Forge Midwest 2024 Games & Recap

Preamble

Welcome back to “After Action Adventures”! For the first time in a long time, some actual play discussion.

Today, I’m sharing my experience at Forge Midwest, a fantastic casual convention right here in Madison, WI. I get to drive home each night – no need for those convention hotels!

I’ve been attending Forge Midwest since 2016 (a few years after moving to Madison) and have been to most of them. With the exception of 2020 (no event), 2021 (online only, which I skipped), and a scheduling mix-up in 2022, I’m a regular!

What I love about this con is its variety. It’s a fantastic space for playtesting, exploring hot new games, revisiting old favorites, and even dabbling in board games. While I don’t focus on ground-up design, I’m a big fan of system hacks. Forge Midwest is my go-to for playtesting ideas or revisiting a game before running a campaign. This year, I dived into Liminal Horror – The Bureau (more on that later).

Overall Thoughts

This was Forge Midwest’s first year at a new venue: The Clarion, a hotel connected to the Alliant Energy Center. The conference room was spacious, comfortably seating around 50 people. I’d estimate attendance was between 30 and 40 throughout the weekend.

The Clarion is definitely a step up from the previous location. My only gripe is the lack of nearby food options for quick meal breaks, but there are plenty of good spots within a 10-15 minute drive.

While I worry that larger crowds might make the space feel awkward (compared to the more segmented layout of the previous location), it was perfect for this year’s attendance, and probably up to 50 attendees.

The Games!

Forge Midwest: Game 1 | The Secrets of Cats

• Run by: Matt
• Played with: Tasha and Colin

We kicked off Friday’s 2-hour slot with this one. While we didn’t finish Matt’s full scenario, it was fun. Matt’s pre-gens and custom map really brought the town to life. While I enjoy “The Secrets of Cats” setting, I’ve played a lot of FATE over the years and feel a bit fatigued by the system. FATE Condensed does offer improvements, but the various iterations can still be tricky to keep straight.

That said, Matt’s addition of an “Investigate” move was a highlight. It fit seamlessly into the scale of success, and I’d definitely consider using it in future FATE games, especially those with an investigative focus.

Forge Midwest: Game 2 & 3 | Liminal Horror – The Bureau

• Run by: Me
• Players: Aaron, Tasha, Avril, Ben, Dustin, & Dave

Playing “Into the Odd” at Game Hole Con left me underwhelmed, however, something about the system kept nagging at me. Reading more “Into the Odd,” “Electric Bastionland,” and finally “Liminal Horror” revealed a shared principle:

This is when it clicked! In “Into the Odd” and its derivatives, the philosophy is “you don’t roll to fuck around, you roll to find out.” (A description I used often while describing this game throughout the weekend.) This style really suits my style of investigative games, encouraging player engagement and creativity. Also, the OSR-inspired mechanics enhance the anxiety inherent in this type of horror settings.

I ran this as a double slot (afternoon and evening) and was open to players dropping out if they wished. We started with 6 players, which was a bit crowded but manageable. I had 4 players stick around for the conclusion in the second slot.

This game was fantastic! My players really embraced the atmosphere and made it unforgettable. 10/10, I’d definitely run this system and adventure again.

Forge Midwest: Game 4 | Gates of Ivory, Gates of Horn

• Run by: Greg Stolze
• Played with: Dustin, Mike

( *Sidenote: Big fan of Greg’s work! Check out his podcast “Ludonarrative Dissidents“. I recognized his voice immediately. I even strongly considered bringing “A Dirty World” to Forge. )

This Sandman-inspired game was right up my alley. You play Dreams or Nightmares influencing a mortal Dreamer with a tarot-based mechanic. Scenarios seem procedurally generated, and I was intrigued by how this surreal fantasy system could support campaign play and exploring the politics of the dream world. Definitely excited to see more!

Forge Midwest: Game 5 | Wolves of Bearington

• Run by: Jason
• Played with: Steve, Tim, Aaron, & DMK

A dying town gets a werewolf boost… what could go wrong? Players are part of a search and rescue team who confront a monster, then have two weeks to fix the town’s problems (as werewolves). The core concept is fantastic, and Jason’s “death spiral” mechanic woven into a Forged in the Dark framework was clever. Some play aids, alternate character sheet design, and more NPC info would really make this game shine.

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Forge Midwest: Game 6 | Dread

• Run by: Ash
• Played with: Sheri, Steve, and Troll

This “ghost hunting TV show reunion gone wrong” premise was brilliantly executed. I played the dead cast member (double death in Dread!). We had “living” and “dead” Jenga towers.

The Ghost character had a lot of narrative authority, so I got to be a little bit of a backseat GM for parts of this game, which I thought was great. But talking to Ash, some things would be useful to incorporate for players who may not want or be comfortable with that role.

Forge Midwest: Game 7 | Parsely

I’d played Parsely with just two players before, but this round-robin style worked surprisingly well! We tackled ‘Dangertown Beatdown’ & ‘Space Station’ in a two-hour slot. This is a perfect icebreaker game, and I plan to bring it with me to Forge next year.