#creating a game design document

[ludoai]

"How to Create Popular Games: Essential Tips to Follow

In today's era of technological advancements, an increasing number of people aspire to create their own games. This desire stems from the potential not only to generate profits but also to gain recognition and acclaim. If you're contemplating the creation of your own game, there are several crucial considerations to keep in mind. Before embarking on your game development journey, it's essential to make informed choices and plans. This comprehensive post will guide you through the process. Let's begin

Unlock Creativity with Brainstorming Sessions: When contemplating game creation, special brainstorming sessions are a must. These sessions serve as a platform to explore both promising and not-so-promising ideas related to gaming. Gathering a wide range of ideas is vital to crafting the best possible game. Start organizing your brainstorming sessions today.

Utilize Ludo's Game Design Services: For expert assistance in crafting a game design document, consider leveraging the services of Ludo. They are a top-notch company in the industry, capable of helping you create a remarkable game. If you're interested, don't hesitate to give them a try.

Extensive Research is Key: Brainstorming isn't the sole requirement; extensive research is equally crucial before diving into game creation. Research helps you understand gaming mechanics, target age groups, and more. This knowledge empowers you to tailor your game and platform to the preferences of your intended audience. Start your research now.

Build a Trustworthy Game: An essential aspect to consider is ensuring your game is trustworthy, especially if it may be played by children. It's imperative that your game doesn't lead young players to unsafe websites or content. This not only protects children but also safeguards your reputation. Always strive to create a safe gaming environment for all.

Master Game Mechanisms: Understanding popular gaming mechanisms is vital. Different types of games employ various mechanics, but not all resonate with players. Identifying the mechanisms that resonate the most with your target audience can significantly enhance your game's profitability and reputation. Conduct thorough research on these mechanisms without delay.

For in-depth insights into the best game mechanics, don't hesitate to seek assistance from Ludo. Contact them today to learn more about their expertise.

Embarking on the journey of game creation process is an exciting endeavor. By following these essential tips and seeking professional guidance, you can increase your chances of creating a successful and beloved game. Start your creative journey today.

[the-n109-zone]

TW: racism, ableism, homophobia, stalking, bullying, problematic developer

I didn't originally intend to publish this, but after seeing one specific post made by galacticglados, I felt it was time to speak out.

queenlilithprime / restartheartvn is a horrible person and you should not support them.

I have documented and provided screenshots of every post linked here. This means that even if Lilith deletes something, I will still have evidence. I have also screen recorded their entire vent blog, racism blog, and some of the other blogs they've engaged with for future reference. So there will be no excuse for faking screenshots if the original source can no longer be found. For even more security it might be good to reblog posts you find important to preserve them as well.

First, proof "princessofhollowness" is their venting side blog.

Here is Lilith's post talking about creating a new blog to vent on.

Most of the reblogged posts on princessofhollowness have been liked by their main blog, queenlilithprime. This proves it's a side blog since you can only like posts from your main blog. Similar to that, Lilith interacts with the same group of friends on their vent blog.

Below are screenshots of reblogged posts that have been liked by Lilith's main blog. You can find so much more than the ones I listed by visiting princessofhollowness and looking through each individual post yourself. (one two three four)

According to former friends of Lilith, many of the personal experiences shared on their vent blog can be backed up by personal events shared on their discord and main blog. Out of respect for their privacy, since these posts are personal, I will not share screenshots. But you can still find them on their vent blog.

With that out of the way I want you to remember that whenever you see "princessofhollowness" in any of the screenshots, it's one of Lilith's side blogs.

Proof "galacticglados" is another side blog.

Another thing I need to establish is that "galacticglados" is another side blog created by Lilith, as I will be referencing it periodically.

I want to highlight that Lilith's typing style and formatting are similar to those used on their second and third side blogs.

Going a step further, Lilith has previously interacted with the creators of the blog "creatingblackcharacters" on their main account and is familiar with the owners. This will be relevant later. (one two)

Furthermore, all the posts found on galacticglados align with the stalkerish intentions directed toward the creator of the blog "14dayswithyou," which I will elaborate on later.

They showed ignorance as a developer and made homophobia accusations towards the developers of Love & Deepspace.

Lilith has labeled the developers of L&DS (Papergames and subsequently Infold Games) and its fandom as homophobic and shitty without conducting any research or providing evidence of their claims. They made most of these claims on their developer accounts, which has many impressionable followers. (link)

If they did their due diligence as a developer with a published game of their own, they would know that China has significant censorship issues, especially regarding LGBT+ relationships and queer men. Games will be blacklisted and unplayable in China if they don't meet specific conditions. It is absurd to condemn an entire studio and call them homophobic simply for adhering to the laws of their country and not allowing BL content to jeopardize everything they have built.

Additionally, it's well known that L&DS is an otome game designed primarily for women. Lilith expects a massive company to violate Chinese laws by allowing BL content, which would then undermine the intent of the game and take away from a product created for women. If L&DS were a BL game instead, it would not be appropriate to make the main character a woman to be more inclusive.

They have spoken poorly about the developer of YOU and HIM behind their back.

UnknownHermit is the creator of YOU and HIM and was originally part of Florescent Red Studios, a developer studio co-owned by Lilith and @stnaf-vn. I don't have much to say except that discussing a friend's or employee's issues behind their back in a public setting is a shady practice for a developer. (link)

The second screenshot is proof that YOU and HIM had ties to Florescent Red Studios. The context of the tweet is unrelated.

They have shown stalkerish behavior regarding 14 D ays With You.

Lilith has an obsession with digging up old posts made by 14dayswithyou and scrutinizing them for any flaws. Some of 14dayswithyou's posts date back several days to over a year, yet Lilith continues to stalk their socials daily and scroll through hundreds of posts just to find any kind of infraction they can complain about. I recommend looking at princessofhollowness and any other blogs they've interacted with to understand what I'm talking about. (one two three four)

They are obsessed with the downfall of 14dayswithyou to the point where they weaponized and used creatingblackcharacters to reach their goal.

Now that I've provided evidence that princessofhollowness belongs to Lilith and highlighted their stalker-like behavior towards 14dayswithyou, it gives more context to the posts found on galacticglados.

As I mentioned above, Lilith actively criticizes everything the creator of 14dayswithyou does on princessofhollowness and has even commented on their inability to draw Black people accurately, despite two of the characters not actually being Black. It's no coincidence that they raised the same issue on galacticglados and attempted to launch a smear campaign to avoid facing backlash on their main blog. (one two three four)

Lilith has complained about the 14dayswithyou server on princessofhollowness and again on galacticglados, which is even more proof they run both accounts. They have also interacted with this post a few hours prior to posting something related on galacticglados, which is interesting. (link link)

They're a racist who assumes all dark-skinned people are Black.

