Category Archives: Games

A Language Barrier Preventing Game Sales?

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Image courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.

I’ve written a lot this year about how political decisions have impacted the games industry.

With Trump’s wildly inconsistent implementation of tariffs, we’ve already seen game companies close, cancel projects, and try to right the ship amidst uncertain costs, supply opportunities, and factory dealings.

But the United States isn’t the only place where politically motivated choices are hurting businesses focused on gaming.

It’s happening in Quebec as well:

The very livelihood of these hobby shops and game stores are threatened by Bill 96 (aka Law 14). How so?

Well, one of the rules implemented by Bill 96 involves product labeling:

Starting June 1, 2025, if a registered trademark within the meaning of the Trademarks Act appears on one of your products that includes a generic term or a description of the product in a language other than French, that information must also appear in French on the product.

This means that ALL of their game materials, models, paints, and accessories must include a French translation. They cannot stock them without fulfilling these conditions.

Unfortunately, most of these products simply aren’t available in French. They’re too niche or too focused on the English speaking market (and understandably so), so there’s no incentive for special print runs to accommodate Quebec law.

Image courtesy of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

But it’s not going to punish the consumer, just the store owners. Consumers will be pushed to purchase the same products online (where Bill 96 doesn’t apply), and the hamstrung store owners will lose out on those sales entirely.

This hurts small businesses directly while pushing customers toward juggernauts like Amazon. And all for a law that’s more about political theater than actually serving the public.

It’s hard enough to run a game company or a game store these days. It would be nice if shortsighted, poorly thought-out government mandates avoided making it borderline impossible to build a brand, serve an audience, or entertain folks for a few hours with a fun distraction.

Here’s hoping all the nonsense stops soon and game companies, hobby shops, and gaming enthusiasts can enjoy their efforts in peace.

A Summer Camp for Games?

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Hey, are you in the Boston area and looking for the perfect summer activity for the young game designers in your life?

You should check out the Dice and Design Games Summer Camp in Belmont, MA!

This summertime gaming festival of fun is the creation of Caro Murphy, an award-winning game designer who not only founded the Boston Festival of Indie Games, but has lectured on game design at the university level and contributed heavily to Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser interactive experience and Club Drosselmeyer events like this year’s Cthulhu Luau!

They’ve put together a five-day program to teach kids about game design and help them create their own card games, board games, roleplaying games, or LARPs, whatever interests them!

With morning and afternoon sessions to choose from, this seems like an awesome way to get the youngsters in your life started on a lifelong journey of game creating, appreciating, and collaborating.

Go to diceanddesign.com for more details on this event. (Thank you to the team at Club Drosselmeyer for spreading the word!)

Do you know of any other kid-friendly puzzly or game-fueled events happening this summer, fellow puzzlers? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

More Names Depart D&D! What Does It Mean for the Brand?

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It’s a little sad that the only time Dungeons & Dragons hits the headlines these days, it’s for stupid behind-the-scenes reasons and not terrific storytelling reasons.

Over the last two years, Dungeons & Dragons has been in the news for:

-trying to destroy the third-party market from which they profited by releasing a new OGL (the gaming license that allows third-party companies to make content for the D&D brand)
-repeatedly using AI-generated material after claiming they would not
-sending actual Pinkerton agents to someone’s house for revealing a Magic the Gathering product ahead of time
-being accused of racial stereotyping and social tone-deafness for one of the playable races in Spelljammer
–gutting their Sigil team and continuing to push for more AI-fueled content (including the idea of AI Dungeon Masters to run their games)

Except for the successes of Baldur’s Gate 3 (which is more due to the video game company than Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro) and the D&D movie (which has no follow-up plans that we’re aware of), it’s been a cavalcade of poor choices, mismanagement, and actions that seem designed to burn good will with the audience rather than build it.

In the aftermath of the OGL scandal, several competitors have risen to challenge D&D’s status as the RPG juggernaut, including Matt Colville’s MCDM RPG/Draw Steel, Kobold Press’s Tales of the Valiant, and Critical Role/Darrington Press’s Daggerheart.

And now they’re hemorrhaging talent on the creative side as well.

Back in April, Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford both departed from Wizards of the Coast, D&D’s parent company.

This was rightfully seen as a huge blow to the brand, as Perkins and Crawford were not just the most visible representatives D&D had to the playing public, but also the architects of modern D&D over the last two decades or so.

They were the smiling public faces that endured the slings and arrows from an unhappy fanbase, doing their damnedest to explain away the poor choices foisted on them by WOTC and Hasbro. Whatever good will the brand had, much of it was due to those two.

