Archive - RPG Design Theories

Most TTRPGs fall into the genres of fantasy or sci-fi.

Jan 13 •

December 2024

Components and Formats

I get asked about format and presentation of MCG games a lot.

Dec 17, 2024 •

November 2024

The Tipping Point

Every project—and I'm not exaggerating, EVERY project—that I have ever worked on and probably ever will work on has a sort of tipping point moment.

Nov 12, 2024 •

September 2024

Understanding the Vibe

I work with the Cypher System a lot.

Sep 12, 2024 •

July 2024

If It’s Easy, You’re Doing It Wrong

When a designer sits down to work on a new project, they should be challenged.

Jul 30, 2024 •

June 2024

Give Yourself a Break

This article is not what you think.

Jun 21, 2024 •

May 2024

Every roleplayer has heard it from their GM a million times: “Okay, what do you do?” It’s practically the defining phrase of RPG play.

May 3, 2024 •

March 2024

PCs are Not NPCs

It’s no secret that 3rd Edition D&D made player characters more complex.

Mar 8, 2024 •

February 2024

Keeping to the Theme

I’ve written about the importance of how you describe the rules being as important as the rules themselves before, but it’s worth revisiting.

Feb 5, 2024 •

December 2023

Rules With Multiple Purposes

One of the great challenges of writing a rulebook is that you’re creating both a teaching tool and a reference work.

Dec 1, 2023 •

October 2023

Design Toward Rather Than Away

Encouraging good play is better than prohibiting its opposite.

Oct 5, 2023 •

August 2023

Just a Quick Note...

The crowdfunding campaign for my current work-in-progress design, The Magnus Archives RPG, has launched.

Aug 29, 2023 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts