Posts By John Farrell
-
242ReviewsPirate Borg review — swashbuckling in the Dark Caribbean
When I called Mork Borg a landmark in RPG production and distribution, I had no idea how far it was going to...
-
408EditorialsMorning is Broken — encompassing the weight of stories untold
The D&D themed short film Morning is Broken has a power that long outlasts its 12 minute runtime. It comes from what...
-
972FeaturesBest of Gen Con 2023
There’s quite a few things you could say about Gen Con this year, but the one thing everyone can agree on was...
-
1.3KEditorialsEldritch USA — the midwestern musical horror America has been waiting for
Eldritch USA is much more than the sum of its parts, but there’s a lot to be said about those individual parts....
-
249InterviewsPaizo discusses the future of their products and fan licenses — Gencon 2023
Paizo has a lot to look forward to soon, and it isn’t all coming from Paizo. Let me explain. First of all,...
-
238InterviewsTalking with Tomas Harenstam of Free League Publishing about the importance of focus — Gencon 2023
Free League Games has proven its mettle in every direction; over the last few years, this RPG studio has outdone its competitors...
-
287ReviewsFate of the Norns: Ragnarok review — the center cannot hold
Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok is a fascinating case study in why review scores are an oversimplification. Its highs are unmatched, its...
-
388ReviewsThe One Ring 2nd edition review — return of the king of Middle Earth games
There has been much turmoil in the land of Middle Earth. Rather, it’s IP holders. Now comes Free League, the chosen one,...
-
357EditorialsGrowing beyond tragedy with the Timewarp Quadrilogy — Fandom Underground
Fandom Underground has given me the greatest insight I could ask for into the dichotomy between art as personal expression and art...
-
602InterviewsBringing the psychology of tabletop to screen with D&D web-sitcom The Party
I knew I needed to talk to the team behind the Party from its first line of dialogue. It’s a comedically academic...
-
452InterviewsTerraforming Mars, Terra Mystica, and the boardgame adaptation revolution being spearheaded by Cobalt Knight
If there’s anything my examination of low budget filmmaking has taught me, it’s that nothing informs your output like the limitations restricting...
-
490EditorialsForging empathy from chaos with Wormholes–Fandom Underground
Wormholes is the kind of artistic miracle that can only happen when the right people are in the right place at the...
-
711EditorialsA 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...
-
786EditorialsBest 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...
-
463ReviewsGates 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,...
-
607EditorialsRediscover 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...
-
706EditorialsSummoning 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...
-
692EditorialsPushing 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...
-
780EditorialsTales 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...
-
938EditorialsCrow–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...
-
510Editorials
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...
-
509PreviewsTalking 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...
-
1.3KReviewsDeath 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...
-
1.0KReviewsTales 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...
-
981ReviewsSubastral 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...
-
1.2KReviewsStrixhaven: 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...
-
871NewsPost 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,...
-
1.2KReviewsEldritch 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...
-
1.4KReviewsGloomhaven 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...
-
1.5KReviewsPathfinder: 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...
-
2.4KReviewsFallout 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...
