And if you want to know the criteria that I’m using, or the conversation starting point, you can read that article here.

My Tableau Building Games

As normal, we split it into games that I’ve played first and then games that I haven’t played yet in my collection.

Tableau Building Games I’ve Played

• 7 Wonders Duel
• Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth
• 7 Wonders
• Splendor: Pokemon
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Arkham Horror The Card Game
• Marvel Champions
• Dwellings of Eldervale
• Forest Shuffle
• Res Arcana
• Meadow
• Space Base
• Faraway
• Castle Combo
• Furnace
• Aquatica
• New Frontiers
• Jump Drive
• Ancient Knowledge
• Starship Captains
• Village Rails
• Call to Adventure: Stormlight Archives
• Cafe Baras
• Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
• Pixies

Tableau Building Games I’ve Yet To Play

• Everdell
• 3 Ring Circus
• Ark Nova
• A Feast for Odin
• Revive
• Beyond the Sun
• Targi
• Endless Winter: Paleoamericans
• Vale of Eternity
• Expeditions
• Fantastic Factories
• The Bloody Inn
• Raising Robots
• The Witcher: Path of Destiny
• Andromeda’s Edge
• Earth

What Stays and What Leaves?

This is a tough list to really do because they are so unique. A lot of the time there is a pretty big difference between a scoring tableau game and an engine building tableau game. So as I’m looking at the list, it’s hard to say that I should keep this one or another one. Plus sometimes they didn’t really do a great job of putting like games on the BGG list. For example, Terraforming Mars, on the list, Ares Expedition, not on the list. New Frontiers is a tableau building game, but Jump Drive wasn’t part of that list. So I hope that I caught everything, but I’m sure some where missed.

What Is And Easy Leave?

So when we look at the list the ones that I have yet to play, those are generally going to stay. That means that we’re looking at what I’ve played for easy games to leave the collection. It’s not an easy list to pick from. I only have one that is an easy leave from the list. And that is I’m going to be getting rid of 7 Wonders Duel. Mainly because I own Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth. Yes, they are different, but I’m most apt to pick the Lord of the Rings themed one to play.

The other one that is going to leave is 7 Wonders. Now that might be surprising, but I bought I copy and I just don’t play it. If I want a big group drafting game, I go with Sushi Go Party! For that reason while 7 Wonders offers something quite different, it just isn’t going to stick in my collection.

What Is An Easy Stay?

Now for easy stays, I definitely am keeping Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth and then both of the LCG’s on the list from Fantasy Flight Games. I know that I want to keep one of Dwellings of Eldervale and Andromeda’s Edge, but having not played the latter, I don’t know which I want to keep. I’ve heard the latter is the better game, but I like the theme for the former more so.

Space Base, Forest Shuffle, Castle Combo, Castles of Burgundy and Ancient Knowledge easily make the list as well. As does Call to Adventure: Stormlight Archives.

Everything Else

Now let’s touch on everything else and this is where I need to find a few to cut. Do I need Jump Drive in my collection if I play it on BGA so much? I had actually put it in the too sell pile but then I brought it back. And I want to keep it and New Frontiers because I really like both of them. So they stay, though with Jump Drive, it’s tempting because of BGA.

One that it tough for me is Meadow. I like Meadow a lot, but it’s also one that I play less often. I think that this means I just need to play it more to keep it in the collection. The same can be said for Res Arcana. I need to play it more because I really do love that game.

Furnace is going to leave the collection, I’ve decided. Mainly because it’s okay at two players. And I think that I am most apt to play it at two players. Because of that it should leave the collection I think. Another one that I love the theme of but thought the game play was okay so it’s going to leave is Cafe Baras. Mainly it’s super cute, but a bit too simple for my tastes. Even as a game to play with my kid, it’s not quite interesting enough.

So The Tableau Games That Are Leaving

Just to recap we have Furnace, which I really enjoy but less so at two. Cafe Baras is a bit too simple and 7 Wonders Duel is a game that has been replaced by Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth. And 7 Wonders is getting kicked out because it’s the secondary drafting game for big groups for me.

