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Idle Cartulary

@idlecartulary.itch.io
2.5K followers 181 following 1.8K posts

Nova (she/her). Ennie and Bloggie nominated author of world-famous Bathtub Reviews. Writes modules and elfgames. Links at msha.ke/idlecartulary.

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Reposted by Idle Cartulary
Richard @ R. Rook 🔜 Sleep @rrookstudio.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Somehow I'd missed (or blanked out on) @idlecartulary.itch.io's insightful Bathtub Review of Barrow Keep, but it aligns well with my self-critique of the product and what I'd want to change/develop/alter/fix. A long overdue thank you! idlecartulary.com/2023/06/16/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Barrow Keep – Den of Spies
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique well-regarded modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module desi…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 16/09/2026
Did anyone miss this?
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 12/09/2026
This week in the Bathtub, we go out into the galaxy to hunt heads in Wages of Sin! Is this massive tome for Mothership enough to keep you afloat, or will it cast you adrift? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/09/11/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Wages of Sin
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 12/09/2026
This week in the Bathtub, we go out into the galaxy to hunt heads in Wages of Sin! Is this massive tome for Mothership enough to keep you afloat, or will it cast you adrift? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/09/11/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Wages of Sin
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 11/08/2026
This week on the bathtub, it’s Doom of the Dark? It’s a module without a pitch: Does that make it great, or bring it low? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/08/10/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: The Doom of the Dark
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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SpicyTunaRPG @spicytunarpg.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
The Ice Caverns of Mars Is now available. Released as an #appxnjam entry. Play as proto-martians trying to pass the trials of their creators. spicytunarpg.itch.io/ice-caverns-... Colored in character illustration from KATTAPULKA patreon @garin.bsky.social @pbbeta.bsky.social
Cover and back cover of The Ice Caverns of Mars.
A white and blue protomartian, Sap Kin, in front of a half tone Mars.
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Drew Makes sea monster games @drew-makes-games.itch.io · 02/08/2026
Just in time for the weekend. Appendix N finished. There's over 300 titles to read and rate. My brother and I wrote Rite of the Wriggling Gulf. A pirate dungeon-crawl and a ritual to complete before the sea beast's rage pulls the coast into the depths. #osr #ttrpg
drew-makes-games.itch.io
Rite of the Wriggling Gulf by Drew_Makes
A cataclysmic event for Cairn
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Cats Have No Lord @catshavenolord.itch.io · 02/08/2026
Remember Itch has a handy link to take you to the jam entries that haven’t gotten many (or any) ratings and comments yet. Make sure to give a look to the work from newer folks in the scene that might get missed, not just the big names. #TTRPG #OSR
Screenshot of the Appendix N Jam page with red line and arrows around the link that says “Help rate submissions that have few ratings”
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 28/07/2026
This week in the bathtub it’s Drought Dragon Desolation! Is this desert sandbox dry as bones, or hiding treasures? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/07/27/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Drought Dragon Desolation
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 26/07/2026
Whether any of these are ideal? Perhaps not. And how would Desperation or FTQ even fit into this frame?
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 26/07/2026
I’m not sure exactly the question, except in that there are accepted ways to read different types of texts. Like, recipe books you might read through an index then flick to certain sections. My gut feeling is that if you read a selection of ttrpgs, they’d probably all be aping other text types.
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 22/07/2026
This week in the Bathtub, it’s Oni, a Mothership module where you break into a mafia ship run by a hallucinating ai! Is it supernaturally good, or is it just wearing a mask? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/07/20/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Oni
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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jay Dragon 🔜 Metatopia @jdragsky.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
SEVEN PART PACT STRETCH GOALS ive recieved the blessing of the slumbering gods to announce the stretch goals ! we kept these to a bare minimum, focusing on giving back to the team and filling the core game with even more art
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Joseph R. Lewis @josephrlewis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Hey! You know I have my first Kickstarter next week, right? Featuring three #Shadowdark zines in print and PDF! #osr #ttrpg #dnd www.kickstarter.com/projects/jos...
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: Shadowdark Triple Feature
Three one-shot adventure zines by Joseph R. Lewis
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Night Noon Games 🔜 ArcaneCon!!! @nightnoon.games · 07/07/2026
Really positive review of @slimemindstudio.bsky.social's latest module!
