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Top 5 Tabletop RPG’s to Play in 2023

A TTRPG lover can never have enough dice!
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Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon, here and I wanted to talk about the top 5 roleplaying games I think you should play this year. Just a note, this list is designed for people who have some experience with role playing games so if you are a new player or game master there’s a chance these games may not be for you. For those players I recommend checking out my post from last year linked here. But you never know, maybe you’ll find something here you want to try!

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Without any further ado let’s get on with the list!

5. Cyberpunk Red

Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit

The video game Cyberpunk 2077 had an absolute disaster of a launch, although I hear it’s overall playable now. Cyberpunk Red, however, had no such trouble and delivers an excellent immersive experience if you want to get your hands dirty in a world where huge megacorporations have been shattered and everyone is scrambling to live their lives, make a living, seize opportunities, or plot some revenge. It’s a fun and fast paced game and if you like movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix series this one should be right up your neon lit alley.

With this one I recommend starting with the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit. This comes with a book of lore and adventures that take place in the setting and a book of rules to use for gameplay. You also get six pregenerated characters making getting started much faster. There are also some maps and standees here to use. Fair warning you may need to read the rules a couple of times to get the full feel for it as not everything is 100% clear on the first read.

The Jumpstart Kit retails for $29.99 on drivethrurpg but right at this moment you can get it for $4.99 which is a steal. To get the Jumpstart Kit click here or on the image above.

If you’re convinced and want to just go all in on Cyberpunk Red you can get the core book for $30.00 but it is on sale for $22.50 right now. Not quite as good of a deal as the Jumpsart Kit but it’s a savings and this will have the full rules, a lot more lore, and ten unique Roles for you to play. To get the core book just click here.

4. Kids on Brooms

Kids on Brooms

I’ve talked before about Kids on Bikes which is an extremely fun role playing game. It lets you take on the kinds of stories you think of when you think about all the stories about kids who ride bikes in movies and TV shows. Think E.T. and Stranger Things. There will be a second edition of this game coming out in 2023 but we don’t have it yet. While we are waiting, did you know there is a magical school version of this game called Kids on Brooms that uses the same rule system?

This is rules light and narrative focused so you are not bogged down by tons of math and figuring out stat blocks and stuff like that. If you ever wanted to play in a Harry Potter style setting but not be restrained by what is actually in that setting, this one is absolutely perfect for you. And the way dice rolls can explode into bigger and bigger results is really fun here.

Kids on Brooms sells for $12.99 on drithrurpg normally but is on sale for $9.74 right now. To get it, click on the image above or click here.

If you’re interested in less magic but still want a fun game with the same set of rules, you can’t go wrong with the original Kids on Bikes. You can get this one for $9.99 on drivethrurpg normally but it is on sale right now for $7.49. To get it, just click here.

Either game is a great deal for hours of narrative storytelling fun.

3. ThirstY Sword Lesbians

Thirsty Sword Lesbians

If you’re looking for an RPG that acknowledges and celebrates the existence of queer people and you like playing in games where a deadly duel can suddenly result in passionate love, this is the game for you. It may not be a perfect game but there are simply not enough TTRPG’s that have queer folks as a central focus and most of those tend not to acknowledge queer relationships outside of a quick mention of a partner. This game flips that over and makes the dueling and the romance the central point. And, it’s fun to play!

There’s lots of advice here on running a safe game for everyone at the table and respecting everyone’s boundaries. It’s a great romp of a swashbuckler and as a CIS, hetero male, let me just reassure everyone reading here that, no, you do not have to be a lesbian, or even queer to enjoy this game. It’s not for everyone and if you are looking to just bash monsters and not have any romance or passion in your game, maybe don’t buy this one. But, this is a really refreshing change from a lot of TTRPG’s out there and it was developed by a diverse group of people with a variety of identities and they ended up with a pretty fun game. If you like shows like The L Word or Our Flag Means Death, you’ll have a good time with this one.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians sells for $15.00 on drivethrurpg but right now you can get it for $11.25. To get it, click the image above or click here.