A few days ago, Perkins and Crawford announced they were joining Darrington Press, the publishers of D&D competitor Daggerheart, with the intent of producing new non-D&D RPG content. Given that Critical Role has been credited with a large chunk of D&D’s continued popularity over the last decade, seeing two of the most influential voices in D&D join them should give Wizards of the Coast shivers.

This week also marked the departure of two more important voices at WOTC, one by choice, and one not by choice.

Jess Lanzillo, vice president of the D&D brand announced she was stepping away from WOTC after eight years working on both Magic: The Gathering and D&D. She has been credited with pushing for new releases, helping shepherd 2024’s revised rules, and increasing branding opportunities for Magic: The Gathering.

Head of content (and face of much of D&D’s video/online content) Todd Kenreck announced he was laid off from D&D this week as well. Losing another popular public face of the brand — and doing so by choice this time — marks another short-sighted decision by WOTC/Hasbro higher-ups.

Now, let me be clear, I’m not ringing alarm bells and claiming that D&D is dying. Far from it. D&D IS roleplaying to so many people, and they could coast on that for years.

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But it’s worth noting that this FEELS like a sea change in the market. I would argue consumer confidence in D&D hasn’t been this low since the late 90s/early 2000s when the brand floundered wildly after the release of Fourth Edition (and the rise of Pathfinder in its wake), but that doesn’t mean doom and gloom.

All those alternatives are looking to build a name for themselves, particularly on the Darrington Press side by hiring Crawford and Perkins, as well as Daggerheart making waves by completely selling out every edition of their new releases.

Hasbro and WOTC desperately need to reassess what they THINK the audience wants, as well as what Dungeons & Dragons should be.

The ship isn’t sinking yet, but it’s leaking. And who knows when the iceberg might hit.

Twin Films Film Festival Test!

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Are you familiar with the concept of twin films, fellow puzzlers?

The basic idea involves the commercial release of two films with extremely similar plots or concepts being released in proximity to each other.

For example, if I described a 1998 global disaster film centered around an impending impact event that threatens to end most or all life on Earth, what film would you name?

You could answer Deep Impact or Armageddon and be correct either way. These are quintessential twin films.

Wait, no, not this kind of Twins film…

So if I give you the year of release and a description, can you name the twin films that fit the clue?

Let’s find out, shall we?

Twin Films Film Festival Test!

  1. 1997: disaster films centered around volcanic eruptions
  2. 2012: loose adaptations of the fairy tale Snow White
  3. 2024: fourth installments of action-comedy franchises centered around African-American cops
  4. 2004: romantic comedy films about the rebellious daughter of the President of the United States
  5. 1999: supernatural horror films with a man and his relatives, experiencing a series of frightening visions and having the ability to interact with ghosts.
  6. 2017: films prominently feature the planning of the evacuation of Dunkirk.
  7. 1998: computer-animated films about insects, starring a non-conformist ant who falls in love with an ant princess, leaves the mound, eventually returns, and is hailed as a hero
  8. 2018/2019: computer-animated films about abominable snowmen making first contact with humans, both set in the Himalayas.
  9. 2006: films about 19th-century magicians
  10. 2022/2023: adolescent girls who transform into larger creatures under certain conditions.
  11. 1994/1995: films with drag queens going on a road trip across their country (in one case Australia, in the other, the United States) in a journey of self-discovery. Both have eight-word titles.
  12. 2023: films based on Dracula released by Universal Pictures
  13. 1999: caper films focused on the relationship between an attractive female insurance investigator and a male thief who steals an expensive painting by a famous artist. (Coincidentally, the male lead in both films is also played by an actor who has portrayed James Bond.)
  14. 2010: films featuring a stereotypical villain as the protagonist
  15. 1996: alien invasion films where the earth is rapidly and suddenly overwhelmed, only to be defeated by a ragtag group with borrowed technology
  16. 2005/2006: computer-animated films involving similar animal characters from New York’s Central Park Zoo being introduced to the wild.

How many did you get? Let us know in the comments section below, we’d love to hear from you!

Free RPG Day Is Only a Few Weeks Away!

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Whether you’re a veteran of many roleplaying campaigns, someone who has dabbled in a few dice-rolling sessions, or a total newcomer to the RPG hobby, one of the best days of the year is fast approaching.

Saturday, June 21st is Free RPG Day!

The concept behind Free RPG Day is simple. All over the world (but mostly in the United States), local game shops, hobby shops, and other outlets team up with RPG publishers to distribute new, fresh, and most importantly, free material for all sorts of different roleplaying games, systems, and settings.

Sometimes they’re quickstart versions of the games to introduce new players. Sometimes they’re exclusive adventures or modules to play either in-store or at home. Othertimes, they’re entirely new games, free of charge.