I think that there will be others to leave once I play more. But it’s tricky getting all the tableau building games to the table. Some I maybe shouldn’t keep, like Res Arcana just because when will I play it again.

What is your favorite tableau building game?

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Games from Miniature Market

Bonfire

This is a game about gnomes building a bonfire, well, maybe that’s some of it. But it’s a Pegasus Spiele game, like the next one. And Miniature Market had a sale on them. Pegasus Spiele got on my radar because they put out First Rat, a game I wasn’t sure I’d like, but then I really did. Bonfire looks more complex, so I was interested in trying it.

Raccoon Robbers

This one I bought because it looked like a fun, more simple game from Pegasus Spiele. So I wanted to give it a go and see if it would work for me. Plus it’s about raccoons, a fun theme and comes with 3D (ish) houses that they climb up on, so fun components.

Via Magica

This is a light game that I wanted to try because I thought when I heard about it on the Dice Tower a while ago, Camilla is a fan of it there, it sounded fun. You can read my whole review here.

Mesozooic: Jurassic Mini Expansion and Triassic Mini Expansion

I’ve written a review on some of the games. Mesozooic I actually bought the base game a while ago. The two expansions were unlikely to be around much longer, on closeout, so I bought them. You can read my review on Mesozooic here.

Abyss: Kraken Expansion

This is an expansion, I own both, for a game that I need to play. It is probably not the smartest plan, but I have them now, so I need to get Abyss to the table soon. Abyss looks like a massive epic game, one you’d expect a lot of minis for. Well, it’s a much smaller simpler game than that type of game. More of an engine building from what I know. So I hope it’s one I really enjoying.

Escape the Dark Castle

This is one that just came back into stock recently. It and Escape the Dark Sector or games with fun dark looking artwork and, well, a dark theme. I want to play them and see how they stack up against something like Spire’s End. I know both can be played solo, so I’ll be getting to this one soon to really know.

18 Holes: Course Architect

18 Holes: Course Artchitect actually needs to get a review written about it. Same with the next one though that one I need to play more. But 18 Holes is about building out a golf course in a roll and write game and seeing how well that you can do. It’s a bit rules heavy for how simple the game is, but the more I play, the easier it is to pick up each time and faster games go. So it’s one that might just stick around as a solo game for me.

Bargain Basement Bathysphere

Bargain Basement Bathysphere is a solo game. And you can watch me play it on Malts and Meeples. It’s a roll and write game that is a campaign. So I want to see how it is over the long run before I write a review. It’s definitely very loosely a campaign. But the two games I played of it were a lot of fun, with really simple mechanics.

Clank! Catacombs

Clank! Catacombs I knew was a game I would buy. I waited until after Christmas, and then when I was told about Bargain Basement Bathysphere, I used Catacombs to get it to a level where I could get free shipping. It’s just another version of Clank! but one with a modular board which is build every time. Clank! In! Space! has a modular board, but that one is set to start the game. This could come out differently every time.

Three Sisters

A roll and write game from the people who did Fleet and now Motor City. I am curious about this one. I like Fleet, but it is a lot of mechanics, especially solo. Though I wonder if I will feel the same with Three Sisters. But it is one that I want to get to solo.

Star Realms Deck Building Game

Star Realms is the space version of Hero Realms, kind of. They are different games and Star Realms came first. But it’s a two player deck building game. I wanted to try it and see which one I like better. I think I’ll enjoy both, but will both stay in my collection?

Thornwatch: The Dark of the Wood Expansion

Thornwatch is a game that I picked up on a sale, probably hasn’t been in a Point of Order yet. I got it around Black Friday from the publisher. It looks like an adventure dungeon crawl sort of gaming experience. And it has some work done on it from Penny Arcade guys who I like their stuff. So I am curious about it and if it’ll be a dungeon crawler for me.

