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Mollie Russell

@spookysyntax.bsky.social

350 followers 250 following 160 posts

Scream Queen at Wargamer. Autistic. South Wales poet and facilitator. Nerd for gaming, horror, music, and literature. She/Her.

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 12d

Finally played Molly House. Had a breakdown. Bon appetit. www.wargamer.com/molly-house/...

Molly House is the most important board game you'll play this year

Molly House is a perfect marriage of theme and mechanics, where the challenges you face are complex, frightening, and very, very real.

www.wargamer.com

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 1h

Day 8/31 was The Hills Have Eyes

Not my favourite Craven flick, but there are some very memorable scenes.

Movie poster for The Hills Have Eyes shaping a white man with an unusually shaped bald head.

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 1d

Day 7/31 was The Ugly Stepsister

For a movie filled with blood, cocks, and tapeworms, this film looked GOOD. I had fun with it.

The Ugly Stepsister movie poster showing a delicate lady's shoe with bloody toes and a cleaver

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 2d

Day 6/31 was Near Dark

Two totally wooden main characters that are, fortunately, saved by a fantastic supporting cast (all of who were in Aliens?), a great synth-y score, and impeccable Vampire Western vibes.

Near Dark poster showing a young man covered in blood and burns

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 3d

Day 5/31 was One Cut of the Dead

Definitely one of the more unique zombie films out there. Was never 100% sure where it was going, but the end result was pretty charming.

Move poster for One Cut of the Dead, showing a bloodied film crew and zombies

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 4d

Day 4/31 was Crawl

A creature feature that's actually a lot of fun.

Movie poster for Crawl, showing a woman floating on a boat in a flooded house as an alligator swims underneath

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 4d

Day 3/31 was The Strangers.

Plodding pacing and characters that make poor decisions at every turn really killed the tension. Liv Tyler looks vaguely menaced for 70 minutes, and not a lot else.

The Strangers movie poster, showing Liv Tyler standing in a lounge with a masked figure in the background.

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 5d

Day 2/13 was The Damned (2024).

A gothic ghost story that's moody and gorgeously presented. It's let down by a lack of ambition in the story it's trying to tell. Competent, but very forgettable given the caliber of horror we've had lately.

The Damned Movie poster. Under the title text is a woman in winter period clothing, standing in the snow with red crosses around her.

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 7d

Fury of Dracula is a Holy Grail game for me. Can never seem to find a copy second-hand, stuck playing it over and over on Steam.

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 7d

Since it's October 1, I'm going to be on the hunt for spooky tabletop games to write about.

Please shout at me about the spooky games that you love! I have a whole month to check out recommendations.

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 7d

It's HALLOWEEN! Every October I watch 31 horror movies I haven't seen before. Best time of the year.

DAY 1/31 was I Saw The TV Glow.

A really touching movie that only seems to be called a horror because it defies genre categories. Not always executed perfectly, but original and often beautiful.

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 9d

Likewise, thank you for the powerful design work!

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 9d

Interviewing Critical Role is like being asked to eat lunch with the coolest people in school and finding out that all the rumours about their coolness were absolutely true: www.wargamer.com/critical-rol...

Also, there's a YouTube version hidden in the article!

We asked Critical Role campaign 4's cast to introduce us to Aramán

Ahead of Critical Role campaign 4's debut, we asked the cast about themes, characters, and bringing Brennan Lee Mulligan to the table.

www.wargamer.com

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 12d

I don't even know what to say, genuinely flabbergasted

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 12d

Dan please say this is a joke

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Reposted by Mollie Russell

Clare Pollard @poetclare.bsky.social · 12d

Just realised it’s #negroniweek so sharing again. #livesofthefemalepoets is now out! Cheers!

