Mollie Russell
LightNews LightNews
banner
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Mollie Russell
@spookysyntax.bsky.social
550 followers 300 following 330 posts
Scream Queen at Wargamer. Autistic. South Wales poet and facilitator. Nerd for gaming, horror, music, and literature. She/Her.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · May 18
It's been a while since I shared a long read! I spent several months looking at gender representation in the world of board games. Hugely grateful for the time of the designers who shared their stories with me.
spookysyntax.bsky.social
I'm 29 today. Having a very quiet birthday by myself, and it's been nice to switch off from the world for a day.
September 14, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
newsnerd.bsky.social
Dang! @spookysyntax.bsky.social spoke with Dan Ayoub about the OGL controversy and a lot more. Honestly a great interview that helps understand the man informing D&D the most. www.wargamer.com/dnd/dan-ayou...
D&D head Dan Ayoub on listening and learning from the OGL: "We lost sight of what was important"
WotC's Head of Dungeons and Dragons Dan Ayoub tells us about his "new direction, new voice, and new spirit and energy behind D&D".
www.wargamer.com
September 14, 2026 at 12:40 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
"Playthings' unusual rules capture a moment perfectly. That moment is childhood, and the awesome, terrifying freedom that defines it."

My last review before a week of rest - enjoy:
www.wargamer.com/playthings/b...
Playthings is the strangest board game I've ever played (and that's a compliment)
I don't even know what to call this genre of board games - Playthings defies expectations in ways I've never experienced.
www.wargamer.com
September 11, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
pazuzuonline.bsky.social
25 Years ago today, Jigsaw trapped two men in a bathroom and then laid on a floor for like six hours
September 11, 2026 at 1:36 AM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Having depression when you're a writer is just saying this in the mirror every day
Ben Wyatt: Delusion Losing
ALT: Ben Wyatt: Delusion Losing
static.klipy.com
September 9, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
marcelineleiman.bsky.social
“Dino Racer is a superb, streamlined racing game packed into a small, affordable box. Don't let its small size fool you, though; the quick-playing party game is packed with personality.”

🏁 🦕 🦖

Thanks so much Mollie Russell of @wargamer.com for this detailed review of Dino Racer!!
Dino Racer is the hottest board game you haven't played, and it deserves the hype
It's been a good year for chaotic racing board games that make you shout 'What the hell was that?! Let's play again immediately.'
www.wargamer.com
September 5, 2026 at 12:37 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Was feeling a bit down today, but then I watched Return to Silent Hill. Nothing like a complete piece of ass garbage media to brighten your day
September 4, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
timclare.bsky.social
Really good tabletop journalism takes a frankly deranged amount of time. Just knowing which games to cover requires hunting down & playing swathes, then once you've found one worth writing about, the more you play it the better the final piece is likely to be. The effort-to-words funnel is brutal.
September 3, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
aftermath.site
Video game companies keep trying to bait and switch us with AI, and it sucks

aftermath.site/1666-amsterdam...
a 1666: amsterdam character looking thievishly at a table of food
September 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
mistergross.bsky.social
It was an honor to talk to @spookysyntax.bsky.social about The Monolith. She asks the best questions and got me to spill my guts about all the gut-spilling.
August 28, 2026 at 12:04 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
This went down a STORM with my friends. A blast to review.
August 28, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
catbussell.bsky.social
Hey folks,

Though freelancing helped somewhat, I've now burnt through my redundancy money and savings trying to find stable, full-time work.

I literally have no cash, and plagiarism robots took my last job, so things are about to get /exciting/.

Please share if you're so inclined.
Buy Cat a Coffee
Become a supporter of Cat today!
ko-fi.com
August 26, 2026 at 7:48 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Today we're thinking real hard about overtourism! Also, shock horror, Reiner Knizia is very good
August 20, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
newsnerd.bsky.social
SOURCE REQUEST: I’m looking to talk with sensitivity readers or experts about what that looks like for TTRPGs. If you’ve done that sort of work or know someone, let me know!

Working on a piece to contextualize what that means and how it helps.
August 20, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
newsnerd.bsky.social
Over at Wargamer, @spookysyntax.bsky.social .bsky.social actually did a deep dive with the designers of the controversial Vampire: the Masquerade BOUND BY BLOOD D&D 5e supplement. www.wargamer.com/dnd/vampire-...
D&D now has a Vampire the Masquerade class, but does it actually work?
"The subclasses don't necessarily make sense on paper", the Dungeons and Dragons creatives at Ghostfire Gaming tell us - but hear them out.
www.wargamer.com
August 18, 2026 at 11:57 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
I'm very lucky that I get to spend so much time trying new games. But games deserve love and attention even when they aren't brand-new and trendy.
August 18, 2026 at 5:30 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Had a weekend with zero obligations, and it's the first one I've had for probably 3 months. It's been refreshing.

The last couple of weeks I've been so head-down putting out Gen Con coverage, I've been forgetting to share my writing! So here's a thread 🔗
August 16, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
ilananight.bsky.social
Thrilled to see a callout for 13 Omens in here—I'm unbelievably proud of the game we're making!
August 6, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
giantbrain.co.uk
Depth is an often overused and misunderstood term. What do we want from a game that we can explore for a long time, and does a game need to be complex in order to achieve that?

giantbrain.co.uk/2022/07/14/t...
The Complexity of Depth - The Giant Brain
I look at the concept of depth in games and ask whether it is always tied to complex games or is it more subtle than that?
giantbrain.co.uk
August 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Back at my desk after my first Gen Con. It was incredible to catch up with the writers, designers, and publishers that make tabletop such an interesting place. I was never going to see everything, but I want to shout about the games I did get time to enjoy:
August 6, 2026 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
chasecarter.bsky.social
Some radical transparency: we may only have a year left at our current pace. If you'd like to help us survive to reach our full potential, consider subscribing, donating, or buying a gift subscription.
rascal.news Rascal News @rascal.news · Aug 3
State of the Rascal: August 2026
www.rascal.news/state-of-the...
Rascal logo in a black spraypaint splatter variant on a hot pink background
August 3, 2026 at 4:59 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
No selfie on the return trip to Gen Con, but have a Starfinder show recap I wrote up after the convention halls closed:

www.wargamer.com/starfinder/r...
Starfinder's biggest year yet starts now, and I might finally start playing
With beginner-friendly products, crossovers, and rich setting guides, Paizo is all about onboarding new Starfinder players in 2027.
www.wargamer.com
August 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Mollie Russell
boardgamewire.bsky.social
The Ukrainian publisher of board games including Catan and Exploding Kittens is fighting for its existence after a Russian missile strike destroyed its warehouse, wiping out its entire stock of about 200,000 games:

boardgamewire.com/index.php/20...
A fire engine outside a burnt out warehouse, with a burnt out van outside. Smoke and steam are still rising from the destroyed building. Photo shows damage to Ukrainian board game publisher Rozum's warehouse following a Russian missile attack on August 1. Photo Credit: Rozum.
August 3, 2026 at 2:52 PM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
Day 4 of Gen Con! Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind, wasn't it? I am so tired but there is so much interesting stuff left to do.
A white woman with a shaved head takes a mirror selfie Close up of a vampire the masquerade playtest character sheet Gollum token from Lord of the Rings Circle of Conflict Character cards from the board game Escape the Dark Forest
August 2, 2026 at 11:52 AM
spookysyntax.bsky.social
As a Brit in the US for the first time, everyone seems remarkably unphased by there being a tornado
August 1, 2026 at 9:52 PM