Planet Unknown

This one got an order all by itself. And I still need to play it. But Planet Unknown is a game about terraforming a planet. Yes, I own two games like that already. But it uses polyominoes and a lazy Susan. Though mine doesn’t come with it. But as you select pieces for your planet, you rotate a this central piece. And where I decide to stop rotating it, that determines what you get. So there is a bit of a puzzle where I might take a slightly worse for me piece to stop you from getting the perfect piece.

Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball

I own two, no three, versions of Super-Skill Pinball. It is a roll and write game that I really enjoy and one I should play more. It is playing pinball and this one has a, you guessed it, Star Trek theme. There is a Christmas one as well with Christmas movies that I’m less interested in. But I do like Star Trek so I wanted to play this one.

Featherlight

Featherlight, another one that I played on Malts and Meeples with Bargain Basement Bathysphere. So you can find that in the video above. I like it as a way to optimize how you are scoring. It’s kind of a puzzle with some randomness. And I think that works really well for the length and weight of the game. It is very light, but offers you good choices as you play.

Unmatched: Marvel – Redemption Row & Hell’s Kitchen

I hadn’t planned on getting into Unmatched. But Marvel is what drew me in. And I have made a promise to myself that I won’t buy other sets, unless they are Marvel. So I am trying to get my hands on Deadpool, just waiting for someone from a Discord to ship it. But their lives are busy, so I understand. And there are upcoming Marvel sets, but I will talk about those later.

The Librarians

This is one that I got to try in 2020 when I did the digital GenCon. But it is a game around the Librarians TV show. The game is good, and I didn’t back it because I was backing too many things. So when it hit retail and hit a sale, I wanted to get it into my collection. It is a cooperative game and a fun theme that I want to play.

Ascension X: War of Shadows

Ascension, I’ve talked about it, this is my favorite introductory deck building game. I have two expansions, this one and a nature themed one, that I need to play still. But more is good because they are standalone or can be all mixed together. Well, maybe not all, but somewhat mixed together.

18 Holes: Second Edition & Expansion

You saw the roll and write, this is the tabletop version. It is still building a golf course. But you do that as a group. And then you play that course to see how well you do. I’m excited to try it. Sports games often aren’t the right match for board games. But I think that a golf theme works better than a faster spaced sport like Soccer or Football.

Starship Captains

Starship Captains is one that I played at GenCon in 2022. And I enjoyed it, but it is one that I want to spend more time with. It is a fast game, and I think that end snuck up on me in my one play. Is it one for me, or will it always feel too short? We will have to see, but I want to give it more of a try.

Relics of Rajavihara & Expansion

I just wrote a review on Relics of Rajavihara and you can read that here. But it is a fun puzzle game and I hope that this week or in the next two, I can fully wrap up the game. It’s fast and fun and a great puzzle.

Solomon Kane Expansions

Mythic Games is getting rid of their extra stock as they try and raise funds to complete and ship out other games. I could explain it more, but basically the pandemic hit them harder than a lot of companies. So this is a chance to grab the last of the stuff I don’t have. I think I own basically all of it now.

Enchanters

Another Mythic Games, another one that they sold the rights to. So it is discounted as they move their stock. A deck building game, but one I wasn’t super interested in. But when it is on sale and I can get the all in Kickstarter, or near that, it is worth buying and trying.

D&D Books

Just some more setting books and different books for more D&D content. I am there for that, and I want to mix it into my game.

Kokoro: Avenue of the Kodama

This is one that Zee mentioned in his Top 100 Games. It is a rework of an existing game, with a theme that Indie Boards & Cards has used before. So I want to try it with that theme. The rest of the Kodama games are less interesting for me. But this one because it’s an existing theme is interesting.

Exit: Lord of the Rings

It’s an Exit escape room board game. And this one my wife wants to try because of the theme. And in all fairness I’m excited for the theme as well. Exit games are not my favorite of the escape room style games because they are destructive. So it’s a one time use thing. But the theme in this case pulled me in.

