Zine Month Showcase! Game Reviews Pending...

Zine Month!!!!!!!!!!

If you’re on this particular website, reading this particular post on this particular blog, it’s safe to say you’re interested in things having to do with games. It’s also pretty likely you are into hearing about newer games created by people who are creative and not something being rehashed for the seventeenth time. It’s also possible you have played (or possibly want to play) TTRPGs.

So let me tell you about Zine Month.

Happening all through the month of February, Zine Month is a website that showcases many many many different Indie TTRPGs, created by very talented people. Most of which sell for as little as 5 bucks which, considering the price of the standard DND book? You’re getting a great game for a bargain.

I’ve been flipping through this website for a few days now and let me tell you, I am nearly overwhelmed by the amount of games I would love to get my hands on and play, whether it be as a player or a GM. Every single game here is made with love and passion for the craft which is always so nice to see.

Each game on the website will lead directly to the original creator site for purchase so it all goes to wherever that particular creator wants it to go. Some of the games will give you physical copies of the booklet while others are fully-digital, so you’re good no matter your preference.

Now, like I said, it can be a bit overwhelming with pages and pages of games. So I’m going to go through some of the zines that caught me with the most intrigue. Here we go! (Bear in mind, these are just my choices and what caught my eye. I highly recommend you go and check out everything else too!)

The Kourt of Exile- Banished from the Kingdom? Run out of town? Tossed out of the pub? Welcome to Exile! This one is a tournament-style game that seems to have that good Eldritch theme and flare to it. It was inspired by the game show Taskmaster (which I have recently learned about thanks to this game) It would seem like a bit of a zany game and the games are able to be randomized. From the looks of it, it uses a few different types of dice (the d8 and d12 at the very least.) It’s available in pdf form, so no hard copies unless you’re looking to print.

The NPC Phonebook- A collection of characters for all genres of Tabletop Roleplaying Games. This one is less of a game and more of an addition to any game you may be running. For any GM who ever needs an on the spot NPC (we’ve all been there…) you get a booklet of 50 NPCs to be used like they’re described, or possibly simply to inspire your next character. This one is not yet available, but is running an indiegogo for either a pdf version or a hard copy.

Cavehaven- Cavehaven, home to the Goblins of Kokono Village… Pretty sure if you've read this far, you’ve played some form of TTRPG. And odds are, you at least somewhat know of Boblin the Goblin. We all want to adopt a goblin when we’re playing these games. This game is just adorable goblins and I’m pretty sure humans are the bad guys (because, let’s be honest guys… we are. Humans suck.) It’s still in development but can still be bought and played. So do it! For Boblin’s sake!

Daddy Issues- Have you heard the story of the father who "went for cigarettes" and never came back? You play as that guy. The noise that came out of my mouth when I read the description of this one was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. This is a solo run mini- campaign where you play as my -er- someone’s dad who left to get cigarettes and ended up in an epic adventure involving things both mundane and paranormal in nature. You print out the game, get yourself a pencil, two d6s and learn how to get yourself home.

9 Lives to Vahalla- A frenetic tabletop RPG about death metal Viking cats earning their place in the drinking halls of Valhalla. There is nothing about that previous sentence I don’t like. I was sold the moment I read it. But if that doesn’t sell it; let me explain. You play as a cat (or Death) in a world where humans have died. Now, you and your team are wandering the world and looking to earn your place into the ultimate afterlife of Valhalla. This game was backed on Kickstarter in two hours on the first, so it’s not officially available yet. But there is a preview that explains everything in more detail.

This is just a small sample of all the games in the showcase. Honestly, I could keep writing about these until the end of time. Each one listed here will become a part of my collection as well as a few others as I scroll through and see what gems might be hidden within. Maybe at some point there will be an in depth review of how the games play. But until then, I suggest you all take a look too.

That’s all for now, children. I’ll see you all in the next one!

(HEY! Check out Zine Month here!!!!)