New zine! "Imagine a parallel world where RPGs evolved from wargaming by adding roleplaying, instead of our world’s approach of adding mechanics to free roleplaying. It is hard to conceive a divergent history where the conditions were right for RPGs to start from wargames." — from Wightbred's essay

I wrote a theory post. Don't worry, I paid taxes at the end. newschoolrevolution.com/turning-the-...

January issue of Carouse just dropped! If you like indie TTRPGs check out this collaborative newsletter from a diverse group of indie creators. www.carouse.blog/january-2026...

A short but sweet post this week. Next week's article is a semi-sequel to my 1 HP Dragon post from last year. www.explorersdesign.com/top-5-newsle...

Next month I will launch Cairn Press. I tried to make a publishing agreement that is fair, free, and mutually beneficial. Once the lawyer approves final contract I'll release it as CC-BY-SA, if possible. I've also written up a "plain English" version that you can read here: cairnpress.ink#terms

It’s Bloggies season! Here’s a big list of posts I enjoyed. Plus, a recap of my year in blogging and plans for 2026:

RELEASE: The complete #hexmas map is now available for you to peruse! Download the pdf version to see all the bloggers who contributed to this awesome blogwagon by @prismaticwasteland.com. #blog #ttrpg #bloggers #blogosphere bakenshake09.itch.io/hexmas-map-2...

Between Two Cons ticket sign-ups are officially open! Where: Norse Hall, Portland, Oregon When: June 26th & 27th, 2026 Event submissions are also open; sign-ups for events will open in February. We're also taking vendor and sponsorship applications at this time! tabletop.events/conventions/...

The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open! Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st! Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month. www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/

What a great day to be back in NYC!

My contribution to the Merry Hexmas Blog Bandwagon: former Elf Liberation Front members, Licorice Eels, snow heads in need of bodies, and more!

You can dislike something. You can know its not for you. You can critique it. You can even shrug and say "I dont get this." You -cannot- be incurious and disparaging and still demand to be taken seriously.

Rather than doing an ordinary end-of-year best of post, I put together 9 things I've learned running 9 different RPG systems in the past year(ish). What have you learned? www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/9-th... #osr #dnd #mothership #shadowdark #gmtips

New Dungeon (in blog form): Castle Claus, or The Keep on the North Pole A Rankin Bass Christmas-themed dungeon for the Merry Hexmas Blog Bandwagon. Possibly one of my more high effort blog posts to date #osr #ttrpg

Blog map update! - Added many more blogs - Pulled in more historical post data (Substack, Ghost + others) - Reworked the side-panel stats to be clearer The new data also reshaped the communities. We're at eight now. graph.elmc.at

The entrance to a dungeon (or a new level) should evoke trepidation and demand a tangible commitment to peril. #osr

Finally added my hex, Hearth, to the Hexmas Map for the Blogwagon started by @prismaticwasteland.com! #blog #hexmas #community #ttrpg #hexcrawl theplayreports.com/posts/hexmas...

I'm back with another Play Style Preferences. Let us travel back to the early days of the OSR: before Shadowdark, OSE, or Cairn. Today's post focuses on the fabled OSR G+ campaigns and the lessons they have to teach us about building worlds. widdershinswanderings.bearblog.dev/playstyle-pr...

"Well, I'm back" he said. Over the last three months, I've keyed every hex in the bounds of the Shire, including rumors, nested random encounters, and five embedded mini-dungeons. I've collated them into a document, linked on the blog:

I come to you like Paul Revere on the back of a liger. The Bloggies are coming! Like, share, and subscribe. www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...

another issue of the indie ttrpg focused newsletter Carouse! Carouse! has dropped. I drew the banner image...inspired by Bill Watterson's Calvin and his insane snowmen www.carouse.blog/december-202...

The Explorateur #14 is out now! The only newsletter designed to level-up your design skills (how's that for sales copy?). Please like, share, and subscribe. If you have any links you particularly like, drop a comment on Explorers Design or here. www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...

Waiter, more theoryslop please! I wrote a little bit about how to use historiography as a lens for understanding what narrative means in tabletop games. #osr #ttrpg tbr.bearblog.dev/narrative-an...

Starting at 1pm Central Time! Get REAL with Small Business SaturDAG with commissions done TO ORDER day of!!! FANTASY! SCI-FI! HORROR! SUPERHEROES! AND MORE! PLUS, A ONCE IN-A-LIFETIME OPPURTUNITY TO GET YOUR "MICE GAME" CHARACTERS DONE BY A CERTIFIED HATER!

