Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports Books

Book SynopsisJeff Ashworth, author of the bestselling Game Master series of resource books for the world''s most popular roleplaying game, combines his depth of knowledge about the mechanics of dice-based RPGs and the universal experiences gathered while playing a campaign to create a ruleset for leveling up your own life.Featuring invaluable lessons drawn directly from TTRPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Blades in the Dark, Fiasco and other TTRPGs (Always check for traps; Never underestimate the power of a short rest; Don't feed the trolls) as well as in-depth analyses of the ways in which these games' character archetypes can be successful models for varying approaches to life (Rage is My Armor: How to Live Like a Barbarian and Keep Your Job), this player's handbook for the game of life also features high concept illustrations of (and strategies for defeating) horrifying real-world monsters like that pile of junk in the garage, the soul-sucking ghost of no

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Book SynopsisThe Adventurers Guild has a long list of quests for you and your party to take on: rescuing young maidens from ritual sacrifice, quashing a heretical ceremony in some ancient ruins, and locating lost treasures within a crypt teeming with skeletons and specters! In this tabletop RPG set in the world of the Goblin Slayer series, you’ll find faithful reproductions of the various races and classes taken straight from the novels. Prepare to set out on all sorts of adventures of your own, from exterminating giant rats in the sewers to uncovering legendary hidden treasures-and of course, goblin slaying!

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Book SynopsisWith over 90 million monthly users and counting, Roblox is one of the most popular games on the planet! The Big Book of Roblox helps players get the most out of this dynamic sandbox game. Packed with tips, hints, and hacks, this complete, up-to-date guide covers basic strategy as well as advanced tricks and is essential reading for anyone who wants to play like a pro. Topics covered include navigation, combat, trading, and mini games—accompanied by over 100 full-color gameplay photos. Additional chapters focus on building mode, popular in-game experiences, and even a look behind the scenes. Take your creations to new levels and maximize the value of your playing time with The Big Book of Roblox!

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Book SynopsisWhile many nations flocked to the side of the Allies, others joined forces with Germany as part of the Axis. This volume is the definitive guide to the armies of Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland. Fight the Winter War against the Soviets, hold back the British in North Africa, or help shore up the German offensives on the Eastern Front with this latest supplement for Bolt Action.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

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Book Synopsis Become the world’s greatest curator with My Museum Magnetic Play Scene from Petit Collage!Encourage kids to express creativity as they fill their dream art museum with iconic paintings and sculptures, and then use their imaginations to take the animal visitors on a guided tour. With two different magnetic scenes on the inside lid and over 40 magnetic play pieces included, there are endless combinations of artwork to display and hours of fun to be had. Perfect for ages 3+, everything packs neatly into the easel-style box, which is sturdy when assembled and has a secure elastic closure making this the ideal activity for on-the-go entertainment. Made using FSC paper and printed with vegetable inks, the packaging is comprised of 80% recycled materials.

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate guide to the blockbuster Assassin's Creed game franchise. This richly illustrated guide is the definitive guide to the blockbuster Assassin's Creed game series. Packed with information on characters, technology, locations, historical settings, storylines, organisations, and backstory, this guide encompasses the whole franchise to date and is essential reading for fans and newcomers alike.Trade Review“A must for the diehard Assassin’s Creed fan” - Borg.com

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Book SynopsisFight for Glory! Inside the 376-page Pathfinder Monster Core, you'll find over 400 creatures, including fantasy classics like elves, ogres, and all-new dragons; wild animals from giant ants to ferocious wolves; and the unique monsters that threaten the world of Pathfinder, like sinspawn and noxious needlers. These creatures cover all levels of play, from the slow and mindless zombie shambler to the ultra-powerful demonic Treerazer! The ideal resource for Game Masters planning their next battles and player characters looking for monstrous allies to summon! Pathfinder Monster Core is the definitive monster rulebook for the fully remastered Pathfinder Second Edition RPG! These rules are compatible with previous Pathfinder Second Edition rulebooks, incorporating comprehensive errata and rules updates and some of the best additions from later books into new, easier-to-access volumes with new presentations inspired by years of player feedback. Along with the Player Core, GM Core, and

