Theory
Why Combat Is a Fail State
Revisiting the old-school maxim "Combat is a fail state" and redefining what it means at my table and as a design theory for the OSR.
Vote in the Bloggies
The Bloggies 2025 are almost over. Read my synopsis on the nominees. Mark your calendars. And celebrate rpg blogging!
The Meta-First Way
An alternative (and experimental) approach to roleplaying games that does what fiction-first systems cannot.
Stop Hiding the Apes in Your RPG
How to show the cool and important parts of your game without muddling the work, burying the lede, and creating more noise.
Explorers Design in Review
A 2024 retrospective, the best Explorers Design articles of the year, and plans for the future.
The Explorateur: Issue #3
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Exploring Nighthawks
In this week's design delve, we inspect how tabletop games engage with fine art.
Accessibility in Tabletop Design
What is accessible design? Why is it important? And how can we get more of it in tabletop game design?
Tabletop Accessibility Checklist
A forever-unfinished list of guidelines for making analog games more accessible.
Small Factions for Sunk Cost
Homebrew factions for the early release of Sunk Cost a game by Magnolia Keep.
Exploring Bucket of Bolts
In this week's design delve, we lift the hood on ritual mechanics, product design, and splitting your product into different pieces.
2024 Gifts for RPG Designers
Here are 5 gifts you can get your favorite game designers. No gold necessary.
The Explorateur: Issue #2
Monthly discoveries for tabletop roleplaying game designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.