Chicago Geek Guy

Titans Forever! (Well, for at Least Two Seasons)

I was recently gifted a subscription to the new streaming service DC Universe. Like Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe offers access to digital content such as movies, TV shows, and comics. While the comic library is not quite as extensive as Marvel’s library, DC’s service includes their massive collection of animated shorts, older films, and complete series of Wonder Woman, Constantine, Lois & Clark,…

“I have a weird, collie-like instinct to herd gamers.” She might be weird, but Paige acts the consummate professional.

A self-described “weird kid,” Paige Leitman literally didn’t know what she was in for when she convinced her mom to buy her the red box set of Dungeons & Dragons during the early 80’s. “I thought it was a book about monsters. I was perplexed to find it was a game. None of my…

The Pull List for October 10, 2018

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these and I’m happy to get back in the groove. I’m looking forward to putting these three comics on the top of my stack when they arrive in stores on October 10, 2018.

Domino #7 Story by Gail Simon, art by David Baldeon

I can’t say I’m familiar with Domino. Her first appearance happened while I lived in Japan. Her appearance in Deadpool 2 first exposed…

Getting Paid to GM: A Man with a Dream, Two People with a Plan

“I love gaming,” he told me when I asked the question. “I am told I am a pretty good Game Master.”

Amanda Nichole and Acel Loren Jenkins how to open a game store one day.

Acel Loren Jenkins seems to have the chops for a career as a professional GM. His history with role playing goes back over 20 years. Like many of us, he started with Dungeons and Dragons. As a teen, he participated the Vampire:…

#9: The Gazelle Gets Found

<– Previous  Chapter — Next Chapter –>

The professor’s eyes traveled from potential savior to savior. “What is that secret code?”

Lothar caught Captain Gili in his glance. “Oh no. Don’t look at me,” she insisted. “I already gave him the code.”

The swarthy, erstwhile rescuer smoothly and quickly drew his revolver from its holster. “It looks like we will have to go back to doing this the hard…”

It…

Some fine and well-dressed people came out for the Chicago Steampunk Salon’s Valentine’s Masquerade.

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”21″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”1″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – Cursed Court

I’m once again doing something a bit different for Day 10 of my 12 Days of Holiday Gaming Suggestions and discussing a game that won’t be released until Tuesday, December 19th. Look a few days into the future with Cursed Court!

Disclosure time: John Nephew (the head of the game’s publisher, Atlas Games) is friends with Lory Aitken (my boss at Pegasus Games). John was in Madison for…

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – Baffle

Hello, Day 9 of Holiday Game Suggestions! Today’s entry is will be short, but it’s for a game that I feel deserves a much wider audience than it has. Let me tell you all about the Baffle!. (No, that’s not a typo. “Baffle!” is the full name of the game.) This one is independently published, so most stores don’t carry it.

Baffle! is a variant of Sudoku that uses colors and shapes rather than…

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – Simon’s Cat

Sometimes you just need a simple, silly game. Maybe you have friends or relatives over who aren’t habitual gamers. Maybe you need to kill time while half your gaming group finally finishes that. Damn. Game. Of. Agricola. ALREADY. Maybe you just need something to pay at the restaurant while you’re waiting for your order to show up. For all those instances (and undoubtedly many more) we have our…

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – Sentinels Comics RPG

I’m breaking yet another of my very-much-not-long-standing traditions with Day Seven of my 12 Days of Holiday Game Recommendations because I’m going to recommend a game that just came out. Step right up, Sentinels Comics RPG Starter!

“But, James,” protests some voice that definitely isn’t just in my head, “everyone knows about the Sentinels of the Mulitiverse card game. It’s a best-seller…

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – Grifters

We’re halfway through my 12 Days of Holiday Game recommendations! Now over the last two years, my first nine picks were in no particular order, and I saved any ranking for my top three. I’m doing something different this year. Today may be day six, but this game is not only my Number Three pick of the year; it’s also a teaser for my overall Game of the Year.

Today’s game is Grifters, and it feels…

12 Days of Holiday Gaming – The Others

Day four’s Holiday Game Suggestion is going to be a bit different from the rest. Nearly all of my past (and upcoming) choices are meant to cast a wide net in terms of interest. But much when I recommend the Dread RPG last year, it’s time to focus on people who like their games a bit creepier. Step out of the light with The Others, a one-versus-many, dungeon-crawl board game set at the beginning…

12 Days of Gaming – The Dragon & Flagon

It’s Day 3 of my Holiday Game Recommendations, and after two card games, I feel like doing a board game. And I’m on a self-imposed deadline so let’s skip the preamble: Today’s/yesterday’s game is The Dragon & Flagon, by Stronghold Games.

The Dragon & Flagon is a massive bar fight simulator set in a Dungeons & Dragons-style tavern. Two to eight players pick a character from a roster that includes…

The Search for My Next Campaign – Star Trek (Mis) Adventures

It’s time for me to start a new campaign. While I greatly enjoyed Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, the group had lost too many members and finding new players for a relatively unknown game posed challenges. Our group had decided on the system on the fly when we reached an ending point of our last story. This time, I wanted to take some time and find something that really suited me in terms of genre…

On to day 2 of my Holiday Game Recommendations, and we’re sticking with small box card games with simple rules but deeper strategy. Today’s recommendation is Honshu, by Renegade Game Studios. And hey, nothing to disclose about this one so let’s get right into it!Honshu is a card-drafting, map-building for 2-5 people. Players start with a random starting province; one resource cube related to that…

Friend of Chicago Geek Guy, Jame Nettum, returns with some suggestions for the holidays!

Time for another round of 12 Days of Holiday Game Recommendations (or whatever I randomly decide to call it on a daily whim). Some quick points before we start: I focus on games that won’t necessarily be on a “best of” list, but are still quality titles that are worth your time and money; I’ll make sure to…

Flood at Bucket O’Blood (Any Excuse for a Party!)

Never underestimate the damage of a possessed washing machine. After owners Jennifer and Grant McKee closed up Bucket O’BloodSunday night, the malicious spirit set to work. The foul device leaked bucketfuls of water through a crack in the ceiling to wreak havoc. When the owners returned to open the Avondale book and vinyl shop on Monday morning, they returned to disaster. Water had inundated the…