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Book SynopsisFight for Glory! Inside the 376-page Pathfinder Monster Core, you'll find over 400 creatures, including fantasy classics like elves, ogres, and all-new dragons; wild animals from giant ants to ferocious wolves; and the unique monsters that threaten the world of Pathfinder, like sinspawn and noxious needlers. These creatures cover all levels of play, from the slow and mindless zombie shambler to the ultra-powerful demonic Treerazer! The ideal resource for Game Masters planning their next battles and player characters looking for monstrous allies to summon! Pathfinder Monster Core is the definitive monster rulebook for the fully remastered Pathfinder Second Edition RPG! These rules are compatible with previous Pathfinder Second Edition rulebooks, incorporating comprehensive errata and rules updates and some of the best additions from later books into new, easier-to-access volumes with new presentations inspired by years of player feedback. Along with the Player Core, GM Core, and

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Book SynopsisPrepare for the fight of your life! The Ruby Phoenix Tournament gathers the most talented martial artists, mages, and misfits from around the world to compete on a world stage. The grand prize? Winner's choice of a priceless treasure from the vault of Hao Jin, the Ruby Phoenix, herself! This hardcover compilation includes all three adventures of the popular Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path in one epic book. Explore a complete adventure for 11th- to 20th-level characters, plus fantastic gazetteers, inspiring character options, dozens of creatures, and more! Pathfinder Second Edition’s most ambitious campaign yet bursts from the pages of this massive hardcover compilation, containing all three adventures in the fan-favorite Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path, a fist-smashing tournament campaign like no other, along with support articles, rules, monsters, and more!

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Book SynopsisThe first supplement for Stargrave, the science-fiction wargame from award-winning designer Joseph A. McCullough, introducing new scenarios, soldiers, technology and aliens to the ravaged galaxy.At the time of its commission, Imperial Research Station 37 held nearly ten-thousand scientist and researchers working on a vast array of biological and chemical projects. Then, six-months before the outbreak of the war, Station 37 went dark. There were no distress messages; no escape pods were launched. Only a solitary, repeating broadcast filled the silence. This station is under quarantine. Do not approach. When the Endwar came, the station was forgotten, left to drift lifelessly in its empty system. Now, with the war over, and the Free Traders roaming the ruins, the station has been rediscovered. Although the station must clearly be approached with caution, the technology it contains is worth many fortunes Quarantine 37 is a supplement f

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Book SynopsisAndy Singleton has been modelling and painting most of his life and has been a professional commission figure painter for some years now. Here he shares his experience and tips of the trade with those collecting figures for the North African campaigns in WWII. The four main sections of the book cover British, Italian, German and US troops, as well as tips on assembly and painting camouflage uniforms. Each section is divided into three levels of complexity, 'conscript', 'regular' and 'elite', allowing the reader to build up an array of techniques as they gain confidence and experience. The emphasis is on achievable results and practical advice that is applicable to painting units or whole armies for wargaming purposes in a reasonable time frame, not on spectacular individual display pieces. Most of the figures featured in the numerous illustrations are sized either 28mm or 20mm but the techniques described are easily adaptable to smaller sizes and both plastic and metal figures are covered. Andy's clear, step-by-step guidance takes the reader through the process from the initial preparation and assembly of the figure, to finishing and basing.

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Book SynopsisStep into the haunted and hair-raising world of Five Nights at Freddy's! With animatronic animals, dark shadows, creepy vibes, and an ever-present sense of doom, Five Nights at Freddy's has been perfecting its formula for scares since the first game debuted in 2014. The Big Book of Five Nights at Freddy's is the ultimate guide to this immersive universe, providing comprehensive tips, tricks, and strategies for every game in the series. Additional topics covered include the history of the rapidly expanding franchise as well as the fascinating storylines that are cleverly woven throughout the games, all accompanied by full-color gameplay photos. This deluxe hardcover volume is perfect as a collectible for the experienced fan or a practical guide for new thrill-seekers.

