by KatharinaKuo

Author: Christopher Smith Adair
Playing time: 4-6 hours
Genre/Style: Dungeon
Pre-made characters: No (but the anthology contains general example characters)
Number of pages: 23 pages
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Time: 1920s
Mythos reference: the characters explore the dwelling of a sorcerer of the Serpentfolk, ghasts and Nachkos (deformed humans) also appear in the dungeon
Introduction: A friend invites the characters to his home because he has discovered “something incredible” in his recently inherited estate
Review basis: I ran the adventure based on the German version of the scenario published by Pegasus Spiele.

What it's about:
Beneath the city of Providence are caves and passages once created by the Serpentfolk, where the serpent wizard S'syaa-H'risss waits for the time when the Serpentfolk will rule the earth once more. In the 18th century, slave trader Elijah Winscott discovered one of the passages leading from the Providence River directly to his estate. When laws against the slave trade were enacted, he wanted to use this tunnel to continue bringing slaves into the city. But the plan ended in disaster: the slaves were torn apart by ghasts or dragged further into the depths, prompting Elijah to quickly close off the tunnel entrance. Now, some 150 years later, Josh Winscott has inherited the estate of his ancestor Elijah and stumbled upon the tunnel. Together with the investigators, he wants to explore it. But before that happens, he embarks on a solo expedition into the depths, from which he does not return. If the investigators want to help their friend, they must also descend into the underground of Providence, where they encounter ghasts, deformed former slaves (“Nachkos”) and S'syaa-H'risss.

Criticism:

Content:
The Darkness Beneath the Hill is a dungeon adventure of the kind more familiar from D&D and other classic fantasy systems: the investigators gradually explore the individual rooms, facing challenges (climbing down, traps) and having to contend with terrifying creatures. I was quite skeptical beforehand as to whether a dungeon adventure with Cthulhu could work, but I was pleasantly surprised: exploring strange rooms and the constant threat of attacks by terrifying creatures create an eerie atmosphere that suits Cthulhu perfectly. The adventure also offers a refreshing change from the typical, more investigative adventures.

However, I was less convinced by the implementation itself, as some ideas are more silly than original. For example, there is a “Hall of Music,” a grotto containing a kind of organ made of bronze and brass, which has howling skulls instead of pipes. What particularly bothered me, however, was that the descriptions of the dungeon and the rooms do not fit with a complex of corridors built by the serpent people millions of years ago. I think a lot of potential has been wasted here by populating a run-of-the-mill dungeon with mythical creatures instead of thinking about how members of the ≈ live: Why, for example, does S'syaa-H'risss have a work chair that fits the anatomy of humans perfectly?

On the positive side, I found that the individual challenges can be approached in very different ways. There is not just one correct solution; instead, players are challenged to be creative. At the same time, there are also different ways in which the adventure can end, although the ideal scenario, in which Josh Winscott is rescued and all the investigators can escape, is rather difficult to achieve and requires players who do not capitulate in the face of the overpowering snake sorcerer, but instead find creative solutions.

Presentation and preparation:
In terms of form, the same applies as for all other adventures in the anthology: there is a lot of text. The essential information is presented together with a multitude of atmospheric, but ultimately irrelevant, descriptive texts. As far as I understand, this was a conscious decision on the part of the editors, as this anthology is aimed at beginners. However, I don't know if it's particularly easy for beginners to have to constantly flip through the pages while running the game.
I made an A4 overview of the individual rooms and the most important features for myself and then ran the game mainly based on this “cheat sheet.” I would have liked to have had such an overview in the adventure to save the GM preparation time. At the same time, however, it must be said in the adventure's favor that the presentation is really very clear. There are useful subheadings, highlights in the text, and text boxes on specific topics, which meant I was always able to find the information I was looking for quickly.

The (few) handouts are, as is usually the case with Cthulhu, very nicely done. However, I'd rather not comment on the illustrations in the adventure—they are simply completely inappropriate.

