✨ Hey TTRPG folks who want to do something to support Immigrants' Rights in Minnesota this thread is for you ✨

Ever relevant, this poem by Mary Oliver, especially today.

In the spirit of reflection, celebration, and the many things I didn’t post about in 2025, here are 25 treasured experiences from my youth/TTRPG work in the last year (posted gradually as Tiny Dragon is snacking, napping, etc. 😄).

To celebrate 5 years as a full time ttrpg publisher and to combat GenAI on #Kickstarter, I’m offering FREE crowdfunding campaign reviews throughout January. #ZineMonth projects get priority as they launch in February! Also first-timers. Join our discord to book your spot: discord.gg/w3qfrWH9Gv

Haven't updated this one in a while, but thought I would re-share this Starter Pack given the current Twitter Migration. These folks all do amazing things (some of them for an older audience as well), but they're all on this list because of their incredible all-ages creations. go.bsky.app/KZ8Kf1j

...oh my god. The total cultural appropriation was one thing, but this completely lacks basic understanding of Miyazaki's work or the underlying nature of roleplaying games. This is embarrassing as best and morally wrong at worst.

once again, thinking about this. I do not know how much more collective grief and fear and death you need to see from us before it moves you to action. call your reps. okay, you don't wanna call for xyz reasons; understand that your next moves will be less effective but still, MAKE THEM.

The zine is here! Imagine Queer Worlds is a delightfully unique (and beautifully illustrated) worldbuilding game that helps creators radically redefine norms around gender, sexuality, and attraction to craft a strange and wonderful world. Christmas shipping available thru Monday (more IQW info TK)

I had the honor to contribute to this awesome collection of system-agnostic one-shots alongside talented creators like @chrishopper.bsky.social and @timothyferguson.bsky.social. @shewstone.bsky.social poured so much work and thought into this tome - check it out!

notice the general mood of the timeline? how everyone is in a good mood and there’s a lot less misery and dooming? how there’s a lot of “we’re going to beat these assholes”? anyway that’s why these events are important

Gamehole Con folks! Steph will be doing these awesome events and joined by me and @KatTheDungeonMom.bsky.social for Tabletop Gaming With Kids Sunday at 8! (We'll be running on excitement and caffeine, but we'll be there)

Check out Rolling With the Youth by @wranglerofchaos.bsky.social Create an inclusive gaming space for youth players, based on the writer's own XP! Find it on IPR: https://loom.ly/zb4ys0E And find a review on TTRPGkids: https://loom.ly/LhhhBQU

A first-time TTRPG player told me that they wished they'd known the hook along with the genre and setting before creating a character. (I usually save the hook for an opening-scene demo where they learn about the game and world.) Do y'all have thoughts on pros and cons of before- vs in-game hooks?

THIS makes me REALLY happy!! Check out Jaclyn's blog post about playing D&D with their toddler! This is a great account of how playing TTRPGs with young kids works, and I am also thrilled that TTRPGkids had some influence and for the StoryGuider shoutout. Thank you Jaclyn for writing this!

Clickbait title aside, I've been looking forward to playing TTRPGs with my little one since I was pregnant. @ttrpgkids.com showed me this was possible, and I've relied greatly on their insights. You can read about my experience (and their games) here: www.youngdragonslayers.com/d-and-d-vide...

Something that just blows my mind is how you can just talk to your FLGS or LBS and just... get your indie game on their tables and shelves, and into the hands of eager players! And when you do it as a collective, you can build a community around your art! 1/2

I got to run one of these for Tiny Dragon (their first TTRPG - more details on how it went later this week)! Built for the needs and interests of young children, these games are perfect for introducing TTRPGs, building SEL skills, and creating bonding time with family and friends.

@wranglerofchaos.bsky.social just released the best review Book of Extinction has ever had. If you want to know what this book is and why I made it, give this a read! www.youngdragonslayers.com/d-and-d-vide...

After interviewing @LucasZellers.bsky.social for this article, I was filled with evangelical zeal. Thoughtful engagement with 5e! Scientific inquiry and accuracy! Conservationist principles built into the design! I dearly hope I did the Book of Extinction justice:

Which is, as many have pointed out, IN THE DESIGN of every genAI that I've seen

これは貸しです。 Introducing Kashi 貸し, a guide to why "Ghibli-inspired" media without Japanese creatives is harmful. It includes links to learn more about Orientalism, Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, and Japanese culture. Learn. Share. Change. kashi-info.carrd.co

Despite the overwhelmingly supportive response to my anger at Obojima, it seems some folks still really don't understand. I'm going to say this as plainly as possible: You can enjoy Japanese culture, but you cannot make it your own. Japan gives freely of so much of its culture, but it's a loan. 🧵

Hello again, tabletop RPG designers! The second Bannerless Games Tabletop RPG Grant is now taking applications! I'm looking to award up to 10 grants at $200 apiece. Applications open until the end of the month. Apply here: bannerless.games/grants

Indiana is a hostile place to trans people and every single one of you I saw at GenCon are the bravest and most beautiful people in the world and I'm glad we were out there visible and bold in the face of this cruel and heartless world. Each of you were a walking balm of gold out there.

