Clayton
@explorersdesign.bsky.social
Pronunciation: "Klay-tun Note-Styne" Designer. Writer. Educator. Tabletop games. Explorers Design. Pro-union and cooperatives. He/Him.
Pinned
Clayton
@explorersdesign.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Explorers Design
Bespoke adventures, tools, and resources for tabletop rpg designers.
www.explorersdesign.com
This is a new introduction thread for myself. I'm Clayton Notestine ("note-styne"). I'm a learner, reviewer, and design writer in tabletop rpgs. I make tools and resources.
This thread is my current list of favorite articles and projects on Explorers Design.
This thread is my current list of favorite articles and projects on Explorers Design.
The Gloggies, the goblin step-brother of the Bloggies, just announced its winners for this year!
If you want some gameable ideas for your murky dungeon game, the collection here is awesome.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev/the-winners-...
If you want some gameable ideas for your murky dungeon game, the collection here is awesome.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev/the-winners-...
The Winners of the 2025 Gloggies
The best 7-ish posts from the glogosphere as voted on by members of the community.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev
January 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
The Gloggies, the goblin step-brother of the Bloggies, just announced its winners for this year!
If you want some gameable ideas for your murky dungeon game, the collection here is awesome.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev/the-winners-...
If you want some gameable ideas for your murky dungeon game, the collection here is awesome.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev/the-winners-...
What a coincidence!
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/playtes...
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/playtes...
January 14, 2026 at 2:59 PM
What a coincidence!
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/playtes...
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/playtes...
Playtest early.
Lo-res prototypes: Encourage players to focus on fewer parts. Are easier to change. Encourage a wider range of feedback.
High-res prototypes, or semi-complete games, can be hard to test. They're often too busy, complicated, and polished to get honest, sometimes tough, feedback.
Lo-res prototypes: Encourage players to focus on fewer parts. Are easier to change. Encourage a wider range of feedback.
High-res prototypes, or semi-complete games, can be hard to test. They're often too busy, complicated, and polished to get honest, sometimes tough, feedback.
January 14, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Playtest early.
Lo-res prototypes: Encourage players to focus on fewer parts. Are easier to change. Encourage a wider range of feedback.
High-res prototypes, or semi-complete games, can be hard to test. They're often too busy, complicated, and polished to get honest, sometimes tough, feedback.
Lo-res prototypes: Encourage players to focus on fewer parts. Are easier to change. Encourage a wider range of feedback.
High-res prototypes, or semi-complete games, can be hard to test. They're often too busy, complicated, and polished to get honest, sometimes tough, feedback.
A short but sweet post this week. Next week's article is a semi-sequel to my 1 HP Dragon post from last year.
www.explorersdesign.com/top-5-newsle...
www.explorersdesign.com/top-5-newsle...
My 5 Favorite RPG Newsletters
Forget the algorithms. We've got people to show us the rpg blogosphere.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:32 PM
A short but sweet post this week. Next week's article is a semi-sequel to my 1 HP Dragon post from last year.
www.explorersdesign.com/top-5-newsle...
www.explorersdesign.com/top-5-newsle...
Every time I go to a protest, I think, “Why is the protest always where we’re *allowed* to protest?”
January 10, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Every time I go to a protest, I think, “Why is the protest always where we’re *allowed* to protest?”
There's a concept in product design, "The bigger the consequence, the more physical the switch." In essence, if the outcome is minimal or routine—pressing it should be easy. If the outcome is big—pressing should be obtuse or difficult.
I wonder if this concept has legs in rpg design.
I wonder if this concept has legs in rpg design.
January 9, 2026 at 3:59 PM
There's a concept in product design, "The bigger the consequence, the more physical the switch." In essence, if the outcome is minimal or routine—pressing it should be easy. If the outcome is big—pressing should be obtuse or difficult.
I wonder if this concept has legs in rpg design.
I wonder if this concept has legs in rpg design.
I updated this month's Explorateur with a few new links. It's "underperforming." Likely because I focused on The Bloggies last week. I need to start putting something "viral" in these.
I also started adding emojis to entries to signal video/audio content.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
I also started adding emojis to entries to signal video/audio content.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
The Explorateur: Issue #15
Monthly design jams, critique, theory, and inspiration for tabletop rpg designers by rpg designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:09 PM
I updated this month's Explorateur with a few new links. It's "underperforming." Likely because I focused on The Bloggies last week. I need to start putting something "viral" in these.
I also started adding emojis to entries to signal video/audio content.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
I also started adding emojis to entries to signal video/audio content.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
Dissonance can be desirable. An imperfection, burr, or oddity in a game's design calls attention to itself and thus the overall experience.
To quote Potter Pete Pinnell, "Sometimes, something that's completely resolved isn't as interesting..."
To quote Potter Pete Pinnell, "Sometimes, something that's completely resolved isn't as interesting..."
January 7, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Dissonance can be desirable. An imperfection, burr, or oddity in a game's design calls attention to itself and thus the overall experience.
