Reading · Many Sided Newsletter

Welcome to the world of Perils & Princesses!

Abby here! The newest season of My First Dungeon starts today, and despite the fact that it is literally the first day of the year, I already feel confident saying this may very well be my favorite game I will play in 2026. I’m calling my shot early, I know, but Perils & Princesses really is just that much fun.

This season features MFD’s very own Brian Flaherty in the GM’s seat guiding our brave band of princesses. These include the familiar voices of Shenuque Tissera as Princess Ameera of Equine Hollows, and myself playing Princess Geraldine of Glittering Thicket. We’re also joined by two very special guest stars: Bridgett Jeffries (Miskatonic University Podcast) as Princess Winnie of Golden Falls and Danielle Radford (Dimension 20) as Princess Adelaide of Midnight Meadows. And let me tell you, this is a group guaranteed to have a rip-roaring time no matter where they go!

Princess Winnie and Princess Ameera; original artwork by Ryan Lynch

It can’t be denied that a large part of this is thanks to the fabulously creative group of players we’ve gathered together, but I also cannot stress enough just how wonderfully written the base game and the specific adventure module we’re playing both are. Game designer Ryan Lynch perfectly nails the balance between the “la la la” lightness so often associated with “playing princess” and the very real horror associated with being lost in the woods or confronting an evil witch in her tower. This game game can operate anywhere on the spectrum of Disney to Grimm’s. As he outlines in the Core Principles of the book, Gritty and Pretty is the name of the game, inviting you to lean into the terror without going full nightmare.

And I have to imagine that this Gritty and Pretty balance was a very important detail to keep in mind for Destiny Howell, designer of the Perils & Princesses adventure module Sweet Revenge. This is the module we’ve been using for our MFD season and it’s been a constant refrain from the players just how richly detailed the world of Sweet Revenge can be. Fighting against a slowly creeping candy curse in the Tanglewood Forest may initially feel silly (and there is plenty of room to get silly with it if you want), but it is also undeniably grotesque. Who knew a bear half melted into gummy sweets could be so haunting?

Princess Adelaide and Princess Geraldine; original artwork by Ryan Lynch

The other section of the Core Principles that really struck a chord for me is the emphasis on Multiple Solutions. Lynch writes: “GMs should present challenges with more than one single solution, reward cleverness, and be open to approaches not covered in the rules. Players should always seek to find creative uses for what’s on their character sheet and remember to look beyond what they have written down.” There are few things our table loves more than purposely trying to throw the GM for a loop—and where there’s a will, there’s a way—but in a perhaps surprising turn, the actual calling out of creative problem solving has made it even more fun to seek out alternative ways to use our belongings and environment.

Share this newsletter with the most badass princess you know

A candy riddled world is just ripe for creative fun! Will splashing water on a cotton candy assailant melt him to smithereens or only harden his candified exterior alongside his resolve? The prescribed character gifts, talents, weapons, and abilities are written in such a way as to be clear and precise, and yet also open to plenty of interpretation.

Brian’s interview with Lynch is out today, discussing Ryan Lynch’s inspirations for the game and advice for both GMs and players. And be sure to tune in on January 15th for Session Zero to hear how these four mischief makers came together, including one of my favorite NPCs in My First Dungeon history, the Fairy Godmother.

See you there!

— Abby

P.S. For the impatient princesses among us, you can also score 15 percent off Perils & Princesses and Sweet Revenge (or any other game) right now at Tabletop Bookshelf using code PERIL15.

A brand-new Project ECCO show is coming to Many Sided Media this year, though the timing may be a bit, let’s say, distorted. Agent 0707 is back to continue the Agency’s quest to defeat the Entity meeting a host of occasionally helpful individuals who may or may not make her work any easier….if she’s even clear on what that work may ultimately be.

The first—or is it simply the earliest?—episode drops on January 7th…probably.

Your experience of this story may be inhibited by your linear perspective on time. We apologize for the inconvenience.