Ben Robbins
@lamemage.com
game designer, made Microscope, Kingdom, West Marches, this that and the other thing. I blog at arsludi.lamemage.com
ooooh, that's an idea: Game meetup, con, etc, but the agreement is we only play games older than X years (10? 20? 30?) What's the secret agenda? Rediscover design ideas that sparkled but were lost and forgotten. Dig up past wisdom and reincorporate it for the future (or learn from others' mistakes)
Ross Cowman @ GOPLAY NW@rosscowman.bsky.social · last wk.Games Old Enough to Drive Con
I realized I left out a critical opportunity for characters to *feel* in This Means War The good news is, I've got a simple fix arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/53...
I Left Out the Reaction Shot, a Dev Journal
When I was a kid watching movies with my Dad, he would sometimes frown and say, "they left out the reaction shot". What he meant was the movie showed some important moment like the bad guy getting de...
arsludi.lamemage.com
Join us NOW at twitch.tv/EUphoriaAP for the first episode of Querent, where the cast will build their universe using Microscope RPG (2025 edition) #actualplay #ttrpg
EUphoria Actual Play@euphoriaap.bsky.social · 2w agoTONIGHT! Led by facilitator/GM @lithiarch.bsky.social, storytellers @finleyjinley.bsky.social , @thechindividual.bsky.social, and @vengaboy.bsky.social create a world of exploration and starlight - only to watch its skies fall dark. Join us - twitch.tv/euphoriaap
Why write a nice little tip for creating good characters when you could swan dive into fundamental questions about the connection between players and their characters? Asking for a friend arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/53...
One Strong (But Wrong) Opinion
It's hardly revolutionary to say that in the vast majority of role-playing games, your character is your single strongest vector of contribution, so making a good character is critical. But what's a "...
arsludi.lamemage.com
Honestly, that's a great combo. Knowing the Microscope history would give the Ten Candles session a lot more depth and pathos
EUphoria Actual Play@euphoriaap.bsky.social · 3w agoComing soon! A collaborative tale of fate and chance that spans eons. Four storytellers build a world with a game of Microscope, then recount its final hours in Ten Candles. Join us on Wednesday 22nd July and Wednesday 29th July.
A legitimately fun game on its own, Microscope is also an amazing worldbuilding tool for long campaigns. I led a game of microscope to build a game world for D&D and we played in the resulting land of Tetherin for years and years. I've never seen characters more tied to the lore of the world.
Tabletop Bookshelf@tabletopbookshelf.com · last mo.NEW: Micrscope is a fractal roleplaying game of epic histories. Want to explore an epic history of your own creation, hundreds or thousands of years long, all in an afternoon? That's Microscope. By @lamemage.com
NEW: Micrscope is a fractal roleplaying game of epic histories. Want to explore an epic history of your own creation, hundreds or thousands of years long, all in an afternoon? That's Microscope. By @lamemage.com
Wake up, babe! My favorite game, the legendary Microscope is getting a makeover! #ttrpg #GMLess #Microscope2E #CrowdfundingSoon
Ben Robbins@lamemage.com · last mo.I'm making it official: Microscope second edition is in the works. Crowdfunding in October. I swear on this stack of game books arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
#TTRPG geeking out! 😏 Microscope is a weird little world building game. I can't wait to learn how it's being updated
Ben Robbins@lamemage.com · last mo.I'm making it official: Microscope second edition is in the works. Crowdfunding in October. I swear on this stack of game books arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
Some of my most treasured game experiences have been with Microscope. I'm very excited for the new edition!
Ben Robbins@lamemage.com · last mo.I'm making it official: Microscope second edition is in the works. Crowdfunding in October. I swear on this stack of game books arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
I'm making it official: Microscope second edition is in the works. Crowdfunding in October. I swear on this stack of game books arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
M2
I'm making it official: a new edition of Microscope is in the works. I've looked in my crystal ball, laid out my schedule, and set crowdfunding for October. If you've been following this blog, you ...
arsludi.lamemage.com
Union rules update: storks are now canon
Frames Catherine@oxinabox.bsky.social · last mo.In the game of Microscope Union @trinitariangirl.bsky.social and I were playing today we decided that all children are delivered by storks. You could still die in childbirth, if you got into a fight with the stork.
Players keep making scenes that make me go "wow, that was so good", so I'm digging into the how and why plus a small detour into the fundamental nature of role-playing games and suspension of disbelief arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
Living In the War, a Dev Journal
I've talked about how This Means War strives to simulate a believable (but surprising) war. But now I want to talk about the other half of the game: the character-side. The idea all along was that th...
arsludi.lamemage.com
Because it came up a bit over the weekend, I'm going to reiterate something here for all my #ttrpg designing pals, new & old. Using AI can only shrink your audience. No one is excited to see AI, and plenty of folks abhor it. When you use AI, you attract no one new & repulse more than you know. …
The game store of my childhood got a huge upgrade and a fantastic array of indie RPGs. I am hella jelly arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/52...