Skyrim: The Adventure Game

Another one where the theme pulled me in. I avoided backing it on Gamefound. The game play looked fun, but I can only back so many games so often. Then as more came out about the game, the more interesting it became to me. And I hope that it’s a pretty narrative driven game that feels like Skyrim.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice

And to wrap it up, another video game one. And one that I wouldn’t have looked at too much. But it turned into one that I was very interested in because it has that big campaign feel to it, and cooperative play. And we know that is what I like in games.

Pre-orders

Plus there are a few pre-orders to talk about.

Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition – Discovery & Crisis Expansions

This one I should have added to my other set of pre-orders, but both of these are expansions to a game I really like a lot. Ares Expedition. One gives you ways to upgrade your action selection which will make you different and unique in the long run. The other one is going to offer a cooperative or solo play opportunity. So two things that I’m very interested in. There is a third one as well, but when it was on Kickstarter, it just didn’t interest me as much.

Earth

Another one coming from Kickstarter that I am picking up now. It’s an engine building game that looks like it should be pretty on the table. I find that I really like engine building games. And this one looks like it is in that framework of being light, but not too light. I’m hoping, mainly, that the rules are in a place where it is easy to teach and get to the table.

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom

See what I said about Lord of the Rings before. This one is going to be an adventure book style game where you play through different scenes. Besides it being Lord of the Rings and based off of the same or similar system to the one used in the Princess Bride game I don’t know a ton more. But I’m more excited for this one than the escape room game.

Final Thoughts

Some of this has just been catching up on games that I’ve had an eye on and have been on my wishlist. The Librarians, Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed were all on that list. And you can see a number of expansions as well.

But if it were you, which of these games would you play first? Of course, I’ve played some already, but I tried to call those out.

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So this is a list of 10 games, in no particular order. Also worth noting, it’s a list of 10, I’m unlikely to buy most of them as a lot will be big, but I’ll likely buy a few.

10 Board Games in 2023

10. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board Game

I almost considered backing this one, but it just didn’t quite draw me in. But I love the material that it’s based on, I think I mainly played Heroes of Might and Magic IV. And it’s a world exploring adventure, fighting game which has some interesting systems. So I want to get my hands on this one and try it, because of that. And because it’s a big game but isn’t one that is all about the minis or all about an epic campaign which is different. And it’s not cooperative, which is also different for me.

9. Earth

Another one that was on Kickstarter, and Earth is a much smaller game than a lot on the list. But for that reason, I didn’t back it, I thought it was an interesting one to pick-up later. It’s an engine building game, which I generally like. And with a smaller package I’ll enjoy that as well. Plus it’s an engine building game about creating your own ecosystem which is fun, and the game looks very pretty. So that’s enough for a reason for me to be interested, it’s a pretty game.

8. Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game

I didn’t consider backing this one because the Terraforming Mars games, generally no need to back them. And the Dice Game looks interesting and like more Terraforming Mars. I already own Ares Expedition and I like that one. Plus I own Terraforming Mars that I need to play. But like Earth, this is going to be another engine building game which I’m certainly interested in. And it’s based off of a system at least with Ares Expedition that I like and a theme that I like.

7. Arkeis

People are complaining a lot about this one because it’s taken a long time to deliver. I believe it was crowdfunded in 2019 or very early 2020 and it’s got a 2023 date. But it’s one that I am very interested in grabbing at retail when it comes out.

It’s a legacy game, but a legacy game set in Egypt and delving into tombs and temples to get treasures. I’m not sure how it’ll all work, but I’m excited for it for the legacy campaign aspect but also for the setting and the potential for story. I really like Lost Ruins of Arnak which generally has that theme, so I’m hoping that Arkeis will be more immersive game play.

6. Soul Raiders

This one says it was on Kickstarter or Crowdfunding and it looks vaguely familiar, but I’m surprised I didn’t look into it more. The designer did Splendor before, a game that I don’t love, I think this one sounds very interesting. A high fantasy setting will get me interested.