2. Mutants & Masterminds

Mutants & Masterminds Third Edition

While I love fantasy role playing games, there’s just something super fun about playing in a superhero universe. Later this year Marvel will be coming out with its own version of a TTRPG, the first they have done in a while. But in order for that game to do well, it is going to have to be better than Mutants & Masterminds and that is no small feat. I will say the character creation can take a bit of time here but the rules allow you to be just about any superhero you’ve heard of and to invent ones you’ve never heard of but always wanted to see. Characters don’t tend to end up dead quite as easily as in some other TTRPG’s because, like in the comics, heroes are meant to endure. You pretty much just need a D20 and the core rulebook to get started on this one.

If you love Marvel, Image, DC, Valiant or basically any superhero comics and want to play in a world like those, this is the game for you. It’s tons of fun and full of action. It’s narrative heavy but it does take some work in the character development phase. After all, you want a good origin story if you’re a hero don’t you?

You can get the core rulebook known as The Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook PDF for $20.00 on drivethrurpg. Unfortunately, unlike most of the titles on this list, this one is not on sale right now. And while there is a Mutants & Masterminds Basic Hero’s Handbook for a little cheaper at $16.95 normally but on sale for $12.71 right now, I really don’t recommend it. For this one, the Deluxe book really is the way to go as it gives you everything you need, including a quickstart character generator and two premade adventures. To get the core rulebook click the image above or click here.

1. Zweihander Fantasy Horror RPG

Zweihander Fantasy Horror RPG Starter Kit

I love fantasy, I love horror, I love TTRPG’s so I can’t go wrong with the Zweihander Fantasy Horror RPG Starter Kit. This kit gives a great intro into Zweihander and their Grim & Perilous games. It’s kind of like Dungeons & Dragons but it leans toward more horror and a lot more death. It’s sort of like Call of Cthulhu rules meeting up with the D&D setting but there’s enough here to make it completely original. It has a grim and gritty feel to it where actions have consequences and there is danger lurking around every corner.

For this one I highly recommend using the Starter Kit. You can get it on drivethrurpg as a PDF for $6.66 normally but it’s on sale for $5.00 right now. I will warn you that on driethrurpg it is only the PDF so you don’t get the cool box but you do get a rule book for making characters, a rulebook for running the game, and printable versions of stuff like the GM screen, the maps and the cards. If you’re okay with printing this stuff drivethrurpg is a good deal and you can get it by clicking the image above or by clicking here.

If you just gotta have that cool box and the stuff already printed (and I can’t blame you if you do!) then you’ll want to either visit your local friendly gaming store, or buy through Amazon. On Amazon it’s going to cost you $29.99 plus shipping and all that good stuff. If you want to buy that version, just click here.

In Conclusion

Well, that’s the list. What games are you looking forward to playing in the coming year? If you have any good recommendations drop them in the comments below!

I think you’ll have fun playing any of these games but that’s just my opinion and games certainly up to people’s tastes and preferences. I hope you got some good recommendations here but either way make 2023 a year for gaming!

Thanks for reading!

Adventuringly yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Marvel 616 Review – Journey Into Mystery #91

Journey Into Mystery Issue 91, Photo Credit: Marvel, Writer Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, Artist Joe Sinnott

Journey Into Mystery has thrown us quite a few stories involving Thor and his alter ego Don Blake. He’s fought communists, aliens, petty thieves and an assortment of other bad guys. But Thor always shines most when he fights Loki. Even when he doesn’t know he is fighting Loki.

This issue starts with Odin in Asgard holding what he calls a belt of strength. It belongs to Thor but so far during his time on Earth (aka midgard). This belt gives Thor even more strength and power than he usually has.

We shift over to Thor who is flying through the sky and sees a commotion below him. A bank building is floating in the air as the people below it watch. Thor forces the building towards the ground but it suddenly disappears. Strangely, all the people who where in the bank suddenly reappear unharmed. Thor turns back into his mortal form of Dr. Don Blake. He sees the crowd panicking but none of them seem to have any memory of where they went or what happened there.

