I think my co-hosted Micro TTRPG workshop is sold out (ahhh!) but you can still catch me at the Game Designer Meetup, the Unpub Showcase, and all throughout the day!! COME TO SOMERCON!!!!

Sarah's bedroom in the movie Labyrinth is one of the best examples of set design as environmental storytelling and foreshadowing/backstory in the history of cinema. Everyone knows it is filled with things that you see later in the film, but there's even more that you don't notice at a glance.

Oh this is incredibly inspiring!

Who knew I could write so much about a game so short? New Devlog up now! maggiefrench.itch.io/revisions/de...

Felt inspired by how fun making Whelm! was, and gave one of my entries from the 36-Word RPG Jam a layout makeover. (I'll do the other one soon! maggiefrench.itch.io/revisions

2026 is the year I’m going to actually decide what newsletter platform to use… I have found several non-Substack contenders but decisions are my nemesis.

Library nerd over here, ready to nerd out on this topic - I may live firmly in the land of Children’s Librarian these days but I loved my cataloging classes in grad school!

The No ICE in Minnesota charity bundle submission period is now open: itch.io/jam/no-ice-i... All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February

And we are LIVE! The solo gaming event of the year, Solo But Not Alone 6! Buy 90 items for only $10, all-new singleplayer TTRPGS! We have horny ones, we have scary ones, we have therapeutic ones and kid-friendly ones and more! itch.io/b/3481/solo-...

If sleepy, why not asleep?

Honestly, sharing my 48 Word RPG Jam entry one more time purely because I'm so proud of the cover and header art. Fun fact, I hand-drew the paper clips in sharpie. You should see all the rejected paperclip doodles that I didn't use... maggiefrench.itch.io/whelm

For the morning crowd!

My first (hopefully not only!) entry for the 48-Word RPG Jam... Whelm! Very, very pleased with how it came out! maggiefrench.itch.io/whelm Download it for free on itch! (And go check out the other jam entries while you're at it!) #gamejam #microrpg #ttrpg

This feels like the perfect activity for January 1!

Saturday Librarian-ing today, and manifesting a quiet, cozy day. Sadly, I could not manifest the city plowing the sidewalks from Friday-night-after-Christmas snow. So. Wish me luck on my walk in.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house... 🎄🎁✨

I have set up the page for 48-word RPG Jam, a sequel to 36-word RPG Jam. 🎲 It will be running from the 1st to 31st of January 2026. ✨ #48WordRPGJam itch.io/jam/48wordrp...

If you are in the area, you have to come! This is going to be super fun.

Just over 48 hours left! ⏳ A huge thanks to everyone who has shared the project for the past two weeks! Only 13% more to hit the goal!

Spending some time this month hacking one page #ttrpg systems, to keep myself consistent while I simmer on some longer and larger game design projects. Last week was Princess Sword, this week is Lasers & Feelings. What other one-page systems or SRDs do you like or recommend?

I finally got a chance to back "Mud Ghost Estate Redux—A Spooky Tumbling Tower TTRPG" by @wharthur.bsky.social on @kickstarter.com and I'm excited!! www.kickstarter.com/projects/wha...

Made a little one-page Princess Sword game (shoutout @cyborgurl.bsky.social), because it's really a fantastic system. In Cursed Be The Pen, play as an author who must write... and write... and write... maggiefrench.itch.io/cursed-be-th...

Been a hectic couple of weeks but I was able to create a little one-page game, free and new on my itch page! #solojournaling #ttrpg maggiefrench.itch.io/cursed-be-th...

Ah yes the classic "trying to publish a game and itch times out."

Wrote a little game hack for my writing group and it's so riddled with inside jokes that it can never see the light of day beyond the edges of our squad (purely for coherence reasons) - but gosh it was fun. Idk, it's kind of nice to make something just for me and a really small target audience.

So tired of brands trying to whisper conspiratorially in my ear (via online ads) like we're friends and they have to apologize for being SO convenient or SO on sale. "Oops! We messed up, we're too popular! Sorry you have to spend money on us! Here's a link!" It actively gives me the ick.