Plus then it had deck building in it as well, which I enjoy. I’ve wanted to find a good campaign game that uses deck building heavily in it as I think it’s a mechanic that makes sense. And the artwork looks nice, so it’s one that I want to try and play, maybe not own, but play.

5. Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders

Have I mentioned that I like big campaign games? Well, I do. And Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders is a follow-up, in setting to Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef, which I just got. So I do want to get this one as well, it’s a dungeon crawling campaign game set in that world. And that world, while it might not come through too much in Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef, is gorgeous to look at.

So if I can start to get story and explore characters in that world, I’m interested. Plus when it was on crowdfunding, I thought it looked intriguing. Mainly it looks like the action system is going to be very different with ebbs and flows of it building from lighter turns to bigger turns.

4. My Island

This one I doubt that I’ll get in 2023 but I wouldn’t be surprised if I get it later. It’s a legacy game, follow-up to My City, this time with an Island. I haven’t beat My City yet, or completed it I should say. But I’m really liking it when we do get it played. It is an accessible, easy to pick-up and easy to put down legacy game.

My hope is that My Island is the same thing just some new twists on it. And it’s a legacy game, so I like that element as well. And that’s the reason that I’ll get to it when I get to it. I have enough other legacy games that I really need to get played.

3. Sagrada Artisans

Another one that was on Kickstarter, Sagrada Artisans takes Sagrada and turns it into a legacy game. From what it looked like, it kept a lot of the game the same with drafting dice and creating stained glass windows. But it also added in a coloring element.

So that they could mess around with the windows more, you aren’t placing the dice on the windows but instead coloring in the color you picked, and I’m assuming putting the number down. That sounds like an interesting twist, not the coloring but the non-square windows, and how that’ll work. I hope it’s a light, fun, legacy game, like My City has been and like I hope My Island will be.

2. First in Flight

At this point in time you should know that most of these have been on crowdfunding. Some of that is because it’s hard for publishers to know when a game will come out so far in advance unless it is on crowdfunding. And First in Flight is one that is different, though, it’s a smaller, lighter game where you are trying to collect cards to be able to pull of the longest flight possible.

It’s historically based, so you’re competing with others trying to do the first flight of some length, I believe. And the helpers you can get are actual people. That element also makes it more interesting because it’s a lighter game that is going to give you history. When it was on crowdfunding, I was definitely interested. But it’s in that range of buying it later is probably the smarter plan.

1. Tales from Red Dragon Inn

I’m not going to buy this one, but I do want to play it. I think that Red Dragon Inn is an okay game, and I fully know that I’d like it better if I played it with fewer. I’ve always  played it over the player count, and it just takes a silly game and makes it too long. Tales from Red Dragon Inn is the dungeon crawl adventure that you all go on. I don’t really know how it’s going to work, but they’ve created very interesting characters for the world. So I think it’s something or a world that would be fun to play around in.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of good games out there. I said that there were 16 pages of 2023 games on BGG, I didn’t go through all of them to get my list of 10. Am I missing something huge that I’ll end up loving, most likely. But that’s the fun of gaming and new board games coming out. It’s finding that new board game that you want to play over and over again. Last year, for example, Stars of Akarios wasn’t even on my radar, and now it’s in my Top 10. So we’ll have to see what game comes out of nowhere and just surprises me.

What game are you anticipating coming out in 2023?

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In Another Life, a mysterious alien artifact has flown to and then landed on Earth with no warning and no contact. No matter what people are doing, they haven’t been able to make contact with it, including the lead scientist, Erik Wallace. His wife, Niko Breckenridge, has been a spaceship commander but hasn’t been one for a while. Instead, after a series of unfortunate events in her life, she found Erik and they had a kid together. But when they figure out where the artifact is sending information to, she’s called back into her role as a commander on the Salvare to lead an expedition to where the signal is being sent. Meanwhile, Erik takes their daughter and continues to try and find a way to communicate with the artifact on Earth, but in neither case, do things go as they’d hope.