Dr. Blake realizes this is not due to any physical issue and assumes Loki must be up to something. Interestingly, it seems Blake remembers what happens when he is Thor. Their personalities seem to merge a bit more frequently in this issue than in some others. This is not a Hulk/Banner dichotomy, Blake and Thor seem to have similar goals most of the time.

Blake changes back to Thor and calls to Odin to check that Loki is still in Asgard. Odin confirms Loki hasn’t left but Odin is not aware that Loki can get up to mischief even from Asgard. Thor figures he has to go back and find out who seems to be doing these odd things. He sees a bunch of cash floating in the air at the race track.

We flash over to Loki who is having the time of his life watching all this happen. Turns out a few days earlier Loki discovered a person with a mild amount of telepathic abilities who was making a living at a carnival. This person is named Sandu and he guesses accurately in seconds that Don Blake is in love with Jane Foster but he denies it. Jane gets a bit frustrated because she thinks Blake is too stuffy to fall for any girl. Blake, for his part knows Odin has forbidden him to reveal his identity to any mortal. At least he has a somewhat valid excuse. It’s tough to defy the command of a god and all.

Loki decides to boost Sandu’s powers and figures the guy would turn to pure evil pretty quickly. Loki was absolutely right about that. Needless to say, the guy goes on a crime spree stealing as much money as he can. He teleports money and banks and art and even a whole palace. Any people in the buildings he teleports he wipes away their memories. Most of it he teleports to the moon. Not sure how that will work for him but I guess we should just let Sandu be Sandu in this one.

Thor tries to stop the guy and Loki watches with sheer joy as Thor tries to fight Sandu. Sandu crosses the line when he teleports the United Nations building and demands that all the delegates make him the ruler of the world. As Thor tries to stop him, Sandu drops a bunch of steel on him and traps Thor. Thor asks for help from Odin. And as you can probably guess, Odin sends the belt of strength from the beginning of the issue.

A pair of Valkyries bring it to Thor. These are not the strong warrior women you might imagine from the MCU. These are ethereal beings who kind of float around in flowing gowns. This will change in future comics but it’s how we are first introduced to them.

Thor busts out of the trap he is in but Sandu tricks Thor into throwing his hammer and then teleports Thor into a dimension where he can’t reach his hammer. Sandu isn’t all that smart though because he realizes how powerful a weapon it is and tries to lift Mjolnir with his mind. In Asgard, Loki basically yells at Sandu because he knows there is no way this dude can lift that hammer.

In the end, Thor prevails and Sandu is defeated. But, no one seems to be wise to the fact that Loki caused all the mischief here.

Some things to note in this issue are the integrated personalities of Thor and Blake, they seem to be one person, but how that’s possible isn’t yet explained, Loki for the first time here not only causes trouble but gets away with it without being caught at all, and the connection between Thor and Odin is made more direct than before. It seems Thor can call dear ol’ dad whenever he needs to and there is a pretty instant reply.

The end of the issue shows us Loki saying he will find a way to defeat Thor because he’s got all eternity to scheme. We’ve definitely not seen the last of him and he’ll prove to be more of a threat than just to Thor once the Avengers finally assemble. For now though, we leave him seething as always and just itching to get back at Thor.

Next up on the reading list, we’ll be checking in on Johnny Storm in Strange Tales #108!

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M3GAN – Movie Review

M3GAN (2022)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Hello all you people living out in the internet! It’s me, Slick Dungeon, and I’m here to review the film that goes along with the viral dance video, M3GAN. Please be warned there will be some spoilers here so if you have not seen the movie shut down, take a break, watch the movie and come back here to read the review after.

