@senfoonglim.bsky.social and I interviewed @dashiellsteven.bsky.social last week for RPG Roots, and we were both mesmerized by his depth of knowledge and ability to articulate and explore so many layers and spaces within RPG cultures. I have so many pieces to recommend, but this is his latest!

This is beautiful, by @austinwalker.bsky.social and @possibleworlds.bsky.social. I am happy that it is a success, and as many have noticed, I am relieved that such a powerfully simple campaign can have broad impact. While I appreciate thoughtful extras, we need great games first and foremost.

If anybody knows where to find a copy of "Companion's Tale" by Laura Simpson, even in not perfect condition, I'd be very interested. If you know of stores who still have copies, please send me the link. I found the PDF version on @ipr.bsky.social but I would really love a physical copy. TIA!

Alex @planesailinggames.com is one of the designers that @senfoonglim.bsky.social and I interviewed for RPG Roots (interviews are still ongoing). He writes a bit about it in his newsletter, along with playtesting notes and design thoughts. Take a look! plane-sailing-games.beehiiv.com/p/2026-april

It was absolutely delightful to attend the presentation of the English translation of María Ospina’s new book "Solo un poco aquí". I loved hearing my dear colleague and friend discuss her perspective on what inspired the book... 1 / a few

"Ballad Hunters" is live from @moltensulfur.bsky.social and @pelgranepress.bsky.social! I cannot recommend this game enough: I have play tested it in campaign mode, and it is a delight: there's a precise and lively historical setting that is brought to life in game... 1 / ...

Small pleasures: when a book makes you read another book, and you greatly enjoy both. "Travel Light" by Naomi Mitchison was mentioned by Blue to Red, and I picked it up. It was delightful! (I am coming to the end of TIHYLtTW and I am inconsolable - just so beautiful).

New nonfiction to dig into! Thanks to @planesailinggames.com for the recommendation of Bryson's "The Mother Tongue" (no doubt caused by my frequent complaints about English and its idiosyncrasies)!

I tried "Before the Season Ends" at Metatopia. Like many of @jenkatwrites.bsky.social 's games, it's trying to do something different and interesting: regency period, Gmless, based on tokens and flower language, focused on friendship and not courtship. Link: jen-adcock15.itch.io/before-the-s...

We finally played "Tír na Nóg" by Isaac Shalev and Jason Slingerland (2024) It is a beautiful game: gorgeous art and materials, easy set up, clever hand management and open drafting, quick turns, and the game wraps up in 5 rounds and roughly 45 minutes. Only one problem. 1 / a few

Boiling down sap into maple syrup! It was a spontaneous effort with little know-how - once we discovered we had maple trees in the back yard. We will see how it goes - next year we will be more prepared. If anyone knows how long we should boil this for, let me know!

The day started well with a playtest of @planesailinggames.com's upcoming "Escape the Apocalypse," a gmless and card-driven post-apocalyptic story game of grit and survival. Alex, @jenkatwrites.bsky.social, and I told the story of a group of DMV workers trying to survive a Kaiju attack. 1 /...

Dear Bsky network, does anyone have contact information (email would be great) for Kevin Nguyen, author of "Before the Boats" and "They Took Our War" and many other games? Here's the website: nguyenconditions.carrd.co I don't have X and I don't think Kevin is on BlueSky. Thank you in advance!

It was beautiful to stand in Middletown, CT with so many others. There were speeches, songs, music, chants, and great signs. If nothing else, protests show us that there are so many others who are angry and want change. And that is a powerful weapon against despair.

Yes!

@senfoonglim.bsky.social and I are chatting with game creators and scholars for a new podcast launching toward the end of 2026, and we decided it would be good to start sharing some info on the project... 1 / a few

@senfoonglim.bsky.social and I are conducting lots of interviews for a new RPG-focused podcast launching soon. Today we talked to @newmadras.bsky.social and it was truly a delight: Thomas is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful, funny, wise, and smart. So I'll take this opportunity... 1/

Today was a wonderful day! - My student Liang got into NYU to continue studying games and interactive systems, so we celebrated with coffee and I gifted her a copy of "Spine" by @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social - The majority of people in Italy rejected horrid changes to our beautiful Constitution 1/

One more impromptu playtest of "Violent Delights" by @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social with two Italian friends, and this time I facilitated it! Find the playtest materials here: backwards-tabletop.itch.io/violent-deli... And the crowdfunding pre-launch page here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/bac...

Valpolicella tastes like home. Missing Verona a lot today. ❤️

"I pour you into things." Ah, this gets better and better: new words, new books to read ("Travel Light by Naomi Hutchinson), and two protagonists so beautifully intertwined in the chapters that I cannot choose which one I prefer. ❤️💙

This just arrived in my email inbox, by far the most delightful message of the day. I absolutely love and respect how @ksandrarpg.bsky.social adds (folk) lore and complexity to the "Wise Women" universe bit by bit, small release by small release. A slower and more meaningful pace. Thank you.

One more post about "Roll for Learning"! Here's a 'book talk' that Play Story Press organized with me, @docfarber.bsky.social and Will about this playable volume composed of 51 educational micro TTRPGs. Find it below, and watch for the moment where we momentarily lost Drew and kept going anyway!

It was great to discuss "Roll for Learning," the playable volume I edited with @docfarber.bsky.social and Will Merchant, with Garrett Munro and the fine community at TabletopEDU Inc. 1 / a few

As always, a fascinating piece by @publicdomainrev.bsky.social - this time on William T. Horton ❤️ publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-st...