There’s a couple of interesting things about this show, first, I’ll say that the acting is solid on the show. Katee Sackhoff, possibly best known for playing Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica does a good job in this show and the crew of the ship is endearing and frustrating all at the same time. Justin Chatwin as Erik Wallace does a good job as well, in fact, probably the highlight for the show for me. I think that he gets down the role of a caring father but also the scientist who gets too wrapped up in his work at times really well, but he’s always a gentle soul, which is a juxtaposition to Sackhoff’s Breckenridge who is much of a harder person because of what she’s seen. There are other characters who are interesting as well and there is a good amount of character development that happens as well.

Another thing that is interesting, and another juxtaposition, is the two stories that are happening at the same time. On Earth with Erik Wallace, it’s about the frustration that can happen when things aren’t going well, about how you can get too wrapped up in science or in work and lose sight of the important things around you. And while you get some of that from Niko Breckenridge on the Salvare storyline as well, it’s definitely less of that, and more focused in on things going wrong and crew tensions on the spaceship. They both have their own tensions, but on Earth it’s more the question of when they will figure out what the artifact does and how to interact with it, more of an exploration tension versus a survival tension. It blends well and breaks what would basically just be stress from the Salvare storyline with what is happening on Earth. As I said, Erik is such a gentle soul that it just feels more relaxed throughout.

I will say that I think the Salvare storyline has some rough spots in it. While on Earth the story is fairly straight forward as you’re wondering about how they are going to create first contact with the artifact, the Salvare storyline can get into a lot of melodrama, and has parts of the story that feel rushed. Not going to spoil who ends up dying in the show, no surprise that some characters will, but some of those deaths seem a little bit rushed in the Salvare storyline, like they could have done some more character development to get you to the point where you really care. I think that you care a little bit for some of those characters who die, but not all that much, and it kind of retreads some story elements as well. When it’s done in parallel with what’s happening on Earth, it’s much more interesting, when it covers some of the same ground that they already did on the Salvare, it seems like they are trying to fill out stuff after having rushed other elements of the story.

In terms of the Sci-Fi elements to the show, I think that it does well. It offers some bigger questions about the universe, humanity, and what makes humans human, and I think that Sci-Fi at it’s best can ask those questions because they feel different than real life, so it’s easier to dig into them that way. That said, I don’t think that this is groundbreaking Sci-Fi by any means. It’s simply looking at a lot of concepts and ideas we’ve already seen in it’s own way. In some ways it’s like Nightflyers like that, where the Sci-Fi elements aren’t highly unique, but they aren’t done poorly either.

Overall, I think that this is a solid show. I think that both storylines can be a bit predictable, Earth and Salvare, and while there are meant to be some shocking or surprising moments, I don’t think that there are that many that are extremely well pulled off, again, because it’s fairly predictable. All of that said, it is a good show, the acting is good, and there are some interesting characters. One that I didn’t mention yet that I really like is William both he and Erik are probably the best parts of the show and areas where you can get some slightly less standard Sci-Fi, though, just slightly. If you’re a Sci-Fi, one to checkout, and I think it’s a solid introductory Sci-Fi show if you aren’t.

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So what happens if you play a game where this is the main theme of the game? Do you end up playing in the Matrix? And would that works or how would it work in Dungeons and Dragons?

I think that there are two different things that you could look at. The first being an almost T.I.M.E. Stories or Assassin’s Creed situation where you are from a future time and are being sent back in time to this world, or across dimensions. The other being a more magic way, and for Dungeons and Dragons, I would prefer to run it in the second way, though the first would be fun as well.

In the game that I’d be running, and starting with the BBEG, it would be a Wizard of some sort, because an evil Wizard would clearly be creating pocket/illusionary dimensions where the rules for the world aren’t the same. But, that would be the thing, everyone would assume that my wizard is evil, but really, it was just a magical experiment that went horribly wrong that is trapping people into these pocket dimensions or worlds of illusion really.

