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    1. VR questions, recommendations, tips, and tricks

      I know we have a few VR veterans around the site, and given that the Steam Frame has finally materialized, we likely have some people who are soon to be new to VR. This is a topic for people to...

      I know we have a few VR veterans around the site, and given that the Steam Frame has finally materialized, we likely have some people who are soon to be new to VR.

      This is a topic for people to ask any questions they have about VR, as well as for people who are familiar to share recommendations, tips, tricks, and any other thoughts they have.

      29 votes
    2. How is your current TTRPG campaign going?

      In the spirit of "what are you reading?", "what are you playing?" etc. threads I see regularly posted in other groups, come tell us about your campaign! Whether you're a GM or a player, share with...

      In the spirit of "what are you reading?", "what are you playing?" etc. threads I see regularly posted in other groups, come tell us about your campaign! Whether you're a GM or a player, share with us what you're playing and how its going.

      What game system are you using and what do you think of it? How many sessions has your current game been running? How's your group doing? Did something cool or funny happen in the last session? What are you looking forward to in the next session?

      28 votes
    3. Who gets the Steam Frame? Did Valve pick you for the first wave?

      There are certainly a few people here, who will be buying Steam Frame VR headset. I enlisted myself a few days ago for the first wave lottery reservations. After a bit of thought, I also enlisted...

      There are certainly a few people here, who will be buying Steam Frame VR headset.

      I enlisted myself a few days ago for the first wave lottery reservations. After a bit of thought, I also enlisted my daughter, to double my chances from almost 0% to double of that but still near zero in my eyes.

      A few minutes ago I got e-mail. I'm on waiting list after first wave goes out... Well, maybe this year?

      My daughter checked her e-mail as well. And what do you know? Doubling of the chances paid off and the chance was actually higher than near 0% - her account got picked by Valve! It seems we are getting the headset in upcoming days/weeks.

      Now the question is: Should we get the head and handstraps also? I think we should. But I don't knowbif I should get also new foam/seal. I'm not spending 170€ on color camera, at least not for now.

      Sorry for this kind of post, we are just so happy and I wanted to share the happiness. I hope some of you got on the list for first wave as well.

      50 votes
    4. I want an RPG with reverse leveling

      You start at max level with everything unlocked. As you play the game, you slowly level down, choosing which attributes to reduce and which skills to forget. Obviously, it will have to be tied to...

      You start at max level with everything unlocked. As you play the game, you slowly level down, choosing which attributes to reduce and which skills to forget.

      Obviously, it will have to be tied to the story - maybe you are poisoned/cursed in a fantasy game, or an implant is malfunctioning in a sci-fi game. I'm sure a good writer can come up with something really cool to justify it narratively.

      It will solve many problems modern RPGs have:

      1. Solves "the world-saving heroes are a bunch of murder hobos" issue. If killing levels you down, players will avoid killing as much as possible. Like, you know, actual heroes would.

      2. Fits the actual player skill level. When you start a new game, you are bad at it. Makes sense to compensate by giving you powerful abilities. Late game you know how to play well, you know the enemy weaknesses, you know how everything works. You can successfully kill the enemy with a much weaker character.

      3. Allows you try out stuff. You can try the abilities before you forget them, see what you like to keep. In current RPGs you don't know which are the cool (or needed) abilities so you might spec into something you dislike. The current "fix" is to allow players to respec later, but that always felt like a bandaid solution. And a bad one at that, as it removes the weight of making choices, as you know you can always undo it. And respeccing rarely makes sense narratively.

      4. Fixes pacing. Current RPGs start strong with the story, but then people put it on hold to do lots of side content. 80 hours of chasing question marks and 117 games of gwent later, people barely remember what the story was about and kinda speed through it just to finish it, because they are already kinda done with the game. But if you had leveling down, people would be naturally incentivized to move on and not level down too much in the same area.

      5. Creates urgency. I hate the ludonarrative dissonance in RPGs where the world is supposedly about to be destroyed, but the heroes are busy solving every rando's basement rats problem. It's ridiculous.

      6. Gives side-quests weight. Do you wanna help that orphan and level down, even though they won't give you anything? Or help the rich asshole who'll give you a powerful weapon you'll need late game? Or maybe you help both and spend hours on the next battle because you were underleveled, making you think twice before helping everyone in the next village?

      7. Solves item hoarding. People love to keep potions and scrolls for later "just in case". But that "case" never comes because you only get more powerful later on. But if you were to get weaker, those items are actually needed late game. A lot more uses for that stamina potion if your stamina actually is shit.

      8. Creates replayability. Instead of doing one run of a 200 hour bloated game, where you kinda got tired of it a while ago... you could have a regular 40 hour run and only do small part of the side-quests. Then you play something else. Then you come back to it and do another run, do a different set of quests, maybe this time spend more time in a different area.

      Obviously I doubt any major studio will do something like that. I'm asking them to punish the player for playing the game. But maybe as the tools to create good-looking games become more accessible/cheaper, some smaller team can make something like this, I do think it has a lot of potential. I wouldn't be surprised if it already exists as a passion project in RPG Maker or something, but I kinda want to play something with actual graphics.

      50 votes
    5. What is your dream game?

      I've had plenty of fun conversations with friends about this topic and figure all you Tilders would have some interesting ideas/thoughts. Are there any games that you've always wished for? Has...

      I've had plenty of fun conversations with friends about this topic and figure all you Tilders would have some interesting ideas/thoughts.

