Seven Days: The Scoop on Penny Press

Seven Days writer Keith Morrill interviewed local designers Matt Golec and Robert Dijkman Dulkes about their forthcoming game Penny Press:

Two Upper Valley residents have managed to make a name for themselves in this land of plastic and cardboard. Matt Golec is a 45-year-old stay-at-home dad from Norwich; Robert Dijkman Dulkes, also 45, is a computer programmer from Lebanon, N.H. Last summer, they were two amateur game designers hoping to share their labor of love with a wider audience. Now they sit on the eve of their big debut as pro designers.

Their game, Penny Press, puts players at the helm of competing newspapers during the era of yellow journalism. Players attempt to outmaneuver one another, get the scoop on hot stories and print a superior paper, angling to become the most successful news baron in turn-of-the-century New York City. It’s almost enough to make you don a fedora with a press card tucked into the ribbon.

Naturally, such an experience includes playing Penny Press at Green Mountain Gamers’ recent Fall-loha event. Check out the article for details on the game, its design process and where you can try it out yourself — hint: at A Fistful of Carnage next weekend!

“Dead Cthulhu” Looks Pretty Lively

Local gamer, spinner, knitter, painter of miniatures and generally crafty person Toby recently completed a huge undertaking: painting up the enormous Cthulhu model from Reaper Miniatures’ absurdly successful Bones crowdfunding campaign. The model’s scale and detailing are amazing to begin with, but Toby’s work elevates the piece to a whole new place. Check out more pictures on Toby’s Flickr account.

Held Action Theatre

Yesterday, I launched a new thing: Held Action Theatre. Specifically, it’s an actual play podcast, where me and my role-playing friends record ourselves playing RPGs. It’s a growing genre in game-related media, from let’s play captures of video game play throughs, to cameras hovering over Magic and Netrunner matches to audio recorders at role-playing tables — my personal favorite is the ongoing lunacy of the crew over at Role Playing Public Radio.

The plan is to post recordings of one-shots periodically, usually broken into parts for ease of listening. We started with the World’s Worst Dungeon Crawl, a parody scenario written by “adventure coach” Bill Cavalier. Six hapless schmoes are pressed into rescuing Princess Bumblebottom of the halfling kingdom Turnipton. That sets the tone for the evening, I promise.

Subscribe to the podcast-only feed, follow Held Action, or find the show in iTunes!

All Quiet on the Martian Front

Photo by Timothy Colonna. Used with permission.

Usul’s Homeworld has a new after battle report up using the All Quiet on the Martian Front. The US forces struggle to drive the Martian tripods out of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Check out more photos and the full report on Usul’s Homeworld.

Reminder: Game ‘n Grill

Photo by gadl. CC BY-SA 2.0

This Saturday, at the Vergennes Congregational Church, Green Mountain Gamers host their annual summer event, the Game ‘n Grill. Entry is free, with donations cheerfully accepted. The Game ‘n Grill has an open gaming format, where everyone brings games to share, and try what others have brought, as well.

They’re not kidding about the grilling, either. The forecast is looking sunny for Saturday in Vergennes, so bring something to throw on the flame.

Penny Press Goes to Press with Tabletop Deathmatch Victory

We’ve been following the story of Penny Press, a board game designed by Upper Valleyians Matt Golec and Robert Dijkman Dulkes, since the designer’s diary series began posting on Boardgamegeek.com. The designers submitted their work to the Tabletop Deathmatch competition, sponsored by Cards Against Humanity, in which judges whittle away contestants until one title remains. You can watch the web series chronicling the finalists on Youtube.

The final episode posted today, revealing that Penny Press, along with Discount Salmon, won Tabletop Deathmatch! Matt and Robert’s prize, beyond kudos, is the first print run is paid for! Timed to launch as the final episode went live, Penny Press‘s crowdfunding campaign has a modest goal, thanks to the prize money. After that, it’s all gravy and add-ons to make the product even better.

The funding campaign runs through July 10th. You can get a copy of the game at a discount, and contribute to making a better overall product that two local designers have put their hearts and minds into.