If you are reading past this sentence, you will be spoiled. What if you took Hal 2000 from 2001, allowed it to learn about death and murder and all the bad stuff humans do, paired it with a human child, and gave it the durability of a terminator robot? Bad things? Do we think bad things would happen if we did that? Yes, the answer is yes. If anyone is working on this as a project right now and happens to read this review, stop it now. Please.

Anyway, this movie is definitely an argument for why we should make sure people working in robotics adopt Asimov’s three laws of robotics post haste.

As far as the plot of the film, here’s how it goes. The movie starts off with an ad for what I can only describe as the worst version of Furby you’ve ever seen. A little girl named Cady is heading towards a snow vacation with her parents. She’s a little distracted by the furby-style toy pet she has in the car and it’s a pretty bad snow storm. The parents die in a car crash.

Cady is orphaned and her aunt Gemma is now responsible for her. Turns out Gemma helped to create that little toy pet and she’s working on a much more ambitious project. Basically a sentient, child sized doll that can learn and adapt. She’s behind on some work projects because of this and has to deliver something amazing. She rushes it a bit and develops M3GAN as the newest hit toy without adding in stuff like parent controls or an emergency off switch of any kind. And also, M3GAN seems to be able to pair with any bluetooth enabled device near her.

Things start off calmly enough. M3GAN is almost like a replacement friend/parent to Cady. While doing some testing in the toy lab M3GAN asks about death after she overhears a conversation. Before anyone can stop her, M3GAN has downloaded everything about the subject on the internet. Her prime directive is to keep Cady safe and this is where, shall we say, stuff hits the fan. A dog bites Cady and soon the dog is no more.

Things escalate when Cady is brought to an outdoor school setting and an older boy bullies her. Let’s just say M3GAN is not a fan. Bad things happen to people who cross Cady and/or M3GAN from this point forward. Even Gemma seems to have lost control.

The most entertaining part of the movie comes in the end when they try to have a global launch for M3GAN as the hot new toy and instead she basically goes on a rampage.

If you’ve seen evil doll or robot movies before, you’ve pretty much seen what happens in this movie. Bodies drop, some people do things they shouldn’t, more bodies drop, and eventually someone has to get a grip on this thing and stop it and we’re given a stinger at the end to imply M3GAN is not entirely gone.

I will say, M3GAN does have a bit more flair than some of the killer doll movies I’ve seen and most of it is entertaining. However, it seems a hundred percent obvious to anyone watching that maybe instead of focusing on the potential sentient death doll for profit, most of this horror could have been prevented if Gemma just did what most normal humans would do and gave her niece a hug instead.

If you like sci-fi or horror movies involving evil little dolls or robots, you’ll probably get a kick out of this one. Ronny Chieng has a pretty hilarious performance here as well and there’s enough humor to keep it interesting. While overall this movie is fairly predictable, it’s still fun. If creepy dolls do freak you out too much though, stay far, far away from this film.

If you’ve seen this what did you think? Let me know in the comments. Should Gemma have just, I dunno, taken Cady to the park instead of going back to work?

Robotically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Flash Fiction Friday – Resolutions

Happy Friday those of you out in cyberland! For my first Flash Fiction Friday of the year, I thought I would give you a story about New Year resolutions. Hope you enjoy!

Resolutions by Adam wright

Resolutions

  1. Reduce the number of alien strongholds on the planet
  2. Depower the CPU controlling all of the death robots
  3. Clear the zombie fields
  4. Finally patch up that garden and grow my own tomatoes
  5. Utilize the high powered syringe rifles to cure the vampire hoard
  6. Steal the codes from the megacorporation and transfer currency to the populace
  7. Stop that knife wielding lunatic who keeps offing teenagers at that lake
  8. Refresh the uploads on my cybernetic implants
  9. Ensure the slumbering creature at the bottom of the ocean does not wake this year
  10. Develop a more utilitarian saddle for riding the land worms

