Iain McAllister
@giantbrain.co.uk
Game writer, freelance critic, and podcaster. Host of the Brainwaves Tabletop News Podcast. Host of Cult of the Old. Find all my work here https://linktr.ee/thegiantbrain
Pinned
Iain McAllister
@giantbrain.co.uk
· Jan 21
The Giant Brain
Tabletop Game Reviews, Interviews, and Criticism
giantbrain.co.uk
Hello new followers! I'm Iain McAllister and I post about games of all persuasions. You'll find all my written work over on my site. I have a particular focus at the moment on trying tabletop RPG criticism in different ways. Links in Bio, podcasts included.
giantbrain.co.uk
giantbrain.co.uk
Reposted by Iain McAllister
Hurrah! My article on the Twilight 2000 RPG in the Journal of American Studies is now open access (OA), so anyone who wants to can have a read. OA is important to me, as I want my work on RPG history to go beyond the academy and reach the gaming public.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces | Journal of American Studie...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces
www.cambridge.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Hurrah! My article on the Twilight 2000 RPG in the Journal of American Studies is now open access (OA), so anyone who wants to can have a read. OA is important to me, as I want my work on RPG history to go beyond the academy and reach the gaming public.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
This week on But Why Vikings, me and @giantbrain.co.uk are chatting collections, selections and tiredness on Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/5boR... and Apple podcasts podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b... and other places as that stuff happens
People Can't Hear Faces
open.spotify.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:41 PM
This week on But Why Vikings, me and @giantbrain.co.uk are chatting collections, selections and tiredness on Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/5boR... and Apple podcasts podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b... and other places as that stuff happens
It's the second episode of But Why Vikings? the ludological agony aunt column for your ears. @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer all sorts of questions on anything tabletop. Check it out, share, and rate!
But Why Vikings? - Podcast - Apple Podcasts share.google/ZdTRo4IBD3or...
But Why Vikings? - Podcast - Apple Podcasts share.google/ZdTRo4IBD3or...
But Why Vikings?
Games Podcast · Updated fortnightly · Any unanswered questions at your gaming table? Ava Foxfort, Tim Clare, and Iain McAllister mull over tabletop conudrums: from etiquette at the table to recommenda...
share.google
November 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM
It's the second episode of But Why Vikings? the ludological agony aunt column for your ears. @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer all sorts of questions on anything tabletop. Check it out, share, and rate!
But Why Vikings? - Podcast - Apple Podcasts share.google/ZdTRo4IBD3or...
But Why Vikings? - Podcast - Apple Podcasts share.google/ZdTRo4IBD3or...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
Well, @giantbrain.co.uk will bring thrilled to know that I bought myself Lords of Vegas recently and finally got to play it this weekend. I had previously played like 10 years ago, loved it, and never got around to buying it until it was already out of print.
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Well, @giantbrain.co.uk will bring thrilled to know that I bought myself Lords of Vegas recently and finally got to play it this weekend. I had previously played like 10 years ago, loved it, and never got around to buying it until it was already out of print.
My new cast with @ava.foxfort.net and @timclare.bsky.social is out for your auditory pleasure. Each episode we answer ludological questions from listeners! Would you like to have your question answered on a future cast? Get in touch!
open.spotify.com/show/02ctAw2...
open.spotify.com/show/02ctAw2...
Deranged in my Promiscuity
open.spotify.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:17 AM
My new cast with @ava.foxfort.net and @timclare.bsky.social is out for your auditory pleasure. Each episode we answer ludological questions from listeners! Would you like to have your question answered on a future cast? Get in touch!
open.spotify.com/show/02ctAw2...
open.spotify.com/show/02ctAw2...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
@benriggs.bsky.social brings together @johnharper.bsky.social, @megueyb.bsky.social and @lumpley.bsky.social to talk gaming while we wait for Apocalypse World Burned Over to go live...
youtu.be/Aoa7ehvou9U?...
youtu.be/Aoa7ehvou9U?...
"Games Will Prevail": A conversation with Meguey Baker, Vincent Baker & John Harper- Ep 77
YouTube video by Reading D&D Aloud
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 5:51 PM
@benriggs.bsky.social brings together @johnharper.bsky.social, @megueyb.bsky.social and @lumpley.bsky.social to talk gaming while we wait for Apocalypse World Burned Over to go live...
youtu.be/Aoa7ehvou9U?...
youtu.be/Aoa7ehvou9U?...
Well this is interesting. @theoldkingscrown.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Well this is interesting. @theoldkingscrown.bsky.social
Reposted by Iain McAllister
WE UNLOCKED ALL THE STRETCH GOALS
November 7, 2025 at 8:59 PM
WE UNLOCKED ALL THE STRETCH GOALS
Reposted by Iain McAllister
The latest Brainwaves is out now with me @tabletopgamesblog.com and @jamsandwich.bsky.social digging into the news from around the globe.
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
Brainwaves Episode 170 - Precious Musk - The Giant Brain
The whole team is back in the studio to bring you the latest news from across the tabletop gaming globe in Brainwaves Episode 170
giantbrain.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The latest Brainwaves is out now with me @tabletopgamesblog.com and @jamsandwich.bsky.social digging into the news from around the globe.
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
Here We GO! Come along, my dearies!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Apocalypse World: Burned Over
The 3rd edition of the groundbreaking original.
www.kickstarter.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Here We GO! Come along, my dearies!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
@ava.foxfort.net and I are recording a new episode of But Why Vikings? tonight. We need your questions to keep making epsiodes so if you have any ludological enquiries please get in touch. You can listen to the kind of thing we are looking for on our first episode
open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
Deranged in my Promiscuity
open.spotify.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:14 PM
@ava.foxfort.net and I are recording a new episode of But Why Vikings? tonight. We need your questions to keep making epsiodes so if you have any ludological enquiries please get in touch. You can listen to the kind of thing we are looking for on our first episode
open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
My indie RPG column for TTGM is expanding to look at forthcoming games. If you have an RPG project coming out shortly after the 26th of December let me know about it!
November 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM
My indie RPG column for TTGM is expanding to look at forthcoming games. If you have an RPG project coming out shortly after the 26th of December let me know about it!
Reposted by Iain McAllister
Out now on the blog - how to run @darringtonpress.bsky.social #Daggerheart #TTRPG one-shots - check it out!
burnafterrunningrpg.com/2025/11/03/h...
burnafterrunningrpg.com/2025/11/03/h...
How to Run Daggerheart One-Shots
Daggerheart has been out for a while now, and I’ve had a chance to run a few one-shots of it, both online and face-to-face; it’s a great system for them, with its narrative focus bringing the epic …
burnafterrunningrpg.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Out now on the blog - how to run @darringtonpress.bsky.social #Daggerheart #TTRPG one-shots - check it out!
burnafterrunningrpg.com/2025/11/03/h...
burnafterrunningrpg.com/2025/11/03/h...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
The Bastionland Podcast is back! This episode welcomes @limithron.bsky.social to pick three games that are important to him.
open.spotify.com/episode/28mx...
open.spotify.com/episode/28mx...
Luke Stratton's Rule of Three
open.spotify.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The Bastionland Podcast is back! This episode welcomes @limithron.bsky.social to pick three games that are important to him.
open.spotify.com/episode/28mx...
open.spotify.com/episode/28mx...
Tiny Tome 3 is up on Kickstarter at the moment! I've had a look at her previous versions and they are packed full of weird and wonderful ideas. Check it out.
Tiny Tome 3, via @Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Tiny Tome 3, via @Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Tiny Tome 3
We're back with 50 single-page RPGs from 50 different creators.
www.kickstarter.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Tiny Tome 3 is up on Kickstarter at the moment! I've had a look at her previous versions and they are packed full of weird and wonderful ideas. Check it out.
Tiny Tome 3, via @Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Tiny Tome 3, via @Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
3 days to go for Tiny Tome 3 on @kickstarter.com
Not sure what other stretch goals are coming, but go support this fantastic project, it would make a good Christmas present🔥
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
#ttrpg #tabletop #TinyTome
Not sure what other stretch goals are coming, but go support this fantastic project, it would make a good Christmas present🔥
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
#ttrpg #tabletop #TinyTome
Tiny Tome 3
We're back with 50 single-page RPGs from 50 different creators.
www.kickstarter.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:12 AM
3 days to go for Tiny Tome 3 on @kickstarter.com
Not sure what other stretch goals are coming, but go support this fantastic project, it would make a good Christmas present🔥
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
#ttrpg #tabletop #TinyTome
Not sure what other stretch goals are coming, but go support this fantastic project, it would make a good Christmas present🔥
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
#ttrpg #tabletop #TinyTome
My indie RPG column for TTGM is expanding to look at forthcoming games. If you have an RPG project coming out shortly after the 26th of December let me know about it!
November 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM
My indie RPG column for TTGM is expanding to look at forthcoming games. If you have an RPG project coming out shortly after the 26th of December let me know about it!
