Blades in the Dark Review - Part 2: Free Play

I know at this point you won't continue this review series but just letting you know that your Let's Learn and these two videos are kinda like my Audiobook bible for when I'm looking to run blades. Helps jog my memory on rules and reminds me of my prior experiences running that have been similar to yours and helps me think how to work around issues that can come up. I hope if ever there is a Blades V2 you will weigh in on it. The bigger channels videos on blades are good for signal boosting the system to people who haven't heard about it but your videos are the best in depth ones I've found

Having just run my second ever session of Blades, I'm so grateful for this series of deep dives and reviews! I found the same tendency for Blades to feel like a board game, just going from event to event, so I hope I can put to practice what you discussed here. I've been having a fun time with Blades but it still feels like it hasnt clicked per say, but I see the potential and you really lay out the rules and procedures od play much better than the book! Thanks for the great work, I hope to see more deep dives like this in the future :)

Completely agree with the desire for seeing a codex for Blades.

Your videos help me so much to figure out if this game is something for me. Thank you. Pls keep them coming!

Really good stuff. While I love Blades, I have felt I've been missing something when I've run this game, and I think you've got your head on the nail. I'll need to ponder this, and check out Harper's plays. Looking forward to episode 3!

Can't wait for the next video, these are so helpful for a newcoming DM to the game!

It might be confusing that I talk about both the "action system" and Free Play as being the core of the game. What I meant to say is that the action system is the mechanical core of the game, whereas free play is its meaningful core.

Hi Wiegraf. I'm a newish Blades GM, and I've found your commentary here to be insightful and relatable. Like you've seen with others, I have struggled to give my PCs an appropriate grounding into the setting, and to provide them with a meaningful connection to the established fiction. So I hope I can reflect on your criticism of the rulebook here, and use these ideas to find some bridges between the players and the world. I know this is an old review and you've mentioned that you haven't had time for Blades, but I have a question. One thing you mentioned is that "while the rules' discussion of free play is diffuse, Blades does a good job of supporting free play once you are in it." I don't think I understand how it does this. The text suggests that you get into free play, ask a handful of questions, and try to get back to the Engagement roll as quickly as possible. Most of the game's rules are about scores and downtime. So, if you're able, could I please ask you to share some ideas around how Blades in the Dark supports free play? Even if you can't help me out with that query, I think your video here has provided an insightful critique, and I appreciate it greatly.

And apparently the next episode never came