iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Dungeon Crawler Carl - Unstoppable is coming! It's a rad 1-2p deckbuilder designed by John D. Clair and we're doing the development. Can follow along here: www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...

a disembodied head says "follow the campaign or I will kill your mother"
Launching 2026 Backerkit. Dungeon Crawler Carl Roleplaying game and Dungeon Crawler Carl Unstoppable from Renegade Game Studios.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Board Game Media friends – @solisgamestudio.bsky.social is getting ready to send out some copies of our summer release: a complete 2 player game in a booster pack! Super-powered duels in just 5 minutes. If you're interested, fill this out: forms.gle/eDoJ9L9nJc8g...

The Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game Starter Pack. Shows a paper booster pack with two superheroes on it, Premier and Radiant Black, next to a 3D render of a cardboard box holding dozens of the packs. The front of the packaging reads "Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game - Starter Pack - 2 Complete Decks"

a fan of game cards showing the supervillain Premier from the Image comics series Radiant Black. Cards shown have the names Catalyst, The Final Trial, Inevitable, and Assessment Finalized.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Please meet “Bong Sedlus”, our new road trip mascot, most known for his catchphrase “outside bad”

A terrifying monstrosity cardboard cutout standup, made of collaged animated depictions of snack food. His face is a pufferfish of hot dogs, leering with a chocolate chip cookie smile, and he reaches for you with one cinnamon roll hand, grasping with his hot dog fingers.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

High Tide walk midday. Getting a lot done on moving projects forward.

A view of Somes Sound, Maine at high tide. Water laps the shore and a small tree covered island is visible in the distance with a mountain rising behind it.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

Per the Designer, Adam Hutto. Sure glad indigenous peoples are there to "add some flavor to your colonization efforts" 🤮🤮🤮

Adding some spice to your adventure are the native peoples of the Americas. While they won't make or break your victory, they add some flavor to your colonization efforts. Think of them as the locals – you might trade with them, learn from them, or occasionally butt heads with them. It's all part of the colonial experience.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

Days since a new boardgame publisher decides to publish the world's most asinine take on world history: 0. Like "Colonize: the New World" is so ridiculous of a title that part of me wonders if it's intentional trolling effort.

image of a board game entitled "Colonize: The New World"

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

How can anyone see mass deportations and foreign incarcerations without due process as anything but a fundamental threat to liberty in our nation? Auschwitz wasn't inside the borders of Germany. Making people stateless to facilitate denial of their rights is repugnant. #neveragain

Deported US residents inside CECOT, a mass prison in El Salvador. Their heads are shaved and they are bowed forward, packed tightly together.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

I spoke to several board game creators and retailers here in the Bay Area of California about the impact of tariffs. It's grim news for hobby games. www.solisgamestudio.com/blog/the-gro...

The Growing Bay Area Industry that tariffs may kill

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Me any time I need to do paperwork

A rat in 5 poses:
A - crying out
B - one leg up crying
C - in the process of rolling over
D - on back, still crying
E - standing on hind legs, screeching its little lungs out

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Old and Busted: Space Marines New Hotness: Sloth Marines back Space Lion 2 on Backerkit: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...

space marine image from Space Lion Board game by Solis Game Studios
man in powered armor carrying a large gun and smoking a cigar

a sloth in armor, decorated with golden sloth heads.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Playtest round 3 kicking off for Weird Little Guys: a folio filled with oddballs for you to use in your campaigns. It's system neutral #TTRPG supplement focused on non-combat encounters. We cannot WAIT for people to play with these characters! Signup: briegercreative.com/weirdlittleg...

Pink text saying weird little guys, and 50 tiny pen and ink line illustrations of cartoon characters, more as background than artwork

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Took video to ensure I am not going insane. Counted 6 so far. They must be big because I can see body parts beyond the lights even from far away. Dark from my cell cam.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

My recommended order: - Section 0 - Section 8 - The Rhythm Section - Section 31 - Special Section

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Yes please. Can pair with some art from Jey Parks for CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives

a gray cat or kitten dressed as Indiana jones from the board game CATastrophe: a game of 9 lives

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

And my final read of 2024: The Wedding People, by Alison Espach Wonderful novel about an unlikely friendship between an overwrought bride and the only guest at the hotel who isn't there for her wedding. Has some darker themes than I was expecting, but I loved it.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Wind and Truth, by Brandon Sanderson Sanderson's escalated stakes mean a lack of scene-to-scene conflict for much of the book, which he substitutes with bad banter and quips. This is the worst of this series, but I think you already know if you're reading this or not.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Empire of Silence, by Christopher Ruocchio Derivative sci-fi drivel. I almost put it down mid-read. Early sections are Dune fan-fiction, and a later extended sequence feels like a beat-for-beat ripoff of Rothfuss's Tarbean sequence in Name of the Wind. One of the worst of the year.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Blood Over Bright Haven, by M.L. Wang Followed up Sword of Kaigen with another read from Wang. This one was a little more predictable and felt less inspired, but still solid. I think it had some parallels to R.F. Kuang's Babel, which I enjoyed more on essentially every front.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Sword of Kaigen, by M.L. Wang A military fantasy that did not go where I expected. Thoroughly enjoyed and am looking forward to more in this world from M.L. Wang.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Butcher & Blackbird, by Brynne Weaver Two serial killers that only kill serial killers fall in love in this dark romance comedy. I found none of the horror horrifying (instead just juvenile gross outs a la man eating semen ice cream). And I found none of comedy funny. In the bottom of the year list

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Saint of Steel series 2-4, by T. Kingfisher None of these I loved quite as much as Paladin's Grace, they are all excellent romances and excellent fantasy books. Also love that there is an MM romance in the series – rare to find a romance series that switches. Core of this premise is just so strong.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Vigor Mortis, volumes 1-x by Natalie Maher Not sure exactly how many volumes this ended up being as I started first 4 on Kindle and read rest of this (completed) webnovel on Royal Road. Sort of a cosmic horror progression fantasy. lots of weird tangents. not sure if I'd recommend.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Little Fuzzy, by H. Beam Piper This 1962 sci-fi classic about the discovery of a new sapient species and the ensuing legal battle over them is delightful. It's being re-written right now but I see little reason why it needs to be. Recommend!

