What is bleed and slug?
A user-friendly definition for tabletop rpg designers.
Latest
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.
The Explorers' 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.
Why an Awards Debrief?
An in-depth look at the Ennie Awards, its process, design, and role. Part 1. What is the goal of this series and why?
How Do the Ennies Work?
An insider's look into the 2025 Ennie Awards. Part two. What is the award process like behind closed doors, and how do the judges select nominees?
How Are the Ennies Designed?
An insider's look into the 2025 Ennie Awards. Part three. How does the structure of the Ennies determine its outcomes? And what does it mean for others?
Where Do Awards Go Next?
An insider's look into the 2025 Ennie Awards. Part four. What's the point of an rpg award show? And what do we want to see in the future?
The Explorateur: Issue #12
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Explorers Design's Appendix N
Late to the bandwagon. Just in time to talk about books, movies, and games.
The Explorateur: Issue #11
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
The Explorateur: Issue #10
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Invaders of Atlantis
A coral-encrusted pulp-fantasy adventure. Designed for Cairn 2E. | PWYW
Education
How to Become an Ennies Judge
How to apply, what to expect, and everything else you need to know from one judge to another.
Explorateur
The Explorateur: Issue #9
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Education
10 Budget-Friendly Typeface Resources for RPG Designers
Tired of using free fonts? Here are 10 foundries and type designers who make and sell quality typefaces and fonts for indie-level budgets.
Explorateur
The Explorateur: Issue #8
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Education
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.
Critique
Exploring The Royal Art Gallery Heist
A design delve into the adventure, The Royal Art Gallery Heist, and how its brevity gives it certain advantages.
Education
How to Roleplay Without Accents
Can't do an accent? Join the club. Here's how I roleplay without them.
What's Under the Pope's Hat?
A d66 table of things you might find under the pope's hat. A blogclave post with links to other blogging cardinals.
Critique
Exploring Rumored Lands
A design delve into three zine-sized settings and their use of risograph printing.
Explorateur
The Explorateur: Issue #7
Monthly design discoveries for tabletop rpg designers including jams, critique, theory, and tools. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
Theory
Haus Rules for Mausritter
My house rules and mouse-sized hacks for the sword-and-whiskers roleplaying game, Mausritter.
Theory
False Dichotomies of RPG Design
Tabletop rpg design is plagued with either-or fallacies. "A book can be usable at the table, or it can be fun to read," is just one of them.