iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 17m

I posted a devlog for (Everyone Roll A) Perception Check, which is currently in the very cool TTRPG Collective Anniversary Bundle. @jayeeis.bsky.social ran some super helpful playtests of the new version, and this game is turning into something very exciting. whimsy-machine.itch.io/perception-c...

Image is a cropped version of a new cover illustration by Michelle Stanford. Text reads "Everyone Roll A Perception Check" in the top left and "New Version Coming!" in the bottom right. The illustration is monochrome (black, gray, and white) of three fantasy characters, including one with big bat ears and wide eyes, one with many eyes visible under a dark hood, and horned character with eyes covered by hair and holding up "Doug Jones hands".

132

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

We're celebrating the TTRPG Collective's 3rd anniversary with a showcase bundle of 40+ projects that could only be made with the support of a community. The creativity and skill of these folks is mind-blowing! itch.io/b/3934/ttrpg... #ttrpgs #rpg #indiedev #dnd #ttrpgcommunity #selfpromosaturday

Title image that says "Find my work in the TTRPG Collective 3rd Anniversary Bundle. A community-powered bundle by the creatives of the TTRPG Collective." The background has illustrations of notebook papers. The foreground has illustrations of pencils, dice, book, swords, webcams, and microphones.

Similar to the title image, this image lists details of the bundle: contains over 40 projects made by members of the TTRPG Collective Discord Server. TTRPGs, artwork, supplements, and more! Equal profit share between all creators in the bundle means if you support one of us, you support all of us. 100% human-made projects! $20 USD. Ends October 31st.

22317

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Look, I don't like seeing the onslaught of self promotion that is modern social media, but we're all here to grind some bones to make our bread. Anyway, a little over five days to get this awesome ttrpg horror bundle I'm in. itch.io/b/3705/-my-l... #horror #ttrpgs #indiegames #bundle #shamelesspromo

Cover image for the bundle with text "solo/duets, my lone summer (bundle)" with a leather notebook looking thing in the background, a star drawn with rough brushstrokes, and a moody cursed cursive vibe all around.

0157

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Gosh, cats sure are great. www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...

A Meiji period painting of a gray cat with a colorful scarf crouched on the floor and watching a spider from around a door. The painting is titled "Cat Watching a Spider" and is taken from MET Open Access gallery.

010

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Happy Caturday! Oats is sleeping in, but if you're reading this that means you're awake and can work on your #catjam project! itch.io/jam/charity-...

A white and grey cat curled up sleeping by a blanket on the couch.

063

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

When it came time to find a picture for this Badge, I found this picture of Oats being an absolute menace to his brother Buckwheat and knew what I must do.

A badge icon featuring a picture of a light gray cat biting the back of a black and gray cat who has his mouth open. The text reads "Prey Drive: Features chasing, hunting, or playful fighting."

021

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I'm particularly excited about the Badges for this jam. When you submit a project, you can grab these pngs to add to your project page, the cover, wherever! They let folks know what to expect, they mark your achievements, and they look super cute. All photos are from SAFe or my own cats.

A badge icon featuring a fluffy orange cat. Text reads: "Extra Fluffy. Includes soft, cozy, and gentle themes."

A badge icon featuring a tuxedo cat. Text reads: "Tuxedo. Includes creative use of black and white."

A badge icon featuring two cats cuddling. Text reads: "Bonded Pair. Made in collaboration with another creator."

A badge icon featuring three cats cuddling. Text reads: "Clowder. Features a community or large social group(s)."

2113

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

I cooled off on participating in bundles for a while because life got busy, but I'm super proud to be a part of this one. Richard at @sprintingowl.bsky.social is an amazing community leader. Bundles like this make it feasible for indie creators to actually create. #ttrpgs itch.io/b/3361/sprin...

An ad graphic titled "Solo Tabletop Bundle". The graphic contains thumbnails from all games included. Text reads: "39 games" and "only $12."

01711

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

I've been reading The Once and Future King extremely slowly but I enjoy it so much. I didn't realize how very funny it is, and also how much the Sword in the Stone movie is based on it.