Reposted by Iain McAllister
UK Games Expo promoted a tabletop RPG on Instagram that claimed to use "fully ethical and transparent" generative AI. Everything went downhill once the publisher began responding to criticism.
UK Games Expo criticized for promoting RPG with generative AI imagery
Gates of Krystalia’s creators insult commenters, struggle to explain provenance of LLM training material.
www.rascal.news
November 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
UK Games Expo promoted a tabletop RPG on Instagram that claimed to use "fully ethical and transparent" generative AI. Everything went downhill once the publisher began responding to criticism.
The latest Brainwaves is out now with me @tabletopgamesblog.com and @jamsandwich.bsky.social digging into the news from around the globe.
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
Brainwaves Episode 170 - Precious Musk - The Giant Brain
The whole team is back in the studio to bring you the latest news from across the tabletop gaming globe in Brainwaves Episode 170
giantbrain.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The latest Brainwaves is out now with me @tabletopgamesblog.com and @jamsandwich.bsky.social digging into the news from around the globe.
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
giantbrain.co.uk/2025/11/03/b...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
It's been a real pleasure to get to spend more time with these two. I think that comes across in the cast. Have a listen, give us a rating, and share if you want us to do more. Really helps us out.
So @timclare.bsky.social and @giantbrain.co.uk are two of my favourote people to talk about games with. Friendships forged in the fires of me being desperately overwhelmed at boardgame conventions. People who'll put up with my nonsense. So...we podcast open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
Deranged in my Promiscuity
open.spotify.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:30 AM
It's been a real pleasure to get to spend more time with these two. I think that comes across in the cast. Have a listen, give us a rating, and share if you want us to do more. Really helps us out.
My second monthly newsletter is out. Just need to sign up to our Patreon for free to get access.
www.patreon.com/posts/octobe...
www.patreon.com/posts/octobe...
October 2025 Newsletter | The Giant Brain
Get more from The Giant Brain on Patreon
www.patreon.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:41 AM
My second monthly newsletter is out. Just need to sign up to our Patreon for free to get access.
www.patreon.com/posts/octobe...
www.patreon.com/posts/octobe...
Reposted by Iain McAllister
In the first episode of But Why Vikings? @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer questions on getting folk into 'boring themes', fiddling etiquette at the table, and I have strong opinions on introducing folk to RPGs. Please send us more!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
But Why Vikings?
Games Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Any unanswered questions at your gaming table? Ava Foxfort, Tim Clare, and Iain McAllister mull over tabletop conudrums: from etiquette at the table to recommendatio...
podcasts.apple.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
In the first episode of But Why Vikings? @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer questions on getting folk into 'boring themes', fiddling etiquette at the table, and I have strong opinions on introducing folk to RPGs. Please send us more!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
In the first episode of But Why Vikings? @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer questions on getting folk into 'boring themes', fiddling etiquette at the table, and I have strong opinions on introducing folk to RPGs. Please send us more!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
But Why Vikings?
Games Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Any unanswered questions at your gaming table? Ava Foxfort, Tim Clare, and Iain McAllister mull over tabletop conudrums: from etiquette at the table to recommendatio...
podcasts.apple.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
In the first episode of But Why Vikings? @ava.foxfort.net @timclare.bsky.social and I answer questions on getting folk into 'boring themes', fiddling etiquette at the table, and I have strong opinions on introducing folk to RPGs. Please send us more!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
It's been a real pleasure to get to spend more time with these two. I think that comes across in the cast. Have a listen, give us a rating, and share if you want us to do more. Really helps us out.
So @timclare.bsky.social and @giantbrain.co.uk are two of my favourote people to talk about games with. Friendships forged in the fires of me being desperately overwhelmed at boardgame conventions. People who'll put up with my nonsense. So...we podcast open.spotify.com/episode/0aRh...
Deranged in my Promiscuity
open.spotify.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:30 AM
It's been a real pleasure to get to spend more time with these two. I think that comes across in the cast. Have a listen, give us a rating, and share if you want us to do more. Really helps us out.
My column looking at Indie RPGs is expanding in the December issue of TTGM. I will now also be looking forward at RPGs about to come out and highlighting a few. If you have a project coming out in December, or close to, let me know about it.
November 1, 2025 at 9:24 AM
My column looking at Indie RPGs is expanding in the December issue of TTGM. I will now also be looking forward at RPGs about to come out and highlighting a few. If you have a project coming out in December, or close to, let me know about it.