Free RPG Day 2014: A Very Short Recap

Some of the cool stuff I managed to snag at my FLGS.

The 8th Annual Free RPG Day was this past Saturday. For the longest time, I was unable to actually experience this event in person due to East Texas being something of a roleplaying wasteland with the nearest FLGS being somewhere in Dallas. Thankfully, since Halflings' Hideaway opened in my hometown a few months ago, I was able to participate in the event and picked up a handful of cool products. 

A certain, handsome fellow running a very brutal superhero game.

Although there were nine game demos taking place throughout the day, I only participated in two of them due to me having to run my own Pathfinder game that evening. I managed to play a very comedic session of Cosmic Patrol and ran the Valiant Universe RPG. Since both games were created Catalyst Game Labs, they use very similar systems that were relatively easy to grok and had some cool ideas. I especially loved how both games used plot points, giving the players a way to effect the flow of the story, causing both good and bad things to happen (especially when multi-armed robots are concerned). While I probably wouldn't use either game for long campaigns, I might use them for one-shot sessions or micro-campaigns. 

I also got a chance to see some other games played, like Castles & Crusades and Shadowrun. I've read the 5th edition version of the latter's rules and was uncertain because I don't feel like investing into another rules heavy game like Mutants & Masterminds or Pathfinder. However, after seeing the game first hand and seeing how much fun the players were having, I'm more willing to give the new edition a try. 

All in all, I had a blast at Free RPG Day and I definitely can't wait for next year. I really want to use the Risen from the Sands and The Doom-Cave of the Crystal-Headed Children in the near future. Hell, I might even try my hand at running a session of Battletech or Shadowrun using the quick-start rules. 

What about you guys and gals? Did you enjoy this year's Free RPG Day? Did you get some cool stuff and have some fun sessions?