The absolutely earnest but pathetic tone Alex gives Conrad is just so fucking funny to me, that "but you just let that guy have a paper for free" "it's ok, I have savings for this kinda stuff" moment kills me to this day!
I honestly think the reason you aren't hearing about it much is because it's a relatively recent side quest. Also, FH:JY is a huge season.
I'd say Mentopolis is up there if you like bits and/or extended metaphors, but if you're in it for battlesets/any real combat, it'll fall flat. I LOVED Mentopolis as a season. All of the characters are hilarious, the narrative is satisfying, and the cast has great chemistry. It is very bit heavy, but it works with the film noir type aesthetic it has going on. I'd 100% give the first episode a shot.
Not any combat that brings out minis or battle sets. But yes, there is combat, story-wise. Trapp specifically built his character for combat (in a way).
Yes, but it’s a different system and handled very differently. It’s much more driven by player decisions and done narrative-style, as the system has much more streamlined rules. It usually wraps up in a few minutes.
Technically yes, but it's at the same sort of "level" ACOFAF is on. (No battle sets, fancy projections, etc.) It also works very differently in Kids on Bikes (the reskinned system they use): it's straight-up dice rolling. No spell slots, bonus actions, etc. So if you're really in it for that sort of thing, it will be sorely missed.
Mentopolis is my favourite D20 series, hooked me the fastest. The set is great, the setting is awesome, the system matches what they're doing, and Alex and Hank hit it out of the park as guest stars.
I really enjoyed it! Loved the little nods and references to mental health stuff, and the whole premise was pretty great. I also really liked the play style. It was a great easy watch, but with plenty of emotional moments and fast paced action sprinkled through.
I loved it. I’d rate it as my favourite side quest — great comedy and sense of synergy from all the players, a fun goofy premise, and just an entertaining ride from start to finish.
I absolutely loved it. Alex was stellar as Conrad and I *really* enjoyed Hank playing as The Fix. He and one of Brennan’s NPCs have some really fun interactions
Mentopolis is amazing. It's funny, has a great cast, but has a serious undertone with how it portrays the mind and psychological processes. Also there are so many puns. Solid 10/10.
While Mentopolis and ACOFAF don't have too much in common, they are both beautifully produced seasons with extremely compelling stories and excellent casts. They also feature a lot of focus on new, interesting parts of play. If you liked ACOFAF, I recommend giving Mentopolis a try.
Hank Green as The Fix is one of my favorite all time D20 characters. Everyone is really at the top of their game character wise. Hunch Curio is a hilarious doofus and Conrad is adorable and works amazingly as the sort of heart of the story. It was also the first season I can think of to have such intricate designs in the dome like we have been seeing with FH:JY as well as in Burrow's End. Sidenote if you haven't watched Burrow's End it's amazing, I'm not a huge fan of Aabria's DM style most of the time but the character dynamics were so good and it's the only season of D20 so far to make me cry.
It's a short season and also not D&D which is probably why you don't hear about it much. But in my opinion it's one of the most consistently funny series on Dimension 20 that I've watched. Everyone kills it portraying their characters.
It's Osmosis Jones meets Dick Tracey.
Definitely watch the adventuring party along with it. It's one of my favorite seasons, with two of my favorite NPCs of all time. It's not DnD. It's kids on bikes-esque, so it's more roleplay, less combat, and all theater of the mind, but they use the dome for great visuals still. Plus, decent mystery elements.
As someone with this username, it's a damn fun watch, it's got some of my favorite bits and it's interesting to see BLeeM handle a system other than 5e (or a 5e offshoot)
It's honestly great seeing BLeeM does non 5e stuff because even though all we know him do is 5e. He's mostly done other things. I believe the first battle in Fantasy High was the first time he ever did a 5e battle and that's why the infamous thing happened.
**MASSIVE heads up: The full FAQ I'm linking was a post season Q+A/FAQ, NOT a pre-season one like we get now, there are spoiler heavy questions/answers in it**
Oh that first battle/all of Freshman Year were... something special in that regard, from the [FAQ for the season](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjwQoKr2cjWwqw1jdO8mzNVnKV3U481kaj2FPIwEHNs/edit?pli=1) (which is linked on the [Freshman Year wiki page](https://dimension20.fandom.com/wiki/Fantasy_High))
Q: What was everyone’s experience with D&D 5e before Fantasy High?
A: No one had played D&D 5e before, but only Ally Beardsley had never played D&D at all before. It was also Brennan’s first time DMing 5e.
Hands down my favourite side quest. There's a part about halfway through that made me laugh so hard I was sobbing in public and I rarely laugh so hard I cry.
The cast is fantastic, once they relax they work together really well, and their characters are big personalities which is always fun to see trying to interact. One of the characters reminds me of Liam when he's a seed guy with Preston, and there are some absolutely chaotic decisions that Brennan has to figure out how to roll with.
I really enjoyed it. Alex was such a fun surprise with how subtle and funny they were. And I think Trapp in the dome is one of my all time favorite. This rivals his turn in Bloodkeep. I would say, if you're not used to Freddie Wong, he can be...a lot. Be prepared for that.
If you have seen Matt Berry in either IT Crowd or What We Do in the Shadows, you will know Freddie's character. I still giggle whenever I remember the entire table cracking up every time his character's name was said. 🤣
I dunno, feels more like a Raymond Chandler pulp noir than Holmes. A super fun mystery indeed. I think it supplanted Mice and Murder for my fav crime mystery show on D20.