A screenshot from the ebook version of The Once and Future King. The text reads:
Merlyn wrung his hands.
"Well, anyway," he said, "suppose they did not let you stand against all the evil in the world?"
"I could ask," said the Wart.
"You could ask," repeated Merlyn.
He thrust the end of his beard into his mouth, stared tragically at the fire, and began to munch it fiercely.

000

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

This chapter rolls into the HP/Harm summary and ends with a "don't sweat the details." This is because games start with a Tutorial Cutscene where you play a combat scene with just vibes starting out to get a feel of what you'd like out of your character.

Page 12 of Fight Item Run. The header reads: The Adventure.

The top paragraph reads: "Fight Item Run is played in two phases: Combat and Recovery. Combat is forward motion, and Recovery is retreating. When there are monsters and danger, the characters are in Combat. If all characters run from Combat, then they are in Recovery until they advance forward again."

The "Press Start" section reads: "Not every player needs to know everything that lies within this book in order for the group to start playing. So long as each player has enough information to make their characters, play can begin with the Tutorial cutscene.

The textbox reads: "Once each player has followed the character creator steps (consider excluding Schools of Magic if playing for the first time), everyone can take turns introducing their characters. Describe their name, pronouns, Class, starting Gear, and general aesthetic. The important elements to convey at this time are the impression someone would get from their character art, what their battle animation will look like, and a couple descriptive sentences in a game manual but nothing much beyond that. The finer details will be discovered during the game."

000

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

The Adventure chapter dives into dice rolling and moves. This is where the PbtA mechanics will feel most familiar. Roll 2d6 using one of four stats (ACC, DEF, DMG, & SP). 6 & under is a miss, 7-9 is a hit with a catch, and 10+ is a hit with a perk. This example breaks down a Draw Magic move.

An interior page of Fight Item Run that lists three possible results of a dice roll using colored text boxes.
The section is labeled "Roll Example."
The introduction text reads: "Nephele is fighting a monster with an interesting mimicry ability, so she tries to Draw Magic from Target. Nephele’s player rolls two dice and adds Nephele’s SP, which is 2, to the result."
The first box reads: "If the total is 10 or higher: Nephele pulls the magical essence from the target and will gain a piece of Gear once that target is destroyed. She also learns that the monster is weak to attacks it can’t see coming. Sneak attacks are particularly effective against monsters with the ability to copy their foes. Nephele swirls her staff in the air and pulls magical light from the monster, which then projects hologram-like visions that only she can see."
The second box reads: "If the total is 7, 8, or 9: Nephele still draws the essence and will get Gear, but she doesn’t learn about a particular weakness for that type of monster. Nephele ducks in close to the monster, pulling away magical light into her staff, and then rolls out of the way before getting into danger."
The third box reads: "If total is 6 or less: Nephele does not draw the essence of the monster and the DM will be able to use this opportunity to use a Combat Miss Reaction. Nephele ducks in close to the monster, but before she can pull magic from it, the monster lunges and gains an Engagement on her. As she rolls out of the way, she realizes she’s been cornered by the monster. Nephele’s player also marks the character sheet next to Nephele’s Secret."

100

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Anyway, I love the art by @breewolfstuff.bsky.social, and this cheesy line might be my favorite in the whole book.

Page 8 from Fight Item Run. The header labels the page as being in "The Themes" chapter. A purple text box with white font says " If you’re interested in your character becoming romantically involved with another player’s character, let them know and — if they’re on board with it — you can both create opportunities for romantic tension to build. If two characters argue frequently, discuss out of character the reasons why, if it’s a point of stress for the players, and whether or not to explore reconciliation between the characters."
There's an emphasized text line that says "The most rewarding chambers to explore, after all, are the ones of the heart."
A fantasy warrior wearing red, yellow, and gray armor makes a victory pose as light glows around them.

130

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

The core is heartily modified Powered by the Apocalypse, plus I had a lot of fun with big weird magic schools, item charts, an affinity system that ties into the real dramatic meat: Cutscenes. PbtA elements shine in the "DM is a fan of the players" and players having narrative agency.

