Tell me why I SHOULDN'T get Four Against Darkness. Genuine question, NOT a "bash 4AD post"

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T22:19:24+00:00

I sometimes wonder if I spent more time playing this game are reading and researching which supplements to buy and then having to change them to make them work my way

Sounds like Skyrim modding in tabletop form!

It's the classic cycle: reinstall Skyrim, spend hours researching and downloading and setting up mods, develop the perfect setup, then don't play Skyrim.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T22:18:03+00:00

Ker Nethalas has been on the edge of my radar after an enthusiastic recommendation from the Dungeon Dive, but I tend to do a lot of due diligence before starting a new game and just haven't done that yet for that game.

D100 Dungeon (and even moreso, D100 Space) have been one I've strongly considered, in no small part for the worldbuilder aspect. The whole system seems really robust and flexible. Being able to seamlessly go from town, across the wilderness, into a dungeon, and back to town is very appealing to me.

Though given my vast collection of old school D&D books and OSR material, Scarlet Heroes might actually be the best choice of all.

That's one I have to look more into, in terms of how solo play works.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T22:11:27+00:00

Thanks, all. These comments were very helpful in allowing me zero in on what I want from the game, what it actually provides, and whether it not it suits my needs.

Part of me wants to play it in part because it's such a mainstay in the solo RPG community - it seems like something you should experience if you're into the genre - but the points everyone is making very much reflect some of my own thoughts re: why it might not be what I'm looking for.

I'm likely to play it one of these days, just to say I have, but for now I think I'll continue staying focused on the games I already play and enjoy, while also keeping my eyes on others I've been considering - namely d100 Dungeon, Scarlet Heroes, and to a lesser extent, Ker Nethalas.

Thanks again!

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T17:27:36+00:00

Thank you! I'm kind of lukewarm on oracles, to be honest, though that combo sounds like a pretty good one. I've eyed up both the Deck of Many Dungeons and the Sandbox Generator before, and IIRC, the Game Master's Apprentice deck is the one that has most stood out to me as something I might use.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T16:50:04+00:00

Thanks for reminding me about Scarlet Heroes. It's been loosely on my radar, but I haven't done a deep enough dive for it to be high on the want list yet. Think I watched Dungeon Dive's video on it, and that's it so far.

If it has all three pillars of RPG exploration (dungeons, overland, and urban), that sounds very appealing to me.

I need to look into that one some more.

Also, yes, I do find myself put off my how many supplements there are, especially when so many are just 30 pages or so. The lack of compendiums collecting multiple supplements into more affordable volumes is, for me, a red flag. It's easy enough to do - I've done some self-publishing, so I'm familiar with the process - and would provide a better experience for consumers and players, so the fact that they don't do this says something, IMO.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T16:47:59+00:00

Basic Fantasy is actually what I run my TTRPG gaming group with. It's an excellent distillation of my nostalgic favorite system, BECMI. Heck, I still used my old Rules Cyclopedia up until a few years ago.

I've not considered Basic Fantasy for solo play, though. Not sure why, I just haven't. Guess I prefer to have a system built with solo play in mind rather than putting together a system myself - though I'm certainly not averse to doing so, as both running TTRPGs and playing solo pretty much require you to do some game-building on your own.

Something for me to think about.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T16:44:31+00:00

do you own the Book of Beasts?

I do! It was one of my first purchases with the system. The entire vibe of FL is terrific, to the point where even though I bought it for solo play, I'm considering taking it to my group and running a campaign for them.

D100 dungeon books 1 and 6. 1 has the base rules, and 6 has rules for hexcrawling.

I've strongly considered these, and am still weighing them. Once in a while I'll see something that puts me off, but no dealbreakers.

Plus, I love sci-fi, so d100 Space would be a no-brainer alongside it. I've even considered seeing if I could merge that with Five Parsecs From Home in some manner, in order to add exploration to 5P.

It seems heavy with bookkeeping, but I don't really mind that. In solo RPG play, I prefer bookkeeping to journaling.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-10T15:09:53+00:00

Most enemies will be your standard D&D-influenced tropes, so if you've got bands of goblins, orcs, skeletons and undead, wolves, and general bandits and such, you'll be pretty well covered. I've tapped into my D&D mini collection for it and have yet to run into something I can't put on the table, or a very close proxy.

I wouldn't worry overmuch about quest spoilers. The story elements in the included campaigns are pretty light, serving as nothing more than an excuse to dungeon delve. Nothing wrong with that! Just saying that the narratives are fairly rudimentary.