Since I was dissatisfied with some details that I felt did not fit with the Serpentfolk, I first read Lovecraft's “The Nameless City,” a story in which an explorer investigates a former city of the Serpentfolk. Here it becomes clear that Lovecraft gave much more thought to the architecture and way of life of the Serpentfolk than the adventure author did. At the same time, however, much remains unclear in Lovecraft's work, as always. I couldn't glean much concrete information for the adventure from the short story, so I came up with a few ideas of my own:
* Instead of the organ, there were several holes in the walls of the music hall, several meters above the floor, with skins stretched across them. These skins were drummed by Nachkos, but the characters couldn't see them, and due to the ultra-low frequencies, they perceived the rhythm itself primarily as a vibration in the air. As far as they could guess, the drumming was a disturbing rhythm that did not correspond to any known rhythm, but was at least vaguely reminiscent of traditional Caribbean and African music.
* Armchairs and stairs were removed, books were replaced with parchments.
* I kept the room height the same (Lovecraft's protagonist, on the other hand, has to crawl constantly due to the low ceiling), but I planned for there to be smaller passages at higher levels that can be reached by climbing up stalactites.

I also streamlined the beginning: when the investigators first arrived at the estate, Josh had already descended into the dungeon. The version provided in the book, in which the investigators arrive in the evening, agree to start the next morning, but Josh descends into the depths alone at night, seemed too risky to me: Why don't the friends stay overnight at Josh's estate? What if the investigators want to descend that evening? Won't the players feel patronized if an NPC commits such stupidity without good reason? Against this background, I preferred to let the players find the empty estate right away, so that they could decide for themselves what they wanted to do from the very first minute, instead of having a schedule imposed on them. I placed the handout about the slave tunnel, which can actually be found in the library, on Josh's kitchen table alongside other books about the history of the estate, as it seemed more likely to me that Josh would be interested in the history of the estate than that the characters would go to the library to do research when their friend had disappeared.

Conclusion
If you want to play a Cthulhu dungeon, Darkness Under the Hill offers some interesting and eerie locations. However, I recommend modifying some rooms so that the whole thing doesn't seem silly. With a little work, the adventure can turn into an exciting and atmospheric game night. The adventure can also be used as a source of ideas, for example when the investigators come across a Snakefolk's dwelling in the course of another adventure.

by bryce0lynch

By Morgan Davie
Taleturn
Moldvay
Levels 1-3

Atop a lonely sheer-sided plateau stands a Keep, an outpost against the chaos that creeps in nearby caves. Few know that another fortress lies abandoned and hidden within the stony mount itself. Strange wonders and forgotten treasures lie within, waiting to be claimed by brave adventurers. Dare YOU enter the hidden halls?.

This twenty page adventure features a four level dungeon with about eighty rooms that is entered through BELOW the Keep on the Borderlands. Coinage is abstracted and the writing is not evocative. There’s an interesting concept or two, but otherwise this is cramped and bland.

Looks like the guildhall in the Keep on the Borderlands has a secret. Literally. They’ve found a secret door in their basement. For 10% of the take they’ll let you through it. Inside you find four levels of underground dungeon with about 20-25 rooms per level. Turns out this place used to be a fortress of chaos!

Oh, hey, you’re not finding treasure though. I mean, you’re not finding treasure you can level with. You’ll find a potion or scroll or something here or there. But, as for that sweet sweet lucre that drives all adventurers and the level titles they want, well: “22. Secret store. Behind this secret door is a small treasure hoard: three potions of healing, two potions of invisibility, two sacks worth of silver coins, and two gems.” Yeah. Two sacks worth of silver coins and two gems. No values. Not anywhere. It’s all abstracted away like that.

I find this super puzzling. This IS the core of Moldvay. Gold=XP. Maybe B/X and 1e, both learn hard core to the GAME side of the spectrum. You ARE looking for gold so that you can level. It’s you against the game world with the DM as judge. You win D&D every time you don’t die and get some more progress towards your next level. It’s a fucking GAME and the points are laid in Gold, literally. You can roleplay. You can have fun. You SHOULD do those things. But the gold’s the thing. That’s a core reason I like B/X, the more game-like and carefree nature of it. It might be similar to a 5e adventure that pays TOO much attention to coinage. Hey, that’s not what you do in 5e. Gold is a plot device. If you need a lot of it then I would expect it, but, otherwise, what is core to B/X becomes part of a victorian laundry list in 5e. It’s just so jarring to see the main point being abstracted here. “Put in some treasure.” Uh. Ok. Isn’t that the designers job? DOn’t they have the chore of putting smaller treasures in and then locating the larger treasures in lairs? Don’t they have the job of not putting the hoard in the first room? Of making the layout of the map make sense in relation to the contents of the map? Fuck it man. Who cares anymore, I guess.

Let us, however, ignore the rather small and simplistic maps. Forward! To adventure!