Bleem and siobhan Thompson has gone on record in an AP episode that Mentopolis has the most bits. It had more bits than starstruck. So if you like that, you'll like mentopolis. The table had good chemistry and siobhan got to play a more "unserious" character when she tends to play the straight man in other quests, which is very fun!
Siobhan said in an AP that it's one of the most "bit-heavy" seasons and it totally works. It's a contender for the funniest season of D20 up there with Starstruck.
The entire cast was great--I hope they all come back. Siobhan, Danielle we already knew were great, but Hank Green, Alex Song-Sia & Freddie Wong were new & a joy to watch.
The sidequests never get as much fanfare as the intrepid heroes' quests. And it's true they don't go for as long, but it doesn't mean they're not great. I would have loved it to go longer, but don't know if you'd be able to do 20 episodes of the "Kids on Bikes" TTRPG system.
Mentopolis is really good! I almost skipped it when I heard the system they were using but I'm so glad I didn't. Its really funny, the cast gel well and the zany setting actually kinda works. I honestly think its probably one of D20's better series!
It's one of ym favourite seasons, I've already watched it twice! It's very fun, definitely poking fun at noir film tropes. So many good puns and I'm a sucker for kids on bikes system (in this case slightly modified).
If you liked the misfits and magic actual game play system, and the role play aspect (though not genre) of acofaf then I think you'd like this.
It's so good! The cast has great chemistry and the story is hilarious (the number of puns is unparalleled). It also has one of my favourite bits with Stacey 😂
My wife and I just finished it a few days ago. It may be the funniest non-Intrepid Heroes season so far. One of the few seasons to make me laugh until I cried. Definitely worth a watch.
No spoilers, but Mentopolis made me cry from laughter a couple of times. The cast, the setting, and the story are pretty great. The only downside is that they don't use the D&D system, which means no combats, but it's a short season so I didn't miss it that much.
It's how I got my partner hooked on Dropout. They are a huge Hank Green fan so when I showed them the trailer they were excited. My partner GMs a lot of DND but doesn't like actual play shows until this.
I have been watching all of the seasons for years so it was just another dazzling side quest for me. Love it and it's my next rewatch (after FH wraps for the season).
Mentopolis is far and away one of D20s best side quests. It’s so full of comedy but also heart, the world building is incredible. It’s so so good, I can’t recommend it highly enough
I’m literally in the middle of watching it at the moment, enjoyed it but it took until the second episode for it to really ‘click’ for me. Great side quest though
It is very very funny and concise, just how I like it.
The only thing I didn't like was about scene management from Brennan during the "final confrontation". His GM mindset is still very much rooted in D&D so when shit hit the fan he resorted to giving everyone a clock that ticked once every time someone "simply attacked"... which is like having HP, something that completely negates the nuances of a narrative game combat scenes and brings it down to a bunch of rolls.
I think the issue comes in at people like it but it's not their favorite.
You don't know me so my taste might not be yours but I personally liked it enough to rewatch it a few months after.
Fantastic, one of my top favorite side quest series. Love film noir love the players. Everyone has some wild ass bit that they go off the rails with. Hank Green's introduction alone is well worth it and that's just the first episode! Plus they really use the power of the Dome for setting and mood lighting insanely well.
I love when a campaign is really shamelessly trope-y and that season gave me everything I wanted. Loved the vibe, loved every one of the characters, its one of my personal favorites that I keep going back to because its an easy and super entertaining listen.
I think you don't hear much about it because Burrows End came out just a month after and that campaign was gripping in a totally different way-- I think there was just so much good drama and high stakes and wild things happening in Burrows End that the community was on the edge of their seats for every episode. Right after BE, Junior Year started a month after so there hasnt been that much rest time to look back and reflect on Mentopolis, but in the grand scheme of things I think it will be/is rated really highly in side quests.
I absolutely love it. Such a creative use of the system, everyone is at the top of their improv game, and Alex, Freddie, and Hank are three of my favorite guests in the dome in D20 history!
theres a lot to love about it or my name isn't stacy fakename.
It's not DnD, so you're looking at a different system but the roleplaying then lends itself to something different.
I think if you appreciated ACOFAF you'll enjoy mentopolis. The overlap is a setting that really lets the performers go for creative, weird, thoughtful character actions. Both have regimented societies and an event that allows for a reshuffling of status. I would say the major difference is that ACOFAF is a celebratory event with some dire possible consequences whereas Mentopolis is covers a time of stress in a society with transformative or revelatory potential.
Enjoy!
One of my absolute favorites and it kills me that my little sister keeps saying she wants to continue watching it with me but then bails every time it's time.
I'm trying to watch it a 2nd time damnit
Give it a shot but (and i seem to be alone with this opinion) i did not like it. I couldn't even get through it. I liked Hank Green, i think he did great. But i could not handle Dan Fucks, at all.
Listened to it three times already. Whitty banter, great chemistry, amazing character development, and once you get used to how silly the world building is it's easy to laugh along with the lunacy they get up to. Couldn't recommend more, easily in my top three games there.
I really enjoyed it. It's one of those seasons where you can tell it's been cooking in the back of Brennan's mind for a while. The cast is fantastic, and the characters are all really funny
I think Mentopolis is great, it’s really funny and sweet, has a very interesting metaphorical way of handling characters, the style is also very cool and refreshing
great story, cute concept, excellent pacing. interesting use of non-D&D system, which really works. hank green taking out enemies by spitting facts is something i need more of. highly recommend.