I also got to drop off a copy of Rolling with the Youth for the @TabletopGaymers.bsky.social giveaway. It got bundled with A Constructs Nature and won by a lovely science teacher excited to bring games into their classroom!

Even though it's been a few years, I always stop by @ipr.bsky.social and snag a picture of Rolling with the Youth in the wild. Between that, Tiny Tome 2, and Making A TTRPG for Your Kid, I've technically contributed to 3 books at the booth! Two of them were just one page, but I say it counts 😆

Got to run the Queer Coven RPG by @9thLevelGames.bsky.social for @TabletopGaymers.bsky.social at Gen Con! It only got better between the playtests and the full release. It's witchy, it's adorable, and it's unapologetically queer: celebrating found family, self-discovery, and fighting the trolls. 🪄

Gen Con booked my Queer Worlds session in the same slot as Designing Equitable Games. Jesse, the other presenter, laughed it off and proposed we just...merge our seminars! The result was a wild (and surprisingly coherent) shared presentation on inclusion. I'll be telling this story for a long time!

It was amazing to watch @faireyes80.bsky.social and her co-presenter KILL IT at their Trade Day presentation...and even cooler to sit down and play a one-shot soley using assistive tech to communicate! (I also got a shout-out in their resources list 😎)

The timescale is truly a testament to Andrew's dedication and care in creating this project and looking out for Shewstone's freelancers. The book will contain 9 of my adventure frames, including my favorite story prompt I've ever written: a weasel-basilisk war with humans caught in the crossfire!

Convention pics from the @ipr.bsky.social booth today! Games and books by: @almostbedtime.bsky.social @pandiongames.com @lysander03.bsky.social @wranglerofchaos.bsky.social @planesailinggames.com TTRPGkids And many others!!

Here's the list of 184 products from 108 of our member publishers we'll have in #Booth449 at #GenCon2025, including a link to download a 36 page PDF or ePub with short descriptions of all of them, in case you wanted a little travel reading. www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Gen-Co...

Here's a thread of some neat things I'll be running at #GenCon!

Jessica is one of those incredible people who is doing the real, difficult, boots-on-the-ground work with youth. Getting to know her through RWTY (and eventually going on a podcast together!) has been an honor and a delight. Trade Day folks, go to her presentation! www.gencon.com/events/293003

Friends, foes, and followers - sound off in the replies if you're headed to Gen Con! Whether you've got a full booth, are running an event, have a neat thing you want to show off, or are just excited to go, I'd love to know who all will be there.

Had an absolutely lovely chat with Rich of @HatchlingDM.itch.io‬ about their new game that went everywhere from Deaf etiquette and culture to how to integrate learning into an RPG to the way Hatchlings has transformed their family life. I hope the article does it justice! www.youngdragonslaye...

The SQEEEEE!!! RPG is debuting today in an actual-play stream from 1-4 EST! This is a tabletop role-playing game about the emotional world of living in community, where we can fight big emotions like anxiety and depression and learn how to help each other along the way. 👇

Set up for American Library Association! Repoing @ipr.bsky.social too

A big ol' update for backers of Imagine Queer Worlds! We're sharing a full draft of the core zine and taking the next month for backer feedback and questions. If you'd like to take a look but haven't backed yet, late pledges are open until the end of June! www.kickstarter.com/projects/jan...

Some highlights from Origins (in no particular order) 👇

About half of every dollar spent at Tabletop Bookshelf goes directly to independent publishers and creators Another 20-30% goes to promoting their work. Most of rest goes to storing and distributing that work. None of this happened without an audience willing to pay for that work #PaidRPGDay

I didn't have a booth at Origins, but others are carrying my games/books!! Stop by @9thlevelgames.bsky.social to get a copy of Bakers Charge and stop by @ipr.bsky.social to get a copy of Making a TTRPG for YOUR Particular Kid!

How to find the freshest newest most unpublished games at #Origins2025 (It's right across from Exhibit Hall B)

I'll be presenting at Origins Game Fair for the first time this year! Come join Friday @ 11am in Room A 216.

This is high art

Shout out your favorite resources for creating #ttrpg art and imagery that are *not* gen AI! Whether it's artists who provide stock art, a repository of CC-BY images, or a directory of public domain works, drop your faves in the replies! We'll start: Smithsonian Open Access www.si.edu/openaccess

I'm so jazzed that Bannerless Games did this (and even more so that I received some needed support). Instead of my old Canva-and-Microsoft-Word combo (may its many idiosyncrasies rest in peace), I'll be able to use these funds to upgrade to Affinity Publisher for IQW and all my future projects! 🙏

Especially drawn to this note: "I notice lots of rookie DM’s tend to look for negative consequences. Constant negative consequences might push players to avoid interacting with the world out of fear of causing any ripples in the pond. Find that balance based on the vibe of the table."

The perfect combo! I completely forgot to share this before, but IPR also has my game Highway Haunt (alongside a bunch of other incredible and weird one-page indie RPGs) in Tiny Tome 2. (thanks to @alwaysnevers.bsky.social for the pic!)

Good morning !