Lew (Overgrown Games)

About Lew (Overgrown Games)

Greetings, Traveler! My name is Lewellyn (But you can call me Lew) and this is my little passion project, OVERGROWN Games. Lemme tell you a bit about it~! THE SHORT AND SWEET VERSION: The most important bit: There is a seat for everyone at my table, no matter how many experience points you've got. Do you want to play games that are… 🐣🐥 friendly to new and seasoned role players alike; 🧠🌩️ easy to pick up and play, with plenty of prompts to spark your imagination; ⚠️👀 clear and upfront, with the genre and content warnings on the label so you know what to expect; 🚫🤖 free of AI generated art or writing; 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ hosted in a safe and inclusive play environment; and 🔊🎙️ actively provided Discord support for trouble-shooting, character building and backstory work? Excellent - because that's exactly what I strive to provide you with at OVERGROWN Games! THE LONG, LORE-HEAVY VERSION: Before I began my tabletop journey, I spent a number of years in film school, participated in creative writing courses, and even enjoyed a brief career as a songwriter, so telling stories has always been my focus in life since I was a kid. I used to go to the local bookstore and read through the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual over and over again before I ever got my grubby paws on a copy of my own. Now I had played a bit here and there, but my GMing journey began much later, out in the wastelands of 'Mutant: Year Zero' before I ever got around to running Dungeons & Dragons. I really wanted to try my hand at running games, and I wanted something that would be easy to to learn and introduce new players to. Mutant: YZ offered a simple, one-book solution and it wasn't long before I was leading groups of wanderers across a radiation-blasted wasteland in search for supplies and salvation! At the time, I found the 'world's most-played RPG' to be a rather daunting (and expensive) undertaking with all its different books, and I wanted something that was easy to learn, but more importantly easy to teach. I had heard so many people in my community express their desire to try roleplaying, but I took notice of how they felt resistant, or intimidated like I did. Many people in my life believed that table top games were awkward and fringe, and I wanted to try and change that perception by hosting some events out of my home with game systems that were easy to pick up and play – allowing me to watch as my family and my community took their first steps into the unknown. Giving people a foot in the door by providing easy and fun gameplay opportunities (Like those found in Ben Wray's Roll for Shoes, or John Harper's Lasers & Feelings) allowed me to introduce tabletop roleplaying games to those in my life who would normally shy away from the wonderful world of collaborative storytelling by hooking them with quick (and often humorous) and easy mechanics. Eventually, I began carrying a couple dice with me wherever I went. Turns out that most people have a story inside them they really want to tell, and all you need to do is give them the space to tell it. Since then I have explored many more TTRPGs, ranging across a multitude of genres and levels of complexity. No longer intimidated by D&D, I have since run a number of games, including a 3+ year romp through an entirely homebrewed world that I built with the players! I have led and facilitated games of Shadowrun, D&D 5e, MORKborg, Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week; dozens upon dozens of indie games; and - of course - my first true love, Mutant: Year Zero. Currently I attend workshops in the hopes of becoming a game designer myself! Most recently I attended a workshop called, "Designing Games that Matter", run by the dynamite Avery Alder, (creator of The Quiet Year and Monster Hearts). I highly recommend checking out her stuff! All in all, roleplaying is an incredible tool for building confidence, learning new skills, and creating a space that welcomes the whimsical and imaginative and deeply important to me. Play is an integral part of the human experience, and the most rewarding part of it all is watching players get excited about their characters and seeing them grow as players, whether its transitioning from third-person to first-person roleplaying, investing themselves in the world, or simply learning to embrace vulnerability a bit more! So wherever you may fall, I can’t wait to play~! With boundless love and joy, Lewellyn