Avri Klemer's (@nycavri.bsky.social) Descending the Stairs is in the RPG Trader GM-Less bundle, and it is the fourth openly Descended from the Queen game I have found in there. Two things in its design have had me thinking this afternoon. 1/🧵

Wandering more through the GM-less Bundle, discovering new islands of interesting game design ideas: Apropos tonight's movie premier, Ithaca in the Cards, by @ehronlime.bsky.social, is a GM-less Odyssey story game where you "play blackjack against Fate" to get home. 1/🧵

Rummaging the GM-less Bundle today: The Solace Solution, by @aratlon.bsky.social is a 2-player game about brewing a potion to repair a relationship one shared memory at a time, then choosing together whether to drink it. The way it is built has stuck with me. That final sip is the whole game! 1/🧵

For the Queen, and the games descended from it, stop the moment you answer the last card. Ringmaster, a circus game by Pascal Godbout (@pg-yyz.bsky.social), doesn't. When the mob comes for the Big Top, the troupe must answer one question together, and the game is built to carry you there. 1/🧵

A Brief History of Narrative In RPGs #ttrpg #gmtips #dungeonmaster

Definitely the OG of gmless games — The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, is part of the RPG Trader GM-Less Bundle. Check it out!

My last diary started from the one thing I wanted more of in Alex Roberts' (@helloalexroberts.bsky.social)For the Queen: it ends the instant you answer its final card, no falling action, nowhere to stand. That missing "and then?" is what set me building The Launch. 1/🧵

I had the honour of being a developmental editor/consultant on this game, and it really shook up a lot of my game design maxims and preconceived notions. It's one of those games that challenges the bounding definitions of how roleplaying games can work.

I had some wonderful discussions on design of social games with @jdragsky.bsky.social last year (at Metagame metagame.games in Berkeley), in particular on asymmetric games, social simulations, and her ambitious Seven Part Pact. 1/🧵

the seven-part pact kickstarter launches TOMORROW! here's the Arcane Edition (mockup, images not final) ! it features a faux leather bound grimoire, hardcover codices, a plastic pull tab on the box, and beautiful art by @teanwitch.bsky.social

My local group has fallen hard for prompt games, the GM-less, deal-a-deck kind. Playing them this spring, I kept circling the designer's question: how does so little do so much? The game that first taught me the shape of an answer is Alex Roberts' (@helloalexroberts.bsky.social) For the Queen. 1/🧵…

This prompt presumes the leak, never the guilt: the accused authors whether they're innocent, guilty, or lying. Presume the verdict instead ("why did you sell us out?") and you've authored their character for them. Prompts guardrail not just the world, but who gets to author what. Where's the line?

In her article on TTRPG worldbuilding, @beckyannison.bsky.social writes: "there are almost no games GMd or GMless which wouldn't be improved by asking good questions." Yes — and I design GM-less games that run entirely on questions. Here's what I've learned about making one do three jobs. 1/🧵

Yeah, we're now preparing to crowdfund my *next* RPG history books, Designers & Dragons Origins. But I still dearly love this system history that Mongoose and I put out last year on Traveller. Quite possibly the most fun I've ever had writing.

Take a look at the Designers & Dragons Origin Secret Door for more on what that all means, with a preview of the articles on Supplement I: Greyhawk and the Fiend Folio. www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

Today we are proud to announce our next crowdfunding campaign. Award-winning historian @shannonappelcline.bsky.social examines the roots, artwork, and lore behind each and every product released by TSR for OD&D, AD&D 1e, and Basic D&D with his latest effort, Designers & Dragons: Origins. 1/3

I just saw “The Majestic” on the big screen last night. When it came out it was 2001 and just felt like a nostalgic feel-good movie. But in 2025 its portrayal of resistance to government “red scare” tactics had the audience gasping with connection to Kimmel. More relevant today!

I've been planning a little "group project" for the @chimerahearts.com server, and I hope you'll join us! October 1 through November 15, we'll be making "tools" to help some of our favorite indie games find a wider audience. Sign up today!

Game that features editing the rules? Not precisely an RPG, but Polis Play (PolisPlay.com) is all about rewriting the rules. There are two versions: a competitive one inspired by Nomic, and a cooperative variant that is new (and needs beta testing). I’ve used the competitive as microgame in a LARP.

I had a lovely conversation with @jdragsky.bsky.social during www.metagame.games this weekend. I definitely want to do a deep dive on her new "Expressionist Game Manifesto", but there is one paragraph there that fascinates me, on the topic of "rules that abstractly simulate the social reality" 🧵…

"Do you want to see justice served, or are you just trying to win this case?" VirinaB is working on a new Trial quest for Follow: A New Fellowship. I think it's a very juicy topic, and I could definitely see fellowships tearing themselves apart. Great stuff! www.reddit.com/r/gmless/com...

Full time for 8 years now. These last 2 have been the roughest years by far. What would help me a ton is just a stable, friendly internet to work with. Musk buying Twitter, Kickstarter flirting w crypto, every change Patreon makes, I feel in the pit of my stomach.

I’m Publisher Emeritus, Community Steward, and a co-owner of the venerable RPGnet community.

❤️

I have found that there is a certain set of people that have a hard time switching from immersive stance to director stance, and thus don’t like storygames that have too much player agency involving setting scenes (and don’t like gmless because of this). But they’ll like @lamemage.com’s Microscope.

Microscope is a special one, really first of this kind of game that I know of. The author Ben Robbins @lamemage.com has just moved to BlueSky, as have I.

I like the visuality of these "progress clock" cards I have something related for my Tableau storytelling system called "Beats" which are also on cards, but they are really just checklists of recommended scenes for a single Act. But I'm inspired by this to creating something more visual for them.

Making things about a play culture that are implicit➡️explicit can be hard, as you often are blind to your own assumptions. Also challenging is when you are trying to be concise on the page.🧵…

As `belonging outside belonging` has origins in the #PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse) family, are there any #gmless hacks of #FitD (Forged in the Dark) out there? In particular the position/level mechanic?

I’m trying to move away from x.com/DyversHands to @dyvershands.bsky.social Can you give me a shout-out for any #gmless or #storygame accounts to follow here? In particular designers and podcasts.

New “Accelerated Core Rules📜” for “Tableau: Collaborative Cinematic Storytelling”! Journey beyond the known world with “Lovecraft Country: Dark Expeditions🏕️” Storyset📚. Print on Avery 10-up cards. Free or ‘Name-a-Fair-Price’ to start your adventure! #gmless downloads.dyvershands.com/l/DarkExpedi...

A #gmless quest using Ben Robbin’s “Follow” rules.