Wreck Age, released in 2013 by Hyacinth games, is a surprisingly effective hybrid of tabletop RPGs and miniature war games. Although it isn’t perfect, it should satisfy those who are fans of both, and have longed for a more story-driven wargaming experience…
Better Gameplay?
Dontcha Just Hate Us Bad Guys?
In any roleplaying game, what defines an enemy? The defense numbers? The damage numbers? The extensive and daunting power list? No, I say, and say again, no. The only characteristic that defines an enemy is the one thing that’s impossible to quantify: the personality…
Editorial
23 Ranks of Use Rope
I’ve not made a secret my disdain for skills in d20-based games. They always feel tacked on, a sop offered to players who need more numbers to truly realize the character they want to play. Rather than just say, “My dude spent a lot of time in the king’s court” and let the GM interpret what this means, most players feel it’s important to have mechanics that represent capabilities beyond the core task resolution system. Today, I want to talk about why I feel this approach is bad for d20 games and probably make you super upset as a result. But I have a solution and it comes at the end…
Reviews
Played: Cursed Treasure – Don’t Touch My Gems
Cursed Treasure: Don’t Touch My Gems is a tower defense game where you place towers with varying capabilities on the map to try and stop waves of enemies from stealing your gems. The atmospheric twist here is that you’re the evil Overlord using Orcs, Undead, and Demons to stop the heroes…
Editorial
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Video Game Tutorials
Have you ever played a game that felt like it was drawing you in from the very beginning? One that presented you with the things you needed to know in order to play without making you sit through dreary pauses, cut-scenes, and simple tasks?
Editorial
The Oldest Gamer in the Room
Despite my best efforts to remain immature, I have not been able to stop the ravages of time…
Better Gameplay?
Core Elements of Great Games: Engagement
Engagement is key whenever one designs an entertainment experience. As a writer, I can testify for the fact that something that is boring won’t get read. Great games are made by people that recognize this concept and apply it to its fullest. The core principle behind engagement is the idea that players should always be focusing on the current action or a future action…
Reviews
Played: Kingdom Rush
I play games for two reasons. The first is for entertainment. The second is to take my mind off my work when things just aren’t clicking creatively (for some reason my mind does great work when I’m not thinking about said work). Ideally, a game meets both of those goals at the same time.
Reviews
Review: MINDJAMMER, The Roleplaying Game
Mindjammer is many things in one. It’s a space opera game that really has rules and mechanics for pretty much everything, all powered by the Fate Core system…
Better Gameplay?
One Cool Thing About Monsters… by Robert J. Schwalb
Please welcome Robert J. Schwalb and his first article at Stuffer Shack. He’s an established RPG game designer and novelist with a slew of credits to his name, and in this article he talks about that cool thing that makes monsters cooler…