Mike Martens | Clear Keep
@clearkeep.bsky.social
he/him. UX & TTRPG. Visiting weird vistas. ENNIES & IGDN award winner.
Creator: Planet Raygun, Sunken, The Wassailing, Tourist Hole
Contributor: Butter Princess, Dark Designs in Verdigris, Trophy, Public Access, Silt Verses RPG
clearkeep.us
Creator: Planet Raygun, Sunken, The Wassailing, Tourist Hole
Contributor: Butter Princess, Dark Designs in Verdigris, Trophy, Public Access, Silt Verses RPG
clearkeep.us
Pinned
O HEY.
I'm a UX writer and ttrpg designer, with graphic design in my side holster.
If you want a feed about any of those things or their intersections, add me! 👾👾👾
I'm also bad at marketing myself, so this is your chance to follow someone before they're cool.
I'm a UX writer and ttrpg designer, with graphic design in my side holster.
If you want a feed about any of those things or their intersections, add me! 👾👾👾
I'm also bad at marketing myself, so this is your chance to follow someone before they're cool.
Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” would be really relevant right now if there weren’t other reasons Michael Jackson is really relevant right now.
January 13, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” would be really relevant right now if there weren’t other reasons Michael Jackson is really relevant right now.
The best year-end movie list is also making the world better.
Pop on some headphones and enjoy a few minutes in a cinematic bubble.
Pop on some headphones and enjoy a few minutes in a cinematic bubble.
these videos have raised more than $180,000(!) for a variety of urgent causes over the last few years.
this year i'm once again supporting the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, whose work is tragically as vital as ever. please consider giving if you can!
www.gofundme.com/f/david-ehrl...
this year i'm once again supporting the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, whose work is tragically as vital as ever. please consider giving if you can!
www.gofundme.com/f/david-ehrl...
1/20/26
January 13, 2026 at 4:30 AM
The best year-end movie list is also making the world better.
Pop on some headphones and enjoy a few minutes in a cinematic bubble.
Pop on some headphones and enjoy a few minutes in a cinematic bubble.
Maybe this is why I enjoy it.
January 12, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Maybe this is why I enjoy it.
ttrpg layout is a fucked up game of tetris
January 12, 2026 at 5:48 PM
ttrpg layout is a fucked up game of tetris
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
Everybody should watch this and see this woman, who has a baby in her arms and is thrust into basically a standoff, develop courage in real time.
From the minnesota community on Reddit: ST. PAUL, MN: A sobbing resident calls 911 as federal agents force their way into her home to chase down a DoorDash driver who was just trying to deliver food.
Explore this post and more from the minnesota community
www.reddit.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Everybody should watch this and see this woman, who has a baby in her arms and is thrust into basically a standoff, develop courage in real time.
Bay or Carved From?
January 10, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Bay or Carved From?
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
Gentlepeople, your eyes and ears please! If you'll guide your attention to the stage, you'll see one of this age's wonders... cover art for STEP RIGHT UP, sourced from the imagination of @jnb.art at no insignificant risk!
A small traveling carnival, menaced by a dust storm! See it, LIVE!
A small traveling carnival, menaced by a dust storm! See it, LIVE!
January 9, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Gentlepeople, your eyes and ears please! If you'll guide your attention to the stage, you'll see one of this age's wonders... cover art for STEP RIGHT UP, sourced from the imagination of @jnb.art at no insignificant risk!
A small traveling carnival, menaced by a dust storm! See it, LIVE!
A small traveling carnival, menaced by a dust storm! See it, LIVE!
“You say it and it happens” = little itty switch
“You say it and roll a die or three” = normal switch
“You must gather x assets, say the thing, and then roll a fistful of dice” = big switch
“You say it and roll a die or three” = normal switch
“You must gather x assets, say the thing, and then roll a fistful of dice” = big switch
January 9, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“You say it and it happens” = little itty switch
“You say it and roll a die or three” = normal switch
“You must gather x assets, say the thing, and then roll a fistful of dice” = big switch
“You say it and roll a die or three” = normal switch
“You must gather x assets, say the thing, and then roll a fistful of dice” = big switch
It may just depend on where you set the baseline?
Determining whether an action even needs a roll to be a success is effectively this principle.
Determining whether an action even needs a roll to be a success is effectively this principle.
January 9, 2026 at 4:09 PM
It may just depend on where you set the baseline?
Determining whether an action even needs a roll to be a success is effectively this principle.
Determining whether an action even needs a roll to be a success is effectively this principle.
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
My newest game, Beach Blanket Body Bag, is now available on @drivethrurpg.com! Blood-drenched summertime fun, Carved from Brindlewood! www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
January 6, 2026 at 12:40 AM
My newest game, Beach Blanket Body Bag, is now available on @drivethrurpg.com! Blood-drenched summertime fun, Carved from Brindlewood! www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
This should be the statement of not just every Dem, but effectively every US politician.
