Newsletter Recommendations and Updates

The content wheel is jammed this week, so here’s some other people’s content instead

This week was supposed to be the wrap up of my Warhammer series, delving into topics of the franchise’s portrayal of fascism, its real-world implications, and the dubious morality of GW’s practice of marketing towards children. But a combination of depression and a big move has left me with limited energy to tackle such subjects, so instead I offer you this brief update and a list of recommendations from the realms of TTRPGs and video games that I think you might like.

DCC Day 2023

Saturday marked the fourth annual DCC Day, a marketing event similar to Free RPG Day. DCC Day, hosted by Goodman Games, celebrates their flagship products, including Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC), its post-apocalyptic spin-off Mutant Crawl Classics (MCC), and the upcoming dungeon-crawler-as-spectator-sport game XCrawl Classics.

If you are reading this now, you might have missed the chance to participate in DCC Day this year. If you did, you missed out on a free two-for-one adventure for DCC and an all-new paid adventure for MCC. I was fortunate enough to explore the free DCC Day modules, and I can assure you that they are well crafted and guaranteed to deliver a good time at the table.

Over the past few years, I have developed a deep fondness for DCC. Embracing a simplified version of the d20 system, it brilliantly recreates the old-school vibes of the earliest editions of Dungeons and Dragons from the 70s and 80s. What sets DCC apart for me is its clever Luck-burning system, lovingly crafted dungeon designs, high-risk high-reward gameplay, and its wild fantasy settings. It scratches an itch of exploration and wonder that I’ve only recently realized has been missing in my regular D&D sessions.

Regrettably, the game that I was supposed to run at this year’s DCC day was cancelled due to lack of interest. It was discouraging because I firmly believe that DCC deserves a larger audience. It’s accessible to newcomers, especially those coming from 5e, while satisfying the nostalgia of seasoned RPG players, making it a great game for all. On a brighter note, I’m looking forward to running DCC games at Gen Con in two weeks. Although tickets to my games are currently sold out, I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore DCC or any of its sibling games on your own, if you have the opportunity.

TTRPG Newsletter Recommendations

As I’ve started delving into the realm of gaming newsletters on Substack, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the diversity of content available. Among the plethora of newsletters dedicated to specific creators and the musings of experienced game designers, my explorations have revealed a whole world of indie RPGs that I never imagined. While the list of worthwhile newsletters is extensive, I’d like to highlight just three that serve as fantastic gateways to discovering even more aspects of the hobby. In no particular order, here they are:

The Geekerati Newsletter

The Geekerati Newsletter, from Christian Lindke, is chock full of great insights and recommendations about a variety of geeky topics not just limited to TTRPGs. Christian’s knowledge of RPGs is staggering, and his newsletter is full of recommendations covering decades of RPG history. Currently, he is releasing a series of Indie RPG Recommendations for the month of July, a celebration of “Indie RPG month” as declared by popular YouTube personality Professor Dungeon Master. Each edition has been brimming with RPGs both familiar and obscure, accompanied by profound insights that will tempt you to expand your RPG library.

The Soloist

Entirely dedicated to the growing genre of Solo TTRPGs, The Soloist is full of recommendations for games ranging from contemplative journaling games to GM-less RPGs that allow you to immerse yourself in a TTRPG experience without the logistical challenges of coordinating schedules with your friends. I’ve been eager to explore the world of solo RPGs, perhaps even write some articles about them, and The Soloist offers an impressive wealth of recommendations, spanning indie, niche, and mainstream RPGs.

The Indie RPG Newsletter

As the name suggests, The Indie RPG Newsletter delivers a weekly rundown of interesting RPGs from around the web, particularly those from the popular indie gaming website, itch.io. It’s astonishing how many incredible games are being released by talented individuals and small companies every week. This newsletter acts as a valuable filter, sifting though the vast array of releases to make finding your next favorite game just a little bit easier. In addition, they provide excellent recommendations for podcasts, videos, and essays from around the web relating to indie RPG design.

Video Game Newsletter Recommendations

Unlike the TTRPG scene, the video game scene is vastly under-represented on Substack. Perhaps video games lend themselves to more visual mediums. Whatever the reason, there are still a few really good newsletters offering captivating insights into the history and design of video games.

50 Years of Text Games

This newsletter has been going on for some time, and I am kicking myself that I am just discovering it now. In fact, the newsletter has already been converted into a 600-page book, which I am hoping to get a physical copy of in its second print run.

50 Years of Text Games traces the rich history of interactive fiction between the years 1971 and 2020, picking one game from each year to examine in-depth. It is a massive project, with wonderfully deep insights into the history of narrative game design and how it evolved alongside computer technology. I look forward to diving into it and discovering more games that have started to be lost to time.

Retro XP

Retro XP examines games from long ago, both beloved and forgotten. Every entry is a deep-dive into a specific game, with wonderful insights into its creation and legacy, things that go far beyond a simple review. Right now they are doing a series on the 40-year history of Bomberman, a franchise that is far bigger and more diverse than I could have imagined. Like 50 Years of Text Games, I have not dived in as fully as I would like, but I love and attention given to these games that don’t get as much coverage from more popular retro-reviews.

Weird Fucking Games

Much like the Indie RPG Newsletter, this newsletter is exactly what it says on the tin. This monthly (bi-monthly if you’re a paid subscriber) newsletter showcases some of the weirdest, most fascinating and mysterious games released on itch.io. From daring art-styles to experimental gameplay mechanics, each game pushes the boundaries of what a game can be. It is refreshing to play games so unlike what we’ve come to expect from mainstream games,with their generic setups and recycled gameplay mechanics. Plus, most of these games are free, and those that are not are super affordable, making them even more appealing to pick up and try!

Wrap-Up

Next week, I will be wrapping up my series on Warhammer 40K. There will be talk of fascism. It will be fun. The week after that I will be at Gen Con, and only hope that I can find time to share all of my experiences, after which I am sure that I will have plenty of subject matter for this newsletter. Perhaps I will even see you there!

Thank you for your patience and have a great week!

*Apologies that this article does not have voiceover. I am pushing my personal deadline hard and have not had the time to record one, but I will have it up in a day or two on Substack.