Author Archives: gmdirect

The Curious Crossroads of Fast Food and Roleplaying Games

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Thanksgiving is coming soon, and with some time off looming, I’ve got both food and gaming on my mind.

There are plenty of food-fueled board games and card games out there. Just Desserts, Sushi Go!, Devil Bunny Needs a Ham, and Bread Basket (which we just reviewed!) all come to mind, alongside the dozens of food-themed Monopoly games out there.

But I’m a roleplaying game guy at heart, which means my thoughts turn to food-fueled RPGs. Thankfully, there are some choice options there.

Two of my favorites are Ninja Burger and The Tasty Lands of Silverplate.

Ninja Burger casts you and your fellow players as ninja deliverypersons, with the goal of sneaking into the customer’s house, delivering their food, stealing the correct amount of money from them, and leaving, all without being seen.

It is a riotously good time and one of my all-time favorite RPGs.

The Tasty Lands of Silverplate, on the other hand, isn’t a game on its own. It’s a setting for Dungeons & Dragons, allowing you to create characters made of food to go on adventures. Yes, as one of the foodfolk of Silverplate, you will trudge through mushroom forests and cotton candy swamps while engaging in acts of derring-do.

Silverplate is a terrific setting, welcoming lighthearted and pun-riddled gameplay to your table.

Oh, if you’re looking for food/RPG entertainment, you should definitely check out Dimension 20’s campaign A Crown of Candy on Dropout, which is Game of Thrones if it took place in the fridge. It has big Silverplate vibes and it is excellent and heartbreaking all at once.

You know, it’s funny that one of my favorite roleplaying games is fast food-related, because there is (as the title of this blog post promised) some unexpected crossover between the worlds of fast food and RPGs.

Oh, I don’t mean roleplaying games ABOUT food. I mean roleplaying games and materials manufactured BY fast food companies.

For instance, on two separate occasions, Arby’s produced a short run of Arby’s-themed roleplaying dice.

The original set was designed with an Arby’s hat at the center of each die, as well as the Arby’s logo for the number 20 spot on the D20. They sold out instantly in 2021, and a restock in 2023 was snapped up equally fast.

The second time around, Arby’s went to the company Norse Foundry, who are known for high-end quality dice, particularly their metal ones, and the newest iteration of Arby’s Dice were the beautiful beefy boys pictured above.

They sold out in less than a day, despite the price jumping from $12 for the 2021/2023 dice to $40 a set for the Norse Foundry dice.

Those dice are impressive to be sure, but not nearly as impressive as the complete, standalone roleplaying game designed for Wendy’s. It was called Feast of Legends.

Feast of Legends sets players in Freshtovia, one of the nations of Beef’s Keep, trying to ward off the impending threat of The Deep Freeze by rival nations with more than a passing resemblance to some other fast food franchises.

By taking up arms and representing organizations like The Order of the Spicy Chicken or The Order of the Sides, players can battle in honor of Queen Wendy and protect the realm from mediocre food and the horrors of freezer burn.

The PDF of the game was released for free, and a limited number of physical copies were produced for New York Comic Con. It was even played as a one-shot by internet actual play juggernaut Critical Role, though some negative press generated by some of the executives at Wendy’s (and through no fault of the hardworking team producing the game), caused the one-shot to be removed from YouTube, hurting the promotion of the game.

Still, Feast of Legends resonated with some RPG fans, and to this day, there’s an active subreddit dedicated to the game. Physical copies of the game are obviously quite rare, so fans were surprised to learn in an Instagram post last year that there are some physical copies in the hands of the game’s creator, Matt Keck.

I reached out to Matt (who was also the absolute wizard behind Wendy’s social media at the time, particularly their Twitter account), and he kindly took some time out to answer my questions about the creation of this unique roleplaying property.

What did the creative process look like? Who had the initial idea for the adventure?

I’m actually the reason it even got made. I worked on the Wendy’s team at the agency VML in Kansas City. My primary work was doing the Twitter jokes/roasts/etc., but I really got to work a little on everything. I love TTRPGs and I wanted to write a Wendy’s module.

When I realized they probably wouldn’t do an official partnership I took it upon myself to write it. I didn’t want too many questions about how we would get it done, so I had written the majority of the finished project before even pitching it. I still have a notebook with old sketches of maps and monsters. I really had all of the classes or Orders built out, the world drawn, and most of the story planned before showing anyone. That made it easy to get it made.

