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A jam submission

Gangsters & GargoylesView project page

8-bit Inspired Adventure for Shadowdark RPG
Submitted by WatcherDM — 1 day, 4 hours before the deadline
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Play Shadowdark Adventure

Gangsters & Gargoyles's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Inspiration#44.4294.429
Overall#64.0484.048
Usability#83.7863.786
Vibes#213.9293.929

Ranked from 14 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

Impressive formatting, lots of information but I don't feel overwhelmed. I really like the setting, you did some great stuff with 3 very different game inspirations!

Submitted(+1)

Love to see the Bayou Billy name generator. A L Hurt! Toulouse L’attack! Clean layout and good use of space. I would have liked to see a bit more formatting on text. Taking on the booklet size was no joke and you did a great job! Love the variety of encounters and faction play.This one's a real contender, great work.

Submitted(+2)

This one is a favorite! Easy to read, great layout, easy to run, love the powerball movement and the addition of the zapper. I just want to run this one. Fun!

Submitted(+2)

Inspiration: Nice use of all three games. The Bayou and Gargoyle games really come through in the setting, and the Super Glove Ball makes for a fantastic magic item/items.

Usability: You fit all this into the booklet-size format? *tips hat* 

I think this would be pretty easy to run at the table. Easy to read, nice layout, clear map.

Vibes: The Powerball would create absolute mayhem at the table. In other words, it's perfect. And the "Duck Hunt" gun controller's cameo made me laugh out loud. Nice touch.

Submitted(+2)

Killing it with this submission. Looks like a lot of fun. The hexcrawl-ish layout of the manor is kinda giving me a clue vibe and I like the clear beginning middle and end for getting adventurers through the content with a clean arc. I think the 8-bit titles were definitely well implemented and visible in prominent ways. Very readable and usable module. Great job! 

(2 edits) (+2)

CORPSE TALK LIVE DAY 2 Reviews


Since I didn't have time to enter this year, I can't do a traditional vote, but I can comment and take the time to go over some of the popular favorites and my own. Another solid entry from this team.
I really like the two mini-games and would have enjoyed seeing a bit more in the formatting of the text, plus making the monsters a bit more memorable. Now, as something fun to play, this adventure starts off with a BANG.

Day 2 reviews can be found here, time-stamped 

YOUTUBE 

Inspiration 4
Usability 4
Vibes 4

Stay F@#ckin Rotten! Keep designing! EFP

Hey, thank you for the YouTube deep dive. Much appreciated! It's very cool to see someone reading it for the first time, narrating their experience.

Submitted(+1)

The literal on rails combat on the minecart is a pretty interesting idea and the powerball potential to collapse the house is great.

Submitted(+2)
  • Vibes: We're definitely vibin'.
    • Bonus point for NES Booklet Format
    • Interesting premise (competing gangster brothers)
    • Whole thing feels very thematic. The Glove/Powerball/Zappers are *chef's kiss*.
    • Nice, thematic, bespoke art.
    • Formatting/layout is pretty basic, and may hurt usability in places, but it's functional.
    • Writing is concise and evocative.
    • Gangster names table is great.
    • Dungeon map is simple but effective. Points for creativity.
  • Inspiration: Comes through clearly, and is well and concisely explained.
    • Would have preferred to see this at the beginning so I know what to look for, but I understand this probably works better for people interested in running the game vs. evaluating it for the jam!
    • Inspiration come through clearly and is explained well (and concisely) in the inspirations section.
  • Usability: Okay, but would benefit from some quality of life improvements. Formatting and choice of NES booklet format may have hurt usability slightly.
    • Solid, concise adventure introduction up front. Really helpful as GM/rater to orient myself.
    • Would have preferred all creature stat blocks be present in the adventure (ideally on the relevant pages) BUT 1) I understand space is a huge issue and 2) props for putting the Shadowdark Rulebook page numbers. For the creature stats blocks that are included in the back, hyperlinks to them from the relevant monsters would have been nice (not a huge deal).
    • Solid, escalating (?) encounter table with clearly called out danger level, per Shadowdark norms.
    • Minor, but don't love that the rooms header is on page 5, but the rooms don't start until page 6. Hopefully an easy fix, but space may have been an issue.
    • Hyperlinks when (same document) page numbers referenced would have been a nice bonus.
    • Room descriptions are a little light, but I understand this is preference + space issues.
    • I feel like the table of contents should be up front, instead of the back. I do appreciate the hyperlinked page numbers though!

Final Thoughts: Usability may have suffered a bit due to layout and choice to go with NES booklet format, but overall its a cool, thematic adventure. Great vibes, and has clear and well-explained inspiration. Good stuff!

Disclaimer: I consider Gabriel/WatcherDM (one of the creators) to be a friend. Regardless, I've tried to be as objective as possible. Also, if you ever get a chance to play in one of Gabriel's games, DO IT. He's a phenomenal GM. Also, go check out his YouTube channel Watcher DM.

Developer(+1)

I also consider you a friend. Thanks for the thorough review. Good call out all around here. I’ll definitely implement some of these ideas after the judging wraps up.

Submitted(+2)

Very clever incorporation of the breakout mechanic! I like the unusual choice of gargoyle as quest giver, too.

Submitted(+2)

I adore the rail shooter encounter! Such a classic scene and well implemented to Shadowdark. The glove plinth pressure plate is an awesome trap design as well. Great work!