Going Back to Games Unlimited
The old Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh was the game store of our childhood. It's where we went to buy RPGs, modules, dice, and a whole pile of miniatures. We rummaged through the shelves in the far bac...
arsludi.lamemage.com
Hey @chobbs.bsky.social: I went to an educational/therapy conference talk at Origins yesterday, and it turned out that the bulk of the session was playing Epitaph. Turns out the speaker lives outside of Spokane and was thrilled to hear that I knew you & Marc. Had a deep, emotional play session!
Hi RPG hive mind, I'm working on a class for GMs. We will be going over the history of TTRPGs. I have a year by year list of important or noteworthy games. I know I missed some. So I'm going to reply to this with a year by year breakdown. Please add anything you think I'm missing.
The Blue Way is a game of lost stories, colonialism, and its cultural aftermath from @jmstar.bsky.social and Central Michigan University Press. Even if you are familiar with this game, there is new disturbing art from @arayaart.bsky.social as well! #TTRPGs #RPGs #games
The Blue Way: A Game of Lost Stories
The Blue Way is a game of lost stories, colonialism, and its cultural aftermath from Jason Morningstar and Central Michigan University Press.
backerkit.com
My latest playtest kit is available now! Pax Deorum is a one-shot GMless RPG about the Vestal Virgins of Ancient Rome. You'll use your rare political influence to try to manage pressures in the city, until inevitably the heavy burdens of your role catch up to you.
Pax Deorum - Playtest Edition by Owl Knight Games, by Jennifer Adcock
Serve the gods, protect the city, save yourself
jen-adcock15.itch.io
"I love tabletop storytelling" Oh hell yeah
Ophelia@notverochka.bsky.social · 2mo agoUp early for (presumably) the final session of my World of Darkness game's inter-Chronicle game of Microscope as we fast forward from the end of 1936 to the beginning of 1940, and when I say this next chronicle is the most ambitious game we'll have run yet already... I love tabletop storytelling.
you read the first one and you're like "ugggggh" but then, spoiler, it picks up in the second act
Jennifer Adcock@jenkatwrites.bsky.social · last yr.can't stop thinking about the Powell and Pressburger manifesto lmao points 4 and 5 are SO sexy to me
![In a letter to Wendy Hiller in 1942, asking her to appear in Colonel Blimp, Pressburger explicitly set out 'The Archers' Manifesto'. Its five points express the pair's intentions:[3]
1) We owe allegiance to nobody except the financial interests which provide our money; and, to them, the sole responsibility of ensuring them a profit, not a loss.
2) Every single foot in our films is our own responsibility and nobody else's. We refuse to be guided or coerced by any influence but our own judgement.
3) When we start work on a new idea, we must be a year ahead, not only of our competitors, but also of the times. A real film, from idea to universal release, takes a year. Or more.
4) No artist believes in escapism. And we secretly believe that no audience does. We have proved, at any rate, that they will pay to see the truth, for other reasons than her nakedness.
5) At any time, and particularly at the present, the self-respect of all collaborators, from star to propman, is sustained, or diminished, by the theme and purpose of the film they are working on.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:s24kqnyrkepbloexarxtoyjk/bafkreienanhgwolqwt5z333g625wobhevkznichqvm4xsainkvc4brjjya)
“What do you mean they want us to attack? Now? On those mountains? In the middle of the damn winter?” Fantastic review of how This Means War unfolds and the whole player experience of not being able to control what happens. #ThisMeansWar kindofold.substack.com/p/playing-th...
Playing a whole war, solo! [Agile Review of "This Means War"]
Review and solo actual play of Ben Robbin's newly released playtest version of This Means War.
kindofold.substack.com
I host a tabletop industry mixer the first Wednesday of each month at a local food hall. Having a set place where I AM available makes it easier to be NOT available the rest of the month. Bring you're weird prototypes! Your kid/niece/nephew who wants to be a game designer. We're taking all comers!
I'm zooming in so hard to see the topic. Is it color? Are these worlds where color works differently???
Ross Cowman @ GOPLAY NW@rosscowman.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn this World by @lamemage.com continues to deliver. Also you can't see it but in the back corner room people are jammin on Fiasco by @jmstar.bsky.social . I'm told it went well for everyone except the PCs.
"Master, what is the secret of game design?" "Uh, have two projects going so when you get stumped on one you can pivot and work on the other. Also yadda yadda human condition"
