Mouse Guarding

Mouse Guard is, unsurprisingly, set in the world of David Petersen's delightful Mouse Guard comic book series. What follows is, at best, something of an early review, or at least, some random thoughts.

Let's start with a gripe, because while there is one, it should be said that I am enjoying this game and looking forward to learning it more. I want to finish on a positive note, so let's get this out there now.

My gripe with Mouse Guard is how the rules are presented. At times I felt like I was trying to piece the rules together like a puzzle: You think you are reading the rules for how skill tests work, but wait a hundred pages and there's another layer or three, and actually the rules for how this leads to advancement are to be found in another elsewhere, don't ask me to be specific about where... Yes, this is where we define the thing, but the rules about the thing are in a different chapter, or maybe you've read them already, or have you (mysterious wink)? 

The index is not entirely useful in dealing with this issue, mostly because the rules are spread out like seasoning on a hot chip from the middle of the bag. Trying to find something specific feels like trying to single out the squeak of a mouse in the midst of an enthusiastic orchestra.

All that said, the rules are interesting, and I think once we have a better grasp of how everything stitches together, it will run smoothly. The core of the game system asks the players to roll a number of D6, counting successes to meet or beat either a difficulty level, or an opposing roll. From this stand point the system is relatively simple and easy to implement. Combat (or other forms of confrontation) is particularly interesting, with participating players rolling for their collective 'health', choosing an approach they want to take (attack, defend, feint, maneuver), and then trying to wear down the opposition before they themselves are worn down. We haven't played enough to give a fair analysis, but I like it, and I want to keep playing to learn how the semi-rock-paper-scissors choice to approaches can be leveraged by clever play.

The element I am most keen to come to grips with is the way in which the game tries to mechanise a lot of narrative elements. Mouse Guard asks the players to lean into doing things like using their traits against themselves, pitting their goals against their beliefs and so on. It feels like there are multiple levers here a player can manipulate to gain benefits and develop their characters, at the same time as creating a layered story. I really like how these narrative elements are sewn into the fabric of the rules, and setting comes through strongly in how goals, beliefs, instincts, and traits can be used and set against each other or the actions of the character. They can be a great benefit, but they can hinder the character, and when that happens growth occurs. 

I enjoy narrative style games, and this game, like the more recently published Blades in the Dark, seeks to bring this to the fore by creating a scaffold of rules and sub-systems that enable and encourage the story of the characters' internal struggles, victories, and growth. I really do enjoy reading and playing systems where the designers have been deliberate and purposeful in the mechanisms they create to help engender a style of play or reflect a setting or theme through their game. In many RPGs narrative elements, tropes, or themes rise as a sort of emergent property of the play group; an expected natural consequence of the setting or genre. In Mouse Guard these elements are there for the players to lean into mechanically, and can be of great benefit, or if set against the character's intentions, can lead to growth. I like that.

Lastly, and by no means less significantly, is the setting. David Petersen's Mouse Guard is a stunningly illustrated comic book series. Loyalty, duty, honour, betrayal, and sacrifice are all strong themes in the comics, and are lifted into the Mouse Guard role playing game by the clever implementation of the Burning Wheel system. Small heroes struggling in a world where danger is bigger than they are, is one of the things I love about anthropomorphic stories like Mouse Guard, and the comic books capture this well. 

Did I mention the art is amazing, and beautiful, and amazing, I think I did, but it deserves to be said again!

RPG Goals for 2026

Earlier this month I wrote about the RPGs I ran or played over the course of 2025. This post I am listing some of the games I am keen to run or play for 2026. As always, the list is longer than what is likely possible, and is presented in no particular order.

When I write about these games I'll add whether I want to play them as a one-shot, a short campaign (maybe 5-6 sessions), and medium campaign (10-15 sessions), or longer. Of course, these things may change in the course of play, if a game lands or doesn't land, or if a story/characters are particularly engaging.

Ryuutama is a game I've had for a while, and has intrigued me for longer. I had heard many good words spoken about this game, and particularly it's novel mechanics for travel. I haven't read it, but I am certainly interested to see how the game works. I'd be keen to run this for a medium campaign I think.

As a fan of prehistory, this is a game that has piqued my interest. The artwork is stunning, and while I have read that the system is quite simple, it's a unique setting that I think could be a lot of fun to play in. I think I'd only want to run this for a a one-shot or a short campaign.

I owned and played RuneQuest many many years ago, but don't really remember much of the system aside from it being percentile based. I love the idea of the Glorantha setting, bronze age fantasy is something that I think makes a great break from more traditional high fantasy. I have the core book and the starter set, and would be keen to run through the starter set at least, and see how we go with the setting and system. I started reading it a while back, and found the rules a little convoluted on the first pass, but perhaps 2026 is the year I bite the bullet and run this game.

I ran this for maybe 8-10 sessions last year, and came away with the impression that the many stunts were perhaps too many, and the game could be quite railroady. I think the sense of it being a bit of a rail road came from the campaign I ran, in which the characters were passengers on other ships (willingly and unwillingly) and therefore had limited agency. It's not like they could just leave if things weren't going in the direction they wanted. I think running this set mainly on stations, and with the characters having access to a ship, would make for a better experience. We'll see. I'd be keen to run this for a one-shot or a short campaign.

Quite likely to be the game that fills the newly created gap in our schedule (we just finished with Candela Obscura). I've had this game for years, and would love to play in a campaign. The artwork by David Petersen is absolutely gorgeous, and I've heard good things about the system. I would be a player in this game.

Sad space cowboys? I think this could be a lot of fun. I quite like westerns, and I like science fiction, so this seems like a solid pairing in my book. The system seems novel, and the book is well laid out. I think I'd like to run this for a short campaign.

Anthropomorphic animals in a post-apocalyptic future, yes please. I love the setting and art for this game, and the way the book is presented it's like the game system is intended to run through the campaign presented in the book - so if I run it, that's exactly what we would do.

Fate and Fate Accelerated is a game system that both intrigues me, and which I find a little intimidating. From what I've read it sounds exactly like the sort of thing I would enjoy, but I worry about messing up the aspects side of things. Masters of Umdaar is a setting for Fate Accelerated, and reminds me very strongly of 80s cartoons like DinoRiders. I think it could be a lot of fun if played in the right spirit. I'd run this for a short campaign.

Another Fate game, but this time leaning more toward hard sci-fi. I really like the sound of the star system building mechanics in this book, and would love to play something Traveller-esque. I really love the themes behind this one, and would run it for a short campaign with a door open to something longer if it stuck.

Speaking of Traveller-esque (minus the esque); this is the only game on the list I don't own, and coincidently, also the game I have been slowly talking myself into buying for the last month and a half. Traveller is an old game, but holds a revered place in the pantheon of role playing games. I love the idea of the life-path system, and the sci-fi setting is something that draws me in. Perhaps 2026 is the year I will cave-in and order myself a copy of this... Like Diaspora this is one I think I'd like to run for a short campaign with an eye to something longer if it was going well.

Fin

Well that's the list, as it stands right now in any case. Undoubtedly things will change, something new and shiny will come along, or the lustre will wear on something I am attached to at the moment. It's more games than I am likely to be able to run through 2026, even if the list stays the same. Hopefully at the end of the year I'll get an opportunity to look back and see what I have and haven't played, and what my thoughts are on those I have...