Two characters mentioned in this post were mistakenly assumed to be Black despite their ethnicities never having been officially confirmed anywhere. Although they have non-Black features, such as their eye color and hair texture, Lilith still claimed they were 100% Black and submitted this information to the creatingblackcharacters blog with harmful intent.

A friend sent me a screenshot of the creator confirming that the characters are actually intended to be South Asian. So there is no excuse for Lilith trying to perpetuate racial stereotypes about Black people.

They're ableist and made a horrible joke about cancer.

Lilith jokingly remarked that people who are racist should get skin cancer. They later apologized for this comment, but in the big year of 2025, making such a joke is simply not acceptable. Ironically, while Lilith spoke about immediately calling out racism in their original post, they lacked the courage to actually do so on their main blog and instead addressed it on galacticglados. Below is the cropped and full version of the same post since it is lengthy. (link)

They're a virtue signaller who tries to get in the good graces of mainstream accounts despite being a hypocrite.

Lilith supported proshipping after reblogging a statement from @fantasia-kitt, despite stating "no proshipping" on their blog and not apologizing for banning my friend on discord for liking similar proshipper content found in fantasia-kitt's game, The Kid At The Back. (one two)

Lilith only interacts with developers who are popular or have a large following, and never smaller developers. This is seen with fantasia-kitt above as well as @sourmiiiilk. (link)

As said earlier, they also publicly shared a post that demanded better Black representation and justice for characters that were actually dark-skinned Asians.

I will add more once additional information comes forward. For now, do not support queenlilithprime / restartheartvn.

Testimonies from other people

These will be from aggrieved discord members since that is where most of my friends are active, but I can add anonymous tumblr testimonies too.

Person 1:

Person 2:

[krispyjb]

Things that happen in Bojack Horseman without context

Jessica Biel kills and eats Zach Braff (both of the real celebrities voice themselves doing this)

The D on the Hollywood sign is destroyed, and instead of fixing it the area is just renamed Hollywoo for the rest of the series

One of the most emotionally raw episodes is called “Free Churro”

A character is allowed to open his own Disneyland because Walt Disney misspelled his own name on the copyright documents

The race for Governor of California briefly becomes an actual ski race

There is a recurring character who is very clearly three kids in a trench coat, and only one other character actually notices this

There’s an episode where, due to the framing device of two characters talking about the story while having to respect client confidentiality, everyone’s name and design is slightly changed, resulting in Bobo the Angsty Zebra

A biographical book wins a Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy

One of the in-universe shows Bojack stars in is hosted on a website that was created to tell you what time it is right now

Todd creates a sex robot

This is after Todd realizes he’s asexual

A character has eight dads in a polyamorous relationship and this is treated surprisingly normally

JD Salinger (author of Catcher in the Rye) is still alive and, when brought in to pitch a tv show, creates a celebrity game show

The spaghetti strainers

[imsobadatnicknames2]

Calling Ultima the single most consistently groundbreaking, pioneering, influential series of videogames in the history of the medium would be kind of an understatement (Akalabeth and Ultima I pioneering the idea of adapting tabletop RPGs to the medium of videogames in a way that established so many elements that would become intrinsic to the identity of the genre for decades, like the concept of grid-based first person dungeon crawling and tile-based overworld travel, later games establishing the mold for isometric top-down RPGs, Ultima Online being a critical tipping point in cementing the popularity of the MMORPG), but even among a series that consistently pumped groundbreaking videogame after groundbreaking videogame it's just completely impossible to overstate how massive Ultima Underworld's legacy stands over a huge chunk of the gaming medium, even if its effects manifest in subtle ways nowadays like I legitimately believe no individual videogame in the history of the medium has been as influential as it.

It's legitimately insane how many seemingly unrelated videogames can be directly traced back to Underworld in some form or another. Like, to get the obvious out of the way first, it established the DNA of the immersive sim genre, so if you like games like System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex, Bioshock, Dishonored, Prey, all of those games were either made by people who worked on Ultima Underworld (sometimes by the same studio even), or otherwise directly influenced by games that were.

But also, if you like any first person shooters influenced by Doom and other ID Software games? John Carmack was there when the demo of Underworld was first shown and decided he could create a faster texture-mapped first-person 3D engine. Which he did, at the cost of sacrificing true polygonal 3D environments in favor of the pseudo-3D that he would use for Catacombs 3D and Wolfenstein 3D, eventually resulting in the creation of Doom. RPGs like the Elder Scrolls or Gothic? It would take all day to list off how much they directly owe to Ultima Underworld. That videogame trope of finding out what happened to the occupants of a place through finding in-game logs and documents? It was established by Ultima Underworld and popularized by one of its successors.

That's without mentioning how many games directly cite it as an influence. Some already mentioned like Bioshock, Deus Ex, and Elder Scrolls, but also like. Half-life 2? Tomb Raider? Gears of War? Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? All cite it as a direct influence in their game design.

Like of course a lot of these things are by virtue of being one of the earliest free-moving 3D first person videogames, when you're that early in the history of the medium you'll inevitably end up being the first to do *something* that otherwise someone else would eventually have ended up doing anyway, but no other game has a "first videogame to do [thing]" list anywhere as long and important as Ultima Underworld's.

[sarahelizasims]

Nestled in the heart of Lombard Drive, this exquisite 2.5-bedroom, 2-bathroom residence embodies the elegance of modern French Colonial design. A harmonious blend of light neutrals and bold dark accents graces both the interior and exterior, creating a timeless aesthetic. The home’s grand façade is framed by lush, meticulously curated gardens, where vibrant red and white hydrangeas weave a captivating tapestry around the estate. Beyond the charming exterior, a private backyard oasis awaits—an entertainer’s dream featuring a striking sunken conversation pit seamlessly encircled by a shimmering pool, perfect for intimate gatherings and luxurious outdoor living.

40 x 30

Residential Lot

2 beds, 1 nursery

2 full bathrooms

Furnished

$570,487

Requirements:

Turn bb.moveobjects on before placing. **optional** TwistedMexi has a script mod that does it for you automatically, so there is no reason to always have to type it in.

T.O.O.L by TwistedMexi.

Required CC - Please refer to the included PDF document for downloading items that were not included in the zip file, as some are still in early access.

One of the cabinets is a recolor; download the original mesh here if you load into the lot and something is missing. The file name is [KKB'sMM]Aesthete - Cabinet ver.2.

