If I gained 1$ for everytime someone calls something even remotely serious edgy I'd be a trillionaire.
No, being edgy is not taking things seriously, No, being edgy is not when character you like dies, No edgy is not having a darker color palette.
Starting off my rant with the thing I genuinly want to get off my chest, Ben 10 UAF vs Omniverse comparisons.
Everytime I see some people calling UAF era "too edgy I can't like it" What the hell is even "too edgy" about it? Nobody uses any real Guns, there's no constant deaths, there's 0 nihilism involved.
They call it edgy because it has a dark color palette? So did every single fucking Ben 10k epsiode in Original Series.
They call it Edgy because it takes itself too seriously? For real? As if Original series doesn't?
At this point the entire Ben 10 community suffers from this inferiority complex they got because back in the day UAF fans shit on omniverse and now omniverse fans wanna shit on UAF to take revenge.
Moving onto JJK, I've had a friend drop the series after Mechamaru's death because it felt "too edgy, characters die for no reason"
I'd get it if this was the shinjuku showdown arc or culling games, but fucking mechamaru? Was that the last line? The death that was well established, foreshadowed, with a great sendoff that felt tragic?
I sweat to fucking God people genuinly want everything to be quippy MCU style humor, 0 stakes, 0 deaths all pink candyland shows, go watch highschool slice of life series, man.
Tdlr: Ben 10 Omniverse fandom suffers from inferiority complex, proceeds to call anything that isnt ultra quippy edgy. And people cannot stand a single fight, death scene, sad moment. It must all be quips, fun and happyness or else it's super edgy and bad.

I've been trying to find this game's name for at least 9 years and it's been killing me every time I try to search it. I feel like I'm going crazy and I'd love some closure just knowing the name...
Doesn't have to be this specific orientation or shape set, but these colors were mostly used. Letters or numbers iirc were this shade of red as well
There's also some instances of these colors too, such as in backgrounds or in foliage. But they're definitely not as prominent as the yellow and red.
Genre: Educational, 2D/first person, stagnant? (Playing as yourself but not actively a character of the game). Scenes were rarely dynamic and didn't have depth.
Graphics/art style: Predominantly geometric shapes, like circles, squares, triangles with solid colors over a grey, slightly textured screen. I specifically remember these colors, but the shapes themselves change (could be triangles, squares, circles). Some spawned over each other and moved across the screen, some increased in size.
Notable characters: This is where I get stumped, I honestly don't remember. It's possible that there were animals in a geometric style as well, like a llama or fox or something. Faces/humans too. But don't take my word for it...
Notable gameplay mechanics: There are multiple modes, like your average kid cd game. There was a mode where shapes would appear on the screen, and there was potentially a minigame to count the sides of each shape. Apparently there was also a mode that helped you learn the alphabet one letter at a time, and each letter would take around 3/4ths of the screen's height. There could be more modes, but I'm not sure.
Other details: No voice acting, no prominent music/ost from what I remember. It could be older than the 2000's. Feels super surreal and abstract. It's almost kinda creepy feeling? Like it's not a style that follows any children's/educational games from back then like freddy fish, candyland, etc. No lineart whatsoever, and definitely not the cutesy/mascot type. It also felt kinda buggy, sometimes red circles would keep spawning and getting bigger and there would be no way of stopping it unless by force-quit. There was also a point where numbers 1-4 kept repeating its counting sequence. I'm not sure if that was a feature or if my disk was scratched or corrupted. Not trying to be a creepypasta but that was literally my experience with the game.
The CD itself was red and yellow as well. Help or pointers will be appreciated, I literally cannot give a similar game or game company that was anything quite like this. I'm sorry if I'm not able to give more information... I lost the CD when I was 4-5 and this was around 2009.

Hey everyone!! When I was a child, I loved renting Nutcracker themed movies around Christmas time!! But nowadays I have a memory of a Nutcracker movie that I’m not sure if it was real or just a figment of my imagination so I could use some help!
Here’s what I remember…

• It was 2D animated Nutcracker themed short film.
• The uncle was a magician who gifted the main character the Nutcracker. The little brother of the main character then proceeded to try and shove walnuts into the Nutcracker’s mouth and ends up breaking his teeth.
• The Nutcracker apparently came from Candyland?
• There were no voices, only narration by a middle aged man with a slight accent.
• The main character had black hair and pale skin wearing a white dress.
• The film ends with the main character grabbing the Mouse King’s crown and throwing it far away and his kingdom turns on him because now he’s like everyone else without his crown.
• The animation wasn’t terrible, but it was clearly made in the 1990s or early 2000s.

heads up: this posts talks about some specific cards that are not releasing until much later in the year. if you’re not cool w that pls skip this post.
pretty much the title. i’ve played on and off since 2013 and comparing how it was back then vs now, even with my poor memory, is shocking. i started to sit down and be more active in it in late 2020 and within the past 3-4 years a lot has happened internally and externally to really make me question things.
2021 - saw the release of TSR and MH2, both good sets with reprint value, both entirely too expensive, hull breacher and golos get banned
2022 - saw the release of CLB, NEO, SNC, 2X2, and unfinity, an even larger number of Secret lair releases, and the announcement of the 30th anniversary box, one of the single biggest slaps to the face mtg players have ever had.
2023 - MOM with its overall mediocre marvel endgame story releases, aftermath follows and becomes the worst set in terms of sales and overall popularity by a long shot, plagiarism is discovered on LCIs wayfarers bauble and wotc cut ties w the artist, they started the year off with OGL leak and subsequently sinking any profits they could’ve made off the dnd movie while also losing 20 million in subscriptions on dnd beyond, they announced secret lairs will no longer be available for purchase during a certain period, they will be a limited digital only release (whales won big on that one), saw the release of WOE, LCI, and CMM, the latter of which is hated by commander players whom it was designed for due to the sheer cost
2024 - released RAV remastered and within the first week of the year had already gotten bad PR for using AI art to promote RAV, released MKM and revealed Thunder Junction, both of which are very mid tier overall in terms of both new cards and overall design, mostly carried by reprints, fay dalton comes under scrutiny for multiple plagiarism accusations, MH3 will be releasing with standard and collectors versions of commander precons, wotc reports that they are having “supplier issues” with the fallout crossover making it impossible to get any at a decent price in some areas
mean while they’ve released 3-4 SL decks, the prices have not really gotten better, all of the art we’ve seen for new stuff this year looks and feels like it was generated by AI, and my overall perception of magic, based on cards released in 2024 alone, is that this is a really terrible hasbro family game night scheme. it feels as boring and plastic as monopoly or candyland. it doesn’t need a bunch of super edgy art like old innistrad, but are we really gonna sit here and be like “yeah loot is a good character”. that is the single laziest ripoff of some boring league of legends hearthstone mobile game garbage and i wouldn’t at all be surprised if they made him with AI. on top of that, magics lore has been completely worthless since 2021 at the very least, MOM was very eh overall but had some cool moments if not lazy deaths and writing overall, but now you have people from all over going all over and the amount of out of place a lot of these characters feel just makes me hate the game at this point. this alone makes me feel like any subsequent releases this year will not be worth it or appealing to me and a number of the players i know

I was kind of bummed to see someone delete their user account after posting a question about how to get started on learning Python and programming in general, so I thought I'd make a post to help people. It's going to start-off probably feeling someone sarcastic and maybe even downright condescending, but I promise - it's intended to be uplifting and helpful.
​
Misconceptions:
There are numerous misconceptions surrounding programming.

1. Programming is about writing out special syntax.
2. Programming is about memorizing complicated syntactical expressions based on the language.
3. Programming is about "building apps" to make pretty things appear on a screen.
4. You need a solid understanding of high-order math to program.