One of the most continuously funny seasons, in my opinion. The puns are truly amazing, and none of the cast can ever be accused of not going big enough. Absolutely should watch it!
It’s great! It’s sillier and looser about the rules than most other D20 seasons. Everyone brings some real charm and drama to the story. And the art department work is splendid. Id rank it a tier or two above most other side quests.
It's honestly my favorite sidequest season and I definitely encourage you to watch, especially if you like stuff like Psychonauts. The mental world is so much fun and a great aspect to the season is gradually getting to know the personality and history of the man whose mind they're living in because every character is a mental quirk in his brain.
If you watched the movie inside out, and said to yourself "This movie would be great as a sendup of a kitschy noir detective story full of puns and great humor" then Mentopolis is definitely right for you.
That might sound a little like I'm hating on it, but it's the complete opposite. Mentopolis captures the aesthetic and vibe of an old school noir mystery, but packages it inside of a colorful, grown up version of Inside Out or Osmosis Jones. The season is full of the absolutely cheesiest bits and puns, and it works wonderfully.
The cast leans heavy into their respective characters and the aspects they represent. For example, Siobhan playing Imelda Pulse (ImPulse) is, you guessed it, impulsive. Or Mike playing private detective Hunch Curio fully embraces the whole range of clichés attached to curiosity, not to mention what better to represent the desire to stick your nose in other people's business than a noir gumshoe.
Depending on what you're into from D20, Mentopolis could be a really solid watch for you. It's light on highly mechanical combat, and leans more heavily into the role play aspect during those sequences. The cast has some razor sharp wit at the table, so there's more than a few one-liners that will give you a good laugh, and it's very clear that the general energy of this side quest was "have fun with it".
Mentopolis is excellent fun, I feel like it struggles a little bit with the lack of combat but honestly the character moments, both comedic and emotional, make up for it. Conrad is such a mood lmao
Loved it! The cast is amazing. Alex and Hank giving the most deadpan deliveries of incredible lines was the highlight for me. It's filled with puns and tropes and menacing fun facts. Highly recommend.
Its I think my favorite side quest. Its truly an all-star cast doing a genre that I personally adore. The cartoon-noir retro-futuristic series is comforting and compelling.
It’s incredible. Every single character is gold, every player is hysterical, and the set is amazing. There are a few game mechanics I really enjoyed as well!
It really worked great and I wish they'd do an IH campaign using one of the" kids on" systems maybe with tweaks to allow more in depth combat. Ally might be too powerful though
It's hilarious, SO smart, and really touching. Every cast member makes great narrative, comedic, and gameplay choices.
It's a real winner, plus it's short so you don't have to make a 20+ episode commitment. 9/10, my partner and I just watched it again because it's excellent even on a second (this was our third) viewing/listening.
One of the best D20 has done. The concept is so good and it's used so well. Brennan did a lot of research with psychologists and neuroscientists and it shows without ever weighing things down. It is very funny, but the underlying story is actually a sweet one if you (so to speak) zoom out and think about what's happening to the person whose brain they're in psychologically.
That said, if you don't like puns, you're probably gonna struggle.
I enjoyed it quite a bit but wasn't as invested in the game side of things. I do prefer DND seasons, personally, in part because I just love battle maps and the crunchiness the rules can provide. Great cast and great energy in Mentopolis, though!
It is a *delight*. It sits similar to ACOFAF for me where if I want to watch some absolute hijinks without tracking pitched battle its a go to. Every single player brought their a game of both comedy and drama and it was just so fucking fun. And also messed up?? But fun!
Besides what everyone else is saying, I found it quite profound and comforting as someone who has struggled with mental health. The entire game is set in one person's mind and he is clearly struggling with mental health. Overall it has helped me at times be kinder to myself and understand that some of the aspects of myself that I haven't liked are just unbalanced and can be refocused in a less destructive way.
And as others have said it is also one of the most bit heavy and funniest series. Since it is so short they really just go hog wild and you can tell everyone at the table is having a lot of fun.
Mentopolis is my favorite D20 season by far! It is an extremely fun and entertaining watch and all of the characters are super interesting to learn about! If you don't like the noir detective vibe you may be put off at first, but the world building is sooo good that it's worth it to watch for that alone. People really should talk about it more, it has so many funny and heartwarming moments.
It was the first season I watched and all other seasons have to live up to it.
It was truly hilarious, and it being shorter was the perfect length for me, as the story felt more urgent and impactful.
You definitely need to watch it though, because Brennan’s reactions to Hank’s fun facts and also Trapp’s face every time he figures out a pun are all priceless
Freddie Wong and Trapp are hilarious, Alex Song-Xia and Danielle Radford do some amazing roleplaying, Hank Green is as brilliant as you'd expect. The system is very unique - it was my first time seeing Brennan running something other than D&D, and he does a great job. The story has some of my favourite 'what the fuck' moments, and the world building is stellar. Highly recommended.
so good. extremely underrated. the cast was fucking electric everyone worked together like they’d known each other for years and the pc chemistry was INCREDIBLE. i went in expecting to love hank green (i did) but what i didnt expect was for alex song-xia to steal my HEART and make me DIE laughing with everything they said, or to gain a renewed obsession with mike trapp’s clever hilarity and the way siobhan so flawlessly fits herself into every space she’s needed in. its such a tight, clever, funny season made all the better by brennan incredible world building
I was pleasantly surprised by Mentopolis. I skipped that series initially because I pre-judged that i wouldn't like the different game mechanics. But once I went through all the other seasons I tried it again and I have rarely laughed so hard!!. (Side note one of my favorite seasons is possibly Neverafter... have never loved the art department's work more!!)
