As I write this, I’ve just returned from Kraken, a baroque gaming retreat in the wilds of Brandenburg, and I’m reflecting on the games that I played. One highlight was a game of Hillfolk that I finally got to play in, run by the designer, Robin Laws. I backed Hillfolk when it was on Kickstarter, so it made me think about how long ago it was – 2013, as it turns out. 11 years later I actually get to play it.

And then I considered some of the other games I’ve played at the con, and their year of publication. Pendragon (2016, although a new edition is imminent). Feng Shui 2 (2015). Night Witches (2015) – again, I backed this, but haven’t had a chance to play it up until now.

What’s my point? Well, these games have been sitting around for a while before I’ve got round to playing or running them – and I’m very glad I have. A lot of these games have had fairly light support from their publishers, and of course following Kickstarter fulfilment a lot of games effectively end their lines. It’s easy to write off games as “I’ll never get to play this” and either ‘archive’ (put on the inaccessible shelves) or sell them.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

Continue reading →