      • Are there any games that you've always wished for?
      • Has there been a game that captured your imagination but fell short in one or more areas?
      • Have you ever wanted to smash elements from two or more games together?

      Don't let budgetary/IP constraints ruin your dreams here!

      39 votes
    6. Got my hands on a Steam Frame. Can't use it much for not having prescription lenses yet, but AMA.

      I promised in another thread that I would share more about my first impressions about the Steam Frame soon, so here I am. There's still not much I can say because, in my case, using glasses inside...

      I promised in another thread that I would share more about my first impressions about the Steam Frame soon, so here I am.

      There's still not much I can say because, in my case, using glasses inside isn't an option. But whatever questions you have and couldn't find answers anywhere else, let me know and I can check for you (be it settings, small things no one thinks about, etc)

      I'll be recycling a bit what I already said in the other comment (with a few corrections), but here goes my first impressions and some thoughts:

      • I said in the other comment that the spacer for the glasses was disappointing, but that's actually not true. To be fair, they do their job. The glasses should be as close as possible to your face anyway, and you can't have too much space between your face and the lenses in the VR, so the spacer does give you a bit more space that should be enough for most/all people. I was able to confirm that both my new glasses and my old ones do not touch the lenses. That said, I still wouldn't play a VR game that needs me to move a lot, the risk of them coming loose and scratching the lenses isn't null.

      • My problem with the glasses is different. My new glasses are too wide. They barely fit inside and put a lot of pressure on my face, I think it's the sides of the VR that push the glasses against my face.

      • So yeah, if you use glasses, I highly recommend getting prescription lenses (this also applies to any VR headset, but still).

      • I was able to run on the Frame: Ace Combat 7, Hades 2, Dragon Commander and Dispatch. All of them were playable (Ace Combat 7 was a pleasant surprise!). Dragon Commander technically ran well, but it didn't recognize the controllers.

      • There's a tab for Steam Frame verified games, but you can download anything from your library. Cyberpunk 2077? Knock yourself out. Will it run well? Nope, but it does run.

        • Sidenote: the new proton for ARM processors make me hopeful that laptops with ARM processors could become a viable alternative to traditional ones (I mean besides macbooks)
      • Speaking of controllers, they're MUCH better than Meta Quest 3's. The layout of a conventional controller means that they can be used as such. Furthermore, at any moment you can activate the "pointer", which turns the respective controller into a mouse (while the other remains a controller). Meaning if you have a game where sometimes you need a mouse, Steam Frame has you covered.

      • I got the ergonomic kit because of the controller straps, but as for the headset itself, I'll be the contrarian against the rest of the internet and say that those extra pieces actually aren't necessary. Or at least, not as ABSOLUTELY necessary as people make it look like. The space between the headset and my nose is not sealed, true, but unless I get conscious about that "hole", I won't notice it. I also felt that the top strap isn't necessary, the headset feels firmly held against my head.

        • That said, let me admit a few things: I didn't play a VR game yet, so maybe "firmly held" could be a different story in that scenario. And for a 1k euro device, there's an argument to be made that these ergonomic accessories should've been included by default, which I wholeheartedly agree. The nose thing, might have to do with my head shape, might not, I don't know; I just felt that whenever I was looking at the "screen" inside, I didn't notice the "hole" down below.
      • The battery is... Underwhelming. Be prepared to get a good powerbank if you plan to have mid-long sessions.

      • I tried using the wireless adapter on my gaming desktop (running Fedora 44), and it looks like it worked! Pleasant surprise, as I was under the impression it didn't work on Linux yet.

      • Streamed Red Dead Redemption 2 for a bit. Rockstar launcher popped up so I could validate my account.... Except this window didn't appear on the SF, only on my PC's monitor. On the SF, I wasn't able to change windows, I only got a black screen. Once I entered the game, I could hear the sounds of the intro playing but the screen was still black. After fiddling a bit inside the VR, I managed to make it show the game itself, then I was able to play it normally.

        • This is to say, "window management" inside a game is finicky. So games with their own launchers? Expect them be as annoying here as they are in general...
          • Caveat: only tried one game in this condition (opening launchers/windows alongside the game), so it's possible it was just bad luck and not representative.
      • (copy pasted from the other comment) the update process (that you're forced to do) was really slow - the download would top at 10mb/s, but on average it was on the kb/s.

      • (copy pasted from the other comment) The environment is really polished - more than the Steam Deck it looks like. I like how from inside Steam "app" itself, I can open the desktop mode as if it was an application. I don't have bluetooth keyboards but I think it should be possible to use this as a normal PC, which is really cool.

      • (copy pasted from the other comment) Just like the Steam Deck, you have control over almost everything. Hardware usage, screen framerates, etc.

      Some basic comparisons against the Meta Quest 3:

      • Unlike MQ 3, the SF works just fine in any kind of environment, even if it's pitch black. Side note: it's a bit mesmerizing checking out the LIDAR's and Face ID's lights from my iphone. This thing is unironically a really good device to spot hidden cameras.

      • YMMV, but for me the lack of colors in the passthrough isn't a big deal. I spend most of the time "inside" the virtual world and barely used it on MQ3, only for when someone was calling for me - or my cats. But even then, 95% of the time I would just take the headset off if whatever was demanding my attention wasn't quick. Talking to people with it on your head is weird af (especially for the other person). What I'm trying to say is that there were never situations where I needed to see the world around me and it needed to be in colours; I would just take the headset off in those cases.

        • Caveat: 1k euros device, I get it. It's dumb that you still need to fork over another 100 euros just to get colours. And I guess it's not a good thing for AR games.
      • The SF is a bit smaller, lighter, and it's more comfortable imo. The idea to move the battery to the back of the head was smart, I think long sessions with SF should be more comfortable.

