Travis D.

Draw Steel has easily rocketed into one of my favorite TTRPGs, and I think anyone with a love for campy over-the-top action and high-flung fantasy epics would do well to dive into this game. Of all the games I've ever played, Draw Steel takes their mission statement the most seriously. Tactical Cinematic Heroic Fantasy. And like all my favorite games, DS delivers on those specific tropes in spades. I have never played a game with such fluid marriage between the excitement of combat actions and the over-the-top cinematic feeling they lend battles, it's just absurdly fun pushing someone 10 spaces through a wall or leaping into a grouping of 6-10 mooks and smashing them apart like you would imagine in a movie! Sure, it's not all sunshine and roses. Combats take typically at most 4 rounds, but a heavy 4 round combat could last an entire session (or longer if players are still getting use to the game). But once a group is use to the game and working together, it's a joy to watch a team crush handfuls of villainous opponents. Draw Steel's focus is also heavily on how cool your heroes are, involving a system called Titles which are earned by the very actions your heroes are taking! It's a novel system that is by no means groundbreaking, many GMs reward players for the narrative of the game, but it's a nice introduction for people who haven't played around with such things before. Heroes gaining reputation also has the knock-on effect of attracting followers, loyal agents and NPCs who can fight besides you, be a faithful mount, or a skilled craftsman laboring away on your next magic item or trinket to propel you to greater heights. It's all very cool, and wrapped in a world that doesn't pretend to be too serious to have fun with space ships in fantasy, strange creatures made of glass, cities of political intrigue. There is room for so many stories to tell, and they're only getting started. I hope you get a chance to try the game out, it's audaciously fun.

MASKS: A New Generation, like most Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games, is a fantastic genre dive into the tropes of teenage heroes and trying to figure out how to grapple with their developing powers. Do you fight villains? Are you just trying to survive the demands others place on you? Maybe you're just looking for someone you can connect with. Masks presents opportunities for all of us to consider the effects of how our characters deal with sense of self, how others view you, and to be amazing heroes at the same time. It's not always the ones throwing punches that launch villains to the moon who win the day, connecting with people you're close to or sympathizing with an evil genius trying to lash out at the world holds just as much power. If you enjoy young heroes, stories about self-discovery, and getting in, way, way over your head, Masks is the perfect game for you.

MJ brings equal measures of immersive depth in her NPCs & worlds, and real world anecdotes; both of which bring a wealth of experience and laughs to her games. Which also make settling into a new table easy and engaging, as people can enjoy a bit of OOC-banter from time to time without derailing a game. MJ's story building and ability to weave characters together is fantastic, and provides a fertile basis for players to explore their own characters, as well as enjoying a developed NPC cast and watching the other players unfold their stories. Similarly MJ has great command of the systems I've played with her; Urban Shadows was a lovely game, as well as Starfinder for a length of time. Bottom line, MJ makes games feel easy and fun, like getting together with a group of friends. I highly recommend if you're looking for a relaxed and well crafted adventure. Just watch out for early game combats, which can get intense if MJ is allowed to be rolling d20s!

I've had the opportunity to play a handful of one-shots with Danil, and it is always a blast. Danil does a great job getting the players right into the game, and has always provided immersive backdrops with images, sound effects and music. Very much an entertaining time. Also worth noting, the one-shots I've participated in have been tables of mostly players new to the system, and that has never proved a challenge, as everyone is able to jump into the game with Danil's guidance and get a great experience even without having read the rules prior.