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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal

@newmadras.bsky.social
3.7K followers 715 following 2K posts

He/him. Journalist at Rascal News. Interested in the art, history, and science of games. Makes the Indie RPG Newsletter and the Yes Indied Podcast. notrueindian@outlook.com

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Reposted by Thomas M, Full-time Rascal
MinnMax @minnmax.com · 9h
Jacob Geller is no longer a part of MinnMax. He won't be on content moving forward and we won't be publicly airing this week's episode of The MinnMax Show. We're in shock and deeply hurt. Thank you for your patience during this sensitive time.
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Rascal News @rascal.news · 11h
Lumberjills is a joyful homage to the Women’s Timber Corps in WW2 www.rascal.news/lumberjills-...
Lumberjills is a joyful homage to the Women’s Timber Corps in WW2
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maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 23h
Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun.
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Aaron Lim 林家丰 @ehronlime.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The “hahaha ok” Response Strategy
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Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me · 30/09/2026
My third novel, HERO COME HOME, officially has a cover! Preorderable from the usual places us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
The cover of my third novel, HERO COME HOME. Four human figures centred, the main image being that of a bearded man looking back over his shoulder (that's Oro, the protagonist), with a circle of symbols behind him. We can see a swan and a key. In the foreground are three people: two women, one with a mysterious marking? scar? who knows!? on her cheek and the other carrying a sword, flanking an older, balding man holding up a pistol. The possibly-scarred woman looks ever so slightly amused, and that is certainly very like her. Everybody else is not happy to be here, or indeed, anywhere
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lumpley @lumpley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
15 years ago when Apocalypse World was new and people were beginning to understand and work with it, it was seductive to look at "acting under fire" and see, not one basic move of several, but the template underlying all the game's moves. Like @kierongillen.bsky.social 's classic gag:
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Luck Roll (Brian) @luckroll.itch.io · 29/09/2026
This was a lot of fun to record and it's great to share it now with listeners. Check the episode description in your podcast app for a (fairly exhaustive) list of timestamps. From bone magnets to mythic stews to railing against roads, you're covered.
Screenshot of the timestamps and descriptions of talking points in the podcast episode.
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briar, duke of dykes @weregazelle.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
indie ttrpg design is hard because a lot of us are very beautiful and it's really distracting
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Analog Game Studies @analoggamestudies.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Gyaneshwar Singh and Raghu Dharmendra invite you to the Board Game Studies Colloquium 2027 in Mysuru, India, on February 22-26, 2027. Submission deadline: Nov 15, 2026 Registration deadline: Jan 15, 2027 boardgamestudies.site/colloquium/b...
boardgamestudies.site
BGSC 2027 - Board Game Studies
In 2027, the Board Game Studies Colloquium travels to the historic “City of Palaces,” Mysore (Mysuru), India.
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Kieron Gillen @kierongillen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Includes! Warhammer stuff of various levels of fidelity! My highest OSR game! Games set in malls involving time travel and kissing! Games about language! Civ: but a TTRPG! And more!
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Adrian Tchaikovsky @aptshadow.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I've been reading Hot War from @handiworkgames.bsky.social , which uses a system that Tyrant Philosophers will have a variant of, and I did want to post about how fun it looks as a narrative tool.
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JW Mason @jwmason.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is the master key to deciphering contemporary debates about free speech. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/se...
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(Self) Regulators, mount up! @bankuei.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Do you like Mass Effect? Once More into the Void is basically the rules light, Mass Effect style RPG that plays in 1-3 sessions. The physical copies are $20 and whatever doesn't sell is going to be pulped bc it's too expensive to send them back up into Canada for storage.
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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Ten years of relentlessly hateful, comically elitist anti-democratic politics across the white people world, helpfully summarised. The wrong people are talking, the wrong people are deciding and it’s harming the careers of important people who actually matter. Smithers! Release the hounds
The incident fits a broader pattern in the discourse around 'free speech' and 'cancel culture': whatever comes from the top down is freedom; whatever comes from the bottom up is bullying and censorship. When Macklemore is dropped at the behest of the billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft, it's an exercise of the freedom of businesses to 'demonstrate their values' by deciding whom to platform. But when Ed Sheeran's fans decide not to buy tickets to his performances, or even demand refunds, it's bullying, mob behaviour. Since most people are not billionaires and do not own stadiums, they can exercise meaningful power only collectively. The collective exercise of power must therefore be demonised.
