Made it! 2020's 12 New Games completed!

 Was getting worried some time back if I would be able to still complete my 12 New Games Each Year challenge this 2020. It was bad enough that I've been forced to withdraw from lots of communities I was happily part of, but there was the added challenge then of the pandemic itself making everything quite a mess.

Thankfully, however, we were still able to find ways to hit the mark and this year seems like it will end with 13 games hit, instead of just 12!

12 New Games this 2020

1) Praxis: Black Sun - Sunrise End

2) Protocol: Dinner Guests
3) Protocol: Chebyshev Function
4) Maze Rats
5) Dreams of the Aquarium
6) Trinity Continuum
7) Eldritch High
8) Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Adventure Game
9) Takipsilim playtest
10) Night's Black Agents
11) Parsley: Pumpkin Town

12) Root the RPG
13) Legend of the Elements

I'm very happy that I was still able to achieve this personal goal despite all the events that could have complicated things.  I still am hoping to finish and release a game this year and I still am happy that other people are either discovering tabletop rpgs for the very first time  or expanding on their roster of experiences through us. It is always quite an honest joy to help out the community even in no matter how small a way.

Thank you all for playing.
Here's to a better year in 2021.

Sickening Queens finds some love

Just wanted to share the small joy of realizing that one of the games I wrote, Sickening Queens, actually received some love.  Fiasco was one of the game systems that opened my eyes to the wide-range of potential stories one can tell with collaborative gameplay.  After enjoying my first few experiences playing Fiasco, I felt compelled to try to contribute a game or two to the vast range of experiences that were available.  I wrote a Romantic Comedy one called Bad Timing (which was inspired by this script I hoped to someday produce), and my love letter to local Philippine Drag and our drag queen friends, in a book named, Sickening Queens.



Jason Morningstar had a curated collection of playsets which he really liked. I was curious to see what games got the nod and was pleasantly surprised to see a few intriguing titles which I wanted to try out.  But what really surprised me was the later page which had the following list:

 

Sickening Queens made the cut! I feel so happy to know it was well-received. I only hope more people give the game a try.  May this help boost the signal out to the amazingness that is local Filipino drag and even drag in general!

Happy Holidays to Solo Boardgamers Philippines!

Was very happy to help spread the joy of tabletop gaming and Christmas cheer this year by giving away free copies of a number of TAG Sessions games in the 2020 Virtual Christmas Party for the Solo Boardgamers Philippines group.

With over 50 attendees, it was quite a wonderful treat to know that gaming is alive and well despite the current pandemic.  I was honestly happy to give some games out as it was my desire to see more people find ways to cope with the stresses of the lockdowns.  It is quite possible that for many, the pdfs might be their first steps towards trying tabletop role-playing games and I am very happy to help them explore that new geekdom.  

I want to extend further thanks to my TAG TEAM SUPPORTERS:  Rocky, Hello, Mirai, and Tanya for always being there to help support these engagements!  Thanks to you three, over 50 people now have copies of my games for free!  

Here's hoping that they all enjoy it (or if not, pass it on to someone else who might!)  Gaming keeps us going!  Happy Holidays!

We played ROOT the Tabletop Roleplaying Game!

Our usual Pendragon Campaign had to be rescheduled for now due to adulting reasons, so we decided to take a dive into another game to make the most of the time.  After spending some time to look at our options, we realized we could use this opportunity as a 12 New Games item for me.  So I checked if the rest of the group would be interested in playing, Root The Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

Oh man, ROOT was such a treat.

The way it uses the engine Powered by the Apocalypse is just amazing. It is kind of frustrating that in the Quickstart only Vagabonds are available, but even there its quite exciting seeing how the system works and makes each one unique.  The use of the boardgame's map itself as a prop was super fun too! And we we liked having fun injecting information from the boardgame experience into the game itself.

The three played Vagabonds who found themselves in the center of the Eyrie attempting to suffocate a Cat dominated clearing by cutting off its supply chains. But after some hilarious moments with the Riverfolk and some odd dealings with the Lizard Cult, the three soon learned they best helped the Woodland Alliance to bring some level of control in the region. With their help, the Mouse territories rose up and shattered all chains binding them to other factions.
Freedom is within reach.

