Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026Which brings me to something I think about when making games: You don’t have to explain your weird dungeon. Give the players rules they can discover, patterns they can investigate, and enough information to make meaningful decisions. They don’t necessarily need to know why the dungeon exists. 160
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026Naturally, everyone wants to know WHY. Who built the Cube? Why are they there? What is it for? Is anyone even watching? Cube gives us pieces of information, but it never seems particularly interested in giving us one big, satisfying explanation. And I really like that. 150
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026Cube figures out pretty quickly that it doesn’t actually need a trap in every room. Once you know that any room might kill you, opening a door to an apparently empty room becomes frightening all on its own. Sometimes establishing the threat is enough. Let the audience do some of the work. 140
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026One of my favourite things about Cube is how much it does with very little. Filmed using a single cube-shaped set, with different coloured panels and lighting making it feel like the characters are moving through an enormous structure. The repetition makes it MORE claustrophobic, not less. 150
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026And then there’s MATH! The numbers written at the entrances to the rooms aren’t just decoration, and figuring out what they mean becomes part of figuring out the Cube. Observe. Develop a theory. Test it. Realize you were wrong. Revise the theory. This really is a TTRPG. 140
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026And they very quickly arrive at the classic adventurer solution to “I don’t know if this room will kill me”: Throw something into it first. In this case, it’s a boot. The horror movie equivalent of “I poke the floor with my ten-foot pole.” 140
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026This movie is basically a dungeon crawl. A group of strangers with different skills explore rooms, look for traps, try to figure out the rules, and gradually learn how badly they work together as a party. I think we’ve all played this game. 160
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 05/10/2026Time for another #hauntalong recommendation! Today I’m recommending Vincenzo Natali’s Cube (1997), a Canadian sci-fi horror movie about a group of strangers who wake up inside a giant maze of identical rooms. Some of the rooms are safe. Some of them are super not safe. 2195
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 21/08/2026Got a beautiful homemade bookmark, a fun promo bookmark, and some delightful cards from @kristadb1.bsky.social today. Supporting local #YEG folks is pretty cool, friends! (you can see the corner of the latest Downhomer in this shot, gotta represent our people lmao) 1132
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 23/07/2026Ram, the Romeo in this R&J story, has a tattoo on his arm. My friend who can read it says it's the character's own initials. I'm howling. 130
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 16/07/2026Sprigs & Kindling, our free anthology zine of creative TTRPG works from the Carved from Brindlewood and Trophy communities is up for two ENnies. Huge shout out to our whole team of contributors, artists, and editors <3 sprigsandkindling.com 13421
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 14/07/2026Sprigs & Kindling, our little volunteer-driven zine of CfB and Trophy TTRPG works, is up for two ENnies, which is an incredible honour! Here is a sneak peek at the cover for Volume 7: Gods & Monsters by @oddoblivion.bsky.social , themed around @thesiltverses.bsky.social TTRPG and Arkham Herald. 14511
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 12/07/2026okay I am home after spending a week with my parents helping my dad recover from open-heart surgery (he's improving, and everything is good!) So I wanna talk a quick bit about Sprigs & Kindling and our ennie nominations. :) 38132
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 13/05/2026because I miss the era of old internet, I built a webring into the Sprigs and Kindling website. 0163
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 06/04/2026Still trying to find a way to combine my two favourite movies into a short form TTRPG.... 17583
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 03/04/2026My mystery for the Public Access TTRPG is one of the kickstarter stretch goals! Inspired by some of my favourite horror movies, it will be in the books if we hit the $430,000 USD mark! :D Back it now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/gau... 13813
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 31/03/2026lmao the mods deleted it because I'm a lurker. I'll still upvote your cool things, redditors, but I'm not gonna make a bunch of useless posts just to promo my thing. 030
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 28/03/2026A little sneak peek at some art in progress by @oxsago.bsky.social for @signalstation.bsky.social's Trophy Gold incursion for our TTRPG anthology! Only 3.5 days left in the kickstarter! we're super close to $13,000 CAD! www.kickstarter.com/projects/fir... 01810
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 25/03/2026This fish at the restaurant I’m at has my energy. (Orange, big weird eyes, anxious-seeming) 1120
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 14/03/2026our art by @oxsago.bsky.social is still in progress but here is a little sneaky peek. It's looking AMAZING. 0115
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 06/01/2026Legit, you should be reading Sprigs & Kindling (always free!) if you like Carved from Brindlewood or Trophy TTRPGs haha sprigsandkindling.com 0165
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 25/12/2025Our dog-nephew who isn't supposed to be on the couch having a little snooze on Christmas Eve. 2150
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 25/12/2025we're almost at the funny number :D www.kickstarter.com/projects/fir... 2167
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 20/12/2025It's been a while since I've done this, so here is your periodic reminder that this is the same guy 160
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 12/12/2025I didn't even have a reference pic for Rapidpunches and they knocked it out of the park. I just said "I was thinking of the Mavens you did for Michael having a little New Years Eve party, but maybe something spooky happening in the background or outside a window or something." 021
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 06/12/2025and here is a cover reveal for our next volume releasing in January 2026 themed around Endings and Beginnings, with art by the amazing @rapidpunches.itch.io :D 192
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 21/11/2025Happy Friday! We're getting hyped for an upcoming project, looking to crowdfund physical copies in March 2026! That's right, we're getting MORE (unofficial)TROPHY! In partnership with @jesseross.com and @pemetawe.bsky.social, with a stellar list of writers! #TrophyTTPRG #Trophy #TTRPG 13115
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 24/10/2025S&K Volume 5 is all about Trophy! The cover that @jesseross.com made for us is SICK. Everything is edited except one last incursion, layout is 78% done, and our copy editor @rebeccahall15.bsky.social is having an amazing honeymoon but will power through when she is back (she's great!) I'm excited! 0289
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 21/10/202599) Pieces (1982) Can't believe I've never seen this before! 130
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 20/10/2025I don't wanna give away too much, but when thinking about your TTRPG characters remember that they carry all their history with them. All their decisions in the past, all their reactions to events, you can play around with that, and you don't have to make them heroes. They can be monsters. :D 150
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 20/10/2025It's a biting commentary on influencer culture mixed with the residual effects of childhood trauma. 210
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 20/10/2025Aisha Dee puts on an amazing performance as Sissy... I mean, Cecilia. Awkward and vulnerable, but deeply disturbed at the same time. 130
Amanda/iamatrex @iamatrex.com · 20/10/2025One part slasher, one part revenge story, Sissy is blackly funny and really quite gorey. (It's very Australian horror!) 130