Iain McAllister
@giantbrain
Game writer, freelance critic, and podcaster. Writer for Tabletop Gaming Magzine. Host of Cult of the Old and But Why Vikings? Find all my work here
A little Fatherfog from Tuesday Knight Games today. Ran a little red Riding Hood inspired one shot. Went down well with my players and there is a lot to like even if the GM advice is a little threadbare in this edition.
Reading Gols Teeth from @rossignol.bsky.social. Pirate based Blades hack. I groaned at this
April was a lighter month. Also played a couple of sessions of Pendragon on the RPG side and ran an Into The Odd.
Hey @lothianbuses.bsky.social want to explain why your 140 is over 20 minutes late to Dryden Road. Not going to be here till 4 according to your tracker. Your bus times posted at same stop say it should be here at 1540.
Got Glatisant to the table over the weekend. Enjoyed my first game but want to play the Knight next so I can see both sides. From @graftbound.bsky.social
Big month for games. More than 1 a day! Anything you would like to know about?
Played some Magical Athlete, Ankh, and Thiefdom yesterday with @jamsandwich.bsky.social and @unmech.bsky.social. All 3 great fun, was very impressed how smooth Ankh is.
The "But Why Vikings?" crew of me, @ava.foxfort.net and @timclare.bsky.social were together for the first time since the podcast started at Airecon this last weekend. It was a blast. Look at us!
Very excited for this month's @senetmagazine.bsky.social because I'm in it!
I finished reading this recently. It's a fascinating insight into how gamification can capture us, and the benefits and drawbacks of the larger systems we are all.subject to. Written by @add-hawk.bsky.social and published by @penguinpress.bsky.social
My top 9 in January. Ask me anything. Review of Flip 7 out today. Newsletter out tomorrow as well. Sign up to my Patreon for free to get access. www.patreon.com/thegiantbrai...
Sometimes simple games get to our tables more often and Flip 7 is one of those for me. Nothing wrong with giving games like this a properp critical shake. giantbrain.co.uk/2026/01/31/f...
Lovely afternoon of games with @simonmarr.bsky.social. Moon Colony Bloodbath, Compile, Skyteam.
Turns out @ryandancey.com thinks AI will make excellent art eventually, according to this post on linkedin
First time I've ever been sent a book for review. Finding it a compelling read so far about how scoring systems and value capture affect our daily lives and society at large.
Cool idea. It's a GM screen and tile bag so you build the place as you explore and the descriptions are on the GM screen. #dragonmeet
I'll be starting my train ride to #dragonmeet soon. Do come and say hi if you see me around. I'll be touring the whole hall looking for the weird and wonderful over the course of the day. Here is what I will look like
Oh nice. I'd missed that somehow. Played a full game today as the uprising. Very impressed. Didn't win but had a good time with it.
Had a fun afternoon running Into the Odd from @bastionland.bsky.social for a new group of players. Two close friends and my wife. They had a blast and so did I. It's a really fun game that is "just enough" in its mechanisms.
Ok. I am not immune to hype sometimes. @theoldkingscrown.bsky.social
I just spent a wonderful couple of hours at the Netrunner Worlds in Edinburgh. The community is very much alive, vibrant, and as welcoming as ever. Looking forward to heading back tomorrow for some more interviews.