Some examples:

"The Eyrie are traditionalists. They can be predictable. And we can use that to our advantage!"

"The Woodland Alliance cannot take all three regions at once. Only one region per faction would heed their calls."

"We're here merely to welcome you to our faith. The Cult does not join politics."

"Don't trust them. They might seem harmless but that's because they prefer to move at Night. Shall we meet come tomorrow's Birdsong?"

And best of all, this game was the game that allowed me to finally hit the 12 New Games a Year challenge this year!  Whooo hooO!  I was so scared that this year would be a failure.  Thankfully, friends were there to help usher us across the finish line.

Keep playing!

 

Played a session of Parsely #6: Pumpkin Town

While hanging out with our friends online after an episode of Baduy Pride, we decided to try playing something that can accommodate a lot of players at the same time.  I took this as a chance to introduce to them Memento Mori Theatricks' Parsley games.  In particular, after naming the different games out there, they chose Pumpkin Town! 

These games are designed to emulate the old text adventure parser games from the 1980s. One person, in this case, me, plays the computer, while everyone else tries to figure out the commands and actions needed to go through the adventure.  It was quite fun, although at some point we opted to "save" the game and switch to a different one. But it was definitely an experience! 

Thank you for playing!

 

MODELS targeting a 2020 release.... hopefully...

 2020 continues to be a huge challenge in staying creative and productive. The ideas are there, but the words aren't just flowing. The last few months have quite a constant struggle, but I am happy to share that the book is still alive and I've clocked in around 27k words so far. Hopefully, if all goes well, the book will be ready for release this December.

I sincerely want to thank Rocky, my partner, for constantly being supportive and encouraging.

I also want to thank my TAG TEAM SUPPORTERS: Rocky, Tania A, and Hello, Mirai who have been an empowering source of support as well.  Currently their funds are helping finance for artwork for Dreamscrapers adn the possible sequel to Cat's Dream.  MODELS will wholly use either my own artwork or open source images available online.

Here are a few pages for your viewing:

I won't be able to launch the game via Kickstarter or anything, but I still hope people like it once it comes out.

Might fail my 12 new Challenge this year.

12 New Games this 2020

1) Praxis: Black Sun - Sunrise End

2) Protocol: Dinner Guests
3) Protocol: Chebyshev Function
4) Maze Rats
5) Dreams of the Aquarium
6) Trinity Continuum
7) Eldritch High
8) Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Adventure Game
9) Takipsilim playtest

As it stands, I still need three new game systems to hit my 12 New Game Systems target each year.  As it stands, 2020 might be a year where I will fail to do so. It sucks, but I guess given everything else that has been happening this year, its an acceptable loss.  Despite the pandemic, the typhoons, the terrible government response, and the many other personal tragedies, I think we can try to focus on the small victories that exist and draw strength from those.

Who knows?  Maybe I'll be lucky and in the coming weeks, three more one-shot sessions get to happen before the year ends. There's an upcoming Night's Black Agents session which I will be able to count (even if on 2016, we played Mutant City Blues which is similar in system).  If things go well, maybe I can find a way to squeeze in a quick playtest of Models / Diliman.  Or maybe even a stab at playing something like Monsterhearts 2, Curse of the Yellow Sign, The Expanse, or maybe even something like Dune or a solo game like Ironsworn.  

Will just keep you all posted.
Thanks for reading.

A SNEAK PEEK OF MODELS

I don't think I'll be able to attend INDIE FIESTA tomorrow, but I was quite happy to have had the chance to connect with a number of other people - both attendees and game designers - and talk about their games or mine.  

As of mine, I was able to show them sneak peeks of two games:



MODELS
Where players are supermodel super spies working to undo the hold of The Foundation on the world. Only their strong bonds, tradecraft, and specialties will help them survive the many risky actions awaiting them.  Target release date: December 2020.

and 

DILIMAN the RPG
Salamangkeros seek to forge a new secret order in a darkened world where the Cannibal Kings and other threats have insinuated themselves into the institutions that control the country.  But will they succeed when they can barely work together?  Target release date: April 2020

The whole event was using this platform called Gather.town which allowed people to virtually congregate, move around, and connect with those around them. It was quite an experience.  

