Play dungeon crawl.
The Machine of Madness's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Usability: Is the adventure easy to use on the fly? | #19 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
| Fun: Is the adventure fun to play in an OSR playstyle? | #49 | 3.700 | 3.700 |
| Overall | #50 | 3.700 | 3.700 |
| Writing: Is the adventure original and fun to read? | #70 | 3.400 | 3.400 |
Ranked from 20 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Comments
Campaign finale or springboard for a multiverse of possibilities; ingenius. Old-school feel with a dash of weird. Well done.
I like that you didn't waste any space, opting to use the map as the cover. The artwork is striking, especially on pages 2 and 3.
You did a great job keeping the descriptions down to just the most important info. I think the conclusion works well, and I think if I ran this I would simplify it to 1 reality/timeline crafted by each player rather than rolling 2d6.
Rolling for the Machine's Nature modifying how the Primes/Invisible Stalkers behaves is a great idea to keep things interesting. I would suggest adding the label "Prime Inhabitant" next to all 3 of the applicable monsters on page 5.
I liked the dungeon and the monsters. A GM might want to add some extra NPC interactions, possibly opting to greet the player's as the Mad Mage and instead break into combat at a surprising point of the conversation.
Very nice map. Clear easy to use. I like the changing nature of the machine. Good job.
I love how cleanly this is laid-out. It feels like it would be really easy to run, despite how complex the dungeon is.
Really odd, in a good way. I like the puzzle dungeon approach and I LOVE the conclusion. Awesome work. Also, the imp-like creature's art speaks to me on some level, I find it really cool
I debated adding that art because he plays such a minor roll, but same as you, something about it begged me to be included.
Super crisp, awesome layout and writing, and so much interactivity. Awesome work
This is now one of my favorites from this jam! As a child one of the first video games I ever saw was Myst III, and this adventure felt like a perfect fusion of that environmental puzzle/mystery design and classic D&D dungeoneering. (Also, sentipedes made me giggle.) The map did its job in being clear and helpful, and you gave the text room to breathe on the page. It's an adventure that wants to be run at the table right away without delay. Great job!
Really well done. Had a lot of fun reading. Love the ideas in here. I especially like the telegraphing you did in the mini coliseum. Totally gonna steal that idea. Well done.
Thank you. I knew my ideas were going to have to be what shined since my art and layout are both eclipsed by most of the other submissions.
I thought the layout and art were very fitting and evocative.
I appreciate that, thank you.
Always a fun time to have a giant, convoluted mysterious machine for the players to poke at. The adventure is well written and I think it would be pretty easy to run. I especially like the reveal that the wizard who made it exists in multiple different forms from multiple alternate realities.
Thank you. I was hoping the mystery vibes really stuck the landing. I didn't want to reveal too much at the end, just enough for players to feel satisfied.
Love a wizard's tower. Using the telescope to open the basement door gave me big Myst vibes!
I'll definitely take any comparison to Myst. I recently (a year ago) played the first game to get puzzle ideas.
Think the 'Conclusion' section is a really unique and cool concept.
Thank you. I was happy with it after spending a lot of time coming up with convoluted mechanics for making the wish then saying "Nah, just make it a simple die roll."
I hope some of the puzzle elements aren't too vague for the GM to understand. After finalizing, I realized it might not be clear that the belt needed for room 11 is found on the machine in room 18, ensuring that without clever actions on the player's part, the power engine needed to reach the conclusion can't operate without shutting off climate control, endangering everything in the dungeon.
Definitely could be a side note added after the Jam in a revision. Players will always surprise us with their intelligence & creativity. That said, a little ST tips couldn't hurt, though, not spelling it out is part of OSR...it's a hard balance...I struggled with something similar in mine on the interaction between the NPCs...tunnel vision of the process and knowing the big picture.
Luckily I got it in early enough and had several read through it (some not game inclined) with a few noticing, and got to edit and add. I think it works, but always something you can add later. Regardless...well done!