Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok started as a homebrew experiment for history buff and mythology aficionado Andrew Valkauskas. This year it celebrates 20 years of existence, a successful Kickstarter, and a devoted fanbase its creator didn't know existed. Valkauskus shared with the Report his story of the game's creation and how it's emerged into the mainstream, ready to breathe new life into the fantasy RPG tabletop. Read More
Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok is a diceless tabletop roleplaying system in which heroes come not from elven forests or orc-infested mountains, but the real world-influenced land of Vikings. The system turns 20 years old in 2013, and the first of three books celebrating this anniversary is now available. The Report took up its axes and wolf pelts to check it out, and came away pleasantly surprised. Read More
Minion Games has run five successful Kickstarter campaigns for new board games, and has shipped all five games. The company's latest campaign for the 4X title Hegemonic has the highest goal yet at $30,000, and the company's founder explains where the money goes, and the perils of overseas production. Read More
Pathfinder has grown from a one-man side project aimed at keeping Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition alive to a thriving, growing tabletop franchise with dozens of rulebooks, adventure paths, and supplementary materials. The Report caught up with Jason Bulmahn, creator of Pathfinder and lead designer at Paizo Publishing, to talk about the series' origins, success, and tabletop gamer culture. Read More
The world of Shadowrun is extensive and varied, full of “street samurai” elves, troll nightclub bouncers, and dangerous megacorporations overseen by ancient dragons. Shadowrun tabletop RPG line developer Jason Hardy talks about how Shadowrun can make a comeback from its troubled past, and what it's like to create in a world where sci-fi and fantasy collide. Read More
So you want to get into Skylanders: Giants, but you don't want to be stuck spending an arm and a leg to see everything in the game? Fear not. The Penny Arcade Report dug into the game and its pricing, figured out how much it will cost to see everything there is and to get into every area, and the price isn't as bad as we thought. $125 will get you the whole thing. Read More
Skylanders: Giants is a product that exists to sell you toys, but under the commercialism is a fun co-op game that offers content for both kids and adults. New modes, minigames, and an extra difficulty level give you more reasons to continue playing after beating the campaign, and the Giants themselves are large and fun to bring into the game. My wallet is ready. Read More
Chris Birch, head of Modiphius Entertainment, is former director of a video game fashion company. Sarah Newton is an ENnie award-winning science-fiction writer. Together, they're introducing Lovecraftian horror to WWII. They spoke with the Penny Arcade Report to explain how they re-visit the familiar without repeating, and how they avoid cheapening one of history's most significant events. Read More
Jan Wagner, Executive Producer on Shadowrun Online, explains how an isometric view, co-op, turn-based tactical RPG can be relevant and exciting in a world of big-budget MMORPGs, even if the translation from its tabletop roots isn't perfect. Read More
Dungeon! is a re-released version of a 1975 board game that brings the world of D&D; to children. This is a simple and effective way to introduce your kids to the basic rules and ideas behind more advance board games and role-playing games, and with a few house rules your imagination can add much to the experience. Read More
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Learn MoreAs the senior editor for the PA Report, Ben travels around the world talking to incredibly interesting people and playing a ridiculous amount of games. His job is to share those experiences via the PA Report while he raises his three kids in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife.
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