What you’re looking at is nearly a column of text describing room one in the dungeon. This is the basement room of the guildhall and the entrance to the hidden halls. And it’s got trap and door porn in it. This is nearly a column of text to handle two secret doors in a room with a basin. Which are also bland in description if not in effect. Shaking their fists, magical blade, that’s great. I’m not sure, though, that this is the sort of entrance to the mythic underworld I was looking for.


Never fear though, we follow that up with rooms three and four. Rotted. Fungus. Beetle-men. No, I don’t know what they look like. “Stats as fire beetles.” So, yeah. I’d like to point out at this point that B2 was not the end all be all of design. It’s been fifty years. I think we can do a little better. There is a huge place in D&D for “monster wants to eat you, better stab it.” And there’s no place in D&D for an overwrought encounter. But there is a place in the middle where everything works together, the encounter, hack or no, has enough in it for the DM to riff on, both in creature and environment. “Fungus and wrecked doors” does not a description make. Nor does “fire-beetle men”, presumably just standing there waiting to die and have their glands ripped out? Hmmm, come to think of it, I love the idea of giant throbbing diamond-forehead men. Enough diamonds growing out of their foreheads to level. Sitting in a circle playing games and singing songs. “How the fuck did these dudes live even this long?!” As your DM I make no judgment upon you, PC’s, but simply delight in glee at the reaction to the situation.

Ok, so, anyway. Here’s a trap: “The area in front of the false door is a drop-away floor (a dungeon trap). When triggered, everyone within ten feet of the door is dropped into a chute that deposits them into the pool in level two area 14.” It’s a trap? Yeah, it’s a trap. As delighted as I am to see a reappearance of a chute trap (Only desperate Angband players can realize the full horror of a chute trap) I think it could be handled better. And room title. I like room titles. I think they provide a good framing for the room ahead, getting the DMs head in the right place for the description to come. When they are done well. But not when done blandly. “Safe room” “hidden treasure” “old shapes.” These are somewhat abstracted summaries of the room. Rather, provide a vibe for the room. But not here.

It’s not the worse thing ever written. It’s just bland, minimalistic, and padded out all at the same time.

This is Pay What You Want at DriveThru with a suggested price of $3.50. There is no preview. Sucker.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/537478/mb1-into-the-...

by bryce0lynch

By Morgan Davie
Taleturn
Moldvay
Level 1

The great lands of Law do not march forever. At the great wall of tall, steep hills, Law’s reach fades, and beyond flickers the uneasy influence of Chaos. Between the two, amongst foothills and thick forest, beneath strange purple sunsets, is the Borderlands. Here waits adventure.

This sixteen page regional supplement presents a small area in and around B1 and B2 with several adventuring sites. I’m not sure how it even got to sixteen pages given the lack of things in it and the lack of detail in those things. It’s written like someone is describing an adventure to someone else.

Moldvay always gets reviewed and this is a Moldvay supplement. It’s meant to be a small region in and around the Keep on the Borderlands. It also locates B1 in its area, and tries to expand the adventuring sites, villages, and dungeons in the area. The usual “yes, but what’s past the hermit’s kitty cat?” stuff from B2. The issue here is both in density and specificity. There’s not much past the lizard men, either literally or figuratively.

First, there’s no map. No regional map. I find this strange. If you’re doing a region, especially one with both B1 and B2 in it, outlying villages, small adventuring sites and so on, then where are they, in relation to each other? How do I get from here to there? I don’t want to make it seem like I absolutely HAVE to have a map every time, but, in many cases, yes, a map would help. There’s some adventuring site here in this, a tower, that overlooks both the lands of law and the lands of chaos. That’s a great idea. Get an idea of the Valley of Chaos, ie: the caves. That would be a great lead in to much intrigue, watching the comings and goings. And, perhaps, meeting an orc band or something like that who is also doing the same thing to the keep. I just can’t help thinking that having a map SHOWING all of that, the adventuring sites, the villages, roads and relationship of the smaller sites to the larger ones, would help. Plus, there’s the wanderers table. How do you run a decent wanderer without knowing the distance to travel? I mean, they are based on time, which is based on distance and terrain. Why include a wanderer table if there’s no time/distance to wander? It’s a curious decision, to not include one. But not necessarily fatal.


