2023 Retrospective

It’s been a pretty exciting and eventful year. Really, the last two years, well 4 years…well, really the last decade. Its been an exciting and eventful decade. So much so, I didn’t make a post in 2022. To to be more accurate, I wrote one and got distracted such that I forgot to finish and post it. Not this year!

Work = Gaming

This year was dominated by my work with Evil Genius Games. The hard work and promotion of the previous year came to fruition this year as the games I and Goober (my design partner at EGG) wrote started coming out. Technically, the PDF for our core rulebook for Everyday Heroes first went out in December 2022, but it would not be until spring 2023 that the books themselves started going out to patrons and game stores world wide.

As the year continued more and more of the books were released and the last of the 10 books promised in the epic Kickstarter, The Vault, are now going out as I write this. These books can be found in games stores world wide. Two of them are beautifully full color hardbound RPG books with my name on the cover. The others are licensed softbound expansions for properties like Highlander, Rambo, the Crow, Pacific Rim and other famous properties. It’s something of a dream come true as a life long gamer.

To make matters even better, the game has met with both critical and fan acclaim. Already, there are many fans of the game who are busy creating adventures, posting videos of play, and sharing news and ideas for the game with one another. They are enjoying my game exactly as I enjoyed the games of so many other designers over the years. It’s joyful!

Promoting the game has also been really fun. Among the conventions I was paid to attend are Gencon, Origins, Gamma, and the UK Expo which was my first opportunity to set foot in Europe. It’s been great meeting existing fans, demoing the game, and making new friends. The travel can be a bit trying, but overall, its well worth it and every con was an adventure in and of itself.

The work itself has been incredibly fun and satisfying. That is not to say it’s without it’s challenges. There have been many bumps in the road. I helped write a game based on Rebel Moon and the licensing deal blew up just as writing was finishing up. That led to a lawsuit and that is ongoing and has the potential to either invigorate or devastate the company. The tabletop business is littered with companies that failed to survive their own successes. 2024 is likely to bring significant events one way or another.

Whatever the case, the last two years have been wonderful in terms of my work-life for a host of reasons.

Gaming = Play

It’s also been a lovely year for video games. Baldur’s Gate 3 has finally arrived, and been an absolute joy, a generational achievement in computer RPGs and easily the best RPG ever, toppling my previous favorite, The Witcher 3. I’ve played nearly 500 hours of it (including the 3 years it was in early access) and its still engrossing for me. I’ve also enjoyed plenty of other games including Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous, Phasmophobia, Stellaris, Solasta, Hallo Master Chief Collection, Tiny Tina’s Wonderland, Warhammer 40K Tacticus, Cyberpunk 2077, and Detroit Too Human.

Regular Life

On the home front, its been a quiet year. I had Shingles at one point, which sucked, and got Covid after Gamma, which wasn’t much worse than a typical cold. Other than that, my health has been good and that is always a blessing, especially considering 2020 and 2021. I’m quite happy in my seaside town or Ocean Shores where not much happens except the tide going in and own in beautiful fashion. It’s comfortable and largely trouble free, just how I like it. I do miss the adventure of constant travel, but the adventure of writing and publishing has been more than satisfying.

Ultimately, I’d like to get the writing down so that it can go forward without much chaos or trouble while also making a modest sum. I’ve managed to pay the bills on it, but it also demands a ton of attention. Ideally I can get to where occasional breaks can be had, money can be saved, and we can look seriously at continuing to explore the world we live in while we have the chance.

Thanks

As always, I owe so much of my good life to my lovely wife Anne who supports and accompanies me in all my adventures and endeavors. I also am grateful for everyone at Evil Genius Games who worked so hard to make cool games. Dave Scott, the owner, created an opportunity for me that will forever be a key moment of my life coming out of Leukemia and into being a full time professional writer and game designer.