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Misha Grifka Wander @mishagw.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Ancillary Review is looking for more editors! Message me if you're interested in copy-editing, dev editing, or graphics creation for a Hugo finalist magazine of spec fic criticism! It's volunteer-based and fits with your schedule <3
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Do I have any mutuals who have played games set in Eberron (asking for Rascal Reading Club as that's our next setting book)?
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Playtest Material Magazine @playtestmaterial.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
A serious one today. "This is a call to our readers and future readers: please, consider before scrolling away, if you think our magazine is worth £18+postage. It is not just an investment in a bundle of paper, but in meaningful critique in the ttrpg space." playtestmaterial.org/playtest-mat...
playtestmaterial.org
Playtest Material launches its first ever subscription drive
Playtest Material needs 75 subscribers to break even — one of those could be you.
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Rascal News @rascal.news · 18/09/2026
Dice Exploder’s Sam Dunnewold is running out of things to say about RPGs www.rascal.news/dice-explode...
Logo for the podcast Dice Exploder. Pink dice are placed amidst a yellow background.
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Rascal News @rascal.news · 17/09/2026
2 Good 2 Society: Storybrewers do a lot with small changes in the new edition of the beloved Austen-like www.rascal.news/2-good-2-soc...
good society first edition book with an arrow pointing towards the new pastel boxed set featuring a typical regency setting image
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
quote from Silent Titans: everything looks whimsical but is secretly SAD
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Rascal News @rascal.news · 16/09/2026
Part two of a thread looking at the articles in Rascal: Year Two anthology! In the second half of this collection, we start o get weird. Check out the book on the Heart of the Deernicorn store: heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/rasc...
heartofthedeernicorn.com
Rascal News Year 2
A collection of some of the best independent journalism about tabletop roleplaying games and the people who make them, from Rascal News.
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Dr. Mike Sellraiser III: Sell on Earth @profmikesell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I have an unusual opportunity: I've been offered the opportunity to display the visual art of a tabletop roleplaying game in one of our campus galleries for 6 months. What game and artists (including layout designers) would you recommend? We'd need to be able to set this up quickly!
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Great book, easy recommend to anyone who likes the weird
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
is there a good society hack where everyone's on a reality show? because that's a slam dunk idea, someone make that
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Heart of the Deernicorn @heartofthedeernicorn.com · 16/09/2026
Rascal News Vol 2 is another collection of the best tabletop gaming news journalism from their second year in publication. It’s available now on our website! #tabletopgames #ttrpg #ttrpgtok #ttrpgcommunity #ttrpgs
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Ross Cowman @rosscowman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
soft launching UK-based shipping on heartofthedeernicorn.com right now. Free shipping on orders over $200 to the UK and Republic of Ireland. Duty paid shipments to most EU countries. If you want to do me a solid, try ordering something DM me to let me know how it goes.
heartofthedeernicorn.com
Heart of the Deernicorn
Publisher, distributor, and manufacturer of tabletop games including RPGs, Solo RPGs, and Story Games.
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Rascal News @rascal.news · 15/09/2026
The Rascal: Year Two anthology is out! Here's a thread breaking down what's in the in book: 🧵 ⬇️ heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/rasc...
heartofthedeernicorn.com
Rascal News Year 2
A collection of some of the best independent journalism about tabletop roleplaying games and the people who make them, from Rascal News.
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
a lot of life is deciding what stuff to feel guilty about
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J? @jquestionmark.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This extremely cool game is currently struggling on Kickstarter (and asking a comically reasonable total to fund). If this is even a little your jam, please help make it happen: www.kickstarter.com/projects/wun... #ttrpg #pbta #no-ai
kickstarter.com
Mars Watch | PBTA space military + survival horror
An almost tenth-anniversary second edition of award-winning RPG The Watch by Ash Kreider, with a new setting and playbook
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𝕲𝖆𝖝 @gaxix.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It was lovely to have @kierongillen.bsky.social on this episode. We talked a mile a minute about so many different topics and Kieron shared some great anecdotes and writing advice.
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Opinion Editor @ Bluesky @dly.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I hope this Ishmael finds you whale
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Aaron King @aaronmfking.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Over 20 people showed up. Multiple people are helping to plan the next one plus other community stuff. Wow! Local shit is good.
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is one of the first stories I pitched at Rascal when I joined in 2024. I did the reporting then but didn't write it then for complicated reasons. Earlier this year, I ran the game again. When I sat down to write, I had a lot to say and it all came pouring out.
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BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
It's become hugely dispiriting how frequently I'm having to contact other tabletop news sites asking that they -please- cite BoardGameWire as the source of the story they've just directly lifted, slightly reworded or run through ChatGPT before slapping it on their site without attribution.