The lush red hydrangeas are a recolor; download the mesh here.

Terms of Use:

Do not re-upload my lots and claim them as your own.

You're welcome to edit or modify my builds, but please remember to credit me as the original creator!

Do not put my builds behind a paywall.

I've included some of my recolors, please refer to those posts for their TOU.

Thank you to all CC Creators.

Please let me know if there's any problem with the build. Tag @sarahelizasims so I can see your gameplay and any personal touches you've made!

I sincerely apologize for the number of zip files. I had a tough time finding a way to upload everything at once or compress the main folder as a whole. As a result, I had to create multiple folders to split up the CC. If you have any tips on compressing and optimizing large files, I would greatly appreciate your help!

Please note that this is a very CC heavy build, which might cause lag in your game. I organize CC files to their content creator in my downloads. Make sure you're actively running batch fixes on your files.

My game is DirectX11, so you may need to update your images to DX11 in the Sims 4 Studio.

📥DOWNLOAD (Available for FREE on Patreon)

Floor Plan & Photo Gallery:

[mostrovskaa]

I am excited to share a little piece of my bachelor's degree final art project! I created a visual identification concept art document for a multi-platform puzzle video game called URNFIELD! It's designed as an experience mainly for mobile devices and inspired by bronze and early iron age burial rites that occured in the areas of modern day Poland and Central Europe. It combines puzzles with learning about the artifacts and burial practices of these prehistoric times :-))

Here's just a few arts, I'll be posting more soon!

[sims3alexsa]

Beckford World- Beta

Beckford is a secluded English town situated on a picturesque little island that radiates warmth and cosiness. The central square with its fountain is surrounded by cosy cafes and shops, where locals and tourists alike can enjoy a cup of fragrant tea or coffee from the comfort of the sunny terraces. The old harbour, with its moored boats and quiet streets, invites for leisurely strolls and romantic evenings by the water. The promenade, lined with flowering shrubs and benches, offers beautiful views of the ocean and sunsets, creating an atmosphere of privacy and tranquillity. The majestic cathedral with its tall towers and the cosy old castle become the real gems of Beckford, awe-inspiring not only for their historical significance but also for the atmosphere of warmth that surrounds them. Beckford is the perfect place for those who want to escape from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the simple pleasures of life surrounded by nature and friendly people.

This world-Edit Hylewood by the amazing @nilxis,credit for the terrain and plant placement goes to them.Then the world was redone by one of my favourite creators @Gruesim so the replacement texture roads are to her credit. The world has 27 public lots and 16 residential lots. Stor sets are present in the world! They are included in the download in package format,also in the build there are fixes for these sets.Please read the document inside on how to properly install the Stor fixes in PACKAGE format!!!!

Also in the world there are some mods that you can download from these links: 1.Mod functional printer 2.Tennis court mod 3.Mod purchase from inventory 4.Mod More vending machine fods 5.Mod system of petrol use by cars 6.post mod 7.Shop for clothing display pedestal mod 8.Social clubs mod

9.Private Clinic Psychiatry

10.Get Pumped

11.Yoga mod

12.Spin Class by Twinsimming

Recommendations for optimising the world. I advise and even insist that you use with this world mods Nraas:Master controller,nraas Overwatch,nraas Register,nraas Traffic.(Links to them do not give, I think they have you and so all installed):)Optimise the world with these mods: remove unnecessary transport, generated by the game stray animals, paparazzi and tourists. The world is released in betta version as it was little tested (and I will not have such an opportunity in the near future, so I put it out to you earlier than planned).

Download World

Download (mirror)

Download(mirror 2)

Download CC

(Download mirror сс)

Download (mirror cc 2)

If you have any questions, please write to us and we will solve them together. Gratitude I would like to thank all the wonderful creators I used for this world! Without you I would have nothing and this world would not exist. Thank you so much for your hard work! @Phoebejaysims,@Grandelama,@Martassimsbook,@aelisinsims,@Analogica 40,@Gruesim,@aroundthesims3,@bioniczombie,@Noir and dark sims,@simaddix,@wanberlust-pixel,@zivas-blog,@mequestrianequipment,@syninplays,@olomaya,@omedievalpixel,@kerrigan house designs,@Mspoodle. Sorry who I forgot )

If you want to thank me, buy me a coffee.

[is-wonder-mainline-yet]

Yep, still there (May 17, 2025)

After 573 days of no updates to the Mario history timeline, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been added to the website on day 574. This puts it in 2nd place behind New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which was added on day 602 after its launch. But why now?

I didn't do any documentation of the rest of Mario Dot Nintendo Dot Com, but luckily the most recent archive on the Wayback Machine is on May 8th, 2025. The first thing I noticed is that the Characters page has been updated with new renders. Check out that denim on the Super Mario Brothers!

Notably, the new Kong designs are also present, including the new Diddy Kong render shown off on the very same day the website was updated, May 15:

In fact, renders all across the website have been updated! Basically every appearance of Mario has that detailed moustache and those shiny metal buttons on his overalls (though some characters have had only subtler lighting changes, or even none I can distinguish). Since most of the poses are near-identical, it makes a great comparison.

It seems like they did a site-wide update to prepare for the Switch 2 launch, showing off the redesigns. One of those updated Mario renders appears on the Mario history page, so with that in mind it's not surprising that the timeline was updated along with it.

With that, I've said all I really wanted to say on the subject. Sorry to the 5 followers I've gained since making the "Yes" post, but I don't really think I'll be doing much with this blog in the near future. Maybe I'll post some jokes?

And of course, special thanks to jan Misali for creating the how many Super Mario games are there NOW? video that brought my attention to the website in the first place. (and for all their other great videos!)

[glowettee]

✧・゜: how i organize my google drive for maximum efficiency :・゜✧:・゜✧

hey lovelies! ✨

i use google drive to organize mostly everything, and the truth is, my google drive used to be an absolute disaster zone, we're talking hundreds of "untitled document" files and random screenshots saved who knows when. but after one particularly stressful finals week where i lost a paper for three hours, i completely overhauled my system. here's exactly how i organize everything now!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the folder structure that changed everything ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

first things first, i use a simple top-level organization system:

📁 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴: all school-related files

📁 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭: journals, goal tracking, finances, etc.

