Watch Well Games #61
Plants die around me, so I made a free, one-page game. Also, a new RPG from Evil Genius Games.
Welcome to our newsletter!
Hi. I’m K.J.
I couldn’t resist. I submitted a game for the One-Page RPG Jam 2025 event. Guest writer Warren Davidson reviews Intergalactic Heroes, a new RPG from Evil Genius Games. I interview the lead writer Bryan Steele.
What’s Up, K.J.?
Well over 600 games were submitted for the One-Page RPG Jam 2025 event. I was in the minority, sticking with the jam’s optional theme “growth.”
My side: I recently bought some plants, despite knowing I’m a horrible gardener (even pictures of greenery spontaneously combust in my presence). The game’s name Contrary Mary and vibe reflect my failure to have a green thumb regardless of my best efforts.
Your side: If you like solo, cozy RPGs that involve rolling dice and making decisions (no journaling, drawing, or making mud pies unless you want), then please enjoy Contrary Mary. It’s free and on itch-io. You can even use the image to play it if you don’t fancy clicking links. Once you’re done, would you be so kind as to let me know your thoughts in the Comments?
Review: Intergalactic Heroes
by Warren Davidson (aka Wazza)
Don’t say I never spoil you as today I bring you an exclusive review of the Intergalactic Heroes Player’s Guide by Evil Genius Games who kindly provided me with a prerelease manuscript. This project goes live on Kickstarter early next year with three core books planned, the Player's Guide with the core rules, the Game Master's Guide with additional rules and advice on creating your own sci-fi settings, and the Guide to the Throneworld Saga which details the official setting. Together they form a brand new and exciting sci-fi TTRPG. Additionally there’ll be maps, tokens, miniatures, and dice. I also have some art to show you by the talented artist Ines Munoz along with the gorgeous Player’s Guide cover. Please note these are the copyright of Evil Genius Games, Inc. and as draft concepts they’re not final and subject to change.
We begin with an introduction to roleplaying and the common terminology used in the game. Intergalactic Heroes is a huge toolkit specifically designed to craft and facilitate any science-fiction setting and adventure you can imagine and does so admirably.
Hero creation is broken down into six steps beginning with choosing an origin which determines your Hero's ability scores, special rules and Talents. Along with humans we have the insectoid Acrididan, the fungoid Asperlasite, the jellyfish-like Cnidian, who inhabit bioengineered bodies, the mechanical Crofted, the warrior Gabhar, the subterranean Oryxari, and the sapient mollusk Turblid. Next choose a background, profession, archetype and class before finishing off with equipment, your persona and history.
The archetypes and classes warrant further examination as they have a unique relationship. You decide on an archetype based on one of your six ability scores. Want your hero to win fights by being the last person standing? Then go for a Tough Hero who relies on constitution. Why not play a smart hero who uses their intelligence to enact complex and miraculous plans?
Every archetype has three associated classes, each presented in a thematically colourful fashion. Your Hero’s saving throws, skills and starting equipment are determined by your class along with additional talents gained as you level up. There’s enough material on offer here to ensure no two heroes will ever be alike.
Feats allow further customization by providing specific benefits and are gained at every other level, where you take either two minor or one powerful major feat. There’s over fifty to choose from ranging from ability boosts and new skill proficiencies to specialist knowledge and weapons training. Fun for all the family!
Next is the chapter closest to every hero's heart, items and equipment. We're presented with comprehensive lists of weapons, armour and specialized kits for all manner of tasks. A veritable arsenal is covered from simple melee weapons to advanced and military grade weapons and explosives, and don’t forget armour from the standard fibreflex to the impressive powered exo-armour. There’s specialty items for adventuring underwater, magnetizing to a ship's hull and jetpacking out of trouble. Cybernetics are a mainstay of science-fiction and we have everything an aspiring cyber jockey could want to install and implant, careful though as they can place an inordinate strain on your body with unpleasant side effects.
What Sci-fi game would be complete without starships and vehicles to ferry the heroes about? They might even be considered a player character in their own right as they have statistics, weapons, strengths and flaws. I’m glad to say Intergalactic Heroes has an entire chapter devoted to the subject. We have conventional ground transport, advanced vehicles such as helicopters and jet bikes and military transport and auxiliary vehicles from APCs and tanks through to assault shuttles and patrol craft. Starships are heavily featured divided into corvettes, frigates, cruisers, capital ships, and megastructures and their systems of command & control, life support, power plant and shielding for which there are upgrades and optional extras aplenty. The chapter finishes with numerous example starships.
Intergalactic Heroes is based on the Everyday Heroes TTRPG, a comprehensive system with clear and concise writing. If you’ve played any d20 system learning this will be a breeze with the emphasis clearly on fun. The game mechanic uses a d20 plus modifier versus a target number, on top of which are all manner of rules for advantage and disadvantage, conditions, ability checks as well as skills, saving throws, hit points, recovery, breaking stuff and conditions. The environments you’ll explore are discussed with rules for gravity, radiation, poisons, and toxins.
Combat uses a system of rounds and turns with your heroes jostling for position with their adversaries. The game adopts a cinematic approach with plenty of actions to choose from, whether it’s laying down suppressing fire, helping a fallen colleague or diving for cover. Starship and vehicle combat is fast and exciting with all manner of vehicular mayhem guaranteed. Starships have their own dramatic events for the crew to participate in with combat allowing every hero to perform a variety of actions from evasive maneuvers to repelling borders.
