I thought I’d quickly review the Gamemaster’s Apprentice Deck (GMA) by Nathan Lockwood of Larcenous Designs, plus touch on its myriad alternate versions. These 120-card decks (60 cards double-sided in their print version) aren’t a game so much as a tool to help GMs create and run anything from one-shot adventures to entire campaigns. GMA […]
Review the Last of pocket games from the same publisher. See Part 1 for notes on gameplay, or Part 2 for a review of a better game than Part 1. Now let’s finish this up and get out of here. Big Eyes, Small Brains (BESB) Writers: L.B. and Samatha FerreiraYear: 2019Dimensions: 6¼” x 4” x […]
The second of three reviews of pocket games from the same publisher. See Part 1 for info about the gameplay, and maybe stay for the review. If you dare. Laser Metal Writer: Ron LeotaYear: 2015Dimensions: 6¼” x 4″ x ¼”Metalheads: 2+Term for GM: Metal MasterTerm for PC: PC (how disappointing)Page count: 116“Laser” count: 72“Metal” count: […]
To finish up my series of pocket TTRPG reviews, I was originally going to write one big review of three similar games. As I dug in, it turned into a monster, since apparently I can’t shut my yap for two seconds. So I’m breaking it into three regular reviews instead. Please! … Enjoy. In this […]
One more entry for my review mini-series about RPG adventures that fit in your pocket. See Part One for the money, Part Two for the show, and Part Three to get ready. Now, here we go. Bookmark No-HP RPG (Compleat Bundle) Publisher: Lester Smith GamesYear: 2021Dimensions: 2½” x 3½” (poker card size) or 6″ x 1½” (bookmark size) […]
Another installment of my review mini-series about literally pocket-sized RPGs. See Part One for the explanation, and Part Two for more of … whatever this is. Storytelling Mints Publisher: Archmage ArispenYear: 2025Dimensions: 3¼” x 2⅛” x ¾”Players: 1+ Yet another joint from Archmage Arispen, maker of the previously reviewed Tinny Dungeons. Storytelling Mints feels like […]
Continuing my miniseries of mini-RPGs. Check out part one for the skinny. Mini Myth: Hero’s Handbook Publisher: Studio MinchYear: 2025Dimensions: 105 x 148mm (A6 format, 4.1” x 5.6”) x maybe 3mmPlayers: 2-5 Now we’re heading into itch.io territory for some print-and-play RPGs. Mini Myth was originally produced for a one-page RPG jam, but is unusual […]
Let’s get small In this series, I’m going to indulge a peculiar fixation of mine: pocket TTRPGs, a.k.a. physical RPGs which fit entirely within a pants pocket. These are essentially the RPG equivalent of Micro Machines, Polly Pocket/Mighty Max, Gameboy Micro, Tech Deck, Z scale trains, bonsai, and anything else made unfeasibly tiny. Here are […]
Ariadne & Bob is a funky, improv-heavy little treat of an RPG published in 2021 by Jim “Jimbozig” Bozig McGarva, along with Paul “Ettin” Matijevic, Vel Mini, Nick Butler, Jasin Pitre, and Austin Ramsay. That’s some big developer guns right there, enn gee ell. Art is by Yuri Kavalerchik and Kyla Austin. The basic premise of […]
This World Summons Too Many Heroes!!: Definitive Edition (TWSTMH from now on, because I value my fingers) is a 2025 Kickstarter-funded compendium of the 2023 second edition of a 2021 RPG by Nick “Duffo” Duff. The Definitive Edition expands the original core rules and includes supplemental material written by Paul “Ettin” Matijevic, plus Tom Harrison and […]