I could go on for likely days about further misconceptions, but hopefully this is a start.
The above are misconceptions because they obscure what's really happening in programming.
Does each language have a syntax? Yes, of course. But, memorizing and writing them in special ways like cheat codes in a console game are not the point, they are just things that happen along the way. Most seasoned developers really don't bother to memorize all of the syntax. Heck, most modern Integrated Development Environments (IDE) such as Visual Studio (VS) Code actually have really cool tooltip systems that give you hints about how the syntax of a specific function *should* be written.
​
Math and Programming - it's not what you think.
Programming is about logic, not about math. This is actually a pretty damning reflection about how bad the Western education really is. Mathematics are an abstraction of the principles of logic, mathematics is not logic unto itself.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-order_logic
• https://simplicable.com/thinking/types-of-logic
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_logic

The above links can serve to help understand the discussion a bit. Heck, these very principles can extend to most corners of life. Why are most political debates not actual discussions/debates but instead just flame wars? Because people aren't using LOGIC.
Math is an abstraction of Logic.
Here's an example:
Let A = 1.
Let B = 2.
A and B are "abstracts" to represent the Numbers 1 and 2. Heck, the NUMERALS 1 and 2 are themselves abstractions (substitutions, really) for the idea of say - observing One (1) and Two (2) real world objects that happen to have a quantity of 1 and 2.
Continuing the example, if you made it through basic algebra, you would then know that:
A + B = 3.
You would evaluate this as a *True* statement. How? Because you can substitute the A->1 + B->2 = 3.
Does 1+2 = 3? Yes, this is True where the value of 1 = 1 and 2 = 2.
If this layer of abstraction is so simple, why do people struggle so hard to get into programming?
Because the education system does idiotic things when it teaches. It's not teaching you to think, it's teaching you to recognize patterns and just *assume* that you grasp the idea. Instead, we teach logic through an abstraction layer called "basic math" or "algebra" or "geometry". These types of mathematics are very useful for describing a problem in very short phrasing; "If A = 1, then A+A = 2."
Here's a very real example I have encountered:
A=1, B=2, therefore: A + B = 3
to
"If Sally can bake 12 cupcakes an hour, and Bob can bake 6 cupcakes an hour, how many can they make in half an hour?"
The Correct Answer: Insufficient Data.
The Answer you probably got: Sally = 6, Bob = 3.
And the above example was not me being flippant. That is a real logic problem and one that shows just how messed-up our education system really is. If you looked at that problem and thought that you could just divide by 2 to get the answer(s), then you missed the point: it still takes the oven a certain amount of time to bake, regardless of the # of cupcakes involved. Just because you can solve A+B=3, doesn't mean that you understand what other variables could impact a REAL WORLD example. A+B=3 is an ABSTRACTION, it's not real.
Programming works the same way. Yeah, I can write an endless for-loop that recursively jumps back in on itself through the use of recursive functions, but is that the right way? Probably not. Heck, I'm sure any seasoned developer who just read that sentence had an aneurysm and cried a little bit. I certainly did while trying to write such a horrid idea.
So, how do we improve ourselves so that we can become programmers and write cool scripts and build cool applications?

1. Gain an understanding of some *real* principles about logic. Challenge what you think you know. You can either try to debate (honestly debate, remove all emotion) a topic you think you know - but, try to debate it from a different view/"side". Do this one in earnest, if you think that "A" is the right answer - try to argue from the thought that "B" is the right answer and try to poke holes in your own arguments.
2. Learn how to grasp *procedures*. Can you genuinely describe exactly how a process works from start to finish? You probably can't. The first test is: Make a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich. This is surprisingly difficult to do. Try to explain to a Ferby, a Child, or even a Robot how to make such a sandwich. Give yourself only one assumption: that the individual that will be performing the task can operate any tools effectively. But, make that the only assumption. You will quickly find that you probably can't do it on the first try. It's a tedious process. If you scoffed at this, you're the same kind of person who said, "when will I ever need this" in math class back in primary school. Either change your mind or quit now.
3. Learn and accept one of the most fundamental truths about programming: A VERY LOW percentage of *good* programming is about writing code. Most programming is about taking a goal, and describing it into the most tedious details possible. This is done in code comments, wireframes, diagrams, business analysis write-ups, and even writing "story" boards.

Okay, great, you haven't run away yet, now what can a person *DO*, what action's' can a person take to actually get started on really programming?
Congratulations on fighting through the pain of uncomfortable growth. It's time to get serious.
If you want to stick to Python, I recommend having the following installed/accessible:

1. An advanced IDE such as VS Studio Code.
2. A simpler IDE such as Thonny (it's super simplistic, is only focused on getting results, and has a built-in "step through my code" button right at the top of the screen that will VERY CLEARLY show you where your mistakes occurred.)
3. Some sort of "notepad" style text editor. Totally non-descript. No syntax highlighting. No frills. This is where you will want to start ALL of your programming journeys.
4. A diagramming software of some variety. I use Balsamiq, Lucid, and Draw.io. These are incredibly important for visualizing steps, chains of actions, decision-making trees, and in the case of Balsamiq - really great for visualizing how your Graphic User Interface (GUI)-style applications will come together and if they are truly coherent. Apps like Balsamiq also make it easier for clients to understand what they may be getting.

Once you have these and get just a bit comfortable with them, it's time to start.
Thinking of your first Application.
Tutorial hell sucks. You will *NEVER* get better just watching tutorials over and over.
However, you *WILL* improve if you master the basics. Because programming is about compiling basic actions in LOGICAL and COHERENT ways. Python? It's doing a LOT of the heavy lifting for you. It handles memory. It handles sockets, packets, CPU streams, connections, garbage collection, etc. It flips the bits for you. But, remember your machine is ONLY 1s and 0s being flipped. If you were programming in assembly, you literally have to tell it where to access the memory, and which bits to flip. Python *IS* easy because it's done almost all of the memory abstraction for you (and a lot of other work.) You're writing "sentences" that almost look like English. Now, if you haven't been scared-off yet and you still want to actually write some programs, let's answer your question with an action you can take:

1. Either do an internet search or come up with a project idea for a VERY simple project. I recommend 21 (Blackjack), A calculator, or something else VERY simplistic.
2. Then, I want you to break it down into the tiniest components you can comprehend:
   1. What types of information are present? Numbers? Letters? What kinds of numbers? Are they just integers? decimals? Are they just Anglican characters or other character types?
3. This information, AKA data - will I need to remember things? These translate to variables and need to be "stored" somehow.
4. Are there actions that are repeated? These translate to functions.
5. Are there activities AND data which sometimes need to be "built on the fly" - these are classes.
6. Are there activities which repeat until a certain condition is met? These are usually loops (often "while" loops.) A perfect example is trying to build a mini blackjack game - you want the game to continue until the player wants to "Q(uit)" or they run out of money.

Start with something that hopefully doesn't need classes, or at least not complex ones.
Once you have these concepts broken down as far as you can, it's time to start thinking through how to assemble them into a coherent script/application.
How do those tools/software I mentioned earlier come into play?

