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Welcome to Explorers Design!

Explorers Design survived multiple iterations since its start in 2015. Back then, tabletop roleplaying games were still dominated by household names like D&D and Call of Cthulhu. In that era—pre-Mothership, Mörk Borg, and Blades in the Dark—my favorite games were designed in Microsoft and passed hands in the dark corners of forums, blogposts, and vendor halls. It was a dark but exciting time.

Since then, Explorers Design as been a kind of public adventure. An imperative to myself and others to discover the power of graphic design in tabletop rpgs, reach beyond walls, and learn more about our craft and each other.

This page is a curation of my website's most popular work. It's best known for its articles on graphic design, but you'll find all the usual tabletop curiosities.

Voting is officially open from July 10th to the 19th. Thank you for your support!

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Design Education

Explorateur - Explorers Design
Bespoke discoveries, tools, and resources for tabletop rpg designers.
Explorers Design

A monthly newsletter that curates links from rpg designers for rpg designers.

Grid System 101: A Beginner’s Glossary
A not so short tour of your rpg’s layout, its different parts, and how to use them.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Tabletop Accessibility Checklist
A forever-unfinished list of guidelines for making analog games more accessible.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
How to Design Signals in Books
User-friendly definitions, tips, and tricks for tabletop rpg designers.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
How to Promote Your Work
How to reach out to blogs, pods, and media outlets, and the 5 things creators can do to promote their work in a more community-minded way.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

Game Design

The 1 HP Dragon
Combat as puzzles. A hack on the 16 HP dragon from Dungeon World.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

My Bloggie-winning article about combat without hit points.

The Jackian Magic System
Experimental mechanics that combine Mausritter inventory, Tetris, and engine-building into an alternative Vancian magic system.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Designing Lore Blocks
An alternative to stat blocks designed for The 1 HP Dragon.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Design Your Locks With More Keys
Every adventure’s puzzle should have multiple solutions. In this article, we figure out how to give all of our metaphorical locks a ring of keys.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Against Dominant Mechanics
Rules form relationships with each other. Some share play. Some hog it.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

Community Projects

The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

Explorers Design hosted this year's Bloggies, a fan-led blogging award show.

The Awards Debrief
A 4-part series on rpg awards, how they’re designed, and what they mean for the rpg industry with a behind-the-scenes breakdown and critique of the Ennies.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Critmas Gift Guide 2025
The 3 gifts every game designer wants (and a holiday party idea).
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
How Do We Design a Gaming Community?
Do we have good communities, how can we build better ones, and what role do award shows have in community-building?
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Classic Explorer Template
A time-slaying layout template for classic fantasy. | $20.00
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

Game Critique

The Awards Debrief
A 4-part series on rpg awards, how they’re designed, and what they mean for the rpg industry with a behind-the-scenes breakdown and critique of the Ennies.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

A breakdown and examination of The Ennies as a former judge.

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 DesignClayton Notestine
Mörk Borg (Layout Exhibit)
The doom metal roleplaying game with a masterclass layout.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
The Art of the RPG Cover
How to make your roleplaying game’s cover stand out (with examples).
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine
Great Book Covers ’26 #1
Cover inspiration from across the tabletop rpg industry.
Explorers DesignClayton Notestine

If you'd like to see the full website, head to the homepage.