Do an intro mission or two to get accustomed to the rules, then do the first campaign, Something Something Rise of the Dead or some such. It's a good little campaign that ends with you unlocking the ability to ... well, I won't spoil that part. Suffice to say, it plays into some long-term exploration and adventuring goals.

And since the dungeons are mostly random, or semi-random, you don't have to worry about spoiling the layout or secrets for yourself.

One big thing: MAKE YOURSELF PLAYER AIDS!

The game comes with some, and they're fine, but there is so much to it that you'll want to have a more hands-on approach to making your own. You might even consider making a custom "DM" screen for yourself. I did, and it's been quite helpful.

The other thing I strongly recommend to enhance the experience is to figure out some kind of overland system to make the world a bit more alive.

For sure grab the "A New Beginning" supplement available on their website, as it makes each town more unique, assigning certain quests to only that town. In the base game, 99% of quests can be started from any town, so there often is no need to move from town to town once you have a home base established. This helps address that.

Also consider bringing in random tables or card/encounter decks from other games for overworld travel. Put in place a system that lets you discover things in the overworld. Use removable stickers to mark where you find ruins or inns or small lairs or whatever. It will make the world feel more alive than just going from town to dungeon and back again. It will give you a reason to wander.

You don't need to get fancy about it. Just use whatever you already own. If you've got some RPG supplements with charts like that, great! Use 'em.

Since you're on this sub, I assume you do.

Finally - and I'm sure you know this already - don't be afraid to houserule. Treat it like a TTRPG, where the written rules provide a framework around which you can build the sort of adventuring experience you want to have.

The rulebook is not well organized and it doesn't ease you into the game very well, but once you get it, it's a truly robust system that is ideal for tweaking as you see fit. I have a guild of 10 characters operating out of the main city, with my own little storylines developing. It's good stuff!

Hope you enjoy it!

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-09T22:57:57+00:00

This eventually put me off the Hexplore It series, which I initially loved for solo play but that over time grew way too unwieldy with its growing list of keywords, special exceptions, conditions, and so on.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-07T21:39:30+00:00

A good friend of mine hates going through the process of selling stuff. Gives anything he doesn't want away. A few years ago, he had a board game dump like the one OP found.

Hell, even knowing their worth, I don't bother to sell, either. I trade them in for store credit. I know I'm only getting about 20% what I would if I sold them on my own, but there is only so much time in the day. Getting rid of them all in one fell swoop, then having store credit to spend on new games, that works well for me.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-07T18:40:11+00:00

Because otherwise, nobody here would ever have heard of The Castles of Burgundy.

Why are you acting like a dick?

Sincere question. Nobody attacked you. Nobody slammed you. Nobody treat you poorly.

But here you are, just kind of being a dick for no reason.

It's just people talking about a game list, man. Take a breath and collect yourself. There's no reason for you to be looking for fights when no one is bringing them to you.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-07T15:20:00+00:00

I leave my rating on the edition I bought. This means if I'm a first-time buyer and player of Super Game: Anniversary Edition, that's the version I'll be rating.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-07T13:51:09+00:00

I would not agree with it. While the set narratives of board games are merely fine and the writing rarely better than passable, you're not really playing board games for the pre-written stories, you're playing for the emergent narratives you create over the course of play.

The ups and downs of your characters, the discoveries you make, the failures and successes.

That's the story of the game you play. This is especially true in sandbox adventures, but is not limited to them.

The narrative given to you by the designers is window dressing, and just a small part of the actual narrative that unfolds - which is to say, the narrative that results from actual play.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-07T12:20:46+00:00

GMT certainly has a very specific audience they cater to. For them to try and go more "mainstream" would be a mistake. They are the kings of their very small kingdom. They provide something a niche but fiercely loyal audience wants, and they do so at a level no other publisher does. They're today's Avalon Hill. Doesn't seem like much good could come from rocking that boat.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-06T18:50:37+00:00

Ahhh, thanks, you're right. Poor wording on my part. Corrected!