• You're going to start with a TEXT file. Just raw text. That list of questions I asked earlier? Write it all out into that text file. Heck, write it on freaking paper if it's easier for your memory. For some, the tactile sensation of writing improves their ability to recall it later and keep it all "in mind" as you go.
• Write everything about your application. I mean everything. Does it need a logo? What about a favicon? Is it in the browser, an administrative terminal, or a standalone window? What about deaf and blind usage?
• In what order does everything occur? If you chose blackjack, you might say, "well, you place a bet" - WRONG! You have to START by wanting to play the game. In real life, you would elect to sit down at a table. But, there could be 10 different tables. That's a MENU! So, we need to start with a "welcome to the casino" message. Then a menu to "start playing, load a game, quit" etc.
  • This is where diagramming and wireframing comes into play.
  • Diagram how the decision tree works: if the user says Q(uit) - the program shouldn't try to start a new hand, right? It should probably stop playing, and give a message that reflects the user's desire to leave the game and/or application. Sounds obvious right? Scroll through newb apps on github and you'll find that people screw this up a lot. Remember: making mistakes it OKAY! It's how you learn! So long as you don't os.path into some root directory with administrative privileges and perform a sys.delete() you're probably fine.
• Are there exceptions? What sort of messages should be displayed to the user when an oddity/mistake happens? How should the application recover the 'state' (Status) of everything?
• Are there choices? (often translates into Cases, If-Else Statements, or similar.)
• If you can't accurately depict your ENTIRE application on a wire diagram - you probably don't understand it.
• If a totally oblivious person can't follow the simple "go here, go to the next step" like a game of Chutes & Ladders or Candyland - then you haven't simplified and broken-down your parts enough to make it make sense. I'm not making fun of PEOPLE here, I say "oblivious person" because your computer is a moron and is utterly oblivious to your intent. It doesn't know what to do, it just follows the instructions.

Okay, you think you've got all of this figured out? Test your theory:
For your first mini application, try writing your application in NOTHING BUT PRINT STATEMENTS.
Yes, do it: """Print("Welcome to my Blackjack game.")"""
Your code could look something like this:
.

Print("Welcome to my Blackjack game.")
Print("Select from the Menu.")
Print("###################")
Print("# (P)lay - Start a New Game. #")
Print("# (Q)uit - Leave the Application. #")
Print("What is your choice? SPACE FOR CHOICE.")

.
Yes, write-it all out like this, even making assumptions about the user's choices.
So, you would continue with the user pressing "P" and hitting enter. Doing this should raise alarm bells in your head. What about lower case P? What happens if they hit something other than P or Q? Go back and check your notes - did you write-out your answer to this problem in your notes? If you didn't go back and add some notes to your "Exceptions" section.
Continue with this process until you have "played" a game in pure print-text.
Next Steps:
Once you have done this successfully and updated all of your notes (This is called Technical Analysis (TA) - well sort of, it's an aspect of TA.) you can start on the next step:

• Variable substitution.

Need to store the user's choice? That's a variable.
Need to store that "P" will be mean that we start a new game? That's a variable.
Need to store the amount of money that the user has? That's a variable. Go ahead: player_money = 0.
Make that variable. Does your code still make sense?

• Identifying where repetition occurs.

Generally speaking, where repetition occurs here, you probably have a function.
Can you simplify your code by - taking the collection of print statements that made your beautiful menu and put all of them inside of a function? Sweet. Put that function definition near the top of your code, and then just call the function.
Did the menu get built as intended? Good job! If not - start over again, until you get it right.

• Identify where input statements are needed.

Make sure you already have a variable ready to go for this input.
Then find the syntax for taking input and practice assigning the results to the variable... then....

• Identify where a decision tree happens,
• Take the input, assign it to a variable,
• Assess it against any exception handling logic.

Generally speaking, the existence of a decision tree or the necessity to "keep the program running" results in a loop, whether it's using a framework's inherent app.run, a while loop, or even a complex if-then-else chain (I don't recommend this last one in Python.) Go watch some videos on how to do while loops and how to use them.
In this case, you're going to need:

• a while loop to keep the program running until the user quits.
• a while loop that keeps forcing the user to make a VALID entry until they enter either P or Q. Do you want to force them to use P/p or will use the python's built in .lower / .upper methods?
• a while loop for deciding whether to hit, fold, stay, doubledown?

Baby Steps:
By baby-stepping this process into tiny steps going from pure print statements, to beautiful functions variables, and inputs - and little by little you'll see your application come together into something coherent and functional!

Platform(s): I think PC, but there's a chance it was mac. The computers also had the snow tux racer and candyland on them if that helps pin it down.
Genre: 2d, side on. Point and click?
Year: I played it on summer camp computers in the 2000s. Probably pre 2008.
Graphics/art style: I recall it being cartoony, or like a picture book.
Notable characters: I'm pretty sure you saw the farmer and he was named something simple like Ben. And there were chickens and eggs. This was a game targeted at kids, I think the farmer character was a kid.
Notable gameplay mechanics: I remember collecting eggs and an archery minigame at a fair or something. Due to that, I assume there were different locations you could go, and you probably teleported between them. For the egg collection, I think you could move the basket to either side of the screen to catch the eggs and maybe some were gold? But I could be misremembering.

I frequented this site back in the late 2000’s early 2010’s. It allowed you to have a profile, which had a function to send messages to others. As far as comics went, I clearly remember one that was Cartoon Network characters (Powerpuff Girls, Dexter, Atomic Betty etc), in a large overarching plot that, at least at the time when I was a kid, felt very well done and interesting. I know it isn’t girls go games, and likely isn’t Doll Divine unless it had a serious overhaul. I also have no idea if it survived the death of Flash. The site itself was very pink, and maybe had a candyland theme at some point. Thanks for reading!

I'm fairly young, and never saw the scene in the 80s when old-school DnD was beginning to bloom, but I have to admit I feel as though something has been lost in translation for modern mainstream rpg media.
I'm traditional, and I know that is entirely subjective preference. I like pencil and paper, physical dice without a lot of flair so the numbers read easier, no battle maps or figurines, all that jazz, so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt and remember it's just my opinion.
I feel like "DnD shows" where they get voice actors and celebrities to participate is a really cool idea that opens up the hobby to a lot of people. However, I fear that the high production values, the compulsion for entertaining behavior, and the (merch and industry driven) unspoken bias that the DMs have might not give players a full picture of how magical and straight up psychedelic this game has potential to be.
At the end of the day it's a tool, and what it creates is entirely up to the craftsman. But hear me out: Aren't games as a whole more fun when there are stakes? When there are real tangible odds you have to surmount if you want to accomplish something truly legendary? I don't want to have survived a Beholder as a level 2 gnome with a rusty sword because "It'll be a silly fun time if I survive." The game IS to survive. And if you do, you know that by all accounts you should be dead and that makes the long rest by the fire that much more rewarding, and I've found that sense of flabbergastery provokes some really memorable RP even from quieter individuals. And it's not hammed up and exaggerated for an invisible audience. It's Human.
Why was the DnD episode of Community so great? It took a lot of liberties with the source material, and disregarded a lot of aspects of advanced Dungeons and Dragons, so why is it highly regarded? Abed was an unbiased and unforgiving source of world generation, and their character's lives were actually hanging in the balance (RIP Brutalitops the Magician). In the beginning you see the gang treat the game like Candyland and consider the RP clumsy and awkward, but through the use of real stakes and unbiased judgement, betrayal and consequence had real weight, and they were putting real passion in by the end. I know it's just a show, but it demonstrates an unspoken point and is iconic because of it. That is the magic of the game for me. When you're there, you really are there.
But I'm not here to poopoo on people's fun. For many its an excellent tool for improv prompts and being goofy and drunk with your pals. For others it's for drawing inspiration to see a story they want to tell unfold with witnesses to appreciate it. But for me, it's about the adventure. The "There and back again" feeling. Knowing and appreciating that every night you rest by the fire with your party might be the last moment of peace you share. And the reward as a DM is the most activated party you will ever see. Because just like life, we are at the mercy of the dice, and the unbiased chaos of whatever ego-free entity is in charge of us.
That's what I love about old school Dungeons and Dragons.
Anyways, I brought some cookies but there might not be enough for everyone in class so please share.
🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪
...
EDIT: I did not expect being bombarded with so many interesting takes and disagreements, I love how happy the community is to open my mind even further whenever I express myself on Reddit. Cheers everyone! May your rolls be critical and chests be actual chests and not mimics 🧙‍♂️

Does anyone have the ‘84 era version of candyland and can measure the character cards for me? Im curious the dimension of the cards, boxes/spacing and character icons?

