Self-Critical Hits!

What the what!?! More Self-Critical Hits?

Yes. Yes indeed.

This time we play Silver & White, an intense and fun story game by Mr. Jackson Tegu that is still in playtesting. The game is about 4 teens who stumble upon a dead body, an enigmatic machine, and many other mysteries besides. We had a really wonderful time.

Following the actual play we talk about the fun we had – what we thought of some of the more interesting mechanical bits of the game, what worked particularly well and what we might change. Mainly, though, we gush all over the place.

Hosts: Tanya, Tori, David, Miles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Self-Critical Hits did PAX Prime this year…and we did it HARD. This episode covers what we all saw and did and loved at the biggest gaming con on the West Coast. We talk about the hottest new hotness that we got to handle, and where we had the most fun.

Also discussed: our tête-a-tête with the good folks at Gamechurch; the PAX Utilikilt anti-goal; and James being banned from playing the “Fashion No-No” card.

Hosts: Miles, James, Tanya, Ken, David, Kaycee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A short episode this week, in which we briefly discuss: the use of jargon and specific language in gaming, and the effect that naming things well has on play; Gamechurch, a Christian gamer support organization; Games on Demand (sort of) at PAX Prime; and Fantasy Flight Games acquiring the Star Wars license.

Hosts: James, Ken, David, Kaycee, Miles, Lee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dear Listeners,

It is a true pleasure to bring you this week’s item, a pleasantly diverting discussion on the topic of motivation at the roleplaying table: why we do the things we do in game, and what we might learn from their doing. It all gets a bit navel-gaze-y, really (but entertainingly so!).

Some recommendation’s from this August’s august Self-Critical Hits company precede the central agenda item, along with a listing of games that Ms. Brewster encountered at Go Play NW, several minutes of James being tormented and planes flying over, and a surprise appearance by an Academy Award winner (or two!).

Hosts: James, Tori, Ken, Miles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s actual play time this week, and we’ve got a hold of a playtest copy of The Quiet Year. It’s a post-apocalyptic map making game by Joe McDaldno, and we had a great time with it. Monstrous cave mutants (and the townsfolk who loved them) figured prominently, as did the noble houses of Westeros and a lady named Serenity.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this week’s thrilling installment, Tori gushes about all of the games she played at Fabricated Realities Con last month – basically, she loved everything.

Also included: some discussion of using Fiasco! to wrap up a fantasy campaign, the tragically impending end Uncanny X-Men, the resurrection of the Seattle Story Games meetup, and the upcoming Geek Girl Con.

New Segment! The Misadventures of Rudy the Fucking Bastard Dog! Miles’s ridiculous tiny dog Rudy is featured throughout this episode – see if you can catch any of his delightful and informative cameos!

Please note: we lost the first half of this conversation, but hopefully we’ve edited for clarity.

Also- Tori was INCREDIBLY hungover for this. So apologies if she butchered explaining the game mechanics!

Hosts: Tori and Miles- topic starts right away. And is probably NSFW

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the 2nd part of our talk with Rose Cowman – founder of the recently completed, and by all accounts completely awesome Fabricated Realities story gaming con – and the mysterious yet devastating Danielle, both visitors from the frozen south. This time we talk about building and/or finding community and safe space through gaming. We also make grand plans for an RPG about living in an anarcho-punk house (the dreaded and arcane chore wheel will figure prominently).

Hosts: Tori, Tanya, Ross, Danielle, James, Tobin, Caleb, David

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The usual suspects are joined this week by Ross and Danielle, visiting from the wilds of Olympia. Ross is the founder of the upcoming (BRAND NEW!!!) Fabricated Realities story gaming con, which is discussed at some length because it sounds like a whole bunch of awesome – expect a full report!

The group then gets into some talk about: perceptions of elitism among folks who play contemporary/story games; the idea of the so-called “hipster gamer”; gaming as an effort to create safe, or even therapeutic, social space; and – finally, to assure anyone listening that there’s no bias here – a bunch of trash is talked about both 3rd and 4th editions of D&D.

Also, our talk with Ross and Danielle ran a bit long – okay, like almost 3 hours long – so we’ll be releasing the rest of the discussion in the next couple weeks.

Hosts: Tori, Tanya, Ross, Danielle, James, Tobin, Caleb, David

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Oh hey! A review episode!

This time out we respond to some of the controversy that’s been ginned up by Tori’s recent star turn on the Walking Eye podcast and talk about a couple of games we’ve been loving lately: Mansions of Madness by Fantasy Flight games and Cthulhu Dark by Graham Walmsley. Both of these games have a Lovecraftian bent so, hey, theme!

Also covered: the usual divigations into dick jokes, drinking, and dirty, dirty lies. Tanya regales us with a tale of her adventures in inebriation, the winner of last episode’s contest is revealed, Tori reports back about the feminist sci-fi book club, and we once again tempt Great Cthulhu to smite us down by trumpeting our preternatural prowess at Arkham Horror (seriously, though, we are fucking sharks!).

Oh, and this podcast is not safe for: your work, your kids, your teeth and gums, or your immortal soul.

Hosts: Tanya, Tori, David, Kaycee, Miles, James, Tobin, Ken

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We talk this time about how much of our personalities come through in the characters we play at the table, our efforts at playing characters who are way outside our experience, and the similarities between the concept of relating to a character in a piece of media and trying to get into the mindset of a character in game. Fortunately, any potential for us to take these topics to a deep place is thoroughly annihilated by champagne.

Also, some time is spent discussing gaming as therapy, the Game of Thrones premiere, and media produced BY men ABOUT women. And listen closely, because in this episode we disclose some of the hosts’ SPECIAL HYPER ATTACKS: Tori’s Stunning Forget-Someone’s-Name Maneuver…David’s Blazing Trail-Off-Into-Nothing…Ken’s Magic Spinning Kick-And-Tell-Me-To-Edit-Something-Out.

Hosts: James, Ken, David, Kaycee, Tanya, Tori, Miles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download