The density here is another issue. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but the things FEELS so sparse. Overview of the lands, village, rumors, retainers, minor sites, NPC parties, events … I don’t think it should feel sparse, but it does. It just all feels a little bland and uninteresting. Maybe, kind of like those adventures that just pull a wanderer table straight out of a DMG. No embellishment. Here’s a list of retainers. Just stat blocks and a name. Well, sure, Ready Ref. Here’s a village. We gave it a fifth of a page. It doesn’t say anything more than Ready Ref did. Just kind of bland content. “Costs 1d10sp between each adventure” says the first bullet point of the village. Ok, so, upkeep costs. That’s fun. Mechanics oriented, just the facts. Which I kind of admire about Ready Ref. That thing was DENSE. The language of pure adventure support. But, I think the idea that you are going to support the region comes with an implicit expectation that there will be COLOR in the region. And there’s not any in that village. And very little in the rest. Angry owlbear with a hornet singer in its ass also gets six or so sentences, to no effect beyond “angry owlbear with a stinger in its ass. So while there are sixteen pages here and a few “adventure site” one pagers, the density here, the ratio of interesting content to padding and blandness, is quite off.


The content, proper, can feel abstracted. Not as if an encounter is being listed, but rather as if someone were describing an encounter, much in the same way that I do in a review. A ghostly warrior who is you defeat will point to a gravesite containing the same sword and armor we wore and also a chest of gold. How much gold? Deets on the armor and sword? Nope. That’s it. It’s more of a seed, an idea of an encounter rather than encounter. And much of this feels that way. It’s tax day in town! That’s really all you’re getting. I get that some of these are meant to be ideas, but they seem longer than a seed, an idea but lacking the specificity that one might expect to be able to really launch them in to something, something to riff on. “Artillery – A mounted heavy crossbow is aimed along the western passage and sentries always keep watch for visitors. Most kobolds sleep here, on piles of wrecked gnomish loot.” It’s an idea. There ARE kobolds here, sentries at the least, yes? I don’t understand why its written this way. It’s like there’s an allergy to the specifics. And, yet, sometimes you’ll get paid 2sp by someone to do something. It’s maddening, the seemingly random way in which sometimes minor and meaningless trivia is included and yet the meat of what should be in the adventure is not.

There’s another adventure in this series. While this is a kind of regional setting the other adventure appears to be an actual dungeon. I’m going to review that one next and see if, perhaps, this is all a symptom of being a setting-like place? In any event, I can’t see much value here.

This is Pay What You Want at DriveThru with a suggested price of $3.50. There is no preview.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/537471/mb0-morgue-s-...

by bryce0lynch

By Zzarchov Kowolski
Self Published
NGR/OSR
Level Any/1

A dead body found clutching a map is found at a major crossroads with an arrow in his back. He wear simple clothing, leather armor, a sheathed sword, and carries a backpack with three torches, 50; of rope, an empty wineskin and a flask of oil. The map shows the crossroads and leads to a tower labelled “treasure” in beautiful handwriting, apparently only half an hour into the forest.

This twelve page digest adventure features a five room tower. It’s a cross between a Fuck You and a kind of hook for a larger campaign thread, much like the advice in Broodmother.It can’t be denied that Zzarchov knows their shit. A brief little thing stretched out.

This describes a five room dungeon in a tower. It’s a roach motel for humans. Humans go in, find treasure, spend it and, low and behold, the coins are a slow poison. Which, theoretically, sow discord and rebellion among the wealthy and powerful as coinage circulates upwards and the power vacuum from deaths foment unrest and rebellion. The bent is toward the elves doing this, but, obviously, it’s whatever baddies you want in the campaign. If it’s lotFP then, obviously, aliens, since everything in LotFP is aliens, but, whoever you want.

The suggestion is that he DM drop the tower in to the players game. They find a map at the crossroads. It leads to a nearby tower. Off you go. But, also, it’s suggested that as the campaign progresses, the characters start to hear rumors about other people who have been to other towers. This is a hint to a larger conspiracy going on in the game world and thus, an initial adventure hook is actually the hook for a larger campaign arc, etc. All undetailed here, but it’s an interesting idea.

The whole tower takes three or four pages to describe. It’s five rooms. A Five Room Dungeon. Sound familiar? The Entrance, The Puzzle. The Red Herring. The Climactic Battle. The Reward. Zzarchov is not afraid to go tell the Bad D&D Advice people to fuck off, implicitly anyway. He takes the common bad advice trotted out for pay per word views and mocks it in fine style. And this, the Roach Motel of adventures, is the perfect place to do that in. It walks the line well. Roach Motel for Humans by Elves. Mocking the bad advice prevalent on the internet for adventures. This could be mean-spirited. Instead it simply shows you the absurdity of these ideas as implemented and leverages them in to the beginning of a nice campaign arc. After all, isn’t the first adventure SUPPOSED to lead to the last one?