Specifically I'm on the hunt for things like this-

• Sticker packs
• Wind-up toys
• Lego figures series
• Mini dinosaur hatchimals
• mini LOL dolls
• Pop it fidget toy
• Art canvas
• UNO
• Fidget toys
• Playdoh kits (small)
• Lego kits (all to medium)
• Board Games (Candyland, connect 4, Chess)
• Sensory balls
• Fisher Price Doctor Sets
• Markers
• Little People characters
• small spiky light up balls
• Toy trains

EDIT: I spoke to Sick Kids before making this post, and the above is the list of toys they're most in need of!

Hey all,
I've had about 20 responses so closing this out now. Thanks all for applying!
--------------
Hello!
I'm looking for 4-6 18+players for a campaign that would mirror the Crown of Candy campaign on Dimension 20. The campaign was essentially a Game of Thrones style plot where... everyone is food. The 6 Kingdoms of the Land are centered around the food groups of the American Food Pyramid, with the story centering around a band of Candy-People from Candia. I would be looking to essentially rerun that campaign from the same starting point as it was run in the Dimension 20 series: you start off as a collection of Candian royalty sent to a political summit after the death of the recent Emperor, although things would obviously branch out based on player choice eventually. You will deal with politics, warfare, diplomacy, subterfuge, varied religions throughout the land, etc. That said, I'm ok with folks who are either familiar or unfamiliar with the original campaign, as long as they avoid metagaming as much as possible based on any prior knowledge and/or spoiling things for new folks.
For those unfamiliar, while the world has a lighthearted skin, this campaign is quite brutal. Particularly in terms of combat but also in terms of diplomacy, there will be situations where there is no easy way out. That said, someone who is a total beginner without firm grasp of the mechanics would probably struggle here. I don't mean this in an edgelord, evil DM sense, but at times, given your actions in a certain situation, you may be hopelessly outnumbered and successful fleeing may be your only option. Certain actions should not be taken undertaken flippantly and could easily result in certain death if things are not being done in a thought-out way. In the Dimension 20 Campaign, every character was actually required to come in with a backup character because there was basically an expectation of "Anyone Can Die", similar to Game of Thrones and the same will probably be required here. Just wanted to state from jump, this will not be an easy campaign.
I am also looking for folks who are deeply interested in roleplaying, learning the world, etc. This is a great game for note-takers and folks who love to sink their teeth into lore, politics, etc. This is probably not a great game for very casual gamers. There is a ton of historical and religious lore that was developed for this game and I'd intend to use all of it.
Characters will also be highly customized- getting super creative in terms of who your character is and what they're made of (literally, since everyone will be some type of candy or other) is highly encouraged. While every character will have a preset "role" in the story (King/Queen, Prince/Princess, Chancellor, Guard Captain, etc), that would be the only constraint I'd be requiring- you'd have free reign from there. I'd also love if anyone wanted to play anyone from the cast of the original Candyland board game characters Everyone in the party will already have some type of relation to one another in-game, so those things will be ironed out in a session 0 beforehand (we may even need 2 session 0s to get through everything, but that will be TBD). While we'll be using 5e mechanics, I really want folks who are looking to make well-thought out, customized characters with great backstories. One of my favorite things in this campaign was how they gave most 5e moves/items a Candy-skin and I loved seeing all that amazing creativity and would definitely want it replicated here. Given the difficult nature of the campaign, characters will start out decently leveled (at least level 3) and well-equipped with a suite of custom abilities, items, etc, based off the backstory we develop for the PCs.
We would mostly play using theater of the mind (alas, there is a sad lack of candy-based DND maps), but would use a Virtual Table Top for battles (either Roll20 or Foundry), with character sheets in either there or DNDBeyond (there are easy ways of linking them I can assist with if needed).
Final disclaimer is that I am a somewhat new DM- I got into DND about 4 months ago but have gotten pretty deep into it, currently DMing 1 other Zelda-based game that's had 6 great sessions and playing in 2 others. I know most stuff but not everything, so some patience with me will be required at times :)
I'd be looking to do our first session likely the 4th week of February after 1-2 Session 0s where we would lay the groundwork.
Map of the World, Pictures of OG Campaign Characters (for inspiration; it is not required to choose one of them) can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M0CkA8rz7tLI2OB0mZNvwpUWBXDFf2s1yxReqrlUs6A/edit?usp=sharing
If interested, please fill out this application, which will likely be followed by a quick interview where I ask you to pitch a character concept to me via Discord Chat:
https://forms.gle/XQ1uc9yzXGWk8HLE7
Hope to hear from you! Please message me or comment with any questions.
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We all want updated achievements to reflect the state of the game. DECA obviously knows this, but is probably holding off until realm rework and a couple of other game-changing updates drop. I thought it would be cool to theory-craft what kind of achievements we might see in the future. Just a fun little activity that everyone can throw their ideas into a hat and maybe if a DECA staff reads this they might add some of these to their list for a future achievement update.
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Just Getting Started: Complete the Tutorial
The Cycle: Complete your first dungeon
Ancestry: Die on your first character
Fish Food: Die from suffocation
That's Sick: Attempt to use an hp potion while under the sick status effect
That Didn't Go As Planned: Die within 15 seconds of teleporting to another player
Toe to Toe: Defeat Oryx the Mad God
Shotgun!: Die to Oryx the Mad God 2
Royal Excellence: Find yourself in the presence of Oryx the Mad God 3
The Hero's Journey: Reach level 20
The Journeyman: Reach level 20 on all classes
The "Class Name Here": Unlock the "Class Name Here" (x18)
So Many Options!: Unlock all classes
My First Companion: Open your first Pet Egg
Fusion Power: Fuse two Common pets together
Watch Them Grow: Fuse two Uncommon pets together
A Hero's Best Friend: Fuse two Rare pets together
Nuclear Fusion: Fuse two Legendary pets together
I Can Feel It In My Bones: Drink your first stat potion
Maxed Out: Max out your first stat
Ambidextrous: Max Dexterity
Speed is Key: Max Speed
Juiced Up: Max Vitality
Get Smart: Max Wisdom
The Best Offense: Max Attack
Is a Good Defense: Max Defense
Good Chi: Max Mana
Fountain of Life: Max Life
Invincible: Max out all 8 stats on one character
Toll Paid: Die on your first 8/8 character
Oooo Shiny!: Get your first White Bag
Acquisitions: Collect 10 White Bag items
The Collector: Collect 100 White Bag items
The Hoarder: Collect 1,000 White Bag items
Blinged Out: Have a UT item in every Equipment Slot
Kitted: Have a complete ST set equipped
Exalted: Exalt a stat on a character
Most Honored One: Complete all exaltations on a single class
1001%: Complete all exaltations for all classes in the game
Fancy Pants: Change your character's skin
The Warden: Destroy all the Suits of Armor in Oryx's Castle and defeat Janus the Doorwarden
Secret Experiment: Destroy all the Tesla Coils in the Mad Lab and defeat the Horrific Creation
Forbidden Knowledge: Press all the pressure plates in the Cursed Library and liberate the Realm Eye
Stheno's Guards: Defeat a Snakepit Guard in a Snake Pit
Where's My Wish?: Defeat the Genie in the Ancient Ruins
Sugar Rush: Discover the Candyland Hunting Grounds
Spooky Scary Skeleton: Defeat the Lair Spectral Skeleton in the Undead Lair
Mimicry: Defeat an Oryx Puppet in Puppet Master's Theatre
It's Pizza Time!: Encounter Master Rat in the Toxic Sewers
Extra Cheese: Defeat the Golden Rat in the Toxic Sewers
False Idol: Destroy an Abyss Idol in the Abyss of Demons
No Rest For The Wicked: Destroy a Coffin in the Manor of Immortals
Strange Eggs: Destroy Glowing Eggs in the Crawling Depths
Hidden Grove: Discover and cut down the Swarm Tree in the Woodland Labyrinth
Not So Buried: Discover Jon Bilgewater's Booty in the Deadwater Docks
Lost Ancient One: Defeat the Warped Ent Ancient in the Sulfurous Wetlands
Lost Vault: Crack open an Infested Chest in the Parasite Chambers
Boogey!: Share some sun with the Masked Party God in the Beachzone
Waterlogged: Crack open Sunken Treasures in Davy Jone's Locker
Thank You, Kind Sailor: Speak the correct phrase, "He lives and reigns and conquers the world" and appease Dying Thessal in the Ocean Trench.
Daichi's Stash: Crack open the Old Chest after lighting all the lanterns in the Mountain Temple
Pharoah's Curse: Destroy a Treasure Sarcophagus in the Tomb of the Ancients
Loot Cube: Defeat the Masquarerader in the Third Dimension
Alter Ego: Defeat the "Beekeeper" in The Nest
Knock Knock: Defeat the Agonized Titan and enter the Cultist Hideout inside the Lost Halls
Ancient Evil: Defeat the Marble Colossus and enter The Void inside the Lost Halls
Bullet Hell: Encounter Kitsune Umi in the Moonlight Village
End Game: Enter a Difficulty 9 or higher dungeon
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This is what I came up with on the fly, I have more ideas but I want to leave gaps for other people to fill in with their ideas. What are some achievement ideas you guys have thought of?

