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You are here: Home / Archives for Newest Critical Hits

Cortex Plus Hacker’s Guide and Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying

January 25, 2013 by Dave

As you might know, Phil and I have been D&D fans for decades. Here on Critical Hits, we’ve spent a lot of time writing about, musing about, and generally playing with D&D and games like it.

Filed Under: Critical Threats, Featured, Game Hacks & Content, News, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Cortex Plus, cphg, D&D, leverage, marvel heroic roleplaying, mhrp, smallville

Back Catalog D&D PDFs Begin to Resurface on DriveThruRPG

January 22, 2013 by Dave

PDF editions for D&D products have begun to reappear on both DriveThruRPG and the new completely branded site D&D Classics.

Filed Under: Featured, News, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, D&D, drivethrurpg, OD&D, PDF

Review: “Last Stand” RPG

January 18, 2013 by Wyatt Salazar

Fünhaver Games’s Last Stand is an RPG that seemingly draws from an eclectic range of sources such as Earth Defense Force, Starship Troopers and Kaiju movies to make hectic and fun game with a unique dice mechanic.

Filed Under: Reviews, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Kickstarter, last stand

Review: “Cosmic Patrol” RPG

January 17, 2013 by Bartoneus

Cosmic Patrol is a retro-futuristic roleplaying game published by Catalyst Game Labs that focuses on storytelling and building a narrative from various cues provided by each player/character around the table and an overall adventure structure chosen by the players. I’ve had the main rulebook for a long time, but finally had a chance to sit down with some friends and play a session in late 2012. The game has a very evocative setting introduced throughout the rulebook and with short stories that highlights a very pulp, “golden age” style of science fiction space exploration featuring rockets, laser pistols, and asteroids infested with lizard men.

Filed Under: Reviews, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre Tagged With: catalyst game labs, cosmic patrol, narration, retro futuristic, Reviews, roleplaying games, science fiction, Storytelling

Crockpot Villainy

January 15, 2013 by Vanir

One of the best things about tabletop roleplaying games is that, in many cases, we find ourselves week after week weaving together a long story. In turn, one of the best things about a long story is that the tale can take its time and simmer, locking in all the delicious flavors. And, like a stew, most stories have villains and/or carrots. Savory fall-off-the bone simile aside, a carrot in it for the long haul usually has an amazing tale to tell. Unless you’re one of those weird people that doesn’t like villain stew, in which case, I’m not sure why you’re even here.

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: emma, glorious strategist, goals, jade empire, long term goals, once upon a time, palpatine, plots, prince charming, proper villainy, regina, rumplestiltskin, secrecy, short term goals, snow white

The Top 10 Things That Can Make Convention Games Suck

January 14, 2013 by The Chatty DM

In which Chatty DM presents a whole list of things that can make Convention games be less than ideal experiences.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Humor, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games

Risk, Reward and Thunder-Reclamation

January 8, 2013 by Vanir

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things you miss when you run a roleplaying game instead of playing a character in it, and I’ve remembered something that I don’t think I’ve been giving enough of to my players: namely, the thrill of extracting a character you love from a dangerous situation. It’s the gift that keeps on threatening to kill you.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: combat, Crunch, fluff, play balance, Reward, risk

Vanir’s 2013 Gaming Resolutions

January 2, 2013 by Vanir

It’s that time again. The year is new, and the resolutions are flying. Let’s see how my Will save goes this year.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games, Video Games Tagged With: 2013, camaraderie, coop gaming, family, Friends, new year, resolutions

My Year in Gaming Kickstarters

December 31, 2012 by Dave

As 2012 wraps up, I wanted to take a look at the Kickstarters I supported this year, and ultimately focusing on the games, particularly the RPGs, my most-supported category.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Comics, Critical Threats, Editorial, Featured, Movies, Music, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre, Video Games Tagged With: Kickstarter

2012: A Good Year for Cooperative Gaming

December 28, 2012 by Dave

This year has been a great one for new games of all kinds. As I look back at the ones I’ve put the most time into and been most excited about, I was surprised to pick up on a pattern: most of them are cooperative games. While cooperative games are often a mixed bag for me, this year has produced some that I’ve gotten lots of mileage out of. Presented here are five of my very favorites that I encourage you to check out.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Critical Threats, Editorial, Reviews, Video Games Tagged With: agents of smersh, artemis, artemis starship bridge simulator, dungeon fighter, escape, escape: the curse of the temple, spaceteam, tales of the arabian nights

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About the Author

  • Dave

    Dave "The Game" Chalker is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Critical Hits. Since 2005, he has been bringing readers game news and advice, as well as editing nearly everything published here. He is the designer of the Origins Award-winning Get Bit!, a freelance designer and developer, son of a science fiction author, and a Master of Arts. He lives in MD with e and at least three dogs.

    Email: dave@critical-hits.com

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