In this newsletter | Magical Athlete | Everybody Dies | Knights in White Satin Dark Guide Tony’s Trash Can | It’s Orbin Time |
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Get Haunted IndustriesI am a Magical Athletic Supporter | Holy cow! I have discovered something that has knocked my socks off.
I am not a board game person. I have nothing against them, but with only so much time for gaming, like my nose, I have to pick and choose what to fanatically obsess about.
Time is moving fast. My kids are now teens with social lives, and I am happy for them. But I’m also lonely as a dad. I’ve been looking for something quick that could bring us together, even if only for a few minutes, to help keep those family bonds strong.
I found it.
I FOUND IT.
BEHOLD MAGICAL ATHLETE BY CMYK GAMES! |  | Thanks to the recommendations on the Get Haunted Discord, I headed to the store and picked up Magical Athlete, a simple, hilarious, downright cutthroat board game that checks all the boxes:
Easy to learn: It took me longer to peel off the plastic wrap than to learn the rules. Roll a d6. Move. That’s basically it. I even played it with my dogs.
Fun: Each character has a special power that creates complete chaos and makes for a completely unbalanced experience—in a good way! Candy Land with a machete, pals.
Replayable: Pick from 36 crazy characters, each with their own special power and beautifully produced meeple. The LSD-puppet aesthetic immediately reminded me of The Letter People from kindergarten.
I busted it open. We rolled. We swore. I lost.
We are now on a three-night streak, and it is becoming a much-needed family ritual.
Fifteen minutes of fun, baby. No phones. No headphones. Just time with the fam. I spent $27 and somehow became an emotional millionaire.
Bada bing. Bada boom.
In the words of those kids from Reading Rainbow: “But you don’t have to take my word for it!” | | | | | Ham & Egg PublishingEverybody Dies |  | Last week, in just three days, the world lost Peter Cullen, Tim Curry, and a woman who was truly an angel walking among us: Dolly Parton. Three artists whose work shaped the lives of so many.
I could go on ad nausem about any one of them, especially Dolly and Tim. Instead, I encourage you all to take some time to celebrate the artists who shaped and touched your life.
There is no higher tribute than creation, but if you can’t, that’s cool too. Play their music, watch a movie (Transformers: The Movie hits even harder this week), go see a concert. Whatever works for you.
They will be missed, but, in the words of Tim Armstrong, “Through music we can live forever.” | What Dark Comes Knocking & the Dual20 |  | We’re just 28 days away from the launch of our latest Kickstarter campaign for What Dark Knocking Comes in the Still of the Night. We’re really excited about this one because, in addition to the flip book adventure, we are also launching our first-ever dice: The Dual20. |  | | | | | Wind-Up Vampire PressNew Union Member, New Name, New Release |  | Well, well, well. Look at who forgot their lessons from Dracula 101. Analog Union just went and invited me inside. Now you’ll never shake me loose from this group of the best rpg makers out there.
Wind-Up Vampire Press is the brainchild of me! Melanie C. Green. Originally using Meldar16 Games as a personal art handle and then as a co-publisher for indie comics, I started making D&D adventures and zines in my Atera Redux series. While making my first non-D&D ttrpg, I also upgraded my partner Sean, from mere editor to co-writer and dishwasher. This expansion also led to our very recent company name change, and the return of the Meldar16 name as my personal handle.
These days, we work together to expand Atera Redux, so we can eventually make one of those nifty box sets the kids like so much. For our original games, we strive to make simple, pick-up-and-play games that match the vibes of our own gaming groups. Light on rules, lighthearted, and light on the wallet.
Wind-Up Vampire also doubles as a small press (thus the name). With our 4 printers of the apocalypse (Epson of Satan, Epson of a Bitch, Epson of Sam, and Epson of a Gun), the paper guillotine of the proletariat, and the bookbinders of doom, every last release of ours is hatefully printed and assembled by Mel.
Speaking of releases, we have a brand-spanking-new one: Knights In White Satin. Did you know the Moody Blues song is Nights, not Knights in White Satin? Weird, huh? This misheard lyric inspired the image on the cover of this book, which in turn sparked ideas for the rest of the dungeon. |  | Take medieval love poetry, fold in dark fairy tales, and add the extra peril that comes with any game of Shadowdark, and you have Knights in White Satin. In this adventure, Nokto Keep has long been a pit of despair. Figuratively sinking the spirits of those that reside within, while literally sinking into the cliffside it was built upon, tales of trouble and love lost still attract the brave to wander within. The Keep’s occupants are engrossed in a magical malaise that permeates every bit of stone.
Glimpses of moonlight, flowing satin, and love poetry would normally gladden the heart, but here they are an ever-present danger. Delve into its deepest depths to discover its most dangerous denizen.
Get print copies of Knights in White Satin on our website, PDF copies on itch.io, and PDF copies on RPG Trader! | | | | | Mytic PunksDark Guide Tony’s Trash Can | Man, I love me some grimdark. But, like most things in life, it’s best to enjoy it in moderation. Like, every once in a while, I’ll crave something heavy. I’ll say yes to the NY strip, with the mashed potatoes (made with heavy cream, of course), and, did you say, mac n’ cheese? Yes, please.
Same with grimdark. When done right, there’s something undeniably satisfying that can stay with ya. Like after finishing a meal at a 1980s chop house, complete with amber glass ashtrays.
We all know that Mr. Workshop is the go-to for your grimdark needs. His macabre emporium of horrors beyond all imagination sets the chaos star standard for the genre. However, I find that his literary offerings can be hit or miss. But not with C.L. Werner’s Mathias Thulmann trilogy from the early 00s. Werner writes in a pulp tradition that engages the reader with enough darkness, cheeky gravitas, and adventure to understand its influences, moves at a brisk pace, and isn’t needlessly bogged down by bloated lore. |  | But what about a contemporary offering? Enter Patrick Klindon’s and Ludovic Lalliat’s Regicide from Image Comics. Klindon has been firing on all cylinders with their revenge-driven Gehenna and 80s-jungle exploitation romp, Tigress Island series. And Regicide is no different. |  | The variant cover from Atom Cyber alone was an instant pull.
Set in old Tara Rumânească, which, according to the computer, may or may not be Transylvania, we travel with aging but mighty peasant farmer Mihas and the mysterious Dr./MF Doom-looking Doru. His village elders have reluctantly enlisted Mihas to accompany Doru to kill the nation’s king, its source of suffering.
Lalliat’s art perfectly captures the despair that has permeated the land and left its people dying. Equally engaging is how they render Mihas’ barehanded violence against bandits and supernatural creatures. I can’t recall a time when a non-suped protagonist is weaponless out of the gate and does such brutal damage. Yea, it’s that good. |  |  | Image touts the series as “Dracula meets Berserk,” which, sure, for an elevator pitch, will turn heads and drive sales. But the real meat here is a long precedent set by grimdark tales and art, and Klindon is great at giving us just enough to know where the darkness is headed. But, more importantly, equally deft at dropping more shrouds of shadow when necessary.
A heavy succulent meal, indeed.
| | | Super Savage SystemsOrb Tyrants: Coming Soon! |  | | | | |
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Analog Union Join the Analog Union subreddit |  | The Analog Union subreddit has launched, and it’s starting to grow! Join us in our new community where you can tell us what you really think of all these shenanigans we’re getting up to. We listen, and we care. And I really want to see what you’re up to in your gaming world.
It’s easy to find; it’s literally r/AnalogUnion.
Get in now so you can say “I was there before it was cool.” (Spoiler alert: we’ll never be cool) | | |
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ShireCon North Canaan, CT – September 25th & 26th |
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ShireCon is celebrating its 8th year! Two days of role-playing and board games in the Berkshires! Come for a day and a half of OSR and modern gaming. Visit our vendors selling old and new games and enjoy the local fare in North Canaan, CT |
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Under The Dice Fest Enfield, CT – October 2nd, 3rd & 4th |
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Under The Dice Fest returns this October 2nd- 4th!
UTDFest is focused on independent tabletop gaming, with a focus on miniatures and wargames! The New England Mordheim Open returns, along with roleplaying games, game tournaments, workshops, live music, and more! You don’t want to miss it! |
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ArcaneCon Northampton, MA – October 16th & 17th |
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ArcaneCon is returning October 16th & 17th, 2026. Join us in a celebration of indie, old school, and old school-inspired RPGs, miniature games, board games, and more! ArcaneCon is Western Massachusetts’s premiere tabletop hobby convention! Game submissions are open now!!! See more information at Tabletop Events. |
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Keep on emailing us at hello@analogunion.com to let us know what you’d like to see more of/less of and to share ideas. If you enjoy the Analog Union newsletter, please tell your friends to sign up at AnalogUnion.com. Until next time! —JHM |
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