fan-made
I recently made an immersive and imaginative soundtrack for all of Candyland, and had a magical time doing it. The full Candyland Suite is below, but it’s on Spotify, Apple Music etc. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/YNH9amdePfo?si=H2J9LMyZ9IL4X7WV

Every year I like to set new board game related goals for myself. In 2022 it was to make sure I played every game in my collection, and in 2023 I wanted to play 100 unique board games. It took me a lot longer than I expected (I played #100 on December 30th,) but I got there!
In total, I played 245 hours across 230 plays of 100 unique board games.
This was a really fun goal, and led to a lot of variety in my game nights. I was able to play through my entire collection of games again, and I also discovered some new favorites as well.
Following the lead of other posts, I wanted to chronicle my thoughts on each of the 100 games I played in 2023.
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7 Ronin (4 plays) – My close friend showed me this one, and I really liked it! A solid 2-player area control game that moves really quickly. We used this as a filler game for us to play between some of the bigger games we like playing, or were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.
7 Wonders: Duel (3 plays) – A nearly perfect 2-player civ builder. I love this game, and have a lot of nostalgia for it. I used to play this one all the time with my former roommate. We would play multiple games back to back just trying different methods. I played a few games with my fiance over the course of the year, but having played this almost exclusively with one other person for years it can be a difficult one to show to new people if the experience levels aren’t even.
Acquire (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Hell yeah. I remember my Dad and Granddad playing this one when I was a kid but I don’t think I ever really learned the rules. I just liked placing the pieces. Playing this one for the first time as an adult with my fiance was a really great time.
Ahoy (2 plays) – Leder Games’ swashbuckling Root-like pirate game! This is one I feel like I haven’t played enough to really crack if I like it or not. I liked it better at 3-players over 2-players, but I don't think I understood the factions enough to really play thoughtfully. One I’ll def be returning to in 2024.
Ankh: Gods of Egypt (2 plays) – In addition to my main goal of playing 100 games, I also had a goal (that I didn’t succeed at) of playing all the Eric M. Lang games back to back. While I never managed to make that happen, I did get to play this with a full 5! And… I didn’t like it as much as I liked playing with 3 or 4. However! This is a really exceptional area control game, and I’ve painted my entire copy (it looks so good plz someone play this game with me with more regularity).
Azul (1 play) – Azul is great, super approachable, beautiful abstract strategy game. I only played it once this year, but it’s never leaving my collection.
Bar Fight (1 play) – I’m biased because my friend is really close with the designer, but this is a cute card game with a fun theme. I had a great time playing with my group of friends, and just laughing at the thrown together cocktail creations people would play to score points.
Blood Rage (2 plays) – Another Eric M. Lang game that I absolutely love, and don’t play nearly as often as I would like to. I also have this one completely painted, and blinged out with all the extras and expansions. One of these plays was with 5 people, and again I think that may be too many and I’d much prefer 4 players to 5.
Bloc by Bloc: Uprising (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I don’t have much of an opinion on this gameplay wise, but I love the theme and the presentation and love what it has to say about the inner politics of resistance movements.
Brass Birmingham (1 play) – It’s the #1 rated board game on BGG. It’s a gorgeous production with one of the tightest marriages of mechanics and strategy I’ve ever played. It’s perfect… but my fiance really really didn’t like it so this one is hard to get to the table as often as I’d like.
Burgle Bros (1 play) – Another game for which I’m incredibly nostalgic. I played this a ton with my early game group, and just loved the thrill of getting out of a sticky situation. My friend has now built an entire 3 foot vertical tower fitted with custom lighting to hold all the tiles and it is GORGEOUS to play on. Entirely ridiculous and over the top, but makes for a memorable heist!
Burgle Bros 2: The Casino Capers (1 play) – A great sequel! It’s” Ocean’s 11: The Game!” I really like the finales and think they (usually) add a really climatic ending to the heist.
Carcassonne (3 plays) – I removed this from my collection in 2022, but after playing my friends copy this year I regret ditching it. What a delightfully vicious tile placement game! A triumphant classic for a reason, I suppose.
Cascadia (1 play) – I played this a lot in 2022 after it won the Spiel des Jahres, but I think the shine wore off for me after just one play this year. It’s fun! But I’m not sure its “calm” game I want in my collection.
Case Files: Fire in Adlerstein (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Okay, I’m admittedly cheating a little bit by including this on the list but whateverrrrrrr. This was a fun murder mystery that I played a my friend’s house warming party. Nothing special, and I’d wager there’s more interesting murder mystery style games.
Chai (1 play) (New to Me Game) – A very impressive and soothing production, but the gameplay just didn’t do it for me.
Clank! (2 plays) – This is THE deck building game to me. I have all the expansions, and I love the unique look and feel of each board and how it changes the game. This game is a hit with my fiance, my family, and my core game group. The push your luck element is so fun. So excited for Clank! Legacy 2!
Clank! Catacombs (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – It’s everything I love about Clank!, and I personally love the tile laying system introduced here. I might not enjoy it as much as base-Clank!, but a really worthy sequel to the game.
Clank! In Space (1 play) (New to Me Game) – A pretty big miss for me. It has the core Clank! formula, but the theme and presentation fall pretty flat for me. I like the modular board system, but I feel like color scheme and iconography are really lackluster compared to base-Clank!
Codenames: Duet (6 plays) – A favorite for my fiance. They love word games, and love this one specifically whenever they’re able to connect 3+ words with a single clue.
Coup (2 plays) – I love a bluffing game, even though I am terrible at bluffing games. This is a pretty light game requires a minimum of 4 players to really shine. So, most game nights when we had at least 4 players we’d almost always opt for something heavier.
Decrypto (3 plays) – Another great word game! This might be my favorite word game out there, but I’ve only ever played this with couples and when someone’s partner can’t figure out their clues but the other team can… wooeee can that lead to some discomfort.
Descent: Legends of the Dark (3 plays) – This is the best evolution of Fantasy Flight’s app-driven board games. My friend got this in 2021 and together painted through the whole game, but have only played it a handful of times. It’s a game of which I’d really love to play the full campaign, but probably never will.
Dinosaur World (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I really wanted to love Dinosaur Island when I first played it in 2017; but I didn’t. I really wanted to love Duelosaur Island when I first played it in 2020; but I didn’t. And I really wanted to love Dinosaur World when I played it this year and, while it is by far the best version of the game, there’s just other worker placement games I would rather play.
Dune: Imperium (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Deck building? Worker placement? By the same designer of Clank!? I was always destined to love this game, but wow do I love this game. I absolutely understand the hype. It was an insta-buy for me. Can’t wait to play more!
Endless Winter (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Another deck builder / worker placement game, but this time with the added elements of area control! On paper, this one should really work for me but…eh. I feel like it was juggling too many different mechanics without digging into any of them enough to make me feel like I was achieving something.
Everdell (13 plays) – Everdell is easily in my top 10 games of all time, maybe even my top 5. It’s also my fiance’s favorite game, and our favorite game to play together. An excellent tableau builder with an incredibly appealing theme. Andrew Bosley absolutely knocks it out of the park with the art in this game. Each card is so unique and evocative.
Fake Artist Goes to New York (3 plays) – An incredibly silly party game. This was an enormous hit with my family over the holidays, and was described as “JackBox game in real life!” by my brother (which is a very big compliment coming from him, with how much he loves JackBox.)
Fort (3 plays) – Love the production, but the gameplay too often feels all-or-nothing. You either get that perfect card that triggers an incredible combo or you don’t.
Frosthaven (7 plays) – The bigger badder dungeon crawling epic sequel to Gloomhaven. This game is exceptional, I’m loving the story. I’m loving the different play styles of each character. I just don’t have nearly enough time to commit to playing through it (but I can dream).
Fugitive (2 plays) – It’s entirely possible I was playing this incorrectly, but this one fell flat for me. I really liked the idea of a “card chase” game, but the gameplay didn’t do it for me.
Game of Thrones: The Board Game (1 play) – The game that got my group into board games! This is a big, epic, dudes-on-a-map game that has a lot of flaws, but I just love it to bits. Highly recommend this game + the Mother of Dragons expansion if you can get 6 people together.
Great Western Trail: Second Edition (4 plays) (New to Me Game) – A really, really, REALLY great Euro. I haven’t clicked this immediately with a game since Terraforming Mars. Each play was a new and varied board state that allowed for me to try out new strategies and engage with different mechanics. I can absolutely see this cracking my top 10 after some more plays.
The Grizzled (4 plays) – This was a surprisingly huge hit with my dad. I brought it to Thanksgiving and he loved it, and told me to bring it to every family gathering.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Maybe the hottest and most elusive board game of 2023. I finally got to play a friend’s copy toward the end of the year and it was… fine? I’ve heard it really shines in tournament mode and with some of the modifier cards. Def excited to play more.
Innovation (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – This game had my favorite “wait, that card does WHAT?!” moments I’ve ever had in a game. This is a game in which I almost never want to “learn” because the silly and exciting randomness was just so charming to me. Great game.
ISS Vanguard (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – I got this as a birthday present. I’m a little out on Awaken Realms games recently. The production value of each game is so top shelf, and I love painting minis. But this can make a lot of their games feel a little gilded. The gameplay loop of this game is simple and, based on what I’ve read, it’s also very repetitive. Another campaign game that I’m sure rewards continued focus, but as I’ve said there’s so many campaign games I think I would choose over ISS Vanguard.
John Company: 2nd Edition (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – This is in the running for my favorite game of all time. Playing John Company was unlike anything else I’ve ever played. The game play is entirely whats happening between players. It’s a game about reputation, but specifically the reputation of the players at the table in the moment. Will they help you? Will you help them? It’s cooperative, but cutthroat. I love this game.
The King is Dead (1 play) – A 2-player area control game. I see why this got such hype, but it’s not for me. If i want to play an area control, I’ll play something like Tammany Hall. And if I want a 2-player game I’ll play something like 7 Wonders: Duel.
King of Tokyo: Dark Edition (2 plays) – Yahtzee, with monsters. This is one of my favorite filler games / cooldown games. The wickedness track is such a great addition to King of Tokyo and leads to a lot more variety in each game.
Long Shot: The Dice Game (1 player) – A thrilling push-your-luck game. I love playing this with a big group and listening to the cheers and groans when a horse launches forward, or is pushed back. A game I play much more for the vibe than for the strategic depth.
Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth (4 plays) – My fiance and I are huge LotR fans and this is a really enjoyable comfort game for the two of us. I’ve played through the main campaigns for both the base game and first expansion. I like the leveling system, but do wish the decision system impacted the story more.
Lords of Ragnarok (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – My first kickstarter bust. I went all in on this one – I got the expansions, the addons, the neoprene mat, the sundrop wash. The most exciting part of this game was opening it upon delivery. The game mechanics are really cool, and thee minis are exceptional. But all the work put into the game was totally undercut with how quickly it ended. I’ll play it again and hopefully it will be better but the first plays were severely disappointing.
Lost Ruins of Arnak (4 plays) – This game often gets compared to Dune: Imperium, and now having finally played Dune: Imperium I think the comparison is valid. They share a lot of the same DNA, and maybe it’s just the “Cult of the New” in me but I think I prefer Dune: Imperium.
Love Letter (2 plays) – I’ve played this game well over 100 times. My copy is worn and torn and wrinkled and beat up. I love this game. I love showing it to people. I love watching it click for them. What a great game.
Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition (3 plays) – The game that got me into miniature painting! I can’t say this game has aged terribly well, especially when compared to Descent or Journeys in Middle Earth. The app integration is a little clunky, and the reward system is lackluster. But there is such a charm to this game. The scenarios don’t take themselves overly serious, and many seem almost deliberately campy in their execution. I’ve played every scenario of every expansion multiple times, so I’ll probably trade it away this year. But it has a special place in my heart.
MicroMacro: All In (11 plays) (New to Me Game) – I love the MicroMacro series. It’s “Where’s Waldo?” all grown up. My fiance and I love this as a go to rainy-day game.
The Mind (1 play) – I first played this years ago at Pax Unplugged and the novelty really won me over. It’s a very unique “game,” but I think I’ll only ever play it with my fiance.
My Island (3 plays) (New to Me Game) – My City was among my top games of 2022, so I was extremely excited for the sequel. So far, it’s a lot of what I loved about the first game and I look forward to playing through the remaining chapters!
Nemesis (1 play) – While other Awaken Realms games fall flat for me, Nemesis is the reason I keep giving them a chance. I really like Nemesis, and really like the stories it tells. It’s a thrilling game where you want to trust your team, but should you?
Oath (2 plays) – Another game in the running for my favorite of all time. A game that remembers is such a fantastic concept, I hope that other designs start implementing it. Unfortunately, this game is less of a hit with my regular group so it’s hard to play this as often as I would like.
Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood (5 plays) (New to Me Game) – This is a campaign game I know I’ll finish. The story is so engaging and the variety between chapters has been so impressive, but it's the combat where this game really sings. The Battleflow system allows for that crunchy decision making I love. It’s also been so fun to paint.
Obscurio (1 plays) – The best version of the image-based communication + social deduction game. It’s not the game I would often opt for, but if it’s a big group and they’re looking for something light I wouldn’t be against playing.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf (4 plays) – Another game that is weathered and worn from excessive play. The quick fire social deduction is a lot of fun, but since my group has played this to death the meta-game aspect has made it very easy to determine who is lying and who is telling the truth.
Pandemic (1 play) – A classic for a reason! One of the most defining collaborative games out there, and one of the earliest games to hook me into the hobby.
Pandemic: Iberia (1 play) – Outside of Pandemic Legacy, this is probably the most strategically interesting version of Pandemic I’ve played. It’s also probably the best looking.
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 (6 players) – This is the 3rd time I’ve played through Pandemic Legacy. It may not have the same magic it did playing through it the first time but it does still wow my group. Maybe the Legacy bubble has burst somewhat, but I’m still so charmed by them.
Pandemic: Rapid Response (2 plays) – Can you tell I’m a big fan of the Pandemic series? This one is utter chaos, but the kind I like. It almost left my collection, but my fiance insisted on me keeping it.
Pax Pamir: Second Edition (1 play) (New to Me Game) – This was Game #100, and what a game to go out on! This game is not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be, and the core turn structure is actually really straight forward. The game really sings in its strategic depth. I’m really eager to play it again at a higher player count (we played at 3).
Point of Law (1 play) (New to Me Game) – My fiance has been applying to law schools, and we found this game at her parents house over thanksgiving. It is not very good. It’s not much of a game, and not even much of a conversation generator either. It could maybe be considered trivia but even that might be a stretch.
Priorities (1 play) (New to Me Game) – This was a cute party game, and a great ice breaker game for a new group. I played this at a party where I didn’t know a lot of the people and this helped lead to some really good get-to-know-you conversations.
Quacks of Quedlinburg (4 players) – Shut Up & Sit Down once called this the “Mario Kart” of board games, and I couldn’t agree more. This is a hit with everyone I play it with, and even after 50+ plays it’s still a go to game for me. I like the Herb Witch expansion much more than the Alchemists expansion.
Quacks & Co.: Quedlinburg Dash (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I played this at my FLGS. It’s certainly for a younger audience but truth be told? I didn’t hate it! It feels like Candyland, if Candyland was an actual game and didn't suck.
Railroad Ink. (1 play) – A great roll & write! It’s also a good travel game. I actually played this on a commuter train from DC to NYC, which I thought was a cute way to play.
Rising Sun (2 plays) – The only Eric M. Lang game that I don’t actually own. My friend has a copy with all the tricked out kickstarter stuff and it’s gorgeous and I’m definitely jealous, but it’s probably good I don’t own it because it eats up a crazy amount of space. I still love this game, but it’s probably my least favorite of the trilogy. Although, it is the favorite of the rest of my group so…
Rolling Realms (6 plays) (New to Me Game) – As a fan of Stonemaier Games, I’d seen this around but didn’t think it was for me. Then I played it at my FLGS and bought it immediately. This is my favorite roll & write by far. I love how much variety there is between all of the Realms, and I get excited to see some of my favorite games be added.
Root (2 plays) – I picked up the Marauders expansion this year and it may be one of the best expansions ever added to a game. The Advance Setup Cards, the Hirlings, the new factions, all of it! It takes an already great game and elevates it for different play styles. Like many of Leder Games’ games, Root rewards investment and multiple plays. But with this expansion I feel like I can show it to new players with much more ease than before.
Scythe (6 plays) – A few years ago I made a post about how Scythe restored my love of mini painting, so I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the game. After I finished painting Scythe, I painted Blood Rage, and Ankh, and Gloomhaven, and Frosthaven. So this is less about the gameplay of Scythe, and more about how much I love a high production value game. I also do really love the game but I understand the criticisms.
Scarface 1920 (2 plays) (New to Me Game) – I’m on the fence for this one. A friend got it on Kickstarter and is extremely excited about it, but I don’t know if its the game for me. The action selection system was interesting, but I don’t think it was exciting enough to justify the length and downtime between turns.
Secret Hitler (4 plays) – Social deduction game! I brought this to a friend’s bachelor party and it was a hit. I feel like that’s the right crowd for this game.
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (1 play) – What if we all got together and read a short story! I’m an avid reader, but sometimes this game can really just feel like listening to an audio book.
Spirit Island (4 plays) – I’m not much of a solo gamer, but this is my favorite solo game by far. The resource management in this game is so good and so interesting, and it’s so drastically different to reactionary-style of cooperative games like Pandemic.
Splendor (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I can’t believe I had never played Splendor! What a great game! I really want to check out Splendor: Duel now as well.
Star Wars: Rebellion (2 plays) – It took me years, but I did finally get the Rise of the Empire expansion. I was sure I was going to disagree with people who all claimed that it “fixed” the combat system, but no they were 100% right. The expansion absolutely fixes the combat system.
Star Wars: Outer Rim (1 play) – Another Star Wars game with another expansion that I think really improves the game! This is a very cool sandbox style game, and I think the ambition sheets provide a good guidance for players.
Stock & Bonds (1 play) (New to Me Game) – Another dad-game from the 60s that absolutely rips. This is essentially just “addition & subtraction: the game” but I got such a thrill out of hitting the right stock at the right time.
Struggle for Catan (1 play) – I haven’t played Catan in a long time (probably too long?) but I think this is a really good 2-player approximation of the original game.
Sushi Roll (1 play) – A dice version of Sushi Go! with a dynamite title. But I think I’d still prefer to play Sushi Go! 10 times out of 10.
Tapestry (5 plays) – Not my favorite civ games, but a really fun tableau builder and resource management game. There are now soooooooooo many different factions to choose that I have no idea what I’m going to get when I play (and I love that in a game!)
Takenoko (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I had heard about this game but never played and was really surprised by its gameplay! There's some elements of chance, but also some great strategic decision making. I could see myself owning this (but probably not buying it).
Tammany Hall (1 play) – One of the meanest area control games I’ve ever played, and I absolutely love it. Let’s get vicious with these cubes.
Terraforming Mars (2 plays) – This is still probably my most played game of all time. I usually play two player with a friend, and we like to joke that at this point we’re like two older individuals playing chess in the park. We know the game inside and out. I still have a lot of love for it, but its nice to have it away for a little while as I explore other games.
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition (1 play) – I backed on kickstarter originally when it came out and was so excited for what I saw as Terraforming Mars: Second Edition. But after a few initial plays after getting it, it didn’t scratch the same itch. I’ll be moving it out of the collection in 2024.
Ticket to Ride: Europe (1 play) – My go to version of ticket to ride.
Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition (6 plays) – While other games are sometimes "in the running" for my favorite game of all time, they're not. TI is. This is my #1 favorite game of all time. Previously, I had only really been able to do one or two games a year if I was lucky. But this year I signed up for a local league, I got PoK, and I ruined every other board game for myself. Nothing compares. I literally dream about this game now.
Twilight Inscription (2 plays) – After playing this 20+ times in 2022, I realized that it just wasn’t for me this year. I wanted to like it a lot, and I liked playing through all the factions and seeing how it changed the games. But I feel roll & writes should just be more casual. If I’m going to spend 90 minutes playing a game, I’d rather play something with a little more crunch. I donated this to my FLGS early in the year.
Twixt (1 play) (New to Me Game) – It was fun to play, but more fun to just see how games have evolved so much in the decades since.
Unfathomable (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I have never played Battlestar Galactica, but I see it praised regularly on this sub and on BGG so I thought I’d give this a spin. I know this isn’t a 1-to-1 replica, but I had a lot of fun! I’ll def play again if asked.
Villainous (1 play) (New to Me Game) – I was surprised with the amount of depth this game offered, to be honest! It’s nothing hardcore, but for a Disney licensed board game I was expecting much less.
Viticulture (2 plays) – Just a lovely game. I like worker placement a lot, and this one just oozes charm and comfort. The theme is lovely, and always allows for us to crack open a bottle of wine as we play. What a delight.
Viticulture World (4 plays) – Yes, this is technically an expansion but I really view it as its own game. The board is different, the goals are different, it becomes cooperative. I would argue this is more its own game than Clank! In Space is to Clank!. Anyway, I love this version of the game and it may be my preferred way to play with more than 2 players.
Vast: The Mysterious Manor (1 play) – I’m a pretty hardcore Leder Games fan, and this one is no exception. Vast is a massive puzzle that is so interesting and engaging that I can’t help but love it. However, this game is a beast to teach (probably even more so than Root,) and to really see what it has to offer it requires 4-players minimum. Ignore what the box says, don’t play this with 2 players.
War of Whispers (1 play) (New to Me Game) – My group loves games with hidden political intrigue, so this was an immediate smash hit. A game I would probably insist on only playing with a full 4, but one I would certainly play again.
Watergate (2 plays) – A great cat-and-mouse game. Each side feels surprisingly unique, and allows for totally different playstyles. A really impressive small box game.
Wavelength (4 plays) – A really great party game. Set it up, have a few drinks, and lead the debate begin!
Werewolf (2 plays) – I played with a massive group with multiple lawyers who approached the whole thing like a court case. Extremely silly and what are games for if not that.
Western Legends (1 play) – When people talk about “telling your own stories” through board games, this is the game I think about. It’s just so open and exciting. Everyone is doing something completely unique; maybe they’re hunting down an outlaw, maybe they are an outlaw, or maybe they’re just herding cattle back home. I have a blast every time this hits the table.
Wingspan (4 plays) – I love it. I showed this to my parents a few years back and my dad immediately set up a bird house in his backyard because he, “should know more about birds.”
The Witcher: Old World (3 plays) (New to Me Game) – My friend backed on kickstarter and went all in with all the bits and bobs. I didn’t not like this at all on my first play. Then I realized we played the combat and health system completely wrong and then playing the second and third time I really really liked it. Looking forward to adding in some modules.
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There it is! My thoughts on every game I played in 2023. This was really fun to put together, and I always enjoy reading through y’alls year-end recap lists. Here’s to even more game nights in 2024!

