Welcome to the second set of “Contest Edition” Mini-Reviews.

These are just some of the products offered by the sponsors of the Flames Rising Favorite Horror Game Contest. This week we sci-fi adventure mixed with medieval horror, zombies, pirates and more!

If you missed out on the first “Contest Edition” from last week, be sure to check out that mix of great games from other sponsors.

Conspiracy of Shadows Revised

Why does every question you ask lead to more questions?

Are you prepared to lose everything that you hold dear?

How far are you willing to go to learn the truth?

Conspiracy of Shadows is a game of dark truths, hidden agendas, and a plan larger than the imagination. Just as many hands work towards both hiding and revealing the truth, gameplay encourages the whole group to create the action… No one knows for certain the full truth… until they play.

Imagine X-Files or Supernatural in the Dark Ages. Those are just some of the cool ideas you can explore in Conspiracy of Shadows. The fictional setting of Polian has a lot of Medieval European elements, but there is also plenty of room to customize it for your game. I’ve added new villages and a few monsters of my own design in past games.

For a look at the world of Conspiracy of Shadows be sure to check out Betrayal, a dark comic book set in Polian featuring art by Keith Senkowski. We have some Conspiracy of Shadows fiction here on Flames Rising by Monica Valentinelli and Mike Holmes that is worth checking out as well. Visit the Fiction Page to read up on Sacrifice and Danel’s Blood.

Conspiracy of Shadows is available at Lulu.com

Thousand Suns

Strap on your blaster pistol, grab your space suit, and get ready to journey into the future as imagined by the greatest writers of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.

Thousand Suns is a science fiction roleplaying game that includes all the rules needed to play. In addition, it describes the Thousand Suns setting, detailing its worlds, alien races, and conflicts.

The setting provides not only lots of detail but plenty of options as well, allowing Game Masters to tailor it to suit their needs. Everything from world building to starship combat to alien species creation is here, so that nothing stands in way of creating the ultimate science fiction adventure.

Thousand Suns is latest release from Rogue Games and uses a modified version of the “12 Degrees” system found in Colonial Gothic. This is the game that sci-fi fans have been waiting for. There are a ton of cool ideas, story hooks and a lot of options for great sci-fi adventure. The system is easy to learn, even for folks not used to sci-fi games. Character creation is pretty quick, a big plus for me (I can’t stand games that take forever just to build the characters).

If you have been to the Rogue Games website recently, it is worth stopping by to check out the Thousand Suns Design Notes written by James Maliszewski.

Thousand Suns is available at RPGNow.com

Zombie Rally

Unbeknownst to most living humans, zombies enjoy the competitive atmosphere of racing.

Frequently shown in movies as masses of undead seeking nourishment, these zombies actually depict a group participating in a no-holds-barred zombie marathon. At other times, it’s just another example of humans intruding in the private sporting event at a local graveyard – just a couple of zombies trying to improve themselves by reaching the ghoul-line. After all, what self-respecting zombie doesn’t dream of becoming a ghoul?

Zombie Rally depicts zombies at their competitive best.

I first had the chance to play Zombie Rally at a fun little convention called OshCon two years ago. This card game is easy to learn and funny as hell. Snarling Badger Games runs some pretty fun demos too, so if you see these guys at GenCon or another convention ask them to run a game or two for you. Of course, nothing beats the Live-Action version of Zombie Rally.

Zombie Rally is available at RPGNow.com

Suzerain

Suzerain (n): 1) an ancient word meaning ‘master’ or ‘overlord’. 2) Talisman Studios’ new role-playing system and universe.

Whether you want to play a Viking berserker, a cyberpunk, or Zeus himself… these rules let you do it all with ease. Our book contains 48 pages of basic rules for quick start play and advanced rules for gamers who want something a little meatier. So gather your friends and set off for uncharted space or the deepest unknown. All you need to pack is your copy of Suzerain and your imagination.

Our recent interview with Talisman Studios gives some insight into the creation and game-play of Suzerain. I think Martin says it best, “We mixed pirates and monsters because we’d been playing that world (Untamed Empires is its name) for a while and wanted to share it. It’s a way for players to see that Suzerain’s genre-mixing works. That, and pirates are cool. And sea monsters are cool.” Which just about sums up how cool Suzerain is as a game.

Suzerain is available at RPGNow.com

The Beast Within: Savaged edition

When an strange auto accident leads to a murder investigation, it’s up to the heroes to uncover the true culprit. What is the connection between a college student and the stranger’s van in which he was found? Was there someone else on that lonely stretch of highway? As the heroes follow the clues, they’d better watch their step. They are not the only hunters in Pinebox.

The Beast Within is a modern horror adventure designed for four novice heroes and using the Savage Worlds game system. This adventure features equal parts investigation and deadly action, and is an excellent way to kick off your campaign in our free setting–Pinebox, Texas.

I have a review of 12 to Midnight‘s Bloodlines from a couple of years ago. These are some great horror adventures. Most of the them are released in both d20 and Savage Worlds formats. I much prefer Savage Worlds over d20 and The Beast Within did not let me down. Detailed NPCs, plenty of character hooks and lots of action. There are some quality maps and player handouts too. The Beast Within is a great adventure that can be wrapped up in a night, or used as a starting point for a longer game.

The Beast Within is available at RPGNow.com

Dousing the fire…

The end of another round of Mini-Reviews. Don’t forget to stop by the Horror Game Contest for a chance to win some of these great prizes (and several others).

Next week we’ve got more games, some new fiction and maybe a movie or two in the line-up.

Tags | conspiracy-of-shadows, flash fire, savage-worlds, talisman studios, zombies