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Slime Mind Studio | Jesse @slimemindstudio.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Duuude! Thanks for the review. I'm so glad you liked it!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 07/07/2026
The quotes this is an excellent one to trawl through the quotes for! Amazing work illustration bluesky!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 07/07/2026
Oooh I’ll look into it, thanks for the tip 🧐
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 06/07/2026
This week in the bathtub: Outcast Unseelie and the Ooze Inbetween! Should you throw this module out, or does it ooze into our good graces? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/07/06/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Outcast Unseelie and the Ooze Between
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Laurie O'Connel (is looking for ttrpg work (in Dublin)) @laurieoc.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
A really nice thoughtful review of Full Send by @idlecartulary.itch.io , do I agree with every criticism? No, (I'd probably do the information design the same way if I did it again) but I'm extremely glad that somebody took the time to read it. idlecartulary.com/2026/06/29/i...
idlecartulary.com
I Read Full Send: A Game of Mountaineering
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually…
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Martin Orchard @orchardmartin.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
A few sales recently off the back of some Youtube coverage, B2Cons and @idlecartulary.itch.io review So that means more community copies!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 06/07/2026
If you wish TTRPGS were more like birding, I’d encourage y’all to consider looking at Field Agent’s Handbooks, a TTRPG on the birding end of the TTRPG to birding spectrum. Super unique. idlecartulary.com/2025/12/24/c...
idlecartulary.com
Critique Navidad: The Field Agent Handbook
Each holiday season, I review different modules, games or supplements as a thank you to the wider tabletop roleplaying game community. All of the work I review during Critique Navidad is either giv…
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Evil Hat @evilhat.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
NEW: A special TTRPG charity bundle to help designer Rae Nedjadi offset their medical expenses after serious illness and a month-long hospital stay. Includes Apocalypse Keys plus a terrific selection of other games. Get over $285 in games for just 25 bucks! 👇 www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
On the left, an illustration of Rae Nedjadi with short curly black hair and horn-rim glasses, wearing a purple and pink striped robe. Next to that, the covers of the games in the Rae Nedjadi Recovery Bundle: Our Haunt, Apocalypse Keys, Doomsday Delights, Brindlewood Bay, Defy the Gods, Once More Into the Void, Blue Rose, Raccoon Sky Pirates, Glow, The Love Balloon, The Wildsea: Ships Gardens, Paragons, Gingerbread Kaiju, The Hunger in the Void, Space Post, Seers & Roebuck, For Coin & Blood, Dynasties & Demagogues, Party Beach Creature Feature, Heroic Maps - Villages (Summer), Quantum Entanglement, and Infestation at Devil's Glade.
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Plus One Exp @ 🔜 Metatopia @plusoneexp.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
2 things we are known for Gluttony Punishment Once again Tony has agreed to judge the Appx N Jam w/ @jorphdan.bsky.social @dankdungeons.bsky.social @idlecartulary.itch.io @thejenya.bsky.social @bobworldbuilder.bsky.social @lootthebody.bsky.social @isaacisafraid.bsky.social itch.io/jam/appx-n-j...
itch.io
Appx. N Jam 2026
A game jam from 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-01 hosted by Dank Dungeons. A list of fantasy and science fiction literature that inspired Dungeons & Dragons. Featuring authors such as Robert E Howard, Fritz Li...
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 29/06/2026
This week i read Full Send, a mountaineering game! Does it scale the peak, or retreat to base camp? find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/06/29/i...
idlecartulary.com
I Read Full Send: A Game of Mountaineering
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually…
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Afraid of Encounters (He/Him) @isaacisafraid.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Appx. N Jam 2026 by @dankdungeons.bsky.social and @jorphdan.bsky.social is starting next week! So I wrote something about the Appendix N and why TTRPG can be weirder. I wasn't expecting it to be a manifesto, but here we are 😂 afraidofencounters.bearblog.dev/appendix-n-m...
Preview of my blogpost, "Things Can Be Weirder in TTRPG: An Appendix N Manifesto"
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 24/06/2026
I’m not the most savvy business woman, but looks promising!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 24/06/2026
As a player, it seems really easy to browse, access or search, particularly compared to Drive Thru. As a creator, it has better findabilty than Drive Thru, and seems to have capacity to in with POD so you can sell print and digital, which makes it an improvement from itch.
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 24/06/2026
I was just sent this new RPG storefront. It’s worth checking out both as a player and a creator rpg-trader.com
rpg-trader.com
RPG Trader
TTRPGs from digital to print, made simple.