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Book SynopsisThere is an unseen world all around you. On the streets and in the halls of power, in your dreams and across the bizarre planes of the multiverse, there are those who walk among us like giants among ants, twisting reality to their wills in their search for ancient knowledge. Now pull back the curtain of the mundane world and learn the secrets of these occult masters—if you dare! Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures is an indispensable companion to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon over 15 years of system development and an Open Playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into a new era. Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures includes: • Six new occult base classes—the energy-shaping kineticist, the spirit-calling medium, the deceptive mesmerist, the mind-bending psychic, the uncanny occultist, and the phantom-binding spiritualist. • Archetypes for all of the new classes, as well as a broad selection of strange and mysterious archetypes and class options for existing characters. • New feats to flesh out your occult character, plus a whole new way to use existing skills to become a master of faith healing, hypnotism, psychometry, and more! • More than 100 spells using the all-new psychic magic system, plus rituals that grant even non-spellcasting characters occult power! Explore worlds beyond imagining with dream voyage, or defend yourself from mental threats with tower of iron will! • Rules and advice to help you steep your game in the occult, from chakras and deadly mindscapes to possession, psychic duels, and the Esoteric Planes. • A wide variety of new magic items, such as the eerie spirit mirror and the peculiar tin cap, plus new cursed items and powerful artifacts. • ... and much, much more!

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Book SynopsisThe dead are rising! This blasphemous tome gives players and GMs everything they need to bring the shambling menace of the undead to their Pathfinder adventures. This book includes tools for fighting against the undead horde, but also options for the players themselves to control or even become undead creatures. GMs will find new tools and haunts, as well as information about the undead-plagued lands of the Lost Omens campaign setting. A massive bestiary section full of undead creatures brings more threats for GMs to use and summonable creatures for players, including more versions of classic undead like vampires, skeletons, and zombies. This 224-page hardcover rulebook also includes a full adventure themed around fighting the undead!

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Book SynopsisThis indispensable 136-page guidebook to the world of Pathfinder presents everything you need to know for a lifetime of adventure in the uncertain Age of Lost Omens. The god of humanity is dead and prophecy is broken, leaving adventuring heroes like you to carve their own destinies out of an uncertain future! This gazetteer features 10 diverse regions packed with thrilling and deadly possibilities and is accompanied by a giant two-sided poster map depicting the heart of the Pathfinder setting. This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.

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Book SynopsisBring an array of aliens—both weird and familiar—to your science fantasy adventures with Interstellar Species, the newest rulebook for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! This gorgeously illustrated reference provides deep dives on 25 playable Starfinder species, each with thematic player options usable by any character, plus new options for 7 Starfinder character classes. There's also a system for easily creating your own playable species, and a catalog of around 100 thematic nonplayer characters ready to slot into any adventure! A new class, the evolutionist, allows you to transform yourself over time into an eldritch being, mechanized construct, sepulchral undead, or riot of biological potential, each with unique abilities—and drawbacks, should you allow your transformation to grow out of control.

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Book SynopsisVenture into the Vault! Pathfinder Treasure Vault reveals the glittering hoard of a terrifying dragon, as presented by the creature’s plucky kobold assistant. This 224-page hardcover rulebook presents a catalog of new gear from nearly every category of equipment and magic item available in the Pathfinder RPG while also introducing entirely new categories of items as well. Give your character the perfect tool for the job with signature weapons, customizable relics, and wondrous items to fit your every need while preparing for any eventuality with potions, elixirs, wands, and more! Each chamber of the dragon’s vault contains a mountain of treasure, from deadly new weapons and forgotten suits of armor to mysterious alchemical items and deadly poisons. There is something in the vault for everyone, including: • Nearly 600 new items spread across numerous equipment types. • Over 50 new weapons, such as the devastating earthbreaker hammer and the ferocious falcata. • New shields and armor, from wooden breastplates for druids to the magical starfall shield that turns you into a living comet! • An entire chapter, "Alchemy Unleashed," that introduces over 100 new alchemical items, covering everything from restorative lozenges to searing flamethrowers. • New magic items of all shapes and sizes, from magical tattoos to artifacts like the goddess Shelyn's mighty glaive, the Whisperer of Souls. • An entire chapter of new, variant, and expanded crafting rules. • New categories of items that can give you power that comes at a dangerous price.

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Book SynopsisBring your adventures in The Enmity Cycle to life on your tabletop with this double-sided full-color Flip-Mat featuring key encounter locations from the Pathfinder Second Edition adventure on either side! One side depicts a spacious desert home, while the other presents a riverside amphitheater ready for a performance! Don't waste your time sketching when you could be playing. With Pathfinder Flip-Mat: The Enmity Cycle, you'll be ready to take on the dangers of Thuvia in style! Pathfinder Flip-Mat: The Enmity Cycle measures 24" x 30" unfolded, and 8" x 10" folded. A Flip-Mat's coated surface can handle any dry erase, wet erase, or even permanent marker. Usable by experienced GMs and novices alike, Pathfinder Flip-Mats fit perfectly into any Game Master's arsenal! On tabletops across the world, the Flip-Mat Revolution is changing the way players run their fantasy roleplaying games! Why take the time to sketch out ugly scenery on a smudgy plastic mat when dynamic encounters and easy cleanup is just a Flip away?

