MJ

I had been dying to play an Urban Shadows game for... well, ever since the second edition was announced when Leland started his campaign. We immediately bonded over our love for Magpie Games and Powered by the Apocalypse more generally. It can be difficult working from an incomplete game (as of this review, Urban Shadows 2e is still in the quickstart stage), and Leland masterfully hurdles over these inherent difficulties, holding to the game's core mechanics while still giving players the freedom to show off their creative chops. When I say that I want a DM who's on my character's side, I don't mean one that goes easy on them. I want a DM who pushes them towards development, forcing this character to become the best, most complete version of themselves, and that's what Leland does, not just for my character, but for all of us.

It's weird to say you had a fantastic time playing a game where your character got KO'd in the very first round of combat, but that's what happened with Sebastian! He didn't pull any punches with our Battle Royale one-shot, but it also felt like he was on the side of the players the entire time, which is a difficult but impressive line to walk. Even in a game that was set up as 90% combat, his love of storytelling and characterization came through, and I'll certainly look out for other games by him!