He/him Board/card/video/TTRPG designer (hobby) Mathematician and Data Scientist (job) Parent to one toddler (2F) https://strangerside.itch.io/https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mojcrisvpk2sSaw a video on "the illusion of player agency in TTRPGs" where the first 20 seconds made it abundantly clear that all examples were going to be drawn from Actual Play (Dimension 20) and... yikes bro. I don't even need to hear your argument to know you don't know what you're talking about.17 Jun 2026 22:00 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mojcrisvpk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mo35ne6knc2sBrilliant middle-of-the-night-wakeup realization I'm going to share without fully unpacking: a games claims about the mechanics present in the game are itself game mechanics. These are very often actual tools you can use as a game designer.12 Jun 2026 06:51 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mo35ne6knc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mnduheyuvk2wI'm not ready for bluesky man. Realized today that the guy I was talking to about a thing awhile ago was the creator of said thing. I didn't say anything stupid but still feel silly.03 Jun 2026 00:35 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnduheyuvk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mn6xuolcd227Have a pretty challenging math problem for a game design, while trying to find time to write up a solver in Python I sent it out to my friends and they've generated pages and pages of work for me and they've had a blast riffing off it and getting stuck. This is what LLMs want to take from us.01 Jun 2026 01:53 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mn6xuolcd227https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mmenvqqpfc2qTTRPG folks: Trying to figure out why people are so hostile towards roll under (and to a lesser extent, bell curved dice mechanics). I have some pretty good hypotheses, but any insight would be appreciated.21 May 2026 14:45 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmenvqqpfc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mlrw4gdmlc2bThere's a guy who's whole science job was "Yo does this sugar water taste spicy to you?" and he got a thing named after him and everything.14 May 2026 03:52 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrw4gdmlc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mk3w2i35o22yI'm so nervous all the time that this TTRPG won't really work and could use a developmental editor, but those people deserve to be compensated for their time and Stranger does not have enough. Money can't buy you happiness but it sure as hell can remove obstacles between you and happiness. 😞22 Apr 2026 16:27 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3w2i35o22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mjfqpyivu22vLooking forward to removing a mechanic from my game next time I get to sit down and write 😁13 Apr 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjfqpyivu22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mjds7lxyqs2mMy swipe type has twice put in "Bratislava" when I went to call my wife beautiful and now I wanna know who out there even used the word enough times to get that into the model.13 Apr 2026 02:14 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjds7lxyqs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mjdk5r5yps2gIt's very funny to me that part of Silverquill's visual identity is that more than half the cards from that college have gray or graying hair. English degree does that to you I guess?12 Apr 2026 23:50 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjdk5r5yps2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mjbbb4e7hs2xAnyone know any cool places for TTRPG designers to chat? I want to find a community on a site actually designed for it but I don't know enough people to start that on my own Discord thing.12 Apr 2026 02:05 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjbbb4e7hs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mixanc65y22lWishing I knew how to make my idea sparkle on the page the way it sparkles in my head.08 Apr 2026 02:28 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mixanc65y22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mix5xfb54k25If you never had to consult the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences for a game design thing, what are you even doin' man?08 Apr 2026 01:40 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mix5xfb54k25https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3min565yka22z*Me, brainstorming how to appeal to PbtA players* what if... just twice as many bulleted lists?04 Apr 2026 01:59 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3min565yka22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mihsyfuals2aI know I have something good going, I know that thing has some ideas I'm in love with that might hurt the success of the good thing. I wish I had more discernment to know what's not gonna work.01 Apr 2026 23:13 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mihsyfuals2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mihn3jpark2yBorn to make fun game Forced to call customer service for multiple hours to get furniture delivered. 😔01 Apr 2026 21:28 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mihn3jpark2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mi7kea5xr223I think impatience is, in a sense, virtuous for designers. You need to be irritated by what doesn't work in order to be really motivated to see it made better. Being content with the status quo doesn't lend itself to innovative change.29 Mar 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi7kea5xr223https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhyz7vysgk2bThe problem with how avante-garde some of these TTRPGs are is it makes it hard to evaluate whether there's a typo or not. Bonus points for anyone who figures out how to use the rain as a resolution mechanism.27 Mar 2026 01:55 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhyz7vysgk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhwj3vydgs2uA wonderful looking resource collection from the designer of one of my favorite board games. Game designers of all stripes, take note. [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Mar 2026 02:01 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhwj3vydgs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhjxyd2ek22mTrying to find reasons to keep writing the TTRPG book despite my mental health struggles and today I saw a picture so beautiful I know who I want to create the cover art. Hoping when I'm done I can capture more than just my own beautiful ideas but show off some incredible pieces I'll commission.21 Mar 2026 02:23 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhjxyd2ek22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhhjibndcs2dNew dumb headcanon: Lurrus is this one. That's why this one is on both arts.20 Mar 2026 02:58 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhhjibndcs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhhi2qrmb22dDebating entering into a jam because prompt brain go brrrrr but at the same time if I lose I spoil my 100% win streak. 🤣20 Mar 2026 02:33 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhhi2qrmb22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhgiwqugek2uDebating a submission that's just a few decontextualized threads from a forum. Two nerds arguing the rules. Someone's homebrew class getting shredded for being unbalanced and lore-breaking. Someone debating switching from 2e to 3e. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Mar 2026 17:16 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhgiwqugek2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mhe6bvgl6c2jMost game designers over here mulling over details of their worldbuilding or layout and I'm over here like "Today's thing to think about: 3d4? Is this a good one? Is it too weird? Makes a very distribution-shaped distribution."18 Mar 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhe6bvgl6c2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgyasppvv227Maybe this is a really, really stupid thought: How could a system designer fix this? How could they support the content designers and make it more of a group community-building effort, without necessarily operating inside a contractual framework with each individual designer? [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Mar 2026 01:13 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgyasppvv227https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgxisq4f3c2pI was debating writing up my own "manifesto" about how I approach game design, but ultimately decided nothing I had to say was that different or insightful. Common sense, I thought. Then I saw this one someone else made floating around and I was like "Oh, yeah, I'm the opposite of this actually."13 Mar 2026 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgxisq4f3c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgq46sgfds2iStep one is to believe in yourself. To know that your ideas and your unique perspective matters, and that you are capable of seeing the thing through and making it reality. I am really bad at step one. But I'm going to keep trying.10 Mar 2026 19:29 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgq46sgfds2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgdowlfvds24Techbros: Liberals don't get excited by technology! Me, operating my new barrel cheese grater for the first time: 🤯 This is so cool.05 Mar 2026 21:00 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdowlfvds24https://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgdcpidbyc2aThere are plenty of people who would be better served by another system and should definitely open their mind to what all is out there. But, for more people than you would imagine, DnD is exactly the game for them. And despite the oxygen it takes up, it did bring some awesome people into the hobby. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Mar 2026 17:21 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdcpidbyc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/strangerside909.bsky.social/post/3mgdcaxxchc2aAnd it was still hungry... for battle! [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Mar 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:id7odrfcdyq2yq33uiocspcb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdcaxxchc2a