In Rise of the Rat King, you do not observe history. You shape it. You take on the role of the Rat King long before the title inspires fear. Before the city whispers his name. Read the full article: Dev Blog #19: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King Demo ▸ https://lttr.ai/AodoF

Here, the Heavy’s role transforms again: they become the bulwark against forces that twist both metal and mind. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-10-the-heavy%E2%80%99s-role-in-shadow-city-mysteries

Church of Astra (Light): Blessed or burdened by divine favor, Nyla channels miraculous insights to read minds or bend emotions. Their faith both guides their steps and sparks friction with the city’s skeptics. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-9-exploring-backgrounds-or

Church of Astra (Light): Blessed or burdened by divine favor, Nyla channels miraculous insights to read minds or bend emotions. Their faith both guides their steps and sparks friction with the city’s skeptics. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-9-exploring-backgrounds-or

Here, the Heavy’s role transforms again: they become the bulwark against forces that twist both metal and mind. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-10-the-heavy%E2%80%99s-role-in-shadow-city-mysteries

In Rise of the Rat King, you do not observe history. You shape it. You take on the role of the Rat King long before the title inspires fear. Before the city whispers his name. Read the full article: Dev Blog #19: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King Demo ▸ https://lttr.ai/AodoF

The demo is a tight, focused snapshot of Chapter One. About twenty minutes of play. No filler. No safety net. Just enough time to feel the weight of the city, the pressure of choice, and the cost of ambition. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AodoD #ShadowCityMysteries #PlayOnWordsStudios

Steam Next Fest is live. The Demo for Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King is available now. Define the Rat King. Choose your allies. Shape the city. Download and Wishlist on Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4196300/Shadow_City_Mysteries_Case_Files__Rise_of_the_Rat_Ki

Since December, the Rise of the Rat King demo has quietly made its way into the hands of thousands of players. If you have already stepped into Shadow City, thank you. If you have not yet taken the plunge, now is the perfect time. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AodoC #ShadowCityMysteries

ONIGAMI A Tabletop RPG of shinobi, monsters and wicked powers by Emanoel Melo and Luigi Calistrato. SOON

This is how I finally understood that the point of gen AI is to play SimMiddleManager.

Matthew Asa Bell: Matthew is an actor, gamer, and father based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a love for sharing and telling stories. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AoEGm #ActualPlay #TTRPG #ShadowCityMysteries

Farank Tern (he/him) New to the job and eager to make a good impression, Farank reads the room, keeps conversations cool, and works to steer the family clear of trouble while keeping his own head above water. Played by Matthew Asa Bell. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AoBSp #ActualPlay #TTRPG

House of Skye weaves high society politics with the grit of street-level desperation. Grand balls echo with whispered betrayals and carefully veiled threats while back alleys churn with rumors that could topple dynasties. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AoACW #ActualPlay #ShadowCityMysteries

An urban legend given flesh, The Smoker is the whispered puppeteer of Shadow City, his “case files” detail every secret, scandal, and power play. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-8-spotlight-on-rise-of-the-rat-king-characters

The Society of Ravens is Shadow City’s hidden aristocracy, few in number but unrivaled in wealth and influence. Membership is usually inherited, but exceptional newcomers can earn an invitation. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-7-faction-spotlight-for-scm-the-roleplayi

Prismatic alignment at level 20 lets them invoke multiple color effects at once, granting invisibility to allies whose minds are unprepared while unleashing Prismatic Spray on a horror beyond sight. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AnQhf #TTRPG #ShadowCityMysteries #GameDesign

Known only by his title, the Rat King is Soreta’s underworld leader and the most feared criminal in Shadow City. His rule was built on brutality, precision, and an understanding of power that leaves little room for mercy. Few would dare challenge him, and fewer still would survive the attempt.

Mystic (Wisdom) Spellcaster of the unseen: you tame the monochrome magic of Shadow City, attuning between stances to unlock otherworldly powers. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-6-diving-into-classes-scm-the-roleplaying-game

Elys Swift is the owner of the Curiosity Shop, a narrow little place tucked away on a street that seems to appear only when you are looking for something you cannot name. A devoted member of the Cult of Tenebrous, she trades in rare artifacts and the kind of trinkets that have stories. #TTRPG

When a rival faction clamps down on the party’s influence project, Sneaky Influence spends Sneak Attack dice to reclaim Progress, undermining competitors without ever picking a fight in broad daylight. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AgmG6 #ShadowCityMysteries #TTRPG #GameDesign

Jalithai Winters is the polished face of the Society of Ravens, a politician who can move between council chambers and glittering galas without missing a beat. Born into wealth and privilege, she has never known a day without comfort, and she wears it like armor. #TTRPG

Makers are some of the toughest people around. It’s hard to make a living in Shadow City without long nights and grueling days. Those folks that would take the mantle of “artisans” and build things that seem safe have put blood, sweat, and tears into their works. #TTRPG

Join us tonight at 9 PM Eastern on Twitch and YouTube for a special episode of Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye. GM Christopher Mifsud runs two one-on-one sessions blending in-character play with out-of-character discussion. Katie Downey joins first as Quinn, followed by Mandy as Raven.

