iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ha, I just saw you asked about roleplaying games too! Oh man… (Sorry for dredging up old threads!)

3. The genre pick. I now want to demonstrate the breadth of what’s out there, so I’d find out what their favourite thing is. Space ships? Probably Dropfleet, A Billion Suns 2E if it’s out. Giant robots? Titanicus. Superheroes? MCP. Fantasy? MESBG. Horror? Perilous Tales. And so on.

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2. Complete the hobby loop. I’d get them, ideally, to build, paint, and play with their own minis. For this I’d want something modern and low-impact. Top candidates are Gaslands or Greathelm. Cheeky choices, perhaps, because I think they’re also good examples of the state of the art.

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I had a feeling you might say that! 😆 I reckon my general answer is to go for breadth: 1. 40k. The gorilla, however we feel about it. If possible, I’d play one game of 2nd edition and one of 11th to showcase how much things have changed. If you can do it with period-appropriate minis, even better.

Becky Annison @beckyannison.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Reposted by Nick Bate

In The Big H you play small-time superheroes going up against their former idol, the ultra powerful Big H! A once compassionate hero who now rules as a twisted tyrant. Now available in pdf download at RPG Trader and Itch. Fantastic art by @jesseross.com

rpgtrader.com

The Big H on RPG Trader

You play small-time superheroes going up against their former idol, the ultra powerful Big H!

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Hooooo this is a fascinating question. What do you mean by ‘understand the hobby’? Its history? The state of the art? What the landscape looks like in practice?

Becky Annison @beckyannison.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Reposted by Nick Bate

Lunchtime is Dicetime! - 30th September, 12.30pm BST One shots, conventions and campaign ttrpgs - get the pacing right. We are live streaming over lunch talking about pacing your ttrpg game whether it is for a 1 hour demo or a 6 year campaign. #ttrpg #rpg #dnd #gaming #gmtips

youtube.com

Lunchtime is dicetime: One shots, conventions and campaign ttrpgs - get the pacing right Episode 9

YouTube video by Black Armada Games

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I have not! It you’re far from the first person to mention them. I also have someone in my ear about He Who Fights with Monsters, which I think is in a similar vein, but by an Aussie author?

I read the first two on a tour of universities across Switzerland, the UK, and America, back when I had no idea what my next step was going to be. It was exactly the right kind of discombobulating, so I feel this hard.

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Hard agree. I borrowed it (with credit, obvs) for the second edition of Chiron’s Doom — it’s such a concise communication of such a fundamental piece of tech, particularly for solo games.

Oh, interesting — stalled out for any specific reason?

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Indie Press Revolution @ipr.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Oh geez! I still haven’t read Absolution, but I clearly need to get on that quick!

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Reposted by Nick Bate

New! Against Time and Death Chiron's Doom Mount Olympus Community College Paragons: The Roleplaying Game Roguelike Tarot Stealing the Throne Veins of Corruption MZ1: The Sebiyan Cenobium www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/

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Lantern Light Explorations | Comms Open @lanternlightexp.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

America! For the first time, you can now buy my games in print from @ipr.bsky.social! - Steal a giant thousand-year old mech in Stealing the Throne! - Explore a mysterious (and deadly) monument in Chiron’s Doom! - Destroy the multiverse for love in Against Time and Death! You know what to do!

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Reposted by Nick Bate

Happy Release Day #ttrpgCommunity! Today we have Ocean Voyage available on Patreon Every adventurer eventually finds their way to setting sail on the high seas, and it isn't always smooth sailing! Find our maps on: Patreon | Insta | Mayhem Market | Reddit #ttrpg #mapmaking #battlemap #dnd

patreon.com

Ocean Voyage [50x30] | Lantern Light Exploration

Every adventurer eventually finds their way to setting sail on the high seas, and it isn't always smooth sailing! For this weeks map release

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Reposted by Nick Bate

Ghoula RPGs @gilarpgs.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

There will never be a better feeling than someone coming up to you at a con and saying "I played your game and it was so fun" 10/10 experience.

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Ha! If I'd seen it first, you know I would have immediately thought of you too...

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Reposted by Nick Bate

Hatchlings Games ~ Shop opening soon! @hatchlingdm.itch.io · 04/09/2026

Hatchlings Games has secured a small shop in the heart of Bristol. If you’re a UK-based zine creator/publisher, please sound off below. We may soon have a space to sell your indie RPGs. No AI permitted and please no graphic content.