There’s a subreddit dedicated to Feast of Legends that still gets attention from the fan community. Does the game’s longevity surprise you? Were there plans for additional content? (A post from the Wendy’s reddit account suggests there might have been.)

It does and doesn’t surprise me. I had boasted it as a long-term brand play, but just because I say something that doesn’t mean it will always play out that way. I’m pumped any time someone has a good time playing it, or makes their own content for it, or even just tells me they enjoyed reading it. That was truly my passion project on that account, and I can only hope to do more in the space.

There were plans for more content, but after the pushback from the Critical Role episode, future plans got scrapped.

I had a breakfast module ready to go, along with exploring even more of the map. Plans always change, but I would’ve loved to make more in that world.

Is there a piece of lore/worldbuilding or idea of yours in the game that you’re particularly proud of? Or, conversely, one that you can’t believe actually made the cut?

I’ll tell you about one that got cut I loved, and that was the Grimagorgon. He was a two-headed grimace monster, and the first thing the lawyers said no to. My favorite piece isn’t something a lot of people would expect, but anyone who watches my videos will see my partner and friend Paul. In Feast of Legends there is a character named Old Man Paul that I wrote into the book just to roast him. As a good friend does.

As someone who really enjoyed playing Feast of Legends — and totally didn’t print out the PDF in its entirely at work so I could play it that week, no siree bob — it was a joy to talk with Matt about the game. Learning that it was something fun and important to him, and that it was a result of the famous axiom “don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness later” makes it an even more epic endeavor in my eyes.

These creative and unexpected crossovers between fast food and roleplaying games proves there’s an untapped market there, and I wish more companies would make the leap into the RPG realm. (Matt himself said “the card game space is still untapped and wide open. Give me a Secret Lair x Wendy’s.”)

I mean, if NASA can do it, why not Five Guys?

Anyway, I’m hungry. I’m gonna go grab some fries and ponder a Feast of Legends one-shot centered around dipping French fries in Frosties. Perhaps Queen Frostina and Fryderick of House Starch have run off together, and the party must keep them safe, seeking to turn the hearts of those who disapprove of the marriage of Frosties and French Fries!

Will you be indulging in any food-fueled gaming over Thanksgiving, friends? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.

Special thanks to Matt Keck for his time and insight. Check him out here, and if you’re looking for more RPG fun from the mind of Matt, please check out his Magic School Dropout videos here!

Deb Amlen, the Whimsical Wordnik of “Wordplay,” Announces Retirement

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damlen2

This morning, loyal readers of the Wordplay column in The New York Times were greeted by the news that Deb Amlen is retiring on January 2nd, 2026.

In case you somehow didn’t know, Deb is a talented crossword constructor, but these days, she’s better known for her role as the head writer and senior editor of Wordplay, the crossword blog and educational/humor column associated with The New York Times crossword puzzle.

You can read her thoughts in today’s Wordplay column, but please allow me to share a snippet of her thoughts from an accompanying Facebook post:

After more than 4,400 bylines and millions of words, mostly in the right order, I can honestly say that this has been the best job I’ve ever had. I’ve had the honor of working with some of the greatest journalists and editors in the business. It has been a wild ride, and as the great David Carr once advised, I have enjoyed every caper I’ve ever pulled at the company: the Trans-Atlantic cruise, the curling adventure, the rogue Crosswords Live. All of it.

…

Hopefully, after an extended period of drooling on myself to get over the deadlines, I can also continue to be part of the puzzle community in some way, because you all are the kindest, most generous, most funny people I know. Also extremely attractive.

damlen1

As an ambassador into the world of puzzles, Deb’s warmth and playfulness have been the perfect counterbalance for new and inexperienced solvers to the sometimes daunting prospect of tackling a New York Times crossword. Her columns are always funny, more than a little self-deprecating, and very complimentary to each day’s constructor.

I’ve interacted with Deb a few times over the years. I interviewed her for the blog back in 2020, and we had several friendly conversations at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Her enthusiasm for not just puzzles, but for meeting other puzzle fans, is unmatched, and even during a quick “gotta run!” visit, you come away with a smile.

