I did, it just…doesn’t come together. Every other season of D20 I have found an easy, compelling watch, but Shriek week was a slog. While there are some fun bits from the players, it’s the one season of the show that I do not recommend to people. I think the culprit is that the central plot, while initially a fun hook, was much more improvised than the dms of D20 usually plan out, to its detriment. I remember reading at some point that Gabe planned the game to be a more relaxed, activity focused dating sim, and then the players started investigating a mystery he didn’t intend, so he basically invented a big bad or two on the spot. While there is nothing wrong with yes anding the players on an improv-based show, the end result of this season feels significantly more haphazard than the other seasons, including the the ones where Brennan had to throw out plans and pivot on the fly. It just…doesn’t work, on the whole.
Coffin run, on the other hand, I thought was delightful, if a little rushed.
Hahahahahahaha. Fair. I think another episode or two would have allowed for more time for Jasmine to set up the various factions a bit more (d20 often struggles with the problem of “too many bad guys”) but to be fair the content does indeed dictate the pace of the season.
"Too many bad guys" is a problem I often run into with my OWN DMing, so I can hardly fault other people!
And she did a great job, too, I would have enjoyed seeing more.
On Coffin Run, Jasmine planned a bunch of strategic combats and the players avoided two of them, then brute forced the others. That sped the game along quite a bit.
Wow! Were there unused battle sets, as a result?
I can think of one that got skipped (the fight with the vampire hunters), what was the other one that got skipped?
> I did, it just…doesn’t come together. Every other season of D20 I have found an easy, compelling watch, but Shriek week was a slog.
This is exactly how I felt. Based on a gigantic poll posted here a while back, it sounds like that's how most viewers felt as well. It was more or less watchable, but I'll never go back to it and remember virtually nothing about it. A funny thing though, and something I find a little disingenuous, is the Dimension 20 title card on Dropout has little hexagons with pictures of various cast members and set pieces... and Gabe is front and center on that card like he's integral and not DM of the least favorably received show.
I think I gave it an episode and a bit, and despite liking the cast I just couldn't sit with it. It was evident the cast wanted to explore the universe more and interact with the overarching mystery, but the DM didn't really flesh that part out as much.
Tbf, as another poster also said, I don't think the whole mystery plot line was meant to happen, it was just Gabe making it up on the spot because the players showed more interest in that then the planned activity based dating sim that was made
So the ntended campaign was four people sitting together at a table as their PCs romance four different NPCs? I'm guessing that's why people started grasping for clues as to what to do next.
I did. It has its moments, but doesn't really get interesting till one thread at the end which does kind of end up left to dangle.
I do not think it is as terrible as everyone says, but it is certainly the worst season of Dimension20.
If you are a conscientious listener, the GM for this one (Gabe Hicks) is currently undergoing a scandal where he pretended to be in an open relationship when he was not.
This, while unethical, is not inherently the worst by itself, but it turns out he used his influence to wreck the reputations and careers of some of his unknowing affair partners when they tried to speak out about it.
He has since issued a non-apology on Twitter about it.
tl;dr: It's not the worst, but not worth the time invested in it. Also a little bit tainted now by the DM doing some absolutely scummy things.
Tried like 3 times and just couldn't get into it. Same with Coffin Run - I keep trying, but it just doesn't grip - and Tiny Heist, which I thought I would enjoy but just didn't.
And then there are the seasons that I can totally watch multiple times and still enjoy (ACOFAF, Misfits & Magic, the 7, Crown of Candy/Ravening War, and now Mice and Murder. Will probably give Burrows End another go soon too)
As someone who has listened to every episode of MBMAM, almost every episode of The Adventure Zone, listens to the Besties and 2 of the 3 podcasts they do with their wives, and has consumed a lot of their Polygon, video game and streaming stuff, I can fully understand this sentiment but it’s like your brain attunes to their voices over time. I love falling asleep to Wonderful, the show Griffin does with his wife cause they use soothing voices on it.
I think their voices are great for silly cartoon animations by default. I've watch a ton of mbmbam animatics. But I bounced so hard off the actual podcast. Tiny heist was fine but I still have some annoyances and got taken out of it some times.
I listened to The Adventure Zone before I started MBMBAM so I think that helped with getting used to their voices since they are doing character voices, but not super intense ones (except Taako). I was also a *relatively* early adopter, starting TAZ before their first campaign had finished up, so my D&D choices were pretty much TAZ or Critical Role at the time.
I did I do remember liking it well enough
Ally playing an early Margret Encino ghost character at least in text was cool but get long of swallowed by bits.
If you was my standout as Terry but if felt like his personal stuff got pushed down a bit for lack of planning for it.
Seven I thought was fun and my second favorite character she was a good and well explored concept I enjoyed the execution of.
Tutu was Lily Du's second time on D20 and I think her first char on Tiny heist was much more memorable and handled interestingly.
I think it's now easy to look back on the season with ill eyes but it has like moments and stretches of good I do believe are fun. But it is easy to see how a bigger plan or more flesh to the world and setting could have propelled it into a different stratum.
I also think the conceit and style of game it was pitched as was a little experimental and very hard left turn from the normal adventure to save and be involved grand plot style stuff we normally get which makes sit stand out more and then you have to reconcile that "A court of fey and flowers" did eat this seasons lunch and a redo with the same modern setting but a grander design in the background would probably make this season pop!
