James Nicoll Reviews

The Titan’s Forest Trilogy ebundle collects all three books in Thoraiya Dyer’s high fantasy series–Crossroads of Canopy, Echoes of Understorey, and Tides of the Titans.

“I can’t lie to you about your chances, but … you have my sympathies.”

Space is vast, dark, and not your friend. Gamma rays and neutrino bursts erupt from dying stars to cook you alive, black holes tear you apart, and the void itself boils your blood and seizes your brain. Try to scream and no one can hear you — hold your breath and you rupture your lungs. Space isn’t as empty as you’d think, either — its frontiers are ever expanding. Rival governments wage a cold war of aggression while greedy corporations vie for valuable resources. Colonists reach for the stars and gamble with their lives — each new world tamed is either feast or famine. And there are things lurking in the shadows of every asteroid — things strange and different and deadly.

Things alien.

This is the official ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game — a universe of body horror and corporate brinkmanship, where synthetic people play god while space truckers and marines serve host to newborn ghoulish creatures. It’s a harsh and unforgiving universe and you are nothing if not expendable.

Stay alive if you can.

Coriolis – The Third Horizon is a science fiction role playing game set in a remote cluster of star systems called The Third Horizon. It is a place ravaged by conflicts and war, but also home to proud civilisations, both new and old. Here, the so called First Come colonists of old worship the Icons, while the newly arrived Zenithians pursue an aggressive imperialistic agenda through trade and military power.

In this game, you will crew a space ship and travel the Horizon. You will explore the ancient ruins of the Portal Builders, undertake missions for the powerful factions and partake in the game of political intrigue on Coriolis station – the centre of power in the Third Horizon. You might even encounter strange beings from the Dark Between the Stars.

Coriolis – The Third Horizon was awarded the ENnies Judges’ Spotlight 2017 and is produced by the makers of critically acclaimed Mutant: Year Zero (six-time nominee and winner of a Silver ENnie for Best Rules 2015). Features:

• Create your unique player character – including skills, talents, gear, and relationships – in mere minutes.
• Fight fast and furious battles, praying to the Icons to overcome your enemies.
• Build and crew your ownspaceship, to explore the many star systems of the Third Horizon.
• Experience thrilling spaceship duels, using a game system that puts all player characters at the heart of the action.
• Take part in the intrigue between powerful factions on the majestic space station Coriolis.
• Uncover the mysteries of the Third Horizon, a rich tapestry of cultures that have settled the stars.

Hello!

It’s Thanksgiving in many parts of the world, November is almost over, and today it’s exactly to the day 37 years ago since the first edition of Twilight: 2000 was released. So, what better day than today for Free League to share the Alpha PDF of the upcoming fourth edition of the game with all of you wonderful backers?

A broken world.

An overwhelming evil.

A team of warriors ready to strike back.** 

1 New York Times ‑bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves.

Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara. 

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts. 

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara’s capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding? 

Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left … with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save―or destroy―them all. 

Loyalty is life.

Explore a Brand New World of Transhuman Sci-Fi Roleplaying For Your TRAVELLER™ Game!

The Ennie Award-winning transhuman science-fiction RPG setting returns, in a brand new edition for use with the TRAVELLER roleplaying game! 

This brand new 384-page hardback book includes: 

• full rules for starships, organisations, and culture operations; 

• detailed character cultures, genotypes, and new careers — play a sentient starship! 

• new and innovative systems for describing planets, star systems, and alien life; 

• deep setting material on the New Commonality of Humankind; 

• rules for the Mindscape and virtual worlds; 

• starmaps and planet descriptions, histories and background. 

THE UNIVERSE AWAITS! 

Never has there been a greater time of opportunity. The universe is in flux, and for the first time in ten thousand years no one knows what the future will bring. Charge your blaster, thoughtcast your orders to the starship sentience, and fire up the planing engines. Come and defend the light of humanity’s greatest civilisation as it spreads to the stars! 

Requires the use of the Traveller^TM Core Rulebook, available from Mongoose Publishing. High Guard and the Central Supply Catalogue, available from Mongoose Publishing, are also recommended.

For further adventures with Mindjammer, including the original Mindjammer — The Roleplaying Game and adventures like Dominion, The City People and BLUE: Adventures in the ruins of an Alien World visit http://www.mindjammerpress.net/

In 1954, the Swedish government ordered the construction of the world’s largest particle accelerator. The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop.

Acclaimed scifi artist Simon Stålenhag’s paintings of Swedish 1980s suburbia, populated by fantastic machines and strange beasts, have spread like wildfire on the Internet. Stålenhag’s portrayal of a childhood against a backdrop of old Volvo cars and coveralls, combined with strange and mystical machines, creates a unique atmosphere that is both instantly recognizable and utterly alien.

Now, for the first time, you will get the chance to step into the amazing world of the Loop.

In this game, you play teenagers in the late Eighties, solving Mysteries connected to the Loop. Choose between character Types such as the Bookworm, the Troublemaker, the Popular Kid and the Weirdo. Everyday Life is full of nagging parents, never-ending homework and classmates bullying and being bullied.

The Mysteries let the characters encounter the strange machines and weird creatures that have come to haunt the countryside after the Loop was built. The kids get to escape their everyday problems and be part of something meaningful and magical – but also dangerous.

The core rulebook contains several complete Mysteries to play and a complete campaign setting, based on the Mälaröarna islands outside of Stockholm. In addition, the core rulebook includes an alternative campaign setting in a US location, based on Boulder City, Nevada. The US setting text is written by the award-winning game writer and author Matt Forbeck.