Monday Musings #62 🤬
Musings on Spys, Jokers and Pathways
Good Monday, Gamer!
Kicked off the weekend with a visit to our local game café, where I had the chance to catch up with an old friend, Nick of New Mexicon fame. We initially aimed to play Final Girl, but since none of us had played it before, we shifted gears. While I was hunting for Return to Dark Tower, I stumbled upon DC Spyfall instead.
If you haven’t played it, Spyfall is a great party game where everyone gets dealt a card that places them in a location with a specific occupation—except one player, who gets the Spy card. The Spy has to figure out where everyone is through a series of questions without revealing themselves. DC Spyfall was solid, though it leans heavily on your group's knowledge of DC lore, which can be a barrier. Also, the lack of occupations on location cards slows things down a bit. But bumps aside, we had a blast, and it was great catching up with Nick.
On the Lifted: Indomitable front, I've been deep in the weeds drafting Pathways maps for this RPG about ordinary people with extraordinary powers. Honestly, I wasn’t planning to dive into Cortex Pathways initially. I took a stab at it early in development but shelved it. Here’s the thing: I love games that run 8-12+ sessions, but let’s face it—getting the same group of adults to show up weekly is like herding face-huggers. So, realistically, I end up running more one-to-three-session games before life inevitably gets in the way.
Pathways is a collaborative setting and character creation process for Cortex Prime games. It creates a map showing connections between characters, places, events, and objects, laying the groundwork for a Lifted series. You’ll explore your character’s past, forge connections, and set the stage for the adventures to come. Lifted has five base stages:
The Ordinary World: Who were you before everything changed?
Previously: What significant events or traumas still cast a shadow over your life?
Genesis: The moment everything changed when your powers manifested.
The Gauntlet: The trials and challenges you’ve faced since your powers emerged.
Presently: After everything you’ve been through, where do you stand?
We also offer three optional history stages for more seasoned characters. These stages let you trade complications for more power, adding depth and complexity to your character’s journey.
I’m a big fan of what Pathways brings to session zero for long games, but I believe your setup needs to be tailored to the specific game you’re playing. I once used Pathways for a Traveller-inspired Cortex game, and that initial map was 🔥. The challenge is balancing scratch-built characters with those created through Pathways—the latter will always have a richer backstory.
Looking ahead, I’ll be running demo games starting in November—first at Game Day in KC, then at PAXU in December, and then who knows where!
And in case you missed it, TinyCon’s in Rascal News! Go check it out!
Catch you next week!
Sept:
RPGKC Monthly @Mind Games & Magic. Twilight: 2000 - Heavy is the Crown (pt II)
SharedHearth 5th-8th, Online
Meeple-a-thon (Sept 27-29) : Through Durin’s Doors (The One Ring)
Oct:
Burning Wheel Con (Lodging Acquired!!)
Nov:
Dec:
PAXU!! Lifted: Indomitable + Games on Demand
Where are the materials for Lifted: Indomitable being teased? Sounds compelling.