It's practically cliché for tabletop RPGs with detailed mechanics for tactical positioning in combat to shoehorn every other condition that could befall a character into the framework, so you end up with stuff like like an infected wound is modelled as a very complicated edge case of falling down. I want to see a game do it the other way 'round. I want to play a game where detailed mechanics for modelling infectious diseases are the starting point, then combat is built atop that, so getting knocked prone is modelled in the rules as a disease with a very rapid progression. I want to play a game where you can get infected with "being on fire".
Sometimes, a symptom isn't associated with any disease. In these cases the Case Manager decides the effective Infection Score for the effect. Despite having an Infection Score and requiring a resist roll, such an "infection" never worsens, not even on a critical failure.
...
Common Disease-less Symptoms
Being on fire: combines the effects of level 7 skin lesions, level 7 pain, and level 5 physical injury. Resist rolls are made each second instead of each day, but can be made with a treatment bonus by smothering the fire or rolling the patient on the ground.
My favorite spell, by the way, is from the Book of Vile Darkness.
It's called Were-Doom.
What it does it turn 1d4 random people into werewolves. You don't get to choose the people. You don't know who the people are. This doesn't benefit you in any way, you might never even know if the spell worked or not. It's just straight-up "I cast ruin four stranger's day for absolutely no reason".
It's a spell that can only exist in a world with ontologically evil people who follow an inverted morality where they're committed to making as many bad things happen as possible, and I have to admire the sheer balls of it.
Each November, some people try to write a novel. Others would prefer to do as little writing as possible. For those who wish to challenge their ability to not write, we offer this alternative: producing a complete, playable roleplaying game in two hundred words or fewer.
This is the submission thread for the 2025 event, running from November 1st, 2025 through November 30th, 2025. Submission guidelines can be found in this blog's pinned post, here.
Each entry should be a complete, playable roleplaying game in two hundred words or fewer. Coming in lower is fine, though you're welcome to try to hit 200 words exactly if you want an extra challenge.
This is an informal game jam; entries are not curated or judged, no eligibility rules are enforced, no winners are chosen, and the organising parties explicitly refuse to define the terms "word" or "RPG". If you wish to participate, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: If you're unfamiliar with 200-word RPGs, read a bunch of previous years' entries (linked above), or browse the 200 Word RPG Challenge archives at https://200wordrpg.github.io/ to get in the proper headspace. (Note: this blog is not affiliated with the 200 Word RPG Challenge; its archives are provided for reference only.)
Step 2: Write your own 200-word RPG. If you're not sure of your word count, you can use the counter at https://200wordrpg.github.io/wordcount to check. If you disagree with how this tool defines "word", feel free to use a different counting method – adherence to the word limit is on the honour system anyway.
Step 3: Reblog the current event's main post (linked above when an event is active) and append your 200-word RPG in the reblog. Please do not submit your entry as a reblog to the post you are reading right now.
Step 4 (optional): If you wish to provide any author's notes on your entry, please place them under a "Read More" break to make it clear which part of the post is the game and which part is commentary.
Step 5 (optional): Indicate in your post whether you're okay with having your 200-word RPG archived off-site for posterity – if you don't say anything one way or the other, we'll assume the answer is "no". Please state this separately from any more general discussion of sharing or remixing permissions; don't make us guess!
Note: In previous years, we'd requested that folks refrain from discussing entries on the submission thread in order to avoid making them hard to find. Since we have a dedicated sideblog this year, that request is not being made this time around.
Can you keep your cool in the heat of the kitchen?
I just released the ashcan for my restaurant drama role-playing game. Have you been enjoying The Bear as much as I have? Than this is probably a game you'd like to try!
Check it out here: https://napel.itch.io/family-meal
Right now, this is a work in progress, but the game is ready for a short six episode season if you'd like to give it a try. I'd love to hear how it went!
This game better articulates what its world can be and how to flesh out a collaborative game world than most other games I've read, and in fewer words.
