I wrote something like 100K words of weird underworld content for this gorgeously illustrated "tactical narrative" game from the creator of King of Dragon Pass, and that's only a fraction of the content... definitely worth a wishlist.

Kitfox Games 🦊@kitfoxgames.com · last wk.

We're taking a trip to hell, but some of us won't make it back... Gather your party and join us when Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists by @radiofreelunch.bsky.social releases on September 8th 😈 store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

I know international shipping has gotten mad expensive in the last few years. I've worked out a slightly cheaper shipping solution for orders outside the US, so if that's you & you're craving a Subcutanean or Downcrawl swag, small orders are now $19 to ship to most of the world. aaronareed.net/store

Between now and October (our 20th anniversary issue), we're running a subscription drive and dedicating all new revenue toward improving pay for our staff, writers, artists, and contractors. Details on how to subscribe can be found here: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/

Subscribe to Clarkesworld Magazine

Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine and Podcast.

clarkesworldmagazine.com

Just got out of Backrooms and if you like that vibe I MUST AGAIN RECOMMEND you read Subcutanean by @aaronareed.bsky.social! One of the best book club experiences I ever had because no two copies are the same! Brilliant. subcutanean.textories.com #horror #conversationpitsareweirdlyscary

Subcutanean: A Novel Where No Two Copies Are the Same

A horror novel that's different for every reader. A queer coming-of-age story about yearning for possibilities.

subcutanean.textories.com

For #WishlistWednesday, may I offer you a game that's been to hell and back 😈 store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

OK, this is incredible. Mad genius @samplereality.bsky.social has created a web tool for exploring Subcutanean (my novel where each copy is unique) across every axis you can think of: source code, 25 diffed versions, VR projections(!), bubble viz(!!) & a lot more. (1/2) subcutanean.fugitivetexts.net

Subcutanean Variorum

Compare textual variations across unique editions of Aaron Reed's novel Subcutanean.

subcutanean.fugitivetexts.net

Unboxing challenge: I'm looking for more GMless games that you can play together without any reading in advance. Games you can just pick up and follow the instructions cold Show me what you got!

I made a new (short) #TTRPG ! It's a two-player storytelling game where one player is a mechanical fortune-teller who only knows the future, and the other a lost and lonely seeker who only knows the past. (yes I stole the title from Blue Prince) aareed.itch.io/dropping-coin

I Awaken at the Sound of a Dropping Coin by Aaron A. Reed

A roleplaying game for two players about the future and the past

aareed.itch.io

Ocean's Eleven meets Dante's Inferno with a mythological twist! 👯 Build the best team for the job 🔥 Dynamic narrative where your choices matter 🎮 Highly replayable 🖌️ 100s of hand-painted illustrations Wishlist on Steam now: store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

Go Play NW is an incredible annual event for fans of storytelling roleplaying games, and a wonderful community of kind and generous human beings. They could use a little help getting over the finish line for their annual fundraising drive this year!

Go Play NW@goplaynw.bsky.social · 6mo ago

It’s time for our annual membership drive! Help make Go Play NW happen and get early bird pricing for our Seattle event this summer. Become a member now: goplaynw.org

Still available for one more week!

Aaron A. Reed@aaronareed.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Downcrawl 2E and Skycrawl are this week's Bundle of Holding! Get both #TTRPG games and ALL supplements at tremendous savings while you can. Explore weird and wondrous environments in pointcrawl adventures through forgotten labyrinths and skyborne kingdoms... bundleofholding.com/presents/Dow...

Downcrawl 2E and Skycrawl are this week's Bundle of Holding! Get both #TTRPG games and ALL supplements at tremendous savings while you can. Explore weird and wondrous environments in pointcrawl adventures through forgotten labyrinths and skyborne kingdoms... bundleofholding.com/presents/Dow...

Downcrawl-Skycrawl Bundle

Adventurer! This new Downcrawl-Skycrawl Bundle presents Downcrawl and Skycrawl, twin toolkits from designer Aaron A. Reed that help you create spontaneous tabletop roleplaying adventures in the Deep, ...

bundleofholding.com

If you're like me, you can't get anything done without emotional support tea. I am deeply soothed by the ancient ritual of boiling the water, choosing which tea to get down from the cabinet, letting it steep on the desk beside me, and then completely forgetting about it until the following evening

Here we go... Announcing the Visible Zorker Project and Patreon! Remember how I did Visible Zork 1 and 2? I'm going to do Zork 3, and then continue through Infocom's entire canon -- in chronological order, one per month. blog.zarfhome.com/2026/01/the-...