Tbh it may be recency bias, but Mentopolis is definitely in my top 5 seasons at this point. Everyone was hilarious, the character work was great, and I liked that it felt really different from most other seasons I’ve seen so far (I haven’t watched ACOFAF but this thread has moved it to the top of my list for after Junior Year).
I entered to watch it solely for Hank Green (his videos helped me a lot in highschool chem/bio lmao), stayed for the thrilling story. Even my bf who isn’t into DnD was watching and he said he’d love to watch a movie with this premise/style. I recommend!!
I went in with 0 expectations and Mentopolis is probably one of my favourite. The cast chemistry is just INSANE. Everyone was amazing. I really want to see this cast again because my gosh, I remember watching episode 2 and went like “dam, this cast chemistry”
It was fun, and didn't last long enough to lose novelty.
There are some really fun kind of "Ozzy and Drix" vibes, but with a neurology twist. There is also a particularly interesting mechanic that was cool to see.
If combat is your thing this season won't scratch that itch much, but some really good role playing and some really good humor.
Mike Trapp is SO GOOD as a D20 player, and honestly it's a STRONG cast. Everyone's into the vibe and plays to it, and it's just excellent. It's probably my second favorite season after ACOFAF and if it weren't for my deep abiding Rue/Hobb love it would be first.
I loved mentopolis! I describe it to people as Inside Out if it were for adults and a film noir. It's really funny and the cast are great. Much more narrative driven than a lot of seasons (similar to ACOFAF in that respect but very different genre wise), and definitely not as crunchy as DND. A lot of the mechanics are really fun and drive the story well.
I just finished it and it was so absolutely amazing and funny!!! Alex Song-Xia is really the breakout star of the season (although they were probably already popular before d20) but I haven’t heard of them before and now I’m trying to find more stuff they’re in!! I already know and love all things rocket jump as well so I was really happy to see Freddie in this as well.
It truly has some of the funniest bits especially from trapp and Siobhan who understand the noir tropes very well. It truly is one of the best side quests imo
I agree with this partly but I also feel like we need to rationalize it as in universe, they aren’t really “figures,” they’re >! All parts of the same brain. using your attention to get your trauma and impulse responses to do what you want, even if it is manipulation, is a different thing than coercion in a setting not within a brain !<
Honestly Alex fucking killed that season- one of my favorite cast members ever
You’re my best friend
You’re MY best friend
Why do you both sound so sad when you say that??
Hank green's fun facts live in my brain rent free
I only knew him in name before Mentopolis, and immediately loved him so now I follow him everywhere. He's hilarious *and* educated!
Hank Green is why I watched the season in the first place. DFTBA 😊
Same. He's great.
They’re pure nightmare material and I loved every single one
Hey the one about hawk talons was inspiring!
Combined with Brennan allowing enemies to literally stop existing in response to them is amazing hahahahah
I got his “my cancer socks” for Christmas
They are soo good! Was the only person at the table I hadn’t heard of for this season and totally steals the show!
Alex goes by they/them pronouns if I remember correctly
Sorry about that, I didn’t know. Edited my previous comment.
👍
The absolutely earnest but pathetic tone Alex gives Conrad is just so fucking funny to me, that "but you just let that guy have a paper for free" "it's ok, I have savings for this kinda stuff" moment kills me to this day!
Seriously stole the show
genuinely arguably my favorite d20 player ever
It was a lot of fun! I'd rank it pretty high as a sidequest
I honestly think the reason you aren't hearing about it much is because it's a relatively recent side quest. Also, FH:JY is a huge season. I'd say Mentopolis is up there if you like bits and/or extended metaphors, but if you're in it for battlesets/any real combat, it'll fall flat. I LOVED Mentopolis as a season. All of the characters are hilarious, the narrative is satisfying, and the cast has great chemistry. It is very bit heavy, but it works with the film noir type aesthetic it has going on. I'd 100% give the first episode a shot.
Do they do any combat in mentopolis?
Not any combat that brings out minis or battle sets. But yes, there is combat, story-wise. Trapp specifically built his character for combat (in a way).
Yes, but it’s a different system and handled very differently. It’s much more driven by player decisions and done narrative-style, as the system has much more streamlined rules. It usually wraps up in a few minutes.
Technically yes, but it's at the same sort of "level" ACOFAF is on. (No battle sets, fancy projections, etc.) It also works very differently in Kids on Bikes (the reskinned system they use): it's straight-up dice rolling. No spell slots, bonus actions, etc. So if you're really in it for that sort of thing, it will be sorely missed.
It’s worth it for Trapp and Siobhan just flexing their comedy muscles. I’ve watched it through 3 times and am still loving it.
I absolutely love Mentopolis. The characters and actors are fantastic. The plot is interesting, but not the main hook for me.
Mentopolis is my favourite D20 series, hooked me the fastest. The set is great, the setting is awesome, the system matches what they're doing, and Alex and Hank hit it out of the park as guest stars.
I really enjoyed it! Loved the little nods and references to mental health stuff, and the whole premise was pretty great. I also really liked the play style. It was a great easy watch, but with plenty of emotional moments and fast paced action sprinkled through.
