iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Once again, I have had the pleasure of riding along with this whole trilogy, and I cannot wait to assign it to my students. The innovation in the whole trilogy and the way it deals with ethnicity, power, and how far people go to attain basic creative freedom is a powerful set. A24 better lock in.

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Quinn murphy @gamefiend.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Oh. Shit. How am I just now learning about Black Speculative Fiction Month happening in October? anyway, I will try to do a little TTRPG thing related to it this month, but I will come back *prepared* next year. blackspeculativefictionmonth.org

blackspeculativefictionmonth.org

Constellation of Change — A year-round hub for Black speculative fiction and Afrofuturism

A living archive of the writers, scholars and artists building Black speculative futures — open to readers, students, journalists and librarians every day of the year.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Hi, I come to you after knee surgery to tell you something really important for ageing and health. LIFT. SOME MOTHER FUCKING WEIGHTS. I don't care if you don't want to bulk up. BULK UP BITCH. Make them use the extra large Blood pressure cuff on your arms. Make them squint at your BMI. Lift. 🏋🏾‍♀️

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Super stoked to add this to my to read list.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

On Welcome Day I filled a wagon with my ceramics in mystery bags and wheeled them around for my colleagues and our Masters students to take them as a fae deal. Then I hawked a sack of my small pieces down the auditorium aisles making our first years put their hand in the bag and take something.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

When @jeffstormer.gobirds.online put out the Bird signal I absolutely had to answer. A lot of our world can be cynical. Jeff and the vibe of Party of One has always made me feel like the point is to play with an open heart and curiosity. It rekindles my love of the medium. Happy 500, here's to 1k. 💗

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shing yin khor @shing.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I'm prepping MAIL DAY this week, so this is a good time to sign on to my Patreon if you want a print of my Whatever Tart recipe/process! It is literally only $6 for my art to land in your mailbox! www.patreon.com/shing

patreon.com

Get more from Shing Yin Khor on Patreon

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Campus movers picked up my home studio today, and I was self conscious about my stuff which to ME looks unusual. Academics have books mostly, but I have pottery, bolts of fabric, sewing machines, etc. Them: Do you have a piano? Me: No. Them: Yeah, this is fine. They moved a jellyfish tank once.

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Camilla Zamboni 🔜 Metatopia @czamboni.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Excellent work by @scorchadoom.bsky.social - share widely! Add your name, or recommend others'! I'll go through my collection later and double-check that I haven't forgotten anybody. Thank you 🙏🏻

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It took me over an hour to pack up all my comics. I got really confused as to why I was missing so many and realized I bought *half* to my office. But I still can't find my TPB of Gloom Cookie. 😭

A cover of Gloom Cookie, a gothic comic book. There is a shirt woman in a black dress, a very tall demon like figure behind ger and a glowering 18th century dress man next to a white mohawked punk.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Kind folks do we know what game this is? This could be a lot of things (murder mystery parties were HUGE) but it could be something specific.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Everything's an immersive experience. You wake up in the morning and hear birdsong just like there's real birds outside. When you get dressed there's a closet with real clothes inside. Your mailbox opens with a KEY and the food tastes just like food you'd eat. You're so immersed you're drowning.

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Evan Torner @guyintheblackhat.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Multiple students of mine have made some sort of career in TTRPGs! How do we do it? * We emphasize diversity of play / facilitation experience. Students should see the range of social situations these games produce. * Your portfolio >>> your grades * The journey >>> the destination

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I just submitted two proposals for the KP book this year. One on my teaching at UCSC and another on the project I'm doing inside Neotropolis. I'm back, baby.

An image of Jiggly puff smacking the snot out of another pokemon.

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Banana Chan 🔜 Portland Retro Gaming Expo @bananachangames.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

If you’re going to PAX West next weekend I’ll be there boothing with Read/Write Memory at 4142 at the Tabletop area at the Summit Convention Center. Come say hi 👋

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Doing research on parasocial behavior in AP spaces reminds me of what occasionally happens after larps when players play disagreeable people. APs are like if fandom got to watch your larp and have opinions on who the player is as a person based on their character without being there.

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Sharang Biswas @sharangbiswas.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I’m going to be using @cyborgurl.bsky.social’s ITSY BITSY EXERCISES in my intro to videogame design course this fall! It’s great resource if you wanna teach with Bitsy (which is itself a great platform for teaching games or storytelling) w.itch.io/itsy-bitsy-e...

w.itch.io

Itsy Bitsy Exercises by Anna Anthropy

Exercises from a narrative design class

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

As a designer and researcher I take special pleasure in having to explain the word Thot academically. It's a reminder that I am not trapped in here with them. They're trapped in here with ME.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Dolly Parton was an American treasure. When my grandma taught me how to sew, it was because I couldn't afford the clothes I wanted. She told me her mother once made her a patchwork coat, and to listen to this Dolly song to understand the bond we shared. I'm a 3rd generation seamstress.

