Matt

We just wrapped up a session zero for a Kids on Bikes campaign and it's already obvious we're in for a seriously good time. You know how some games take a few weeks to find their footing, well Paul had the perfect audio pumping right from the start and immediately sucked us in with detailed environmental descriptions. It turns out he actually crafted this entire mystery around his own childhood hometown, which just gives everything this extra layer of creepy authenticity that you can't really fake. People praise him for his voices and setting the mood, and yeah, they're totally right because every NPC we met already sounded completely unique. I also really appreciated how professionally he handled establishing all the hard and soft limits so everyone feels safe before the real weirdness starts. He seems genuinely invested in building a long-lasting campaign and I honestly can't wait

I just played a Tales from the Loop one-shot with Caestus and it was honestly a blast. Diving into a totally new system is usually a massive headache, but he was incredibly patient with everyone trying to figure out the engine. People always say he knows the rules and teaches well, which is dead on, but the absolute best part was how he actually reacted to the players. He rolled with whatever random nonsense we threw at him without missing a single beat and busted out some genuinely great voices to bring the NPCs to life. The whole vibe of kids in the 80s dealing with robots felt exactly like stepping right into a Stranger Things episode. You can absolutely tell he considers player enjoyment his top priority instead of just reading off a script. Highly recommend grabbing a seat at his table.

Rob is basically the exact DM you want if you're trying to figure out Shadowdark. He knows the rules cold and actually sticks to them which is honestly exactly what I need when learning a new system so I don't just fumble around in the dark. But he isn't some rigid gatekeeper either because he was totally cool with us trying out some weird creative solutions to the puzzles. The absolute best part though was the end. We sort of forgot we were playing a survival game and just barged right into the final boss room without exploring the temple to weaken the big evil first. Rob didn't pull a single punch and just unceremoniously obliterated our entire party. It was a glorious massacre and I loved every second of it. If you want a game where your choices actually matter and your plot armor is zero then Rob is your guy.

I recently almost survived a seriously wild ride with her in a Call of Cthulhu one shot. She's already got a stellar reputation for setting the mood and storytelling, and seeing her VTT wizardry in action makes it incredibly obvious why the immersion is basically instant. But what really stuck with me is just how welcoming and inclusive she is behind the screen. I ended up approaching the game completely differently than the rest of the party, which easily could've derailed things, but she didn't even blink. She just took my oddball choices, honored them completely, and wove them right into this massive, engaging narrative with real consequences. It takes a ridiculous amount of creativity to manage a table like that and still make everyone feel included. She's an absolute master of the craft.

I basically crashed an ongoing campaign less than two hours before the dice hit the table, which is usually a one way ticket to a messy session. But instead of panicking, this DM just took it in stride. He spent over an hour with me right under the wire, hammering out my character and getting me up to speed on the lore. Then he somehow completely improvised the actual session to seamlessly drop my character right into the thick of the story. Honestly, I cannot fathom a DM pulling off a tighter balancing act between keeping their world intact and making the new kid feel entirely welcome. The guy is just incredibly kind and ridiculously dedicated to his craft.