Sorry to be obnoxious for a second but i think its a bit jarring when people will draw their ttrpg character or oc or whatever as like a big lovable sensitive gay nerd but still have this like generic fantasy armor on that communicates an implicit intent for violence BUT violence has been so abstracted in the context of the subject that it isn't really equivalent to real world acts of violence at all. now thats wordy but in a practical sense think about a "modern" version being like your big lovable sensitive gaY nerd character always wearing a kevlar vest and open carrying an assault rifle
Lady Tabletop's Primer for Getting into Tabletop Roleplaying Game Design Philosophy
Sam Dunnewold over at the Dice Exploder podcast has posed a fun question to his discord server: where would you tell people to start if they wanted to know more about TTRPGs and design?
First and foremost, I'd tell people to start with @jdragsky's article about Systems of Relation.
With the benefit of hindsight, I can now understand that the games we played on the playground were identical in nature to the tabletop RPGs I would grow up to play and help design.
Next, check out Thomas Manuel's analysis of the Axes of Game Design over on the Indie RPG Newsletter.
So the basic exercise is trying to figure out the standard axes or spectrums on which every game can fit. The idea is for these axes to be as descriptive and objective as possible.
Thirdly (and lastly for the purposes of this blog - it's entry-level, not comprehensive), check out this reddit thread about lonely fun.
The Lonely Fun is all of the stuff you do as a part of your hobby away from the table, in any way you might engage. For D&D 5e players, this is usually building complicated and elaborate characters on the page, pouring over the books for new races and subclasses, figuring out fun new combinations, and carefully crafting characters.
Read those? Now check out BALIKBAYAN: Returning Home by @temporalhiccup
Will we be able to outrun our Masters and those who hunt us down? Can we use our magic to bring about the rebirth of the city and all Elementals? ill this be our RECKONING or our HOMECOMING? That’s what we play to find out.
Why I make these particular recommendations below the cut.
All of these recommendations are hopefully all entry-level. I tried to stay away from any essays, blogs, or articles that reference game movements you may not have heard of or that require tons of reading before you can even read my recommendations. Some do have links to other stuff, and if you're enjoying the writing, definitely go down those rabbit holes! These are a tiny, tiny portion of my "TTRPG Homework" folder where I save essays, podcasts, etc that have helped me in my own game design journey. I'm always happy to share more, just ask!
The essay on Systems of Relation put into words something I had been thinking about the more I got into indie games/design: I've been playing my whole life, and ttrpgs are just another piece of that. I think it's crucial to break out of the framework of people trying to define play and games into neat little categories. Will I ever write a game as good as the ones I played in the backyard with my siblings? Probably not, but I'd like to find out.
Now that I've told you to stop trying to categorize games, we have an article about trying to categorize games. But I do like Thomas's assessment and examples of using game design axes. I think as designers it's important to figure out the things the game is trying to do and communicate, so that we can make sure it does those things well.
Lastly, I know 5e gets a bad rap (and it's gotten it from me, too!). But the concept of lonely fun has stuck in my craw since I first saw this thread. It's why some people prefer to GM (and therefore why GM-less games might not work for some people). Not all games are going to have lonely fun, but the ones that do are still going to appeal to people! This thread was key for me in terms of considering that no game is for everyone, and it shouldn't try to be, and also helped contextualize the enjoyment I get from the occasional high-prep game.
Balikbayan as a recommendation was a no-brainer for me. I'm not going to say it's the most elegant or tight of Rae's work, but it's the one with the most heart for me. The story this game wants you to tell is so clear, and as an introduction to "Belonging Outside Belonging" as a system/concept/design philosophy. This game really sings in its character concepts and emotional play.
If you've read this far, congratulations! I've been enjoying the DE podcast (even when I don't agree with some of the takes) and the discord has been a cool (if at times intimidating) place to hang out. I've had a hell of a game design journey this year and I'm so excited to keep learning, and to see what media other folks participating in this blog carnival recommend!
To sign off: my best advice to designers, especially those starting out can be boiled down to three things:
When in doubt, simplify or make it silly
The two cakes theory is your best friend - game design is not a competition
Not everything has to be finished. Not every part of the creative process is fun. Find the balance between these two truths (you're going to have to do that every day).
