🧑‍🏫 Teaching game design at a public library

What I covered in the second Make Your Own One-Page RPG class at a public library, local developer day event in Harrisburg, truck driving monsters on Backerkit, and more Burning Banners

TL;DR Summary

• 🧑‍🏫 Teaching game design at a public library

• 🎪 Exeunt Press at local developer day

• 🚚 I’m a Monster Truckers stretch goal

• 🎲 Recently Played: Burning Banners

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🧑‍🏫 Teaching game design at a public library

This month I’m teaching a free Make Your Own One-Page RPG class at a local public library. In the first class we tried to answer an important question: “Who are you making this game for?” We explored the different kinds of fun, Bartle’s taxonomy, and the various types of one-page games.

Here’s a summary of Week 2…

Theme is why we play

The second class was all about learning how to design a working game with theme and mechanisms. I referenced Sarah Shipp’s outstanding Thematic Integration in Board Game Design quite a bit:

“Theme is often described as the "why" of a game. Themes help with rules comprehension by giving reasons for the mechanics. Themes can help set players’ expectations for what kind of experiences or emotions the game provides. Themes can also help to create the experience and provide atmosphere to the gameplay.”

Then we looked at a few different ways to generate and/or choose themes:

• Roll for theme: The Theme-O-Matic Random Theme Generator that is included in Make Your Own One-Page RPG is always a good time. Everyone in the class made a few dice rolls and came up with themes like Mermaid Detectives, Jungle Vikings, and Vampire Spies. We took a few minutes to pitch the ideas.

• History & folklore: Starting with a historical event, traditional folklore, or mythology and then changing it is one of my favorite methods: The Iliad (Trojan War) but fought with mechs in the far future. The Odyssey but you are the sirens attempting to capture the sailors.

• Public domain themes & settings: I’ve written about using public domain settings before because it’s a good way to get started with a game idea. Alice in Wonderland, John Carter of Mars (Barsoom), Sherlock Holmes, King Solomon’s Mine, and Treasure Island are all examples.¹

Mechanisms are how we play

After theme, we switched to game mechanisms.

My recommendation to those making their first game was to consider using a system reference document, even if they don’t end up going that direction. A few of the documents (or hackable games) I routinely recommend include: Lasers & Feelings, 24XX, Wretched & Alone, PUSH, Carta, Lost & Found, and Breathless.²

Make core game loops explicit

With a good sense of how to use theme and mechanisms, we explored core game loops — the repeated steps or actions that the player takes during the game.

Using examples from You are a Muffin, Exclusion Zone Botanist, and Tollund we discussed how making the game loop explicit (i.e. visible to the player) has quite a few benefits:

• Provides a quick overview of gameplay (Do I want to play this?)

• Guides player actions (What do I do next?)

• Maintains player engagement (Do I want to keep playing?)

• Creates the framework for a game arc (Do I care how this ends?)

It also makes it easier to create a minimum viable product (MVP) early in the game development process. This often identifies issues even before the first playtest.

The next class

In this week’s class we are going to learn how to do design and layout for our games. This will include some Affinity Publisher tips, advice on sourcing public domain art, paper sizes, folding (or not), and which design software to use.

Make Your Own One-Page RPG is back in stock

If you aren’t able to attend the class, you can still get almost all the information and exercises! Make Your Own One-Page RPG is available in both print and digital formats.

MAKE: You can get both ADVENTURE! Make Your Own TTRPG Adventure and Make Your own One-Page RPG at the Exeunt Press Shop!

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🎪 Local Developers Day @ Lazarus Games

If you are in the Harrisburg, PA region, stop by Lazarus Games on Saturday to say hi:

• What: Local Developers Day featuring local creators sharing their games and running demos. Exeunt Press will be there!

• When: Saturday, May 24, 11 AM - 5 PM

• Where: 1707 S. Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA

I’ve only recently discovered Lazarus and was shocked to see how large of a store it is. Also, they have a fine selection of indie TTRPGs if you are into those!

Hope to see you there!

ATTEND: Local Developer Day at Lazarus Games

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🚚 I’m a Monster Truckers stretch goal

Tablecat Games, known for the Street Wolves TTRPG, is now funding Monster Truckers: Long Haul into the Worst Lands on Backerkit:

“Get behind the wheel of a big rig as a Vampire, Mummy, Werewolf, and more! Monster Truckers is an easy to learn and low prep tabletop role playing game featuring semi truck driving monsters in a post-apocalyptic world. They make deliveries, discover the weird and mysterious stuff, get into scrapes, and maybe help out a few folks as they experience (un)life on the road.”

And I’m one of the stretch goals! If the project funds enough, I’ll write an adventure for the game. Really looking forward to it!

BACK: Monster Truckers: Long Haul into the Worst Lands on Backerkit

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🎲 Recently played: Burning Banners

Am I obsessed with Burning Banners? Perhaps. It has captured my imagination more than most other games of the same style. I’m sure the fantastic art helps, but the game mechanisms are incredibly solid and surprisingly simple. The way critical hits are handled during combat is particularly interesting.

My Goblin armies were utterly destroyed in this play by the Fjordland warriors. The sign of a great game, however, is wanting to play again even if you always lose!

PLAY: Burning Banners designed by Christopher Moeller

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Check out games.exeunt.press for all the latest games and resources!

- E.P. 💀

1. I did not include Robert E. Howard’s Conan, even though many of the works are in the public domain. There seem to be lingering copyright and trademark disputes that have yet to be resolved. A similar situation exists for Solomon Kane.

2. There’s a game jam right now for Breathless based games.