To quote Potter Pete Pinnell, "Sometimes, something that's completely resolved isn't as interesting..."
To quote Potter Pete Pinnell, "Sometimes, something that's completely resolved isn't as interesting..."
Reposted by Clayton
It’s Bloggies season! Here’s a big list of posts I enjoyed. Plus, a recap of my year in blogging and plans for 2026:
Bloggies / New Year
2025 blogging highlights and plans for 2026
dododecahedron.blog
January 6, 2026 at 5:29 PM
It’s Bloggies season! Here’s a big list of posts I enjoyed. Plus, a recap of my year in blogging and plans for 2026:
While we wait for The Bloggies in February. Let's check out The Gloggies. If you don't know the "Goblin Laws of Gaming" it's kind of like an rpg design sub culture.
They make a lot of content for rules-lite fantasy roleplaying. Most of it is explicitly gameable. We might even see Bloggies overlap.
They make a lot of content for rules-lite fantasy roleplaying. Most of it is explicitly gameable. We might even see Bloggies overlap.
Gloggies 2025 Voting
Selecting the best of the glogosphere in 2025. Voting ends January 12th.
mediumsandmessages.bearblog.dev
January 6, 2026 at 9:53 PM
While we wait for The Bloggies in February. Let's check out The Gloggies. If you don't know the "Goblin Laws of Gaming" it's kind of like an rpg design sub culture.
They make a lot of content for rules-lite fantasy roleplaying. Most of it is explicitly gameable. We might even see Bloggies overlap.
They make a lot of content for rules-lite fantasy roleplaying. Most of it is explicitly gameable. We might even see Bloggies overlap.
"The 1 HP goblin is solved the same way as the 1 HP dragon. The tool for the goblin is just the sword that's already on your belt or the trap you lure it into."
My hobby-inside-the-hobby is reading blog posts about rpg combat without hit points.
dungeonmecha.bearblog.dev/solving-the-...
My hobby-inside-the-hobby is reading blog posts about rpg combat without hit points.
dungeonmecha.bearblog.dev/solving-the-...
Solving the 1 HP Goblin
Read the and the again.
<br>
<br>
The 1 HP goblin is solved the same way as the 1 HP dragon. The tool for the goblin is just the sword that's already ...
dungeonmecha.bearblog.dev
January 6, 2026 at 3:46 PM
"The 1 HP goblin is solved the same way as the 1 HP dragon. The tool for the goblin is just the sword that's already on your belt or the trap you lure it into."
My hobby-inside-the-hobby is reading blog posts about rpg combat without hit points.
dungeonmecha.bearblog.dev/solving-the-...
My hobby-inside-the-hobby is reading blog posts about rpg combat without hit points.
dungeonmecha.bearblog.dev/solving-the-...
The blog says "4-minute read." That's a lie. Here's every finalist from the past three years of The Bloggies.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
The Bloggies Hall of Fame
Every winner of The Bloggies from 2022 to 2025. Want to melt your rpg brain? Start here.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:53 PM
The blog says "4-minute read." That's a lie. Here's every finalist from the past three years of The Bloggies.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
Reposted by Clayton
Anyway as a corollary to this, I've done variations of this in the past but here are my top tips for contacting and perhaps getting press attention around your game, podcast, novel, comic, toy, album fantasy themed coffee or tea etc etc etc. Following all of these won't guarantee you coverage but...
anyway it's a new year, a year in which we plan* to release 4 (+ actually) issues, and so for the fifth year running I am on my hands & knees begging people to try sending us info about what they're working on, ideally 2-3 months before release
our inbox for all press releases is [email protected]
our inbox for all press releases is [email protected]
January 5, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Anyway as a corollary to this, I've done variations of this in the past but here are my top tips for contacting and perhaps getting press attention around your game, podcast, novel, comic, toy, album fantasy themed coffee or tea etc etc etc. Following all of these won't guarantee you coverage but...
Telling myself this today:
The blank page is intimidating as hell, but if you cut that page in half—not so much. Focus on just one side. One half. One corner. Every intimidating project is a dozen trivial ones.
The blank page is intimidating as hell, but if you cut that page in half—not so much. Focus on just one side. One half. One corner. Every intimidating project is a dozen trivial ones.
January 5, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Telling myself this today:
The blank page is intimidating as hell, but if you cut that page in half—not so much. Focus on just one side. One half. One corner. Every intimidating project is a dozen trivial ones.
The blank page is intimidating as hell, but if you cut that page in half—not so much. Focus on just one side. One half. One corner. Every intimidating project is a dozen trivial ones.
Design is a physical act. Print it out. Hold it in your hands. Cut it to shape. Paste it onto another book or zine.
Design for the hands, the hold, the fold, and the weight.
Even if your game is digital-only, the physical prototype will show you the typos.
Design for the hands, the hold, the fold, and the weight.
Even if your game is digital-only, the physical prototype will show you the typos.