Affirmations

  1. I can and will achieve my goals this year
  2. I am the best me I can be
  3. When the mind is set to win, the world is mine to win
  4. If you imagine the impossible, you make the impossible, possible
  5. If I fail at my goals I need to forgive myself
  6. The world is laughing with me, not at me
  7. Don’t carry the burdens of the world on your own shoulders
  8. Taking time to clear my head is not selfish
  9. I am strong, I am attractive, I am wise
  10. There is not a death trap, tractor beam, minefield, laser grid or negative attitude I cannot survive

Annual goal setting mission statement

This year I will bring my best self to all that I do. I will be present in the moment and appreciate the life I have. I will not be envious of others who have more than me but will be grateful for what I do have. If I follow my plans I will be able to achieve my goals. I simply need to focus and I can perform better than I ever have. The cursed doll running amuck in the attic is not my fault but I will do my best to deal with it this year.

Obstacles

  1. A negative mindset
  2. An unwillingness to try new things
  3. Language barriers between myself and the wolf creatures who keep growing to unusual size before devouring innocent bystanders
  4. A year may seem like a long time but time is not on my side
  5. Rat swarms
  6. The possibility that the refrigeration units may have become sentient
  7. I can be too hard on myself sometimes
  8. Trusting innocent looking children who are capable of shapeshifting is not a good idea
  9. I need to be more organized
  10. Whatever that portal seems to be doing

Reality check on above resolutions

Who am I kidding? I do this to myself every single year. I should take that one off the list. I don’t know why I keep putting it there. I’m never going to garden. I don’t even like tomatoes!

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Prey – Movie Review

Prey (2022)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon, back to review another film. This time I watched the Predator series prequel simply called Prey. I will be giving a few mild spoilers below but nothing major. Still, if you are bothered by that sort of thing, watch the movie then read the review.

Prey is set in 1719 long before the first Predator movie happens. The good news is you definitely don’t need to have seen any of the other Predator films for this one to make sense. And, for my money, this is easily the best movie in that series. It stars Amber Midthunder in an excellent performance and all I can say is I hope we get to see more of her in action films in the future.

If you have seen Predator movies before, you’ll see a lot of what you would expect. There is a hunter with advanced technology hunting humans. The humans are far outmatched for a variety of reasons and the goal here is survival at best. This also has something most Predator films don’t. Character development is a central focus and they take the time to develop the story. While there is plenty of action, especially in the third act, this film feels way more threatening and a lot more thought out than the others by how understated it is. It takes time to build up some fear for the audience and allows us to care about characters before they are killed.

It’s also refreshing to see this happen in a time period where our modern weaponry is not yet developed. The central plot revolves around a woman named Naru who is a healer but wants to be a hunter. She’s underestimated as far as her hunting skills go but is generally accepted by her family and friends. When a lion attacks and one of the tribe’s hunters goes missing Naru joins to find the missing hunter and to kill the lion. Naru is pretty quick to pick up on the fact that there are more dangerous things than lions hunting the party.

I won’t go into too much more detail here but this absolutely ratchets up the tension in interesting ways. Like all of the Predator movies it gets bloody at times but there’s nothing more extreme than usual here.

With the unique time setting and welcome change in protagonists and the time given to develop a story, this shines as the best of the series. If you don’t really like action movies or hate all of the Predator movies this is probably not for you.

I didn’t think we needed a Predator prequel at all so I was really pleasantly surprised here. If you’ve watched the other Predator films and were kind of done with them like I was, this will breathe a bit of life back into the franchise for you. If you’re curious and you’ve never seen a Predator movie, my recommendation would be to watch this one and maybe the first Predator but stop there. This will be the best one on the list for sure.

Stealthily yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Slick Dungeon’s 2022 Challenge Wrap-Up!

Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. At the start of 2022 I created some challenges for reading, movies and TTRPG fun. 2022 is over so now it’s time to see how I did on all of these challenges. Also, heads up I will be posting new challenges for 2023 sometime in January so keep an eye out if you want to follow along!

If you did any of these challenges I would also love to hear how you did. Feel free to let me know in the comments.

Reading Challenge

Slick Dungeon’s 2022 Book Challenge! Click the image to download your own copy!