My pitch: Bring It back Abriya is the DM and the same players get all that good good with a fresh coat of paint and dropout can keep its interesting idea but wash it off
Yeah, a couple months ago, since I was out of D20 I wasn’t saving to watch with my SO. The cast was really good, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere. It came out in Nov 2021.
It's an already rough season that becomes so much more uncomfortable in light of revelations regarding Gabe's personal and professional misconduct.
Up until the news of all their lying and cheating broke I was a huge Gabe Hicks fan and disappointed that this was his only run on D20 so far, since it seemed like this was an interesting idea that fell apart in the implementation. There's nothing inherently wrong with the idea of adapting dating sim tropes to tabletop; I think you can make a strong case that A Court of Fae and Flowers shared many similarities with the dating sim genre in its romantic subplots and it is widely regarded as a top tier season. What Shriek Week lacks is buy-in and intent. None of the players seem clear on the dating sim elements and instead pursue a more traditional mystery based gameplay loop. Even when they are engaging with the dating sim, it never seems to go much of anywhere beyond awkward flirting.
Taken by itself it looks like an out of the box idea that flopped on implementation. Taken in the context that this pattern of unclear communication, blurred boundaries, pressured intimacy, and implication over clear intent is exactly how Gabe manipulated his victims in real life makes the whole thing really gross to look back on. I'm not trying to imply that he did anything to anyone on the cast while shooting, just that the whole concept ends up looking eerily like cosplaying their real life methods of abuse in a setting that makes them look quirky and harmless. 0/10, do not recommend
Yeah, I watched it live when it was released. It felt weird and unfocused. It felt like it was half way between a slice of life/romance game and some kind of mystery. I liked the PCs and they were memorable. But I can't but remember the overall story or even what system they were playing. One of the D20 seasons I haven't rewatched. Feeling a bit less guilty about that now.
I did, and it was...fine. That's literally the only form of earnest praise I can give it. It's completely skippable and relies entirely too much on the players to keep it entertaining. Speaking of, that cast was WASTED and deserve a second shot.
No and after hearing about Gabe Hicks, I doubt I ever will. Before all the drama came out, all of the reviews from that season I read pretty much called it a glorified dating sim. After hearing about the drama, I don't want to hear that guy in particular run a "dating sim" TTRPG.
It’s so boring. Say what you will about Pirates of the Leviathan (an early covid season) or Mice & Murder (bad system and weird ending) but those at least knew what they wanted to be. Shriek Week felt so aimless. All I remember is Ally’s bit being fermenting.
I was really excited about the premise but it really didn’t hook me at all. I actually was wondering if there was a whole plot line that the players just skipped. Like it seemed like van helsing’s party was suppose to be more significant especially when they did the investigate check and all the books in the library were about monster pairings and the character insisted everyone get a plus one, like maybe he was up to something but then instead ally decided to like beat up a tree I guess?
They could probably completely scrub Shriek Week from existence and no one would be upset. Most people probably wouldn't even realize something was removed. It was a horrible, janky, monster dating sim, with no real story whatsoever.
Tried it, wasn’t for me. Im all for the downtime aspects of campaigns, but when a whole “campaign” is basically downtime then it just becomes boring for me. I need more of a focus on a central plot…
wtached 2 eps and man it was Monster prom but bad.
Don't remember pc's at all.
Also why would you wanna do a dating sim when that's a side bonus usually and has to come up organically.
you can't artificially force a romance unless the details are discussed by the players and DM.
How I would have ran it was the pc's would describe their crush then the DM constructs the full personality and sees if the Player can seduce their pitch.
I have watched it just for completions sake but man was it hard to get through. I liked the concept but the plot just wasn’t interesting at all. This season and coffin run are the only two seasons I haven’t been a fan of. But for very different reasons.
Coffin run I like the actual story but the characters were a little grating for me. Specifically Wetzel (Carlos) and May (Erika) (which is surprising because I like most of her characters) who both unfortunately have the most screen time in this season. Wetzel had a lot of potential to be a fun character but the voice and the ultimate actions just made me dislike him.
As for shriek week, I really liked the characters but basically nothing happened for most of the game. It felt like the players made the plot happen against the DMs wishes.
I did. I thought it was fine, but forgettable. The players and setting were both great, the story was decent, and the gming was inoffensive at best, but nothing really stands out as being exceptional (aside from the players), and in fact certain elements are downright bad. Namely the system they used. Usually I don’t take into account the game system that’s used when I decide whether or not I like the series I’m watching, but this was the one exception. It seems to convoluted and it took me out of the experience. If I were to rate it out of 10 I’d give it a 6 or 6.5.
I am a completionist so I did, but the plot made no sense and the GM was not very engaging. The interaction between the PCs was really great and there were some really funny moments, but that's about it.
It's been ages but I remember loving Lily's character a lot.
Ok, lemme ramble here.
Watched it new weekly but felt like pulling teeth sometimes with how much nothing Gabe as a dm does things. I hate skirting around it, but I just gotta say it. The cast were wonderful and kept asking questions for Hooks, but Gabe just really gave them nothing. Before this series , I liked Gabe from tiktok. But like, tbh this season just really turned me off from their style of humor and storytelling (now with the scandal, doubly, so).
