Saturday is here, and so is another post for RPG a Day, day 23 this time, the prompt Recent.
What recent games have I purchased? I have probably bought fewer RPGs in 2025, for various reasons. I have been travelling for work, and buying books on the road to carry back home isn’t easy. Also, fatherhood changes your priorities. I find myself picking up a book or toy for my son more and more, rather than buying a new book for myself.
But what have I purchased this year so far that has impressed me?
Pick #1: The PDF of the Demon Lord Engine: Rules Compendium by the brilliant Robert J Schwalb, a collection and update of his rules used in the Shadow of the Demon Lord, Shadow of the Weird Wizard, and other Schwalb Entertainment games. This book is not a stand-alone game, but a compendium of the rules, a refresh of the games as they have evolved through his publications, and a reference that allows the author to produce settings and other games that reference these rules. I love Schwalb’s work and this succinct presentation of the rules is great. I will continue to support his work. If you have not checked out his games, do yourself a favor and do so. Well worth it!
Pick #2: Raiding the Obsidian Keep, written by Joseph R. Lewis and published by The Merry Mushmen. I heaped praise on this adventure on Day 21, so I won’t repeat myself here, but this is my favorite adventure so far this year.
Pick #3: The Tome of World Building by Matt Finch and published by Mythmere Games. This PDF was a crowdfunding reward and is a companion to the revised Tome of Adventure Design. A fantastic resource for world-building, presenting processes you can follow to create your world, or to inspire experienced homebrewers.
Pick #4: The Darkest House, by Monte Cook Games. I knew about Kickstarter for this book, and at the time, I was uninterested. However, when I saw the physical book during Free RPG Day this year, it intrigued me, and I bought it. The maps, images, and audio available to run this online intrigued me. Since I’ve been running a lot of online sessions for our regular group due to work-related travels, this seemed like something I could use.
Pick #5: D&D 2024! Okay, so I technically began purchasing them last year, but I completed the core books this year. Despite my problems with the books shipping from WotC, and the final books arriving all banged up, I ended up getting the special covers for all three books, so I own two copies of each of the core books (PHB, DMG, and MM) plus the D&D Beyond digital versions. The books look very nice, and the rules seem very user-friendly, written with new players in mind. I haven’t played them yet, and I haven’t purchased Dragon Delves. Having skimmed it at a store, I think I’ll pass. Maybe I’ll get the digital copy. I am not a fan of how monsters are organized in the 2024 MM, but otherwise, the rules interest me. I may play the game sometime in the future. However, I am interested in the new Starter Set to see how they teach D&D to new players.
Two games I don’t own, but hope to soon are Daggerheart and Draw Steel. I want to play them sooner rather than later.
I also hope that my friend José Gacia will run the new Alien Evolved Edition for us. The new Alien: Earth series has me in the mood to play that game!
What recent games have impressed you? What have you purchased recently or would care to recommend? I’d love to read your recommendations or other reactions to the prompt; feel free to share them here in the comments or tag me wherever you do. If you choose to join in the conversation, don’t forget to include the #RPGaDay2025 hashtag so the community can find your contribution.