I'm very excited to get these games out. The last few months have once more been quite a challenge in finding inspiration and focus. But I am simply thankful I am surrounded by people who continue to be supportive and empowering.  Thank you for having me, Indie Fiesta!

Got to try TAKIPSILIM at INDIE FIESTA 2020!

 

Got to try the upcoming game, TAKIPSILIM: The Untold Stories, which does a heroic take on the dark supernatural urban concept. The internet wasn't cooperating that much, unfortunately, so it was a very quick taste of the system but the lore we were able to peek at is quite promising and exciting. I can't wait to see it's eventual release!

 The game is by Project Tadhana's Nathan Briones with the incredibly creative Thomas Regala. The game was one of the many featured games in this year's Indie Fiesta.

 

TAG Sessions at Indie Fiesta: Nov 11

TAG Sessions will be participating in this year's INDIE FIESTA!  The whole event runs from November 9 to 15, at 4pm to 7pm each day.  TAG Sessions, however, will only be able to showcase games on two days, November 11 and November 12.  So do drop by if you would like to learn about my games.

MODELS
Set in a fictional version of our own modern world, players portray these M.O.D.E.L.S. who use their specialized skills, universal passports, and fashionable super science technology to protect the world from itself.





DILIMAN the RPG
Based on the online comic first released in 2003, DILIMAN is a tabletop role-playing game where players are Salamangkeros on a secret war against the Cannibal Kings and their dark agents in a bid to establish a new secret order. But will they be able to despite their personal agendas and deep seated scars?


Come by and learn more about the games on Nov 11 and Nov 12. Have a happy Indie Fiesta!
#indiefiesta2020
For today (which is Day 3), the link is: https://bit.ly/IndieFiesta2020Day3

TAG TEAM Supporters on Patreon have already gotten their hands on the preliminary doc, which already is mostly playable. If you're interested in playtesting any of the games, do let me know as playtesting options are still available.

2020 INDIE FIESTA has begun!

From the Indie Fiesta Facebook page:

It's Indie Fiesta tiiiiiiime! We'll be holding the event at Gather.town online from Nov 9-15, 4-7pm GMT+8. Doors will open at exactly 4pm, and we'll post the link then! Tune in to the Indie Fiesta Twitter account @indiefiestaph and #IndieFiesta2020 for more info and real time updates! Hope to see you there!

Even more awesome is the poster created by the 9 Lives team!

From the 9 Lives Facebook:
Drop by on these dates to find these awesome Tabletop Games:

TCG WARS LCG: Nov 15
GERA operation: jungle storm: Nov 11
Takipsilim: The Untold Stories (by Project Tadhana and TEGR): Nov 11 and 12
Happy Ending Game: Nov 11 and 12
Friends or Fiends: Nov 11 and 12
XII: Nov 14 and 15
MODELS by TAG Sessions: Nov 11 and 12
NoSaDa by Gamescolar: Nov 15
9 Lives: Nov 11, 12, and 15

The event runs from Nov 9-15, 4-7pm.
Don't miss it!

#IndieFiesta #IndieFiesta2020 #9Lives #9Livesgame #TEGR #ProjectTadhana #HappyEnding #GERA #Takipsilim #NoSaDa #Gamescolar #MODELS #TAGSessions #FriendsOrFiends #TCGWarsLCG #XII

Attended day one so far and that was pretty fun!  I can't wait to meet more people and try more games!

On day one, I got to check out Josh's  ONE2FIVE, a math-based abstract game that's quite fun and fiendishly challenging, the LaroTayo! project which showcased a number of games inspired by Philippine street games, the project Idyll which featured a typing game mechanism to tell quite a deep and emotional story, and The Nam: Vietnam Combat Operations, which explored the Vietnam war with a strategy game approach and was quite a labor of love.

It was also lovely reconnecting with so many old friends. So many good memories.  Here's to the next few days of Indie Fiesta!

Come join the fun through this link:
https://bit.ly/IndieFiesta2020

Note that it may be closed if you try to visit outside of the Nov 9-15, 4pm to 7pm time range.