I’m sad to see her go, but I’m glad to know that she’ll be working on new passion projects, traveling, and leaving the Wordplay column in the very capable hands of Sam Corbin and Caitlin Lovinger.

As one of the public faces of The New York Times Crossword, Deb often found herself the recipient of public feeling toward the crossword. Over the years, she has become rather infamous for reminding people that SHE just writes about the puzzles. “I didn’t do it” has become a catchphrase.

Well, Deb, it was true the vast majority of the time, but allow me to say, when it comes to making puzzles more welcoming and accessible to solvers, you absolutely DID do it.

Thank you for everything, Deb.

Justice For Snow! (The 2025 Toy Hall of Fame Inductees Revealed)

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Back in September, I wrote about the 12 nominees for this year’s class of The National Toy Hall of Fame: Furby, spirograph, Star Wars lightsaber, Tickle Me Elmo, scooter, cornhole, Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, Trivial Pursuit, slime, and snow.

I predicted that Catan, Connect Four, and Tickle Me Elmo would win. And I was wrong, as none of those three were selected to join the Toy Hall of Fame.

But I was hoping that the lightsaber, snow, and Trivial Pursuit would make the cut, as they were my personal nominees for this year’s class.

And I did get one of them right!

Battleship, slime, and Trivial Pursuit were the 2025 class for the National Toy Hall of Fame, where they will join all the other inductees on display at The Strong National Museum of Play.

That being said, please allow me to get up on my soapbox for a moment.

How is snow not already in the National Toy Hall of Fame?

It’s not like natural items haven’t made the cut in the past. The stick is already in. And you’re telling me that snow — a free toy that falls from the sky AND CREATES ENTIRE DAYS FREE OF SCHOOL IN WHICH TO PLAY — is not a Hall of Famer?

Blasphemy. Battleship can’t create days off.

And so, fellow puzzlers and players and appreciators of all things play, I ask you on this day to join me in my new movement.

#JusticeForSnow

Oh yes, I’ve already started the hashtag in my reply to the announcement of this year’s inductees. And it’s just the beginning. I intend to correct this injustice with all of the influence I can bring to bear. (Please note, that amount of influence is minuscule, as The Strong National Museum of Play has refused to return my calls on several occasions.)

But I shall not be deterred!

Will you join me on this glorious endeavor? Or has the whimsy and wonder of playing with snow been whittled away by years of shoveling driveways clear or stepping in slushy puddles on the way to work?

I tell you, friends, my whimsy has not abated in the slightest. I can remember staring out the window with my dad, watching wet snow cling to the trees, as if they were painted just so, picture perfect for Christmas card art, right in front of us. And despite the fact that we knew it would royally suck to shovel that snow later, we still smiled as we watched it accumulate.

So, National Toy Hall of Fame, better make some room on next year’s ballot. It’s gonna be snow’s time to shine.

Product Review: Bread Basket

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[Note: I received a free copy of this game in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.]

Playing games and enjoying snacks have gone hand-in-hand forever, so it’s only natural that games about making snacks would evolve over time.

Today’s game from Crab Fragment Labs, Bread Basket, is a brilliant example.

Bread Basket is a card game all about earning points by building sandwiches with the cards in your hand. When I thought about shuffling cards and making sandwiches, it brought to mind Dagwood from the Blondie comic strip or Garfield from the cartoon, ready to unhinge their jaws and take an enormous bite!

You see, building a sandwich isn’t just a skill, it’s an art. You need to balance your ingredients, flavors, tastes and textures, all while making sure you can actually take a bite of the sandwich at the end.

And it’s the same idea with Bread Basket, but with point values instead of flavors.

There are rules to your sandwich making. Your sandwich must have bread (matching cards on each side) and the ingredients in between must be lower-numbered cards than the bread. But with each player adding only one card at a time to the shared sandwich-making space on the table, you’ll need timing, strategy, and luck to make a sandwich and score points.

A sandwich consists of a string of cards where two cards match on either hand, and the cards in the middle are of lower value. If you complete the sandwich with your bread, you collect the point value of the cards contained between the pieces of bread.

For instance here, the bread are the two steak cards, and the points earned in this sandwich would be 15.

Once one player is out of cards (or the deck of available cards to draw runs out), the hand is over. You get points for all of the sandwiches you’ve made, but you LOSE points for all of the cards remaining in your hand.

