Rene Plays Games

Thanks for giving my nerdy little RPG podcast a chance. This is just a little introduction to me and what you can expect from this podcast feed. Stick around, I hope you like it and find something that inspires you to go start your own game!

It's the 5th Tuesday of the month which means we're doing something special, and that means it's time to release One Last Quest, a one page RPG that allows you to bring back some of your favorite PCs of campaigns past and play them in their elderly retired years. However, a loose thread or problem arises that forces them to put down the shuffleboard and dust off the old heroics one more time.   Download at https://RenePlaysGames.itch.io/One-Last-Quest   It's a hack 'n' mash of the popular rules lite RPG Lasers & Feelings by the incredible John Harper (Blades in the Dark, Agon) with a sprinkling of some All Outta Bubblegum by Michael Sullivan & Jeffrey Grant.   Hopefully you enjoy and you give it a shot with your group, reliving some of your favorite characters from over the years.   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Elliot Kings, Riggs - Paper Walls (with Mykyl) [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/PaperWalls Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/PaperWallsAT/youtube Arcando - In My Head (feat. Britt Lari) [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/InMyHead

Not every bonus episode has to be on a 5th Tuesday, holidays are good reason, too, right?   In this bonus one-shot, Rene ropes his wife Lynn into her first foray with Call of Cthulhu in a one-on-one scenario from the Does Love Forgive? collection.   Set in 1930s New York City amidst the bustling jazz scene, the scenario features a love triangle and questions just how far you'd go to achieve your goals. As Lynn's first dip into the system, it goes pretty off the rails in pretty fun ways!   As mentioned, one of the DMs After Dark, Christian, is a published Call of Cthulhu scenario writer. If you want to check out his stuff, go get The Night Mother's Moon!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Bugablue Music from Pixabay Podcast Jazz Music by Denis Pavlov from Pixabay Autumn Leaves Falling Again by Trygve Larsen from Pixabay Covert Ops from Tabletop Audio Infiltration from Tabletop Audio Investigator's Office from Tabletop Audio Noir Procedural from Tabletop Audio

More bonus episodes because we get an extra day for the leap year, why not an extra episode?   In this episode I play REAP by Gila RPGs (aka Spencer Campbell) - a soulslike solo RPG and companion game to RUNE, where you take on the role of a Reaper - a necromancer wandering the realms of the dying world Obron, harvesting souls from the evil horrors that plague the denizens of their domains and helping the world find peace in its end.   The mechanics are super fun and easy to learn, but the game honors its source material - it is not easy! You constantly have to deal with your resource management, enemy tactics, and luck of the dice to get you through any fight. I had a great time playing it and loved the tactile appeal of the game, which doesn't translate super well into audio, but I strongly recommend you go check out REAP and RUNE (which I believe still has a free quickstart rules guide so you can test it out), and begin your reaper's journey!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Court of the Count from Tabletop Audio Lord of Bones from Tabletop Audio Goblin Ambush from Tabletop Audio Witch Mountain from Tabletop Audio Music Rewind 3 Sound Effect from ZapSplat.com

The Substratum Protocol is a scientific initiative to explore and investigate an unnatural, cosmic portal that has appeared at the very center of the Earth's core. At the time of its arrival, a massive fracture split the planet and swallowed entire cities. The first scientists to attempt any form of data analysis from signals emitted by the portal struggled with their sanity afterwards. Using patented DSPT Mk II exo-suits, a team of scientists will descend into the Fracture and travel to the portal to close it before things get even worse...   This game is WILD! Using the Hints & Hijinx engine which pits *depreciating* step dice skill rolls against a deck of playing cards, stress mechanics which aid understanding the unfathomable at the expense of your die results, and 10 levels of increasingly trippy areas to explore, this game is a blast. I can't wait to bring it to a table and play with others!   Go check out The Substratum Protocol now on Backerkit and keep up with more Pandion Games projects in the future!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Dark Continent from TabletopAudio.com Dying World from TabletopAudio.com Gravity from TabletopAudio.com Infernal Machine from TabletopAudio.com Protean Fields from TabletopAudio.com Testing Chamber from TabletopAudio.com Starforged Vault from TabletopAudio.com

Has anyone heard of this obscure CRPG called Baldur's Gate 3? Apparently there have been 2 others, but let me tell you something... they're pretty neat for getting tabletop RPG ideas!   Happy April Fool's, ya nerds, and I'm super grateful you're all listening. Thanks, hope you chuckled, and if you do play Baldur's Gate 3 (you should), send me your favorite character builds!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

It's a 5th Tuesday, so here we are with another bonus episode! This time Rene sits down to play the one-player, card-based Dragon Dowser from Hatchling Games. It is a wonderful game where you take the role of a Dowser, someone who has dedicated themselves to saving dragon eggs from the clutches of the tyrannical Mecharchs, rulers who betrayed humanity's saviors for power and progress. It has wonderful environmentalist and conservation themes and uses Peach Garden Games' Carta SRD, which is intuitive and engaging!   Definitely check out more of Hatchling Games' releases like the sign-language teaching Inspirisles, Overisles (and soon Underisles), the supernatural scout solving Cryptid Creeks, and more on their store.   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | Itch.io | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Stranded by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10375-stranded License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Elven Glade from TabletopAudio.com Forgotten Forest from TabletopAudio.com Mysterious Grotto from TabletopAudio.com Secret Garden from TabletopAudio.com Sun Dappled Trail from TabletopAudio.com

