Another GenCon has come and gone. I find myself reflecting upon it again in a state of energized exhaustion. For many, it is four days of playing games, listening to panels, and discovering new and old games to bring home. For me, it is something different.
Don't get me wrong, we try to play games. It is just, when else are you going to get the direct attention of some of the smartest people you know to put whatever you are working on through the paces?
It is a lot of work, and some nights... Well, some nights just don't end because people can't stop talking. About games. About publishing. About design. About art. About everything.
And it sure as hell isn't just four days when you work a booth. It's seven. Seven days from start to end. Seven exhausting wonderful days.
Everything always starts nice and easy. We get to catch up. We unload the truck for the booth. We play some easy to pick up and go games like Memoir 44 and Diet and Friends. The halcyon days of the convention.
You would think this time frame, when we have the most time, we would be able to get in the play testing of new games. We had planned it. We had three things we wanted to pressure test, two of which really needed it as they are strange and weird and absolutely in their infancy. But as Al Swearengen once said,
"Announcin' your plans is a good way to hear God laugh."
Instead, we did even better things. We strengthened bonds for friendship. I got to build new ones with new people. We laughed and had fun and set up the booth. And we talked games and design.
There is something so precious and wonderful about being surrounded with others who share a passion for design. It doesn't even have to be the same kind of design. Just an appreciation for craftsmanship breeds within a person this way of thinking and a kinship that sparks a kind of energy. It is hard to describe, but the closest analogy I can think to the phenomenon would be all the different times Paris hosted artists and thinkers in history.
It brings to mind the days of the Forge, when we debated all sorts of aspects of game design, intention, and artistry. That spark of energy was there and it ignited some amazing individuals and work. Modern role playing games are built on the foundations of many of these ideas and the works of the individuals that came out of there.
This year's GenCon was the first time in a long time that I felt that same energy. Even before we dove into the games, we discussed and debated various aspects of design. It was invigorating and the energy powered me through working the booth.
I talked about this last year, but I love working the booth. I love talking to people about these games. It never feels like a sale because I am sharing my passion and experiences with others to see if they match. I also love telling people about what is coming next, like Middarmark 2E being at the copy editor right now or Interceptor being stuck in the mail.
Speaking of Interceptor, it is amazing. Luke has made a wild game that does some shit to your brain as you play. His introduction describes it best,
The news on the telly paints a grim picture of conflict across the globe, nation threatening nation over oil and trade–temperatures rising, millions displaced. But that is all a world away. In your sectors, scoot jockeys harass citizens, steal gas and cause bulk trouble. As prices rise and violence becomes commonplace, you watch friends and neighbors flee to faraway cities. You don't rattle easy though, and you've determined to stay and do your job–at least for now.
You are an officer in the Special Patrol Group (SPG), responsible for highway safety and speed limit compliance. Your patrol sectors stretch from the population centers of Sun City to the borders of the Prohibited Zone.
Over the past few years, your job has shifted from issuing speeding tickets to holidaying motorists to chasing down gangs of glory riders who prey on the vulnerable and the unwary. Today, you are about to ride out into what may be your final tour with the SPG.
Remember that only by following instructions can we hope to maintain a successful highway patrol
I play tested Interceptor earlier in the summer when I visited Luke in New York, but got to sit down again with him and Christopher that Thursday. Despite some kinks, it is a tremendous game that took me on an emotional roller coaster. The mechanics are smart and I think when the final game is released people are going to really like it. It is very different.
We of course play tested other games that took us late into the night on two different nights. It was invigorating and exhausting. Both games are in their infancy and both games are so different and so early in their development, but also so exciting that I would be doing everyone a disservice to talk about them now.
That there is really the theme of this year. GenCon 2025 was both invigorating and exhausting. I came home inspired. My head is swirling with ideas that I need to get out, which is exactly what you want out of going to GenCon as a creative person. I already started putting many of them on paper.
I also came home exhausted and with a head cold. Con crud is a very real thing...
Volume 2, Issue 1
A new year, so a new volume of Yggdrasil MGZ and it is huge! Sixty four pages of adventure for both the Torchbearer RPG and Basic/Expert Dungeons and Dragons!
And this issue is only the first part in a trilogy of adventures deep in the Sanctum of the Serpent Vaults, the last echo of a civilization cursed to desolation. In this issue you will get a vast adventure that includes:
• A sprawling urban crawl that shifts and changes every time you enter the city.
• The Dream Way, a dungeon that embraces the randomness of the Shifting City.
• A novel faction system that is centered on the adventurer's actions.
• A host of monsters for your party to face.
• Guidelines on how to use adventures for both D&D and Torchbearer.