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Book SynopsisSee the scenic Inner Sea with the Lost Omens Travel Guide! This book is your companion to the culture, life, and sights of the Inner Sea, guiding you through a variety of topics of interest. With this book, you can learn about Inner Sea cuisine and art, experience the thrills of Inner Sea sports, and uncover the secrets of Inner Sea myths and magic. The Travel Guide features dozens of illustrations to show you the fine details of the latest fashion or put you into the center of one of the Inner Sea's greatest festivals. Come learn everything about the Inner Sea and prepare yourself for a journey through an unforgettable region with the Lost Omens Travel Guide! This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.

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Book SynopsisRumors abound that an old enemy, a dangerous foe you defeated at the culmination of your first huge adventure, has come back. Yet confronting your old nemesis once again is only the beginning of what''s next for your group, for a famous director has singled you out as the subject of her newest opera. How dangerous could it be, helping to produce an extravaganza based on your own heroic legacy? Stage Fright is a Pathfinder adventure for four 11th-level characters. This adventure begins the Curtain Call Adventure Path, a three-part monthly campaign in which a group of adventurers help to produce an opera based on their own prior adventures while simultaneously facing a new threat that only the most powerful of heroes can stop. This adventure also includes information about theatrical traditions of Golarion as well as an entire potential cast of diverse actors to help bring the new opera to life, several new magical items to discover and operatic abilities to master, and several n

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Book SynopsisPopulate Your World! Devotees of the gods, cunning mercenaries, fun-loving performers, crafty engineers, devious villains and more all have roles in your game with the Pathfinder NPC Core! Over 250 stat blocks for NPCs let you drop all kinds of characters into your game, from servants and farmers to masters of magic and martial arts. The NPCs are crafted to be fun and easy to use, with sets of adjustments to quickly change their ancestry, level, and more. You'll also find a trove of NPCs specific to non-human ancestries, like a dwarf general, goblin get-gang, and kobold egg guardian. Each section of NPCs is themed, and includes lore, custom rules, and random tables to spice up your gameplay. Never find yourself making up statistics on the fly againyou can find everything you need in the Pathfinder NPC Core!This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.

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Book SynopsisTreerazer's plots for a swift win against the elven nation of Kyonin have been thwarted by the heroics of a band of adventurers. As they seek critical secrets from a mysterious voice calling from an otherplanar realm, though, will a desperate acceleration of the demon lord's plans spell doom for the elves? Can the heroes stop him in time? The Voice in the Blight is a Pathfinder adventure for four 18th-level characters. This adventure concludes the Spore War Adventure Path, a three-part monthly campaign in which a group of adventurers aid the elves in a war against an army of demons. This adventure also includes an article that explores the regional ramifications of the Spore War, powerful new magic items to aid heroes against their foes, and several sinister new monsters.

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Book SynopsisFace the terrors of the Gravelands! The fate of two goddesses hangs in the balance as disgraced graveknight Seldeg Bhedlis prepares a ritual to rewrite history itself. Brave heroes and wicked villains alike assemble either to hinder or assist Seldeg in his plans in this heart-stopping adventure anthology for Pathfinder Second Edition! Claws of the Tyrant is an anthology of three interconnected adventures set in the former nation of Lastwall, now known as the Gravelands. Gravelands Survivors is a Pathfinder Adventure for four 1st-level characters that follows a group of refugees as they race to keep a holy artifact out of Seldeg's clutches. In Ashes for Ozem, an adventure for four 7th-level characters, the players assume the roles of agents assembled by Seldeg to infiltrate a stronghold of good and destroy it from within. In Of Blood and Faith, an adventure designed for four 18th-level characters, the Knights of Lastwall and their allies prepare for the final confrontation with Seldeg and end the graveknight's machinations once and for all. This anthology also includes a collection of monsters, feats, and magic items perfect for any adventure set in the undead-haunted Gravelands. This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.