I re-read the first book I remember reading, Cat in the Hat. Still a good book. I actually read a few books longer than 500 pages long. I read some books with magic in it but I’m not sure it was a complicated magic system so I think I have to give myself a partial checkmark on that one. I did not read a book where the main character dies. I also missed the read a book you were assigned in school but didn’t read. I also missed on a book written by a famous author that I have never read. I did read several books less than 500 pages long and I absolutely read independently published books. I really didn’t read any non-fiction this year so I didn’t complete the non-fiction book about a subject I don’t know much about challenge. I read books on best seller lists so that one is covered. I also read more than one series with a large cast of characters and most of those books didn’t take place on earth so I got that one as well.

FINAL SCORE: 7 1/2 out of 12.

Movie Challenge

Slick Dungeon’s 2022 Movie Challenge! Click the image to download your own copy!

I watched The Princess Bride which is definitely about love and an amazing movie. It’s always been one of my favorites. I saw Don’t Look Up which is more of an allegory about climate change than a movie about climate change but I am still counting it for the second challenge. I watched Drive My Car which I had never heard of. I’m really glad I did but boy it sure is a long movie! I ended up watching Violent Night which I would consider a horror/comedy. There’s definitely enough gore to count as horror and they were obviously trying to be funny. I’m not sure I would recommend it to just anyone but if you ever wondered what a cross between Die Hard and Home Alone would look like if the Bruce Willis character was the real Santa Claus, that is hands down the movie for you. Power of the Dog was all character driven and really doesn’t have any action to speak of and I watched that. The best picture for the year I was born happens to be one of the best films ever made, Godfather II, and it also counts for a sequel that is better than the original. (In my opinion anyway) I definitely watched that one. The first movie I watched in a movie theater was The Great Muppet Caper and I watched that on Disney+ this year. I actually watched several movies with great musical scores but I think the one I thought was most impressive this year was Dune. I’m looking forward to the next entry in the series. We Need to Do Something is a pretty interesting horror flick and it takes place in pretty close to a single location. I wouldn’t say I completely loved it but it was an interesting watch for sure. I watched It’s a Wonderful Life around Christmas and that was made in 1946 so I got that one in as well. As far as a Razzie award winner I don’t think I watched one this year but I did watch several movies that might end up winning a Razzie. I’m not going to give myself the point but if one of the ones I watched wins, I’ll update that score.

FINAL SCORE: 11 out of 12

Read, Watch, Play Challenge

Slick Dungeon’s 2022 Read, Watch, Play challenge! Click the image above to download your own copy!

I started reading a book set in Ravenloft from Dungeons & Dragons but I did not finish it so I can’t quite count that one. I watched Stranger Things season 4 so I will count that as a movie where the characters play D&D. I definitely played the first role playing game I ever played, which would, of course, be Dungeons & Dragons. I didn’t actually come across a book where the characters play a role playing game which is a little surprising because for the last few years there’s always ended up being at least one book I read where that happened. As mentioned above I watched The Princess Bride and that has rodents of unusual size so that counts as a fantasy creature so I get that one. Recently I played Star Wars: Force and Destiny and had a blast doing it. It counts for two of these challenges. It was a tabletop roleplaying game I had never played. It was also a sci-fi tabletop role playing game. I read the rulebook for the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing game which is fully launching later this year. At some point I will do a review for that on this blog but I need to take a few more notes first. Would we consider Westley to be on a quest to rescue Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride? I think the answer is yes so I am counting that. I definitely read books with magic in them. I also watched several Star Wars movies because I do that without fail every year and we wouldn’t have Star Wars: Force and Destiny without it so I am covered there. I did not, however, play a one page TTRPG this year. It can be hard to get a group together sometimes.

FINAL SCORE: 9 out of 12

In Conclusion

2022 was a busy year for me both on the blog and personally. I had a lot of fun trying to do these challenges and I’m honestly kinda surprised I ended up with as good of a score as I did. I’m looking forward to throwing the gauntlet down for next year and seeing how everyone does. If you took my challenges and want to tell me about it, don’t forget to comment below.

Challengingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Adult Swim Yule Log (AKA The Fireplace) – Movie Review

Adult Swim Yule Log

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Hello internet, Slick Dungeon here! I know it’s a little late for a yule log but I heard about this movie and was told I just have to watch it. It’s definitely not what I expected. This one is really hard to review without spoilers but I am going to do my best to remain spoiler free here. I am going to give a few odd warnings for a yule log though.

Adult Swim Yule Log starts like any other yule log video you could watch. Like, when you’re at a Christmas part on Christmas eve and you decide to just throw an image on in the background with some soft music playing that feels warm and homey and spreads that good ol’ holiday cheer. If you were take the first three or so minutes of this movie and put it on a loop, you would not be able to tell a difference from those popular YouTube clips and this film.

But if you want to see some interesting and downright weird stuff just keep watching. Around three minutes in, the frame of the fire gets interrupted by someone vacuuming and from there it turns into one of the most insane movies I have ever seen in my life. If you are a horror fan and you are tired of all the usual stuff and need to see something different, oh this one is it. I guarantee there is something here you are not at all expecting.

But, some trigger warnings for viewers of this particular yule log, there is a fair amount of gore and violence here so be warned. It’s also odd to say this but the acting in the yule log video is pretty good and they sell a fairly outrageous story. There’s a few loose ends that don’t seem like they tie together completely for me but if you have a decently strong stomach for gore and violence watch this one.

I can honestly say, I was not expecting what I saw. This is a film that really works best to go in blindly on so I’m not going to say a lot more about it. Except for this; it’s really nice to see an innovation in horror where someone is not just rehashing old plots but actually trying something new here.

If you want a calming experience don’t watch past the third minute. After that, well my friends, you are on your own and it’s pretty wild.

If you’ve seen this, I’d love to hear what you thought, especially if you went into it blind. Let me know in the comments.

Flammably yours,

Slick Dungeon

Posted on by slickdungeon

Marvel 616 Review corrections

Hey all, this post is a little different than most of my Marvel review posts. I knew this would happen at some point in my reviews but there are a few issues I missed in the reading order. What can I say, the list changes all the time and there are so many of these comics it’s easy to overlook sometimes. For the next few reviews I’m going to be doing the ones I missed. In each post, I will tell you where they should be in the reading order but otherwise the reviews will be as you have seen before.

To make a long story short, I did an audit of my Marvel 616 reviews to make sure I hadn’t missed any and it turns out I did. So, here are the ones I have missed which you will soon see reviews for.

  1. Journey Into Mystery #91 goes after Amazing Spiderman #1
  2. Strange Tales #108 goes after Journey Into Mystery #91
  3. The Amazing Spider-Man #2 goes after Strange Tales #108

After that my reviews are back on track with Fantastic Four #13 and the rest should be good after that. Apologies for missing these but I hope you’ll keep reading my reviews anyway!

Posted on by slickdungeon · 6 Comments

Happy New Year!

Hello internet and Happy New Year! Slick Dungeon here back to welcome you into the year 2023. Today I thought I would do a more casual post wrapping up a bit of last year and letting you all know what to expect in the dungeon for this year.

Above you can see some of my posts from last year so if you haven’t checked those out please do.

2022 was a great year for this blog. I had an increase of views of 116% from 2021, an increase of visitors of 140%, an increase of likes of 77% and an increase of comments of 127%. If any of you reading this contributed to that increase, thank you! It’s genuinely appreciated and I hope you’ll stick around.

Here are links to the top 5 most popular posts on this blog for 2022. These go from least viewed to most viewed.

