Gibson’s Neuromancer meets Howard’s Conan. That’s what Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares is. And it’s friggin’ cool!

And yes, I’m trying to get you to buy into, and buy (different things) the game. But I’m praising the game because of how much fun I had making it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy playing it, because the rules have a solid foundation, and the setting is evocative (we worked hard on that). However, I had fun because making the game felt like I’d discovered an exciting new toy, like when I first held a He-Man, ThunderCats, or TMNT action figure.

The Secret Sauce of Evocative Adventure Design

Someone at Paizo—I think it was James Sutter, but I apologize if I’m wrong—talked about mashing two things together to make something cool. Like ninjas and turtles. Or felines and dangerous weather phenomena. Or, in the case of Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares, a digital dream otherworld and sword-brandishing bravos.

If you need to classify Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares, then call it a grim-neon game. Or cyberdark. Swords & cyberpunk? Grim-punk? Heck, I have no idea. But the synergy fired my synapses and helped me spew out ideas.

Let that be a lesson to you when you’re suffering from GM’s block. Take two things you love, slam them together hard enough to reconfigure their atoms as one consolidated whole, and see if that doesn’t lead you down a rad rabbit hole of ideas.

Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares is Made in DNA

I loved the idea of swords & code sorcery, which neatly turned Blood & Grit into a unique game. But how do I put that idea onto the page? How do I get you to follow me into this nightmare neonscape?

Made in DNA took the initial concept of code magic and heroic fantasy and built a mad, verdant reality from those bones. His fiction runs through the rulebook like a wired vein, pumping mental imagery onto the page to inspire GMs and players. Check out his work.

Jack into Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares

Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares is a game jam game, so it could use a fair bit of polish. That said, the game feels right and has the makings of a great game. If you love sword & sorcery and cyberpunk as much as we do, grab the book and crack some skulls. It’ll be bloody fun!

Get Blood & Grit: Neon Nightmares on DriveThruRPG!