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Book SynopsisThe Mythical Game Master JournalWhether you’re an improviser or a planner (or a mix of both), a game master needs a journal to keep track of all the details Dungeon Masters must know to keep their campaigns moving along seamlessly and satisfyingly. Look no further, for Game Master's Tome is the ultimate game master journal for you! Stay organized for your campaign game. This journal keeps you organized by boosting your creative thinking and providing space for tracking unfolding plots, character developments, and your personalized fantasy lands.The game master is the manager of worlds. With all the combat fought, encounters had, and characters met in one campaign, it’s difficult to keep track of it all, but that’s the job of the game master, the ruler of the tabletop RPG. Inside this game master journal you’ll find: Questions to help you nail down your settings, NPCs, bad guys, and more Plenty of space for planning adventures and developing the plot of your mystic quests Sections for tracking long campaigns, characters and their moral alignments​​, dragon lore, and all other important, magical details Sections for the game master to explore the development of their fictional worlds, test out plot points, and get creative with their storytelling If you liked The Book of Holding, The Game Master’s Book of Non-Player Characters, or The Worldbuilder’s Journal of Legendary Adventures, you’ll love Game Master's Tome.Table of ContentsContents Introduction Part I: Get Started Gather Your Party Where to Start? Figure Out the Basics The First Adventure Part II: Keep Going Connect the Threads Focus on Your Players Big Bad Guys Don't Get Too Attached Keep Combat Engaging ResourcesAbout the Authors

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Book SynopsisA Fistful of Kung Fu brings the hyper-kinetic, bullet-spraying, demon-slaying, kung-fu-fighting action of Hong Kong movies and Asian cinema to the wargames tabletop. In a modern world walking a precarious line between the advances of next-generation technology and the tradition and mysticism of ancient cultures, Kung Fu schools face off in no-holds-barred tournaments, corporations hire agents and spies to steal each other's secrets, overworked SWAT teams respond to gunfights between feuding Triad and Yakuza clans, and ancient artefacts are sought by hopping vampires, demon sorcerers and cyborgs alike. Combining the gunfights of John Woo’s Hard Boiled, the hand-to-hand combat of Enter the Dragon, the sheer mystical weirdness of Big Trouble in Little China, the wuxia action of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and everything in-between, A Fistful of Kung Fu is a skirmish wargame unlike any other.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Rules/ Faction Lists

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Book SynopsisThe Art of Ni no Kuni (TM)II: REVENANT KINGDOM is a lavish full-color book showcasing the best art from the highly anticipated roleplaying game. Developed by Level-5 and with collaboration from legendary Studio Ghibli animator Yoshiyuki Momose, Ni no Kuni (TM)II: REVENANT KINGDOM is a beautiful, characterful and exciting game. This book is the ultimate fan resource, showcasing the development of the amazing characters, monsters, vehicles and locations from initial concept sketches through to the finished artworks.Trade Review"A blissful celebration of Level-5 and Yoshiyuki Momose’s legendary artistry, animation, and character design... An essential addition to your collection." VG Blogger