Table of Contents, page one of two, for Fight Item Run. The page is decorated with pixel art. The sections are:
1, The Dungeon.
Discussion of the setting and inspiration of Fight Item Run, and how to go about making it your own.

4, The Themes.
Topics Fight Item Run explores and those it avoids in play, as well as certain design decisions explained.

9, The Adventure.
The baseline structure and rules for play.

13, The Fight.
Rules and discussion of the Combat phase of play.

23, The Recovery.
Rules and discussion of the Recovery phase of play.

28, The Relationships.
Rules and discussion of Affinity, the representation of character bonds and dynamics.

30, The Characters.
Character creation steps and information on character Classes.

37, The Magic.
Information about the Schools of Magic, an optional character build.

47. The Items:
Rules and discussion on Items (generic, single-use consumables), Gear (character-specific equipment), and Glow (purchasing currency).

Table of Contents, page two of two, for Fight Item Run. The page is decorated with pixel art. The sections are:

53, THE Monsters.
Rules and discussion on monsters and how to generate them, as well as information on monster Traits, Bosses, and Techniques.

62, The Puzzles.
Rules and discussion on puzzles (which may be in addition to monsters or a replacement for them in a chamber).

70, The Extras.
Information on and examples of the non-monster characters the party may meet in the dungeon.

72, The Cutscenes.
Information on and examples of Cutscenes, which are plot-specific scenes that are triggered by actions and tools to control the narrative.

77, The Moderator.
Information and rules for the dungeon moderator, A.K.A. the DM: the player who facilitates the dungeon itself and the monsters within.

82, The Stories.
Example scenarios including specific plots and adventure hooks that can be played with Fight Item Run.
84, Chronicles of Power: The Wild Tower.
92, Zero Day Threat.
99, Super Dragon Kid Adventure!
105, The Spookeasy.

81. Index.
A list of key terms and where to find them within this book.

111, Credits.
Recognition for the team behind this book.

113, Character Sheet.

120

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

FIR is designed around the gradual unraveling exploration of a game that takes multiple discs to play, but is still packed with action. Or you can do a one-shot that feels like finding a demo game paused right before a super cool level while hanging out with your friends in a game store in the mall.

A screenshot of a page of Fight Item Run. The title for the section is "The Dungeon."

The text reads: "The dungeon is the structure and sole setting of Fight Item Run. The party begins in a chamber and there are monsters; once they’ve defeated the monsters, they proceed to the next chamber where there are more monsters. Chambers also have items, treasures, puzzles, and mysteries. When the party has collected the adequate gear to advance to the dungeon's next level, they come to the chamber with the passage, staircase, portal, or alien warp pad to continue forward."

An infobox is introduced with the line: "The goals for the game are as follows:" and lists the following goals.
"Fight monsters, collect items, survive the dungeon.
Tell a collaborative story of mystery and adventure.
Plant and build upon evocative details at every chance.
Explore the lives and relationships of characters traveling together."

There are illustrations on the page: pixel art flag banners underneath the section title and a pixel art cloud above it. There's a spot art illustration by Bree Wolf of a character silhouette in a creepy dungeon tunnel with vines and glowing crystals.

110

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

I'm going to read through my TTRPG Fight Item Run. It's a love letter to old video games through an intentionally nostalgic lens, recreating that feeling of watching your older siblings play through MegaMan or FF7 and how they must be magic for shepherding something so cool. #ttrpg #gamedev

Cover for Fight Item Run, subtitled "A Pixelated TTRPG." It's further described as "Designed by Whimsy Machine" and "Powered by the Apocalypse." The cover illustration is pixel art of a knight and wizard facing off against a fire-breathing dragon.

2196

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I'm making myself bonkers over what I'm calling these entities from the game I'm working on. They're hyperspecific tutelary deities in an oddball game. They exist in a mysterious realm and are summoned by deliberately misspelling magic words. They represent an option for the game's metaplot. #ttrpg

A screenshot of a poll titled "What to name these guys:" with the following options: "New Gods, Wordwalkers, Passerfolk, Malaprophets, Misspellcasters." Voters are allowed to select multiple options.