In the game, characters may consult these very same monochrome cards to glean insights about conspiracies and hidden plots. Meanwhile, on your own table, you can replicate that experience by performing actual Tarot readings. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-5-spotlight

Live tonight at 9 PM ET on Twitch and YouTube. Special House of Skye episode of Shadow City Mysteries featuring one-on-one sessions with Matthew Bell as Farank and Matt Walsh as Ignatus. In character play, out of character discussion, and Level 3 subclass choices live. #ActualPlay

Savants are the smartest folks in Shadow City, or at least the ones that insist on everyone knowing it. It’s hard to keep such prodigious minds from wandering across a multitude of disciplines, and even the most strait-laced among them pick up a tremendous store of clever tricks. #ttrpg

Tonight at 9 PM ET on Twitch and YouTube. Special episode of Shadow City Mysteries: House of Skye featuring one-on-one sessions with Winston C as Peryn and Ariel Kasten as Reggie. A mix of in-character play, out-of-character reflection, and live Level 3 subclass choices. #TTRPG

Mystics shouldn’t exist, at least according to modern scientific thought. Certainly people that believe in the mystical exist (there’s whole factions full of them, after all), but modernity demands that religion is metaphor. #TTRPG

Heavies are the strongest people on the streets of Shadow City. While everyone that has to work for a living may need to use their two fists to get them through from time to time, for Heavies it’s their first choice. #TTRPG

Infiltrators are the people you call when you need something done unnoticed and unseen. There are a lot of laws, rules, and understandings in Shadow City, and some of them are meaningfully enforced. If you need something on the other side of one, then it’s important that nobody ever finds out #TTRPG

Faces love to talk. Anybody that freelances on the streets of Shadow City learns to use their words before their fists if they want to survive long, but, for a Face, conversation is their first, second, and third choice. Even in a shootout, their lips are still flapping. #ttrpg

Activate the Obelisk! 👾😀 Play the Demo on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2512850/... #indiegame #gamedev #scifi #laserknights #game #zeldalike #cartoon 🎮

Updated Bastion Special Facilities, part 2 Today in Harbinger of Doom, I'm continuing my rework of Bastion Special Facilities from the 2024 DMG, this time covering the Workshop, Gaming Hall, Laboratory, Sacristy, and Scriptorium. Backers get it now, everyone else in 3 days!

Your Patron and contacts show up immediately. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AmtiS #ActualPlay #ShadowCityMysteries #TTRPG

Supernatural – Finally, embrace the hidden magic and cosmic secrets of the world. By the time your party steps into this tier, they’ll be ready to face the city’s most arcane threats. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-3-spotlight-on-the-roleplaying-game

Your Patron and contacts show up immediately. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AmXkn #ActualPlay #ShadowCityMysteries #TTRPG

Episode 11 tonight. The Family pushes deeper, and the Skye legacy begins to demand answers and sacrifices. Live at 9 pm Eastern on Twitch and YouTube. www.twitch.tv/playonwordss... www.youtube.com/@PlayonWords... #ShadowCityMysteries #ActualPlay #HouseOfSkye

As you advance through each act, you’ll have a limited number of actions to build up certain skills—maybe you’ll choose to intimidate your way to the top, or perhaps you’ll hone your talent for making slick deals. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-3-spotlight-on-shadow

Facing a clockwork horror animated by turnstone, they trigger Maven, granting two allies Superiority Dice, fueling their attacks or checks just when hope seems lost. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-12-the-savant%E2%80%99s-role-in-shadow-city-mysteries

Back to our normal schedule with Episode 10. The Family digs deeper into the truth behind the Skye legacy and what it demands in return. Live tonight at 9 pm Eastern on Twitch and YouTube. https://www.twitch.tv/playonwordsstudios #ShadowCityMysteries #ActualPlay #HouseOfSkye

The Face’s silver tongue becomes a blade of soft words that soothe frightened "spirits" or an incantation that unravels a "demon’s" resolve. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-11-the-face%E2%80%99s-role-in-shadow-city-mysteries

The specialized knowledge and unique perspectives you gain unlock different lines of questioning and alternate paths, ensuring that every revisit to Shadow City feels fresh. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-2-spotlight-on-shadow-city-mysteries-a-clockwork-noir

Veyra “Raven” Drellick (she/her) A shadow stepper whose calling card is never being where you expect. Raven collects secrets the way others collect trinkets. Played by Mandy S. Faction: Cult of Tenebrous Class: Infiltrator Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/Al87U #ActualPlay #TTRPG

Culture: Encourage creativity, inclusivity, and collaboration so every voice can shine. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-1-welcome-to-play-on-words-studios

Iron Union (Iron): Forged in the city’s factories, Nyla’s iron prosthetic grants brute strength and industrial savvy. They can rip through barricades or negotiate union favors, always ready for the gears of power to spin in their favor. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blo

But conspiracies demand more than confrontation. When whispered rumors suggest a turnstone shipment intended for the Court of Rats, the Heavy might lead a midnight raid on a hidden dock. Read more 👉 https://playonwordsstudios.com/dev-blog/f/dev-blog-10-the-heavy%E2%80%99s-role-in-shadow-city-myste

The Demo for Shadow City Mysteries: Case Files – Rise of the Rat King is live. A Clockwork Noir mystery filled with secrets, danger, and choices that matter. Play the free Demo on Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4196300/Shadow_City_Mysteries_Case_Files__Rise_of_the_Rat_King_Demo/

Quinn Copperpaw (they/them) A street-forged fixer who solves problems with their fists. Loyal to the Court of Rats, they keep a wary eye on their new family and measure every promise against its usefulness. Played by Katie Downey. Faction: Court of Rats Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AlVYn

The ranger that leveled to 15th is now the highest-level character in any D&D game I have ever run, in 32 years of DMing. I’ve had several games make it to 14th, then have to end for one reason or another. Feels great to break that record while launching into a new major villain.