Not only can you receive a wealth of new ideas and playing options in one fell swoop, but it serves as a terrific way to meet fellow roleplayers and build a community of game enthusiasts.

You can click this helpful link to find local spots near you that are participating in Free RPG Day, and I would highly recommend searching online for local game shops, game cafes, and even community centers like your local public library to see who is participating.

These shops will often be running demonstrations of games, tutorials on how to play, hosting raffles and contests, and offering terrific sale prices to encourage you to find the game that fits you best.

Every year, dozens of companies get involved, not only to encourage the growth of the game world, but to promote their own products. And what better way is there to get people hooked than with free exclusive materials begging to be tried out?

Keep your eyes peeled for this year’s edition of the Level 1 Anthology, offered by 9th Level Games. It’s a collection of new games by up-and-coming and established RPG creators, all centered around a particular theme. Last year’s edition was all about programming. This year’s is about the end of the Wild West.

This project is close to my heart because I had a game featured in last year’s Level 1 collection, and I also have a game featured in this year’s collection!

You can check out ANY of the previous years’ Level 1 Anthologies free of charge on the 9th Level Games website!

Are you planning on participating in this year’s Free RPG Day events? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.

No Prep Road Trip Games!

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Summer is nearly upon us, and with the arrival of summer, one cannot help but think of road trips with friends and ways to pass the time in the car.

While singalongs, I Spy, and the License Plate Game are all well and good, perhaps you would like a little more challenge with your road trip games.

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a few suggestions for road trip games that require no preparation, save for a little imagination!

The Movie Game

I learned this game while stuck on a long train ride, and it certainly made the delays go faster.

Someone starts with a film, and the next player names an actor in that film. The next person names ANOTHER film that actor has appeared in, and the next person names ANOTHER actor from that film. And you keep going until someone can’t continue the game.

(If you present an actor or film in the chain that the next player can’t continue, you can only eliminate them by offering another answer, showing that the chain can continue. If you give them a chain link you can’t continue either, you’re out!)

It’s surprisingly difficult, because the more you play, the more devious you try to get. You want to lure other players down garden paths, but you have to make sure you don’t go so obscure that you can’t find your way out as well.

Playlist

Friend of the blog Jen Cunningham created a music-themed version of The Movie Game: Playlist.

In this version, you start with a song and an artist, and the next player either names another song by that artist OR another song using one of the key words in the song.

So, for instance, if you say “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by the Beatles and you need to match the song, you could do “Owner of the Lonely Heart” by Yes or “Only the Lonely” by Roy Orbison. Then someone needs to name another Yes song or another Roy Orbison song, and then the chain continues.

I find this game slightly more challenging than The Movie Game because of both the musical knowledge (which isn’t as strong as my movie knowledge) and the associative nature of the song title aspect. But many hours have been wiled away with this game!

My Friend Is An Expert… / Conspiracy Theory

In this game, the first player picks two random subjects, and then prompts the next player with them, and it’s the next player’s job to explain in entertaining fashion something fascinating about them that only an expert would know.

For instance, the first player would go “My friend is an expert in ancient archaeology and polka music” and the next player has to riff on those subjects for a bit. Other players can ask questions to continue the silliness.

The game continues with different topics and additional nonsense.

There’s a similar game to this called Conspiracy Theory where someone has to rant about the grand conspiracy behind two seemingly unrelated topics provided by the other players.

Both of these are great fun with a group of improvisers or snake oil salesman during a long road trip.

Alien Ambassador

(I haven’t played this one yet, but a friend recommended it, so I’m happily including it.)

In this game, one player is selected to be the alien ambassador, an alien visiting Earth for the very first time. The other players must answer the alien’s questions and explaining simple concepts to them. (It’s sorta like that comic strip with the aliens.)

As the alien ambassador asks more questions about this, the players will invariably scramble to explain the very weird things we accept as normal, everyday life, and laughter will ensue.

Hastur Horta Hodor Mordor

Inspired by a Dork Tower comic, Hastur Horta Hodor Mordor is a road trip game that actually became a real card game. But let’s focus on the road trip version.

This is a memory game where one player says a word — preferably one related to fandom, geek culture, etc. — in order to begin a nerdy tongue twister. The next player says that word AND another word. The next player says the two previous words AND another word, and the chain continues.

If you can’t complete the chain or you hesitate too long, you get a Hodor point, and a new chain begins.

If you get 3 Hodor points, you can only say “Hodor” for the rest of the car ride. (That’s a reference for the Game of Thrones fans in the audience, if there are any of you left after those dismal final seasons.)

Do you have any favorite no prep road trip games, fellow puzzlers? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.