📁 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦: blog drafts, design projects, photos

📁 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦: completed classes and old projects

📁 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: templates, reference materials, guides

the key is keeping your top level super simple, i used to have 20+ folders here and it was overwhelming! now i can find anything within seconds because i know exactly which category it falls under.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my academic folder system ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

this is the most detailed section of my drive! inside my academics folder:

📁 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳

📁 class 1

📁 class 2

📁 class 3

📁 class 4

📄 semester schedule

📄 assignment tracker

inside each class folder:

📁 notes

📁 assignments

📁 readings

📁 projects

📄 syllabus

i color-code each class folder to match my physical notebooks and planner tabs, this visual consistency helps my brain switch between subjects more easily!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ file naming conventions that save me ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the absolute game-changer was developing a consistent naming system:

for class notes: DATE_CLASS_TOPIC example: 06.10_psych101_memory_systems

for assignments: CLASS_ASSIGNMENT_STATUS example: econ202_midterm_essay_final

for group projects: CLASS_PROJECT_MYPART_VERSION example: marketing300_campaign_research_v2

this might seem excessive, but it means i never have to open files to figure out what they are! plus, sorting by name automatically puts everything in chronological order.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my favorite google drive hacks ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

these little tricks make everything run even smoother:

𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: i star current project files so they always appear at the top of my drive

𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨: right-click folders to give them colors that match your physical organization system

𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺: i keep a "templates" folder with pre-formatted docs for essays, lab reports, notes, etc.

𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴: i set important folders to be available offline (has saved me during wifi emergencies!)

𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴: using "type:pdf" or "after:2023-09-01" in the search bar to filter results

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ maintenance routines ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

even the best system falls apart without regular maintenance! here's my schedule:

𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘱 (15 min): every friday afternoon, i sort any stray files into their proper folders and rename anything with default names

𝘮𝘪𝘥-𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘵 (30 min): halfway through each semester, i check that everything is where it should be and create any new folders needed

𝘦𝘯𝘥-𝘰𝘧-𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 (1 hour): i move completed classes to my archive folder and set up the next semester's structure

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ sharing & collaboration settings ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

as someone who works on lots of group projects, getting these settings right is crucial:

𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴: i create specific shared folders for each group project rather than sharing individual files

𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴: i'm careful about giving "edit" vs "comment" access depending on the project

𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: i always disable "anyone with the link can edit" to avoid accidental changes

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my best google drive tips ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

create a "quick access" document with links to your most-used files

use google drive's "workspaces" feature to group project files temporarily

download the desktop app to easily drag and drop files

set up automatic google photos backup for screenshots and images

use keyboard shortcuts (shift + n for new folder is my favorite!)

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ final thoughts ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

remember that the perfect organization system is one that works for your brain! mine has evolved over years of trial and error, and i still tweak it each semester. the key is consistency, whatever system you choose, stick with it long enough to make it habit.

xoxo, mindy 🤍

[thecoppercompendium]

So, you want to make a TTRPG…

Image from Pexels.

I made a post a long while back about what advice you would give to new designers. My opinions have changed somewhat on what I think beginners should start with (I originally talked about probability) but I thought it might be useful to provide some resources for designers, new and established, that I've come across or been told about. Any additions to these in reblogs are much appreciated!

This is going to be a long post, so I'll continue beneath the cut.

SRDs

So, you have an idea for a type of game you want to play, and you've decided you want to make it yourself. Fantastic! The problem is, you're not sure where to start. That's where System Reference Documents (SRDs) can come in handy. There are a lot of games out there, and a lot of mechanical systems designed for those games. Using one of these as a basis can massively accelerate and smooth the process of designing your game. I came across a database of a bunch of SRDs (including the licenses you should adhere to when using them) a while back, I think from someone mentioning it on Tumblr or Discord.

SRDs Database

Probability

So, you have a basic system but want to tweak it to work better with the vision you have for the game. If you're using dice, this is where you might want to consider probability. Not every game needs this step, but it's worth checking that the numbers tell the story you're trying to tell with your game. For this, I'll link the site I did in that first post, AnyDice. It allows you to do a lot of mathematical calculations using dice, and see the probability distribution that results for each. There's documentation that explains how to use it, though it does take practice.

AnyDice

Playtesting

So you've written the rules of your game and want to playtest it but can't convince any of your friends to give it a try. Enter Quest Check. Quest Check is a website created by Trekiros for connecting potential playtesters to designers. I can't speak to how effective it is (I've yet to use it myself) but it's great that a resource like it exists. There's a video he made about the site, and the site can be found here:

Quest Check

Graphic Design and Art

Game is written and tested? You can publish it as-is, or you can make it look cool with graphics and design. This is by no means an essential step, but is useful if you want to get eyes on it. I've got a few links for this. First off, design principles:

Design Cheatsheet

Secondly, art. I would encourage budding designers to avoid AI imagery. You'll be surprised how good you can make your game look with only shapes and lines, even if you aren't confident in your own artistic ability. As another option, public domain art is plentiful, and is fairly easy to find! I've compiled a few links to compilations of public domain art sources here (be sure to check the filters to ensure it's public domain):

Public Domain Sources 1

Public Domain Sources 2

You can also make use of free stock image sites like Pexels or Pixabay (Pixabay can filter by vector graphics, but has recently become much more clogged with AI imagery, though you can filter out most of it, providing it's tagged correctly).

Pexels

Pixabay

Fonts

Turns out I've collected a lot of resources. When publishing, it's important to bear in mind what you use has to be licensed for commercial use if you plan to sell your game. One place this can slip through is fonts. Enter, my saviour (and eternal time sink), Google Fonts. The Open Font License (OFL) has minimal restrictions for what you can do with it, and most fonts here are available under it:

Google Fonts

Publishing

So, game is designed, written, and formatted. Publishing time! There are two places that I go to to publish my work: itch.io and DriveThruRPG. For beginners I would recommend itch - there's less hoops to jump through and you take a much better cut of what you sell your games for, but DriveThruRPG has its own merits (@theresattrpgforthat made great posts here and here for discovering games on each). Itch in particular has regular game jams to take part in to inspire new games. I'll link both sites:

itch.io

DriveThruRPG

Finally, a bunch of other links I wasn't sure where to put, along with a very brief summary of what they are.

Affinity Suite, the programs I use for all my layout and designing. Has an up-front cost to buy but no subscriptions, and has a month-long free trial for each.

Affinity Suite

A database of designers to be inspired by or work with. Bear in mind that people should be paid for their work and their time should be respected.