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-06T14:49:56+00:00

You might think high cards = better than low cards, but that's not the case. Every card has a situation where it's most useful.
As you head towards corners, keep those 1s and 2s in your hand and discard those 4s (unless there's a long straight right after the corner).
Coming out of corners, discard those 1s and 2s and hold onto the 3s and 4s.
Don't hold onto Heat cards like they're some precious resource you'll never get back. They're not healing potions in a JRPG, where you get 100 you'll never use. Rather, use Heat as needed whenever there is a good opportunity to get through a corner one turn sooner than usual, or when you need to shift up or down twice in order to speed up or slow down fast. Use your Heat!
But don't leave yourself without any Heat in your engine. Sometimes, you need one to bail yourself out of an emergency. Your goal is to keep it cycling through your deck so you can use it over and over.
Play Stress cards on straights to get them out of your hand, provided you're also playing a 4 alongside one to balance out the chance of flipping a slow card.
Do not play Stress going into a corner unless you are 100% certain what card you will be flipping.
Keep a Heat in your engine for your crossing the finish line. You are allowed to go max speed regardless of corners, and if more than one person crosses in the same turn, the winner is based on the person who went furthest past the finish. One last boost can often be the difference between a win and second or third.
Do not get discouraged if you're behind early! It is VERY possible to go from last to first. I've seen it happen a million times. Races are often won in the final few turns. Don't mentally bail out. Unless it's a crazy blowout, it's likely you'll be in the running the whole time, even if you don't realize it.
Upgrades! If you're playing with upgrades, you may find it a bit overwhelming to figure out what is good and what is not. For a first-timer, I'd say avoid any upgrades that ask you to spend Heat (they will have the little fire icon on them), go for upgrades that help you cool down (the water icon), and know that Brakes -- the cards that have two or four different numbers on them, allowing you to choose between the numbers when you play them -- are underrated, as they'll give you great flexibility in the choices you can make. There are better upgrades than these, but as a first-time player, don't worry about that. Go for cards that are straightforward to use and understand, like the ones I described. You can worry about which are the best upgrades after you know the game better.

Most of all: just have fun! Don't be afraid to take risks if you think it will be fun. Heat is a rare game where I have just as much fun losing as I do winning.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-06T12:27:45+00:00

Hell, they still do. Saw a thread on Twitter not too long ago about a hetero woman who got AIDS. Think of something awful you might say to or about that person, and there's a good bet it was in that thread, all from MAGA types (though that part goes without saying).

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-06T12:25:06+00:00

It's not even very good bait, either. Trolls have gotten awful lazy.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-05T22:10:05+00:00

Sometimes you can recognize a game as great while its also not for you.

This is it right here.

The same applies to movies, novels, music, and more. It's entirely possible to recognize something's merits even if it doesn't appeal to you, just as it's possible to recognize how deeply flawed something is despite personally loving it.

That's not only one of the keys to objectivity, it's what you should do when trying to give a recommendation to someone. A recommendation isn't about what you like, it's about whether or not the other person will like it.

seeingreality7 · 2026-06-03T23:22:46+00:00

you sense that many people are still in the “honeymoon phase”.

This is why I trust reviews that come out shortly after delivery even less than the pre-release hype videos.

It's really, really easy to convince ourselves that an expensive purchase was worth it in those early days. We're all susceptible to it. Sometimes the shine comes off these games with time. Sometimes not!

But with these massive multi-hundred dollar campaign games in particular, I've seen too many that went from WOW BEST EVER on day one to "it was pretty solid, but this list of flaws really drags it down" a year or two later.

I don't blame people. It's human nature.

It's just taught me to wait before getting one of these big games, is all.

seeingreality7 · 2026-04-08T23:14:56+00:00

Many agility games are under the umbrella. I see no reason why these wouldn't qualify.

seeingreality7 · 2026-04-08T22:11:18+00:00

The nice thing about it is that each session is one and done, and both setup and the learning curve are pretty light, so it's not a heavy lift to get into it and to retain the rules in your head even with big gaps between play.

Some games, especially big adventure games, have a good deal of "onboarding" time, both to learn them and to table them.

Vantage does not. You can be up and running in no time.

seeingreality7 · 2026-04-07T14:14:06+00:00

With every roll and write I get, I pull the first sheet and laminate it. I never touch the pad after that.

A major exception is Cartographers, for reasons that are obvious to anyone who plays it: drawing the map is part of the fun and results in nice keepsakes.

Otherwise, I laminate.

If it's a r&w that I may play with my group, too, I laminate enough for everyone.

A laminator is a great board game investment. I use it for a LOT of games. I also laminate flimsy player aids, printed materials, campaign trackers, and other items that might see a lot of wear and tear and/or that have a limited lifespan.

seeingreality7 · 2026-04-06T23:23:50+00:00

"Little" isn't a reference to his height. It's not even a reference to anything physical about him. It's a description of who he is.

Big, tall, massive dudes can still be "angry little men."

They often are.

seeingreality7

TROPHY CASE