Game Night

by Jonny Nexus

“Game Night is gut-bustingly, rib-tearingly, bed-wettingly hilarious. It’s also sharply observed, cunningly crafted and decidedly well-written, but it’s the funny that leaves the impact ... The best novel ever written about gaming. One of the funniest novels ever written about anything.”
– Steve Darlington, gaming writer

Six Gods Sit Down To Spend An Evening Roleplaying. Badly.

In an anachronistic realm at the far end of creation, five adventurers near the climax of an epic quest, upon which hangs the fate of their world. Sadly for them, however, they are but pieces in a roleplaying game being played by a group of bickering gods.

Epic events will unfold, only to then unravel. Secrets will be revealed and then forgotten. A much-abused reality will warp, mutate, rewind, and – on occasion – capitulate. Stupidity will birth tragedy; mischief will spawn chaos; malevolent arrogance will conjure forth genuine evil.

A story of myth and legend twelve thousand years in the making is heading towards its final chapter.

It’s game night.

"A Pratchett-esque debut novel of gods, roleplaying, and game-night kerfuffles. Buy Game Night. It's a fun, fresh, irreverent read that'll ring true to any gamer even if, unlike the protagonists, you happen not to be a god."
– John Kovalic, Writer & Artist (Dork Tower, Munchkin)

Genres: Fantasy, Gaming, Humor, Fiction, Role Playing Games

212 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

I'm a Lancashire based IT guy who moonlights as a writer in my spare time. When not doing that, I spend time with my wife, daughter and dog; read; watch TV, films and the occasional work of theatre; and engage in intermittent bouts of extremely bad roleplaying.

I began my writing career by launching the cult gaming webzine Critical Miss (criticalmiss.com), before moving on to write regular columns for the roleplaying magazines Valkyrie and Signs & Portents, as well as penning the Slayers’ Guide to Games Masters for Mongoose Publishing.

My first novel Game Night, originally published in 2007, was shortlisted for an ENnie award in 2008. My second novel, the offbeat urban fantasy If Pigs Could Fly, will be released in autumn this year.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book at Eastercon LX in 2009 based almost entirely on the fact that I was sitting next to the author in the dealers' room and I'd enjoyed chatting to him. Never have I been so glad to buy a book on a whim; it's a truly excellent tale that features four gods as they play a roleplaying game with the people under their jurisdiction.

Some will tell you that you need to have played roleplaying games to find this funny, but honestly, you don't – the tale doesn't at all revolve around rules, and what's happening is not difficult to follow even if you're not a regular gamer.

Definitely recommended!

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hilarious. But with a few flaws:

1. The jokes rely on the reader having an experience of tabletop roleplaying. Not a big issue for me as I eat and breath the stuff.

2. The constant story resets, weird event happenings are hilarious but often cause weird story breaks that in experienced readers might get confused on. Jumping between the god and 'mortal' character POV is useful but it might have helped to focus more on one or the other each chapter.

3. The author does a good job of showing off the common types of bad roleplayers. The power gamer, the "not really into it.", the drama queen, etc. But doesn't do enough to highlight some of the flaws of these play styles. I guess it was a balancing act between keeping the plot moving and showing off the tropes.

All in all, if you are even mindly into roleplaying there are enough good moments in the book to really make you laugh. I know I was giggling like a fiend so much my wife kept giving me the eye yesterday. And the book isn't so long as to outstay it's welcome.

Seriously though the book was worth the price of admission of the Schrondiger's Dog sequence. You'll see.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shouldn't be as funny as it is; it's the story of a bad tabletop game and the characters who have to live through it.

But it's also wonderfully written, for all that the trite nature of some of the situations, and is the story of a bunch of gods (and the mortals they control) discovering the nature of the mortal realm as they play through the Allfather's game.

There are hilarious one-liners, player behavior that flies in the face of common sense, game master cowardice/obfuscation, and amusing levels of frustration all around.

A nice short read that's a lot of fun, even if the story-in-story is perhaps as ultimately unsatisfying for the readers as it is for the players.