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Book SynopsisDread Trident examines the rise of imaginary worlds in tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs), such as Dungeons and Dragons. With the combination of analog and digital mechanisms, from traditional books to the internet, new ways of engaging the fantastic have become increasingly realized in recent years, and this book seeks an understanding of this phenomenon within the discourses of trans- and posthumanism, as well as within a gameist mode.The book explores a number of case studies of foundational TRPGs. Dungeons and Dragons provides an illustration of pulp-driven fantasy, particularly in the way it harmonizes its many campaign settings into a functional multiverse. It also acts as a supreme example of depth within its archive of official and unofficial published material, stretching back four decades. Warhammer 40k and the Worlds of Darkness present an interesting dialogue between Gothic and science-fantasy elements. The Mythos of HP Lovecraft also features prominently in the book as an example of a realized world that spans the literary and gameist modes.Realized fantasy worlds are becoming ever more popular as a way of experiencing a touch of the magical within modern life. Reworking Northrop Frye’s definition of irony, Dread Trident theorizes an ironic understanding of this process and in particular of its embodied forms.Trade Review'Dread Trident sets a novel and rewarding precedent for future research that melds literature studies and game studies... [It] is an impressive investigation into embodiment, play, and posthumanism, in order to synthesize previously understudied connections at work in TRPGs. Carbonell expertly moves between fields of study, from discussions of transhumanism and posthumanism, to literary theory, to game studies, and even between genres even within analog games.' Adrianna Burton, Analog Game Studies‘Dread Trident offers a theoretically rigorous and informative exploration of its focal gametexts and the use of game archives to critically explore how the modern fantastic as a genre evolves in them over time. Carbonell’s approach to theorizing these gametexts as using digital and analogue tools to generate realized worlds… is innovative and compelling.’ Clare Wall, SFRA ReviewTable of Contents1. Introduction: Theorizing the Modern Fantastic2. The Posthuman in the Schismatrix Stories and Eclipse Phase3. Dungeons and Dragons' Multiverse4. Worlds of Darkness: From Gothic to Cosmic Horror5. Lovecraft's (Cthulhu) Mythos6. Warhammer 40,000: A Science Fantasy Epic7. Beyond Borders with Miéville, Wolfe, and Numenera8. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEncounter over 150 award-winning monsters for 5th Edition from the 2021 RPG Superstar Contest. Inside, you’ll also find the aberrant soul, slowly transforming into an aberration, as well as strange and unusual new backgrounds. Craft strange and unusual items from the creatures’ parts with new infused properties and staff refinements.

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Book SynopsisCountless peoples populate the lands of the Age of Lost Omens, fighting for their collective pride, a greater cause, or simply to eke out survival in an untamed and magical world. The Pathfinder Lost Omens Character Guide dives into the myriad cultures and organizations you can encounter or join in your journey, breathing life into both your character and the many allies and enemies you’re bound to meet along the way. This must-have guidebook for characters of all types introduces three new ancestries to the Second Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game—the regimented and warlike hobgoblin, the plant-like leshy, and the inquisitive lizardfolk—provides 10 new heritages for the game’s core ancestries, offers nearly 100 new ancestry feats, and presents 10 new archetypes to allow characters of any class to participate in the world’s most notable organizations, from the adventurous Pathfinder Society to the rabble-rousing Firebrands to the magical masters of the Magaambya!

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Book Synopsis Meet your new Petit Pal, Hugo the Hamster from Petit Collage!Ready to be cuddled and cared for, Hugo loves exercise, exploring the outdoors, and foraging for his favorite food: blackberries! When the day’s adventures are done, it’s time to tuck Hugo back into his house for a snooze. This adorable mini wooden play set develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and encourages emotional awareness and independent play. Perfect for ages 3+, Hugo’s house includes six chunky wooden pieces: an exercise wheel, a water bottle, a flower, a blackberry, a salad leaf, and, of course, the happy hamster himself! Made using recycled FSC wood and FSC paper, this product is plastic-free.