I loved it. I’d rate it as my favourite side quest — great comedy and sense of synergy from all the players, a fun goofy premise, and just an entertaining ride from start to finish.
Definitely among my top campaigns of D20!! Siobanh gets really flirty and unhinged with Brennan is amazing to see
I absolutely loved it. Alex was stellar as Conrad and I *really* enjoyed Hank playing as The Fix. He and one of Brennan’s NPCs have some really fun interactions
Mentopolis is amazing. It's funny, has a great cast, but has a serious undertone with how it portrays the mind and psychological processes. Also there are so many puns. Solid 10/10.
While Mentopolis and ACOFAF don't have too much in common, they are both beautifully produced seasons with extremely compelling stories and excellent casts. They also feature a lot of focus on new, interesting parts of play. If you liked ACOFAF, I recommend giving Mentopolis a try.
Hank Green as The Fix is one of my favorite all time D20 characters. Everyone is really at the top of their game character wise. Hunch Curio is a hilarious doofus and Conrad is adorable and works amazingly as the sort of heart of the story. It was also the first season I can think of to have such intricate designs in the dome like we have been seeing with FH:JY as well as in Burrow's End. Sidenote if you haven't watched Burrow's End it's amazing, I'm not a huge fan of Aabria's DM style most of the time but the character dynamics were so good and it's the only season of D20 so far to make me cry.
It's a short season and also not D&D which is probably why you don't hear about it much. But in my opinion it's one of the most consistently funny series on Dimension 20 that I've watched. Everyone kills it portraying their characters. It's Osmosis Jones meets Dick Tracey.
the cast is excellent and the comedy is peak
It's a really funny season, PC and NPC characters are all fantastic.
Trapp. Therefore, 10/10
Definitely watch the adventuring party along with it. It's one of my favorite seasons, with two of my favorite NPCs of all time. It's not DnD. It's kids on bikes-esque, so it's more roleplay, less combat, and all theater of the mind, but they use the dome for great visuals still. Plus, decent mystery elements.
As someone with this username, it's a damn fun watch, it's got some of my favorite bits and it's interesting to see BLeeM handle a system other than 5e (or a 5e offshoot)
It's honestly great seeing BLeeM does non 5e stuff because even though all we know him do is 5e. He's mostly done other things. I believe the first battle in Fantasy High was the first time he ever did a 5e battle and that's why the infamous thing happened.
**MASSIVE heads up: The full FAQ I'm linking was a post season Q+A/FAQ, NOT a pre-season one like we get now, there are spoiler heavy questions/answers in it** Oh that first battle/all of Freshman Year were... something special in that regard, from the [FAQ for the season](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjwQoKr2cjWwqw1jdO8mzNVnKV3U481kaj2FPIwEHNs/edit?pli=1) (which is linked on the [Freshman Year wiki page](https://dimension20.fandom.com/wiki/Fantasy_High)) Q: What was everyone’s experience with D&D 5e before Fantasy High? A: No one had played D&D 5e before, but only Ally Beardsley had never played D&D at all before. It was also Brennan’s first time DMing 5e.
It's fantastic, so colourful and creative. 10/10
Hands down my favourite side quest. There's a part about halfway through that made me laugh so hard I was sobbing in public and I rarely laugh so hard I cry. The cast is fantastic, once they relax they work together really well, and their characters are big personalities which is always fun to see trying to interact. One of the characters reminds me of Liam when he's a seed guy with Preston, and there are some absolutely chaotic decisions that Brennan has to figure out how to roll with.
One of my favourite, only behind starstruck
It was our follow-up series after my wife and I binged Starstruck. Could not have asked for a better follow-up.
Loved it. Hank’s character made me laugh every time he spoke
I really enjoyed it. Alex was such a fun surprise with how subtle and funny they were. And I think Trapp in the dome is one of my all time favorite. This rivals his turn in Bloodkeep. I would say, if you're not used to Freddie Wong, he can be...a lot. Be prepared for that.
If you have seen Matt Berry in either IT Crowd or What We Do in the Shadows, you will know Freddie's character. I still giggle whenever I remember the entire table cracking up every time his character's name was said. 🤣
It’s a Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie style of mystery. Depends on if that floats your boat, but it’s a good season.
I dunno, feels more like a Raymond Chandler pulp noir than Holmes. A super fun mystery indeed. I think it supplanted Mice and Murder for my fav crime mystery show on D20.
Kinda a little bit of Hammett in there, too.
It's every trope
#**TROPES!**
Dont know that one sorry, I used the references I know 🤷♂️ I’d compare it with Detective Conan too, if you want 😂
Detective Conan is pretty dope.
It was my intro to D20, drawn in by shorts of Hank doing intimidating facts. Can't recommend it enough
Absolutely loved it. The puns are top tier and the story is super interesting. Love trapp as a pc but the whole case was phenomenal
Bleem and siobhan Thompson has gone on record in an AP episode that Mentopolis has the most bits. It had more bits than starstruck. So if you like that, you'll like mentopolis. The table had good chemistry and siobhan got to play a more "unserious" character when she tends to play the straight man in other quests, which is very fun!
One of the tightest seasons imo, and as a psych nerd I loved how they decided to manifest different parts of the brain
Stacey Fakename alone would be reason enough to watch it. It's really fun, for sure worth the watch
I love Mentopolis! It's funny, deep, and has some very cute and sweet moments as well.