[Jacob Jones-Goldstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun, lots of good ideas, not overly well executed. Mr. Nexus is not a great writer by any stretch, but I imagine he would be a terrific GM. Worth reading for anyone who enjoys role playing. I would suggest that RP'ers is the only audience for this book though, not much for anyone else.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

They're not elves!!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, though probably only to roleplayers. Also has a surprisingly interesting fantasy story going along.

[David(LA,CA) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"God does not play dice with the universe;..." Terry Pratchet, Good Omens.

"These gods should not play dice games. Period." Me, reviewing this book.

In a fantasy world of magic and dragons and elves ("they're not elves") a band of adventurers sets off on possibly the most important quest in existence: to become absurdly wealthy and ridiculously famous. And maybe prevent the end of the world, as a side effect of the wealth and fame thing.

But their fate is not of their own making. For each one of the mortals in this party was created by one of the gods of this world. Why? So the gods can fill a sliver of time that is eternity by playing a role playing game. The All Father has created the world and the disaster about to befall it. His players include The Warrior playing an Evil Paladin murder hobo, The Jester playing a loot the everything thief ("I thought you were a Scout"), The Sleeper "playing" a fighter in that he's occasionally woken up by the other gods and told to roll to see if the fighter does something, The Dealer playing a Northern tribesman that listens to the voices of the ancestors whenever he needs to know something the gods only know, and The Lady playing the long suffering female wizard that's more ore less the straight man to the other jokers at the table (including the indecisive, "railroady", and unhelpful game master that is The All Father).

I wonder what someone that has never played such a game would think about this book. I suspect that some would read through this and decide that they were glad they never had the chance to play. As someone that has, this feels like post-game therapy for having joined a bad group. Most if not all the classic problems are here and played for humor value. The person that wants to kill anything that looks at them funny, speaks to them, or has the audacity to breathe in their presence. Arguing over the morality of looting the corpse of an ally. Explaining what just happened to someone that isn't paying attention, why what just happened is a bad thing, and what they should do about it. While there is some humor in the interactions of the gods themselves, it is enhanced on several occasions by cutting to the mortal world as "reality" tries to keep up with the changes. From the extremes of Schroedinger's character where a guardian in the mortal world keeps bouncing between being alive and dead while the gods discuss whether he needs to be kept alive past a certain point, to arguments between the gods over needing to describe every action a mortal takes usually ending by cutting back to the mortal world where one of the adventurers is suddenly overcome with a need to use the rest room.

Didn't quite maintain its quality all the way to the end. Wasn't a huge fan of the twist, and tend to agree with the negative reaction one of the characters has to it.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and well-written book, but as others said, I was disappointed with the ending.

In the Overland, the Gods are playing a game because, well you know, it's game night. However, they aren't using token but real people on the world below them. Now they must guide their mortals through the AllFathers game and try to save the land they live on.

This story was a lot of fun. The game story is a good one and the asides that pop up from the gods add a lot of humor. Others have said that it breaks up the story, but I enjoyed it. Well worth reading.

[Chlöe-Louise Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is in a nutshell… epic! Imagine Dungeons and Dragons but played by the almighty Gods. The wordplay between the storyline of the characters' mortals, and the AllFather (Dungeon Master) and his friends is laugh out loud funny. You can imagine them all sat around a table arguing.

As with all D&D sessions, there is a quest that needs to be completed. The constant bickering and asking to ‘rewind’ bits because someone has missed something, not thought something through, or just didn’t think it ‘fair’... was hilarious.

If you are a D&D fan… you must read this book!

[Muffins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was actually a pretty accurate representation of tabletop roleplaying games and group dynamics. Although the narrative is about the roleplaying characters and their journey as the game session progresses, the real story is about the AllFather, who finally takes a stand for his world and his plot design against his unruly players. I wish it hadn't ended in such an abrupt manner but it was fantastic while it lasted and incredibly funny.

[Gavin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly? I was leaving it at 2 stars for "it was OK".. but then given the fact that I genuinely didn't like it and gave up after 20 pages I left it at one star.

One star... didn't finish as I didn't like it
2 stars.. .finished but didn't enjoy it
3 stars ... finished and liked it
4 stars.. chewed down like a kobe slider
5 stars... was amazing and would be a multiple re-read.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sort of metatextual approach to The Gaming Group (TM), where players are archetypes, as much as their characters are stereotypes. It is somewhat grueling to get through, much like an annoying session with tiresome players.