I would have some fun with that, for the players, probably start them in a world of illusion that seems very different than the setting that I’ve been saying that I was going to set them in. It would probably be something much more modern, there was a D&D podcast that I was listening to where they were talking about an old game (not Total Party Thrill, I forgot the name of this one), where they went to modern times and killed Santa Clause at a mall because the characters didn’t understand what was going on. I’d probably do something less than that and I would make it fairly easy to get out of.

Now, if all the players are doing is getting out of these illusion worlds, that would get old pretty fast, and it also has a problem, if everything is an illusion can it really hurt them. So I’m going to address that first and then suggest some other things that you can do in the game besides put them in an illusion world.

The big question is, since this is a world of illusion, can the players die in this world? I would say that no they can’t. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t get close or that there aren’t consequences. I’m not sure what I’d do, but I’d have them track hit points like normal, but when they die, or get knocked out, they can always come back, but there is going to be some sort of consequence. I’m not sure what I would do, maybe create a separate track where the mental anguish of going down so many times can drive them insane or eventually kill them? And I’d probably put the track at 10 spots, so it would be hard for them to die that way, but it would be possible. And I’d probably give them a way to heal it somehow, maybe every time that they level up they can remove one.

But also in these illusion worlds, they wouldn’t be the only ones who are in there. Some bad people could be trying to manipulate them to cover a crime or something like that. So, while the players can’t die in the illusion world, neither can the bad guys, so if they are able to stop an illusion world so that they can escape from it, they might also then have a real threat in the real world. And how safe are their bodies really in the real world while the players are in the illusion world? You can use things like that to push the players forward. Probably no one slitting their throats in the real world while their minds are in the illusion world, but they might come back to find that some stuff is gone.

You don’t only want to create these mini dungeons for the players of the illusion worlds. If that’s all the players are doing, it’s eventually going to get boring. So you need to mix it up, and you need to get them eventually to the wizard who screwed everything up.

I would make it so that where the illusion worlds are is “visible”. With a good perception check or some sort of description/tip off for it, so at some times you’d probably have the players running from it, and if they can do well on a skill challenge that would work as another type of encounter with this.

Another challenge I’d give them is basically figuring out and locating where these illusion worlds are coming from. Is it the epicenter of them all or is somewhere else. Getting to the origination point should be a dungeon in itself. You can pull from Dragon Age Origins here where when the Mage Circle has issues you are fighting your way through their tower, but you also have to fight your way through the fade at one point. You can create traps, tricks, and more there. I’d probably also put the wizard who created t his as trapped in something that isn’t able to allow him to stop it, like maybe an illusion became real and is holding him hostage or maybe they are trapped in illusion world and are trying to escape, but their solution is to become a Lich, so can the players get them out of that illusion world before the Wizard turns themselves into a Lich?

Finally, I’d put in some challenges in the world of the game. Obviously, there are going to be people who use these illusion worlds to do bad things in them or to loot the bodies of the people who are stuck in them. So the players will probably have to track down a few important things have been stolen and probably some things that have been stolen from them. You can even set up some sort of McGuffin, like there are glasses or some sort that allows them to more easily say the illusion worlds, or that someone has invented a form of magic that allows them to hop in and out of the illusion worlds, which the players would obviously want.

I think that I’d want to run this game and play in this game. The concept is something that will have some of your standard fantasy tropes, but also does some things that would feel completely different. And with the illusion worlds, you’d be able to do a ton of different things. Maybe it’s modern Earth, or maybe it’s just like the fantasy world, but it’s been overrun with demons, you can make up an illusion world each time. I’d be tempted to create a number of them, and then just pull from a hat so that it’s a surprise and the players can’t plan. It would be something interesting to do, and you could even, in session 0, have the players help brainstorm all of these things and are basically creating settings for their characters to be trapped in, which they might not know.

What do you think of this idea? Is this a game that you’d want to play in?

