This past weekend was Big Bad Con 2024 and it was a blast. I got in 10 game sessions and they were all wonderful. Even better, I had a slew of lovely chats with amazing game designers and friends from around the world. Here’s a quick rundown of the games I played and ran…
Are You an Adventurer?
Karen Twelves and I collaborated to design “Are You an Adventurer” – an opening-night experience that was somewhere between larp and interactive theater. There was a trailhead near the registration desk where our Hawker had a big sign and encouraged attendees to form adventuring parties and go on a quest.
The quest consisted of a chain of six professional actors in the role of fantasy characters. Each character roleplayed with the participants, giving them information or challenges as they learned more about their quest. Groups that reached the end had to decide what to do with the magic amulet they acquired, having several clear options but also the ability to come up with their own resolutions.
We had 12 groups go through the whole experience and about 50 people in total. They seemed to love it and we received great feedback!
Seizing the Crown x4
Seizing the Crown is my political fantasy game with mechanics inspired by Working the Case. In this game, you tell the story of rival factions working to take control of a fantasy kingdom. It plays in under an hour with 2-5 players.
I ran two scheduled sessions and two off-books sessions – they all went well! The game is in late-stage playtesting and it was satisfying to see players enjoying it. I’ll share more information about the game and how to playtest it here on the site, later this year.
(Two out of) Six Space Larps
Jason Morningstar brought a collection of 4-player, 1-hour space larps and I played two of them: The Coup and The Coronation. Both were tense scenarious that unfolded in delightful and dramatic fasion. I’m looking forward to playing more of them when they’re released!
Zhenya’s Wonder Tales
Jason also ran an off-books game of Zhenya’s Wonder Tales that I got to check out. Zhenya’s is a collection of 4-player, 1-hour rpgs inspired by Eastern European folklore. Each pre-written character has three associated cards with plot beats; when they occur in the story you flip the card over and see the consequences. It’s a fun format and might be a high-water mark in beginner-friendly design. The game will crowdfund next year and I’m looking forward to backing it!
Band-aids and Bullet Holes
I played in Sam Dunnewold’s Band-aids and Bullet Holes which told a fast-paced tale of revenge a la John Wick or Kill Bill. The tight character creation and core scene setting worked well and the our story climaxed in an epic brawl in a subway station. Sam’s work is great and you should definitely check out his podcast Dice Exploder for great discussions about game mechanics.
Greeting (from the Xenolanguage anthology)
I was also able to play Greeting by Alex Roberts a forthcoming game about alien first contact included in the Xenolanguage Anthology. It has one earthling and one alien ambassador discuss each other’s cultures and decide whether or not the two species should formally make contact. I played opposite Tim Hutchings and together we crafted two mirrored civilizations that had a lot to offer each other but were perhaps a dangerous influence as well. It was great!
Final Thoughts
Overall, another great year! Big Bad Con continues to be one of my favorite gaming events and I highly encourage anyone curious to check it out. I look forward to returning next year.