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Oh, that’s exciting! Love a good zine shop. When you’re rolling, I’d love to send some of my games your way. I’ve got a trio that would be a great fit, I think!

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I have a complicated relationship with the Green Lantern, but I keep coming back.

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I can't tell you how much I wish I'd had a chance to play it! I suspect I'm a bit burnt out on emergent mysteries, but it would be fun to go back to Candlewick and try to get it to the table...

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Ludographies man. Love them. @dgivaca.bsky.social just reminded me that The Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor had emergent mystery mechanics back in 2008! Re-reading, they seemed strikingly similar to modern mechanics. And lo, Apocalypse by Moonlight (the root of CfB) specifically calls it out!

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Yeah, I mean, it kinda is! But I feel like the 'I need you to trust me' clause adds a sufficiently different spin...

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I'm watching The Adjustment Bureau, and 90 minutes in Matt Damon says "All you need to know, we're being chased. I need you to trust me." I am telling you right now: I will write the game (or scenario) where that is the opening line.

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I just finished it, and what a fantastic show! Great until the end, and I’m keen for more.

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Re-watching The Matrix. That’s work, right? The inspiration section for Speed Daemons does begin with the following… The Big Three: The Fast and the Furious franchise; The Matrix by the Wachowskis; COUNTER/Weight by Austin Walker and Friends at the Table.

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Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Ha, yes! 2nd edition has always been my edition — we were still playing it as recently as 2015, before I left Australia — so I’m having fun playing along! Still need to pick a chapter… (Prime example of a positive channel, too. Maybe the best example.)

Josh Fox 🔜 Kickstarting Black Armada's Advent Adventures @armadajosh.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Reposted by Nick Bate

There's just over 4 days left to back Advent Adventures! Grab it while you can!

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Oh that’s interesting! I dislike the Masks etc in Brindlewood games — funny that they are inspired by a mechanic I adore!

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I'm here for it! Love a playset (obvs), but equally love an opinionated setting. Should we move this to discord? @nightjargames.bsky.social?

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You know, this may be part of why I'm finding it harder to connect with a lot of zine-length games that come out these days. 🤔 (And a guiding star to keep in mind when I make another one!)

Completely agree! Actually, the dinosaur jokes is kind of exactly what I mean -- Dino Island feels completely in a way very few zine games do. It's more than just one idea dropped on a page, it's one idea fully (and lovingly) explored.

Do you think it's because all of the ttrpg groups that are working great are just enjoying doing the thing, and so they're functionally invisible? I kind of want to hope that's the case.

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I guess if I'm being generous, I'd say this is a broader (Western?) societal issue -- it often feels to me like we've forgotten how to enjoy things.

I am still shocked that Tell A Story doesn't seem to have found its way into any other PbtA designs.

And that breeds a gigantic sense of entitlement, which very easily turns to grievance.

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Yeah, it sounds like nothing has changed in 20 years! My gut also says the toy soldier discourse is worse than in ttrpgs. I wonder why that is? It might have something to do with the hobby cycle, perhaps -- there is a significant investment of money, time, and energy before you can even play.

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I wonder, are these playsets? Or does the game have a setting?

I’ve been spending a bit of time in toy soldier YouTube recently, and it’s wild to me just how unhappy everyone is with everything (with only a few exceptions). You know you can just do something else, right?

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Asa Donald | Backwards Tabletop @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Yeah we should finish it! I’m sure @nightjargames.bsky.social would be up for getting the band back together. First order of business: as much as it pains me, we need a new title. That one, great as it is, is taken.

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Reposted by Nick Bate

I found this video energizing, as someone very interested in mini-games and pre-gen characters. I loved hearing their thoughts on some particular points of interest for me: (1) game structures w/ mini-games (2) similarity of mini-games & solo games (3) the importance of the game text for mini-games.

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Thank *you* Sam! Still showing me what’s possible, seven years later!

Never too early to sing Dino Island’s praises, Sam! 😝 And man, thank you — those couple of years, hey? We did some good work!

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Every now and again, I find my way back to Escape from Dino Island by @stung.art and @thesamroberts.com. What an absolute masterpiece. I may never read a better zine-length game.

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Becky Annison @beckyannison.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

We're on in 25 minutes! Can you think of a better way to spend your lunch break? 🤔 (The chat is always high quality, too. Worth tuning in for that!)

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Reposted by Nick Bate

Going live on this in less than 1 hour! The stream is always worth it for the quality of the chat in the comments. #ttrpg #rpg #gaming #gamedesign

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