Story Games Weekly #71

New Games

A game by Andy Hauge inspired by Bastion, with a dash of Apocalypse World.

Free alpha

A book of monsters written by Patrick Stuart and based off drawings previously provided by Scrap Princess. There are atrocious crows and the thing is brilliant and weird mind-corrupting ooze.

Paperback: $30 , several pages preview at link

Left Coast

Left Coast is a role-playing game by Steve Hickey about a science fiction writer in California, who struggles as the weirdness from her novels spills into real life.

PDF: $6.99

JUGGERNAUT

A live action game about free will by Jason Morningstar, for 3-6 players. The Korean War is eight days old.
National Security Council Report 68 is sitting on Harry Truman’s desk, a grim outline of the Cold War that is to enfold the world for the next 40 years. And you have invented a computer that can see the future.

PDF: $10, PDF + Cards: $15

Vow of Honor

The world of Sasara, your home, is broken and depraved. Despots rule over isolated city-states, indifferent to the suffering and squalor of the people. You play Arbiters, protectors of good, avenging victims, while trying to keep your moral code.

PDF: $10, Softcover: $20, Hardcover: $40

News

200 Word RPG Challenge

Design a Tabletop RPG, Setting, Hack, Expansion, or whatever in 200 words or less. That's it! David Schirduan is running this contest till May 1st, and there's already a bunch of exciting submissions. Jump in!

Bundle of Holding: GUMSHOE

This revived bundle is chock full of investigative goodness, including Ashen Stars, Night's Black Agents, and much more.

Conversations

The Irrelevant Conflict Trap

Chris Chinn releases an awesome post about different systems and techniques and how they help you focus in on the conflicts you want for your game.

Support Chris's Patreon

How to Moderate A Panel

A number of awesome moderators get together about how to make panels sing.

Processing Politcal Larps

An article on Nordic Larp and about framing larp experiences with strong agendas.

Crowdfunding

Jonathan Walton's Patreon

One of my favorite designers, Jonathan Walton, author of the Planarch Codex, is starting a Patreon to release new games and continue to release new volumes of the Indie Mixtape.

Techniques

Competing with Puppies: Designing Games for Kids

Shanna Germain has an excellent 3-part series on designing games for kids, focusing on age, how to keep attention, and how to keep games accessible.

Part 2 and Part 3

A Quick Introduction to Typography Grids

Designer extraordinaire Daniel Solis talks about how to compose a page with grids.

Meanwhile...

Videogames for Humans

A new book by Merritt Kopas covering Twine games, this book is about authors in conversation with a new game form, and includes playable copies of dozens of games. Includes playthroughs by Alex Roberts, awesome co-host of The Tabletop Superhighway

PDF+Games: $10, Paperback: $24

Have you seen something cool? Got your own game, scenario, con, or rant? Feedback about the newsletter?

Send it to us at storygames@gmail.com