Spent the last month mapping the blogosphere by its links. The graph is finally ready Communities clump into a big hex and the whole thing looks like a star map What are blogs anyway but stars in the sky? elmc.at/mapping-the-... To check out the graph directly follow this link: graph.elmc.at

Every RPG blogger is allowed one “What is the OSR?” post. Here’s mine:

The Castle Automatic is a dungeon where you control the time of year, time of day, and the weather to solve puzzles, avoid vampires, and reclaim the world's most magical treasures. Be an Early Worm and back the preorder at a discounted price! www.exaltedfuneral.com/pages/the-ca...

Added a community detection algorithm to the data and it found five clusters. The layout now forms a pentagram unintentionally fitting for this little satanic panic hobby. Here's a fun scroll through the years

Took a break from writing about role-playing game design to post about… board game design! dododecahedron.blog/2025/11/12/p...

The Black Cauldron, Saruman, and especially the wizards from Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles were the inspiration for this crusty old Magus and the creepy homunculus he’s summoning. Another illustration for the next fairy tale role playing adventure for Perils & Princesses.

tiny spot illustration - survival skills... I love the magic user just sitting there reading while the others work. #ttrpgart #osr #indieartist #inkillustration #spotart

In Castle Kelpsprot, the megadungeon I’m running, I use specific naming conventions for different factions. Members of one faction all have virtue names (Clement, Harmony, Prudence), while members of another faction are named after “vermin” (Flea, Rat, Roach). Helpful in a game with many characters!

New Carouse, Carouse! This time featuring, among other things, me writing about Over/Under, AI in games (not like that) from Patchwork Paladin, a review of Gorman's Larder by @giantrobottackler.bsky.social and a selection of blog posts, as always! www.carouse.blog/november-202...

Wrote a new #OSR focused blog post about how both players and GMs can make the play style more fun. With thanks to @magnoliakeep.itch.io, @serket08.bsky.social, and @dodo-decahedron.bsky.social. billhook.bearblog.dev/how-to-make-...

Wilderness Stocking - Expanded A Resource to assist with Hex Stocking and Point-of-Interest Placement blog.d4caltrops.com/2025/10/wild... #osr #randomtables #ttrpgs

The big box Kickstarter - The overly produced roleplaying game - The New Novelty - The horror - The history - The Glamour www.failforward.moe/2025/10/the-...

If the best film reviews enhance the audience’s viewing experience, then the best role-playing game reviews should enhance the play experience. dododecahedron.blog/2025/10/13/r...

We need more puzzle dungeons! This is my siren call to creators. Make a dungeon with help thus November. itch.io/jam/puzzle-d...

The last article in my Awards Debrief is up. What even is the point of an award show? Should anyone care? www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-4/

New gameable blogpost: summon one of 3d6 good dogs with this holy relic. #osr #blogpost #dogpost bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/dog-dagger/

Part 3 is here. The deep dive into the Ennies. If you're someone who doesn't know much about the Ennie Awards, you should read parts 1 and 2. But if you like a bit of inside baseball and are interested in award shows in general—this is the article for you. www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-3/

Alright, the first in-depth article of my awards debrief is live. "How do the Ennies work?" A top-down look at my judging experience from A to Z. Please share, leave comments, and ask questions. And don't forget to read part 1 if you haven't already. www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-2/

I love award shows. It's no secret. It's why I've spent months writing, refining, and trying to distill my Ennies judging experience. It's a 4-part series (I know, I know). One article a day. Today's lays out my goals and puts the focus on awards in general. www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-1/

I put up a goal on my ko-fi because I want to help my parents pay for my matriculation fees. My mom lost her full-time job so my dad has taken on most of our expenses. Any amount will help immensely! If you can't give anything, even sharing this around will help, too. ko-fi.com/goobernuts/g...

The gatehouse opens October 11! Looking to welcome up to four more players to Castle Kelpsprot, my open table science-fantasy megadungeon capsule game. My DMs are open! (Discord username same as here minus the hyphen). Learn more: dododecahedron.blog/2025/08/18/c...

d100 - “Bottle Episodes" - Seafaring Scenes & Situations Events to Embellish those Wave Crawls and Nautical Journeys blog.d4caltrops.com/2025/10/d100...

October 1st already and another installment of our collective newsletter just dropped! just in case you need something to read over your morning coffee: www.carouse.blog/october-2025...

From the even-more-occupied state of Magnolia Keep comes a high-octane blogpost about humans! Specifically, how you shouldn't just say "They're humans, they're adaptable and ambitious!" and call it a day. https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2025/09/dont-make-humans.html

Coming next summer! Join @bradkerr.net, Skullboy and I at Between Two Cons, an indie RPG/OSR convention in Portland, Oregon. Fill out this survey to influence how it takes shape: forms.gle/bxs7RkvRkeeD...

Portland is so dog-friendly! I just saw a coyote rolling around in the someone’s front lawn