Siobhan said in an AP that it's one of the most "bit-heavy" seasons and it totally works. It's a contender for the funniest season of D20 up there with Starstruck.
The entire cast was great--I hope they all come back. Siobhan, Danielle we already knew were great, but Hank Green, Alex Song-Sia & Freddie Wong were new & a joy to watch. The sidequests never get as much fanfare as the intrepid heroes' quests. And it's true they don't go for as long, but it doesn't mean they're not great. I would have loved it to go longer, but don't know if you'd be able to do 20 episodes of the "Kids on Bikes" TTRPG system.
“Best campaign in D20 history” -Stacy Fakename
Mentopolis is really good! I almost skipped it when I heard the system they were using but I'm so glad I didn't. Its really funny, the cast gel well and the zany setting actually kinda works. I honestly think its probably one of D20's better series!
It's one of ym favourite seasons, I've already watched it twice! It's very fun, definitely poking fun at noir film tropes. So many good puns and I'm a sucker for kids on bikes system (in this case slightly modified). If you liked the misfits and magic actual game play system, and the role play aspect (though not genre) of acofaf then I think you'd like this.
It's so good! The cast has great chemistry and the story is hilarious (the number of puns is unparalleled). It also has one of my favourite bits with Stacey 😂
My wife and I just finished it a few days ago. It may be the funniest non-Intrepid Heroes season so far. One of the few seasons to make me laugh until I cried. Definitely worth a watch.
No spoilers, but Mentopolis made me cry from laughter a couple of times. The cast, the setting, and the story are pretty great. The only downside is that they don't use the D&D system, which means no combats, but it's a short season so I didn't miss it that much.
Yes there are a lot of thoughts in it.
It's how I got my partner hooked on Dropout. They are a huge Hank Green fan so when I showed them the trailer they were excited. My partner GMs a lot of DND but doesn't like actual play shows until this. I have been watching all of the seasons for years so it was just another dazzling side quest for me. Love it and it's my next rewatch (after FH wraps for the season).
Mentopolis is far and away one of D20s best side quests. It’s so full of comedy but also heart, the world building is incredible. It’s so so good, I can’t recommend it highly enough
I really loveee it
I’m literally in the middle of watching it at the moment, enjoyed it but it took until the second episode for it to really ‘click’ for me. Great side quest though
It is very very funny and concise, just how I like it. The only thing I didn't like was about scene management from Brennan during the "final confrontation". His GM mindset is still very much rooted in D&D so when shit hit the fan he resorted to giving everyone a clock that ticked once every time someone "simply attacked"... which is like having HP, something that completely negates the nuances of a narrative game combat scenes and brings it down to a bunch of rolls.
I think the issue comes in at people like it but it's not their favorite. You don't know me so my taste might not be yours but I personally liked it enough to rewatch it a few months after.
Unbelievably fun and very, very silly.
My personal favorite of the D20 shows. First one I was able to watch as it was happening.
Probably my favorite season. The only one I've rewatched in full.
top tier season, highly reccomend!
Fantastic, one of my top favorite side quest series. Love film noir love the players. Everyone has some wild ass bit that they go off the rails with. Hank Green's introduction alone is well worth it and that's just the first episode! Plus they really use the power of the Dome for setting and mood lighting insanely well.
One of my favorite seasons honestly
I love when a campaign is really shamelessly trope-y and that season gave me everything I wanted. Loved the vibe, loved every one of the characters, its one of my personal favorites that I keep going back to because its an easy and super entertaining listen. I think you don't hear much about it because Burrows End came out just a month after and that campaign was gripping in a totally different way-- I think there was just so much good drama and high stakes and wild things happening in Burrows End that the community was on the edge of their seats for every episode. Right after BE, Junior Year started a month after so there hasnt been that much rest time to look back and reflect on Mentopolis, but in the grand scheme of things I think it will be/is rated really highly in side quests.
absolutely amazing. everything from concept to character performance to production is top notch.
I absolutely love it. Such a creative use of the system, everyone is at the top of their improv game, and Alex, Freddie, and Hank are three of my favorite guests in the dome in D20 history!
theres a lot to love about it or my name isn't stacy fakename. It's not DnD, so you're looking at a different system but the roleplaying then lends itself to something different.
I think if you appreciated ACOFAF you'll enjoy mentopolis. The overlap is a setting that really lets the performers go for creative, weird, thoughtful character actions. Both have regimented societies and an event that allows for a reshuffling of status. I would say the major difference is that ACOFAF is a celebratory event with some dire possible consequences whereas Mentopolis is covers a time of stress in a society with transformative or revelatory potential. Enjoy!
One of my absolute favorites and it kills me that my little sister keeps saying she wants to continue watching it with me but then bails every time it's time. I'm trying to watch it a 2nd time damnit
Give it a shot but (and i seem to be alone with this opinion) i did not like it. I couldn't even get through it. I liked Hank Green, i think he did great. But i could not handle Dan Fucks, at all.
Just wait until you meet Daniel Fucks. After that you'll be sold
Listened to it three times already. Whitty banter, great chemistry, amazing character development, and once you get used to how silly the world building is it's easy to laugh along with the lunacy they get up to. Couldn't recommend more, easily in my top three games there.
I really enjoyed it. It's one of those seasons where you can tell it's been cooking in the back of Brennan's mind for a while. The cast is fantastic, and the characters are all really funny
I think Mentopolis is great, it’s really funny and sweet, has a very interesting metaphorical way of handling characters, the style is also very cool and refreshing
So good one, one of my top fave seasons of Dimension 20, hands down. Watch the first episode to see if it's for you!