Each room of the five tower rooms looks like a normal dungeon room. A room, dominate by a large wooden throne. Seated on it a skeleton with gemstones for eyes in a suit of ancient bronze armor with a horned helmet. An echoing inhuman voice “I vow to slay all violators who have defined my tower!” But, the ancient armor shows no signs of rust. No one ever wears horned helmets. The throne isn’t aged at all, just stained a dark color, as are the wooden doors. There’s a ladder propped up nearby to reach the trapdoor in the ceiling to the roof level. The chest on the roof is dark stained balsa wood, identical to the one on the first floor. And so on and so on. Looking just a little beyond the surface shows that something is quite off, in every room, from every standpoint. The build, the aging, the tower isn’t even is there to defend anything, being out of place.

Each room calls these things out in detail. There’s a little description, sometimes a column long for the longer rooms, and another section of “Clues Something is off …” The riddle room accepts any answer as an answer “Hrm, a worthy answer that I fid accept, the curse on the bars has been lifted.” Any basic inspection of anything, beyond the surface level, will reveal something isn’t quite right here.

This is a gimmick adventure. Essentially a hook for a larger campaign. For what it is it’s fine. Perhaps a little obvious in places, like the balsa wood, but the vast majority of it is subtle enough to make it through a first glance unless one digs deeper. Perhaps a little long for what it is, but, seen for what it is, a print promo offering (which is what I seem to recall it is) it’s a fine little give-away.

This is $3 at DriveThru. No Previeeeewwwww!!!!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/537468/pest-control

A new episode has been added to the database: S2E88 - Why Do You Think It's Called The Equatorial (with Scott Dorward)

A new episode has been added to the database: Player Prep in D&D | Lessons from Gygax’s “Successful Adventures” | Wandering DMs S07 E39

A new episode has been added to the database: [DND3 Pg 108] Goat, Inc. [Week 18]

A new episode has been added to the database: Crawl Out Through the Fallout, Part 1 (S5E8)

by Lowell Kempf

I stumbled upon Common Grounds by Troy Hickman over twenty years after it came out. A six-issue limited series, it is either obscure or I’m just an uncultured cad for having never heard of it.

But Common Grounds is worth discovering.

Spoilers

Spoilers

Spoilers

Spoilers

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Spoilers

Spoilers

The titular Common Grounds is a chain of doughnut shops that serve as a neutral ground for superheroes and supervillains, where they can meet and talk without violence. It’s an anthology, tiny slices of life, but forming an overall arc that we only see by the end.

More than anything else, Common Grounds reads like a love letter to Astro City. And, coming from me, that is a huge compliment. Superheroes as people is hardly new. That was the point of the Fantastic Four and an idea that Spider-Man elevated to darn near perfection. But Common Grounds does it really well.

Like Astro City, Common Grounds is a world of original characters that are built off of archetypes to the degree that you intuitively understand who they are. And you can picture the characters being able to hold down their own series.

While the core concept lends itself to comedy, and there is comedy to be sure, there is also drama and even tragedy. Sometimes in the same story. A reunion of goofy giant monsters from the 1950s has a total mood shift when they hear about a child’s death from domestic violence. ‘Who is the real monster?’ works when it’s done well.

And I don’t think that’s one of the stronger stories.

Little details and callbacks add up as the stories go on, culminating in the origin of the Common Grounds itself, rooted in tragedy and hope.

I wonder what an ongoing Common Grounds series could have been like. There was the potential for so many more stories. However, getting even these six issues and their cohesive vision is a delight.

by watersilver

C$10.00 for RPG Item: Alice is Missing
Condition: Like New
Location:

by Rachel

Happy 49th Friday of 2025, everyone!! And as always on Friday, here are the current Friday links: 2025 Friday on Friday: Play Friday EVERY Friday of 2025 and Friday on Friday, December 2025.

Because yes, it's Friday and no matter what, that means Friday here on Herald's Call :D.

Hello again, Level 5! My weekly nemesis :D.

I made it to the first pirate...

Not a bad start!

Wahoo! I vanquished the scurvy dogs :arrrh:!

Then moved on to the 2nd pirate battle...

A decent start, but I took things slow so as to not repeat last week's m8stakes.

Victory!!!! We have victory!!!!