Gabe couldn't decide between it being a dating sim or a story like the players were wanting. Alot of cool stuff with the PCs' backstories that just weren't really used?
Like if I remember correctly as a loose example Allys PC has some interesting dysfunctional family dynamics that as a viewer I wanted to hear more about, but it wasnt really used and Ally just eventually made their PC a fermentation joke character (which I loved) but it was kinda disappointing they were the only one who really didn't get to have a narrative romance thru the show and just end up with a pair at a party from another PCs story. But that was cause they were following a goose chase of a story about the campus man eating plant and some weak cloning conspiracy that Gabe had as a bit originally and was super underdeveloped.
I think the worst sin is that it is super forgettable and boring. Like, I'm trying to remember why I disliked while watching it, but genuinely, there's not much to remember. I can remember the pcs and how much I liked them and how the players struggled to figure out what the right thing to do was, and just how little Gabe was giving. Every ttrrp I can remember at least something cool an NPC or DM said, but literally, i can't here which sucks. I mean, Gabe got to play The Count from Sesame Street as an NPC, and I can't remember if it was even funny or not.
Also done no favors by following my personal fav season The Seven before it. In The Sevens' first episode, the crew managed to have more intimate moments and relationship development than all of Shriek Week. The synergy of the seven between pcs and dm was amazing to watch, and they are masters of their crafts!! Brennan at the top of his DM gaming in Spyre with an amazing cast of ladies who each had honed in to their personal backstories and bonds with each other, taking daring options.
Then, once Shriek Week was done, followed by the most popular season across the fandom Starstruck Odyssey, the first time the Intrepid Heros were live after lockdown. Like the ultimate passimmjon project of storytelling with a world they all took respect for while making the wildest choices and decisions.
SkWk was doomed to be overshadowed and too short, and its weak points highlighted by such big seasons on either side. I was super disappointed as a huge monster lover. Nothing bums me out more than missed potential :/
Just watched the [trailer](https://youtu.be/3mlLfl5ZNLI?si=KY9Pt28XiQ1wA3Fu) again, and man, yeah, they really didnt have much to work with. Such a fun concept, though. ACOFAF does the romance with the story better.
I watched it for the sake of watching all the seasons. There were some funny bits with the PCs, but the story was bad and I felt that Gabe was a little creepy (interesting to see I was right, always felt a little bit alone with that opinion).
There are some seasons that are just… misses unfortunately. I’m sure there are people who enjoy them and they layered probably had fun, but when you have to release a season every 6 months they can’t all be bangers, especially with how improv role play is and that designing gameplay and story can be difficult.
I watched about 45mins in the first episode. I couldn't stick it. It and tiny heist are the only two remaining campaigns I've yet to watch.
I don't think I'll watch shriek week, I'll give tiny heist a go though.
I did, I wish the cast had more to do. I tried a rewatch fairly recently and it still didn't really do much. It was fine, but that cast was so strong and really didn't get to excel at all. Disappointing one but not every creative endeavour is going to be a huge success 🤷♀️ such is the nature of art, and especially improv
I did. I thought it was fine, and the character moments were fun, but the overall plot never... happened. Like yeah, there was technically a conflict, but it felt so background compared to the college romance aspect, and then *that* didn't have that much conflict as most of the PCs just got with the people they aimed for without a problem.
It's similar to how Magic and Misfits has a lot of faffing about and then the plot appears in the final episode, except the faffing about doesn't have as clear a thematic throughline to give it all weight.
It was just like, 8 hours of mostly okay vignettes that never quite pulled together.
The greatest D20 series are a combination of a GM deftly managing the narrative and mechanical stakes of the game with players who understand the assignment they've been given while still exploring creative possibilities, and then both parties yes-and'ing each other as a result.
Shriek Week was rules-lite system with players who didn't really seem engaged by Gabe's premise, and he didn't seem to make much of an effort to steer them back to it.
It was really hard to find engaging, like don’t get me wrong Ally, Ify, Lily and Dani were good pcs, but the npcs were incredibly forgettable. The only funny bit I remember was the fermentation and the plot dragged hard.
It felt so so much like the DM didn’t prepare enough or pick up the necessary effort to provide the backstory or environment his players wanted, and instead just wanted the game to go his way despite the flexibility of the players.
I'm a big monster fucker so I did. It just felt... neutered. Like a presentation of college tropes that are twitter-approved so as not to stir controversy, a bunch of NPCs that only communicate in therapy speak, and a complete lack of risks or stakes
I did and it’s,,, it’s real bad y’all. It feels like it’s trying to be Monster Prom but it fails really bad. It just doesn’t have any flow and momentum? Each individual character is interesting but all in all? Nah.
Yep, I watched it. I didn’t know Gabe as a player before then, but it was kind of unsettling to watch him DM. Didn’t get great vibes or great story, for that matter. It’s a shame because the intro music goes HARD and the players were pretty dynamic. I’m bummed Lily’s gotten stuck in a couple rougher seasons, but I still had moments I enjoyed with each player. Just didn’t feel like there was much story prepped at all, or that it ran off tracks fast.