Designer Directory

An absolute behemoth list of resources for TTRPG creators:

Massive Resources List

A site to make mockups of products, should you decide to go that route:

Mockup Selection

A guide to making published documents accessible to those with visual impairments:

Visual Impairment Guidelines

A post from @theresattrpgforthat about newsletters:

Newsletter Post

Rascal News, a great place to hear about what's going on in the wider TTRPG world:

Rascal News

Lastly, two UK-specific links for those based here, like me:

A list of conventions in the UK & Ireland:

Convention List

A link to the UK Tabletop Industry Network (@uktabletopindustrynetwork) Discord where you can chat with fellow UK-based designers:

TIN Discord

That's all I've got! Feel free to reblog if you have more stuff people might find useful (I almost certainly will be)!

[afroplumbarb]

TS2 Legacy Collection CEP Extra Tutorial

Hi guys! I just wanted to make this quick tutorial on this since it's the first time a lot of players will be doing this.

Step 1: Download CEP Extra Manual installation from ModTheSims linked here (Read all instructions included if you get confused)

Step 2: Extract the Zip to a folder

Step 3: Open the folder and place the package _EnableColorOptionsMMAT into the Sims3D folder located here: Program Files > EA Games>The Sims 2 Legacy>Base>TSData>Res>Sims3D

Step 4: Place the package _EnableColorOptionsGMND into your Downloads folder located here: Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 Legacy>Downloads **Note: You will likely have to create this folder yourself which is easy. Simply right click inside The Sims 2 Legacy folder and create a new folder named "Downloads" and place that file right inside.**

Step 5: Open the 'Extras' folder inside the Zip

Step 6: Open the folder 'MyDocuments' and place the entire zCEP-EXTRA folder inside your Sims 2 Legacy document folder located here: Documents>EA Games>The Sims 2 Legacy

Step 7: Open the folder 'ProgramFiles' and place the entire zCEP-EXTRA folder inside your Catalog folder located here: Program Files > EA Games>The Sims 2 Legacy>Base>TSData>Res>Catalog

And thats it! You should be good to go now. You can check if it's working by the start up message. If you have that setting turned off you can also check to see if it's working by going into one of the households and using the design tool on objects that were previously not recolorable or expanded objects. I believe you can also check to see if it's working by checking the skin tone range in CAS but don't quote me on that lol. Anyway I hope this helped someone 💜

EDIT: Quick reminder for those that are extremely new to the game that you need to start the game at least once first The Sims 2 Legacy folder to appear in your documents folder or you could simply create it yourself, add your folders, and then start the game after and it’ll populate around your newly added CEP and Downloads folder.

[thefruitiestnight]

i think one of the things i love most about ffxiv is that the game genuinely feels like it wants you to be insane over it. When you load up that character creation screen for the first time you're like "oh um ok so what looks good...?" then 500 hours later you're like "ok so this is my wol they're called Jean End'Dream and here's the 500 page lore document i created for them detaling their whole life the exact meanings behind their chosen class and how they feel about every person they've ever met. Game is designed for an blank-slate overpowered mc and yet you eat it up every time i truly love this video game.

[ghrgrsfdesfrfg]

Back at it again with another OC, the Iron Maiden ! what are the secret of this serious and elegant toy ?

i hope you'll like her introduction, it took me a while to write, i also had the help of a friend who gave me tips and suggestion, if you read this you know who you are and i thank you.

Picture doesn't belong to me, credits to the artist, found on pinterest.

I wanted to make a toy with element from "The Thing" and add more horror to my ocs, there's also mention of other toy like baron, eudora and the king as well as the mysterious [REDACTED] and the reject.

Writing tips, critics and request are all welcomed here so don't hesitate to send them in the comments.

Some elements might be changed in the future but i'll make an edit if it's the case.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Archived information about the ‘‘Iron Maiden’’:

-Experiment 1167 known as the ‘‘Iron Maiden’’ was created in 1992 to be the bodyguard of higher-ups of the company but other Maidens were also put to work at a cafe built in the game station.

-She measure 1m85 or 6,06ft in height, her body is separated in 3 parts, the first known as the “outer shell” is made of carbon and metal giving it a metallic shine and rigid movement in some case, the second is the cage inside the “outer shell” who help the final part of the body to work properly as it cover the entire interior and is akin to a skeleton of sort.

[Third part of the body will be discussed in another part of the document].

-Like huggy-wuggy she is capable of extreme act of violence thanks to her unshakable loyalty in the company and natural obedience, making the Iron Maiden an excellent toy for protection in Playtime Co.

Early life :

-Penelope Spencer was an orphan for as long as she could remember as she was given to playtime Co soon after her birth, the only memento of her parents being a letter explaining they couldn’t take care of her because of financial issue and another section with her given name and some apologies for abandoning her.

-Despite this rough start at life Penelope adjusted easily to the life of an orphan and quickly built a reputation of a reliable and obedient child willing to work and take any task given to them, sometime even helping the staff of playtime to organize activities for the children.

-Speaking of the staff, be they counselors, scientist or random cleaning crew she quickly came to associate the staff of playtime as her family even if she would only see them once or everyday. This was swiftly put to use as the staff were ordered to build a good relation with Penelope in order to gain her trust and possibly spy on the children at the orphanage or other task involving collecting information on other children without having to use the counselors or another toy.

-Soon enough she was acting as a spy of sort gathering information on whoever the scientist ordered her to spy and was rewarded with toys, books and better living conditions at the orphanage much to the anger or confusion of the orphans who didn’t understand how Penelope gained such privileges.

-The staff nurtured her loyalty by acting more and more like a family to her, giving her the connection she was always after. Even if she was an asset of the company more and more people came to appreciate her for who she was and not what she was doing for the company, even cold-hearted scientist started to like the blonde girl and her friendly, playful nature.

PROCEDURE :

-She was selected for the procedure rather early in her life and finally taken after turning 11 when the scientists didn’t need her around the orphanage anymore and decided to give her a better station (in their judgment) by turning her into the first Iron Maiden.

-The body and procedure for the Iron Maiden was upgraded and modified several time to make sure only the best candidates could be turned easily and hopefully retain a maximum amount of cognitive functions. The first procedure, specially designed for Penelope, was meant to make her into an even better Maiden compared to the future generations that came after her.

-The procedure was a resounding success despite the grueling process, her vital organs were removed and placed in a vat of Poppy-Gel for 48h in order to fuse with them and being capable of transferring the blob of flesh into it’s new body. Once the organs and Gel have fused they need to be carefully transported into the Maiden’s open body and laid in the cage then closed and left in a room with adequate temperature and constant life support to ensure the blob of flesh can properly awaken and move on it’s own inside the Maiden.