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker Sort of a weird dichotomy of a tale of competence porn of the siege engineer but then his unbelievable plot armor when he goes to engage with the enemy commander. A fun read but not burning to read any others in series.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Dandelion, by Philip R. Johnson and Justin C. Louis I think this ended up on my reading list from some HFY (Humanity, Fuck Yeah!) recs, but this tale of genetically engineered colony ship teens exploring a new world wasn't for me.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennett. After enjoying Tainted Cup and Foundryside, gave another Bennett series a try. This one didn't hook me, but was well-written and constructed. and the main character was intriguing (which makes me a little sad the rest of the series jumps character POVs)

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Will of the Many, by James Islington Was this a tropefilled romp with an overpowered main character that seemingly had no flaws and was insufferable? Yeah sure was! but like a bag of sour gummies I ate that junk up. and the world is fun. I'll read more.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Tawny Mann trilogy, by Robin Hobb Delightful sequel trilogy that also broke my heart. Fitz and the Fool clearly belong together.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb Re-read. I'm still not sure if I'd recommend these fantasy adventure novels, but I did enjoy them on a re-read, and they set me up to enjoy the more complex sequel series which I re-read shortly after.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

An Academy for Liars, by Alexis Henderson. I wish I enjoyed this dark academia magic academy book more, but it fell extremely flat for me. Also I don't like student/teacher romances.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Foundryside, Shorefall, and Locklands, Robert Jackson Bennett After enjoying Tainted Cup, I went on to another Bennett series which is more of a steampunk fantasy. These I enjoyed too, though some of the third book pushed the premise a little far I think.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett Complex murder mystery where the victims are sprouting giant trees. Set in an intriguing new fantasy world and I'm really hoping we'll get more from Bennett in this setting.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Chilling Reflections, by Drew Hayes Oh Drew. Master of the superhero novel. Is this the best in its series (Villain's Code): no. But it's still a solid entry and I'm glad I read it. recommend his Super Powereds series first though.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Dungeon Crawler Carl books 1-7, by Matt Dinniman More LitRPG. I can't tell you why I liked this series, which features lots of things I hate, but damned if I didn't enjoy it anyway and am going to read the next book very shortly.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The True Love Experiment, by Christina Lauren This sequel to a previous Christina Lauren title was a miss for me. There were some great comedic moments here, so if you're a general Christina Lauren fan, definitely give it a go.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

A Sweet Sting of Salt, by Rose Sutherland A sapphic retelling of "The Selkie Wife". Strong prose and a great sense of place and community. One of my favorites this year.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston There's a lot going on in this romance about a writer who sees ghosts and must return to her small town to bury her father. But damn if it wasn't a joyous book about grief and love. Highly recommend for people looking for a non-spicy romance read.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Paradise Problem, by Christina Lauren This duo's books are pretty hit or miss for me, and this marriage of convenience romance was a miss.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins Twisty and splashy mystery about the complex inheritance of Ruby McTavish (and the suspicious deaths of her four husbands). Enjoyed, but not top of the year.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

How to Solve Your Own Murder, Kristen Perrin A fun quirky cast of characters didn't save this one from failing to stick the whodunnit landing.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Mrs. Caliban, by Rachel Ingalls This novella about a housewife falling in love with an escaped aquatic creature is the prototype for Shape of Water, but it definitely feels like it came from an era well before its 1982 publication date. Recommend for Shape of Water fans. A skip for most others.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, by Django Wexler Hated it. One of the worst books I've read this year. I try to read as much time loop fiction as I can which is why I didn't drop it in the middle, but damn just terrible.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

All This and More, by Peng Shepherd While the sci-fi details bog a bit, this novel about a game show that lets you relive your life like a choose-your-own-adventure book is also in my top of the year. I also loved Shepherd's The Cartographers when I read it last year.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

In Our Stars, by Jack Campbell An excellent premise (Earth's destruction accidentally warps a soldier 40 years back in time, so she must work to save it). I just didn't like it much.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

The Earl Takes All, by Lorraine Heath I'm not a big Regency romance reader, but the premise of this book was too silly to pass up. When the Earl dies in a freak gorilla attack, his (younger) identical twin pretends to be him so his pregnant wife doesn't miscarry out of sadness. Delightful. Loved it

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Superworld and Superworld 2 by Benjamin Keyworth Another great first book with a bad sequel. Young man faking being a clairvoyant gets into the elite superhero academy. Predictable but delightful. Just read the first one and enjoy!

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy Every time there is a well-reviewed celebrity memoir I am immensely skeptical of the marketing and publishing apparatus that produces them in endless waves. BUT THIS ONE IS A BANGER AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. Definitely in my top 10 for the year.

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John Brieger @johnbrieger.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Arena and Gauntlet by Holly Jennings E-sports sci-fi (re-read). The first book (Arena) definitely enjoyable and still recommend. The second did nothing for me.

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