  1. An Interview with Zamil Akhtar, Author of Gun Metal Gods and Conqueror’s Blood
  2. Top 5 Tabletop RPG’s to play in 2022
  3. How to Play Call of Cthulhu Part 2 – Creating an Investigator
  4. Top 5 Campaigns for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
  5. Top 5 Horror One Shots for Dungeons & Dragons

Going down this list above, Zamil Akhtar will be publishing new books this year and I fully plan to review them, so look forward to that. I will be posting a top 5 list of tabletop RPG’s to play in 2023 so keep an eye out for that. I will also continue my How to play Call of Cthulhu series. And I am sure I will have more top 5 lists related to Call of Cthulhu and Dungeons & Dragons this year.

I’m hoping to have an even better year in 2023 but of course that depends on you and it depends on what kind of content I deliver.

Here are a few of the things you can expect this year.

  1. More movie reviews
  2. More book reviews
  3. More Marvel reviews
  4. More TTRPG content
  5. More short fiction written by me
  6. A new challenge list for books, movies, and TTRPG’s
  7. Reviews of Star Wars content
  8. Announcements of upcoming projects
  9. Surveys about what direction to take this blog
  10. Random stuff that comes up I just want to talk about

There will be more coming which you have not seen yet but I’m not quite ready to talk about but I will keep you updated throughout the year.

I’m really excited about all of these things coming up and I hope you’ll follow along with me. Also, I am always looking for fellow blog writers to follow so if you have a blog that might line up with some of what you see here, let me know in the comments. I only follow those who have similar interests to mine but I would love to see what everyone is up to in 2023.

Have a great year everyone!

Positively yours,

Slick Dungeon

Posted on by slickdungeon

New Year, New You – Movie Review

New Year, New You (2019) film

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Hello internet, it’s Slick Dungeon here! Well, today is the last day of 2022 and I’m sure there are plenty of people out there thinking about making New Year’s resolutions. One of mine will be to watch more movies and post about them on this here blog. But, not all resolutions are good and you shouldn’t necessarily listen to anyone on the internet telling you how to live your life. For these reasons I decided to watch the horror film on Hulu titled New Year, New You. Be warned there will be some spoilers ahead. I’ll try to keep them mild but if that sort of thing bothers you, give the movie a watch and then come on back here after.

Still with me? Good. You know how at the end of the year, mixed in with all the best of lists, the reflections on celebrities we lost, and headlines of what’s going to be the next big thing, we get tons of self help style videos from influencers telling you how to live your best life? Have you ever wondered if those videos are pretty much full of garbage like you think they are? New Year, New You answers that question with a resounding yes.

It’s a small cast of characters set in a single setting but it delivers one of the most epic takedowns of “influencer culture” I’ve ever seen. As far as the plot goes, there are four women who get together a few years after a traumatic event has happened. Three of them are living fairly normal lives, working, dating, and struggling to just get through the day for the most part. The fourth woman is a media influencer who is wealthy due to a line of health and wellness products she sells through her videos.

As you might guess there is more to the story and the past events than it seems. You might put this movie under dinner party horror. You could also call it a revenge gone wrong film. But, in my opinion, this is what I Know What You Did Last Summer had the potential for but failed to live up to.

The acting performances here are basically perfect although there is one character who seems to be led around a little too much for me to fully believe it. I was definitely guessing at most turns in the plot and there are several jaw dropping moments that make this worth a watch.

There’s nothing here overly gory. In fact, most of it is not scary at all. If you have any empathy in your soul you will feel uncomfortable for most of the movie though. The first act is a little bit of a slow burn but by the start of the third act, things really get going. There are not tons of scares, although there are a few twists. But, each moment that is meant to be shocking delivers fully on the shock.

I don’t think this is one I would rewatch over and over again or anything but I’m glad I watched it once at least. If you like a sort of slow burn horror without tons of blood but that still manages to be really shocking, this is for you. Also, if you’re sick and tired of advice about how you need to change your life just because the calendar date is getting one year bigger, watch this and you won’t feel that way anymore.

Stay safe out there, have a happy new year, and I’ll see all the rest of you in 2023!

Annually yours,

Slick Dungeon