Actual Play - Don't Turn Your Back

Every couple of weeks, the good folks at MKE RPG host an event at +42 Lounge where local geeks get to play some games and drink some drinks. I enjoy the event because it offers an opportunity for me to bust out games from my library. Thanks to the good folks at +Evil Hat Productions , I was able to get my hands on a prototype of their newest board game. Don't Turn Your Back puts players in a war for control of a strange city by pulling Nightmares under their influence. It uses the setting of their classic Don't Rest Your Head RPG.

The game is currently funding on Kickstarter. A short rundown of the game and my thoughts on the game are below the jump. Thanks to +Caleb Andersen , +Mike Holmes  and +Nihar Nilekani for playing the game with me!

Save Game - Siege Campaign

Over on rpg.net, one of the forum posters wants to frame his game as a siege of Cartridge Gardens. Check out the discussion!

Firefly - Smuggler's Guide to the Rim

The latest Firefly RPG book is now available in PDF. Smuggler's Guide to the Rim features reputation rules, a ready made setting out in the wilder expanses of the 'Verse, new archetypes and two adventures; one from Greg Stolze and another from Margaret Weis.

Actual Play - World Wide Wrestling

One of my lesser known passions is that I enjoy pro wrestling. I really got back into it in college but I still keep an eye on storylines and occasionally go over to watch PPVs with friends. I own a few wrestling RPGs, too, for maximum crossover appeal. Recently, Nathan D. Paolette ran a Kickstarter for a tabletop game that uses the Powered by the Apocalypse engine and walks the line between the real world and the fake worlds of wrestling. My original intent was to run this before next weeks big WWE show, but scheduling forced my hand early.

If you want the short version; this is an excellent game. It was my best wrestling RPG experience ever and one of my favorite games from the Apocalypse Engine. It works for hardcore fans, casual fans, lapsed fans and people who claim they don't like wrestling but still make it to the final Championship match anyway. I was skeptical about Creative controlling the outcomes but in play it didn't matter. When Bearonica got into the ring with Heidi Hyde, I was on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know how they got to my finish.

My full write-up is after the jump so I can keep things straight for the next time.

Milwaukee Record - On The Record

Listen to me talk about geek culture, Munchkin, D&D versus fantasy football and more on this excellent podcast from handsome people.

Milwaukee Record - Anime Milwaukee

The biggest convention of the year in Milwaukee drops this weekend. I compare it to our big summer music festival.

Save Game - In Print

My author's copies of Save Game arrived this morning. It's even more gorgeous in print! If you want yours, order it (and a bunch of other stuff, why not?) from Evil Hat today!