Ideas
The Meta-First Way
An alternative (and experimental) approach to roleplaying games that does what fiction-first systems cannot.
Ideas
Small Factions for Sunk Cost
Homebrew factions for the early release of Sunk Cost a game by Magnolia Keep.
Ideas
Not All That Glitters Is Gold
A mini-article of 50 roleplaying game currencies that aren't gold for Blog Friday.
Ideas
What is an RPG? Doesn't matter.
Should designers explain what rpgs are in their games? My short answer is no. My long answer is complicated.
Education
General Design 101: The Explorers' Method
How to design games and everything else with the Explorers Design five-step method.
Ideas
Hacking the Mothership
Troubleshoot. My hack for Mothership.
Ideas
Playing the Corporate Baddies
Draw from real life, avoid the myths. and treat them like the antagonists they are.
Ideas
The 1 HP Dragon
Combat as puzzles. A hack on the 16 HP dragon from Dungeon World.
Ideas
What are Phantom Cogs?
How they work, why they exist, and where you'll find them in rpgs.
Ideas
The Art of the RPG Cover
How to make your roleplaying game's cover stand out (with examples).
Ideas
Game Design by Abstraction
How to design by focusing on essentiality in roleplaying games—a fun design exercise.
Ideas
2024 RPG Design Prophecies
Bold predictions for the future of rpgs. A few curses included.