The book ends with a good selection of allies, antagonists and creatures with which to populate your adventures. So my overall impression? This is an exquisite foretaste, and the finished product line is guaranteed to be a veritable feast for every science-fiction gaming enthusiast.
Interview: IGH Lead Writer Bryan Steele
by K.J. Montgomery
Bryan Steele, lead writer of Intergalactic Heroes, answered K.J.’s questions.
K.J.: Tell us about the new system that's going to be featured with Intergalactic Heroes. What dice should fans be ready to roll when they get to playing?
Bryan: As it is completely compatible with Everyday Heroes, which in turn was inspired by D&D 5E, your basic polyhedral set—d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20—are all you’ll need.
K.J.: What should GMs expect as far as getting ready to run games? Is this low-prep, will there be a lot of handouts, will it be easy to port into VTTs?
Bryan: It can run the gamut. If you are a GM that likes handouts and maps and minis, we will have you covered. If you are more of a Theatre-of-the-Mind player, that will also be fine. As for VTTs, I know there is a few great EDH plugins that work great on the platforms, and doing a few tweaks to get our IGH stuff in there to play nicely wouldn’t be hard at all.
K.J.: Intergalactic Heroes is sci-fi. What level of sci-fi would you place this RPG on a hard-to-soft sci-fi spectrum?
Bryan: Well, IGH is designed to be a bit of a toolbox. With a little spit and polish, you can do either. Our own setting that kicks off IGH, The Throneworld Saga, is a good mix of sci fantasy and sci fi, making it sit kind of in the middle on that spectrum. That is by design. We didn’t want to make something out of the gate that would say “this is basically D&D in space,” but we also didn’t want people to think they needed an astrophysics degree to understand what we were building, either.
K.J.: What, if any, adventures will come with the rulebook?
Bryan: We have plans to release several IGH adventures on our online platform, Sidekick (Get it? An Everyday Hero’s best friend? Ah ha!), but the book itself doesn’t have an adventure between its covers. Several story hooks, ideas, and examples; but no full bore adventure. I’ve been running special event adventures during the game’s creation at conventions like Gary Con and Gamehole Con (both amazing RPG shows!) for a couple years now, so we have lots of material to work with. In fact, I’ve already contacted several of my industry colleagues to pen some IGH adventures early in the game line’s existence.
K.J.: What's the inspiration (TV, movies, books, etc.) for Intergalactic Heroes, if any?
Bryan: Lots. Almost too many to count. I’m a sci fi/fantasy/horror media junkie. There are so many hat tips and easter eggs that have probably landed in the writing, that some might get missed for years by the some readers. Others might be a little more obvious. But, I can say that shows and movies like Star Wars, Babylon 5, Star Trek, The Orville, Event Horizon, The Expanse, and The Last Starfighter were all watched quite heavily during this game’s infancy.
K.J.: What else is something you'd like to share about Intergalactic Heroes?
Bryan: IGH is the first time Evil Genius has forged a full IP (Intellectual Property) as the foundation of a product. We wanted IGH to be a full “make your own setting” type system, kind of like EDH is. But, as we started looking at making Classes and Origin species, we realized we had to give it some flavor of its own. A reason why someone would pick and play this sci fi game over something else. Thus, the universe of The Throneworld Saga started to take shape. A few months passed by, and we had the basics to a full setting that could be the backbone of the core book. A few more, and now it needs a book of its own to show off the worldbuilding and narratives we (the team and I) had built. I am very much looking forward to people asking “When is the next Throneworld adventure coming out?” as often as they ask “When is the next IGH Cinematic Sourcebook coming out?” Because, in my mind and heart, they are one in the same.
K.J.: Tell us about you as the lead writer. What other works are in your portfolio that you'd like readers to know about?
Bryan: Well. That is a long journey. Over the last twenty-plus years, I’ve worked for Conan, Starship Troopers, Shadowrun, Judge Dredd, G.I.Joe, Transformers, Mutant Chronicles, Power Rangers, and more. The list is really long, to be honest. I think, specifically fans looking into IGH will be most interested in my work with Traveller, Babylon 5, and Transformers. Oh yeah, and I just got attached as one of the leads for the Thundercats RPG, too. I call myself a Professional Nerd; and now you know why.
K.J.: Lastly, what are some of your other hobbies when not writing tabletop RPG material?
Bryan: I design, paint, and play several miniatures games and board games. In fact, I got my start with Warmachine Prime at Privateer Press over twenty years ago. Now I’m one of the leads over at Warzone Eternal, and I do some additional design stuff with Zeo Genesis. I’m guessing you were asking more non-gamer stuff, though. I’m a kitchen warlock. I absolutely love being in the kitchen and making food for my family and friends. There isn’t much better than when I get a chance to throw some music on the kitchen speakers and make something with a rare (to my neck of the woods) ingredient or something I had to seek out in one of the ethnic markets around town. I wouldn’t want to be a chef, but cooking for others totally destresses me.
That’s a wrap! And remember:
Weirdest quote uttered in my house this week, “Do you spray your beans?”😐
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