      • MQ 3 has hand gesture recognition while SF doesn't. But personally, I don't really care. On MQ 3 this feature is finicky, frustrating to use, it's annoying when I'm watching movies/videos, and more importantly, it makes me want to throw the headset against the wall (exaggeration for comedic effect). So for me it's not a huge loss.

      • If you feel that after these impressions I'm biased against the MQ3, well.... You're not wrong, but I just realized that it feels like I'm defending SF too much and criticizing MQ3 too easily while writing this. I'm biased against it mainly for privacy reasons, but on a hardware level, MQ3 is a great headset in its own right. It's equivalent to SF and costs a lot less. If you don't care about privacy, you probably should go for it instead of the SF.

      Feel free to ask me anything about the Steam Frame and if I can check it out for you, I will.

      35 votes
    7. Is Aniimo’s AI usage as obvious to anyone else?

      I've been playing Aniimo for a bit. The gameplay is fun, but some of the artwork looks blatantly AI generated to me. I've seen images with double headed animals and wheat that seems to disappear....

      I've been playing Aniimo for a bit. The gameplay is fun, but some of the artwork looks blatantly AI generated to me. I've seen images with double headed animals and wheat that seems to disappear. Maybe those are placeholders, but the dialogue, some creature and NPC designs, and even the voiceacting set off my spidey sense too.

      The developers claim they don't use generative AI for creating the characters, world and story, but haven't been clear about where they do and don't use it specifically as far as I know. Is it as obvious to anyone else as it is to me? Has anyone found clearer evidence either way?

      I may keep playing because it's fun, but I won't spend a single bit of my money on it. The fact that it feels like a Genshin rip-off makes the whole thing kind of funny, too.

      10 votes
    8. What's the best Pikmin game?

      The US Nintendo eShop currently has sales for Pikmin 1, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 1 + 2 bundle, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Pikmin 4. I've never played a Pikmin game before. Which would y'all recommend if I were...

      The US Nintendo eShop currently has sales for Pikmin 1, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 1 + 2 bundle, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Pikmin 4.

      I've never played a Pikmin game before. Which would y'all recommend if I were to only buy one of these options?

      20 votes
    9. I'm addicted to Slay the Spire and am looking for a new game

      So, for about 3 years now, the only game I pretty much play has been Slay the Spire. I have about 650 hours on the first game and almost 400 hours on the 2nd one (which came out in march of this...

      So, for about 3 years now, the only game I pretty much play has been Slay the Spire. I have about 650 hours on the first game and almost 400 hours on the 2nd one (which came out in march of this year...). I recently beat (again) A20 with all 4 characters and A10 on all 5 characters in STS2.

      I have tried playing other roguelikes, but I always come back to StS because it's the only one that is 1) a difficult enough challenge 2) fun 3) turn based combat 4) intellectually challenging 5) playable with a controller

      I tried Balatro, Dicey Dungeons, Slice and Dice, Darkest Dungeon, Vampire Crawlers, Brotato, TFT, Binding of Isaac, Hades, Gungeon...

      I liked them all, but none of them provide all my 5 criteria, really.

      You guys have any recommendations?

      34 votes
    10. BlizzCon discussion thread

      The first day of BlizzCon is happening. A lot of trailers popping and news spreading. What are your thoughts? Ideas? Will you be playing their upcoming new titles? Starcraft (New Shooter coming...

      The first day of BlizzCon is happening. A lot of trailers popping and news spreading.

      What are your thoughts? Ideas? Will you be playing their upcoming new titles?

      • Starcraft (New Shooter coming 2030)
      • Diablo 4 Expansion + Diablo 5 Teaser (2029)
      • Overwatch new Hero
      • Heroes of the Storm new Hero
      • Hearthstone new Expansion pack (The Black Empire)
      • World of Warcraft Midnight Eclipse Update Patch
      • World of Warcraft Forever (Classic +)
      21 votes
    11. Anyone sold their 40k armies? How'd you feel about it?

      I have two 40k Armies, Orks and Necrons. I don't know current point values, but if I were to venture a guess, it's probably somewhere on the order of 6000-7000 points worth of stuff. I have...

      I have two 40k Armies, Orks and Necrons. I don't know current point values, but if I were to venture a guess, it's probably somewhere on the order of 6000-7000 points worth of stuff. I have something like 200 Ork Boys, 40-50 Nobz, Trukks, 15+ Deffkoptas and all kinds of stuff. Necrons are significantly smaller, but probably something like 3000-3500 points.

      But I hate 40k. I don't like the Lore, I don't like the game and I don't really enjoy painting the models. The last time I played was 7th Edition about 8 months or so ago and I didn't have any fun with it and prior to that, I played a handful of games of 10th, both full scale and campaign and really didn't enjoy myself all that much then. So it's only been about a week since I came to the conclusion that I should finally sell my armies.

      I've been thinking about selling my Orks for quite some time, but only recently came to the conclusion that I should dump the Necrons as well, because I just have no interest in playing the game or even painting the models. But I'm struggling with the decision. 40k is what introduced me to Wargames and I thought it was pretty neat at the time, but not too long after that, I discovered historical Wargames (Bolt Action, in particlar) and those are very much my jam.

      I still have a bunch of Age of Sigmar, as I prefer it to 40k, though it's still far from a favorite of mine (Something like 3500 points of Gloomspite Gitz and 3500ish of Nighthaunt), so I still have access to Warhammer if friends want to play, but...yeah.

