Prof of Game Design at CCNY. Games: Sumer (Switch, Steam), Goblin.bet, Odd Goblin (itch). Cohost of Dead Letters podcast (@dead-letters).
Misha
Oh dang, this gets at what I love about system theory. Lacking direct access to reality, we run constant speculative/ideological simulations of it in our heads and iterate each time it proves us wrong. Sims are fun because the ways they fail are our only direct contact with reality.
Think about GWTWOD a lot
Now that the discourse has died down, and my birding has lessened, I want to talk about lists in rpgs.
I like what both sides of the debate make. So, like everything else, "good" isn't about which side you choose but how you execute the idea. If you choose to use lists, use them well.
I'm collecting data on how weird we are.
forms.gle/ric62Zm5gwKL...
very good post! extremely insightful and actionable. if you like my "tangible tips" posts about editing, you will find lots of useful ideas here
there's another episode of DEAD LETTERS out today! this one is about the GLOG, the Goblin Laws of Gaming, the biggest, weirdest, and coolest branch of the OSR. we cover blogging, 3.5, bizarro skill systems, Delta templates, and more. give it a listen! open.spotify.com/episode/60GT...
Exciting new project from @mekhami.bsky.social for making a searchable tagged database of TTRPGs. Mekhami's own words are tagged below, but consider adding your own games (or your favorites) if you have time!
www.rpgbase.net
Misha
"What's that?" I hear you ask. "Why," I say, "it's the new DEAD LETTERS about Jay Dragon's EXPRESSIONIST GAME MANIFESTO!" we discuss 20th C. art movements, struggle, rejecting rules, ~Metaphor for the Queer Experience~, subversion paradoxes, and more! come listen! open.spotify.com/episode/68SY...
new DEAD LETTERS episode! this time, it's the vast, legendary, landmark WOLVES UPON THE COAST, written by that one bald guy! we talk about the Adventure Writing Trust Horizon, reading, horses with unhinged jaws, poetic monster manuals, legwork, and the GM as medium! open.spotify.com/episode/2Z1e...
Santana Abraxas
shock! awe! bedlam! mayhem! it's the latest episode of DEAD LETTERS, about Magpie Games' AVATAR LEGENDS: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME! we discuss the challenges of licensed adaptations, expectations of play, product lines, and contrived anti-bender prisons. come listen! open.spotify.com/episode/650n...
User-friendly definitions, tips, and tricks for graphic design in rpgs.
I want to see how different the TTRPG blogosphere is from DungeonTube.
Three questions:
- What games are you running?
- What games are you playing in?
- What game do you most want to play next?
If y...
I wrote a SIMULATIONIST'S MANIFESTO for #manifestojam2026
ptychomancer.itch.io/simulationis...
Closing out my series on key design by making a list of rules for myself to follow when writing modules, then testing it by rewriting a one page dungeon I made recently. The goal: retain all the strengths of bullet points/formatting with thoughtful use of plain text structuring. It went really well!
