Posts By John Farrell
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1.2KInterviewsTerraforming 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...
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1.4KEditorialsForging 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...
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3.0KEditorialsA 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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1.9KEditorialsBest 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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1.5KReviewsGates 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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1.4KEditorialsRediscover 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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1.9KEditorialsSummoning 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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1.6KEditorialsPushing 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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2.4KEditorialsTales 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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1.8KEditorialsCrow–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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1.1KEditorials
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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945PreviewsTalking 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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4.7KReviewsDeath 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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2.2KReviewsTales 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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1.8KReviewsSubastral 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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2.1KReviewsStrixhaven: 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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1.3KNewsPost 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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2.7KReviewsEldritch 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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3.2KReviewsGloomhaven 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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2.5KReviewsPathfinder: 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...
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9.8KReviewsFallout 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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2.7KReviewsA 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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2.5KInterviewsInterview 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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935News
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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2.8KReviewsMy 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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4.1KReviewsEnter 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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5.4KReviewsFire 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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3.1KReviewsHorror 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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1.8KReviewsHumanity’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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2.4KReviewsSpectacular 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 now sees an injection of content...
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5.6KReviewsA 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...