      I'm not exactly certain why I'm making this post. I went and bought boxes today for when I'm ready to start the process of taking pictures and selling stuff on eBay, but I just feel weirdly attached to some of these models, even if I have absolutely zero interest in them anymore. I do think I'm going to keep one kitbashed Ork Battlewagon I made, but beyond that I'm ready to just let go all of this stuff.

      24 votes
    12. Build your own video game listicle

      The top 7 chillest Genesis games YOU NEED IN YOUR BUSY MODERN LIFE Best video game barrel explosions, ranked Five games that defied your expectations (plus one you'll never guess!) These 3 console...
      • The top 7 chillest Genesis games YOU NEED IN YOUR BUSY MODERN LIFE
      • Best video game barrel explosions, ranked
      • Five games that defied your expectations (plus one you'll never guess!)
      • These 3 console flops make the Ouya look like a success
      • The best magical swords of the 16-bit era

      The internet is loaded with clickbaity articles like these (note: I specifically made these up, so apologies if any sound interesting). They were already somewhat low effort content, but they've gotten far worse in the age of AI.

      As such, I thought it might be cool if we could make our own hand-crafted, artisan, bespoke humanslop ones here. You know, for fun.

      1. Choose a list topic.
      2. Populate it with games/mechanics/series/consoles/controllers/whatever.
      3. Explain how each fits the theme.

      Be as serious or as nonsensical as you like. Be as generic ("top games of 2025") or as specific ("games that kfwyre spent more time setting up than playing") as you want. Create the video game listicle of your dreams, with as little or as much clickbaitiness as you like.

      27 votes
    13. Who likes GTA?

      I love gaming and I love lots of different genres of games. Yet somehow I can’t get into gta. I’ve tried. I played it a couple of times. I looked at the extended gameplay reveal. Yet, it doesn’t...

      I love gaming and I love lots of different genres of games. Yet somehow I can’t get into gta. I’ve tried. I played it a couple of times. I looked at the extended gameplay reveal. Yet, it doesn’t seem to click.

      Now that’s all perfectly fine. Not everyone has to like everything. But because it’s such a huge game in terms of people playing it, I am really curious.

      Is there anyone here who does love playing gta? And do you mind sharing what you love about it?

      I don’t want to argue or convince or be convinced. Just really interested in learning about your perspective!

      43 votes
    14. GOG added OpenMW and Tamriel Rebuilt into their store for free as mods for TES3 Morrowind

      For all the Morrowind enthusiast here - GOG.com has added OpenMW and Tamriel Rebuilt as curated mods for Morrowind. They say on the website: "GOG’s curated selection of the best Mods, directly...

      For all the Morrowind enthusiast here - GOG.com has added OpenMW and Tamriel Rebuilt as curated mods for Morrowind. They say on the website: "GOG’s curated selection of the best Mods, directly packed with the game for the smoothest installation ever. Install and play right away."

      I haven't tried it yet, but I guess it means GOG Galaxy (that I don't use) will automatically install OpenMW and enable Tamriel Rebuilt as a mod in it and launch OpenMW instead of old Morrowind executable. Maybe someone will know if it works this way.

      I just wanted other people to know, as Morrowind is my beloved game and I see it as a nice addition to have mods on the GOG as well as the game, even more so if it can be installed alongside the game hassle-free.

      For people who doesn't know:

      • OpenMW is open source multiplatform engine for playing Morrowind. You give it original game data files and it runs on modern hardware in modern resolutions. While it isn't v1.0 yet, it is perfectly playable. It let's you run Morrowind on various things like Raspberry Pi or ARM laptops, at one time even Android port existed (OpenMicroWave?)
      • Tamriel Rebuilt is a community mod that adds big-ass landmass with new cities, new places, new characters, new quests... Morrowind takes place on isle of Vvardenfell, but the game bears the name of the whole province of (game world of) Tamriel. This mod adds the rest of the province, basically.

      The thing is - Is it good that GOG adds such mods and integrates them with the game (somehow)? Will the mods be kept up-to-date when I install them with the game?

      32 votes
    15. Gamescom discussion

      Figured I'd make a general discussion thread since there's a lot coming out of the event. What are your thoughts on the games being shown? Are there any which you're excited to see more of or...

      Figured I'd make a general discussion thread since there's a lot coming out of the event.

      What are your thoughts on the games being shown? Are there any which you're excited to see more of or disappointed by?

      Non-comprehensive list of trailers (long)

      I made this thread on mobile, so apologies for any mess-ups.

      22 votes
    16. D6 TTRPG suggestions

      I have a group of work friends where we were playing D&D 5e (pretty infrequently) for a year and a half. We've been on a long hiatus from TTRPGs since last year after a couple problems with the...

      I have a group of work friends where we were playing D&D 5e (pretty infrequently) for a year and a half. We've been on a long hiatus from TTRPGs since last year after a couple problems with the game came to surface that some of them didn't like. One of which is the 5e gameplay. Out of the 3 players, none had any hands on play experience with any TTRPG. I had extensive experience with 5e so naturally I was the GM and it was the simplest way to jump in a play with my solid grasp of the rules. One player in particular did not have experience with games (table top or video games) beyond a few simple card games and classic games like chess and was more there to be happy to socialize and have fun with a story. She had a lot of trouble grasping the rules and feeling comfortable with polyhedral dice sets. The other issue was mainly the infrequency of playing and the players remembering the story and previous sessions, so that isn't really related to the system.