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In this game the different planes, fire, earth, prime material, hell, abyss, fey wild, and everything else, they are all being beset upon by an outside force, a massive massive outside force that is probably controlling one or some of them already and having them branch out against the others.

So in this game you pick different realms, probably fey wild, Sword Coast, Eberron, and whatever else you want and you start playing games in each of them where there are forces, maybe the elemental plane of fire and the abyss have been overrun by whatever this great force is, some evil deity most likely, that is bending them to their will. Have the players then deal with the threats showing up in their worlds.

Build this story up for some time that something is wrong in the abyss or the plane of fire, but don’t really let on that there is a big bad guy, think that it’s something smaller that is causing the unrest. Eventually have this dark force and their own army also show up in the realm. And here is where you might want to have one combined game for all the groups to spring the big reveal on them. Have this force s how up on all of their planes, and they all get transported to some pocket dimension or something like that where this being is controlling everything from. Then have there be a prophecy, but not one of those impossibly vague prophecies, but something something as specific that they basically have to find the pieces of Voltron or some god killing weapon, or even Dragon Balls.

Then you split back up and make the games take similar paths, but searching for this thing in their own realm. And they shouldn’t really be able to interact with the other realms. Once each group has found their piece of the weapon, come back to together for a final epic battle.

I’d really recommend doing a set piece for this epic battle. As I think having loads of monsters around that the players aren’t really fighting, but are kind of set dressing, but there should be some generals that each group of players need to take out to fight their way to the evil deity. Then some players are going to have to do a challenge to get the weapon assembled while the others are fighting off all sorts of monsters. The big thing is that they can’t do damage to this deity without the weapon and the weapon is a one shot kill. So once they’ve gotten the weapon assembled, and you can do some interesting things with that, like them having to cast spells, deal with things in their minds that the deity might be doing to them, more than just roll a dexterity tinkering check. The other players can then be fighting off hordes and hordes of monsters, and make it cinematic and let them hit more than one thing with a swing, so minion type monsters that just pop, but also can pack a punch if they actually get to attack.

Then once the weapon is ready, take your DM control back, and basically narrate what happens. I wouldn’t let it kill the deity, something that kills a deity besides another deity is too powerful, but it could banish him to a prison dimension, where he had been banished before, but had escaped from, or had been banished for a million years. The weapon should fall apart and Dragon Ball it out of there in it’s separate parts.

That’s where the campaign ends. I would pitch this when you are starting out in sessions zeros as an epic game that is going to be fought for the fate of all the planes. Hopefully every group will be in on the game, but really lean into that this is going to be bigger and more epic than other games. Also, with that, really let the players be heroes. As a DM, you should try and avoid having characters die in this game. Also, try and limit plane hopping, I’d maybe allow conversation to happen after that mid point of the game, but traveling between planes might be locked down by either the evil deity, or by good deities to prevent the spread of the evil deity. Definitely make this game big, and I also wouldn’t make this game all that long. Power level your characters up, getting them to the mid levels by the mid point of the game, and then let them have level 20 for the epic fight, But this game doesn’t have a ton of variety, so having them level up fast, almost as chosen ones, would make the characters seem really powerful.

I also know that I said, don’t kill off the characters die in this game. The last session, that is out the window. If a character actually die dies, that’s fine, that’s the epic end, in fact, there should be a chance that everyone dies. At level 20, if it seems too easy, have plans to bump up monsters, add in different tougher monsters, add in lair effects and other hazards for the players, make it difficult on them, make them use up resources to get to the final skill challenge, and make them use resources there. Maybe the weapon needs some magic items put into it to power it, make them spend stuff that they’ve got. Maybe they need to load some spell slots into it, take away resources, and make them spend resources to get there, this should be tough. I’d give the deity a way to interact with them throughout the whole battle, so they might be fighting the deity’s generals, but the deity is also causing them problems with large area effect spells and stuff like that, make it work for what you need, even if it “breaks” the D&D rules.

So what do you think of this game? Do you think it could be cool to run something this epic, or is it too simple and combat focused?

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