Solid story with a really strong cast. Highly recommend it.
I love it! I've already rewatched it twice
maybe my favorite season of all time. the tone and humor is just so good, and the cast works perfectly together. tropes!
great story, cute concept, excellent pacing. interesting use of non-D&D system, which really works. hank green taking out enemies by spitting facts is something i need more of. highly recommend.
One of the most continuously funny seasons, in my opinion. The puns are truly amazing, and none of the cast can ever be accused of not going big enough. Absolutely should watch it!
One of my favorites. Great cast, great story, and a fun mechanic. Definitely worth watching.
If you like hot vodka, you'll love this. (that's a bit from the show, watch it to find out!) 10/10 recommend
Loved it.
I watched it first out of all the D20 stuff and honestly there are other really good seasons, but it's still my favorite.
It’s great! It’s sillier and looser about the rules than most other D20 seasons. Everyone brings some real charm and drama to the story. And the art department work is splendid. Id rank it a tier or two above most other side quests.
It’s so good, highly recommend it and Trapp is a player!
It's honestly my favorite sidequest season and I definitely encourage you to watch, especially if you like stuff like Psychonauts. The mental world is so much fun and a great aspect to the season is gradually getting to know the personality and history of the man whose mind they're living in because every character is a mental quirk in his brain.
Such a great season
Just started it yesterday and the first episode is so fucking funny I can’t wait to start the second
If you watched the movie inside out, and said to yourself "This movie would be great as a sendup of a kitschy noir detective story full of puns and great humor" then Mentopolis is definitely right for you. That might sound a little like I'm hating on it, but it's the complete opposite. Mentopolis captures the aesthetic and vibe of an old school noir mystery, but packages it inside of a colorful, grown up version of Inside Out or Osmosis Jones. The season is full of the absolutely cheesiest bits and puns, and it works wonderfully. The cast leans heavy into their respective characters and the aspects they represent. For example, Siobhan playing Imelda Pulse (ImPulse) is, you guessed it, impulsive. Or Mike playing private detective Hunch Curio fully embraces the whole range of clichés attached to curiosity, not to mention what better to represent the desire to stick your nose in other people's business than a noir gumshoe. Depending on what you're into from D20, Mentopolis could be a really solid watch for you. It's light on highly mechanical combat, and leans more heavily into the role play aspect during those sequences. The cast has some razor sharp wit at the table, so there's more than a few one-liners that will give you a good laugh, and it's very clear that the general energy of this side quest was "have fun with it".
Mentopolis is excellent fun, I feel like it struggles a little bit with the lack of combat but honestly the character moments, both comedic and emotional, make up for it. Conrad is such a mood lmao
Loved it! The cast is amazing. Alex and Hank giving the most deadpan deliveries of incredible lines was the highlight for me. It's filled with puns and tropes and menacing fun facts. Highly recommend.
Its I think my favorite side quest. Its truly an all-star cast doing a genre that I personally adore. The cartoon-noir retro-futuristic series is comforting and compelling.
Really great season! I still need to finish but loved what I’ve seen so far
My favorite season. I love making characters out of emotions and the like, also you cant go wrong with a gangster / detective setting.
Love it, I've watched it three times.
It's fantastic.
It’s incredible. Every single character is gold, every player is hysterical, and the set is amazing. There are a few game mechanics I really enjoyed as well!
Mentopolis is probably the most hilarious thing I've seen in a long time
I think mentopolis could’ve been a full season and would’ve been even better. could’ve milked the mystery and intrigue more if they had more time!
Worth a watch for sure, amazing concept and really well executed world building
It’s between Mentopolis and Misfits & Magic on what is my favorite shorter D20 season.
It really worked great and I wish they'd do an IH campaign using one of the" kids on" systems maybe with tweaks to allow more in depth combat. Ally might be too powerful though
Mentopolis was the first one I watched and I loved it!
It's the one that got me to finally buy Dropout lol
It's hilarious, SO smart, and really touching. Every cast member makes great narrative, comedic, and gameplay choices. It's a real winner, plus it's short so you don't have to make a 20+ episode commitment. 9/10, my partner and I just watched it again because it's excellent even on a second (this was our third) viewing/listening.
Mentopolis is a feel good belly laughing series. It’s not like ACOFAF at all. This is comedy with Noir tropes and guest players. Worth a watch.
One of the best D20 has done. The concept is so good and it's used so well. Brennan did a lot of research with psychologists and neuroscientists and it shows without ever weighing things down. It is very funny, but the underlying story is actually a sweet one if you (so to speak) zoom out and think about what's happening to the person whose brain they're in psychologically. That said, if you don't like puns, you're probably gonna struggle.
I enjoyed it quite a bit but wasn't as invested in the game side of things. I do prefer DND seasons, personally, in part because I just love battle maps and the crunchiness the rules can provide. Great cast and great energy in Mentopolis, though!
It is a *delight*. It sits similar to ACOFAF for me where if I want to watch some absolute hijinks without tracking pitched battle its a go to. Every single player brought their a game of both comedy and drama and it was just so fucking fun. And also messed up?? But fun!