Clare Pollard @poetclare.bsky.social · Sep 5

A poem about a Negroni from my forthcoming collection #LivesoftheFemalePoets ♥️♥️♥️
@bloodaxebooks.bsky.social

Negroni

After my child was born it was the first drink I wanted.
I had the three bottles lined up in my kitchen
near the baby’s bottle, sterilizer and teats.
Adulthood in a glass; a bitter release,
like the relief you imagine death to be except
if you’re dead, of course, you can’t feel relief.
It was something for me,
when I had my breath back for my own.
Equal parts gin, Italian vermouth,
and Campari the colour of insects
crushed under your nails,
of a birthing pool.
Sometimes I feel my eyes in my sockets,
the blood slip through its slim tubes,
the heart clench, unasked.
I heard the baby breathe in a basket,
in little white things
as I let that red strobe through me -
an aperitivo to whet my nerve.

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 12d

Finally played Molly House. Had a breakdown. Bon appetit. www.wargamer.com/molly-house/...

Molly House is the most important board game you'll play this year

Molly House is a perfect marriage of theme and mechanics, where the challenges you face are complex, frightening, and very, very real.

www.wargamer.com

1 1 22

Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 15d

Okay this sounds awesome

Evil Hat @evilhat.bsky.social · 15d

Today we are proud to announce our next crowdfunding campaign. Award-winning historian @shannonappelcline.bsky.social examines the roots, artwork, and lore behind each and every product released by TSR for OD&D, AD&D 1e, and Basic D&D with his latest effort, Designers & Dragons: Origins.
1/3

Launching Soon - Designers & Dragons: Origins

From Evil Hat - Launching Soon - Designers & Dragons: Origins

www.backerkit.com

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 18d

That's amazing!

Reposted by Mollie Russell

Rascal News @rascal.news · 20d

“[Paizo] isn’t really interested in buying product we already paid for once back from someone that doesn’t own it."

Amid adversary proceedings and delays, comic and RPG publishers settle in for a protracted legal fight against the bankrupted Diamond.

Diamond distributors levy adversary lawsuits against tabletop RPG, comic publishers

Delays in bankruptcy proceedings leaves everyone bleeding time and money.

www.rascal.news

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Reposted by Mollie Russell

Jennifer Kretchmer @dreamwisp.bsky.social · 19d

Ten Candles.

Have some proof. (And go learn about a really, really fantastic game.)

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 19d

The one person that comes to mind after reading this is Mervyn Peake. I get lost in his prose to the point where it can almost obscure the plot, but the people in it never feel more alive.

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Mollie Russell @spookysyntax.bsky.social · 20d

NEW LAURA PURCELL BOOK LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOO

Raven Books @bloomsburyraven.bsky.social · 20d

From the world of The Silent Companions comes Laura Purcell’s most chilling tale yet.

Pre-order your signed Waterstones exclusive edition today: https://bit.ly/4jroIpE

@spookypurcell.bsky.social

Reposted by Mollie Russell

jay Dragon has firmware updates @jdragsky.bsky.social · Sep 8

good morning, i wrote a manifesto about a new direction for game design / play
possumcreek.medium.com/the-expressi...

The Expressionist Games Manifesto

“Work! Intoxication! Brain-racking! Chewing, eating, gorging, rooting up! Rapturous birth pangs! Jabbing of the brush, preferably right…

possumcreek.medium.com

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Reposted by Mollie Russell

🧍‍♂️🚪Hannah🪝🚗🚪 @spectrumstungun.bsky.social · Aug 11

VENUS
a mini comic about girls night uniting us all
1/2

69 3.4K 8.6K

Reposted by Mollie Russell

Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · Sep 4

Update to this chart that I share a lot. Not breaking news: Game design teams are still OVERWHELMINGLY all men. About 7% of the top 500 games have a woman or non-binary person credited as a designer. A 🧵of related charts: (1/6)
🎲✂️

Gender of Game Designers: Board Game Geek Top 500, January 2025

A pie chart:
92% of the pie is Designed only by men. They made 461 of the top 500 games.
6% of the pie is Designed by a mixed-gender group. They made 28 of the top 500 games.
1% of the pie is Designed only by women or non-binary people. They made 5 of the top 500 games.

Data are for January 1, 2025, using the names in the Designer field on BGG. Not shown are 6 games in the top 500 that have uncredited designers.

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