A great opportunity! I wish I lived closer! If you can, go. Also, I cannot wait for Dog Eat Dog / Princess with a Cursed Sword / The Mountain Witch!

This is a really interesting bit of research! They compared children's ability to understand theory of mind/false beliefs when playing with physical dolls vs. open-ended games on tablets like Toca Hair Salon 3. The dolls won! (Caveat: Mattel funded the research. Not a deal-breaker IMO)

One of my most anticipated TTRPGs of 2026 has arrived: "Zhenya's Wonder Tales" by @bullypulpithq.bsky.social - with a fantastic creative team: written by @jmstar.bsky.social, edited by @tenpenjenn.com and @segedy.bsky.social, art by @momatoes.com - it doesn't get better than that. Ready? 1 / many

What a pleasure is to read "This is How You Lose the Time War" and be reminded of powerful poetry, from Keats to Byron, with quotes embedded in the text. www.poetryverse.com/lord-byron-p...

"A Perfect Rock" by @deepdark.games just arrived - a GMless planet-building exploration game for 1-4 players, where you play survivors aboard the last starship launched into space before your civilization collapsed, seeking the titular "perfect" rock: a new planet to call home. Comments incoming!

This is such a lovely premise!

Take a look and sign up!

We all know Trump is a disgusting, criminal, and incoherent being, but don't you ever take your eyes off Vance, or give him a pass. He's just as bad - if not worse. Less incoherent, far more insane in his views.

The latest notes on our "For the Badge" playtest. It was intense and hilarious! This TTRPG has strong Ted Lasso vibes, but also captures so many interesting aspects of soccer/football at all levels, from game rollercoaster emotions to daily business. Great work @sociable-turtle.bsky.social ! 👏🏻⚽

Thanks to @newmadras.bsky.social 's latest "Indie RPG Newsletter" for highlighting two very interesting essays, one about conceptualizing rules-light and rules-heavy system in terms of "gears": blog.olddog.games/posts/gears-... And one about games and interpretation: medium.com/@rosequarter...

I am so torn. Firefly is one of my favorite series ever, and I know all episodes by heart. But they included Baldwin, who is shit. But it's Firefly. I am so torn. 😭

More small pleasures: "Pale Fire" by V. Nabokov just arrived, to be read as a companion piece to "Spine" by @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social (as one of its loose inspirations). I am so intrigued by "Spine", a solo game that tickles all my academic / book lover senses and moves through... footnotes!

One more post-streaming session drink, this time a hearty Malbec to celebrate a swashbuckling game in the One Piece universe! We played aspiring pirates using the KotRA System by @oneeye01.bsky.social - which works very well for any shonen anime you want to bring to your table! Link below.

I spent 4 months trying to answer a simple question: has this book been translated into my language? Turns out no one tracks this. Not ISBN registries. Not Amazon. Not Google. Not libraries. So I built a tool that crosses four databases to piece it together. zenodot.app

Tonight's session (9 of 10) in our GOT Twitch-streamed campaign was so calm and cool that I needed a glass of Woodford Reserve! Three words: naval battles, wildfire. Amazing stuff.

Making the most of New England Fool's Spring (back to winter tomorrow): 21 degrees C, gorgeous sun, snow finally melting, and a happy puppy. It feels incredible. Go out today! 🐾

A great episode about the business of creating Heated Rivalry, but also about creative constraints, how we tell stories collaboratively, and how streaming and the expectation of immediate availability (and distraction) is impacting all that. www.npr.org/2026/03/04/n...

On Saturday, @planesailinggames.com and I play tested “Violent Delights” by @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social - read on for some comments! Sign up for the upcoming crowdfunding here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/bac... Find the playtest materials here: backwards-tabletop.itch.io/violent-deli...

The deadline for proposals for the "Play Make Learn" 2026 conference is March 9! The conference will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on July 9-10. Here's the link to apply: web.cvent.com/event/3559d2... Read on and I hope to see you there! 🙂 #playmakelearn #conference #edusky

More playtesting underway for @sociable-turtle.bsky.social 's soccer/football-based ttrpg "For the Badge"! Lots of drama on and off the field as we get into the season and into the lives of our characters. Fantastic playtesting team with @jenkatwrites.bsky.social and @planesailinggames.com !

Another interesting new book just arrived: "The Score" by C. Thi Nguyen and @penguinpress.bsky.social. I am particularly intrigued by its focus on scoring systems, how they shape our choices, and how they relate to assessment, evaluation, and grading. Thanks @davidmchugh.bsky.social for the rec!

The beautiful physical edition of "Deadline: A Clockwork Press" @wanderers-tome.bsky.social has just arrived! I have already played and enjoyed this GM-less, news-chronicling, and map-making TTRPG, but the newspaper-like rulebook is so beautiful. Find it here: www.wanderers-tome.com/deadline-ttrpg

March book for the Mad Magical Reading Group: "Sorcery and Small Magics" by @maigadoocy.bsky.social - the first few chapters are delightful, I just wish it had a map and a list of people and places. 🗺️ I love the banter between Leovander and Sebastian 🔥 www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maiga...

A long read from me today, about the delicate task of designing respectful historical board games. Massive thanks to @amabel.bsky.social and @colewehrle.bsky.social for talking to me about their design approaches. www.wargamer.com/board-games/...

So this is coming soon from @jmstar.bsky.social and Central Michigan University Press... a new edition of "The Blue Way", a game about lost stories, colonialism and its cultural aftermath, about a culture that is being forcibly assimilated into a victorious empire. Sign up to learn more!