I am giving it a 2, however, for all the effort and painful experience that clearly went into it.

[Kamylyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't had this much fun reading a book

In just about forever!
The scenarios all ring true to every game night I've ever taken part in, and the "players as gods manipulating mortal puppets" is possibly the most brilliant ever!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dysfunctional gaming group fun

This is anyone's d and d party. The blood thirsty warrior and what's in for me thief are always present as well as that guy that never seems to know what's happening but will randomly save the party from disaster.

[Sue Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully funny book, had me laughing out loud. Gods play RPG with humans, enjoy the meta gaming and the bad roles

[Adon Coya · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of - if not the - best depictions of role-playing games from the game-master's view.

[Anthony Petruzzelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read and so accurate!

Fun read with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. It was a very enjoyable, fast paced read. Definitely worth the read for any fantasy RPG player.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the OverRealm. The celestial realm from which the AllFather, Creator of All, surveys his creation. With him are five of his pantheon of gods. The Dealer, The Warrior, The Jester, The Lady, and The Sleeper. Together they look at the world below.

On this world, the barbarian Yann, dark paladin Draag, wise wizard Tallenna, halfling thief Hill Bigfella, and the enigmatic and slow-moving fighter Stone are tasked with going on an epic quest and preventing the destruction of their world. Fortune and glory will be their reward.

Unknown to them, however, their world is merely an arena for the AllFather's roleplaying game. They themselves are mere characters in the game. Their quest and their reward are at the mercy of dice rolling, game mechanics, and endless bickering. Because tonight... is Game Night.

If you've never played in a roleplaying game, this likely won't elicit the same five-star opinion that it did from me, or others who are familiar with RPGs. The author is obviously no stranger to roleplaying, as all the roleplaying personalities are present. In almost any game, you have the Gamemaster, who is tasked with setting and telling the story and adjudicating the rules, but is so wishy washy he has trouble; one player who is loud, obnoxious, and wants to change the rules for his benefit... the guy no one wants to play with. There's the guy who puts roleplaying above all else, rules be damned. And you have the guy who isn't paying any attention, who has to be constantly prodded and reminded whats going on.

The author weaves a decent and humorous fantasy tale about a group of would-be heroes who are trying to save the world from destruction, but the book's true pleasure comes from the gods and their gaming. From the hilariously complete changing of a scene because the gods are bickering over their characters' actions, to what happens when the heroes try to administer a Potion of Resurrection to save an ally but the game rules get in the way.

And if you've never seen a roleplaying game played, this is a perfect peek at what goes on. And everyone who has played in a roleplaying game can identify with at least one of the players and say, "I've played with that guy."

This is easily one of the best books on roleplaying to come out. It's a short read and an often laugh-out-loud one. A very good book.

[Edwin Hayward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after meeting the author at Mancunicon (the Eastercon in Manchester) and polished the whole thing off over a couple of days.

It was a light, entertaining read, extremely funny in places, but it suffered from the fact that all the characters were relatively dislikeable. I understood that was the point (because they're modelled on BAD role-players) so it was superficially an "effective" conceat. However, there was only so much I could forgive them before they started to set my teeth on edge, and by the end of the book they were really annoying me!

All in all a somewhat patchy experience, but I'm definitely happy I picked this book up. It took me back twenty-odd years to sessions spent hunched over a tiny table in a small, airless room for hours on end while we drove the Dungeon Master to distraction by insisting on zigging where the plot was zagging.

[Peter J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a little bit to get into the book's rhythm (sometimes switching between the the story and "the OverRealm flowed smoothly, others it clunked back and forth) and sometimes the stakes weren't high enough (several parts rely on the citizens of the OverRealm being allowed a mulligan).

However, overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the book, especially how much fun it was to read. Even as someone who does not dabble much in RPGs, I have certainly played games with all of those personalities present and the reveal late in the book as to what has caused the giant misunderstanding (misplaced or omitted punctuation) greatly amused me. [On a related, nitpicky, note a handful of times I saw that the book could have used another edit. Thankfully, the book was entertaining enough that those mistakes, which weren't too frequent in appearance, did not stop the book dead in its tracks.]