And with 6 lifepoints leftover to boot!

My final score was 82 pts: 42 points from Fighting Cards, -5 points from Aging Cards, 30 points from lifepoints, 30 points for defeating both pirates, and -15 points from Unbeaten Hazards.

---------------------------

Weekly Updates:


Challenge Updates:
:d10-1: 2023 Extreme Numerology Challenge / 2024 Extreme Numerology Challenge : Wrapping up. Microbadges for 2022, 2023, and 2024 will be awarded, please stay tuned! 2025 is live: 2025 Extreme Numerology Challenge
:d10-2: 2023 Challenge: 23 unplayed in 23: Done.
:d10-3: Fire in the Library- Summer/Fall 2023 Solo Challenge- Extended!!: Done! Stay tuned for a new series of mini challenges that include some more Weird Giraffe-themed fan promos.
:d10-4: 2024 Challenge: 24 unplayed in 24: is Wrapped! If you spot errors or make updates, please geekmail me.
:d10-5: 2025 Challenge: 25 un(der)played in 25: Active
:d10-5: A special note on the Friday on Friday challenges: ALL owed microbadges should be system-awarded soon-ish. ALL microbadge reimbursements complete! Update: Stay tuned for progress on microbadges!


Designer's Corner:
:d10-1: The 7th Seal : A bit of world-building and connecting on to Charge the Circle, Read the Runes, and 10 Minutes to Midnight :whistle:...
:d10-2: Finders Keepers: No new progress.
:d10-3: Charge the Circle: Ready for Pitching! & Currently re-working for self-publication via The Game Crafter in early 2026! Here's the sitch: the game is fine to pitch in its current form BUT needs quite a bit of work if I'm going to put this up on The Game Crafter and get the game noticed that way. The current art.. probably isn't enough to catch attention. I've got ideas... but I'm also open to ideas, so, if you've got anything you'd like to share or anything you'd like to see, please let me know!
:d10-4: Bears love Bows: Merry Trashmas edition: Now pitching! Pitch still still ongoing? maybe no news is good news??? STILL STRESSING! Still working on a pitch video because at this point, it can't hurt...
:d10-5: Really Retail: No new progress.
:d10-6: Barricade Brigade: Playing catch-up! Please stay tuned!
:d10-7: The Boxcats of Meowazon : No new progress.
:d10-8: Contagion and Calamity: The Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793: formerly Philly Fever 1793: No new progress.
:d10-9: Read the Runes: Work on Inscriptions and Keystone Borders continues. 2.0 working rules and PNP files available. TTS is live! Sell sheet posted! Please stay tuned to Friday updates and the WIP thread for continuing developments :D.
:d10-1::d10-0: 10 Minutes to Midnight: I've still got feedback to address over in the WIP thread... *sigh* This has been lower on my priority list due to active contests...
:d10-1::d10-1: Eight Elephants: Ready for pitching! As much as I'd like this game to join Charge the Circle on The Game Crafter... the art pretty much disqualifies it. That said, I am looking into a re-skin/re-theme of either this or Eighteen Eggs. This may be an opportunity for Snow Storm/Snow Squall to evolve... Thoughts?
:d10-1::d10-2: Surfboard Stealin' Sea Otters: Officially my entry in this year's 54-Card Contest! Contest complete! #2 Best FamilyGameand #8 Best Overall Game! Woot! Post-contest: expect some minor revisions in the next month or so, then I plan on pitching the otters and seeing if I can catch some waves...
:d10-1::d10-3: Rolling Runes Formerly Color(a)Cross and Number Lock. Formerly Roll the Runes. Rules/components still in-progress. Game delayed to 2026 Roll and Write Contest.
:d10-1::d10-4: Tricky Treats: Rules, Scorepad, Solo Mode Player Aid, and Sell Sheet all new/updated! PNP remains the same! TTS unchanged. Video still in-progress. Game now considered complete and officially Ready for Pitching!
:d10-1::d10-5: Defend your Dreams: (formerly Dreamcatcher Duty): No new progress.
:d10-1::d10-6: Squirrelly (formerly Woodland Warriors) : Contest complete! #3 for Best Art! 2 mini expansions available! Ready for pitching!
:d10-1::d10-7: Trick or Treat : No new progress.
:d10-1::d10-8: Last Leaves : Didn't get to work on the pinecone this week...
:d10-1::d10-9: Fireworks for the Fourth: Ready for pitching! And still crunching the numbers/weighing my options