      Having said all of that, several months later that less familiar with games player came to me and said one of her main issues was she would get stressed when told to roll, then blanking on which dice is which and what she is rolling for. She thinks a big fix to this is playing a game "like" D&D 5e with story and socializing (a TTRPG), but with "normal" dice (D6's). Until then I had given up on the idea of a TTRPG with them but that reinvigorated me. I wanted to find a game that is D6's only, with simple enough rules for those inexperienced, but preferably with some numbers, crunch, and customizable characters to satisfy those with more gaming experience. Do any come to mind as favorites of yours that you'd suggest?

      TL;DR suggest your favorite D6 only games. Preferably simple on the surface for the inexperienced, but enough numbers and customizable characters underneath to satisfy more experienced gamers.

      21 votes
    17. Defective D&D magic items

      A while back I had an idea for some D&D magic items that were, in a shop keep's words, "Greatly discounted due to minor defects". The general idea was that these items would be a gamble to use...

      A while back I had an idea for some D&D magic items that were, in a shop keep's words, "Greatly discounted due to minor defects". The general idea was that these items would be a gamble to use each time, sometimes offering great benefits, sometimes offering catastrophic backfires, but all at a greatly discounted price any adventurer could afford. With my most recent addition (the Potion of Prior Authorization), it occurred to me that it could be fun to share my list here, for feedback and other potential additions to it. My hope is that the next time it's my turn to run a campaign, I can offer these items to my players.

      Weapons and Armor

      Broken Throwing Axe of Recall

      Weapon (Handaxe), Uncommon

      A heavy, pitted handaxe wrapped in frayed leather straps.

      • The Gamble: You can throw this axe at a target within range (20/60 ft). Immediately after the attack resolves (hit or miss), roll a d6:
        • 1–3 (The Pull): The axe locks in space and violently pulls you to its location, leaving you landing adjacent to the axe (or target) and knocking you prone if you travel more than 15 feet.
        • 4–6 (The Return): The axe flies straight back into your open hand.
      Shield of "Tag, You're It"

      Armor (Shield), Rare

      A beautifully polished steel shield painted with a vibrant red-and-white bullseye.

      • The Gamble: Grants +2 AC. When a ranged attack misses you, you can use your Reaction to attempt to deflect the projectile. Roll a d4:
        • 1: The projectile is redirected directly at you, automatically hitting for normal damage.
        • 2–3 (Random Target): The projectile is redirected at a random creature within 15 feet (excluding you). Roll randomly among all valid creatures in range (friends, foes, or innocent bystanders). The original attacker makes a new attack roll against that target's AC.
        • 4: You perfectly direct the projectile back at the original attacker, dealing maximum weapon damage on a hit.
      Dagger of the Overzealous Assassin

      Weapon (Dagger), Rare (Requires Attunement)

      A sleek, razor-sharp obsidian dagger that whispers encouraging murder tips to its wielder.

      • The Gamble: When you hit a creature with an attack using this dagger, you can declare an Overzealous Strike to deal maximum weapon damage plus an extra 3d6 Necrotic damage.
      • The Catch: The dagger demands follow-through. Immediately after resolving the attack, you must use your reaction to move adjacent to the next closest creature (friend, foe, or bystander) and make a melee attack against them. If no other creature is within reach, you must stab yourself.
      Helm of the Backseat Driver

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

      A sturdy iron helmet imbued with the spirit of a long-dead, incredibly critical dwarf adventurer named Barnaby.

      • The Gamble: While worn, the helm grants a +2 bonus to AC and Advantage on Initiative rolls (as Barnaby yells warning signs).
      • The Catch: You have Disadvantage on Stealth checks and Concentration checks. Barnaby never stops giving loud tactical feedback ("Watch the flank! No, your OTHER left!"). If you ignore his advice during combat, Barnaby pouts: the AC bonus drops to +0 until the start of your next turn.

      Wands, Rings & Cloaks

      Wand of Aggressive Empathy

      Wand, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster)

      A twisted birch wand that vibrates with intense emotional resonance. Has 3 charges (regains 1d3 charges at dawn).

      • The Gamble: When casting a healing spell through the wand, spend 1 charge. The target receives maximum possible healing for that spell slot.
      • The Catch: The exact amount of HP restored is instantly dealt as Psychic Damage to a random creature within 50 feet (ally, enemy, or bystander--excluding the target and caster) as they are overwhelmed by the target's previous pain.
      Cloak of Screaming Invisibility

      Wondrous Item, Very Rare

      A magnificent crimson velvet cloak that smells faintly of throat lozenges.

      • The Gamble: You build up an "invisibility bank" by screaming at the absolute top of your lungs. For every 1 second (or 1 full round) you spend screaming out loud, you gain 10 seconds (or 10 rounds / 1 minute) of total Invisibility.
        • Attacking or casting spells does not break this invisibility.
      • The Catch: The screaming can be heard up to 300 feet away, instantly alerting the entire area to your presence before you go stealthy. While screaming to store up time, you cannot make Stealth checks or cast spells with Verbal (V) components.
      Ring of the Overconfident Gambler

      Ring, Rare

      A flashy gold band set with a single spinning die where the gem should be.

      • The Gamble: Before rolling a d20 for an Attack, Ability Check, or Save, you can call out a range of 3 numbers (e.g., "14, 15, or 16!").
        • If the die lands on ANY of your called numbers: It counts as an automatic Natural 20 (Critical Hit / Highest Success).
        • If it lands on ANY other number: It counts as an automatic Natural 1 (Critical Fail).
      Ring of the Dramatic Entrance

      Ring, Uncommon

      A flashy ring adorned with a polished ruby that sparkles a bit too brightly under ambient light.