This mix of strategies adds to the challenge and the fun of the game, since you’re trying to form sandwiches to earn points, but also to eliminate cards from your hand. (This mimics a dual-play mechanic from one of my all-time favorite card games, 12 Days.)

You can use high cards to start potential sandwiches, but you can also use them to block sandwiches.

Here you see a string of cards played. But the following move does NOT complete a sandwich, since a sandwich can’t contain a higher number.

The gameplay changes rapidly as each new card is added. Do you shift from trying to make a sandwich to trying to block one, or do you prioritize dropping high-value cards from your hand, so you’re not penalized later? (Or do you drop a Ten in the middle of the string, accomplishing both in one move?)

For a game with only 55 cards (5 each of the cards 1-10, plus five onion cards valued at -5 points) and only two options on your turn (play card or draw a card), there is so much strategy and replay value packed into this deck.

And since you can play with as few as two players and as many as six, the gameplay is very different depending on the group.

With six players, I found myself focusing more on emptying my hand, rather than making sandwiches, because the sandwich-making space changed so rapidly. In two-player games, there was more time to strategize the sandwich building, grabbing more points.

(We also played several house-rule versions we came up with, like using the first card as the highest possible card in a sandwich, or using Onions like Aces to capture and remove Tens and other high cards from the board.)

Like all great card games, Bread Basket is very quick to learn, but not so easy to master. After playing for two hours with family members, they’ve requested it make an encore appearance at Thanksgiving. How apropos!

Bread Basket is available in PDF form from Crab Fragment Labs for only $3 and in full printed deck form for $10.95 from DriveThruCards. (Actually, there are three decks available: the traditional deck, a pirate-themed Beard Basket deck, and a spooky Dread Basket deck.)

I’d recommend picking up a deck from DriveThruCards; the colors are warm and vibrant, the deck is made of quality card stock, and printer ink at home can be pricey.

You can check out Bread Basket and many more games at the Crab Fragment Labs website.

Answers to the Punny Costume Challenge!

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Halloween has come and gone, but the creativity and the glorious puns remain.

Before we get into the answers to our latest edition of the Punderful Halloween Costume Game, I want to share a few crossword-themed costumes from over the weekend that we were shared online.

The first was this spooky crossword t-shirt, which solvers filled out at the party!

And it featured lots of Halloween vocabulary, like BOO, TRICK, TREAT, and SCARILY, as well as seasonal cluing! Great job!

The second costume was even more elaborate:

They went as common crossword answers! This jumpsuit made of Halloween grids is loaded with crosswordese and familiar vocabulary in picture form. Can you name them all?

So fun to see people getting into the Halloween spirit in a puzzly way. Nicely done, both of you!

Now let’s check out some other creative costumers as we reveal the punny answers to last week’s game!

#1

It’s Amazon Prime! (Optimus Prime + Amazon)

#2

It’s the Atoms Family!

#3

It’s Halo Kitty! (Hello Kitty + Halo)

#4

It’s Jackie-O-Lantern! (Jack-o’-lantern + Jackie O)

#5

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

#6

She’s a web server!

#7

They’re a pair of nun-chucks!

#8

It’s Netflix and chill!

#9

He’s Radiohead!

#10

It’s Obi-Wayne Kenobi and Garth Vader!

How many did you get? Have you seen any great punny costumes we missed? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

A Punny Costume Challenge Full of Tricks and Treats for Halloween!

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Happy (almost) Halloween, fellow puzzlers!

One of the best things about Halloween is guessing what people’s costumes are. Clever costumes can be great fun, and I’m a huge fan of costumes that only cost a few bucks to put together, because they really let your creativity shine through.

Punny costumes lend themselves to the low-budget costume genre brilliantly. So it’s only appropriate that we celebrate Halloween in the puzzliest way possible — by looking at some punny costumes!

It’s simple. I post a picture, and you guess what the costume is.

For example:

puncostume2021 ex

She’s the family breadwinner!

I’ve compiled ten costumes for you to figure out. Some are mashups, some are straightforward puns. Let’s see how many you can get!

PuzzCulture’s Punderful Halloween Costume Game!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

How many did you get? Have you seen any great punny costumes we missed? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you. And Happy Halloween!