youtu.be

Dolly Parton - Coat Of Many Colors

YouTube video by gussie5555

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I don't know who needs to hear this, but I'd like to remind you that instead of writing yet another erotic larp where there's oppression and horror, you could throw an inclusive sex party for much cheaper, with the same costumes and characters but perhaps better boundaries. ✨

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Thanks everyone for this game avalanche. I'll go through everything and see if it fits what I'm hoping to achieve. Just so we know, this course was created by my awesome asf colleague @swensen.bsky.social . At UCSC we can teach each other's courses in our own way. I chose to focus on solo ttrpgs

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

This Winter I'll be teaching an Experimental TTRPG course and I'll be focusing on solo journaling games. If you have a game you think I should read, or you have a game you really love, please plug it and tell me about it. ✨ Also please share widely. I want some non US perspectives.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma was like eating your favorite candy wondering why it tastes funny, and then you turn it over on the back and notice the Best By date says 2005.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I mostly agree with this, and I'd go further in one place. If you're going to have things like slavery in a game, you owe it to your players to know the purpose of it being there and to not half ass it. Let's talk about the horror of what it really is and what it means. Or don't do it at all.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I've been replaying Dispatch this month as a comfy chill game. By tweaking the game settings (no interaction during story segments, unlimited hacking attempts) Dispatch goes from a highly interactive multi mode experience to a slower paced narrative game where I can revel in story and rehab supes.

A scene from Dispatch, where four heroes are sat eating tacos, while one takes a photo.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

"Do you think you can handle weeks of recovery? You will be unable to move." Me, already making my imaginary world and playfort: "Doctor I am going to be so unhinged on the Internet. It's gonna be like 1999 again."

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Reading up on the recovery period for the very unexpected surgery I need lets me know two things. I am either going to come out of recovery with a great work of art OR go absolutely bananas and subsequently make a great work of art. Either way, something must be made.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I have seen Sample, and I can't tell you enough how absurdly good they are at making you understand how far people are willing to go. Genuinely some of the best personal horror I've been able to engage with.

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Avery Alder, Buried Without Ceremony @lackingceremony.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Jeff: "We're going to play a game about gay letter-writing." Avery: "Sounds good. I'm going to play a guy who would never actually write a letter because that would be really gay." ✨🎭 But for real this game was the most sad-fun I've had in ages, and I hope you give the episode a listen! 😘

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Elizabeth Hargrave @elizhargrave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

One major purpose of TTGDA is to help tabletop game designers negotiate better publishing contracts. We just released the rubric of what we look for -- and info on how different publishers scored on the rubric. Soon we will also release a model contract. More at www.ttgda.org/contract-bas...

Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) Releases Scoring Rubric and Tabletop
Market Contract Analysis to Promote Equitable Industry Standards

Bridgewater, NJ – The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) today announced the
launch of their Contract Scoring Rubric and publication of its Tabletop Market Contract Analysis
– 2026, a comprehensive industry report designed to share information about contract practices
and advocate for fair treatment, intellectual property protection, and designer involvement in the
tabletop game publishing process.
The report, developed by the TTGDA contract & grievance committee—led by industry veterans
Geoff Engelstein, Elizabeth Hargrave, Matt Leacock, and James Lowder—seeks to address the
wide disparity in publishing agreements across the industry. With many first-time game
designers accepting terms that may be disadvantageous, the TTGDA has developed a rigorous,
objective scoring rubric to evaluate publisher contracts.
“Our intention is to shine a light on these industry practices and lead to more equitable
standards,” says TTGDA Vice President Sen-Foong Lim. To assist in this effort, the TTGDA will
be releasing model contracts that adhere to the criteria established in the scoring rubric.
The full report can be downloaded at www.ttgda.org/contract-basics.
Key Industry Findings
The analysis of contracts from over 50 publishers reveals several critical areas where many
standard publishing agreements fall short of fair practices:
● Advances: Only two-thirds of publishers offer a baseline advance above the
TTGDA-recommended minimum of $1,000, while 20% offer no advance at all.
● Designer Involvement in Expansions: 40% of publishers retain the right to create
expansions without consulting the original game’s designer.

Intellectual Property Rights: 75% of publishers retain the rights to a game’s name after
the publication agreement concludes and rights to the design revert to the creator.
● Financial Transparency: One-third of publishers deny designers the right to audit their
books, and 10% include non-standard deductions to revenue before royalties are
calculated.
Moving Toward Standards
The Tabletop Market Contract Analysis includes aggregate results, with summary scores for
each individual publisher available to TTGDA members. However TTGDA would like to highlight
the top five scoring publishers (alphabetically): 25th Century Games, Fireside Games, Lunar
Punk, Plaid Hat Games, and UP Games.
“These results are not a call to avoid specific publishers,” says TTGDA President Geoff
Engelstein. “Rather they are a tool for designers to negotiate terms that include fair payment,
intellectual property protection, and a meaningful role in the final product.”
The organization plans to release semi-annual updates to the Tabletop Market Contract
Analysis as more contracts are reviewed and publishers revise their standard agreements.
About the Tabletop Game Designers Association
The Tabletop Game Designers Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization dedicated to
supporting designers of all types of tabletop games, including board games, role playing games,
card games, miniature games, and others, whether mass market, specialty, or hobby. Learn
more about us at www.ttgda.org.