Not a 5th Tuesday bonus episode, but just keeping up the rhyming bonus episodes with Gila RPGs solo games and in June that means RUNE. Similar to REAP, which I played back in February for the Leap Year, RUNE is a solo TTRPG based on the Dark Souls and Elden Ring games, and it plays just as punishing (you'll see).   If you want to hear Spencer play through this realm on his YouTube channel, you can watch it here, and if you want pick up Aaron Joliffe's RUNE Realms and content, you can find his games on his itch.io page.   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | Itch.io | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Court of the Count from TabletopAudio.com Escape from Shadow from TabletopAudio.com Lord of Bones from TabletopAudio.com Survivors' Bivouac from TabletopAudio.com Through The Woods from TabletopAudio.com Witch Mountain from TabletopAudio.com

5th Tuesdays are for bonus episodes and this one comes IN TWO PARTS! Part 2 will be releasing on Thursday August 1st!   For July's Bonus Episode, we're playing Free League's 2024 Free RPG Day scenario for Dragonbane called The Sinking Tower. It's a tight one-shot adventure for the classic Swedish fantasy RPG that's designed for "tournament style" play, and all happens on a two hour clock! After character creation, start the timer and speedrun this tower!   In the past, a mad sorcerer named Kamandur built a seaside tower to honor his sister and placed an eerily bright emerald at the top, luring ships and pirates to their watery graves in revenge for her death. Even after his death, the magic continued to consume those within and without, and now, every twenty years on the day of his sister's death, the tower rises from the depths for two hours. Will our PCs be the first to make it to the top and retrieve what so many others never could?   Download Rene's Finished Games (for free!): One Last Quest - bring back your favorite characters for one more mission as elderly versions of themselves! Pine Island - Rene & Christian's first game for the PocketQuest 2022 summer game jam. Play as campers or counselors at a summer camp where nothing at all creepy will happen, surely...   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands The Mirrormere by Vindsvept Court of the Count from TabletopAudio.com Drowned Sailors from TabletopAudio.com Ghost Ship from TabletopAudio.com Skull Island from TabletopAudio.com The Drowned Tower from TabletopAudio.com Terror in the Woods from TabletopAudio.com Rewind Sound Effect from ZapSplat.com

While technically a bonus for 5 Tuesdays in July, editing is a process and I'm a busy person, so this one took a few more days, enjoy the second half of our Dragonbane Free RPG Day one-shot scenario The Sinking Tower to kick off August!   Also! All episodes during the month of August will be using music from Monument Studios, who is running a Kickstarter campaign for their Fantasy+ collection of TTRPG music, ambience, sound effects, and more! Click the link to sign up and be notified when the campaign goes live and get TONS of incredible, professional quality music for your tabletop games!   Download Rene's Finished Games (for free!): One Last Quest - bring back your favorite characters for one more mission as elderly versions of themselves! Pine Island - Rene & Christian's first game for the PocketQuest 2022 summer game jam. Play as campers or counselors at a summer camp where nothing at all creepy will happen, surely...   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Prelude by Monument Studios Recap by Monument Studios Old Town by Monument Studios Skirmish by Monument Studios Loading Screen 3 by Monument Studios Forsaken Sanctum by Monument Studios Dangerous Marshlands Tonal by Monument Studios Simple Combat by Monument Studios Somber Cello by Monument Studios Viking War by Monument Studios Dragon Scream R by Monument Studios Meta Heroic Ensemble by Monument Studios Ascendancy by Monument Studios

There we already 5 Tuesdays in October, but why not upload a 6th episode just for Halloween?!   For a Halloween special Rene played alongside Jess from the DMs After Dark and returning guest Lynn (matrimonally obligated to occasionally game) for some Ghost Club RPG by Andrew Dowell (with some extra gear and archetypes from the New Kids Expansion)! Unlike our other spooky one-shots, this one is perfect for the younger crowd, with a minimal amount of truly terrifying content, landing somewhere between Scooby Doo antics and young adult content like Lockwood & Co. or Dead Boy Detectives.   Join Zoe "Bunny" Hunt, Eleanor "Dandelion" Harrington, and Remington "Twinkles" Paige as they investigate the terror of Twin Falls - The Haunted Mansion.   I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands All Hallows Eve from TabletopAudio.com The Attic from TabletopAudio.com Barovian Castle from TabletopAudio.com Haunted from TabletopAudio.com Haunted Ramparts from TabletopAudio.com House on the Hill from TabletopAudio.com Vampire Castle from TabletopAudio.com

