essays about RPGs. There’s a cool one about the overlap with Japanese performance art, rakugo.
- Kieron Gillen wraps up his list of 100 favourite RPGs finally revealing his top ten on his birthday (happy birthday!), featuring Monsterhearts, Blades in the Dark, and more.
- Interesting little fact about Critical Role and the sort of pragmatic considerations of running a show like that. There’s a “kill fee” paid to performers so they don’t necessarily lose out on money if their character dies (since they get paid per day of shooting, I imagine).
IV. Small Ads
All links in the newsletter are completely based on my own interest. But to help support my work, this section contains sponsored links and advertisements. If you’d like your products to appear here, read the submission form.
- Mythos-inspired modern adventures across the Multiverse. Join a Gateway Survey Team in Gateways Into Madness, navigating worlds that twist reality to discover what may save—or damn—humanity.
- A free adventure inside the easiest VTT online. The Dread Wood: maps and tokens already placed, any rules, players join with one link. Free forever. vbm.games
This newsletter is sponsored by the wonderful Bundle of Holding. Check out the latest bundles below:
- There’s a bundle of the fourth edition of mecha combat game, Heavy Gear.
- As well as, bundles of the first three issues of the stylish OSR zine, Knock!
Hello, dear readers. This newsletter is written by me, Thomas Manuel. If you’d like to support this newsletter, share it with a friend. If you’d like to know more about my work, check out the coolest RPG website in the world Rascal News or listen to me talking to other people on the Yes Indie’d Podcast.
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