Marco A. Torres

Game Review: “Seasons of Magic” Updates and sales from MonarcWriter, plus a review of “Seasons of Magic”!

A review of the charming “Seasons of Magic” by @dungeonofthedragon.bsky.social (Chaosium’s 2024 BRP Challenge winner) in this week’s newsletter. Also, updates and a sale on school-themed MonarcWriter games!
monarcwriter.substack.com/p/game-revie...

Good Nature Scenario Decks - MonarcWriter | DriveThruCards GOOD NATURE is a cooperative storytelling game that uses simple dice-matching mechanics and journaling to encourage collaboration and creative problem-solving. It is designed to teach social skills in...

“Good Nature Scenario Decks” is today’s Deal of the Day on DrivethruCards! 80% off!

Designed to teach cooperation and social skills to kids, and great for the classroom! The cards are a great way for kids to run the game with minimal assistance.

www.drivethrucards.com/en/product/5...

Painted miniatures of X-Men characters from the Marvel United board game. From left to right: Beast, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Mystique, and Wolverine.

I finished painting my first set of Marvel United miniatures last weekend. It’s a lot of fun and very relaxing. My kiddo even helped with some of them! Yeah, this is my new hobby…

A box of Army Painter Speed Paint 2.0 Most Wanted set, a can of White matte primer, a set of brushes, and a set of Speed Paint pens.

I got a few board games with minis as Christmas gifts over the holidays, so I purchased some Speed Paints to color them and I guess I have a new hobby now.

A 3D printed organizer for tokens from the board game “Marvel United.” Slots are shaped to fit each of the unique tokens from the game.

A 3D printed organizer for the board game “Final Girl”. It is divided into sections to hold dice, cards, tokens, and meeples.

My local library has a maker space with free 3D printing. I have been having way too much fun printing up organizers and mods for my tabletop games over the last few weeks!

MonarcWriter 2025 Highlights / 2026 Plans A look back at highlights from 2025, and thoughts on what’s to come for MonarcWriter in 2026!

A look back at MonarcWriter’s games, projects, and accomplishments from 2025; and a look ahead at games and projects in development for the new year in this week’s newsletter.

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/monarcwrit...

My games and books are all on sale!

50% off if you get the everything bundle, 30% off individual titles, and funds earned goes toward supporting TTRPGkids projects!

itch.io/s/170244/bla...

Baldur’s Gate Game Jam 2025 Reviews - Week 3 Final batch of reviews from DMsGuild’s 2025 Baldur’s Gate Game Jam! This week, 5 more adventures!

The final set of reviews from @dmsguild.com’s recent Game Jam in this week’s MonarcWriter newsletter. 5 more adventures featuring Baldur’s Gate!

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/baldurs-ga...

The Sorcerer's Slam Book - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild Lifelong Friends and Bitter Rivals! Who is Who at Strixhaven U? The students of Strixhaven University lead lives full of aspiration, magic, and drama! Get to know them with this collection of relation...

@dmsguild.com is also having their Black Friday sale, including my newest collaborative release, The Sorcerer's Slam Book, at its lowest price ever! Pick up this amazing Strixhaven anthology by 9 amazing game designers at a 30% discount!

www.dmsguild.com/en/product/5...

Black Friday Sale at DrivethruRPG! All of my original games and card decks are currently at 30% off as part of @drivethrurpg.com’s Black Friday Sale! Pick up a copy of Good Nature, Into the Starlit Sky, Vanity, GEMS, or A Dream of Thorns and Roses!

www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher...

This review roundup of the Game Jam made my day! The section on The Gate’s Old Wound captures the adventure so well. Give it a read and check out the other amazing creators who took part!

Baldur’s Gate Game Jam 2025 Reviews - Week 2 More reviews of DMsGuild’s 2025 Baldur’s Gate Game Jam! This week, 6 more adventures and supplements!

More reviews of projects from @dmsguild.com recent Game Jam in this week’s MonarcWriter newsletter. 4 more adventures and 2 more supplements featuring Baldur’s Gate!

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/baldurs-ga...

A playing card for the game "A Name For Nobody." The 3 of Hearts, titled "Mushroom Forest." Text box on the left reads: "The fungus bursts through the earth, growing tall as the trees. Their brightly colored domes occassionally crackle with sparks of neon lightning." On the right is an image of large red mushrooms growing in front of trees. The bottom has two boxes: one labeled "Forgetful" and the other labeled "Recollection".

A playing card for the game "A Name For Nobody." The 9 of Spades, titled "Frolicking Fairies." Text box on the left reads: "They dance among the flowers in the fields, prancing through the light... And as the insects pollinate, so too do the pixies spread chaos and delight..." On the right is an image of a faire holding a book in one hand and a pink flower as big as its body in the other hand. The bottom has two text boxes: one labeled "Forgetful" and the other labeled "Bargain".

You can help me support Team Feed and donate to Feeding America here:
teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants...

I committed to releasing previews of my game, “A Name For Nobody,” for every $50 milestone of donations. With over $100 raised so far, here are the first two previews!

The Mystery Business (by @lysander03.bsky.social) and Good Nature (by @monarcwriter.bsky.social) are on sale right now!

Find my reviews below with links to the sale pages!

The Mystery Business:
www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/03/07/r...

