Breaking Out
Hey Last Piners,
Hope everything is going as well as can be in your part of the world. Kinda feels like everything is on fire and/or totally fucked all the time, but I’m really trying to focus on nurturing genuine connections with those around me and cultivating hope, because without it, what’s the point?
Breakout Con!!
I am going to be at Breakout Con March 14-16 in Toronto! I strongly suspect that if you are in or around Toronto and follow me in any capacity, you were already aware of this, but just in case, I wanted to make sure people know. It’d be really cool to meet some of y’all, maybe get a cup of tea. Additionally, my Sunday game still has room in it! And while the others are all full, it never hurts to get on the wait list in case someone drops out. I’m really excited to get back to Breakout, as its coming to feel like a home away from home. Hopefully I’ll see some of you there.
What I’m Working On
I’m in various stages of design on a couple different projects right now, with most of my energy focused on Embers, a Star Wars-inspired game that asks “isn’t it kinda fucked up that the Jedi abduct children into their state-sponsored cult and train them to be child soldiers?” and the rest focused on Grim Harbour, a street-level game about mooks, minions, and henchmen trying to work their way up the criminal ladder while avoiding the attention of the heroes (and villains!) that run things. I’m also slowly but surely working on Welcome to Cleveland, my loving tribute to the failed Alternate Reality Game This is My Milwaukee. (Learn more about TIMM and the strange saga around it here.)
Things I’m Enjoying
Holy shit y’all, there’s a new Propagandhi song!! My all time favorite band is back with a banger that’s very relevant to what’s happening in the world right now. Pre-order the album through Kings Road!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDhTf3eaeoMMary and I made it out over the weekend to see Mickey 17. It’s rare these days that we get to see movies for grownups in the theater, so this was a treat. I’m a big fan of Bong Joon-Ho, and while this one didn’t hit quite as hard as some of my favorites, I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
There’s a lot of really cool stuff crowdfunding at the moment, and I’d like to take a moment to highlight my favorites:
Love for the Love Gods by Graham Gentz is like Cabin in the Woods but for Hallmark movies. The Love Gods DEMAND love and only you can maintain the ritual!
There are only six days left on Time Force, a lightweight adventure game about preventing the end of the world, and it’s only a little more than halfway to its goal. This one is by my pals over at Mythworks, and I really hope we get to see it happen!
The Wild Frontier of Venture by Oddity Press takes the FitD-inspired Moxie system developed for Grimwild and twists it for cinematic weird west.
Rowan, Rook, and Decard is publishing a revised edition of Voidheart Symphony, Minerva McJanda’s game of resistance and revolution.
Returning Home is my exact shit. It’s a GM-less game about a journey into painful memories and coming out on the other side with acceptance.
Extra Ordinary is a Belonging Outside Belonging game about super-powered kids on the run from the dangerous adults targeting them.
Finally, Cold City Hot War doesn’t need any help from me but goddamn it’s cool.
Alright y’all. Stay strong and I hope to hear from you soon.
jex