The Matrix Program Package - A Gem from the Early Days of Decking

By Dean on June 9, 2026

While digging through old archives from a mention in a cyberdeck subreddit. I stumbled across something I hadn’t seen in years — the Cyberspace/Matrix Program Package built by IceToaster for Windows 3.x and 95. This thing is a genuine piece of Shadowrun history and I am genuinely excited to share it.

What Is It?

The Matrix Program Package lets your decker jack into a 3D DOOM-style cyberspace environment while fully preserving the rules from VR 1.0 and SR 2.01 — and yes, that means VR 1.0, not VR 2.0. If you are a purist who never forgave the rule shift, this one is for you.

Continue reading

Borrowing Rules for Better Games - Carved from the Brindlewood Bay System

on April 18, 2026

As I continue my journey throughout the various games this world has to offer, I am continuously impressed by what I find out in the indie space. These games which a lot of people may not have even heard of, continue to amaze and impress with innovations. Some of these, as I talked about in my previous post, should be examined for continuous improvement of our Gamemastering skills. Brindlewood Bay offers enough that it can stand alone as something worthwhile to be examined. So today, let’s crack this nut open and talk about what a “Carved from the Brindlewood Bay system” looks like, why it’s impressive in its own right and what you can learn from its game design philosophies.

Continue reading

Mythic Bastionlands Review

on March 9, 2026

It’s been awhile my friends! For me its been quite a few busy months of adjusting to a new job and seeing where things fall for a lot of different things in my life. One thing that of course has stayed the same is my ravenous appetite for new and interesting games. I have quite a banger for you this time too.

A Fantasy Game Unlike Any Other

Mythic Bastionlands is like nothing I have ever played or run before. It’s a fantasy game with the eerie backdrop of a kingdom beset by myths (and those myths are WILD). You are one of 72 knights who were knighted by one of the 72 seers, given strange and fantastical powers in order to help keep the realm safe and together. Within this framework you work together with your fellow players across a sprawling map to find what is plaguing the kingdom and through the seers wisdom, how to stop it.

Continue reading

Gunslinger Knights Review

By Dean on December 26, 2025

Im a big fan of a lot of games (Which is why I have this website honestly), that goes double for games with unique settings and very few are as unique as Gunslinger Knights. It’s a game that is a bit weird but wholly wonderful. Part post-apocalypse, part 1980s cartoon, part Arthurian legend, it holds something for everyone who has even the slightest inclination for high octane fun.

The Elevator Pitch

Gunslinger Knights is a game about dimension hopping Arthurian Knights traveling across a medieval world on magical motorcycles fighting for a pacifist people against necromantic agents of chaos who have started to invade a world destroyed by a magical apocalypse. I know that sounds like a lot (and it is in some cases) but it plays a lot more fluid than you might imagine. As well, the Cypher system allows for some amazing scene setting and introduction of incredible moments, which we will talk about and I may write a whole article on what you should be stealing from Cypher if you’re not playing it!

Continue reading