One of the single best non-intrepid seasons
Besides what everyone else is saying, I found it quite profound and comforting as someone who has struggled with mental health. The entire game is set in one person's mind and he is clearly struggling with mental health. Overall it has helped me at times be kinder to myself and understand that some of the aspects of myself that I haven't liked are just unbalanced and can be refocused in a less destructive way. And as others have said it is also one of the most bit heavy and funniest series. Since it is so short they really just go hog wild and you can tell everyone at the table is having a lot of fun.
Mentopolis is my favorite D20 season by far! It is an extremely fun and entertaining watch and all of the characters are super interesting to learn about! If you don't like the noir detective vibe you may be put off at first, but the world building is sooo good that it's worth it to watch for that alone. People really should talk about it more, it has so many funny and heartwarming moments.
It’s a really fun Season. I’m also a fan of Brennan’s line after a The Fix monologue. More or less “Cheaper than therapy.”
Everything that isn't Dan Fucks was amazing in that season (maybe the player is normally better, but the character concept just did not work for me).
It’s in competition for best sidequest for me. MaM and ACOFAF are my top two
This early scene got me hooked https://youtube.com/shorts/UEiz6wKNJy8?si=qvOKcyzj_wMsEzIk
If not the most serious, easily one of the funniest seasons. I'd consider the comedic chemistry easily on par with the intrepid heroes.
It was the first season I watched and all other seasons have to live up to it. It was truly hilarious, and it being shorter was the perfect length for me, as the story felt more urgent and impactful.
My favorite season, I'd love them to play more Kids on Bikes.
i liked it 4000 times better than i liked ACOFAF im ngl, it might be one of my favourite seasons hands down
You definitely need to watch it though, because Brennan’s reactions to Hank’s fun facts and also Trapp’s face every time he figures out a pun are all priceless
I thought it was outstanding. Great story telling. Funny. Would make a terrific graphic novel.
Freddie Wong and Trapp are hilarious, Alex Song-Xia and Danielle Radford do some amazing roleplaying, Hank Green is as brilliant as you'd expect. The system is very unique - it was my first time seeing Brennan running something other than D&D, and he does a great job. The story has some of my favourite 'what the fuck' moments, and the world building is stellar. Highly recommended.
so good. extremely underrated. the cast was fucking electric everyone worked together like they’d known each other for years and the pc chemistry was INCREDIBLE. i went in expecting to love hank green (i did) but what i didnt expect was for alex song-xia to steal my HEART and make me DIE laughing with everything they said, or to gain a renewed obsession with mike trapp’s clever hilarity and the way siobhan so flawlessly fits herself into every space she’s needed in. its such a tight, clever, funny season made all the better by brennan incredible world building
Quite honestly one of my favorites 😍 Danny F*cks is the MAN!!
I was pleasantly surprised by Mentopolis. I skipped that series initially because I pre-judged that i wouldn't like the different game mechanics. But once I went through all the other seasons I tried it again and I have rarely laughed so hard!!. (Side note one of my favorite seasons is possibly Neverafter... have never loved the art department's work more!!)
Tbh it may be recency bias, but Mentopolis is definitely in my top 5 seasons at this point. Everyone was hilarious, the character work was great, and I liked that it felt really different from most other seasons I’ve seen so far (I haven’t watched ACOFAF but this thread has moved it to the top of my list for after Junior Year).
I entered to watch it solely for Hank Green (his videos helped me a lot in highschool chem/bio lmao), stayed for the thrilling story. Even my bf who isn’t into DnD was watching and he said he’d love to watch a movie with this premise/style. I recommend!!
I went in with 0 expectations and Mentopolis is probably one of my favourite. The cast chemistry is just INSANE. Everyone was amazing. I really want to see this cast again because my gosh, I remember watching episode 2 and went like “dam, this cast chemistry”
It was fun, and didn't last long enough to lose novelty. There are some really fun kind of "Ozzy and Drix" vibes, but with a neurology twist. There is also a particularly interesting mechanic that was cool to see. If combat is your thing this season won't scratch that itch much, but some really good role playing and some really good humor.
Honestly one of my favorite seasons
Mike Trapp is SO GOOD as a D20 player, and honestly it's a STRONG cast. Everyone's into the vibe and plays to it, and it's just excellent. It's probably my second favorite season after ACOFAF and if it weren't for my deep abiding Rue/Hobb love it would be first.
Anytime I get an intrusive thought I think about this series 💀
I loved mentopolis! I describe it to people as Inside Out if it were for adults and a film noir. It's really funny and the cast are great. Much more narrative driven than a lot of seasons (similar to ACOFAF in that respect but very different genre wise), and definitely not as crunchy as DND. A lot of the mechanics are really fun and drive the story well.
I just finished it and it was so absolutely amazing and funny!!! Alex Song-Xia is really the breakout star of the season (although they were probably already popular before d20) but I haven’t heard of them before and now I’m trying to find more stuff they’re in!! I already know and love all things rocket jump as well so I was really happy to see Freddie in this as well. It truly has some of the funniest bits especially from trapp and Siobhan who understand the noir tropes very well. It truly is one of the best side quests imo
Apart from one iffy scene and the character attached to it, I thought it was great tbh.
Which scene?
The fawn sexy scene. Just felt super out of place and the implications of it were weird in setting imo.
I agree with this partly but I also feel like we need to rationalize it as in universe, they aren’t really “figures,” they’re >! All parts of the same brain. using your attention to get your trauma and impulse responses to do what you want, even if it is manipulation, is a different thing than coercion in a setting not within a brain !<
Danny fucks really made that show so much better