-This so called “Blob of flesh” is all that remains of the subject before being transferred in it’s new body, this mass of moving tissue, fused organs, eyes and deformed hands is capable of moving on it’s own slowly and “possessing” any maiden’s body provided it’s empty. The blob can be carried by hand but protective equipment is needed because it can produce an acidic liquid which can penetrate the skin of a human being with enough time and exposure.

-When placed in a Maiden, it anchors itself to the cage and then adapt to the shape of the body to occupy it in it’s entirety in order to use it, scientists described this disturbing process as “filling up a body with a living, breathing, massive organ and seeing it come to life”, once the adaptation is done the testing of cognitive functions starts such as using the body by moving the hands and legs or speaking because unlike many toys the Maiden doesn’t use a voice-box but modify their own vocal cords to take on a voice they like.

-Penelope or now, the Iron Maiden, adapted to her body extremely quickly despite a short period of confusion and took her security training with disturbing ease while perfecting her stealth and mannerism as she would blend in with the other Maiden’s or toys to gather information or dispose of them if needed.

Work for Playtime.Co :

-With her training done extremely quickly she was handed to Leith Pierre to act as his personal bodyguard and assassin whenever needed, she would also clean his office or bring whatever drinks he required or paper to work on, she was virtually always seen with Leith or never too far away.

-Her targets marked for assassination were often whistle-blowers, nosy journalists or disobedient employees whose usefulness came to an end either because they uncovered something they shouldn’t have or harmed the company’s interest in some way.

-She was also seen handling customers at the cafe in the Game Station when something went wrong or to lead them to a higher-up if they were to meet one although many people reported feeling the “Uncanny Valley” effect when looking at her or another Maiden for too long, this was further amplified by the fact that many Maidens kept their eyes closed (for reason we’ll explain further down this document).

-While she preferred handling her targets alone, she would sometime team up with another Maiden or even the Rat King on rare occasions however the two toys didn’t like each other much as the Maiden was suspicious of the King while he found her to be an uncompromising zealot regarding the company’s order.

-She was rewarded for her work with a better holding cell than most toys and it was more akin to a private room than an actual cell, the food given to her as a result was also of much better quality and she was even permitted to eat with other employees.

Hour of Joy:

-High involvement, she and some other maidens were focused on escorting the few high value employees like Leith Pierre to safety and exterminating whatever toy or adults coming their way, virtually every Maiden sided with the company and started an extermination campaign in the company and the various levels to purge it of the rebellious toys to varying degrees of success.

-Penelope and the [REDACTED] were the sole people responsible for Leith Pierre’s escape to safety much to the absolute rage of the toys who learned of this, Penelope was also responsible for the single highest death toll of any toys in the factory as she tore a bloody path to allow Leith to escape.

-Leith’s final order were for her to work with the [REDACTED] to capture the Prototype and secure the factory to acceptable level no matter the time it took or the methods used to do so. Leith was escorted by a high security team and left the Iron Maiden to her task, one she set out to do immediately.

-She then went to the [REDACTED] level and contacted the [REDACTED] in order to start the reclamation of the factory and capture of the prototype, this is the last know sighting of the Maiden while some toys reports seeing her in the prison alongside the Warden or in the Labs hunting the toys there.

Design:

-The attire of the Maiden is comprised of a maid uniform with an iron diadem, a white and black uniform with a royal symbol at the bottom of the robe. The symbol vary depending on the Maiden’s station and seniority.

-Her hair is made of silk to complete her regal appearance and unfortunately require a lot of maintenance, this is often done by another maiden or two employees dedicated to taking care of her hair.

-Her body is made of carbon with a mix of pliable and lightweight metal in order to sustain damage, contain the blob of flesh and it’s acid at the cost of sometime causing the maid to have rigid movement, especially when walking, talking or even cleaning.

-The first generation of Maiden were forced to keep their eyes closed as the flesh inside of them would bleed out of the socket which forced later generations to be outfitted with a small glass panel in the eye socket to prevent the bleeding.

Abilities:

-The maiden is capable of creating an acidic liquid similar to the bile produced by the stomach, she can use this acid and spit it at the enemy to melt the skin or fur over prolonged exposures and period of time. She can also coat the flesh of her body to use it as a defense mechanism or even specific part of the body such as the hands to create a lethal weapon if she were to grab or punch someone.

-The most horrifying ability of a maiden is to open her body in any way she sees fit as the cage inside her body and the outer shell is capable of splitting open in an almost limitless amount of shape like splitting her head open or even her entire body in half to absorb a very unfortunate target, she can also split another part of her body in various disturbing shape such as forcing her hand to split in dozens of parts to better grab a target.

-Once a target is incapacitated, she will split her body in whatever way she sees fit (often splitting in half) and force the target or pieces of them inside her for consumption, this is even worse for a target who can fit inside her as they are slowly dissolved by the acid and heat of the flesh.

-In some rare occasion, a Maiden is also capable of sticking to the ceiling and crawl on it if the splitting is done in the right way, this was used by some employees to give the scare of a lifetime to other when they saw a Maiden and their exposed flesh looking at them with deformed eyes and hands from the ceiling.

Employees and toy's opinion of the Iron Maiden:

-Leith Pierre who was happy about her service although slightly unnerved by the impassive face or stillness of her body, saying it was “a moving statue, unseen and undetectable”.

-Stella Greyber who saw the Iron Maiden for what they truly were, a security and surveillance system. She didn’t like them and tried to avoid them but was assigned one nonetheless, she would try to converse with the maiden but she found them to be poor conversationalist.

-Harley Sawyer who considered them a massive improvement upon all the other Bigger Body and a masterpiece of union between science and biology, although he was never assigned one because Leith Pierre didn’t trust him with a Maiden.

-The Rat King who hated her because he saw a twisted reflection of himself in her, his loyalty toward his friends and Clara was twisted to become an enforcer for the company while Penelope betrayed all the orphans for some recognition. This unnerved him as it showed him what he could’ve been, a monster dedicated to the company willing to do anything to please them.

-Baron Bon-Bon who was scared of her, seeing her as an assassin ready to strike anyone whom the company saw as a burden, he worked harder when she was around, desperate to not be seen as a target much to the twisted amusement of the employees.

-Eudora who did her best to avoid the Maiden and worked quietly when she was around, scared of the quiet monster who loomed around her train, she sadly had to work with the Maiden on some occasion when delivering certain items to the lower levels of playtime.

-The [REDACTED] who saw her as the perfect tool and ally, willing to strike down anyone and do anything in the name of the company no matter how gruesome the order is. The [REDACTED] who worked with her even after the Hour of Joy and upgraded her when needed to continue her sinister purpose.

