We’re back with another special interview episode. This time, we’re talking to Jason Cordova, the mastermind behind The Gauntlet and creator of such RPGs as Brindlewood Bay, The Between and Public Access.
Jason’s games take a different approach than most to investigation, informed by the classic indie RPGs from the days of The Forge. We talk about how these techniques might be applied to other games, such as Call of Cthulhu, as well as what makes for an interesting mystery.
Since recording this episode, Jason has announced a crowdfunding campaign for a three-volume print edition of The Between, packed with alternative settings and other bonus material. The campaign begins on the 24th of September 2024. You can find full details on the project’s Backerkit page.
If you want to hear The Between in action, you can hear Scott playing a campaign on Ain’t Slayed Nobody, alongside Nic Rosenberg, Josephine McAdam, and cuppycup, with Jason Cordova as Keeper.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
- The Gauntlet
- Fear of a Black Dragon
- The Darkened Threshold
- Old School Renaissance
- Ain’t Slayed Nobody
- The Between preview edition
- Public Access
- Powered by the Apocalypse
- Apocalypse World
- Dogs in the Vineyard
- Blades in the Dark
- Brindlewood Bay
- Dungeon World
- Dungeon World For Beginners
- The Forge
- The Big Sleep (1946)
- Who killed the chauffeur?
- Character Keeper
- Fiasco
- The Shab-al-Hiri Roach
- Psi*Run
- Monsterhearts
- Ghosts of El Paso preview edition
- Sorcerer
- Lovecraftesque
- Dark Depths
- InSpectres
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To me, this feels *way* too much “the players decide everything as we go along.” It just invites far too much player prerogative, “You can’t tell me what to do, GM, because this is all about *my* creativity,” etc.
You’d have to have of group of nothing but ethical players to avoid a “that guy” game which simply devolves into “My spontaneous, random crap is better than yours.”
I would never write adventures this way, nor run them. That said, it sounds like an awesome game to *play*.
Hopefully, I’ll get to.
Jason, you sound like a great guy, I’d love to meet you some day, and make up your adventures for you as we go along.
Thank you, CthulhuBob
Iä! fhtagn! Yog Sothoth Neblod Zin!
Now following Jason on Twitter and YouTube, and have hunted down his website.