:d10-2::d10-0: Composer's Cat: New Year's Eve Concert: Lyricist reborn! 2024 In-Hand Game Design Contest: 5th Best Multiplayer Game; 6th Best Innovative Mechanic; 7th Best Use of Theme; and 4th Best Low-Ink Printing! Major revision in-progress!
:d10-2::d10-1: Unnamed design: Involves the Titanic and Jenny the ship cat... No new progress.
:d10-2::d10-2: Nine Nopes: No new progress.
:d10-2::d10-3: Book it!: No new progress.
:d10-2::d10-4: Librarian's Cat: formerly Palm Library. formerly Littlest Library. 2025 In-Hand Game Design Contest: contest is complete... but I've got plenty of unfinished business to see to and I intend to see it all through! Please stay tuned! Sell sheet available.
:d10-2::d10-5: Elements: Ready for pitching! Still crunching the numbers/weighing my options
:d10-2::d10-6: Knick Knacks: Shaker Showdown : Contest complete! #3 Best Solo Game, #3 Best 2 Player Game, and #4 Best Family Game! Not bad, not bad at all, especially since I fell woefully behind on the comments... I do plan on addressing all of the feedback. And I do want to continue to refine and improve the game. There's a decent little game here and it's worth pursuing. Still working on additional revisions, including some interesting new twists to the gameplay.
:d10-2::d10-7: History Heist: On hold.
:d10-2::d10-8: Lost in the Labyrinth. No new progress.
:d10-2::d10-9: Critter Calls: Ready for pitching! And TTS is live! Video in-progress!
:d10-3::d10-0: Dragon's Draw: No new progress.
:d10-3::d10-1: Push to the Peak: No new progress.
:d10-3::d10-2: Cardshop Caretaker: No new progress.
:d10-3::d10-3: Unlucky Spirits: formerly Lucky 13: 2025 2-Player Print and Play Game Design Contest now complete. Game did not place. That said, I'm not giving up. New call for playtesters thread posted. New photos. Sizzle reel and ahort pitch video in-progress. Solo and Three-Player modes available! PNP available! TTS available! Come on folks, help me make this ouija-meets-jumanji game shine!
:d10-3::d10-4: Water always wins: Still ON HOLD.
:d10-3::d10-5: Sniper, take the shot!: No new progress.
:d10-3::d10-6: Abydos: Contest complete, game did not place... I'm disappointed, but I'm still committed to getting this game out there. Crunching the numbers and weighing my options, potentially coming to The Game Crafter...
:d10-3::d10-7: Nine Tails: Ready for pitching! And this is another game that might be a good fit for The Game Crafter...
:d10-3::d10-8: Puppy Pile: (formerly Dogpile). No new progress.
:d10-3::d10-9: Compound It!: No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-0: My Little Fish Tank: No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-1: Knick Knacks: Lovely Lamps : Sequel to Knick Knacks: Shaker Showdown. No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-2: Put a bow on it! No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-3: Gator Glory! No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-4: Eighteen Eggs: Contest complete, game did not place. *sigh*. I'm still planning on releasing the Rain, Rain Mini Expansion and Player Aids this coming week! I mean it this time! Really! :p
:d10-4::d10-5: Triskell (or maybe Triskellion): name not final: No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-6: Snow Squall: See Eight Elephants above.
:d10-4::d10-7: So, you want to be a mage...: No new progress.
:d10-4::d10-8: Cursed Cards: No new progress. Delayed until the 2026 contest. Again, I like this little game, but I need to concentrate my efforts elsewhere.
:d10-4::d10-9: Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice: My entry in Button Shy's 18-Card Cozy Contest! Contest-Ready & Submitted! Rules, components, sell sheet, and pitch video available!
:d10-5::d10-0: Monk's Cat: The Book of [Pawprints]: The third game in the Cat Companion Card Game series, sequel to Composer's Cat and Librarian's Cat. My forthcoming entry in the 2026 In-Hand Game Design Contest! Exciting! Some more progress this past week, but I really need to get the card functions sorted and the art started... Needs a WIP, rules, and components ready by January 1st.
:d10-5::d10-1: War of the Wilds : NEW : This is what happens when I revisit Barricade Brigade's files while thinking about Squirrelly :p. Looks like Squirrelly's original name of Woodland Warriors might be making a bit of a comeback in the language for this game. A potential entry in the 2026 Wargame Contest...

