Gaming in 2022
2022 was an excellent year for gaming. I got to run more sessions than usual, and I had a variety of players at my virtual table--many of whom I had never gotten to play with before and some who had never played before at all!
I made a "resolution" of sorts to run at least five different systems in 2022 as a way to break out of the "D&D rut." I actually managed to run games in seven different systems: Blades in the Dark, Dungeons & Dragons, Cryptworld, Tales From the Loop, Savage Worlds, MORK BORG, and some homebrew nonsense as well. I even got to play a bit since Aos ran a bunch of Spelljammer games.
Gaming in 2023
I might make a similar resolution for 2023 to run at least five different systems. One particular success for me was setting aside my usual D&D campaign for the month of October to run a series of horror one-shots. I'd like to do that again in 2023. Tales From the Loop was a blast to play and it was requested again by one of the players, so I can see giving that one a go again. I'd like to try running one-shots of Shivers, Vaesen, and Monster of the Week as part of the Halloween season offerings.
I'm also interested in running a short campaign set in Krevborna using a different ruleset than 5e D&D. It's funny, I was thinking about how I'd like to run even more non-D&D games in 2023 for a few weeks right before the OGL 1.1 kerfuffle broke out. Said kerfuffle didn't exactly change my mind on that; what a mess. Right now, Savage Worlds is the leading contender for what I have in mind for a Krevborna campaign.
In addition, I really want 2023 to be the year I get an Inquisition-centric Warhammer 40k game going. Dark Heresy with some house rules to get the starting characters up to Dan Abnet-levels of action seems the most likely route to what I'm going for there.
Publishing in 2022
Strahd Loves, Man Kills did pretty well; I put out way more issues of the zine that I expected to. I also had my work appear in venues not of my own creation. I had something in Deluge and an article in Wyrd Science that I'm rather proud of.
Publishing in 2023
I'm not sure I'll be continuing with SLMK in 2023, though, as it has reached an expected point of diminishing returns. I actually have three more issues written and laid out, but if they don't make it to print their content will be cannibalized elsewhere. If you would like to see the zine continue, consider picking up a copy.
That said, you can definitely expect more zines from me in 2023, if everything goes according to plan. It seems likely that this is the year that Planet Motherfucker returns, brasher and dumber than ever before. I might also drop a small, self-contained game about Satanists in Space.
2023 may also be the year that a revised Krevborna book drops. Right now it's looking like it will have the same page count, but vastly expanded content--a feat I've only been able to manage because I've now got a better understanding of layout. The bullet-point style of information delivery won't be going away, but I think I have a better handle on deploying it. A new Krevborna book will probably be even more system neutral than it was before and even easier to fit into whatever system you like.
Writing in 2022
I started writing a short story in December of 2021, but due to various reasons I didn't get much done on it. However, I picked it back up in December of 2022 and managed to finish a first draft before the year's end. It was pretty well-received by the folks I sent it to, but I plan to get back to it and polish it in 2023. Top of the list changes include brutalizing the main characters a bit more and tying the themes together a bit more tightly.
Writing in 2023
I've got a few other draft stories I could pick back up. Maybe this is the year. Creative writing isn't really a priority for me right now, which is crazy considering how it was my singular focus in my 20s.
Reading, Watching, Listening in 2022
I did really well on the reading front, working through a hefty number of books and comics across the year.
Reading, Watching, Listening in 2023
Looking back, one thing I didn't do is read any Tanith Lee. What the fuck was I thinking? I will remedy that in 2023. Also, there's a few series I'd like to polish off in 2023: I plan on reading the last Ravenor book and then reading both of the Bequin books that are already out. I'd also like to finish the Johannes Cabal books.
I should make more of an effort to read nonfiction.
I haven't found a decent list of books coming out in 2023 to get excited about, but I've got enough of a backlog of things I want to read that it doesn't matter if the publishers decide to just not release books this year.
Music-wise, there are a number of gothy symphonic metal bands releasing albums this year, many with new singers, so we'll see how that shakes out. I think we're getting a new King Diamond record this year, which rules.
I saw a list of movies coming out in 2023 and it looked pretty dire--dominated by franchise films I have zero interest in. It might be a good year to revisit some Hammer Horror favorites.
I never know what's coming out in the world of comics. I've got an itch to read some Batman soon, that's all I can tell you.
Lists as Far as the Eye Can See
We did a Best of episode of Bad Books for Bad People that recaps our favorite media we engaged with over the year. If you want more, here's my best of lists for 2022:
Top Ten Reads of 2022
Franck Bouysse, Born of No Woman
Christopher Buehlman, Between Two Fires
Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None
Coy Hall, The Hangman Feeds the Jackal
Alex Pheby, Mordew
Molly Pohlig, The Unsuitable
Laura Purcell, The Corset
Elisabeth Thomas, Catherine House
Catriona Ward, The Sundial
Jose Luis Zarate, The Route of Ice and Salt
Top Ten Listens of 2022
Behemoth, Opvs Contra Natvram
Blind Guardian, The God Machine
Cult of Luna, The Long Road North
Deathless Legacy, Mater Larvarum
Deathwhite, Grey Everlasting
Dream Unending, Songs of Salvation
Hangman's Chair, A Loner
Ghost, Imperium
Messa, Close
Therion, Leviathan II
Top Ten Watches of 2022, "Big Screen"
Crimes of the Future
Last Night in Soho
The Menu
The Munsters
Nightmare Alley
Nope
The Northman
Pearl
Phantom Thread
X
Top Five Watches of 2022, "Small Screen"
The English
The Heart She Holler
House of the Dragon
Wednesday
Top Five Reads of 2022, Funny Books
Adam Sarlech
The Goon
Graveneye
Helheim
Moonshine
