The Explorateur: Issue #2

Something I didn't consider when starting The Explorateur was what to say in the introduction. So, let's start with some maintenance around the guild house. If you only want to receive The Explorateur or the usual Explorers Design newsletters, you now have the choice to subscribe to just one. You can find those settings in the membership portal. I also want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who responded to the last publication. Last issue's most clicked on link was Analog Game Logos by Lone Archive. This confirms one of my long held beliefs: people love tiny things that belong on stickers and stamps.

Now, let's get to this month's discoveries.

Quest Givers

There's always something new to write and design for. This section shares any game jams, contests, and collaborations. If you want to share a community event, jam, or project message me on Bluesky.

• Apply to the 2025 Ennie Awards. What better way to spend the winter months than sending your work to strangers? Anything published between April 1st, 2024, and March 31st, 2025 is eligible.
• Announcements on Rascal News. Did you know Rascal News publishes press releases from creators? Now you do. Write a press release for your game.
• Feminomenon Jam. Make a "feminine" game. In other words: explore, investigate, expand, and discover what feminine means. I'm excited about this one. Jam ends February 11th.
• Shitpost TTRPG Jam. Commit to the bit and make a game that may or may not be playable. I condone anything that isn't caroling. Jam ends December 31st.
• Forever Open Source Jam. Analog games wouldn't be the same without community sharing. Make some games, tools, rules, and art and put it in the commons. Jam ends December 31st.

Reviews & Exhibits

Critique and examinations of tabletop rpgs, adventures, and more. I try to share exhibits with something to say other than the usual, "Is this worth buying?"

• Quinns Quest reviews Slugblaster. Quinns' enthusiasm is infectious, and I appreciate how he shines a spotlight on the metaphor and tension at this game's center. He also asserts that tabletop roleplaying is bad at storytelling. This thesis relies on a narrow definition of storytelling. We'll see how it survives Quinns Quest Season 2.
• Hendrik Biweekly reviews The Details of our Escape. Describing mechanics is hard but Hendrik ten Napel makes it look easy. In this review, he dives into a game that uses dominoes to tell stories.
• Playful Void reviews When in Rome. Information design becomes a central theme in this review, and Nova suggests how writing, layout, and developmental editing are crucial for telling clever stories.
• Peach Garden Games reviews CAIN. Peach coins a new phrase, "The Lancer Problem" (Sorry, Lancer), and praises games that support getting the game to the table. If you're designing your first game, consider this.
• Aki reviews The Wolf King’s Son. This review bites into asymmetric play and how a power imbalance can frame gameplay and create emergent themes.

Rumors & Bestiary

The never-sponsored section of the newsletter. I mark our maps in this section when I find an exciting game, tool, or project.

• Suffering Games by A.A. Voigt. Video. Most video essays do nothing for me. Not this one. In 14 minutes, Aaron explores how repetitive game mechanics create frustration, tension, and narrative arcs within players.
• The Idle Digest by Idle Cartulary. Newsletter. It's no secret I like curation. This publication by Nova is going to be a welcome addition to my feed.
• Unwritten Earths Symposium. Podcast. In this show, two designers challenge each other to make games they normally wouldn't. The first two episodes are setup, but Nathan D. Paoletta and Epidiah Ravachol never disappoint.
• On People-Centered Adventure Design. Article. "People-centered" and "user-centered" are popular approaches in graphic and experiential design. I love how Amanda P applies this same framing to an approach for adventures.
• Making a Citizen Sleeper TTRPG. Article. Alfred Valley gives us an inside look into his work on the hit video game's unexpected tabletop adventure. Check out the publisher too. The design across their catalog is staggering.
• Arguing About D&D in the 1970s. Matt Colville talks about the early days of D&D, The Elusive Shift, and how the hobby started as a culture of DIY. I think we're about to see a new cohort of players react to this history. An Old-School Revolution by another name led by the Critters.

Theory & Advice

Any ideas, guidance, and tools that make playing and creating in the tabletop space more engaging, meaningful, and rewarding. This is the catch-all section.

• Interviews at Big Bad Con. Heart of the Deericorn interviewed a murderers' row of tabletop creators at Big Bad Con, like Jason Morningstar, Alex Roberts, Jeeyon Shim, and Tim Hutchings.
• Don't Fear the Reaper. November was all about lethality in old-school gaming. First, Markus challenged the OSR maxim with his Toppling the Pillars of the OSR post, then Sandro replied on Fail Forward with Lethal-Lite Rules, followed by Joaquín Ollo's Running Away from Danger, and Derek B's Worse than Death. One of the best parts of blog writing are discussions like these.
• A Good Green Pummeling. Goblin Punch is blogging again like it's 2015. The best of the bunch? Probably the Monster Checklist. It itemizes what makes monster encounters great. But then there's an actual monster in another post that seals the deal if you're skeptic—the angelmen. (If my friends found the angelmen, they'd kill them with hammers. And they'd be right.)
• Process Optimization in TTRPGS by Binary Star. This article is a heavy-hitter. It's all about processing information and the time expenditure built into game mechanics and procedures.
• Be a Map Vulture by Murkdice. This article is about using real-life maps for inspiration. The best part? It's stuffed with links to additional articles, making it a little like spelunking.
• Principles of Conflict by Dododecahedron. Most combat-heavy roleplaying games get conflict all wrong. They're missing key parts of stakes, escalation, and fallout. In this article, The Dodo builds a frankly compelling thesis.
• System Informs Setting by Crypt of the Rambling Dead. What do stats, rules, and mechanics say about the world? A lot naturally.

Design Lore

Design inspiration from beyond tabletop rpgs. I share them when I find them.

• Typography 101 (Getting Started) by Explorers Design. After years of dragging my feet, I finally adapted my favorite typography advice for tabletop games. Check this out if you're not sure where to start.
• Affinity is 50% off. Product. The photo editing, graphic design, and page layout software for Mac, Windows, and iPad is officially on sale. This is my recommended software for designers who don't want to pay into Adobe.
• Vintage Tech Logos. Website. Over 1000+ old-school tech logos faxed right to your computer screen. It's... it's... it's so beautiful...
• Eye Candy. Website. A visual library for cinematography fans. It's highly recommended if you're making a crowdfunding trailer or actual play.
• Inspiration from Letterform Archive. Website. Like the website, Fonts in Use, this archive is a treasure trove of type, layout, and cover inspiration.
• 3 Free Archives of Victorian Illustrations. Website. Designer, writer, and academic Michael John Goodman has launched three online archives.

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