Working fast food is not exactly a stretch of the brain. I mean, it's exhausting, and every moment a customer is about to do something stupid and make you and your coworkers break out the fucking mop bucket again, but the actual routine is mind numbingly dull. Some days it feels like BaobaCo has reached its squid-mascoted tentacles down your throat to feed you the words.
It's got you by the throat again. "Hi, welcome to Baoba, how can I help you today?"
The girl drums her fingers on the counter. She's wearing a black facemask screenprinted with wolf teeth, or maybe something gnarlier, big tusks. Real edgy. Kinda cute. She hums. "I'd like a rose milk tea, half sweet, with black jelly, please."
Your fingers punch the keypad mechanically. "Rose milk tea, half sweet, black jelly. Any snacks for you today?"
The girl hums again, though the mask hides her exact expression. "Mm... hold on." And she reaches into her pocket and fishes out a doll.
A little marionette thing, face carved with the same wooden tusks as the girl's mask, but otherwise beautifully made; its little limbs and fingers all articulated. It sits in the girl's palm as if leaning comfortably against a tree. "What do you think?" the girl asks it.
The doll's head tilts sideways. Its little marionette jaw clacks open. "Get the popcorn chicken," it advises in the girl's exact own voice. "You'll need the energy in the coming fights."
The girl nods seriously and slides the doll back into her pocket. "Add one popcorn chicken, please."
Rote habit overrides bemusement and your fingers punch the order in too. "That'll be 130.5 wen, please."
The girl reaches into her pocket again, frowns, rummages around a little. Her hand's caught on something. She pulls a little harder, and a little harder and finally yanks, and her whole arm falls apart.
The hand tumbles out of her pocket, metal ball-and joint threaded with all the little threads that must pull the musculature. Her forearm too, dangling from her upper arm. An elbow-cap or something twists free and threatens to tangle in the now exposed threads.
The girl stares down at her arm, ignoring the shrieks of literally everyone in line behind her. She looks back up at the menu again. She sighs, deeper than you have ever heard anyone sigh, almost as deeply as you feel it in your soul right now. She looks back down at you. "Sorry. Better make that two orders of popcorn chicken."
Doing the biannual thing where I encourage ttrpg creators to post their links to their stuff below this post to spread their words and stuff and maybe even get a intro video for it!
So, ya know, do that, or tell your creator friends about it!
hey hey! im Rath and i make a lot of weird nonsense (which is all on sale right now!)
here's a rundown of the big ones:
want to explore a city so grand and beautiful that it overflows into neighboring worlds, where fascinating people and strange ideas lurk behind every corner? check out Disparateum!
do you like tactical combat, but wish it had more metaphors for how pain lingers after death? play KATABASIS and turn regrets into weapons.
think the way ttrpgs handle combat at all is silly and artificial? want to play a game that reckons with what it really, truly means to be able to kill without a thought? wander a post-apocalyptic desert in BXLLET and see where it takes you!
ever think about modern fantasy too long and go a little bit crazy? wanna play a game where your character sheet is a resume (that you can lie on)? scrape by in Unskilled Labor!
after getting angry about capitalism, wanna take out some of it on little plastic figurines? aroused by 1600 page pdfs? go to war in IMMORTAL Pop!bat 2: funK.O. (Definitive Edition).
and more! ive got a collection of zines cataloguing my time in the ttrpg space, ive got a mint tin about adventuring through the snow, a stack of index cards about renovating an old space station, and even some hidden stuff ive forgotten about. and, as always, everything i write's got bottomless community copies, and ill always send people keys if they ask. thank you!
Your adventuring party has defeated the dragon! Boast of your exploits, toast to your friends, and try to tell the wildest tale. Will you be named the dragon slayer, or called out as a braggart?
A comedic, improvisational story-telling game of semi-competitive boasting.
Rescue a shopping mall from falling into another dimension, brew a roast dark enough to wake up the undead, or save the dragons from poachers in this modern times love-letter to dungeonpunk RPGs.