120

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

The itchio discord server is having a great time if you were at all curious.

A screenshot of the itchio discord server general chat. The top says "69 new messages since 10:17pm," there's a post that says "jesus christ this is the most pathetic discord-brained filthy group of people ive ever seen," a couple shitpost gifs, and the bottom had the "several people are typing" message.

010

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Finally ironed out how Word Witch Daily is both solo and multiplayer, and how the universe accommodates that whole mess. Play solo and then team up with others who've played solo, using the same characters and preserving their own canon. #indiedev #ttrpgs #tabletop #gamedesign #worldbuilding

A screenshot of black serif text on a white background. The text reads: "The tapestry of time is not separate distinct and stable universes—in this one, the sky is pink not blue, and in that one, everyone has a sinister goatee. It’s all one infinite canvas of simultaneous truths, coexisting when they need to. Most people don’t even think about it, and Word Witches are pretty good at sussing out the important bits.

Practically, this means that every solo session is canonical in the grand scheme of people playing Word Witch Daily. When any two Witches meet, their individual histories are equally valid and viable."

083

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Since this is another game for #badartjam, here's my little doodle of a Word Witch. I want to see all your little drawings too! itch.io/jam/bad-art-...

A pen and highlighter drawing of a person casting the spells "car", "cat", and "hat" with those things appearing.

050

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Working on the themes and setting for The Daily Word Witches, a weird little ttrpg inspired by word ladder puzzles and other word games you might play. #ttrpgs #indiedev #gamedesign #tabletopgames SOMEone thought it was a good idea to work on two games at once.

A screenshot from discord that reads:
[The Daily Word Witch] I'm working on Themes and settled on Wordplay, Versatility, and Momentum.
(bullet) Wordplay: You don't have to be good at word puzzles, but it'll help to enjoy them. Playing the word ladder puzzle is as much a part of the game as rolling dice is for other games.
(bullet) Versatility: There are no static traits that always mean the same thing. There is more onus on the players to be creative and interpretative with their abilities, and the game rewards this.
(bullet) Momentum: This game is about trying stuff and moving forward. The default is that it's always better to do something rather than nothing. You will also do cool things you might never recreate. That's okay, don't get hung up on it—there'll be more cool things along the way.

131

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Support my games so I can make more weird stuff like Chekhov's Coupons! This is for the #badartjam which also a cool thing you could join.

Cover for Chekhov's Coupons, a storytelling companion, designed in a cutout collage style.

Quotes from Anton Chekhov and Nick Lowe defining the terms "Chekhov's gun" and "plot coupons" respectively.

An example internal page. The background is a cutout collage of various coupons, text is set on a semi-transparent white box, and a crude sharpie drawing of a crown is at the bottom of the page.

000

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The 2yo asked me to draw Nutcracker and mice so here ya go.

A drawing done in purple marker on a sheet of printer paper on a messy table. It's of a nutcracker, a chubby little mouse, a bigger anthropomorphic mouse with a crown and a cape. It's drawn with love, not skill.

040

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

I put my markers where my mouth is with the 2yo this morning. He loves mermaids and trains, so that's what I drew. He said no hair on the mermaid, so I turned it into a fish swimming behind her. He also pointed out that there's no coal car, so I drew a special engine that runs on love. #mermay

An unskilled marker drawing in a notebook of a train engine pulling a see-through train car with a mermaid swimming inside. Next to the notebook is some spilled cereal. There are other doodles and scribbles on the page.

030

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

The other day @mariahcurrey.bsky.social encouraged @laughinglarkgames.bsky.social to draw a werewolf (for reasons!), and I decided to join in. #badartjam

A drawing of a werewolf in a button up shirt and tie. Drawn in ballpoint pen on a yellow sticky note stuck to a desk.

