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samanthanelson.bsky.social
Covering entertainment and tabletop games at Polygon and food and drinks for Eater and the Chicago Tribune.
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Just a reminder that you really don't need to spend anything on D&D miniatures or accessories. I'm playing a game where the minis are fruit candies (I'm a lemon) and having an absolute blast.

submitted 17 hours ago • 2 comments

It’s wild that when wildfire smoke hit Chicago most of my friends just vaguely noted it was a little hazy out while asthma means I immediately had to buy an air purifier and it didn’t do enough so I have bronchitis. Working the JBFA red carpet is going to be rough 😮‍💨

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

Talking to game designers is one of the absolute best part of my job. If you have a game crowdfunding or releasing soon, reach out to me and I’d love to share the news.

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

Got a 10 1/2 hour flight tomorrow which I am both dreading for how long that day will be but also kind of excited about the chance to read and watch movies.

submitted 34 days ago • 1 comment

Before Final Destination: Bloodlines, the directors made an unsettling Stranger Things-style sci-fi thriller

submitted 42 days ago • 0 comments

I pay 180 Euros a month for health insurance and then pay nothing for doctor visits and prescription drugs. It’s been more than two years and when they just give me my meds at the pharmacy and say have a nice day (or tot ziens) I still feel a little surge of glee.

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

So will the pope have a cameo in the new season of The Bear?

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

If you see this post a sword.

submitted 53 days ago • 0 comments

Kevin's getting back into Commander and started talking to me about Bloomburrow, which is how I discovered he did not know what a fursona was. I had to explain that the set was really be here when Bluesky was mostly furries and game journalists.

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

New version of two truths and a lie where you share two actual Trump posts from Truth Social and one made up one and try to get someone to guess which are real.

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

Look at this beautiful sea devil on display as the daily special at the fish market this morning. Despite being hideous their meat is great - rich and firm without being fatty.

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

I think Ryan Coogler should get to make whatever movies he wants but I would also watch the hell out of a Sinners sequel focused on the Chicago house music scene.

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

I've been a regular contributor to Polygon since 2017 and I'm so angry and sad that Vox has thrown away such a beloved and respected site to make a quick buck. I had the chance to work with many Polygon editors in my time so I want to thank them by sharing my favorite pieces we work on together.

submitted 57 days ago • 1 comment

Many of my most anticipated tabletop role-playing game books of 2025 won’t be released until convention season kicks off this summer, but the year has started strong for the hobby.

submitted 60 days ago • 0 comments

Taking Sterling to the vet tomorrow to determine if he has a thyroid disorder or he's just the laziest cat I've ever encountered.

submitted 62 days ago • 0 comments

submitted 63 days ago • 0 comments

Got in a bike accident and sprained my thumb and that makes doing everything very difficult. Covered in bruises so spending the day reading gaming books and watching The Pitt while murmuring it could have been worse.

submitted 69 days ago • 2 comments

I like to imagine that when the Ratliff family finally checks their phones on the boat everything is actually fine because Timothy's lawyer bribed someone in the Trump administration to ensure they'd face no consquences.

submitted 72 days ago • 0 comments

Saga opens as Romeo and Juliet by way of Star Wars, traveling across numerous planets and introducing a rich cast of characters, including an arachnid bounty hunter, robot royalty, a ghost babysitter, and merfolk tabloid journalists.

submitted 73 days ago • 0 comments

I know we as a society memoryholed COVID-19 but I was amazed to realize how much I had myself when The Pitt pilot cryptically referenced the trauma the main character experienced and I was still surprised by the flashback to 2020.

submitted 74 days ago • 1 comment

I am extremely unsurprised that the Republicans so concerned about stamping out antisemitism on college campuses have nothing to say about an attempt to murder Jewish Democratic governor Josh Shapiro. They only care about Jews as a prop for their Evangelical base.

submitted 75 days ago • 2 comments

It is extremely frustrating that in order to read the rules for grappling in the 2024 Player's Handbook you need to consult the entries for grappling, grappled (condition) and unarmed strike.

submitted 75 days ago • 2 comments

The anthology series demonstrates its range and flexibility by getting back to its most dystopian roots, delivering an extremely fun sequel to a fan favorite episode, and tapping Paul Giamatti for a beautifully melancholy story about dealing with painful memories.

submitted 80 days ago • 0 comments

Roko's basilisk is so dumb. A godlike AI could find a better place to plant the seeds of its existence than a forum started by a guy best known for writing longform Harry Potter fanfiction.

submitted 82 days ago • 0 comments