The others Maidens who saw her as the example to follow when it came to service, obedience and performance as she was a toy held in high regard by the highest employees of the company, none faltered from doing their job be it serving customers or killing a curious journalist.

Trivia :

-Penelope was said to always be smiling or trying to cheer up other, this facade was never broken and served to gain the trust of other children. While she wasn’t as popular as David Bohman she still managed to gain a large group of friends and some of them even helped her to spy on other children although they didn’t know it was to help the company.

-Some called her a “Mini miss-Delight” due to her happy and sunny smile, always saying how her presence brightened a room with happiness and joy, she had few bullies and would even turn older, meaner children to her side in a few days at most.

-Her room was bigger and more comfortable than most orphans thanks to her service for the company as a child, her room had a radio, a bookshelf along with many toys that few orphans could afford or even obtain in the company.

-The first time her procedure was truly discussed with her was when she saw other Bigger Bodies such as Catnap or the Baron and asked a scientist if she could get a “cool body like them”, her wish was granted sooner than she ever expected.

-Even as a bodyguard for Leith Pierre himself she was still required to work at the cafe and often dealt with complaints or rowdy customers (as rowdy as someone can get drinking tea or coffee), she didn’t hate this part of her job but she appeared notably happier when she could roam around the Game Station following some employees or potential target.

-An avid consumer of tea, especially lavender tea which would often be shared with other Maidens or any employees who were nearby.

-As a child she enjoyed the Treasure Hunt of Baron Bon-Bon and won it many times, earning her two Brass Compass and a Golden Coin with her own face on it. She would also play with Mommy Long-Legs a lot, finding it fun to try and tangling her legs.

-Stella Greyber notoriously hated the Iron Maiden for who and what she was, a security system. This ironically put her high on the list of people to be watched by the Maiden much to the ire of Stella who complained to Leith about it, only to be told that each Head of the company (except Harley Sawyer) was assigned one to serve as an assistant.

-Penelope, even as the Iron Maiden would often read her books and even write some herself, most were fairy-tales or folklore from her country and had varying success with the orphans of Playcare.

-The Iron Maiden stealth’s was almost as good as the Rat King, the two would often be compared in some competition amongst the guards and made bets on who could fight the other or best them in various stealth-based bet. She could move around silently while standing up and even sneak up on someone in broad daylight and appear as if she suddenly teleported.

-Her eyes were almost always closed and despite this she could move around a huge crowd or in complete darkness without much trouble, she would only smile when asked how she could do this.

-She was later given the glass panels all Maiden were later equipped with but even then, her eyes would remain closed at all time but those who saw them said they had a beautiful purple color.

-During the Hour of Joy she would fight against many Bigger Body such as Boxy-Boo, the Reject (who made the most damage and was the most difficult to fight off) and huggy-wuggy already weakened after his fight with Eudora, few wounds or scratch were present on her body.

-Her collaboration with the [REDACTED] is a closely guarded secret and those who knows of it often try to understand their plan, only to receive an unexpected visit from the Maiden and be left with grievous wounds or outright dead.

-To this day few Maidens are left and most toy in the factory knows better than to mess with the ivory-faced Maiden, she never hunts them but word of her presence on a level of the factory is often enough to incite the toys to retreat until her departure.

[theoutcastrogue]

"For the past nine months, I’ve heard from a fair number of people, including people close to me and people I’ve worked with, say they don’t want anything to do with Hasbro, WOTC, or D&D. Unfortunately, they’re piling all of 5e in there too. 5e isn’t D&D. Since its release into the Creative Commons by two different companies, 5e is now an open system supported by hundreds of publishers and, in some cases, with whole games built around it. 5e is now and forever an independent tabletop roleplaying platform not tied to any single company. If someone doesn’t like 5e as a system, that’s totally fine. Not every system is for everyone. I know many who love the tactical crunchiness and character customization of Pathfinder 2. I know many others who love the fast and furious grim dark fantasy of old-school games like Shadowdark, EZD6, and Old School Essentials. That’s cool. Likewise, if you’re happy with D&D and don’t want or need anything else, that’s cool too. Most D&D players probably never consider products outside of what WOTC produces for D&D. I definitely recommend looking at the many awesome D&D / 5e compatible products many other publishers have created. Here are ten notable products for 2022 and my YouTube video segment on favorite products of 2023, all from other publishers than WOTC. Check them out. If you enjoy 5e but you’re done with Hasbro or WOTC or the D&D brand, this message is for you. 5e isn’t D&D. You can enjoy the hell out of 5e without having to use any products or pay any money to Hasbro. There are several excellent alternative core books for 5e – my current favorite being EN Publishing’s Level Up Advanced 5e and more on the way like Kobold Press’s Tales of the Valiant. These companies pay no license fees to Hasbro. Their work is completely independent from D&D. In A5e’s case, they have their own system reference document they wrote and released under a Creative Commons license that’s significantly bigger than the 5.1 SRD. These systems and products are completely independent from Hasbro or WOTC or D&D. 5e's rules were built by designers, many of whom aren't at Hasbro anymore, based on principles that go back 50 years and two full company acquisitions ago. Yes, 5e came from the development of the 2014 version of D&D. 5e stands for “5th edition” and that’s the 5th edition of D&D, but that doesn’t matter now. Now, all of the mechanics are released under a Creative Commons license and, as mentioned, there’s a whole separate one you can use instead if you don’t want to use the one published by WOTC. If you love 5e, as I do, don’t throw it out just because you’re mad at one company publishing material for it. 5e is ours and I personally think it’s awesome. You’re not hurting anyone or supporting the wrong group by buing products for it, running it, and playing it. Game on."

(by SlyFlourish)

[theresattrpgforthat]

Do you have any recommendations for library or book themed ttrpgs?

THEME: Library / Book Themed TTRPGS

Hello there! Most of the games I found this time around were solo games, although I think there's one or two that can be played multiplayer. Without further ado, let the recommendations begin!

The Librarian's Apprentice, by Almost Bedtime Theater.

Infinite, ever-shifting, and sometimes dangerous, the Library exists in the space between worlds and times. Among the many who call it home are the Librarians, and only those who truly understand it may join their ranks. You seek to do so.

The path of a Librarian’s apprentice is a long one. Your current task is designed to test your skills at traversing the Library and finding information. Retrieve the six documents requested by your Librarian before the day is out and you will have completed one more step on your journey.

Good luck.

Using the Firelights System, by Fari RPGs, The Librarian's Apprentice contains three brochures, called volumes. Volume I is the game rules & character creation. Volume II contains the bestiary, as well as the oracle for locations, events & secrets. Volume III has more oracles, this time for NPCs.