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Martin Orchard @orchardmartin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I'll happily take "stellar one shot" as a logline from Nova's review of BLACKOUT - thanks very much!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 22/06/2026
great taste!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 22/06/2026
This week in the bathtub, the lights go out in Blackout! Will this crew ever figure out why the power is out, or will they be slaughtered by an ineffable horror? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/06/22/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Blackout
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 20/06/2026
There are a bunch of really cool jams happening right now that I feel people should jump on — two that come to mind are the Black Hack jam and the Chain Link jam, and I’m judging the second Appx N Jam, which you could co-join with either of these!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 20/06/2026
Are there any other cool jams going I’ve forgotten about?
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 20/06/2026
I reviewed Chain Link here idlecartulary.com/2025/12/09/c... if you haven’t heard of it — I think it would be fun to write for!
idlecartulary.com
Critique Navidad: Chain x Link
Each holiday season, I review different modules, games or supplements as a thank you to the wider tabletop roleplaying game community. All of the work I review during Critique Navidad is either giv…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 20/06/2026
There are a bunch of really cool jams happening right now that I feel people should jump on — two that come to mind are the Black Hack jam and the Chain Link jam, and I’m judging the second Appx N Jam, which you could co-join with either of these!
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ரமணன் @save.vs.totalpartykill.ca · 18/06/2026
There is a game jam happening for one of the greats of the OSR, an early game that didn’t aim to just be a retro clone, the Black Hack!
itch.io
The Black Hack 10th Anniversary Jam
A game jam from 2026-08-01 to 2026-09-01 hosted by pikliz. Ten years ago David Black caved our heads in when he released The Black Hack into the world. Providing a hyper-streamlined ruleset, TBH is a ...
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 15/06/2026
In which I unbox and review the new (ish) D&D starter set, Heroes of the Borderlands. Does it live up to there legacy of its venerable predecessor? Or is it an offence to the holy memory of E Gary Gygax? The answer may surprise you! idlecartulary.com/2026/06/15/i...
idlecartulary.com
I Read Heroes of the Borderlands
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 15/06/2026
At first glance I felt the same way, it just got worse as I dug deeper.
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 15/06/2026
Absolutely baffling!
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 15/06/2026
Pathfinder do subscriptions — you can get minis, maps, adventures.
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 15/06/2026
In which I unbox and review the new (ish) D&D starter set, Heroes of the Borderlands. Does it live up to there legacy of its venerable predecessor? Or is it an offence to the holy memory of E Gary Gygax? The answer may surprise you! idlecartulary.com/2026/06/15/i...
idlecartulary.com
I Read Heroes of the Borderlands
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually…
55312
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Dank Dungeons @dankdungeons.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
This year for our Appx. N Jam we have a bunch of really awesome judges!
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Dank Dungeons @dankdungeons.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The Appx. N Jam 2026 page is live! Sign up to participate! @itch.io #gamejam #osr #dnd #pulpfantasy itch.io/jam/appx-n-j...
itch.io
Appx. N Jam 2026
A game jam from 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-01 hosted by Dank Dungeons. A list of fantasy and science fiction literature that inspired Dungeons & Dragons. Featuring authors such as Robert E Howard, Fritz Li...
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 08/06/2026
This week, in the Bathtub, I take a look at nostalgic parody Vileplume Mountain! idlecartulary.com/2026/06/08/b...
idlecartulary.com
Bathtub Review: Vileplume Mountain
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module de…
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Clayton @explorersdesign.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Now that the discourse has died down, and my birding has lessened, I want to talk about lists in rpgs. I like what both sides of the debate make. So, like everything else, "good" isn't about which side you choose but how you execute the idea. If you choose to use lists, use them well.
explorersdesign.com
How to Design Lists in RPGs
User-friendly definitions, tips, and tricks for graphic design in rpgs.
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John Harper @johnharper.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Band-Aids & Bullet Holes is a cool game about cool characters and I'm making a cool stretch goal about cool cars and cool places to race and wreck them. Check it out.
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 27/05/2026
Today, I read Fatherfog, the first new RPG from Tuesday Knight Games in 8 years — and it's set in a strange world filled with fog, where you're guided by ropes and haunted by fairy-tales. Is it Fatherfog going to be the next Mothership? Find out! idlecartulary.com/2026/05/27/i...
idlecartulary.com
I Read Fatherfog
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually…
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 10/05/2026
For me, simulating is less compatible with having fun in OSR play; verisimilitude is essential though, because it needs to respond in ways you think the real world would respond in (if it had fae, or dragons, or mantis-faced death cultists, etc). fin/🧵
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Idle Cartulary @idlecartulary.itch.io · 10/05/2026
Random encounter tables are an example of the difference between these two. They make it seem like the world is alive. They aren’t actually simulating anything in the real world. 2/🧵
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