Contact:
Geoff Engelstein
President
Tabletop Game Designers Association
president@ttgda.org
www.ttgda.org

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I don't get to run as many games as I would like. Especially since a lot of the games I want to run tend to be indies. I'm getting the opportunity to run a bunch of games soon, and I'm trying to pick between two different ideas. I'm a very involved storyteller. Wanna help me choose? 🧵

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Choosing KP over GDC this year feels correct considering it's the 30th anniversary and also I haven't had smørrebrød in six years. Get on an extremely long plane ride at the end of a very tough semester and gonna fall face first into an open faced sandwich. 🙏🏾

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I really love comics, but I do have such a wide variety of tastes that it's hard for me to figure out what to read. Here's a quick thread of what I have on deck, maybe this will help you the next time you're in your local shop!

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Oh dear Bsky. It's time to add to my local comic book store subscription. What should I check out? I have Elvira/ Harley, love horror and mystical shit, X men, Wicked and Devine, most superhero stuff if it feels fresh. Love an Indie. What ya got?

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Bsky is always broken for me so if you see me doing stuff four days late, mind your business. 🤣

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Camilla Zamboni 🔜 Metatopia @czamboni.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I love Boston for many reasons, but today I found a new one: the incredible @sidequestbooks.bsky.social - a book and game shop in Somerville with the most impressive collection of indie TTRPGs I've seen in my life. Incredible stuff, better than the IPR booth at any convention. 🔥 1 /

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This is bang on. I'd like to continue to point out that "Dungeon Master" a live improvisational stage show was created by a Black man named Bruce A. Young in Chicago in 1983. He brought it to LA where it continued to be performed well into 2017. What's important is who was in the audience and cast.

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James D'Amato @oneshotrpg.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

I don't feel the need to note it often, but One Shot predates Critical Role by almost two years and The Adventure Zone by just one. I say this merely to emphasize the show about touring hundreds of indie games was popular and successful before the most prominent D&D shows even began.

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Amy Dallen @enthusiamy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I don’t know what’s prompted this comment in particular, but this appreciation is an evergreen sentiment. She changed a lot of lives. (Like John, I’m wildly biased!) [Note: I’d never expect a new AP fan to know all this—it’s a lot of history now, & like with comics, there’s no quiz for admission!]

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I have defeated the first summer Big Bad (submitting tenure file) and I'm moving on to the second equally terrifying Big Bad (my untouched since June email inbox).

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Just realized this Fall I'll celebrate ten years designing and writing games as a profession. Besides writing a game, how should I celebrate that?

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

One thing a lot of folks don't always get is that Nordic larp is not always a helpful way to describe larp styles or cultures. For instance, I can see that my own style of larp organizing and writing is more in line with the styles of Finnish designers. Even my academic work is shaped by them.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Santa Cruz is so small I get to jumpscare my favorite students by just waiting in line for breakfast.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

If you want to larp and need an amazing place to try it out, this is your time! I couldn't get everything together to go this year, but YOU CAN. Masks are worn, the orgs are great, and no one is doing it like Minneapolis, frankly.

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Hey, you. Update your CV. I have to write everything I've ever done for my tenure review and forgot somehow I was a multiple Ennie winning teams one year. 😅 My embarrassment of not having this on my CV is probably because my mental health was hanging on by a thread after 2020. Do your bookkeeping!

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I've spent years dragging my feet on making educational videos about play etc. because I don't want to be "online". But every time I go back home to LA, I spend hours talking to friends they're like, "...you know you're gonna have to be on the Internet again, right?" youtu.be/xwtdhWltSIg?...

youtu.be

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (Official HD Music Video)

YouTube video by remhq

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Watching the slow and inevitable Fortnite-tification of D&D is pretty wild actually, because what do you mean we're bringing back Dark Sun? Did we really need that? Now? And who is the person writing the slavery section? 🫠

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I got Covid for the *first time* a few weeks ago and let me tell you, please fucking test before you go to an event. Don't be that asshole. And if you are positive stay the fuck home. Some performers and event folks can't mask. The least we can do is test, the best we can do is mask. ✨

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Jonaya Kemper @violetriotgames.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

KP and GDC are at the same time again and I have like three days to decide which one to go to. 🫠 (no one pity me except for the day of travel).

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