March 3, 2024: Put On The Wax Cylinder, Jeeves!

At the risk of dating myself like the inner ring of a mighty oak . . . do folks make "mix tapes" for their games? Or playlists, or whatever we call 'em nowadays?

If there's a certain vibe or atmosphere I'm trying to create, I'll toss on an album to get folks in the mood. If it's a longer-term effort or special event, I might even come up with an honest-to-goodness playlist mix – more time-consuming, but perfect to punctuate particularly exciting moments. It's especially helpful in "flashback" games, or ones where I'm using music to define an era. (One of the great gifts the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies had was their soundtracks, which provided an evocative one-of-a-kind tone that's instrumental in establishing the flavor of its world.)

If anyone else has been a mix-master for their own gaming tables – especially if you have any tips – feel free to drop a line on the forums.

-- Steven Marsh