James Wallis
@jameswallis.bsky.social
Game designer, publisher, teacher, critic, writer, evangelist, FRSA. Wrote Everybody Wins, runs http://www.gamedesignmasterclass.com, co-host of RPG podcast http://www.ludonarrativedissidents.com, & setting up www.bigtable.games, a trade body for the UK&I.
Excellent postbag today
November 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Excellent postbag today
A flowery bottle from noted French winemaker Beefy George
November 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
A flowery bottle from noted French winemaker Beefy George
Facial-recognition cameras in use outside Tooting Broadway tube station this evening. Absolutely not dystopian in the slightest.
November 11, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Facial-recognition cameras in use outside Tooting Broadway tube station this evening. Absolutely not dystopian in the slightest.
Meanwhile our lovely Kickstarter backers can hear the audio of us exploring the depths of GRADIENT DESCENT, a megadungeon for SF-horror RPG Mothership, to emerge apparently safe but changed. This one's in backer-only quarantine for a couple of weeks. www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
November 10, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Meanwhile our lovely Kickstarter backers can hear the audio of us exploring the depths of GRADIENT DESCENT, a megadungeon for SF-horror RPG Mothership, to emerge apparently safe but changed. This one's in backer-only quarantine for a couple of weeks. www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
Heads up Dissidents! We've just put episode 17 of the podcast live, covering Greg Porter's incredibly complete END ALL BE ALL set of RPG rules (aka EABA), a fascinating look at generic systems and their uses. We had a lot of fun with this one.
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Heads up Dissidents! We've just put episode 17 of the podcast live, covering Greg Porter's incredibly complete END ALL BE ALL set of RPG rules (aka EABA), a fascinating look at generic systems and their uses. We had a lot of fun with this one.
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
Ah yes, a core text
October 24, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Ah yes, a core text
The great Sid Sackson had the same problem in the 1960s, and an even more extreme solution. (From A Gamut of Games):
October 24, 2025 at 8:05 AM
The great Sid Sackson had the same problem in the 1960s, and an even more extreme solution. (From A Gamut of Games):
TIL that 'googly eyes' take their name from the early comic strip character Barney Google, and a comic song written about him in 1923
October 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
TIL that 'googly eyes' take their name from the early comic strip character Barney Google, and a comic song written about him in 1923
The Ludonarrative Dissidents crew are livestreaming later today (4pm central, 5pm eastern, 22:00 UK, 23:00 Europe) and you should come and join us. Mostly we're talking about our almost-finished LND zine, including my new game CYBERPLUNK (it's real) and the usual stuff
www.twitch.tv/rosspaytonrppr
www.twitch.tv/rosspaytonrppr
October 10, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The Ludonarrative Dissidents crew are livestreaming later today (4pm central, 5pm eastern, 22:00 UK, 23:00 Europe) and you should come and join us. Mostly we're talking about our almost-finished LND zine, including my new game CYBERPLUNK (it's real) and the usual stuff
www.twitch.tv/rosspaytonrppr
www.twitch.tv/rosspaytonrppr
Not sure about that new cover on Monikers tbh
October 8, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Not sure about that new cover on Monikers tbh
A Pynchon a punch for the sixth of the month
October 6, 2025 at 12:07 PM
A Pynchon a punch for the sixth of the month
When people I don't like ask me about the process of game design, I send them this diagram from Richard Duke's 1974 book Gaming: the Future’s Language
October 4, 2025 at 1:56 PM
When people I don't like ask me about the process of game design, I send them this diagram from Richard Duke's 1974 book Gaming: the Future’s Language
Okay, autumn, point made with the whole 'season of mists' bit.
September 28, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Okay, autumn, point made with the whole 'season of mists' bit.
Curious things you discover about British cheeses of the late twentieth century
September 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Curious things you discover about British cheeses of the late twentieth century
If you see this share a batman
September 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
If you see this share a batman
Someone has stolen the river Thames.
September 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Someone has stolen the river Thames.
It's fantastic. And the d20 that comes with it is something else.
September 18, 2025 at 1:29 PM
It's fantastic. And the d20 that comes with it is something else.
"A few bespoke hardcrafted block towers"... that you're going to be offering for sale as part of a Kickstarter.
If you're inspired by Dread, you should note that it's dedicated to Leslie Scott, creator of Jenga, and acknowledges the game's trademark throughout.
If you're inspired by Dread, you should note that it's dedicated to Leslie Scott, creator of Jenga, and acknowledges the game's trademark throughout.
September 11, 2025 at 3:49 PM
"A few bespoke hardcrafted block towers"... that you're going to be offering for sale as part of a Kickstarter.
If you're inspired by Dread, you should note that it's dedicated to Leslie Scott, creator of Jenga, and acknowledges the game's trademark throughout.
If you're inspired by Dread, you should note that it's dedicated to Leslie Scott, creator of Jenga, and acknowledges the game's trademark throughout.
Those are six-sided.
I was at a mudlarking exhibition over the weekend and a number of larks had not only dice dating back to Roman times but also teetotums of different sorts, including this one for 'Put and Take'. I am delighted by its crudity--the visible mould line, the bad lettering.
I was at a mudlarking exhibition over the weekend and a number of larks had not only dice dating back to Roman times but also teetotums of different sorts, including this one for 'Put and Take'. I am delighted by its crudity--the visible mould line, the bad lettering.
September 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Those are six-sided.
I was at a mudlarking exhibition over the weekend and a number of larks had not only dice dating back to Roman times but also teetotums of different sorts, including this one for 'Put and Take'. I am delighted by its crudity--the visible mould line, the bad lettering.
I was at a mudlarking exhibition over the weekend and a number of larks had not only dice dating back to Roman times but also teetotums of different sorts, including this one for 'Put and Take'. I am delighted by its crudity--the visible mould line, the bad lettering.
I post this every few years or so. I bought this eight-sided long dice from an antique dealer a few years ago. They told me it was carved from a mutton bone by a French prisoner of war in the Napoleonic Wars.
This is almost certainly untrue in every detail.
(cont.)
This is almost certainly untrue in every detail.
(cont.)
September 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I post this every few years or so. I bought this eight-sided long dice from an antique dealer a few years ago. They told me it was carved from a mutton bone by a French prisoner of war in the Napoleonic Wars.
This is almost certainly untrue in every detail.
(cont.)
This is almost certainly untrue in every detail.
(cont.)