In Shotguns & Socialites, you play as Professionals; people so good at their jobs that it crosses over into the supernatural. As the newest members of this powerful clade of adventurers, freelancers, and consultants, can your group find a path to financial success without tipping the delicate balance between the conglomerates and the seven world powers? Perhaps you should be more concerned about being shot by a shrimpanzee with a hunting rifle!
In this game for 3 to 6 players, plus a General Manager, combine the benefits from living in one of the world’s seven most powerful nations, with your professional powers and accomplishments to play the character you want. Who will you be? An electrician that can turn into bolts of lightning? a fisherman that commands the terror of the sea? A businessman who offers to pay enemies 100 dollars to … leave peacefully? The possibilities are endless!
Here is a list of links to the Collections I add Itch.io games to on the regular, where I often go to in search for games to meet folks' recommendation requests.
These collections are large and unwieldy. I'm not certain that they're easy to navigate, but if you want to do some browsing, you certainly have options!
Systems
Belonging Outside Belonging
Breathless
Caltrop Core
Charge
Descended from the Queen
Firebrands
Forged in the Dark
Honey Games (Honey Heist)
Into the Odd
Lasers + Feelings
LUMEN
Par-AGON (Paragon System)
PbtA
Push
Together We Go
Troika (A bunch of Troika supplements)
Tunnel Goons (AKA Goon Games)
What’s So Cool About _?
Genre
Adventure - With Pulp! (Westerns, Dinosaurs, Spies, Time Travel)
Bittersweet Futures (Post-Apocalypse)
Botanical Adventures (Plants)
Bring Me The Evidence! (Mysteries)
Cogs and Steam (Steampunk)
Delicious Delights (Food & Cooking)
Dirtpunk (Revolution, Rebellion, Fighting)
Eras Both Real & Imagined (Historical, Faux-Historical)
Everyone Loves A Competition (Competitions, Sports)
Fae and Fen (Faeries & Goblins)
Fangs, Fangs, Fangs (Vampires)
Grim & Gritty (Gritty & Grimdark Fantasy)
Hearts & Threads (Romance)
Manners & Mischief (Social & Political)
Mechs and Tech (Mechs & Robots)
Modern-Day Mishaps (Modern-Day Setting)
Monsters & Mutants (Monsters, Monster Hunters, Pokemon - simulators)
Neon Lights & Cyber Nights (Cyberpunk)
Oh So Anime (Anime & Manga themed)
Paranormal Activity (Ghosts, Cryptids, Death)
Pastoral & Cozy (Cozy Games, Witch Games)
Paws and Feathers and Scales (Animals)
Sorcerous Intentions (Magic-Users)
Stars and Science (Science-Fiction, Space)
Sword & Sorcery & So Much More (General Fantasy)
Teenage Hijinx (Teenagers)
The Sea Calls (Oceans, Aquatic, Pirates)
With Great Power (Superheroes, Magical Girls, Fantasy Superpowers)
Other
Abstract Games & System Bones (SRDs, Genre-less)
By Pen and Paper Played (Epistolary Games)
Funky Fresh Flavors (Miscellaneous)
GM-Less
Solitary Adventures (Solo Games)
System-Neutral Settings (Adventures & Settings)
The Art of Creation (Collaborative World-building)
Two Can Play At That Game (Duet Games)
I saw your post about promoting Black creators. I appreciate it. I haven't made anything new in too long. If I did, it would be on bowtochris.itch.io. How do you get back into creating after a long hiatus?
🥳🥳🥳 omg ttrpg concept is so cool!! I think when I've had a hiatus I start with small stuff like making notes of ideas and Pinterest boards and stuff... dont be hard on yourself just generate ideas and see if anything sticks in your mind as something you'd be happy to spend your time on. And if it never gets finished that's fine too, you learned smth from it for the next thing (or you can come back to it in the future)
Making the Werewolf: The Forsaken/Wisher, Theurgist, Fatalist situation worse on purpose by running a game jam whose only rule is that each submission's title must abbreviate to "WTF".
It's a little bit striking how many people have signed up who registered their itch.io account, like, that day. If any of them follow through, there may well be a non-zero number of people whose first published game is for this goofy thing.
(Also, 24 hours until submissions go live, for those who don't have reminders turned on!)
