The OSR Contradiction

For a while now, I have struggled with fully comprehending the OSR playstyle. It’s documented. I’ve run several campaigns in my approximation of it. I wrote about a couple of OSR games. I even wrote an adventure for one of them – out soon, shhh. And I still don’t feel like I’m doing it right. […]

Mothership (p)review

Mothership, a sci-fi horror OSR game by Sean McCoy & Tuesday Knight Games, is quite popular. Seemingly any time someone asks for a game that has anything remotely to do with sci-fi or horror, Mothership will be among the recommendations. What’s interesting is that Mothership isn’t even properly out yet: what we have is effectively […]

When is a gold piece not a gold piece?

There’s a common assumption of interchangeability of OSR adventures and systems. Pick your favourite system, then draw from the vast array of adventures written for the vast array of systems (or just labeled as “OSR“). This works, for the most part, due to the unique features of the playstyle such as de-empasizing the rules and […]

Electric Bastionland

BastionThe electric hub of mankindThe only city that matters Deep CountryIt stretches foreverThe long shadow of our past In the UndergroundMachines undermine reality Aliens are hereFrom beneath the Living Stars You have a Failed CareerYou have a colossal debt Treasure is your only hope Electric Bastionland is a self-described “particularly fast” roleplaying game by Chris […]

Dungeoncrawling by default

D&D is the “default” system many people use, for a variety of reasons, even if it really doesn’t fit the game. There’s a related trend I’ve come across, mostly in OSR: “default” gameplay. I should say upfront I’m really not an OSR person. But I’m curiuos about it, and as part of this curiosity I […]

cOSRatic Dialogue

Magician: Greetings, wise one. I have long since observed you, and read some of your writing. Yet I confess, the essence of your teachings eludes me. cOSRates: My lessons are not some great mystery, but the original and most natural way to play. It does, however, require clearing your head of all the clutter of […]