Baduy Pride: The Fantasy Worlds of Jim Henson

 

 We decided to tackle three fantasy worlds of Jim Henson: Labyrinth, the Dark Crystal, and the Storyteller! Join us by the fire and hear what we have to say about them!

Jim Henson's Labyrinth - the Adventure game

TAG Bites one-shot session: October 2020

Lady Adler (played by Karen), a feline Knight of Yore with a naive-but-brave crow mount, Sherlock, gathers companions on a quest to the Goblin King's Castle to try and take back their ability to dream. Accompanying them are Wifi (played by Mai), a white fire who can be quite forgetful, Kraplat (played by Jovan), a young goblin junk lady with a selfish desire for metal shinies, and Winicent, a blunt worm with sharp senses and a killer fashion sense.

They journey through the Stonewalls, navigate the Hedge Maze, slip through the Lands of Yore, and find their way through the Goblin City which surrounds the heart of the Labyrinth. They face against sleeping traps, cooking goblin challenges, a convention of junk ladies and bandit fairies armed with staves soaked in the Bog of Eternal Stench. And eventually, reach the Goblin King and face him to demand their dreams back.

Thank you for playing, Rocky, Jovan, Karen, Mai. And thank you to Michelle, Myna, and Christian for watching and sharking in the laughs. Here's to more games in the future. And to playing this awesome game even more!


This is the eight game for this year's 12 New Games For The Year.

1) Praxis: Black Sun - Sunrise End
2) Protocol: Dinner Guests
3) Protocol: Chebyshev Function
4) Maze Rats
5) Dreams of the Aquarium
6) Trinity Continuum
7) Eldritch High
8) Jim Henson's Labyrinth - The Adventure Game

Given it is now October, here's hoping that I get to still hit twelve despite the Pandemic and everything else.

Talk on Filipino Tabletop Games

Just finished giving a three-hour talk on Filipino Tabletop games for the Cultural Officers' Course for the personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Was very happy to offer knowledge and insights on the existing variety of Filipino games, both tabletop and role-playing, and how they can serve as further tools to promote Philippine arts and culture.

The whole talk was held with the permission of Taktyl Studios.
It was managed using Google Meet.

The final 14+MB pdf was then provided for them to peruse and explore as desired. I tried to cover everything I could, given the wide range of creative approaches that local and internationally-based creators have explored.  In the end, I hope I at least inspired them to check out how our games can be used, and enjoyed.

Thank you for having me!

Special thanks to Yves Suiza of Promeworks for the cover image.
And to Adrian Martinez for the opportunity.
And of course, thank you to my TAG TEAM SUPPORTERS for the help! Rocky, Tania, and Hello, Mirai!

Baduy Pride: The Magic of Changeling

In this episode of Baduy Pride, we talk about Changeling: The Dreaming and Changeling: The Lost and how much we love both game worlds and their corresponding systems and ideas. 

BaduyPride Episode: Ryuutama

My partner and I talk about Ryuutama, a Natural Fantasy RPG originally written in Japanese and now available in English.  

From the Kotodama site:

Ryuutama calls itself a “Natural Fantasy RPG”. It is a fantasy role-playing game set in a western medieval-style setting. The conceit of this setting is that at one point, in everyone’s lives, people get this intense feeling of wanderlust. They put their daily lives on hold and travel the world with new-found companions. They find out more about the world, and at the same time learn about themselves.

Learn why we love it and what we think of it here:


And catch more Baduy Pride episodes at our website, BaduyPride.

Cobra Kai and A Single Moment

 Truly grateful for the love Evan Perlman of Colossal Stories shared for, A Single Moment on Twitter!




My partner and I have been enjoying Cobra Kai a LOT, given its intelligent script, excellent casting, and wonderful pacing! We are eagerly awaiting the next season!  So it was quite a joy to see Evan's tweets given yes, A Single Moment, is flexible enough to explore an entire extended game inspired by the show's two seasons!

Given the pandemic, and everything else that has made life quite a challenge lately, it was a good dose of positive energy to see the tweets.   Thank you so much for this!

Do check out more tweets from Colossal Stories.
And if you are curious, A Single Moment is still available both on PDF and print via Drivethrurpg.