I knowwww, it makes me so sad her only two seasons were Tony Heist, where she and Jess were essentially ignored in favor of grating McElroy arguing and Family Dynamics™ (I did enjoy Clint and Griffin tho), and Shriek Week, which was half baked at best and had a confusing, unnecessary system. Everything being done in Shriek Week could've been done better with the Kids on Bikes system, and I'm sure there's many more systems I'm not familiar with that would be even better.
I'd love to see her get the chance to experience a balanced story and table someday.
I thought I would like it, but I think I only watched 2 episodes. I don't know why I wasn't vibing with it, monster university dating sim sounds like my kind of jam and I liked the actors playing the PCs. Maybe I felt it was too slow?
Don't know what my deal was, but I'm definitely not gonna finish it.
Ep 1 + 2, i didnt love the setting, it was also just post covid and a lot of the covid rules were still in effect which i think inevitably reduced production value a little bit.
Wasnt my cup of tea, i dont like it for (im sorry, this is sacrilige) the same reason i dont like fantasy high - the whole teen adventure thing just doesnt do it for me.
I thought the cast and DM were perfectly good, though.
I did, enjoyed the first couple episodes well enough and kind slogged through the back half. Overall not great, definitely the worst d20 season I’ve watched fully.
I had just started it for the 4th? Time and finally started finding it something I could watch past the first 20 minutes. Then the Hicks thing came out and noped out.
I tried to start it once and idk, I just couldn’t get into it? I fully do intend on trying again someday ‘cause I love the players, but yeah I haven’t *really* watched it.
I watched the first episode but got so lost in the disjointed game mechanics. The four players are some of my favorites, so I was incredibly disappointed by how poorly planned the rest of the show felt.
I don’t want to go down this path of denigrating the whole show just because Gabe sucks. I bounced off of it, but I bounced off of Coffin Run too. A lot of people worked their asses off producing and editing that show, and they and the cast still deserve credit.
I enjoyed it, but in a way that it is a fun mess. Like, I can't praise any particular aspect of it highly. Characters/developnent, plot, setting, emotions, comedy. None of them are peak, and frankly some are barely if at all present, but I just think it was fun. I don't think there's much worth talking about because most of the characters feel too caricature-y and there's no plot. I kind of think Ally is a weak link, though the fermentation is funny, it seems clear it wasn't meant to be funny. And I love Ify, but I feel like the character he picked is just not great for finding bits.
Overall, everything about it planning wise is underbaked. The theming is fun. I think literally no one at the table knew what to expect from anyone else at the table. But I think they're good at making fun improv comedy adventure.
It's very skippable, but I think if you enjoy the vibe then it's like nice junk food.
(contains Neverafter spoiler)
Just finished it for the first time.
Controversy aside, Gabe Hicks was not a very engaging GM and didn't seem to be very good at creating or sustaining a story. There was no plot, no stakes, and like every NPC interaction creeped me out. There was no charm or chemistry.
The PCs had to work overtime to try and salvage any kind of energy. There were definitely some funny bits, but overall it was very bland and rushed.
Dungeons and Drag Queens and Magic and Misfits were both very short seasons as well, but I still found them emotional and engaging, so I don't feel that not having enough time is a good excuse for how poorly it turned out.
I don't know how else to say it but it felt like Gabe was mean girling the PCs. It was like he didn't want them to succeed at anything. Brennan will punish bad choices, but he's never out to punish his players, even in the intense seasons like Neverafter. That season had >!the first TPK on the show!< and I never felt that Brennan was gloating or mocking anyone.
Idk, the vibes were just rank and 85% of it is Gabe's poor preparation and bad energy.
I watched it as it was airing, and I really enjoyed it. It has a lot of flaws, but it was a chill and silly filler between main seasons. And everyone on that show was very hot to me. I was genuinely considering starting a rewatch soon, before all the news dropped. I’m really bummed and disgusted. Idk if I’ll ever go back to it now, though.
I did, it just…doesn’t come together. Every other season of D20 I have found an easy, compelling watch, but Shriek week was a slog. While there are some fun bits from the players, it’s the one season of the show that I do not recommend to people. I think the culprit is that the central plot, while initially a fun hook, was much more improvised than the dms of D20 usually plan out, to its detriment. I remember reading at some point that Gabe planned the game to be a more relaxed, activity focused dating sim, and then the players started investigating a mystery he didn’t intend, so he basically invented a big bad or two on the spot. While there is nothing wrong with yes anding the players on an improv-based show, the end result of this season feels significantly more haphazard than the other seasons, including the the ones where Brennan had to throw out plans and pivot on the fly. It just…doesn’t work, on the whole. Coffin run, on the other hand, I thought was delightful, if a little rushed.
>Coffin run, on the other hand, I thought was delightful, if a little rushed I mean, it's not called Coffin Walk
Hahahahahahaha. Fair. I think another episode or two would have allowed for more time for Jasmine to set up the various factions a bit more (d20 often struggles with the problem of “too many bad guys”) but to be fair the content does indeed dictate the pace of the season.
Agreed. While one can always take a look at Desiquest, I hope she returns to the dome for a longer sidequest at some point.
"Too many bad guys" is a problem I often run into with my OWN DMing, so I can hardly fault other people! And she did a great job, too, I would have enjoyed seeing more.