Yeah transformers prime was going to launch a hasbro universe. We even have a little bit of it with M.A.S.K being mentioned as creating Optimus primes season 3 vehicle mode. After prime they were going to have a spinoff show where multiple hasbro properties formed a team called unitE created by agent fowler( who would apparently at some point become the main character of C.O.P.S bullet proof)with ratchet as our transformers rep.
Now idw eventually did something like this in their universe combining their transformers and gi joe comics into one continuity while also throwing in M.A.S.K,rom,micronoughts,visionaries and action man. Now all those franchises being in one Canon makes some sence do to them all being boys action toylines.
THIS WAS GOING TO HAVE CANDYLAND.
Yeah to test the waters for this concept at San Diego comic con 2011 they released a one shot comic called unitE ( the name of what would have been the hasbro avengers) in which characters from micronoughts,M.A.S.K,action man jem and the holograms,stretch Armstrong,battleship galaxies inhumanoids( renaimed primordials for some reason)and candyland met( with gi joe and transformers cameos at the end) and... from as far as I can tell did basically nothing besides say there's such thing as a hasbro multiverse. I can't say for sure these would have all been in the show but the mere possibility transformers would be hanging out with characters from candy Land baffles and intrigues me
Honestly I'm disappointed we did not get this. Would it have been good? who knows but they were playing on spinning off the show into full on reboots of old franchises like gi joe, M.A.S.K, jem,micronoughts,C.O.P.S and visionaries. All if these deserve second chances outside the 80s and I would have loved if this gave it to them.
Instead we got rid 2015 great job hasbro

