Posts By John Farrell
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259EditorialsA brief survey of Star Trek fan films — Fandom Underground
A few years ago I wrote an editorial discussing the shocking majesty of Hidden Frontier, a no-budget Star Trek fan film that...
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354EditorialsBest tabletop games of 2022
2022 was an amazing year for Gaming Trend’s tabletop team: We more than doubled our crew, reviewed more tabletop games than any...
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235ReviewsGates of Delirium review—in madness lies clarity
Gates of Delirium tries to meld a lot of concepts into a concise package, and it mostly succeeds at combining area control,...
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292EditorialsRediscover Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th: Vengeance–Fandom Underground
Friday the 13th has been quiet since its dubiously received 2009 remake, but a group of fans and professionals put that to...
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313EditorialsSummoning Dream and Nightmare with Sandman 24 Hour Diner–Fandom Underground
Well before Neil Gaiman’s nightmarish fantasy comic was adapted by Netflix, recent film school graduates set out to adapt the source material...
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381EditorialsPushing the limits of time and space with Doctor Who Velocity–Fandom Underground
Buried as it is between the mountains and the desert, Boise Idaho doesn’t have much of a film industry. What it does...
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409EditorialsTales of the Clown Prince–Fandom Underground
In the Joker’s long career, he has strayed far from his origins as a criminal mastermind. Oh, he commits a lot of...
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631EditorialsCrow–Fandom Underground
Crow’s supernatural revenge thriller is a dark urban fairy tale replete with some of the finest and most effective artistry I’ve seen...
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311Editorials
Fandom Underground–An Introduction
photo credit: Justin Mane’s Crow, 2022 You might not believe me, but the modern groundbreaking filmmaking isn’t coming from major studios. The...
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373PreviewsTalking to the Creator of Critters & Companions: system neutral fantasy animals
Roleplaying games often overlook the value of wildlife, presenting them as combat encounters first and integrated into a setting’s logic second. I...
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856ReviewsDeath in Space review—scrounging in the void
Fear, hunger, and peril await those who tarry in the dying universe of Death in Space. Dripping with all the atmosphere that...
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687ReviewsTales From the Loop boardgame review—a time of mystery
Tales From the Loop has had an interesting life span. Simon Stålenhag’s depictions of a lost age of horror and technology was...
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709ReviewsSubastral review—small but beautiful
Subastral joins the burgeoning subniche of short, moody environmental games that I am happy to see growing in the boardgame market. This...
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882ReviewsStrixhaven: a Curriculum of Chaos Roll20 review—anemic academia
If you ever wanted to play D&D in your own Hogwarts-style academic environment, Strixhaven: a Curriculum of Chaos is going to leave...
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710NewsPost apocalyptic rhythm returns with FP 3: Escape from Bako Release
A while ago I had the good fortune to sit down with a one man titan of filmaking, Jason Trost. Star, writer,...
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872ReviewsEldritch Century review—adventures in the Wounded Earth
In an alternate history, the Great War woke a new horror, carried on the mists. It spread from the battle of Argonne...
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1.1KReviewsGloomhaven Steam review—rebirth of a legend
Gloomhaven’s Steam port is a rare treat among the dubious world of board game to video game ports. The tactical dungeon crawler...
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1.2KReviewsPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous review—a leap forward for tabletop fans
Though not perfect, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a landmark for tabletop RPGs. My recent review of Solasta: Crown of the...
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1.7KReviewsFallout RPG review—accurate to a fault
Fallout RPG shows incredible fidelity to Bethesda’s era of games, which is to say that it’s buggy and incomplete despite showing immense...
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1.2KReviewsA legend in the making—Solasta: Crown of the Magister review
Solasta: Crown of the Magister may just be a revolution in RPG production…eventually. Its impressive foundation and scope lay the groundwork for...
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1.2KInterviewsInterview with Jason Trost–America’s most underrated filmmaker
Jason Trost has been hard at work making himself a legend, though you could be forgiven for not knowing that. A one...
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633News
FP Fest funding now for more indie DDR action
Independent filmmaker Jason Trost has an impressive list of accomplishments under his belt, and fans can now contribute to a new celebration...
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955ReviewsMy newest obsession—Trials of Fire review
Trials of Fire manages to stand out against a crowded field of strategic deck-building roguelikes. I can see myself pouring around a...
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1.5KReviewsEnter the unknown—Symbaroum starter set review
Symbaroum is many things. This dark fantasy game is as terrifying as it is mysterious. It’s as expansive as it is isolating....
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2.4KReviewsFire and acid blood—Alien: Destroyer of Worlds review
I found the Alien RPG starter set to be a worthy entry into the franchise, packing useful components into an introductory adventure...
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1.4KReviewsHorror comes home—Alien RPG starter set review
I was hesitant to learn that Alien was being adapted to an RPG setting until I learned of Free League’s involvement. Their...
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1.0KReviewsHumanity’s last stand—Faza review
With the earth burning, the skies full of hostile ships, and a coalition of enemies, you are humanity’s last hope. Hope is...
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1.1KReviewsSpectacular supernatural supplements—A Wicked Secret and Vaesen GM screen review
I recently found Vaesen to be a sincere yet terrifying Nordic horror game, and it has recently seen an injection of content...
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2.4KReviewsA haunting, tragic masterwork–Vaesen–Nordic Horror Roleplaying review
Vaesen’s Nordic Horror experience stands out among myriad monster of the week horror RPGs in almost every way that I value as...
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3.0KReviewsA dark and bloody pinnacle–Mork Borg review
Mork Borg receives the highest recommendation of any game I have ever reviewed. It is more than a dark fantasy low magic...
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1.7KReviewsNot enough game—Ring of Pain review
The line between good concept and good implementation is a fine but important one, and Ring of Pain is unfortunately on the...