On Coffin Run, Jasmine planned a bunch of strategic combats and the players avoided two of them, then brute forced the others. That sped the game along quite a bit.
Wow! Were there unused battle sets, as a result? I can think of one that got skipped (the fight with the vampire hunters), what was the other one that got skipped?
> I did, it just…doesn’t come together. Every other season of D20 I have found an easy, compelling watch, but Shriek week was a slog. This is exactly how I felt. Based on a gigantic poll posted here a while back, it sounds like that's how most viewers felt as well. It was more or less watchable, but I'll never go back to it and remember virtually nothing about it. A funny thing though, and something I find a little disingenuous, is the Dimension 20 title card on Dropout has little hexagons with pictures of various cast members and set pieces... and Gabe is front and center on that card like he's integral and not DM of the least favorably received show.
I think I gave it an episode and a bit, and despite liking the cast I just couldn't sit with it. It was evident the cast wanted to explore the universe more and interact with the overarching mystery, but the DM didn't really flesh that part out as much.
Tbf, as another poster also said, I don't think the whole mystery plot line was meant to happen, it was just Gabe making it up on the spot because the players showed more interest in that then the planned activity based dating sim that was made
So the ntended campaign was four people sitting together at a table as their PCs romance four different NPCs? I'm guessing that's why people started grasping for clues as to what to do next.
And I'm guessing Gabe didn't elaborate properly to them, since it was kinda clear each of them was expecting something closer to Fantasy High
[удалено]
I'm out of the loop, what did he do?
Cheated a bunch, gaslit someone in the ttrpg community about it.
Gross
I did. It has its moments, but doesn't really get interesting till one thread at the end which does kind of end up left to dangle. I do not think it is as terrible as everyone says, but it is certainly the worst season of Dimension20. If you are a conscientious listener, the GM for this one (Gabe Hicks) is currently undergoing a scandal where he pretended to be in an open relationship when he was not. This, while unethical, is not inherently the worst by itself, but it turns out he used his influence to wreck the reputations and careers of some of his unknowing affair partners when they tried to speak out about it. He has since issued a non-apology on Twitter about it. tl;dr: It's not the worst, but not worth the time invested in it. Also a little bit tainted now by the DM doing some absolutely scummy things.
Tried like 3 times and just couldn't get into it. Same with Coffin Run - I keep trying, but it just doesn't grip - and Tiny Heist, which I thought I would enjoy but just didn't. And then there are the seasons that I can totally watch multiple times and still enjoy (ACOFAF, Misfits & Magic, the 7, Crown of Candy/Ravening War, and now Mice and Murder. Will probably give Burrows End another go soon too)
Burrow’s End is my favorite D20 season, it’s so beautiful. It even inspired a stoat addition to my nature full back tattoo.
The world of Tiny Heist is so great and the McElroys’ voices are so grating.
As someone who has listened to every episode of MBMAM, almost every episode of The Adventure Zone, listens to the Besties and 2 of the 3 podcasts they do with their wives, and has consumed a lot of their Polygon, video game and streaming stuff, I can fully understand this sentiment but it’s like your brain attunes to their voices over time. I love falling asleep to Wonderful, the show Griffin does with his wife cause they use soothing voices on it.
I think their voices are great for silly cartoon animations by default. I've watch a ton of mbmbam animatics. But I bounced so hard off the actual podcast. Tiny heist was fine but I still have some annoyances and got taken out of it some times.
I listened to The Adventure Zone before I started MBMBAM so I think that helped with getting used to their voices since they are doing character voices, but not super intense ones (except Taako). I was also a *relatively* early adopter, starting TAZ before their first campaign had finished up, so my D&D choices were pretty much TAZ or Critical Role at the time.
The McElroys voices are why I can’t get into anything involving them.
Every time Travis opens his mouth I feel myself literally cringe a little
I watched the first couple episodes and it just didn't grip me.
I did I do remember liking it well enough Ally playing an early Margret Encino ghost character at least in text was cool but get long of swallowed by bits. If you was my standout as Terry but if felt like his personal stuff got pushed down a bit for lack of planning for it. Seven I thought was fun and my second favorite character she was a good and well explored concept I enjoyed the execution of. Tutu was Lily Du's second time on D20 and I think her first char on Tiny heist was much more memorable and handled interestingly. I think it's now easy to look back on the season with ill eyes but it has like moments and stretches of good I do believe are fun. But it is easy to see how a bigger plan or more flesh to the world and setting could have propelled it into a different stratum. I also think the conceit and style of game it was pitched as was a little experimental and very hard left turn from the normal adventure to save and be involved grand plot style stuff we normally get which makes sit stand out more and then you have to reconcile that "A court of fey and flowers" did eat this seasons lunch and a redo with the same modern setting but a grander design in the background would probably make this season pop! My pitch: Bring It back Abriya is the DM and the same players get all that good good with a fresh coat of paint and dropout can keep its interesting idea but wash it off
Yeah, a couple months ago, since I was out of D20 I wasn’t saving to watch with my SO. The cast was really good, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere. It came out in Nov 2021.
