dzengota's review
5.0
Ironsworn is much smoother and fun than I could have possibly expected. I went into the my first solo-session assuming that it would be a fun thought experiment on what can be done to shake up my own preconceptions about RPGs. A couple sessions into my own Ironsworn campaign and I am delighted by the smoothness of the mechanics and fiction flowing into one another. This is a brilliant addition to the broad Powered-by-the-Apocalypse canon and everyone should at the very least read through it. You will find something new, interesting and insightful inside.
Something else Ironsworn should be praised for is its masterful layout and physical design. It is one of the easiest to understand and navigate rules texts I have ever read. Important diagrams get whole pages to explain important mechanics, it comes with a glossary of terms for all the moves you make, and the pdf is perfectly hyperlinked so referencing it during play is the easiest thing in the world.
Im ordering my physical copy of the game now.
Something else Ironsworn should be praised for is its masterful layout and physical design. It is one of the easiest to understand and navigate rules texts I have ever read. Important diagrams get whole pages to explain important mechanics, it comes with a glossary of terms for all the moves you make, and the pdf is perfectly hyperlinked so referencing it during play is the easiest thing in the world.
Im ordering my physical copy of the game now.
thomcat's review
4.0
Interesting RPG for solo or cooperative play. Focused on the fiction, with dice and tables to handle conflict. Well written with good examples and evocative artwork.
Next step - playing :)
Next step - playing :)
rocketdentures's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
4.0
Excited to play this after reading through the entire rule book.
jvan's review
4.0
Great game, as written, and it sounds like it will play well. I like the reflavoring/updating of the Powered by the Apocalypse base into something unique and a little clunkier. The rules focus is heavier than a typical PbtA, which I prefer a few more rules honestly. The setting is only sketched out but is both familiar and evocative enough to work well. Great use of inclusive art and writing.
frasersimons's review
Ironsworn is a Powered by the Apocalypse game with a bunch of inspirations that make for a really elegant design. It puts an emphasis on undertaking quests in a dark fantasy world that can be tweaked to a groups tastes.
If you’re familiar with PbtA games, you’ll find a lot of moves; more than I generally like in a design. But the structure helps manage the cognitive load. Each set aside for a journey or combat, etc.
The major selling point for this game is the single player, co-op, or traditional play where there’s a GM and players. It’s clever in its simplicity for this. There are a few ways to execute the rules (move) outcomes that accommodate your play style.
Without playing the game I suspect this might be the hardest hurdle. A lot of pick lists goal post interesting fictional outcomes tailored to specific triggers. This is a more subtle way of having the players internalize the kind of fiction the game is shooting for, as well as some of the more interesting friction points and dramatic outcomes. The strength of this structure is there’s a bunch of lists you can take inspiration from and you can play single player or co-op. I think the downside is the absence of these pick lists that make all the moves look sterile because the evocative outcomes are all someplace else. I imagine this will be the largest friction point for me running it but I’m eager to find out.
Combat wise, I really like that initiative is gained and lost along with outcomes of moves. That makes a lot of sense to me and is one of those simple things you wonder why something like Dungeon World wouldn’t have done something like that, too.
I love the chapter educating you about the setting. I think it’s evocative and the quest seeds are *chefs kiss*.
This book features a great minimalist single column layout, something you don’t see often in RPGs. I hate double and triple column so this layout is exactly what I want/am hoping for. The art, while stock, also is always suitable and features people of colour and, though I wasn’t counting, seem to feature a heavier emphasis on women then men, all of which isn’t sexualized.
The text made me confident that I could run it and come up with a cool world with folks at the table. The product is very well written and clear and looks very professional at a great price point.
It’s a no brainer grabbing this one, I think.
If you’re familiar with PbtA games, you’ll find a lot of moves; more than I generally like in a design. But the structure helps manage the cognitive load. Each set aside for a journey or combat, etc.
The major selling point for this game is the single player, co-op, or traditional play where there’s a GM and players. It’s clever in its simplicity for this. There are a few ways to execute the rules (move) outcomes that accommodate your play style.
Without playing the game I suspect this might be the hardest hurdle. A lot of pick lists goal post interesting fictional outcomes tailored to specific triggers. This is a more subtle way of having the players internalize the kind of fiction the game is shooting for, as well as some of the more interesting friction points and dramatic outcomes. The strength of this structure is there’s a bunch of lists you can take inspiration from and you can play single player or co-op. I think the downside is the absence of these pick lists that make all the moves look sterile because the evocative outcomes are all someplace else. I imagine this will be the largest friction point for me running it but I’m eager to find out.
Combat wise, I really like that initiative is gained and lost along with outcomes of moves. That makes a lot of sense to me and is one of those simple things you wonder why something like Dungeon World wouldn’t have done something like that, too.
I love the chapter educating you about the setting. I think it’s evocative and the quest seeds are *chefs kiss*.
This book features a great minimalist single column layout, something you don’t see often in RPGs. I hate double and triple column so this layout is exactly what I want/am hoping for. The art, while stock, also is always suitable and features people of colour and, though I wasn’t counting, seem to feature a heavier emphasis on women then men, all of which isn’t sexualized.
The text made me confident that I could run it and come up with a cool world with folks at the table. The product is very well written and clear and looks very professional at a great price point.
It’s a no brainer grabbing this one, I think.
iggi_dee's review
4.0
I may adjust my rating after playing, but after just reading the thing, it seems like a well organized guide to a kind of game that fills a niche in my TTRPG repertoire.
Gritty fantasy? ✔️
Dark magics? ✔️
Themes of migration and colonialism? ✔️
Fronted and consistently represented by people other than burly, beardy men? ✔️
Gritty fantasy? ✔️
Dark magics? ✔️
Themes of migration and colonialism? ✔️
Fronted and consistently represented by people other than burly, beardy men? ✔️
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