They’re got the market cornered when it comes to athleisure
It is unfair
Toddlers get to wear insane stuff and they pull it off by being unable to feel self conscious
Should be one of those German words for when you see a toddler with drip and get jealous of their outfit
Yeah I’m kind of hoping this just produces a pointcrawl map
I will say using Obsidian for writing projects like this one feels great, it's a game changer for me to be able to drop links in wherever necessary and then return to fill them out later. I couldn't write a novel like this but for working on something with so many interconnections it's great
Call this dungeon 23 lol. Anyway the theme is the ruins of an Autarch's palace, kind of like Knossos or the Forbidden City but swallowed by blue desert. There will be surface ruins to explore and then a very substantial Underpalace which gets increasingly dangerous as you go deeper
I'm trying out a weird technique where I haven't drawn any map of this place. I'm just writing entrances and exits from imagination. I will have to draw it out at some point but I kind of want to grow it rhizomatically by writing one room a day
Finally worked out how to use Obsidian so ofc I'm trying to write a Vaarn megadungeon using it. As if I don't have enough writing projects
Thank you, it was really hard to choose especially as it’s not a top 10. I think if I wasn’t allowed two from same series I’d put Rain World as number 9
Bloodborne. Almost didn't make the cut, wasn't sure if I should have two Fromsoft games. But it's so good that I couldn't leave it off. My favourite worldbuilding in games bar none. Pitch-perfect action RPG heaven. Scary, frustrating, enigmatic, always thrilling.
Caves of Qud. A modern masterpiece, some of the best writing in videogames. Vaarn wouldn't exist without this game and I owe my entire current career to Qud.
Darkest Dungeon. The first time I played a modern roguelite, have sunk hundreds of hours into it. Along with Dark Souls I would credit this game with me seeking out the OSR.
Resident Evil 4. The first 18+ rated game I played. Genre defining, never quite bettered imo. Horror schlock pitched to perfection. A game that's casually reeling off hall of fame action scenes right into the final levels, just this breathless rollercoaster that never lets up.
Zelda Wind Waker. I know Ocarina and Breath of the Wild are probably better loved but this one is my Zelda. Played this to death on Gamecube. I loved Earthsea as a kid so I always pretended this was an Earthsea game. Perfect visual design
Mario 64. The game that got me into gaming in the first place. Was only five years old and couldn't believe there was a little man inside the TV who jumped when you pressed the button. Quite literally life changing game
Halo CE. Maybe the game on this list I've spent the most time playing. Vivid sense memories of every sound effect and voiceline. Could probably do Assault on the Control Room by memory while blinded.
Half Life 2. Still one of the best campaign experiences I've had with a FPS. Relentlessly inventive and still feels fresh in 2026. I thought all games would feel like this by now but instead it feels very singular.
Explanations for the picks-
Dark Souls, what more can be said. The effect of playing it back in 2011 was like an electric shock to the brain. I'd never quite played anything like it. I think you could argue for later entries in the series being 'better' but this was my intro to the Fromsoft ethos
Insanely hard to pick a top 9, this is as close as I could get my9games.com
Fine Clothing and Musical Instruments - a pair of d20 generator tables to create fine Vaarnish clothing and weird musical instruments. No real gameplay purpose but it's a lot of fun and fleshes out the world in a small way.
Oracle's Sanctum Location - a new regional location type. Sanctums are the dwelling place of a mysterious Vaarnish Oracle. Create one on p.166.
Fortress Location - a new regional location type. Fortresses are what they say on the tin - fortified positions that are usually controlled by one of the Major Factions. Create one on p.157.
100 Story Seeds - this is quite a big piece of new content, found on p.81-82. You can use 4d100 to create weird emergent fragments of narrative, suitable for backstories, incidental drama, myths and legends, narrative songs, prophecies, rumours, news from afar.
Sample Elixirs - we now have d20 example Elixirs to find as treasure. This also now completes the starting equipment for all PC options, so there should be no more holes in PC creation
Another month another preview draft of Vaults of Vaarn 2E! This month we have the Lapis Serpent draft with all new features www.backerkit.com/c/projects/v...
Many appealing options here
These are fun, their curse of mistrust and the making new giants from clay parts are really compelling
Thank you. Will write some more when schedule allows it, think the idea has legs
I was thinking about a “dying moon” setting haha. I think the direction this naturally takes you is gothic horror and weird fiction inspired