[Psychophant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book for people who have roleplayed a lot, who have suffered through it and yet they still kept doing it. As Jonny Nexus himself used to say in his fanzine "Critical Miss", disfunctional gamers.

If you have seen "Knights of the Dinner Table" you know what I mean, but there is the rub. While this kind of disfunctionality is great for a humorous vignette from time to time, it is not funny enough to fill a full book that you are supposed to read in one go.

It is good, however, to quench any temptations to ressurrect any of the old games, and that might be enough. As for the book, as the main characters the author is tied up by the limitations of the form he has chosen, so it ends in a whimper, like most RPG campaigns do.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever played a game with a bunch of folks and enjoy a story with mythical characters, then this might be a fun book for you to read. I got a kick out the players being gods who are playing an RPG with a mortal world that the All Father created for the game. Note the All Father is the "dungeon master" of sorts. The fact that the players weren't always cooperating reminds me of a few folks I've played games with. And there is always THAT person, the one that doesn't want to follow the rules, insists on doing things THEIR way. I didn't find the back and forth between the OverRealm where the players discuss the game and their characters in the mortal world confusing at all. This was fun and enjoyable.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not fantastic but has a few fun moments about god's playing a D&D like game. It's a ridiculous romp and those who play pen'in'paper rps will probably get a kick at the in jokes I didn't quite get. The highlights are when the god's biker among themselves about the rules of the game or events in the adventure. The gamemaster whom is also a god created a entire fantasy world just for this game and the other god's play highly unusual characters. For the gamemaster this is his dream story, a very thought out and complex campaign. He struggles to get the characters to stay on the storyline but one god in particular is very deficient. Follow a strange adventure and many reminders about patience and dealing with a jerk. Will remind you of all the jerks you have ever met.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quirky book about a bunch of gods sitting at a table role-playing their mortal characters. RPGers will enjoy it for the spot-on dialogue of hack-and-slashers decimating plot and the tribulation of badly made GM calls. I was surprised that the book didn't make more of the "gods playing mortals" mechanic, but it was still a fun read of a game session.

And the lines about the AllFather's passive-aggressive jealousy of fellow-god "Mr. Six Days" with his "internally consistent universe" containing the "majestic sweep of history" and "the parabolic curve of progress" were gold.

[Silas · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was intensely British. It's not a problem if you have a grasp of British idioms and turns of phrase, but could be a turn off for some. I rather enjoyed it, even though, luckily, much of my gaming experience didn't get to quite this level of unpleasantness. It was a worthwhile read, and I would recommend it to fellow gamers, though I agree with others that if you're not of the gaming persuasion, then this is probably not your book.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have loved this: the gods playing RPGs?

It should be awesome.

Instead, it was just.... meh. Much to my pity. There aren't enough games about RPers, and that celebrate RPing, and this could have had such a great thing.

Instead it was just forgettable.

I remember vaguely smiling here and there, but I also remember my annoyance at the Terry Pratchetesque ending with a deus ex machina, so 2 stars it is.

[Henry Hallan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, solid gaming humour. If you enjoy roleplaying, especially "dysfunctional" roleplaying, and especially if you enjoyed the "Critical Miss" RP magazine, you should also enjoy this.

It's the sort of humour of "Order of the Stick" or "Dork Tower", but now in handy novel form.

It might not make you a better roleplayer, it might not help you run better games, but it should help you relax a little about your own dysfunctional gaming group.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

elegant satire

It's a great read! And filled with such subtle criticisms of the world we live in as to be brilliant, especially considering that gaming is itself the criticism. We'll read, and the ending is also to,subtly brilliant I smiled and sat for a few minutes reveling in it. Thanks for the read!

[Jon E. Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

This book did something that no other book I've read in a long time has done. It surprised me every few pages by doing something I never thought it would do. All the way through it kept me guessing. This is a much better book than you think it is. Give a try.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story but it was like a Saturday Night Live skit that is initially very funny but goes on for too long. This would have been better suited as a short story.