Category: Review Page 2 of 3

[Review] Conspiracy X Second Edition Introductory Kit

On August 30, 2022

Project Bluebook lied to you. They are among us, and they have been here for some time.

Those are the first words to greet the reader of the Conspiracy X (Second Edition) Introductory Game Kit; two short sentences that I suspect convey the core conceit of Eden Studio’s popular roleplaying game of modern-day conspiracy and alien invasion more concisely than perhaps a hundred more paragraphs ever could. They invite the reader into a world of mystery, of lies and intrigue, and hint that maybe… just maybe… they can do something about it.

But does the Conspiracy X Second Edition Introductory Game Kit (hereafter noted as simply the Intro Kit) live up to this tempting summons? Does it deliver as a ‘taster’ of things to come, or does it simply leave a foul tang on the tongue? Well, let’s read on and find out…

[Review] Esoterrorist 1st Edition Rulebook

By Marcus Bone

On October 19, 2021

In Review, The Esoterrorists

Beyond the edge of our senses lies nothing but madness and doom, a Possibility so terrifying that if unleashed would destroy not only our humanity but with it, all Reality. This is the Outer Dark, a source of ultimate power, and unforgiving terror, which at in the same instant calls to those who would but listen, and consumes those who cannot turn away. This is the world of the Esoterrorists.

The Esoterrorists (1st Edition) is a simple and compact roleplaying game that successfully ushered in the GUMSHOE system. Written by Robin D. Laws and published by Pelgrane Press in 2006, it is a perfect example of both the strengths and limitations of what was to become a paradigm challenging game. As such, in this review I’m going to briefly break down the good, the bad and the ugly of The Esoterrorists and the system that would lead the way to numerous other GUMSHOE games, as well as a much expanded second edition in 2013.

For those unfamiliar with the GUMSHOE system, it arose from the author’s issue with roleplaying games where luck impacted the progression of a scenario’s core story-line or investigation (such as occurs when players need to roll skill checks to find leads or clues). Robin, from what I’ve read, wanted to have a simple system that allowed for competent characters to always find these important clues, and move the focus on to how the players interpreted them, rather than if they find them at all. I’ve seen and listened to arguments on both side of the fence on this underlying issue (and whether such mechanics resolve such problems, or simply create others), but from my experience the GUMSHOE system does achieve everything it was set out to do. The other side of the mechanics, that of general skill checks or combat, is a very straight forward D6 mechanic, which is easy to teach and does its best to get out of the way of the roleplaying.

Note this reviews was originally written for and published at rpggeek.com, and appears here for completionism reasons.

[Review] Game Master’s Screen – 1st Edition

By Marcus Bone

On September 27, 2021

In Conspiracy X, Review

It seems quite odd to be reviewing a Game Master’s Screen, but the reality is that I’m not so much reviewing the screen, rather than the 48-page booklet that is bundled within this package. To compound this confusion, the fact the core part of the package is a scenario that focused on the paranormal, rather than the Extra-terrestrial aspects (which I normally prefer), of the Conspiracy X setting, it initially worried me that I wouldn’t do this supplement the justice it deserves.

So, did I like the screen, the scenario and everything else that came with the Conspiracy X 1st Edition Game Master’s supplement? Read on, dear friend, and you will find out!

Please note, this review is written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the setting of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you reading this review who may not be so familiar with the themes of this game, the one sentence summary would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within Aegis, a clandestine organization tasked with hiding the truth of aliens, monsters and the supernatural from the fragile minds of humanity. Yes, yes, think X-Files, but an X-Files where you are the Smoking Man rather than Fox or Mulder.

This review continues my series of looking back on the various books, supplements and publications that have been released for Conspiracy X over the years, and in the processes looking at what insights this – once extremely popular – roleplaying game might reveal to us here in the 2020s.

[Review] Bodyguard of Lies 3 – Synergy

By Marcus Bone

On December 7, 2020

In Conspiracy X, Review

It’s been way too long, but I thought I’d return to my rambling evaluation of the Conspiracy X line with one of the game’s lesser known publications – Bodyguard of Lies 3 – Synergy. And yes, because I like to be contrary, I thought I’d leap right into the third book of the series…

This review is written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the setting and themes of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you reading this review who may not be so educated, the one sentence summary of this game would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within Aegis, a clandestine organization tasked with hiding the truth of aliens, monsters and the supernatural from the fragile minds of humanity.

For those who do not know, the Bodyguard of Lies (BoL) was a series of three supplements released during 1998 and 99 by Eden Studios to support the 1st edition of Conspiracy X. Designed as part magazine, part splatbook, I get the impression they were aimed at maintaining the interest in the game line while longer, more traditional, game supplements were being written. This format also provided an opportunity to explore subjects, and provide scenarios, that were either too brief, or perhaps too tangential, to the core Con X setting to warrant their own dedicated release. These days I’d imagine such material might well appear on publisher’s website as a freebie or as a quick and easy PDF release via Drivethrurpg, so seeing these articles and adventures in physical print format is quite cool (even I do have some reservations on the form factor of the books).

Now, I can only speak for myself, but I missed the original publication of all three issues of BoL, which seems strange, especially given my interest in conspiracy and horror gaming. I do, however, wonder if my personal overlooking of this line may well be a pointer as to why only 3 books were released? In any case it’s a shame we didn’t see more of these, especially – as I note later – there seemed more material awaiting the wings.

[Review] CryptoZoology: Dossier of the Unexplained

By Marcus Bone

On August 12, 2020

In Conspiracy X, Review

So, I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of mixing my cryptids with my aliens. Sure, the X-Files did it with their ‘Monster of the Week’ style offerings, but I like my extraterrestrials and Jersey Devils to stay in their own sandpits, thank you very much! It was therefore with some trepidation that I unsealed my (long unopened) copy of CryptoZoology: Dossier of the Unexplained for Conspiracy X First Edition.

A Note – This review is written with the assumption that the reader is familiar with the setting and themes of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you who don’t, the one sentence summary would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within a clandestine organization (known as Aegis) and are tasked with hiding the truth of aliens – and the like – from humanity.