Feb 15 2023
I’m not a terribly meta kind of person: I prefer to play games rather than read about them, and heaven knows, I’d much rather spend my precious time actually writing rather than reading about writing. So despite Paul Czege being a valued collaborator of mine, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to appreciate …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/02/15/the-ink-that-bleeds-by-paul-czege/
Jan 17 2023
translated from the original French by Anita Conrade. My sister went to Paris for her 40th birthday (lol, I went to The Melting Pot for mine) and got this delightful book for my youngest son Theo! Well, for all the kids, but since the protagonist is named Theo, it’s hard to believe that it’s not …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/01/17/paris-hide-and-seek-by-masumi/
Dec 06 2022
I love RPG books so much, I write my own. I also have a terrible weakness for buying more, especially if they’ll facilitate my own campaigns, whether solo or otherwise. Since most of my groups tend to play D&D (and I do a fill-in campaign for one of them. Oh, and professionally DM every so …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/12/06/how-to-defend-your-lair-by-keith-ammann/
Sep 28 2022
Y’all, I love Tarot so much, I write games using the cards as inspiration. I was thus utterly delighted when offered the chance to review this set of Tarot cards, that adapts the classic Rider-Waite imagery to feature adorable cats of all breeds and colors. And wow, did this set absolutely exceed my expectations! It …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/28/cats-rule-the-earth-tarot-78-card-deck-and-guidebook-for-the-feline-obsessed-by-catherine-davidson-thiago-correa/
Sep 20 2022
As a game designer and enthusiast myself, it’s perhaps a natural evolution of my career in book criticism to consider and cover all the many things a bookstore can provide, games included. So when I was offered the chance to review The Real Women Of Greek Myths: A 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Based on Feminist …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/09/20/the-real-women-of-greek-myths-by-natalie-haynes-natalie-foss/
Jun 17 2022
with the subsubtitle “Prompts and Activities to Create Compelling Characters for Horror, Sci-Fi, X-Punk, and More” As an RPG nerd from way back, I was both deeply appreciative and somewhat perplexed by this book. I’ve never really had trouble dreaming up backstories for my characters, but can see how people with less active imaginations would …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/06/17/the-ultimate-rpg-character-backstory-guide-expanded-genres-edition-by-james-damato/
Mar 14 2022
It’s impossible to be involved in indie tabletop gaming circles these days and remain ignorant of Jay Dragon’s bestselling pastoral fantasy game Wanderhome, which was recently nominated for a Nebula Award. Unusually for a 100+ page tabletop roleplaying game, it has zero combat rules or stats, and almost actively discourages that kind of physical conflict. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/14/wanderhome-by-jay-dragon/
Mar 01 2022
I am just wildly in love with Monica Wellington’s American folk art style throughout the pages of this wonderfully interactive children’s book. It can sometimes be a struggle to get my younger kids to sit with me for the duration of an entire tome, but my youngest especially was thoroughly engaged by the clever art …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/03/01/eggs-from-red-hen-farm-farm-to-table-with-mazes-and-maps-by-monica-wellington/
Feb 10 2022
After reading Cleo Coyle’s absorbing Honey Roasted for work the other day, I was seized with the desire to write a game revolving around different kinds of single flower honey. I knew I wanted it to be connected to my Six Elements Universe, but I very specifically wanted it also to be an exploration game …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/02/10/carta-srd-apex-predator-and-into-the-glacier-by-peach-garden-games/
Jan 03 2022
Happy New Year, readers! Here’s to another wonderful year of reading and discovery for you all! Back in 2020, we told you about the very cool Kickstarter campaign for Jonathan Green’s gamebook Dracula: Curse Of The Vampire. I received my copy partway through 2021, but didn’t have time to sit down and read/play through it …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/01/03/dracula-curse-of-the-vampire-by-jonathan-green-illustrated-by-hauke-kock/
Al Singh
Doug Merrill
Doreen Sheridan
John Pitzel
Lars N. Goldschlager
Laura Eilers
Professor X
Robert Maedgen
Sylvere Ap Leanan
The Shire