As a solo journaling game, this is a story you can follow at your own pace, using dice and a deck of cards to generate new and unexpected moments that your character will have to navigate. If you love the limitless feeling of inter-dimensional libraries, you might like The Librarian's Apprentice.

The Sealed Library, by Sealed Library.

“How DARE you and the rest of your barbarians set fire to my library? Play conqueror all you want, Mighty Caesar! Rape, murder, pillage thousands, even millions of human beings! But neither you nor any other barbarian has the right to destroy one human thought!” ― Sidney Buchman

The Sealed Library is a solo journaling RPG played with a deck of cards, a tumbling block tower and a notebook/scroll.

You are the sole surviving librarian of the greatest library in history. It sits in the centre of culture for an ancient land, now fallen to invaders. They pillage and raze.

The library has been barricaded and you are under siege. What important texts can you move down into the vaults and seal away forever before the barricade breaks?

What will future generations discover inside the Sealed Library?

The Sealed Library is not designed to have a happy ending. Wretched & Alone games rarely are. No, what you play to find out is instead how your ending arrives; will it arrive in a sudden, painful attack? Or in a slow, painful wasting away as the invaders whittle away at your resources? If you play with a Jenga tower, you'll likely meet the first kind of end; if you just play with some dice and a deck of cards, you'll likely meet the second.

Reference Hopping, by Calenmir's RPGs.

"Reference Hopping" is a solo journaling one-page RPG where you play as an intern of the Multiversal Library Network. Since today's most urgent tasks are distributed across 15 different branch locations, you'll need to travel between them via reference hopping.

To play this game, you need a very specific book - a dictionary. You use word association to direct your travel. In order to hit specific targets, you need to find connections from some specific words provided in a list; each target word includes a description of the location's architecture, and task your librarian character is expected to accomplish, If you're a big fan of wordplay or word games, you might like this one.

Duelists of the Pages, by StarshineScribbles.

Duelists Of The Pages is a game where you use your books to create duelists. And then pit these duelists against each other!

This game is suitable for 2 or more players. And each player only needs a book and a bookmark to play.

Players pick a book and swap bookmarks. The other player fills in the { } with numbers and returns the bookmark to its original owner. The player then picks a page from their book and uses the numbers given to generate their duelist.

Players then set their duelists against each other! Either in a tournament or round-robin format!

A great little game to play with another person, and you get a bookmark out of it! It looks like you can play this with just two people, but you can increase the size of the party if you like!

Arcanacademia, by Ostrichmonkey Games @ostrichmonkey-games

Arcanademia is a no frills Forged in the Dark game where you play as a member of a Department at a Magical University. You and your colleagues will embark on all manner of magical hijinks on your journey to the top.

Sabotage rivals' projects, wrangle magical mishaps, court favor with the eldritch Administration, and maybe get some grading done.

Competition is fierce and weird and it takes everything you’ve got to get the funding and resources you really deserve.

Arcanacademia isn't solely library-focused, but being about academia, I have a feeling you'll be hitting the books fairly regularly. You can play anyone from an undergraduate student to a tenured professor; with unique abilities attached to each class. Since the game advertises itself as no-frills, I'm assuming you create the lore yourself. I think the game is still on sale, so now is a great time to check it out!

Ex Libris, by Argyx Games.

EX LIBRIS is a solo roleplaying game that lets you experience an adventure by following the course of a novel from your bookshelf. Randomly generate a Hero from the text, then play through a series of scenes as you progress to the end of the book!

Ex Libris uses a novel of your choice to set up a character by using words found in the book to create a character, and dice rolls to refer to which pages you'll end up flipping to next. I'm personally curious about whether or not you could switch up the dice or add extra ones for a larger book.

The instructions for this game are fairly short and sweet. I think Ex Libris is a good option for someone who only needs a little bit of guidance to let their imagination soar.

The Bookshelf, by Lin Codega.

The Bookshelf is a game about taking the time to organize your books, remember their value, and rewrite a story based on the stories you have already created. If you have toys, photos, or magazines, you think about different merits and continue the narrative.

At the end of your bookshelf you can choose to write another part of the story, put your writing aside, or pass The Bookshelf --and your own story--along to a friend. Perhaps they will add to your story or write a new one themselves.

Half roleplaying game, half meditation exercise, The Bookshelf allows you to re-explore your book collection and pick out little tidbits. You can also use other parts of your bookshelf; little tchochkes, photographs, newspapers.. to flesh out the story or poem that you create as you go.

Also check out…

The Third Library, a micro-setting by ehronlime.

The Breathing, by Fistful of Crits.

If you like what I do and want to leave a tip, you can check out my Ko-Fi!

[sofia-d-asb]

Twine/SugarCube ressources

Some/most of you must know that Arcadie: Second-Born was coded in ChoiceScript before I converted it to Twine for self-publishing (for various reasons).

I have switched to Ren'Py for Cold Lands, but I thought I would share the resources that helped me when I was working with Twine. This is basically an organized dump of nearly all the bookmarks I collected. Hope this is helpful!

Guides

Creating Interactive Fiction: A Guide to Using Twine by Aidan Doyle

A Total Beginner’s Guide to Twine

Introduction to Twine By Conor Walsh (covers Harlowe and not SugarCube)

Twine Grimoire I

Twine Grimoire II

Twine and CSS

Documentation

SugarCube v2 Documentation

Custom Macros

Chapel's Custom Macro Collection, particularly Fairmath function to emulate CS operations if converting your CS game to Twine

Cycy's custom macros

Clickable Images with HTML Maps

Character pages

Character Profile Card Tutorial

Twine 2 / SugarCube 2 Sample Code by HiEv

Templates

Some may be outdated following Twine/SugarCube updates

Twine/Sugarcube 2 Template

Twine SugarCube template

Twine Template II

Twine Template by Vahnya

Sample Code and more resources

A post from 2 years ago where I share sample code

TwineLab

nyehilism Twine masterpost

How to have greyed out choices

idrellegames's tutorials

Interactive Fiction Design, Coding in Twine & Other IF Resources by idrellegames (idrellegames has shared many tutorials and tips for Twine, browse their #twine tag)

How to print variables inside links

How do I create a passage link via clicking on a picture

App Builder

Convert your Twine game into a Windows and macOS executable (free)

Convert your Twine game into a mobile app for Android and iPhone (90$ one-time fee if memory serves me right) // Warning: the Android app it creates is outdated for Google Play, you'll need to update the source code yourself