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Book SynopsisIn The Queer Games Avant-Garde, Bonnie Ruberg presents twenty interviews with twenty-two queer video game developers whose radical, experimental, vibrant, and deeply queer work is driving a momentous shift in the medium of video games. Speaking with insight and candor about their creative practices as well as their politics and passions, these influential and innovative game makers tell stories about their lives and inspirations, the challenges they face, and the ways they understand their places within the wider terrain of video game culture. Their insights go beyond typical conversations about LGBTQ representation in video games or how to improve “diversity” in digital media. Instead, they explore queer game-making practices, the politics of queer independent video games, how queerness can be expressed as an aesthetic practice, the influence of feminist art on their work, and the future of queer video games and technology. These engaging conversations offer a portrTrade Review“In their new book, Bonnie Ruberg introduces and documents the provocative, playful, and occasionally weird world of queer game-making. The Queer Games Avant-Garde provides a compelling collection of interviews from many of the designers who dance at the edges of what games can be. This book is recommended reading for designers, artists, researchers, and anyone who takes play seriously.” -- Carly A. Kocurek, author of * Brenda Laurel: Pioneering Games for Girls *“Bonnie Ruberg and twenty-two incredible game makers give voice to a game revolution. The queer games avant-garde isn't just pushing at the boundaries of the medium, it's exploding what games can be into millions of multi-colored worlds where we can all play! An exuberant and essential exploration of the personal, political, and playful.” -- Colleen Macklin, Associate Professor of Media Design at Parsons School of Design"The queer game makers who operate from marginalised subject positions, making their voices heard in and through games, form an important and timely topic for a book. For a European reader, The Queer Games Avant-Garde offers a fascinating glimpse of contemporary North American realities and the anxieties around doing creative work in the current political climate." -- Tanja Sihvonen * Times Higher Education Supplement *"This is a special book. . . . The world of video games is so much bigger and more spectacular than the AAA marketing cycle would have you believe. Ruberg’s conversations are a reminder of the breath of the medium, and also the steps we must take collectively for a healthier, safer, and more vibrant future." -- Sharon Ross * Report Door *"The book’s 20 chapters run the gamut of queer desire and representation, intimacy (rather than empathy), community, intersectionality, influences, and queering games beyond representation. . . . [I]t’s accessible for those who aren’t scholars including game makers, gamers, games journalists, and anyone interested in the present and future of queer and indie games." -- Naseem Jamnia * Bitch *"Given both its fascinating subject and its approach to the subject, The Queer Games Avant-Garde is a fresh and fascinating peek into an underexplored area of video games, as well as a highly relevant exploration of the ways in which these games both draw from and give back to their creators and players.… All in all, The Queer Games Avant-Garde will provide an interesting and accessible read for a wide range of readers interested in the creation and theorization of video games." -- Maria Alberto * Information, Communication & Society *"The Queer Games Avant-Garde is a generous and generative book; it is approachable, accessible, teachable, and complements Ruberg's other books and projects.… But most importantly, the book offers radical possibilities, both practical and playful." -- Edmond Y. Chang * American Journal of Play * "Queer Games Avant-Garde is a superb teaching tool across game design, digital arts, queer studies, and digital humanities classrooms that will be sure to spark numerous meaningful debates, both critical and practical. . . . It will also be an excellent resource for scholars seeking to reimagine what academic knowledge production looks like and who counts as a contributor to knowledge." -- Daniella Gati * Information and Culture *“Venkat’s storytelling is absorbing. He appears a writer who finds joy in crafting prose, sometimes imbuing it with a playfulness that lands most aptly. . . . This is a meticulously crafted book, but it is nowhere stilted or overworked. It performs deep conceptual labor with a jargon-free lightness of touch that academic writing would do well to emulate.” -- Zahra Hayat * Medical Anthropology Quarterly *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction. Reimagining the Medium of Video Games 1 Part I. Queer People, Queer Desires, Queer Games 1. Dietrich Squinkifer: Nonbinary Characters, Asexuality, and Game Design as Joyful Resistance 33 2. Robert Yang: The Politics and Pleasures of Representing Sex between Men 42 3. Aevee Bee: On Designing for Queer Players and Remaking Autobiographical Truth 51 Part II. Queerness as a Mode of Game-Making 4. Llaura McGee: Leaving Space for Messiness, Complexity, and Chance 63 5. Andi McClure: Algorithms, Accidents, and the Queerness of Abstraction 73 6. Liz Ryerson: Resisting Empathy and Rewriting the Rules of Game Design 81 Part III. Designing Queer Intimacy in Games 7. Jimmy Andrews + Loren Schmidt: Queer Body Physics, Awkwardness as Emotional Realism, and the Challenge of Designing Consent 93 8. Naomi Clark: Disrupting Norms and Critiquing Systems through "Good, Nice Sex with a Tentacle Monster" 102 9. Elizabeth Sampat: Safe Spaces for Queerness and Games against Suffering 113 Part IV. The Legacy of Feminist Performance Art in Queer Games 10. Kara Stone: Softness, Strength, and Danger in Games about Mental Health and Healing 125 11. Mattie Brice: Radical Play through Vulnerability 134 12. Seanna Musgrave: "Touchy-Feely" Virtual Reality and Reclaiming the Trans Body 143 Part V. Intersectional Perspectives in/on Queer Games 13. Tonia B****** + Emilia Yang: Making Games about Queer Women of Color by Queer Women of Color 153 14. Nicky Case: Playable Politics and Interactivity for Understanding 162 15. Nina Freeman: More Than Just "the Women Who Make Sex Games" 171 Part VI. Analog Games: Exploreing Queerness Through Non-Digital Play 16. Avery Alder: Queer Storytelling and the Mechanics of Desire 183 17. Kat Jones: Bisexuality, Latina Identity, and the Power of Physical Presence 192 Part VII. Making Queer Games, Queer Change, and Queer Community 18. Mo Cohen: On Self-Care, Funding, and Other Advice for Aspiring Queer Indie Game Makers 205 19. Jerome Hagan: Are Queer Games Bringing "Diversity" to Mainstream Industry? 215 20. Sarah Schoemann: The Power of Community Organizing 223 Afterword. The Future of the Queer Games Avant-Garde 233 Appendix. Queer Indie Games to Play at Home or in the Classroom 245 Notes 257 Bibliography 265 Index 271