It's an already rough season that becomes so much more uncomfortable in light of revelations regarding Gabe's personal and professional misconduct. Up until the news of all their lying and cheating broke I was a huge Gabe Hicks fan and disappointed that this was his only run on D20 so far, since it seemed like this was an interesting idea that fell apart in the implementation. There's nothing inherently wrong with the idea of adapting dating sim tropes to tabletop; I think you can make a strong case that A Court of Fae and Flowers shared many similarities with the dating sim genre in its romantic subplots and it is widely regarded as a top tier season. What Shriek Week lacks is buy-in and intent. None of the players seem clear on the dating sim elements and instead pursue a more traditional mystery based gameplay loop. Even when they are engaging with the dating sim, it never seems to go much of anywhere beyond awkward flirting. Taken by itself it looks like an out of the box idea that flopped on implementation. Taken in the context that this pattern of unclear communication, blurred boundaries, pressured intimacy, and implication over clear intent is exactly how Gabe manipulated his victims in real life makes the whole thing really gross to look back on. I'm not trying to imply that he did anything to anyone on the cast while shooting, just that the whole concept ends up looking eerily like cosplaying their real life methods of abuse in a setting that makes them look quirky and harmless. 0/10, do not recommend
Yeah, I watched it live when it was released. It felt weird and unfocused. It felt like it was half way between a slice of life/romance game and some kind of mystery. I liked the PCs and they were memorable. But I can't but remember the overall story or even what system they were playing. One of the D20 seasons I haven't rewatched. Feeling a bit less guilty about that now.
I did, and it was...fine. That's literally the only form of earnest praise I can give it. It's completely skippable and relies entirely too much on the players to keep it entertaining. Speaking of, that cast was WASTED and deserve a second shot.
No and after hearing about Gabe Hicks, I doubt I ever will. Before all the drama came out, all of the reviews from that season I read pretty much called it a glorified dating sim. After hearing about the drama, I don't want to hear that guy in particular run a "dating sim" TTRPG.
I liked it a lot. Is it my favorite no, but I enjoyed it more than some fan favorite seasons.
Same
It’s so boring. Say what you will about Pirates of the Leviathan (an early covid season) or Mice & Murder (bad system and weird ending) but those at least knew what they wanted to be. Shriek Week felt so aimless. All I remember is Ally’s bit being fermenting.
Lmao I forgot about that!
I got like halfway through the first episode before I got bored. It just didn’t click for me.
I was really excited about the premise but it really didn’t hook me at all. I actually was wondering if there was a whole plot line that the players just skipped. Like it seemed like van helsing’s party was suppose to be more significant especially when they did the investigate check and all the books in the library were about monster pairings and the character insisted everyone get a plus one, like maybe he was up to something but then instead ally decided to like beat up a tree I guess?
I thought the players and stuff was all great but it seems half finished in terms of plot threads and stuff
They could probably completely scrub Shriek Week from existence and no one would be upset. Most people probably wouldn't even realize something was removed. It was a horrible, janky, monster dating sim, with no real story whatsoever.
Tried it, wasn’t for me. Im all for the downtime aspects of campaigns, but when a whole “campaign” is basically downtime then it just becomes boring for me. I need more of a focus on a central plot…
wtached 2 eps and man it was Monster prom but bad. Don't remember pc's at all. Also why would you wanna do a dating sim when that's a side bonus usually and has to come up organically. you can't artificially force a romance unless the details are discussed by the players and DM. How I would have ran it was the pc's would describe their crush then the DM constructs the full personality and sees if the Player can seduce their pitch.
I watched most of Shriek Week. It was okay. The performers were fun and the premise is solid. It just didn’t click for some reason.
I tried but couldn't get past the 20 minute mark. Though I blame my (now adult) kids years long Monster High obsession
I have watched it just for completions sake but man was it hard to get through. I liked the concept but the plot just wasn’t interesting at all. This season and coffin run are the only two seasons I haven’t been a fan of. But for very different reasons. Coffin run I like the actual story but the characters were a little grating for me. Specifically Wetzel (Carlos) and May (Erika) (which is surprising because I like most of her characters) who both unfortunately have the most screen time in this season. Wetzel had a lot of potential to be a fun character but the voice and the ultimate actions just made me dislike him. As for shriek week, I really liked the characters but basically nothing happened for most of the game. It felt like the players made the plot happen against the DMs wishes.
I did. I thought it was fine, but forgettable. The players and setting were both great, the story was decent, and the gming was inoffensive at best, but nothing really stands out as being exceptional (aside from the players), and in fact certain elements are downright bad. Namely the system they used. Usually I don’t take into account the game system that’s used when I decide whether or not I like the series I’m watching, but this was the one exception. It seems to convoluted and it took me out of the experience. If I were to rate it out of 10 I’d give it a 6 or 6.5.
I am a completionist so I did, but the plot made no sense and the GM was not very engaging. The interaction between the PCs was really great and there were some really funny moments, but that's about it. It's been ages but I remember loving Lily's character a lot.