Professional Projects:
:d10-1: Explosion in the Laboratory/Fire in the Library (2nd edition): Weird Giraffe Games: Campaign wrapped! Campaign fulfilled! Campaign complete!
:d10-2: Dreams of Yesterday: Weird Giraffe Games: Campaign wrapped! Campaign fulfilled! Campaign complete!
:d10-3: In the Shadows: Resistance in France 1943 - 1944: GMT Games: Complete! I still haven't managed to get this back to my table. Gah! In the meantime... see A Solo Sunday Salute - First Impressions - In the Shadows for a preview.
:d10-4: Crumbs!: The Sandwich Filler Game: Minerva Tabletop Games: Initial feedback in. First impressions and some extra crumbs: Solo Sundays- First Impressions: Crumbs!: The Sandwich Filler Game and Solo Saturdays - Continuing to make Crumbs. More formal review posted: Rachel Reviews It- Crumbs!: The Sandwich Filler Game. Campaign funded! Campaign ongoing. Fingers-crossed that Minerva Tabletop Games comes through...
:d10-5: Crystallo expansions and miniature edition: Light Heart Games: Initial feedback in. Previews and additional adventures shared: A crystal cavern at the garage aka mini Crystallo is here!, First Impressions: Crystallo: Untold Fortune, Solo Saturdays- First Impressions: Crystallo: Den of Dragons, and Solo Stories- Playing with all of Crystallo. More formal review posted: Rachel Reviews It- Crystallo: Untold Fortune and Crystallo: Den of Dragons. Campaign funded! Campaign ongoing... Deep Water Games/Friendly Skeleton is a right mess! I feel so bad for Liberty and hope that everything works out in the end. Crystallo is still one of my favorite games and the expansions are great! I just wish that things had worked out differently and I hope that everyone gets their games and expansions in the end. Such a shame.
:d10-6: Lost Adventures: Belltower Games: First Impressions and continuing adventures shared: Two-Player Thursdays- First Impressions: Lost Adventures, Two-Player Tuesdays- Getting Lost with Mom, and Solo Stories - Lost Adventures. More formal review posted: Rachel Reviews It: Lost Adventures. Campaign wrapped! Campaign fulfilled. Campaign complete.
:d10-7: Quirky Bird Games: The zine campaign funded! That's a wrap! Congrats Beth and Angel! Fulfillment ongoing. Keep up the great work!
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On my to-do for the weekend: Check in on all of my active WIPs to address feedback, get the new rulebook and mini expansion up for Eighteen Eggs, get all of my Christmas cards written out, continue working on videos, and continue to experiment/crunch numbers on The Game Crafter. I'm aware that they'll be raising prices in January, but I want to get as close as I can to actual numbers.

On The Game Crafter front, I've decided to start out selling my games without boxes. Instead printable tuckboxes will be made available for free here on BGG (via individual game's WIP threads or potentially their BGG pages...). Yes, players will have to print and fold their own boxes and not everyone is going to want to do this, but the savings! for me and for players makes this (in my current thinking) the best way forward. This change allows me to focus on making the games and their components the best quality that I can while keeping costs down. I'd rather spend $4 for a rulebook than $6 for a tuckbox. Other folks might think differently, and that's fine! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Again, at this stage, nothing is set in stone :D.

And that brings me full circle to my very first "complete" game design: Charge the Circle. This is very likely to be my first game to make the jump to The Game Crafter. Here's my thinking:

1. The dice make the pnp a challenge for potential players. You need 46 dice for the full 2-player game!

2. 18 cards works out for printing BUT I should probably redo the graphics if I'm asking people to pay for the game. This also gives me the chance to make the game prettier/more eye-catching without breaking anyone's budgets.

3. 2 draw bags... could be included or could be supplied by the player... this gives me some extra wiggle room.

4. I want to do/keep the 2 custom double-sided position markers (tokens).

5. The 3 double-sided block tokens should also get a re-design. If I'm paying for chipboard tokens and asking my potential players to pay for them too, then they need to be worthwhile.

6. The game's rulebook needs a full overhaul and face-lift if I'm going to be serious about this. There's no discount for black and white printing. If I'm paying for a rulebook it needs to be both pretty and functional.

In other words, I do think Charge the Circle is the "right" game for me to start out on The Game Crafter, but I've got a lot of work to do before I hit "publish" :D.

Game Over On borrowed time...

Happy Friday and happy playing!
-Rachel

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A new episode has been added to the database: Riftlings EP 16, Aftermath Part II