Melissa Lewis-Gentry

Online Nickname: @fundeadnotundead.bsky.social

Introduction 

Hi, I’m MLG! By trade, I’m a video game designer. I’ve worked on games like Marvel Snap & Teamfight Tactics. Previously, I worked in the RPG industry; I was the director of sales and marketing for John Wick Presents (7th Sea 2E), and was the business manager for Modern Myths, a retail store that worked closely with Indie Press Revolution. I have been on the board for the IGDN & done product consulting for many RPG companies and designers. I’ve worked with the First Exposure Playtest Hall at GenCon & helped organize Metatopia for many years. Way back in the day I won some 4E Dungeon Master competitions at Pax East. I haven’t worked with any RPG companies in years, and I’ve worked with too many to be biased towards any one. I know RPGs extremely well, both as an avid player and from a production standpoint.

Why do you play/run RPGs?

I’ve been rabidly passionate about RPGs since the first time I played one; a 3rd Ed game I played in 2000. I’m a Forever DM, and I’ve run easily over 300 systems.

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?

I have many people that can help me test games, both friends and family, ages ranged 11-75. I’m part of a regular Blood on the Clocktower crew of 25ish people who will test short form LARPs. I am friends with my FLGS Greenfield Games & can recruit folks through there.

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?

Critical analysis of games is literally part of my day job. I’ve worked in this industry & would treat being a judge with professionalism. Storage is not a problem, I have a very large home & home office.

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 have quite eclectic tastes in RPGs. Currently I run a regular Wildsea campaign, but have run D&D 5E campaigns for years. I am a big World of Darkness fan, my fav of theirs being Changeling the Lost 2E. CaRdPGs are also a fave, like Quiet Year & For the Queen. For OSR, I love DCC, the Without Number series, and of course Mothership. I also love anthology compilations of micro RPGs like 7 Wonders & Stewpot.

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?

One Shot World, For The Queen, Raccoon Sky Pirates, Under Hollow Hills: Dreaming Avalon, Bubblegumshoe

One Shot World was a whim, wanting to do a quick fantasy one shot for newer players. It did a great one shot of simplifying the concepts in Dungeon World and making them accessible for a one session game.

For the Queen– *favorite of this bunch! It’s been a perennial favorite. My Evil Hat first printing copy was beat to hell, so I bought my partner the new Darrington Press version. It was a delight to see the new art, and it completely reinvigorated a game I’ve played a hundred times. We chose the Quinciñera Queen last time, and I betrayed that poor sweet girl.

Raccoon Sky Pirates– when 2nd edition went on Kickstarter, I realized I had to finally get my 1st ed copy on the table. It was a romping good time, though I might classify it a story-game over an RPG.

Dreaming Avalon is a blast. I cherished my Mobile Frame Zero: Firebands playbook, but never super connected with the mech pilot setting. I’m an old school Athhurian nut, and so when the Bakers came out with this particular mashup I was utterly thrilled.

Bubblegumshoe is a little piece of soul candy for me. I wrote an adventure for it, The Case of the Missing Beagle, that I ran in my store for free RPG Day when the game first published, and stumbled across my pre-gens for it when unpacking after moving last year. I had to run it again. I adore Gumshoe, and while I usually prefer the deep political horror of Nights Black Agent’s, there’s just something about kid detectives that is so fun.

 

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?

I’m almost always a GM. My current long form campaign is in Wildsea. The juxtaposition of Forged in the Dark mechanics with using a die pool system feels really good. There are so many elements in the game that evoke 13th Age as well; it’s really a master class in blending crunch with storytelling. My players love the setting; they’ve set out to recreate a new Postal Service in their living ship The Mailstrom, running up against the destructive Pirate King and searching for the mysterious Leviathan the Thorny Kestral. All the player driven content truly exemplifies Play To Find Out What Happens.

I have GM’d many many more systems; Thirsty Sword Lesbians because Hey, I resemble that content!; Dread, because a surprise giant yard Jenga set meant I *had* to; Adorablins because Goblins + cute dice; Five Hundred Year Old Vampires because I hate solo games and it finally left me play a version of Tim’s classic!

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

Are the rules understandable, with mechanics clearly explained? Do those mechanics drive play in a way congruent with the setting? Between the setting and the mechanics, is there something unique that has a spark of innovation or genius? Does the format the game is presented in impress; either being approachable by being polished & professional, or diegetic and artistic, or otherwise visually or tactilely appealing? Does the combination of all of those things work well together?

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

Adventures: are the hooks or GM information both informative and flexible enough for a new GM to run with it? Is there a narrative arc to the adventure & satisfying conclusion for players? Does it give everything one needs to tell a good story? Does that adventure align with the conceit and tone of the core system? If not, is that intentional & delightful?

Supplements: does it provide something to the game that the core lacks? Is that new content well written and clearly understandable?

I’ve absolutely read adventures and supplements that have made for systems I’ve disliked into something I want to try. I’m willing to give anything a shot.

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

With the increase in pop culture awareness of RPGs, there’s opportunity to have more people involved. Coordinating more with the IGDN Groundbreakers awards to showcase new content might be nice; the publishing professionalism of established companies like Cubical 7 or Green Ronin or Pelgrane Press should be awarded, and most 1-person indies don’t stand up to those teams. Having categories of small teams vs larger publishing might make the field feel fairer.

In general, the way the categories are split between art, rules, best game, supplements, etc all make sense to me.