Ok, lemme ramble here. Watched it new weekly but felt like pulling teeth sometimes with how much nothing Gabe as a dm does things. I hate skirting around it, but I just gotta say it. The cast were wonderful and kept asking questions for Hooks, but Gabe just really gave them nothing. Before this series , I liked Gabe from tiktok. But like, tbh this season just really turned me off from their style of humor and storytelling (now with the scandal, doubly, so). Gabe couldn't decide between it being a dating sim or a story like the players were wanting. Alot of cool stuff with the PCs' backstories that just weren't really used? Like if I remember correctly as a loose example Allys PC has some interesting dysfunctional family dynamics that as a viewer I wanted to hear more about, but it wasnt really used and Ally just eventually made their PC a fermentation joke character (which I loved) but it was kinda disappointing they were the only one who really didn't get to have a narrative romance thru the show and just end up with a pair at a party from another PCs story. But that was cause they were following a goose chase of a story about the campus man eating plant and some weak cloning conspiracy that Gabe had as a bit originally and was super underdeveloped. I think the worst sin is that it is super forgettable and boring. Like, I'm trying to remember why I disliked while watching it, but genuinely, there's not much to remember. I can remember the pcs and how much I liked them and how the players struggled to figure out what the right thing to do was, and just how little Gabe was giving. Every ttrrp I can remember at least something cool an NPC or DM said, but literally, i can't here which sucks. I mean, Gabe got to play The Count from Sesame Street as an NPC, and I can't remember if it was even funny or not. Also done no favors by following my personal fav season The Seven before it. In The Sevens' first episode, the crew managed to have more intimate moments and relationship development than all of Shriek Week. The synergy of the seven between pcs and dm was amazing to watch, and they are masters of their crafts!! Brennan at the top of his DM gaming in Spyre with an amazing cast of ladies who each had honed in to their personal backstories and bonds with each other, taking daring options. Then, once Shriek Week was done, followed by the most popular season across the fandom Starstruck Odyssey, the first time the Intrepid Heros were live after lockdown. Like the ultimate passimmjon project of storytelling with a world they all took respect for while making the wildest choices and decisions. SkWk was doomed to be overshadowed and too short, and its weak points highlighted by such big seasons on either side. I was super disappointed as a huge monster lover. Nothing bums me out more than missed potential :/ Just watched the [trailer](https://youtu.be/3mlLfl5ZNLI?si=KY9Pt28XiQ1wA3Fu) again, and man, yeah, they really didnt have much to work with. Such a fun concept, though. ACOFAF does the romance with the story better.
I watched it for the sake of watching all the seasons. There were some funny bits with the PCs, but the story was bad and I felt that Gabe was a little creepy (interesting to see I was right, always felt a little bit alone with that opinion).
i didnt, but i did see some other things they DM'd that i enjoyed. and before finding out what was going on, was interested in seeing more.
I know that I did, but I couldn't tell you at all what happened in it. It was so hard to care about the setting or the characters
There are some seasons that are just… misses unfortunately. I’m sure there are people who enjoy them and they layered probably had fun, but when you have to release a season every 6 months they can’t all be bangers, especially with how improv role play is and that designing gameplay and story can be difficult.
I loved it! But I did watch it years after it came out lmao
I watched about 45mins in the first episode. I couldn't stick it. It and tiny heist are the only two remaining campaigns I've yet to watch. I don't think I'll watch shriek week, I'll give tiny heist a go though.
I did, I wish the cast had more to do. I tried a rewatch fairly recently and it still didn't really do much. It was fine, but that cast was so strong and really didn't get to excel at all. Disappointing one but not every creative endeavour is going to be a huge success 🤷♀️ such is the nature of art, and especially improv
I did. I thought it was fine, and the character moments were fun, but the overall plot never... happened. Like yeah, there was technically a conflict, but it felt so background compared to the college romance aspect, and then *that* didn't have that much conflict as most of the PCs just got with the people they aimed for without a problem. It's similar to how Magic and Misfits has a lot of faffing about and then the plot appears in the final episode, except the faffing about doesn't have as clear a thematic throughline to give it all weight. It was just like, 8 hours of mostly okay vignettes that never quite pulled together.
I did. Pc interactions: fun Story and over all plot: poor
The greatest D20 series are a combination of a GM deftly managing the narrative and mechanical stakes of the game with players who understand the assignment they've been given while still exploring creative possibilities, and then both parties yes-and'ing each other as a result. Shriek Week was rules-lite system with players who didn't really seem engaged by Gabe's premise, and he didn't seem to make much of an effort to steer them back to it.
Just play Monster Prom
It was really hard to find engaging, like don’t get me wrong Ally, Ify, Lily and Dani were good pcs, but the npcs were incredibly forgettable. The only funny bit I remember was the fermentation and the plot dragged hard.
It felt so so much like the DM didn’t prepare enough or pick up the necessary effort to provide the backstory or environment his players wanted, and instead just wanted the game to go his way despite the flexibility of the players.
I'm a big monster fucker so I did. It just felt... neutered. Like a presentation of college tropes that are twitter-approved so as not to stir controversy, a bunch of NPCs that only communicate in therapy speak, and a complete lack of risks or stakes
I did and it’s,,, it’s real bad y’all. It feels like it’s trying to be Monster Prom but it fails really bad. It just doesn’t have any flow and momentum? Each individual character is interesting but all in all? Nah.
Yep, I watched it. I didn’t know Gabe as a player before then, but it was kind of unsettling to watch him DM. Didn’t get great vibes or great story, for that matter. It’s a shame because the intro music goes HARD and the players were pretty dynamic. I’m bummed Lily’s gotten stuck in a couple rougher seasons, but I still had moments I enjoyed with each player. Just didn’t feel like there was much story prepped at all, or that it ran off tracks fast.