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is one of the first stories I pitched at Rascal when I joined in 2024. I did the reporting then but didn't write it then for complicated reasons. Earlier this year, I ran the game again. When I sat down to write, I had a lot to say and it all came pouring out.
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Dr Holly Nielsen @hollynielsen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Thousand Hells is out NOW. A tactical narrative game about staging heists in different hells that blends mythology and surrealism from the creators of King of Dragon Pass and Six Ages - there’s nothing like it. I’m delighted to be one of the writers involved store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...
store.steampowered.com
Save 10% on Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists on Steam
Recruit your team, choose your path, and descend into hell. Four heroes must overcome the trials of the underworlds in tactical narrative encounters. A new systemic storybook experience blending mytho...
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Chris Kerr @kerrblimey.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
BREAKING: Blizzard union workers have ratified a historic contract that has secured guardrails around AI usage, layoff protections, remote/hybrid work benefits, and much more.
gamedeveloper.com
Blizzard union workers ratify contract covering 1,900 employees
Union members have secured guardrails around generative AI usage, layoff protections, remote and hybrid work benefits, and more.
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Sarah Cole @irny.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
An interesting post from V, talking about their experience with a LARP themed on Discord Elysium.
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Ravensridge Emporium ➡️ Pax Aus @ravensridgeco.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Have you heard the news? The illustrious #TTRPG Good Society is getting a second edition! The Kickstarter launches soon and I know I'ma be backing it straight away 👀 www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG – 2nd Edition
Navigate the pitfalls of romance, reputation, manners, and marriage in the sumptuous new edition of this award-winning regency rpg.
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Sam Leigh ➡️ PAX U @goblinmixtape.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
To those who didn't know (like me), Mixam has a new "Add bundling" option when placing an order. Easy to miss if you're doing a re-order. If you don't add bundling, the games might be loose in the box, and you might be dealing with 1/3 of your copies arriving damaged (also like me).
Hundreds of copies of Anamnesis separated into piles on the floor. The piles have labeled sticky notes in front of them that describe the damage.
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Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social · 22/10/2024
Word on the street is that the next big thing in publishing is garish, avant garde science fantasy about anguished souls living in weird cities built on the bones of fallen civilizations they could never hope to understand
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The print collection of our best stories from Year Two of the site is finally out! It has my best work from last year: Realis and Surrealism, the essay about Impossible Landscapes (my best piece so far, maybe), and the saga of why everyone is mad about Shadowrun.
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Furtive Shambles @furtiveshambles.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
RYNE is now available for digital download 🍂🍂🍂 The knots which hold Ryne together wear thin, and we don’t know how much longer they will hold. The only thing which stops the world’s threads from snapping are the Remnants—strange colossi, the broken husks of old gods. rpg-trader.com/products/915...
rpg-trader.com
RYNE on RPG Trader
Life in the footsteps of gods
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Dr. Emily Friedman @ecfriedman.com · 07/09/2026
Associated reading: lareviewofbooks.org/article/who-... And @aarontram.bsky.social HOW DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CHANGED THE WAY WE PLAY from @dukepress.bsky.social dukeupress.edu/how-dungeons...
lareviewofbooks.org
Who Owns Dungeons & Dragons? | Los Angeles Review of Books
Emily Friedman writes about intellectual property and Dungeons and Dragons.
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Pip @pipmadeley.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Tom Baker looking increasingly deranged as Professor Plum on Cluedo
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Not Writing Games @notwritinggames.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Okay if I can't convince you to buy my stuff maybe I can convince you to follow me? Baby is so close to 3K and that doesn't cost you anything. I promise the estrogen is only making me hotter so it'll be worth it...
Screenshot of my Bluesky follower count at 2961
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kheehoon chan Still Needs Work @crapstacular.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This Sept marks my first year writing about tabletop games with @rascal.news! I'm immensely grateful, and have learned a lot from the Rascal folks who have taught me so much about the industry and being a better writer, so I wanted to share some of my fave pieces over the past year.
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This is the Mexico story I was asking around about on this site almost two months ago! It's about games, it's about borders and circumventing them, I mention tequila once, it's neat.
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Thomas M, Full-time Rascal @newmadras.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This reminds of how for season 4 of Amazon's Legend of Vox Machina, there was an animated AMA with the character Percy (not the actor) and the effect was pretty uncanny valley www.reddit.com/r/criticalro...
reddit.com
From the criticalrole community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the criticalrole community
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