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Book SynopsisHow gaming intersects with systems like history, bodies, and code Why do we so compulsively play video games? Might it have something to do with how gaming affects our emotions? In Playing with Feelings, scholar Aubrey Anable applies affect theory to game studies, arguing that video games let us “rehearse” feelings, states, and emotions that give new tones and textures to our everyday lives and interactions with digital devices. Rather than thinking about video games as an escape from reality, Anable demonstrates how video games—their narratives, aesthetics, and histories—have been intimately tied to our emotional landscape since the emergence of digital computers.Looking at a wide variety of video games—including mobile games, indie games, art games, and games that have been traditionally neglected by academia—Anable expands our understanding of the ways in which these games and game studies can participate in feminist and queer interventions in digital media culture. She gives a new account of the touchscreen and intimacy with our mobile devices, asking what it means to touch and be touched by a game. She also examines how games played casually throughout the day create meaningful interludes that give us new ways of relating to work in our lives. And Anable reflects on how games allow us to feel differently about what it means to fail.Playing with Feelings offers provocative arguments for why video games should be seen as the most significant art form of the twenty-first century and gives the humanities passionate, incisive, and daring arguments for why games matter.Trade Review"Playing with Feelings traces a compelling intellectual history and uses affect theory to rethink some core game studies debates. Aubrey Anable’s insights on casual, indie, and art games are particularly important at this historical moment in game studies. This is the book many humanistic game scholars have been waiting for."—Adrienne Shaw, author of Gaming at the Edge"Playing with Feelings is one of few works to deeply engage with the theory of affect as developed in media philosophy, sociology, and information studies relative to video games. Written with an eye to the canonical concerns circulating in the lucrative and vibrant field of game studies, the book balances engagement with familiar themes and issues in the game studies and game theory world."—Lisa Cartwright, University of California, San Diego"Playing With Feelings breaks down some fairly weighty themes and theories to create an engaging exploration of how a person’s feelings are influenced by gaming." —The GuardianTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Video Games as Structures of Feeling1. Feeling History2. Touching Games3. Rhythms of Work and Play4. Games to Fail WithConclusion: Affective ArchivesAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA game master’s biggest challenge can be prep time. With busy lives in mind, this book provides new and exciting content to help GMs save hours of time preparing for a game. Inside, readers will find twenty-five “Big Bosses,” along with insights into how they use their minions strategically in order to decimate any heroic threat that might cross their paths. The Game Master’s Book of Villains, Minions and Their Tactics provides tips and strategies that readers can use to “drag and drop” a BBEG into a new or existing game, with full colour illustrations, lore, stats, combat tactics, and special abilities for each exciting entry. You’ll also find detailed tactics and combat strategies dozens of other minions found throughout the 5E game. In addition to providing three exciting one-shot adventures, the book also shows you how to create your own original villains, minions and monsters – the best of the worst your game has to offer.

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Book SynopsisThe Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables provides hundreds of tables for nearly every worldbuilding and gameplay situation GMs may come across. Need to know what the local food is like? Roll for it. Need to know how the city’s plumbing is organized or if they have a sewer system? Roll for it. Need to know what specific pathology drives the mad draconian warlord just beyond the city’s gates? Roll for it. Want to determine what a sorcerer’s spell effects look like or what unique way they cast their spells? You know the answer! When warranted, many of the table results are “enhanced” with supplemental information to help clarify roll results, like how a particular type of government is run, or what a particular style of architecture looks like . Other tables will have a branching element, providing a path to fleshing out larger scale subjects that require more detail than can be provided with a single table. The book also includes three one-shot adventures that help GMs put the book’s tables into play right away, so that they can see exactly how helpful and enhancing they can be. The Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables fills in the holes of gameplay, enriching every scene, setting, character and event, while also adding new, unexpected elements to shake things up and keep players on their toes.

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