Hey my name is Lainy! I'm 23 and on the search for someone to RP with. I am just getting back into roleplaying! But I have 6+ years of experience. I'm hoping to find someone who would like to create something very fun, unique and interesting.
I have a lot of ideas to work from with the basis of this set being Isekai related. While most familiar with all the good and bad related to the Isekai genre. I truly enjoy going outside the box with unique world building that allows our characters to explore the story. So if you have a niche set of plot points or character dynamics you would like to explore we definitely can add quite a few! Now onto the possible Isekai stories.
~
[Candy land Isekai]
The first setting I have in mind is a candyland esque magical world that one or both of our characters get isekai'd into. Magical 'girls' or guardians, that are sent to the world to help bring forth peace for the world. I would describe it as a spicy candy land. Because while the aesthetic is full of whimsy we definitely can add some different elements. Possibly horror with espresso werewolves and candy corn orcs. Or we could go down some more royal shenanigans, two royal kingdom leaders that are forced into a arranged marriage.
[Omegaverse isekai]
The second idea is a bit of a stretch, it's purposefully supposed to start off in let's say a very cringey yet popular omegaverse manga. BL OR GL let's say, though it doesn't matter which one. Given the fact that the bigger picture is exploring how the world is so pro omega x alpha, it neglects all other possible pack dynamics. But with our characters being isekai it starts to slowly change that and address that.
[Villainess Isekai]
I am a huge fan of otome games + manhwa so if anyone else loves these as well please let me know! My favorites are: it seems I have fallen into a reverse harem game, father I don't want to marry and and death is the only ending for the villainess. With that being said, anything with an intriguing plot is good with me. I'm usually a sucker for some ANGSTY family dynamics so that would be a sub plot that I would definitely love to add.
I'm sure this was a bit jumbled but if you are interested let me know :)

Hey my name is Lainy! I'm 23 and on the search for someone to RP with. I am just getting back into roleplaying! But I have 6+ years of experience. I'm hoping to find someone who would like to create something very fun, unique and interesting.
I have a lot of ideas to work from with the basis of this set being Isekai related. While most familiar with all the good and bad related to the Isekai genre. I truly enjoy going outside the box with unique world building that allows our characters to explore the story. So if you have a niche set of plot points or character dynamics you would like to explore we definitely can add quite a few! Now onto the possible Isekai stories.
~
[Candy land Isekai]
The first setting I have in mind is a candyland esque magical world that one or both of our characters get isekai'd into. Magical 'girls' or guardians, that are sent to the world to help bring forth peace for the world. I would describe it as a spicy candy land. Because while the aesthetic is full of whimsy we definitely can add some different elements. Possibly horror with espresso werewolves and candy corn orcs. Or we could go down some more royal shenanigans, two royal kingdom leaders that are forced into a arranged marriage.
[Omegaverse Isekai]
The second idea is a bit of a stretch, it's purposefully supposed to start off in let's say a very cringey omegaverse but popular manga. BL OR GL let's say, though it doesn't matter which one. Given the fact that the bigger picture is exploring how the world is so pro omega x alpha, it neglects all other possible pack dynamics. But with our characters being isekai it starts to slowly change that and address that.
[Villainess Isekai]
I am a huge fan of otome games + manhwa so if anyone else loves these as well please let me know! My favorites are: it seems I have fallen into a reverse harem game, father I don't want to marry and and death is the only ending for the villainess. With that being said, anything with an intriguing plot is good with me. I'm usually a sucker for some ANGSTY family dynamics so that would be a sub plot that I would definitely love to add.
I'm sure this was a bit jumbled but if you are interested let me know :)