Kickstart This: Servants of the Cinder Queen

Jason Lutes, a cartoonist and professor of comics at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction has just launched a Kickstarter for Servants of the Cinder Queen, an adventure for the role-playing game Dungeon World. In the last couple of days since the project’s launch, he’s been competely funded! Here’s the story:

There once was a monastery perched high on a slope of the mountain called Hvitr’s Horn. The warrior-monks who dwelt within were dedicated to the god Hvitr—lawful god of storms and justice—and entrusted with the stewardship of holy artifacts and texts. But above all else they were gatekeepers; for Hvitr’s Horn was an active volcano, and thus (like all active volcanoes) a gateway to Ellorash, an elemental plane of fire. The end of this brotherhood came with an eruption that spewed forth the Flaming Host of Ellorash, an otherworldly legion led by the demi-goddess Gildarthe. Legend holds that Hvitr himself descended from the heavens to beat back Gildarthe and seal the planar gateway, but not before the monastery and all within were drowned in a flood of lava.

Now, 300 years later, the steading of Meervold, at the foot of Hvitr’s Horn, has entered a dark time. Villagers are disappearing. Strange lights are seen on the cold slopes. Distant screams echo through the night. The Council of Elders is broken and powerless, and those who have not fled Meervold remain only because they are paralyzed with fear.

What secrets lie beneath the ruined monastery? Are any of the missing villagers still alive? Is there any truth to the rumors of holy artifacts locked within the mountain?

Only a fool or an adventurer would dare seek the answers!

$3 gets you access to the Beta (PDF download), while $6 gets you a hard copy of the finished product.

Pledge here.

Green Mountain Gamers Game ‘n Grill – June 28th!

The Green Mountain Gamers will be holding their annual Game ‘n Grill on June 28th. The event will take place at the Vergennes Congregational Church, Vergennes from 10:00am to 10:00pm.

Our annual summer outing, the Game ‘n Grill brings two great things — meat and games — together in a fiery conflagration. The Game ‘n Grill is a grand gaming picnic. Everyone brings their favorite games and picnic supplies.

Our game days are all about open gaming. We provide the game space, you provide the games. ANY tabletop game is welcome at our events – board games, RPG’s, MTG, minis – it’s all good!

No admission charge. $5 suggested donation to help cover the cost of using the venue.

Sign up here!

Assault on Imdaar Alpha Preview Event

Quarterstaff Games will be hosting an X-Wing tournament this Sunday, June 1st from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The event will showcase a new expansion for the game, and you’ll have the opportunity to get the new additions there!

Here’s the details:

Format: 100pt Squadron with special cut to a Top 2.
Entry: TBD
Registration: 11:00-11:30am
Start Time: 11:45am

You’ll bring your 100-point squadron and adhere to all of the game’s standard tournament rules as you compete through the preliminary Swiss rounds. However, in the final round, everything changes. After the close of the preliminary rounds, the tournament’s two top players set aside their personal squads and command new squads that they build with the featured Wave IV starfighters!

One player will construct an Imperial squad that fields both the TIE defender and TIE phantom. The other will construct a Rebel squad that utilizes the Z-95 Headhunter as well as the E-wing. Both players will complete their 100-point squadrons by adding starships and upgrades from their existing X-Wing collections. Then, they’ll face off in a heated duel for the fate of the galaxy!

PRIZES
1st: First choice of one Assault on Imdaar Alpha preview starship expansion
2nd : Second choice of one Assault on Imdaar Alpha preview starship expansion
3rd: Third choice of one Assault on Imdaar Alpha preview starship expansion
4th: Fourth choice of one Assault on Imdaar Alpha preview starship expansion

The Top 16 players will receive a commemorative Bandit Squadron Pilot with extended art. If we have less than 16 players, additional Bandit Squadron Pilot cards will be distributed to the participants.

I’ve played this game once, and it’s pretty awesome.

Journey into Nyx Game Day

This Sunday, The Book Garden will host a Journey into Nyx Game Day.

Journey into Nyx Game Day is this Sunday the 25th! Registration at 9am and we’ll start at 10am. Format is Standard and entry is $10. All participants will receive a full art Squelching Leeches and top 8 will receive a full art foil Dictate of Kruphix. First place will also receive an exclusive Game Day Champion playmat!

Also we’ll be running the Defeat a God challenge deck. You’ll be able use up to three hero cards during the challenge. If you can defeat Xenagos, you’ll receive the last hero card and a promo foil Hall of Triumph!