My full statement on Trump’s unconstitutional military operations in Venezuela:
January 3, 2026 at 7:51 PM
This should be the statement of not just every Dem, but effectively every US politician.
You’re going to see the US right and reactionary center stumble around a perceived conundrum of “Congressional approvals/oversight make war hard.”
There’s no reason to engage it deeper than “Yes.”
There’s no reason to engage it deeper than “Yes.”
Requiring militaries to be transparent about their aims and seek approvals is **a feature not a bug.**
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
January 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM
You’re going to see the US right and reactionary center stumble around a perceived conundrum of “Congressional approvals/oversight make war hard.”
There’s no reason to engage it deeper than “Yes.”
There’s no reason to engage it deeper than “Yes.”
Requiring militaries to be transparent about their aims and seek approvals is **a feature not a bug.**
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
January 3, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Requiring militaries to be transparent about their aims and seek approvals is **a feature not a bug.**
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
Yes, it makes it harder to pull off sneaky shit because of a slog of debate over long-term plans and consequences …
That’s the whole point.
He just called it an “attack on sovereignty” …
January 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
He just called it an “attack on sovereignty” …
… despairing that we jinxed 2026 by dancing on the grave of 2025 …
… but looking forward to dancing on the grave of 2026 …
… but looking forward to dancing on the grave of 2026 …
January 3, 2026 at 4:12 PM
… despairing that we jinxed 2026 by dancing on the grave of 2025 …
… but looking forward to dancing on the grave of 2026 …
… but looking forward to dancing on the grave of 2026 …
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
January 3, 2026 at 2:01 PM
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
And this is butting right up to the edge of the rest of the episode’s plot.
January 2, 2026 at 5:33 PM
And this is butting right up to the edge of the rest of the episode’s plot.
There’s an X-Files episode (s11e7) whose pre-credit sequence is about an AI chatbot whose social posts are so horrifyingly inappropriate that it’s shut off.
Grok has *literally* done everything that bot did or worse.
We are beyond the X-Files rubicon.
Grok has *literally* done everything that bot did or worse.
We are beyond the X-Files rubicon.
January 2, 2026 at 5:26 PM
There’s an X-Files episode (s11e7) whose pre-credit sequence is about an AI chatbot whose social posts are so horrifyingly inappropriate that it’s shut off.
Grok has *literally* done everything that bot did or worse.
We are beyond the X-Files rubicon.
Grok has *literally* done everything that bot did or worse.
We are beyond the X-Files rubicon.
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
January 2, 2026 at 2:26 AM
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
The Salt Grows Heavy just seems to be exactly in my sweet spot
December 31, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The Salt Grows Heavy just seems to be exactly in my sweet spot
Just gonna make Jason’s prior-year lists my new year lists, as these all sound like bangers.
My Favorite Books of 2025
I managed to read 74 books in 2025. Most were pretty good, some were great. Here's a thread about my 10 favorites, in no particular order.
I managed to read 74 books in 2025. Most were pretty good, some were great. Here's a thread about my 10 favorites, in no particular order.
December 31, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Just gonna make Jason’s prior-year lists my new year lists, as these all sound like bangers.
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
December 30, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
Because I have had to explain it a lot already, but more so in the last month...
If you have a #ZineMonth project set up.
USPS mail is really resistant to sending zines as letter mail (especially in a rigid mailer).
If your zine is more 2.6oz you should anticipate sending it media or parcel.
1/2
If you have a #ZineMonth project set up.
USPS mail is really resistant to sending zines as letter mail (especially in a rigid mailer).
If your zine is more 2.6oz you should anticipate sending it media or parcel.
1/2
December 29, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Because I have had to explain it a lot already, but more so in the last month...
If you have a #ZineMonth project set up.
USPS mail is really resistant to sending zines as letter mail (especially in a rigid mailer).
If your zine is more 2.6oz you should anticipate sending it media or parcel.
1/2
If you have a #ZineMonth project set up.
USPS mail is really resistant to sending zines as letter mail (especially in a rigid mailer).
If your zine is more 2.6oz you should anticipate sending it media or parcel.
1/2
Reposted by Mike Martens | Clear Keep
How's this? docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Golden Age Plaintext
The Golden Age of Indie RPGs Since I started my Patreon, I’ve been promising a special video for the people who support me. I let them submit their own ideas for what this end of year video would be...
docs.google.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:48 PM
How's this? docs.google.com/document/d/1...
You’ll always catch something, period.
Never skip the press proof before the final print run. You'll always catch something in the demo book or zine that you'd regret seeing in the final product.
December 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
You’ll always catch something, period.