      • The Gamble: Whenever you enter a room or combat encounter, you can trigger a flash mob of illusionary fanfare (pyrotechnics, trumpet blasts, and a choir shouting your name). Roll a d6:
        • 1–3 (The Hecklers): The illusion fails embarrassingly--a lone slide whistle plays as a phantom crowd boos. You take 1d4 Psychic damage and have Disadvantage on your first attack or initiative check.
        • 4–6 (Main Character Energy): All enemies within 30 feet who can see or hear you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or be Stunned until the start of their next turn out of sheer awe.

      Footwear & Accessories

      Boots of the Nudist's Escape

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Light leather boots with wing patterns stitched on the sides.

      • The Gamble: Allows the wearer to cast Misty Step up to 2 times per day as a bonus action.
      • The Catch: The teleportation magic only transports organic material and the boots themselves. Every stitch of clothing, set of armor, backpack, weapon, and gold purse stays behind in a tidy, disappointed pile right where you were standing.
      Boots of Unpredictable Friction

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Boots made of polished glass soles that constantly alter their texture.

      • The Gamble: As a bonus action, click your heels together to cast Expeditious Retreat (allowing you to Dash as a bonus action).
      • The Catch: When the spell ends, roll a d20:
        • Even: The soles become hyper-adhesive. Your movement speed drops to 0 until the end of your next turn.
        • Odd: The soles lose all friction. You immediately slide 15 feet in a random direction and fall Prone.
      Bag of Withholding

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Acts like a standard Bag of Holding, but suffers from severe separation anxiety.

      • The Gamble: Reaching in to grab an item requires an action and a DC 12 check:
        • Strength (Athletics): Ripping the item out by force.
        • Charisma (Persuasion): Coaxing the bag into letting go.
      • The Outcome:
        • Success: You pull the item out cleanly.
        • Failure: The bag snaps shut, dealing Bludgeoning Damage. It refuses to open for anyone until the start of your next turn.
      Mirror of Honest Feedback

      Wondrous Item, Rare

      A handheld silver mirror that speaks in an insufferably smug voice.

      • The Gamble: As an action, hold the mirror up to an enemy within 30 feet to deliver a devastating personal critique. The target makes a DC 14 Charisma Save:
        • Failure: Target takes 4d6 Psychic damage and is Frightened of you for 1 minute as its self-esteem crumbles.
        • Success: The mirror turns to you instead, roasting your life choices. You take 2d6 Psychic damage and have Disadvantage on your next attack roll.
      Feather of Uncontrolled Flight

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      A bright peacock feather that twitches nervously when held.

      • The Gamble: As an action, hold the feather above your head to gain a Fly Speed of 60 ft for 1 minute (no concentration required).
      • The Catch: You can only fly in a straight line at full speed each turn. You cannot stop midway unless you hit a solid object (taking 1d6 Bludgeoning damage per 10 feet traveled). Changing direction requires your action and a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to manually shift your momentum.

      Consumables & Scrolls

      Potion of Prior Authorization

      Potion, Uncommon
      A colorless liquid that, for unknown reasons, appears jet black when inside of any container. Has a surprisingly bitter taste.

      • The Gamble: As an action, you drink this potion to submit a preemptive claim for emergency medical coverage. The coverage remains active for 1 hour. If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points while the claim is active, you do not immediately fall unconscious; instead, you immediately roll a d20 to process your claim:
        • 1 (Claim Denied -- Pre-Existing Condition): Your claim is flatly rejected. You fall unconscious as normal and immediately suffer 1 automatic Death Saving Throw failure due to processing delays.
        • 2–10 (Claim Denied -- Out-of-Network): Your claim is denied on the grounds that the damage type, enemy, or environment was non-covered or out-of-network. Nothing happens, and you fall unconscious at 0 HP as normal.
        • 11–19 (Claim Approved -- Subject to Deductible): Your claim is approved! You immediately regain 50% of your maximum Hit Points. However, to cover your deductible, you instantly lose gold equal to Your Character Level multiplied by 10 (or your highest remaining spell slot if you are broke).
        • 20 (In-Network Miracle): Fully covered with zero copay. You immediately regain 50% of your maximum Hit Points and gain Advantage on your next roll out of sheer bureaucratic relief.
      • The Fine Print: If you have taken damage from the same type of creature earlier in the day, the DM may rule the damage a "pre-existing condition," imposing Disadvantage on your claim roll.
      Potion of Delayed Reparations

      Potion, Uncommon

      A bright pink, fizzy liquid that tastes like strawberry soda and impending doom.

      • The Gamble: Drinking this potion instantly heals you for 4d8+4 HP.
      • The Catch: At a time to be determined by the DM, between now and 1d4 hours later, a spectral glowing fist materializes out of thin air and punches you square in the jaw. You take 2d8 Bludgeoning Damage, and must pass a DC 12 Constitution Save or be stunned for 1 round.
      Potion of Schrödinger’s Healing

      Potion, Rare

      A murky gray liquid locked inside a completely opaque lead flask.

      • The Gamble: Upon drinking, the DM rolls 4d4 for healing, but does not reveal the total to you. Your HP on your character sheet does not change.
      • The Outcome: The healing exists in quantum superposition. The exact moment you take damage that would drop you to 0 HP, the potion's health retroactively triggers 1 microsecond before damage is applied, potentially saving your life (or leaving you dead if the roll was too low).
      Scroll of Almost Fireball

      Scroll, Uncommon

      A scorched leather parchment that smells faintly of sugar and lemon juice.

