It’s been a while… Time to dust off the old blog!
I want to share something new I’ve been working on: After a short private beta, RPG Lab is now open for anyone to join.
On this site, RPG designers can share games or supplements they’re working on, and players can follow games they’re interested in and help shape them with playtest feedback.
My aim is for RPG Lab to fill a major gap I’ve noticed in the RPG space: There’s no good place for designers to talk about their games as they take shape. Some might work hard to build an audience on social media, but often you don’t hear about a new game until it’s crowdfunded or published. And even then, discovery is difficult.
So I hope that RPG Lab can become the place where designers routinely share their games early on, post regular updates, and run playtests. And for players, it can become a good place to discover new games - such as adventures for systems they like, or new games from their favorite designers. So by the time a new product is ready for crowdfunding or publishing, it already has a list of interested customers.
In terms of projects, anything RPG related is fair game, regardless of size or stage. So full games, systems, settings, adventures, bestiaries and other supplements, or even digital tools, as long as they are RPG specific.
The first projects have started appearing on the site. The bar is deliberately low, as I want anyone to feel comfortable publishing a project at the early idea stage (no need to have content, art, or even a final product name), and then flesh it out over time, while growing a list of followers at the same time.
Of course, my own work-in-progress rules-light universal RPG Tagline lives on the site, too. Feel free to give it a follow after signing up. 🙂
In addition, RPG Lab is a place for design discussions, as that side of the hobby is also very fragmented right now, between various subreddits and forums. Anyone can post and comment on articles, anything from musings about certain mechanics, requests for feedback on setting ideas, RPG business advice, and more.
The About page has more info on what RPG Lab is all about, what is and isn’t in scope, and some helpful pointers to get started.
Go check it out. Contact info is on the site, if you have any feedback at all.