Next week I'm doing a live Twitch stream on the subject of making funny games and making games funny, with GM Jeff Stormer, who's running the wildly successful Kickstarter for Mission: Accomplished! right now. It's on Tuesday 5th November, at 16:00 GMT/11:00 EST. Do come and listen, comment or heckle.
If you like tabletop games of any kind, and/or you're an aspiring game designer, then this Humble Bundle is an absolute essential purchase and if you don't back it at the $15 level then you are a fool.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/puzzlecraft-books
Seriously, the Kobold Guide to Board Game Design is worth $15 on its own. This is amazing value.
Slightly belatedly, the committee of the Diana Jones Award is proud to announce that its 2018 winner 'for excellence in gaming' is the Actual Play movement. Full press release here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iesA5lVSlo4lrLFqqxifgA98vpuL_MX3vM2-qQOmeiQ/edit?usp=sharing
I'm blown away by your positive response to These Are Animals. I've now given it a permanent home as a free download on DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, which also means there's a space for reviews and comments--which I would welcome. It's here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244973/These-are-animals
There's more information about the nominees and the award in the full press release, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CbtKTggoqbc61G2I7g3xRsLn1gTQDIdoJTDlQf-co3Q/edit?usp=sharing
The committee of the Diana Jones Award has announced its five shortlisted nominees for 2018, 'for excellence in gaming'. They are:
* The 200 Word RPG Challenge, a competition organised by David Schirduan and Marshall Miller
* The Actual Play movement
* Analog Game Studies, a journal edited by Aaron Trammell, Evan Torner, Shelley Jones and Emma Leigh Waldron
* Charterstone, a board game by Jamey Stegmaier
* Harlem Unbound, a roleplaying game sourcebook by Chris Spivey
I have designed a new game for the #200wordRPG challenge. See what you think.
It's called 'These are animals'.
If you missed my latest RPG Alas Vegas, it's a frankly ridiculous $6.38 (down from $15.95) in the Deal of the Day at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow for the next few hours. Check it, and/or tell your friends. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199713/Alas-Vegas
Last chance to book a place on my game-design masterclass tomorrow. It's a crash course in creating board games, from first concept to twice-tested prototype in three hours. Fun! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/games-design-workshop-draughts-board-game-cafe-tickets-45028760234
Honoured to be nominated for an Origins Award, for The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen 3e, along with everyone at FFG who worked on it, particularly my editor Tim Huckelbery and artist Omar Rayyan.
http://www.originsawards.net/current-origins-awards-nominees/
ARE WE ALL READY FOR #EUROVISION???!?
no wait sorry as you were wrong social media platform
I did a lovely podcast with the charming chaps from Tea & A Chit Chat. If you get the chance, I can recommend their hospitality and selection of biscuits very highly. https://youtu.be/sbq4BdmALlQ
Learn how to make games in an afternoon! The Games Design Masterclass will be running on Weds 23rd May at Draughts in London, led by me. It's a lecture, a workshop and a playtest all in one. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/games-design-workshop-draughts-board-game-cafe-tickets-45028760234
#aprilttrpgmaker 24: Most notable achievement?
Inventing the entire field of GM-less single-session narrative games now known as "story games", by accident.
#AprilTTRPGMaker 23: People who have helped you
Too many to name, but I owe particular shout-outs to Nicole Lindroos, John Nephew, Marc Gascoigne, Simon Rogers, and to Ken Hite for being the John the Baptist of the New Style games.
Director of Spaaace the games consultancy. Designer, lecturer, author, player. james@spaaace.com