I’ve been playing a lot of Songbirds. I’ve been playing a lot of TTRPGs in general. I’m in one game where I am playing a crust-punk cleric who chain smokes and flirts with everyone. In another I’m a quiet girl raised in a library who is obsessed with the idea of physical pain. As far as running games, there’s a new setting being concocted in one, separate from all the previous shared worldbuilding I’ve done. Another is a solo game that’s turning into a bit of a detective-mystery game.
It’s given me a lot to think about. Using the skills, for instance, has me realizing how often I lean into Skill Challenges, how there isn’t a skill for “remembering” or “conceptualizing,” and questioning the separation of Stats and Skills to begin with.
Running some dungeons has me questioning the osr-deadliness of violent encounters, the simplicity of the classes, and the use of the d10.
When I made Snow Hack, the goal was to make a dungeon crawler that creates a cycle of play from the dungeon to the downtime actions, which would then create reasons to go dungeon crawling again. And I think in my urge to really focus on the downtime actions, the combat-side of the game (which I really, really like in my dungeon games) suffered.
So I’m still fiddling. In the workshop getting my hands in the guts of Songbirds. Shifting blocks around, siphoning some of the juice out to inject the blood i’ve collected over the course of all these playtests. This is early-stages stuff. There’s a lot in Songbirds Green already if you want to sink your teeth into some thinking-stage game design, but the stuff I’m talking about here won’t see a public document for a very long time.
I want to pull back the curtain though. On my design, my plans, and to share what I’m working on for the future.
Aaron Lim had a tweet that I’ve been thinking about a lot. It has me thinking about what I want in the future, or even this year, and what I’ve done to get that. And the answer is that I haven’t done much. Because what I want is to be professional. To show up at cons with a booth, to sell the highest quality of book possible, and to turn this independent little venture into something that can create some stability, ideally for a family.
I don’t want to get sentimental or anything, but I spent so much of my life “on my career” and i’m getting to an age where my career doesn’t mean as much to me when it comes to personal and spiritual fulfillment. And, ironically enough, the solution to that is actually working more, but in more specific and professional ways, and less in independent-artist ways.
That’s why I’ve been (trying) to write more posts here. It’s why I’ve been playtesting a lot more. It’s why I’ve been putting a team together for this next big project. And it’s why, hopefully, the next book is better than the last in every way imaginable.
Not sure where I’m going with this. /end thought.
Now for a commercial break <3
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THESE COOL NEW GAMES
There are two games that have come out very recently that I think you should check out. Along with a new demo from one of my fav designers.
Thursday has been a vocal fan of Songbirds for a long time and Hardcase takes the downtime bs I wrote and turns it into a gloriously dystopian game of scrap metal capitalism. If you dig sci-fi solo games? Click the image above and go check this out.
Released JUST YESTERDAY is Daisy Chainsaw, from Songbirds artists Char. This is a magical girl, tactical combat game where you choose your unique weapon, navigate school drama, and try not to die (OMG OMG ITS BRUTAL). Go check it out.
Dinoberry are good friends but more important to that they’re amazing designers. The only thing better than playing Fortnite with Nevyn is being so, so, so jealous when they turn around and tease me with THIS AWESOME MASK-MAKING GAME!!! The demo is out now and I think you just need to look at it. It’s one of the most unique and inspiring projects I’ve seen in a while.
Now back to your originally scheduled programming~
I want to open the floor to you, dear reader, and ask you what you’d like to see from me in terms of behind the scenes writings. Ideas i’ve had: design streams, weekly updates on what I’m working on following the thought process I take when designing, some more fiction-based, in-world writings. But I’m learning. How to be professional, how to do this job of mine, and how to talk to you all. So, I want to take what you have to say seriously because, well, haha, you’re the one reading this. Your opinion matters.
So let me know in the comments, on twitter, or through email.
That’s all I have to share today. Hope you have a great weekend.
Snow~
This was a nice read. I’m a glutton for process and commentary—so whatever you write, I’ll be here to read it.
I absolutely loved reading this and I think it's a fantastic format for future communications; some under the hood info, what's going on in your life, some recommendations. Thank you for sharing the life trajectory stuff, I am going through a similar realization and I feel like it can be scary or feel silly to tell people about sometimes. Looking forward to seeing you table a con soon!