For the evening crowd!

Ok, I said no sales and I meant it... but I have but up community copies for Community Radio, Griot Anthology, and Wildfire Trilogy! And Playlist Dungeon is always free! Thoughtcrimegames.itch.io

Put my paid ttrpgs at 50% off for Itch Creator Day! 🫖 Just Passing Through, cozy fantasy duet 💤 Allucinalia, solo dreamscapes 💫 By Way Of Starlight, solo wishing 🐇 How Toys Become Real, based on The Velveteen Rabbit 🍃 Together & Ever, a community storytelling game itch.io/s/171019/bla...

Started making a holiday card spreadsheet and have come to the conclusion that I know too many people.

This play-through really warmed my heart, and I’m so honored and pleased that @jayottersong.bsky.social chose to play it!

*whispers* Copies of Just Passing Through and Allucinalia are on their way to PAX Unplugged where you can grab them from @sidequestbooks.bsky.social!! (Does this make me feel better about not being able to go to PAXU myself? A little bit!) #ttrpg #duetgame #solojournaling #PAXU

I loved this game when I reviewed it 10 months ago, and I love it still.

I have now figured out why I ran Train Jam in November instead of October last year. (Reason: I'm STILL recovering from October, and now I'm navigating bundle set-up in the lead-up to Thanksgiving.)

In the acknowledgments of my latest game (Allucinalia, version 2) I shout out @paulczege.bsky.social’s “The Ink That Bleeds,” a wonderful treatise on immersive journaling games. I carried my copy around with me while I was revising my work. I can’t recommend it highly enough. www.paulczege.com

One reason I love doing my small-scale printing jobs locally is the thrill of a “your proof copy is ready for approval” email… Which means tomorrow morning I get to take a little excursion to the print shop, then go work in a coffee shop for a while since I’m already out of the house.

Working my way through this absolutely incredible episode and so far my biggest takeaway is I need to find more time/energy to participate the communities I already enjoy and appreciate. Which makes perfect sense. But also…where to get that time from? Tbd, folks. Tbd.

Just launched a major update for Allucinalia, a solo dream journaling game that I wrote last year! Streamlined prompts, new end-game mechanics, extended gameplay ideas, new layout, new art (shout-out to the Public Domain Image Archive)... same price it was before! maggiefrench.itch.io/allucinalia

Just sent a new version of an old game to the printer... very excited, and also deeply convinced there's an error in there somewhere.

Started publishing under a penname because I always kind of assumed I would. Also, privacy feels valuable. Have decided, almost two years in, that I'd just...rather not! (Despite my anxiety.) So. You'll notice some changes as I start to adjust. Still Maggie, now with a little more "feels like me."

Managed to build in some coffee shop writing time this morning, a real treat when trying to complete a project on a tight deadline.

So excited to get my hands on this as I finish up the draft of a fairy game I’ve been working on all fall.

Missed basically every jam I wanted to enter in October, but walked away with a couple projects that have grown larger, and I’m really excited about them.

One order of “more hours in the day,” please!

Don’t ask me how many tabs I have open right now.

For the evening crew >>

Slowly working on a couple public domain art packs for #ttrpgs; it’s become a meditation to edit them into transparent pngs. What sorts of images would be on your “ready for use” wish list? My broad categories are buildings/architecture, plants/animals, and furniture/objects.

Six hours left to support this #mutualaid #ttrpg bundle on itch, where you can get 46 games (including one of mine!) for a $5-minimum/pay-what-you-want contribution! itch.io/b/3291/help-...

The other day at work a kid referred to brie cheese as “squishy cheese” and that’s absolutely going to be what I call it now.

Pals, I can't stop thinking about Waywright, it's gonna be so cool. The "I love Minecraft but I get bored" in me has yearned for something like this. Did my Etherscout Readiness Assessment last night; did you know you can customize the XXX-XXX characters in your designation? I made mine into a word!