Fill out the Google Form here!   It has been 1 full year of my foray into the world of podcasting all on my own, and wow has it been a fulfilling one!   I go over some stats, numbers, achievements, goals met and yet to be accomplished, and talk about some more I have for 2025.   I am so grateful for anyone out there listening, and I really hope I've shown you a game that makes you want to explore a new way of playing games, or introduced you to a creator you've come to love, or anything that you feel like made your time spent listening to me this year worth it.    See you in 2025.   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Happy Heart Day! As a bonus episode for the month of February (and because we love a good reason to do a holiday themed session), I've brought my wife Lynn back for a Valentine's Day one-shot. Last year was the not-so-romantic Call of Cthulhu scenario, but this year we're really leaning into the theme with...   Star Crossed by Alex Roberts! A game about two characters with a forbidden love, who really really want to, but really really can't!   We decide to keep the TTRPG vibes strong and go with a love story about two adventurers in the same party on a long, arduous quest. Would their love bring about the ruin of their mission, or are they just holding themselves back? Hope you enjoy!   ----more----   If you haven't but you'd like to, get yourself some stickers or give me some feedback by filling out my poll here.   I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree |  BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark MECH | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

After the successful strike against one of the three Kyrodi battleships to procure medicine for the Eldarian Remnants on Isto Mavana, the crews decide it's time to find a new home for the resistance. Dyne takes his crew Laolo & Ephraim to the nearby island of Gamadar, half-torn into the sky a few leagues above during the Cataclysm. The expedition encounters some nasty local flora and one of the crew is in danger.   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Floating Market from TabletopAudio.com Jungle Ruins from TabletopAudio.com Starforged Fray from TabletopAudio.com Game Show Quiz Sound Effect obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

The series begins in earnest! Dyne Aloma and his crew of the Venture are called upon to aid The Morien and Eldarian Resistances on the isle of Isto Mavana against the Kyrody Dominion arriving to claim the island after their victory in a generations long war... However, these islands far out in the Reaches will not fall easily, and the first punch in a long fight is thrown. All the while, Dyne looks for ways to visit the sky isle where his Mystic Trial awaits...   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands High Seas Pursuit from TabletopAudio.com Trireme from TabletopAudio.com Explosion sound effect from Freesound.org

Welcome to the Sundered Isles, a setting expansion for the incredible Ironsworn: Starforged roleplaying game by Shawn Tomkin & Joshua Meehan.   In this series I'm going to be playing the (as yet) unreleased rules for the Sundered Isles setting, an age of sail take on Starforged with naval exploration, pirate themes, and general discovery built into the game. It was added on a stretch goal for the massively successful Starforged Kickstarter and is slated to be crowdfunded sometime in early 2024.   In episode 0 we talk about the basics of the system, Choose Our Truths to create the setting of our Sundered Isles game, and create our main character - Dyne, the young Merchant Sorcerer.   This episode is completely optional, but if you want to hear how Ironsworn games get started, I hope it's helpful and entertaining! (spoiler: we get a monkey companion, so ... pretty great)   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Salt Marsh from TabletopAudio.com  

Dyne, Laolo, and Ephraim return to Isto Mavana to seek medical attention for the puppet vine sprouting from Ephraim's arm. After an unfortunate surgery, the Resistance decides that the island explored by the crew of the Venture is the most promising, and they must return. This time, however, Dyne and friends are tasked with exploring the skyward half of the island floating above the oceans nearby, where more dangers await them than just flora and fauna.   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Distilled Tropical from TabletopAudio.com Mushroom Forest from TabletopAudio.com Puzzle Dungeon from TabletopAudio.com Shaman's Hollow from TabletopAudio.com

Dyne unintentionally initiates his first Mystic Trial - the Trial of the Storm, and makes some mistakes (and a bit of a mess) before he gets a handle on his powers. However, he comes out the other side with a little more control and a lot more to do, both in his own journey to master his sorcery and the resistance against the Kyrody Dominion.   Pre-order Starforged physical books or get it digital from Modiphius!   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Ancient Beacon from TabletopAudio.com Lush World from TabletopAudio.com Starforged Fray from TabletopAudio.com The Voyage Begins from TabletopAudio.com Designed Lightning 2 & Record Scratch from ZapSplat.com

Dyne & crew wait out the night on the island of Gamadar, afraid of being spotted by the Dominion sky ship that flew out to the Cynosure Society research station after Dyne's Trial of the Storm. The night does not go peacefully, and their delay in returning to Isto Mavana does not help their cause either - all villagers are being tested for sorcerous potential - and it only gets worse...   Pre-order Starforged physical books or get it digital from Modiphius!   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Shaman's Hollow from TabletopAudio.com Escape the Shadow from TabletopAudio.com Investigator's Office from TabletopAudio.com

Dyne is taken prisoner by Captain Vega and brought to a secret sea cave the Kyrody sailor has been stockpiling equipment in, as well as where he is experimenting with sky iron. An escape is attempted, but this episode keeps riding the dice luck of the previous, and things just keep getting worse...   You can sign up to be notified when Sundered Isles goes live on Kickstarter and/or pre-order Starforged physical books or get it digital from Modiphius!   Go learn more about everything Ironsworn and get your solo gaming on!   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter | Threads | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode: Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands Covert Ops from TabletopAudio.com Drowned Sailors from TabletopAudio.com Sunken Temple from TabletopAudio.com