Jane Judge

Online Nickname: JanePlaysMagic

Introduction 

Hi! I’m Jane and I have been a ttrpg player and Game Master for over 10 years. As a professional at play, I have a lot of experience hunting through cool games to find ttrpg gems. My passion for the industry has led me to try most major game systems and a lot of smaller ones as well. I feel strongly about games with a focus away from combat, strong themes, and quick immersion aspects. Hopefully my thoughts can help the next generation of gaming girlies find their favorite!

Why do you play/run RPGs?

I love the way rpgs carve out time to spend with our friends. The games are an avenue to play pretend, let loose and be creative with our party. We need those excuses to be silly and wierd with a group that can see us, hold us, and share energy with us. Group storytelling brings us there the fastest- the only goal is the pursuit of the creation of something just for us.

The ENNIES requires a major commitment of time and energy. What resources do you have that will help you discharge these responsibilities? Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you? Does your family support you?

My regular gaming table will support me! I am a full time content creator with time and energy to give this project the love it deserves. I am a fast reader and I love talking shop with my peers and friends. My partner is also a GM and will be there to support.

Judging requires a great deal of critical thinking skills, communication with other judges, deadline management, organization, and storage space for the product received. What interests, experience, and skills do you bring that will make you a more effective judge?

Luckily these are also the skills you need to be successful as a content creator! I already have a system for storing and organizing games, online storage for sharing, and a strong sense of organization and deadline management. My interests (I am a Magic the Gathering creator) and my expertise running systems outside of the major ttrpgs will be extremely helpful in this endeavor. I am the one who brings notebooks and character sheets to games, and my passion for rpgs keeps me motivated!

What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you like? Do you consider yourself a fan of a particular system, publisher, or genre?

I really like roleplay focused games that sideline combat and even number crunch. This comes from playing with people new to the genre often, i like creating accessible jumping in points that don’t require reading the players handbook. I know this is not a huge portion of games but the amount of them grows every year, especially within queer and femme gaming groups. Some great examples are Vampire the Masquerade, games using the kids on brooms ruleset, even quick one page games like Honey Heist.

List (up to 5) games you’ve played in the last 2 years. What drew you to playing them? Which did you like best and why?

I am currently DMing the Strixhaven module for DnD, which I started in conjunction with the set rerelease this year in Magic. I am also a player in a Heroes of Baldurs Gate campaign. Those are my ongoing groups that play frequently and have been meeting for years. I also play a lot of shorter campaigns, most recently playing on New Phyrexia for a homebrew game focused on the invasion.

Have you been a game master in the past 2 years? If yes, what games have you run? What made you decide to run those games?

Yes! I am running the strixhaven module for DnD right now with my players. I have run quite a few school themed games including my homebrewed Monsters University, and this latest coincided with the release of the second strixhaven set in Magic. I run a LOT of one shots- I choose based on tbe group I am with and their competency level with rules systems.

I love being the GM because 1) I get to support my friends and help them have a great time and 2) I love the challenge of improv as a GM. (I’m the kind of person who loves visiting other people’s parties but feel a little more comfy throwing my own.)

Summarize the criteria you would use to determine if a game deserves to be nominated for Best Game.

Of course the game needs all the core pieces of functionality and good gameplay, but my area of expertise is how inspiring the system or the universe are to players. I want to highlight games with a strong sense of flavor or atmosphere that lends to more interesting games. Its also really important to me that the game has a way to handle non combat scenarios with weight and gravitas.

How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed?

Not all systems will be a fit for me, I do understand that. I am more than capable of evaluating a system that doesn’t mesh with me well- I do it frequently and adapt games to my personal preferences. I am capable of setting aside my personal preferences to evaluate a game that may not be my favorite.

How would you like to see the ENNIEs change? What should remain inviolate?

I would love to see more women and queer gamers on the board! The ttrpg space is vast and hugely diverse, and we should see that reflected in the judges. I love the dedication away from game company sponsors as well, its not possible to evaluate the company that pays you.