Testimonials
What people are saying.
“He is the game runner by which I judge all other game experiences.”
“Karington is an exceptional game master. Every time we play with him it is a lot of fun. He has a nearly encyclopedic recall of rules and stats that help keep everything on track, while still throwing in some tweaks and modifications when necessary to make the adventure accommodating to all levels of experience. He is well-prepared to take the story in whatever direction the whims of the players throw at him, and is good at making it immersive with personalities and voices for characters. He is the game runner by which I judge all other game experiences. Highly recommended!”
- Jeff
Games Played: Star Wars Edge of Empire
“I couldn’t ask for a better gaming experience.”
“I've played with every kind of dungeon master. The author who just wants to tell his fantasy story and doesn't much care about your character. The tactician that just wants to see if he can kill your character. Karington is none of these. Or rather, he is the virtuous mean between those extremes. He never let a dice roll get in the way of a cool moment. He never made me feel like I was just a character in his story. He spurred me to really embody a character and using my character and my friends' characters, he wove a story where I caused a little trouble, vanquished some evil, and got to be a hero. I couldn't ask for a better gaming experience.”
- J.K.
Games Played: D&D 3.5, 5e, Star Wars d20
“Karington brings the life and excitement to the game!”
“Karington brings the life and excitement to the game! I’m not a veteran or anything at RPG’s I’m actually a brand new. I’ve been in three scenarios where Karington hosted and every game I felt like one of the crew. He has a way of keeping the momentum and keeping us newbs involved and having fun. His way of developing the story is like listening to one of those classic radio stories with tons of excitement and suspense. Beyond his amazing skills as a DM, he is a great guy and great friend. So if you up for one exciting and entertaining ride just hop ship with this guy and I promise you’ll have a blast.”
- Jeffrey
Games Played: Star Wars
Games played: D&D 5e, Fantasy Flight: Star Wars
“Karington always knew how to create an immersive, exciting, and hilarious world and experience that entertained everyone at the table. He is an extremely skilled storyteller and I wish I would one day be able to play with him again.”
— Chris
Games played: D&D 5e - Curse of the Dragon Queen, Rise of Tiamat, Curse of Strahd
“In 2015, I was inspired by the release of a new edition and the opening of a local gaming cafe to dip my toe back in the D&D waters after not having played for 25 years. My first session was a Wednesday night open Adventurer's League game, and I was lucky enough to be seated at a table with Karington as DM. His open arms attitude to new players, vivid imagination, and hilarious voice acting (deep gnomes have Australian accents because they're from "Down Undah!”) sucked me and many others in for ongoing campaigns over the next 3 years that I will always remember with great fondness. Karington inspired me to step into the DM's chair for the group, and I routinely ask myself "What would Karington do?" :) We tell stories of his games often, with a smile at the helpings of "Extra Death" that were always in the offing for the PCs if we got out of hand. To Karington - the best!”
— Ryan
Games played: D&D 3.5e, Fantasy Flight: Star Wars: Edge of the Empire, Force & Destiny
“Karington was one of the best Game Masters I have ever had the pleasure of playing with. The way he morphs the story around player choices and provides feedback through the game with consequences (good and bad) are phenomenal. However my favorite part about playing in a "Karington Game" as our friends call it is when he allows you to make and play an NPC in his story so you can literally play out and see the villain's side or a different view point from the same story and it was just pure enjoyment how he melded even them into the overall game.”
— Coty
Games played: Curse of Strahd
“Karington is a wonderful DM. Between storytelling, providing plot and RP tied to backstories, running combats smoothly, and making character deaths less painful (and important in the story), he is one of the best I have run with. Caring about both the players and the player characters is one of his best attributes as a DM. I look forward to the weekly game days before the next session and get excited for what may happen next.”
— Erin
Games played: D&D
“Karington is a dynamic game master. Players grew as gamers and in turn made the game even more fun. He's awesome!!”
— Kendall
Games played: D&D 5th edition
“I have had the pleasure of playing many sessions that were GMed by Karington. Having played over 50 years, the only GM I consider his equal is the late great Tom Moldvay.”
— Bill
Games played: Dungeons and Dragons (5E)
“I have played in multiple games with Karington as the Dungeon Master. He always provided an engaging game that blended storytelling and old school sensibilities. Everyone walked away from the table having a good time. I watched as he managed the game and different difficult players with fairness and respect, teaching them how to play as part of a team and file away their rough edges without giving offense. It was always a pleasure to sit at his table.”
— Matthew
Games played: Star Wars Edge of Empire
“Karington is a very welcoming and inclusive GM. He inspired me to go back to running games myself after many years of not even playing. In the Edge campaign I played in that he ran, he was always trying to include everyone and set up scenarios for everyone's personal interests, whether it was combat, dialogue, or negotiation.”
— Brian
Games played: D&D 5e Descent into Avernus, Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
“My experience with Open Heart Games has been nothing short of amazing. At the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, I tried quite a few GMs through Roll20. Many were unreliable, incompetent or just not very pleasant. I had almost given up when I found Open Heart Games and decided to give online TTRPGs one last shot. I couldn’t be happier that I did. Karington is all of the things that the other GMs I had encountered were not. He’s reliable, knows what he is doing, and is just a really nice guy. I have referred him to family and friends and will continue to recommend Open Heart Games to anyone looking for a place to play TTRPGs online. If you are reading this because you are looking for somewhere you can count on the GM and other players to show up and be engaged… If you are reading this because you are looking for a GM that knows the game and how to run it… If you are reading this because other online games have let you down… This is the place you are looking for.”
- Larry
Games played: D&D 5e Descent into Avernus, Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
“Karington truly made Descent into Avernus a great player experience. From opening it up as more of a sandbox to reflecting the various NPC personalities, it was a very diverse and fun experience. Even if the player gets some really powerful campaign items along the way, he goes with it and focuses on the fun. One of the things I really enjoyed was Karington ensuring that each player had their time to do what was important to them. In Avernus, it was an excellent play as the party had to not only have victory in combat, but also had to make difficult choices along the way. Thank you, Karington for the awesome experience. I look forward to playing with you again.”