Inspired by I Die: You Die, for the first time this year I invited friends of The Cozy Cauldron to share their favourite TTRPG of the year with me. These are all people who have shaped my experience in TTRPGs in some way, whose games I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, or who otherwise have been a friend over the last year and a bit of the Cauldron being around! I can think of no better way to celebrate the site’s 50th post, and am so fortunate to know these wonderful people.
As with so many of our passion projects, The Cozy Cauldron is a one-person show and while I would love to read even half the games that I come across (and share my excitement about them), that isn’t a realistic expectation! I thought this would be a fun way to get a wider range of games showcased, and am so grateful to everyone for taking part in my incredibly last minute impulse idea!
Basil Wright, Game Writer/Designer and Sensitivity Consultant
Ok so technically I got to play it before becoming a writer for it and I don’t if that makes me biased, but All the Witches! I love how versatile and simple the math for combat is!
I had a lot of fun playing as a pirate with a magic gun, and using Discordance to gain more power never felt like a resource I had to hoard, like the classic JRPG “elixir” problem.
Working with my other party members was great as well. I really felt like each of our actions flowed into each other, both in and out of combat.
Also all the art is so damn pretty aaaaa!
If you aren’t familiar with Basil’s work, I’ve written about Well Wishers and Pelogos, his 2023 ZiMo project.
GothHoblin, TTRPG & Creative Writer – Designer
Sherwood by R.Rook Studio is an easy to learn, super fun TTRPG inspired by the well known tales of Robin Hood (both modern and medieval) that can easily fill the role of a one shot game or a longer campaign! The system is simple and character creation is especially fun. I love that there are specific notes on gender and sexuality included in the rules (hint: this game vehemently embraces queer representation). It’s perfect for making that angry lesbian knight you’ve been thinking about, and especially lends well to those who like to stick it to the man, as much of outlaw life involves working in direct opposition to the king and his law enforcement! I had an absolute blast playing this game for a few one shots during 2023 and am absolutely ready to steal – I mean borrow – even more tax deliveries in 2024.
I’m fortunate enough to play in a few games with Emma, and was part of GothHoblin’s Grimoire Issue 1: Gothic. If you aren’t familiar with Emma’s games go check them – or her wonderful TTRPG community interviews – out.
Penny Blake, TTRPG Creator, Reviewer, Editor, & Sensitivity Reader
I’ve played SO MANY wonderful indie games this past year but my absolute faves are jointly CREATION MYTHS by Goth Hoblin and POWER’S OUT by Thogreer. Two solo games which I just had so much fun playing multiple times. CREATION MYTHS is my new fave tool for creating and fleshing out characters and I adore both the simple fast paced gameplay in POWER’S OUT as well as the fabulous fact that it was born out of an actual power shortage – always fab when something good can come out of adversity!
Penny is one of the first people I got to know when I moved into TTRPG Twitter, and the welcome she has given me and countless others is so deeply appreciated. I reviewed Welcome to Windsong, and have also looked at the one-shots Queen of Hordes – Horror on the High Seas, and Oak and Thorn!
Ennio, Layout Editor & TTRPG Designer
So I dug through my PDF collection (so many amazing games came out this year.) and the one that stood out to me was Grandmothership by Armanda Haller. I love how the game blends sci-fi horror with a retro Saturday morning cartoon. It can be hard to mix dread with humor but I think this game nails it. I also love how the interior was done. The layout fits the theme very well and everything is clear and easy to read.
Ennio might well be the person whose work I’ve used most often when running games for other people – Murder at the Three Swords Inn and Whisper of the Weave Walker are both games I’ve run multiple times now and still enjoy diving into very much! Bloodles, his solo vampire survival RPG, has been on my “to play” list since it released and I’m determined to get that done in 2024!
Anne Ramos, Multi-Award Winning TTRPG Peformer and Storyteller
Fight With Spirit: Sports Drama RPG
The Game of the Year for 2023 for me has to be Storybrewers Roleplaying’s Fight With Spirit. From the creators of Good Society, the Jane Austen RPG, this is a Sports Anime RPG. This game works with similar token exchange mechanics to Good Society, where players offer up complications for other players’ characters but a unique feature is that this also includes a card game component for resolution of sports related confrontations, for both team and individual sports. But the best part about this game is the way it can be modified to work for dance battles, fencing/sword fighting tournaments and other competitions outside of the sports anime genre. It does not currently support competitions where multiple teams/individuals are competing at once but there can be modifications made to the cards that can tweak that. A license for Fight With Spirit content is pending, but much like the Penned to Good Society license, I expect there will be a robust system for Fight With Spirit hacks in the future.
Anne is one of the most kind and selfless people I’ve met through TTRPGs. We came to know each other through Girls Run These Worlds, where she is the Community Ambassador, and has been a GM and player in countless excellent games! I’m particular fond of Regency Remixed: Tangled Web, and Ways and Wanderings which was an official selection for the New Jersey Web Fest 2023!
Bee, Artist, DMsGuild Electrum Bestselling Author
I got to really experience the FATE system again, which is rules-light and fantastic in the sense that the gamemaster and players don’t just play a game but design the world together as they go. I’m a die-hard D&D kid, and as much as I love the Realms or Eberron, players (including myself!) sometimes find the lore daunting and need time to find their place in the world. FATE circumvents that by giving your characters that knowledge and a niche from the get-go.
I’ve known Bee since before I moved into the TTRPG sphere, and she is one of the reason I am here at all! My first ever review was for the Botanical Guide to Barovia – it predates The Cozy Cauldron, but I also ran and reviewed Swindle Sister’s Marvelous Magic Market and had a blast doing so!
That’s all from The Cozy Cauldron this year – until next time, stay cozy!
The Cozy Cauldron 