150

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

This jam has a list of Achievements, so you can choose how challenging you want your experience to be. Or maybe you just want an excuse to finally make a diceless game or autobio comic. I plan to implement something like it in all my jams because it was so much fun to write.

A list of achievements for the Bad Art Jam and how to unlock them. Text only. The full text can be found by following the link in the above bloot.

110

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

I'm also very excited about this one because @clausuink.bsky.social's Min is casting the Spanish word "dádiva" for his spell. I love seeing spells in other languages and thought Claus's idea for "a small gift given out of kindness" was a perfect fit.

The young magic user casts a healing spell called dádiva.

041

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Knocking out a couple of game jam games before continuing with the Big Bad.

Cover image for "The Light Rail is Coming" labelled as "An Absurdist TTRPG of Urban Development by Whimsy Machine Media." The image is black and white with a silhouette of a train leaving a diagonal hill on a tall viaduct.

Cover image for "The Shadow of the Storyteller" labelled as "A Spun-Off from Spell Solo RPG" by "Whimsy Machine Media." The text and embellished corner frame designs are gold against a pink and purple textured background.

191

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

I happened across these magic card illustrations from 1887 (credits in alt) and now desperately want to drop everything I'm doing to make a card-based RPG with this aesthetic.

Number 5, The Restored Card, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Number 22, A Penetrative Eye, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Number 14, Jumping Card, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

020

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 17/01/2024

My favorite entry is Deep Dark Deathlike, a 2-part horror ttrpg. First explore backstories & how chars found the darkness, statting characters as you go. Next, give char sheets to the GM & gamble against your memory of your identity as you lose yourself to darkness. The rad art is by Dave Youkovich

A close up composite image of four different pairs of eyes. The title reads "Deep Dark Deathlike" in a crooked, skewed font.

A screenshot of an interior page of Deep Dark Deathlike.

000

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 17/01/2024

I also added a very special new item, The Dirty Laundry Pack, which has old, weird, and frankly embarrassing games, concepts, and burps of the imagination. I'm airing out my dirty laundry! Get it?? whimsy-machine.itch.io/dirty-laundr...

Text that reads "The Dirty Laundry Pack" imposed in front of a washing machine with laundry hanging out.

154

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 13/01/2024

Good morning to everyone, especially the cheeky little bear in bottom right corner of this page of my son's book.

A photo of an illustrated page from a children's book. The page is labeled with the letter M and the title "many bears." There are seven bears of varying kinds. In the bottom right corner, a brown bear is making a funny expression similar to the little girl in front of the burning house meme or a Shiba Inu.

240

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 12/01/2024

This is embarrassing. I had to draw my own eggs.

Pen and highlighter drawings of colorful eggs. The paper is on an office desk surrounded by highlighters.

000

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 14/09/2023

A little breakdown for my nostalgia-fueled retro video game ttrpg Fight Item Run over on cohost. It's #pbta but with more tactics, an objectively pretty cool cutscene system, and super rad art. cohost.org/WhimsyMachin...

Cover image for "Fight Item Run" with tagline "a pixelated ttrpg." Features pixel art of two fantasy characters fighting a dragon.

12915

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

I didn't make a social media post about the Analog Excellence Bundle today because I had a union meeting after work. Anyway, 78 awesome entries (comics, games & more) valued at $273 for just the price of a cup of coffee*. *if that coffee cost $25USD. itch.io/b/2026/the-a...

A black circle with rough brushstroke edges over a pastel rainbow bokeh background. Cutout text in the circle reads "Analog Excellence, a bundle of ttrpgs, comics, artbooks, and more."

144

Whimsy Machine @whimsymachine.bsky.social · 31/08/2023

I'm hosting a bundle on itchio for ttrpgs, comics, art, and other "analog" media, and it would be very cool if you submitted your thing! More details in the link, but it'll be an even profit split among contributors. forms.gle/RaZJoicyGGCJ...

A graphic of a black spot with messy, brush stroke edges, a colorful muted background of blurry circles. The text reads "Analog Excellence, A bundle of ttrpgs, comics, artbooks, and more."

34832