      • The Gamble: Casts a 3rd-level Fireball spell (20 foot radius, range 150 ft).
      • The Catch: Instead of fire, the point of impact explodes with billions of aggressive Fire Ants.
        • Creatures in the area take 8d6 Piercing/Acid Damage (Halved on DC 14 Dexterity save).
        • The area becomes Difficult Terrain for 1 minute. Anyone starting their turn in the zone takes 2d6 Acid damage and must pass a DC 12 Constitution save or suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls due to ants crawling in their clothing.
      Scroll of Summon Bear (Subjective)

      Scroll, Uncommon

      A scroll bearing a crude drawing of a furry creature. The definition of "Bear" is left up to cosmic interpretation.

      • The Gamble: You cast the scroll to summon a creature for 1 hour. Roll a d4:
        1. The Ursine: A standard, extremely territorial Polar Bear. It attacks the nearest creature every turn (friend or foe).
        2. The Huntsman: A large, hairy, and very flamboyant Human Barbarian named Barry appears. He speaks with a booming voice, has a glorious handlebar mustache, gives great fashion advice. Barry wields a great axe (1d12 damage). He will defend you as long as you regularly compliment his mustache.
        3. The Softie: A tiny, mundane Koala. It has 3 HP and 0 attacks. Whoever carries it gains Advantage on Wisdom saves and immunity to being Frightened because it is absurdly calming to hold.
        4. The Drop Bear: A carnivorous Koala lands on the head of your target, dealing 3d6 Slashing Damage and blinding them until they spend an action to pull it off.
      47 votes
    18. Suggestions for a LAN party

      Hello fellow tildeans, I’m looking for suggestions for 7 player lan games that will run on a combination of steam decks and Mac books. I was thinking of retro games because I feel like there’s...

      Hello fellow tildeans,
      I’m looking for suggestions for 7 player lan games that will run on a combination of steam decks and Mac books. I was thinking of retro games because I feel like there’s more compatibility for macOS but would like to field suggestions from fellow nerds on Tildes.
      Thanks!
      Preferences are probably shooting games but are open to other kinds~

      26 votes
    19. What pre-NES games do you still recommend today?

      Either because the game itself is still good, or because you think it's able to be appreciated for more historical/didactic reasons (e.g. Game X is the origin for a certain trope). Or any other...

      Either because the game itself is still good, or because you think it's able to be appreciated for more historical/didactic reasons (e.g. Game X is the origin for a certain trope).

      Or any other reason really -- you're not limited to the two.

      Importantly, why do you recommend them? What appeal do they have to modern audiences?

      The reason I'm saying "pre-NES" (Nintendo Entertainment System) is simply because I imagine that a good number of us here started gaming with the NES and don't have as much of a pulse on what came before it. I imagine even more of us started gaming well after the NES and would appreciate insight into that period of gaming history.

      31 votes
    20. Question for those who played both the original and remake of Final Fantasy VII

      I’ve never played the original and am playing through the first game in the remakes and was curious if: you generally like the remake series so far? the characters had the same personality you...

      I’ve never played the original and am playing through the first game in the remakes and was curious if:

      • you generally like the remake series so far?
      • the characters had the same personality you imagined now that they’re fully voiced?
      • the overall atmosphere/vibe is the same/similar?
      • Anything else you’d like to mention as being surprising or disappointing when comparing the two.
      18 votes
    21. Tell me about your favourite web-based logic puzzles!

      I was never a wordle fanatic, but I am hooked on this Alphable game now https://geoffpevlin.com/games/alphable/. I also play https://cluesbysam.com/. Do people know of other web-based (hopefully...

      I was never a wordle fanatic, but I am hooked on this Alphable game now https://geoffpevlin.com/games/alphable/. I also play https://cluesbysam.com/.

      Do people know of other web-based (hopefully free) logic puzzles like these? I like the daily format, but wouldn't limit myself to that if there are others that are also interesting.

      I've done all of the https://www.rustylake.com/ games too, which I quite enjoyed, but these types of puzzles require a little bit more time investment that I don't really have right now. (I also hated that some of the "logic" in those games did not seem to make sense to me, and I'd have to google the answer to continue with the game.)

      I also like https://timeguessr.com/ but don't return to that one as frequently because I can't play it on my phone.

      I really like in-person escape games but they are expensive and vary drastically in quality, so was very happy to find these types of games scratch that same itch.

      44 votes
    22. Slay The Spire 2

      Hey team, wondering if anyone on tildes be keen to play Slay The Spire 2. I'm in Melbourne, Australia, so that's my rough time zone. But yeah none of my friends play it, I'm obsessed with it, I'm...

      Hey team, wondering if anyone on tildes be keen to play Slay The Spire 2. I'm in Melbourne, Australia, so that's my rough time zone. But yeah none of my friends play it, I'm obsessed with it, I'm pretty close to buying the physical boardgame, but would love to try multiplayer.

      24 votes
    23. What's a game you're dying to play that doesn't exist?

      Greetings everyone. I'm currently in the process of getting a Computer Science degree for two primary reasons. 1.) Because I want to get a stable development job where I'm currently employed, but...

      Greetings everyone. I'm currently in the process of getting a Computer Science degree for two primary reasons. 1.) Because I want to get a stable development job where I'm currently employed, but most importantly to me 2) Because I want to make video games and have the educational credentials to confidently do so.