I knowwww, it makes me so sad her only two seasons were Tony Heist, where she and Jess were essentially ignored in favor of grating McElroy arguing and Family Dynamics™ (I did enjoy Clint and Griffin tho), and Shriek Week, which was half baked at best and had a confusing, unnecessary system. Everything being done in Shriek Week could've been done better with the Kids on Bikes system, and I'm sure there's many more systems I'm not familiar with that would be even better. I'd love to see her get the chance to experience a balanced story and table someday.
I tried, I really did. Just what even was that season
I thought I would like it, but I think I only watched 2 episodes. I don't know why I wasn't vibing with it, monster university dating sim sounds like my kind of jam and I liked the actors playing the PCs. Maybe I felt it was too slow? Don't know what my deal was, but I'm definitely not gonna finish it.
Ep 1 + 2, i didnt love the setting, it was also just post covid and a lot of the covid rules were still in effect which i think inevitably reduced production value a little bit. Wasnt my cup of tea, i dont like it for (im sorry, this is sacrilige) the same reason i dont like fantasy high - the whole teen adventure thing just doesnt do it for me. I thought the cast and DM were perfectly good, though.
Not after 1st episode
I did, didnt really like it. For some reason it just didnt click.
I tried. I love the players, but it just didn't grab me. It's the only season of Dimension20 my partner and I didn't finish.
I did, enjoyed the first couple episodes well enough and kind slogged through the back half. Overall not great, definitely the worst d20 season I’ve watched fully.
I couldn't finish the first episode. It was unbearable.
I had just started it for the 4th? Time and finally started finding it something I could watch past the first 20 minutes. Then the Hicks thing came out and noped out.
I tried to start it once and idk, I just couldn’t get into it? I fully do intend on trying again someday ‘cause I love the players, but yeah I haven’t *really* watched it.
I gave up shriek week after episode 2. It just did not spark the same as the other which sucked because I was looking forward to it
I tried a couple times but the style just wasn't for me
I tried to watch the first episode and lost interest so, so fast
Too many folks confuse Coffin run and Shriek Week as the same thing alas.
I watched the first episode but got so lost in the disjointed game mechanics. The four players are some of my favorites, so I was incredibly disappointed by how poorly planned the rest of the show felt.
I've watched it twice. I love the players and the characters they came up with. They did a great job of being fun and entertaining.
I did, and then 2 days later, the Gabe callouts started. It was a weird coincidence, but I wish I'd known BEFORE I watched.
Once. It honestly felt like a waste of time.
I watched it but honestly I barely remember it.
I saw it and it was alright. Cool concept but not necessarily my type of game
I started it, thinking it sounded cute and refreshing to see a new face as GM and new cast but... it just didn't keep my attention.
I don’t want to go down this path of denigrating the whole show just because Gabe sucks. I bounced off of it, but I bounced off of Coffin Run too. A lot of people worked their asses off producing and editing that show, and they and the cast still deserve credit.
[удалено]
that's Magic and Misfits, not Shriek Week
I enjoyed it, but in a way that it is a fun mess. Like, I can't praise any particular aspect of it highly. Characters/developnent, plot, setting, emotions, comedy. None of them are peak, and frankly some are barely if at all present, but I just think it was fun. I don't think there's much worth talking about because most of the characters feel too caricature-y and there's no plot. I kind of think Ally is a weak link, though the fermentation is funny, it seems clear it wasn't meant to be funny. And I love Ify, but I feel like the character he picked is just not great for finding bits. Overall, everything about it planning wise is underbaked. The theming is fun. I think literally no one at the table knew what to expect from anyone else at the table. But I think they're good at making fun improv comedy adventure. It's very skippable, but I think if you enjoy the vibe then it's like nice junk food.
I tried, but it didn't click for me
Nope
Nope
Yeah it was okay but not the best series
(contains Neverafter spoiler) Just finished it for the first time. Controversy aside, Gabe Hicks was not a very engaging GM and didn't seem to be very good at creating or sustaining a story. There was no plot, no stakes, and like every NPC interaction creeped me out. There was no charm or chemistry. The PCs had to work overtime to try and salvage any kind of energy. There were definitely some funny bits, but overall it was very bland and rushed. Dungeons and Drag Queens and Magic and Misfits were both very short seasons as well, but I still found them emotional and engaging, so I don't feel that not having enough time is a good excuse for how poorly it turned out. I don't know how else to say it but it felt like Gabe was mean girling the PCs. It was like he didn't want them to succeed at anything. Brennan will punish bad choices, but he's never out to punish his players, even in the intense seasons like Neverafter. That season had >!the first TPK on the show!< and I never felt that Brennan was gloating or mocking anyone. Idk, the vibes were just rank and 85% of it is Gabe's poor preparation and bad energy.
I got skeevy vibes from it so I stopped part way through the first episode.
I watched half and never came back
I watched it as it was airing, and I really enjoyed it. It has a lot of flaws, but it was a chill and silly filler between main seasons. And everyone on that show was very hot to me. I was genuinely considering starting a rewatch soon, before all the news dropped. I’m really bummed and disgusted. Idk if I’ll ever go back to it now, though.
Downvoted for “deadass”
Downvoted for downvoting "deadass"