Good Nature:
www.ttrpgkids.com/2022/09/28/r...

Baldur’s Gate Game Jam 2025 Reviews - Week 1 Reviews of DMsGuild’s 2025 Baldur’s Gate Game Jam! This week, 4 adventures and 2 supplements!

All month long, the MonarcWriter newsletter will be reviewing and highlighting projects from DMsGuild’s recent Game Jam. This first week of reviews features 4 adventures and 2 supplements set in Baldur’s Gate!
monarcwriter.substack.com/p/baldurs-ga...

I'm supporting Feeding America! To feed America’s hungry through food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger

You can support Team Feed (led by @storytellingco.bsky.social) and donate to Feeding America here:
teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants...

I will be releasing weekly previews of my game, “A Name For Nobody,” for every $50 milestone of donations!

Cover image for the game "A Name For Nobody". A shadow figure filled with specks of starlight plunges down form a darkened rain into a white ocean, with the faded text of many names behind them.

The first week of the Feeding America fundraiser has brought in over $100 of donations! Here's a preview of the game I'm writing for donations:

A Name For Nobody
“Explore a realm of folktales in search of your stolen name, while bringing hope to the forgotten by granting them names of their own.”

I'm supporting Feeding America! To feed America’s hungry through food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger

I've joined @storytellingco.bsky.social to help end hunger in America by supporting Team Feed. Support by donating any amount! If I reach my goal: I'll create a deck of cards for the game I'm writing, available to all donors as thanks!
teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants...

Design Diary: Vanity - Glass & Stone A look at the design process for my horror game, Vanity: Glass & Stone. Also: A new release, Halloween sale, and a charity fundraiser!

For the MonarcWriter Halloween newsletter, I look back at the design process for my fairy-tale horror game, "Vanity: Glass & Stone." Also: a new release, a Halloween sale, and a charity fundraiser!

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/design-dia...

I wrote a lil summer camp foray in this. :D

The Sorcerer's Slam Book - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild Special Release Week discount: Click here for 25% off! Lifelong Friends and Bitter Rivals! Who is Who at Strixhaven U?

The Sorcerer’s Slam Book is now available @dmsguild.com!
9 designers have crafted this collection of over 100 pages of Relationship-focused encounters for the “Fellow Student” NPCs from Strixhaven.

To celebrate, a 25% discount is available for a limited time!

site.dmsguild.com/product/5412...

Design Diary: Adapting Card-based TTRPGs for Tabletop Simulator This week, a discussion on the process of adapting card-based TTRPGs for play in Tabletop Simulator. Plus, links to add two of my games to TTS for free!

I recently adapted two of my card-based TTRPGs (GEMS and Vanity) to be playable in Tabletop Simulator! I write about the process in this week’s newsletter, and share links to add the games to TTS for free!

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/design-dia...

I have a few books in the Strixhaven sale going on at @dmsguild.com right now! Look for “Fantastic Field Studies” and “Fantasy Couture for Magical Galas” at big discounts!

News: Anniversary & Summer Highlights A look ahead to Year 2 of the newsletter, and some news and highlights from MonarcWriter’s summer activities!

The MonarcWriter newsletter is back from its summer hiatus! This week, I reflect on a year of reviews of TTRPGs and writing about game design and my creative process. Also, some highlights from my summer!

monarcwriter.substack.com/p/news-anniv...

Coming soon: Little but Fierce: Streamlined 5E for Children of All Ages Little but Fierce is a rewrite of 5th Edition with streamlined rules, simplified language and a family friendly tone

ICYMI, yesterday the pre-launch page went live for Little but Fierce, the rewrite of D&D 5th Edition for kids as young as six.

Please share with parents, teachers and other guardians of small people :)

www.kickstarter.com/projects/dcb...

Neverending Nights: Additional Content for A Dream of Thorns and Roses - MonarcWriter | DriveThruRPG This free supplement for A Dream of Thorns and Roses provides gameplay aids and new rules to expand the core game. It includes: Multiplayer Rules for groups of 1 to 4 players. A guide for creating new...

“A Dream of Thorns and Roses” was originally created for PocketQuest, which limited the PDF to 24 pages.

The additional content in the physical version is available as a separate free download: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

And Thanks for picking up the game! I hope you enjoy it!

Sven from K-pop Demon hunters. Mira, Rumi, and Zooey angrily shake their shoulders to the beat of a song, while Mira says “It’s infectious.”

Took my kid to a K-Pop Demon Hunters sing-along showing today.

We already loved the movie, but watching it with such an energetic crowd who sang along to every lyric with their whole heart was such a joyful experience!

illustration shows the outline of a soaring bird, filled in with the colors of the queer and trans pride flags. text over the top reads "QUEER GAMES BUNDLE."

✨ It's finally time. The fifth Queer Games Bundle is live now. For $60 (or $10+), get over 600 games, TTRPGs, zines, and more. Support over 300 queer artists for their survival and future art.

itch.io/b/3062/

Got a video today at the @ipr.bsky.social booth!

I wanted to try to get all the games this time and I hope it helps give a chance to see your work on display!

And there is “Into the Starlit Sky” also at @ipr.bsky.social’s booth!

My games are not just at Gen Con, but are also alongside so many other amazing TTRPGs!