      I know I know, you don't need a computer science degree to create video games, and my program doesn't even teach game development. So I have a long journey ahead learning game dev alongside my program in my own time. Also I have no intentions of working at an actual game company.

      So my question today is,

      What is a game that you are dying to play, that nobody has made yet?

      I'm trying to get some inspiration. It's hard to think about something that truly doesn't exist, because there's so many amazing games already. I'm genuinely curious.

      If you're struggling like I am, feel free to list a game that's been made exactly once but no ones been able to reproduce it's genius.

      I'll start,

      I am DYING to play a factory builder game, but with ARPG gameplay. So Factorio / Dyson Sphere Program meets Diablo 4 & Path Of Exile. I just think this would create such a dopamine addicting game that would be impossible to pull away from if done right. My idea would be to have the factory be the loot crafting mechanic for progressively better armos, while the ARPG is what you use to get the materials needed to craft truly insane gear. Idk, if done right I think this could have legs.

      47 votes
    24. Are there any video games that are/were popular in your country, that the rest of the world hardly knows about?

      I recently have been reconnecting with something from my childhood: the Krosmoz universe! Anyone who was a kid in France between 2004 and 2012 or so either grew up on it or is at least a little...

      I recently have been reconnecting with something from my childhood: the Krosmoz universe! Anyone who was a kid in France between 2004 and 2012 or so either grew up on it or is at least a little bit familiar with it. Most people outside of the country, if they know of it, generally only know of Dofus, the first of their three (actually five (actually eight if you count the dead ones)) tactical MMORPGs, or the derived TV animated series Wakfu, which was picked up on Netflix at one point. But it's massive here. Even today, they're still quite popular and perpetually developed.

      As a medium, video games are not generally so closely tied to countries; more than half of their history has been during the era of globalization and the Internet. Even in the past, when you could only buy games in person in a store, people's minds everywhere were nonetheless on games from overseas. Today, games made in Sweden or Morocco have lived on the same storefronts as games made in Venezuela and Australia for a good while, and I'd bet most people don't even think about where the people who make the games they play come from.

      I personally think this is a great thing! But the fact that there's something like Krosmoz, that's so unusually localized to one place, makes me curious to know if there's more; and if there is, I want to know what's unique about it, and what it says about its players and makers, too.

      I've asked this before on reddit, and I remember being told about Metin2, an originally Korean MMO that was so popular in Eastern Europe that even a decade after the original Korean and US servers were shut down, players from those countries are still updating the game and keeping it alive. This is a different situation from Krosmoz but another fascinating one. It's the kind of thing I wanna know about.

      This is an invitation to yap, if you'll oblige me. Do you have anything like that where you're from? A game or game franchise that only people of your culture know, and that you want everyone else to know about? I wanna hear about it!

      I posted this once and immediately deleted it to make it shorter. I did not really succeed. Please don't sue me!

      44 votes
    25. Arc Raiders is hilarious

      I think the simplest thing Arc Raiders nailed about gameplay is the pacing. The enemies move at such a pace that you never get instantly vapourised; you always have a second or two to try...

      I think the simplest thing Arc Raiders nailed about gameplay is the pacing. The enemies move at such a pace that you never get instantly vapourised; you always have a second or two to try something crazy even when you're utterly doomed. The times that 'something crazy' works you have a unique memorable moment. Let me tell you about one of mine.

      A Rocketeer is a common headache in Arc Raiders. It's a quadcopter drone the size of a tank that shoots rockets. It usually takes a big and expensive weapon to take one down, but players started to take notice of an item called a 'Hornet Driver', basically a stun grenade. What happens when you stun an aerial drone? That's right, it drops right out of the sky, to its doom if the fall is far enough.

      With this in mind, I emerged from some tunnels to find another player pinned down by a Rocketeer. I throw a Hornet Driver, it hits just the right spot and the Rocketeer drops to the ground but is unharmed... and then in trying to angrily get back in the air it flips itself over on its back, completely immobilised. The two of us strangers hesitate for a split second before we sprint over and beat the thing to death with hammers.

      There are flaws in this game but in terms of creating organic events it's been a great time.

      20 votes
    26. What are your favorite custom games?

      Custom games/game modes/rulesets give gamers the ability to enjoy some games nearly infinitely. Gary's Mod, Rust, Minecraft, Robolox, Fortnite, and many others keep people coming back as people...

      Custom games/game modes/rulesets give gamers the ability to enjoy some games nearly infinitely. Gary's Mod, Rust, Minecraft, Robolox, Fortnite, and many others keep people coming back as people create new ways to play.
      When I was younger I played a ton of Warcraft 3 custom games. I remember there being a solid ~2 years when that was almost entirely what I would play whenever I was able to use the computer and then another 3-4 years after where I would play at least a couple of times a week.

      I remember loving custom games like:

      • Defense of the Ancients (DotA)
      • Island Troll Tribes (also Jungle Troll Tribes to a lesser extent)
      • Risk (and it's many versions)
      • Wintermaul and Wintermaul wars (along with all the other tower defense and tower defense wars)
      • Vamperism
      • Pest Control
      • Many others as this list would drag on

      I remember chatting with a lot of interesting people, though I didn't have any friendships I made move past Warcraft 3 in to other games.

      I know there are many other games with custom games or customer game modes that the community developed, with DotA 2 coming full circle from being the sequel to a custom game to having custom games of its own.

      To get the conversation going:

      • What games had your favorite custom games?
      • What custom games were your favorite?
      • Did you make or contribute to any custom games?
      • Any favorite memories?
      25 votes