Rain falls deep beneath the earth, and will not stop. How will you survive a damper, slimier, flooded underground? Can the Godswimmer be found? Will an Aquaeon Conclave be called? Sink or swim in... The Drizzle Depths Downcrawl Adventure Zine #3 #ttrpg www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

Rain falls deep beneath the earth, and will not stop. How will you survive a damper, slimier, flooded underground? Can the Godswimmer be found? Will an Aquaeon Conclave be called? Sink or swim in... The Drizzle Depths Downcrawl Adventure Zine #3 #ttrpg www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

On the night before Christmas, your party encounters the bones of a reindeer... Traverse the Midnight North in Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists. 🎁 Wishlist now: store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

I understand Christmas is a nice time for some people. If that's you, I hope you have a wonderful week. If it's not, remember you're not alone.

All 35 talks from THINKY CON, about making puzzle games, are on YouTube: thinkygames.com/news/all-35-... #puzzlegames #gamedev

All 35 talks from ThinkyCon 2025 are now available to watch on YouTube · Thinky Games

In case you missed any of our 2nd annual online convention centered around the making of the games we love so much, every presentation from ThinkyCon 2025 has now been uploaded to our YouTube channel ...

thinkygames.com

Roguelike Celebration is happening today and my awesome friend Johnathan is giving this inspiring talk (gonna be a great time). www.roguelike.club

Nice! Looking forward to reading a deep dive on a tough design space many designers engage with.

Bjarke A Larsen, PhD@bjarkeal.bsky.social · 10mo ago

I Am a Doctor Now! Little blog announcing my dissertation is now published and readable! (And i have not been posting here so this also serves as the announcement that I am a PhD now lol) bjarke.it/article/i-am...

"Which would you rather play, a GMless or a diceless RPG" To which I say, "why not both" To which you say, "examples please" Leaving out (checks notes) every single one of my games, let me throw out a few. If I miss your favs, chime in!

Hey it's #SteamSale! You can get 🔥 IMMORTALITY for $9.99 👁️ TELLING LIES for $4.99 ☕ HER STORY for $4.99 & wishlist Project C and Project D whilst you are there... It's a good time to play good games in the present and wish for good games in the future! ✨ store.steampowered.com/developer/Sa...

Wow, Alien Earth started out so strong but has sure gotten real dumb the last couple episodes...

It’s an honor to help launch this series with @anasalter.bsky.social

Anastasia Salter@anasalter.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The first copies of my next book, a short reflection on the lasting impact of indie game Undertale, have arrived at @uchicagopress.bsky.social and are in good company with @n-w-f.bsky.social's upcoming book on Animal Crossing. Find both at: press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/se...

⬇️ 🚨🚨Heads up, this sale ends tonight!🚨🚨 This is a _rare_ occasion when my physical books are on sale as well my digital stuff (probably increasingly rare if the tariff situation continues to worsen).

Aaron A. Reed@aaronareed.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Reminder: my #BookSale this weekend includes: 🚪 Subcutanean, spooky novel that changes for each reader: subcutanean.textories.com ⚔️ Downcrawl 2E, #TTRPG of underworld exploration: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5... 💾 50 Years of Text Games, history of interactive fiction: if50.textories.com

good morning, i wrote a manifesto about a new direction for game design / play possumcreek.medium.com/the-expressi...

The Expressionist Games Manifesto

“Work! Intoxication! Brain-racking! Chewing, eating, gorging, rooting up! Rapturous birth pangs! Jabbing of the brush, preferably right…

possumcreek.medium.com

I cannot recommend Aaron's books enough, they are fantastic games and 50 years of text games is an amazing dive into the history of games that has largely been left out of the popular consciousness

Aaron A. Reed@aaronareed.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Reminder: my #BookSale this weekend includes: 🚪 Subcutanean, spooky novel that changes for each reader: subcutanean.textories.com ⚔️ Downcrawl 2E, #TTRPG of underworld exploration: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5... 💾 50 Years of Text Games, history of interactive fiction: if50.textories.com

Reminder: my #BookSale this weekend includes: 🚪 Subcutanean, spooky novel that changes for each reader: subcutanean.textories.com ⚔️ Downcrawl 2E, #TTRPG of underworld exploration: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5... 💾 50 Years of Text Games, history of interactive fiction: if50.textories.com

Downcrawl 2E - Aaron A. Reed | Downcrawl | DriveThruRPG

Explore cursed mazes. Build stalactite cities. Get addicted to mushrooms. Welcome Down. Downcrawl is a tabletop roleplaying toolkit that helps you build and explore a weird, wondrous underworld so far...

drivethrurpg.com

ReSkies or NuBlues or whatever they're called on here much appreciated 🙏

Aaron A. Reed@aaronareed.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🎃🍁🍂AUTUMN SALE!🍂🍁🎃 All my books and games are on sale for one week only to celebrate the impending arrival of cooler days and pumpkin lattes. RPGs: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher... 50 Years of Text Games: if50.textories.com Subcutanean: subcutanean.textories.com Cool swag: aaronareed.net/store/