In all of yesterday’s hubbub over the Kickstarter for The Cats of New Orleans — which funded in under six hours, thanks! — I forgot to mention that yesterday was also the release date for The Game Master’s Book of Magic & Mayhem for Kids. This is the latest in the Game Master’s Book series from Topix Media. A few …
The Cats of New Orleans Kickstarter
Last year, my friend Marco Pecota — who I’ve known since the ’90s when he ran Global Games and published the minis game Legions of Steel — contacted me. He’d come back to games publishing with a new company — Raybox Games — and had some great successes with Stalingrad Z (zombies in World War II) and The Cats of …
Milwaukee Improv—and then Gary Con!
First things first. Tonight, I’m heading to the Milwaukee Improv to join Dan Taylor’s Catacombs & Comedians with Sarah Babe, John Kovalic, and Tawnie Thompson. We’re going to play D&D as hard-knock heroes who’ve fallen back to delivering pizza to adventurers in the dungeon’s darkest depths. Come out and root (and hoot!) us on! Tomorrow, I’m running up the road …
Heading to Gamehole Con!
This week, I’m running up the road to Madison, Wisconsin, for one of my favorite conventions of the year: Gamehole Con. It’s a wonderful show, and Alex Kammer, Andrew Hitchcock, and the rest of the crew there do an amazing job running it. If you have the chance, I wholly recommend going, and if you do, please say hi! Here’s …
Avengers Assemble!
Gamers! The Avengers Expansion to the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game debuts today! Go grab it from your friendly local games/comics store! I was the lead writer/designer on this book, but I had a LOT of help with it. Big thanks go to my fellow writers, Marty Forbeck, Alex Irvine, and — with his first writing credit — Pat Forbeck. Thanks …
My Father’s Eulogy
Yesterday, my dad’s whole family gathered together here in Beloit, Wisconsin, to celebrate his life. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to extend their sympathies, including many family friends I hadn’t seen in decades. We shared a lot of memories, tears, and even laughter — the good, healing kind. My stepmother, Nancy, led off the ceremony by greeting everyone and …
My Father’s Obituary
If you follow me on social media, you likely know that my dad died on August 6. My family and I have had a long week and a half since then, packed with preparations for his celebration of life, which happened yesterday afternoon. I’m posting his obituary here for posterity. Judge Kenneth William Forbeck of Beloit, Wisconsin, passed away at …
Gen Con 2025!
This week, I’m off to my favorite event of the year: Gen Con! I’ve gone to it every year since Gen Con XV back in 1982, which makes this my 44th year in a row. Whew! If you’re going to be at the show, I hope to see you there. I don’t have any official signing sessions set up at …
Metaphor vs. Mechanics: Don’t Fight the Fusion
by Matt Forbeck (This essay originally appeared in The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design, edited by Mike Selinker. I’m giving a couple talks on his subject at Gen Con 2025, so I’m posting this here to make it easy for people to find. If you’re interested in board game design, though, I wholly recommend picking up the entire book.) …
Gen Con Schedule!
I had a wonderful time at Origins Game Fair. Thanks to the folks there who brought me out and to everyone who joined me for all the fun and games. That especially goes to Ralph, Peter, Sean, Ellis, and the rest of the crew that ran the Marvel Multiverse RPG room. You can’t find people more dedicated and passionate about …