January 3, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Design is a physical act. Print it out. Hold it in your hands. Cut it to shape. Paste it onto another book or zine.
Design for the hands, the hold, the fold, and the weight.
Even if your game is digital-only, the physical prototype will show you the typos.
Design for the hands, the hold, the fold, and the weight.
Even if your game is digital-only, the physical prototype will show you the typos.
Reposted by Clayton
Submit your best rpg blog posts to the bloggies! Especially if they weren't dungeon-game related, I'd love to see more cross-pollination between scenes this round.
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Submit your best rpg blog posts to the bloggies! Especially if they weren't dungeon-game related, I'd love to see more cross-pollination between scenes this round.
Reposted by Clayton
It’s Bloggies Time! This is a thread of what I’m nominating, so you can, if you choose, read them and nominate them yourself! Firstly, please nominate something of mine that made an impact on you — a series like Critique Navidad or a single post like my Module-Writing Play by Play! Thanks! 1/🧵
January 2, 2026 at 5:59 AM
It’s Bloggies Time! This is a thread of what I’m nominating, so you can, if you choose, read them and nominate them yourself! Firstly, please nominate something of mine that made an impact on you — a series like Critique Navidad or a single post like my Module-Writing Play by Play! Thanks! 1/🧵
Here's some fun data on The Bloggies' after 24 hrs:
Best Series: 33 entries
Best Debut Blog: 61
Best Blog Post: 372
- Theory: 132
- Advice: 117
- Gameable: 70
- Critique: 53
The nominations process is going to be tough. That said, I would like to see some more critique and series.
Best Series: 33 entries
Best Debut Blog: 61
Best Blog Post: 372
- Theory: 132
- Advice: 117
- Gameable: 70
- Critique: 53
The nominations process is going to be tough. That said, I would like to see some more critique and series.
January 2, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Here's some fun data on The Bloggies' after 24 hrs:
Best Series: 33 entries
Best Debut Blog: 61
Best Blog Post: 372
- Theory: 132
- Advice: 117
- Gameable: 70
- Critique: 53
The nominations process is going to be tough. That said, I would like to see some more critique and series.
Best Series: 33 entries
Best Debut Blog: 61
Best Blog Post: 372
- Theory: 132
- Advice: 117
- Gameable: 70
- Critique: 53
The nominations process is going to be tough. That said, I would like to see some more critique and series.
Reposted by Clayton
🚨THE BLOGGIES ARE BACK🚨
To my mind, the most important awards in tabletop roleplaying games, as it is entirely community-run / -driven; and is really about recognising creators participating in the community, being in conversation with other creators, etc
Go submit your blog posts now!
To my mind, the most important awards in tabletop roleplaying games, as it is entirely community-run / -driven; and is really about recognising creators participating in the community, being in conversation with other creators, etc
Go submit your blog posts now!
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:12 AM
🚨THE BLOGGIES ARE BACK🚨
To my mind, the most important awards in tabletop roleplaying games, as it is entirely community-run / -driven; and is really about recognising creators participating in the community, being in conversation with other creators, etc
Go submit your blog posts now!
To my mind, the most important awards in tabletop roleplaying games, as it is entirely community-run / -driven; and is really about recognising creators participating in the community, being in conversation with other creators, etc
Go submit your blog posts now!
Reposted by Clayton
Submit your favorites of 2025 (and December 2024)! Submit your own, submit others' posts! Submit even if you think someone else already has, multiple submissions are actually very helpful in the process!
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Submit your favorites of 2025 (and December 2024)! Submit your own, submit others' posts! Submit even if you think someone else already has, multiple submissions are actually very helpful in the process!
Reposted by Clayton
Happy New Year!
Today on Between Two Cairns, @bradkerr.net, @betterlegends.bsky.social and I review A Haunting in Glass by @slimemindstudio.bsky.social, and answer a rulings-related question.
www.patreon.com/posts/haunti...
Today on Between Two Cairns, @bradkerr.net, @betterlegends.bsky.social and I review A Haunting in Glass by @slimemindstudio.bsky.social, and answer a rulings-related question.
www.patreon.com/posts/haunti...
A Haunting in Glass | Between Two Cairns
Get more from Between Two Cairns on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 1, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Happy New Year!
Today on Between Two Cairns, @bradkerr.net, @betterlegends.bsky.social and I review A Haunting in Glass by @slimemindstudio.bsky.social, and answer a rulings-related question.
www.patreon.com/posts/haunti...
Today on Between Two Cairns, @bradkerr.net, @betterlegends.bsky.social and I review A Haunting in Glass by @slimemindstudio.bsky.social, and answer a rulings-related question.
www.patreon.com/posts/haunti...
Reposted by Clayton
I've already submitted my favorite posts. And I'd love if you submitted one of my posts. For both, see the 🧵👇
Also, if you have a favorite *series* or wrote one yourself, please submit it! I would love to see more series, not just in the bloggies but more generally. One post is rarely enough!
Also, if you have a favorite *series* or wrote one yourself, please submit it! I would love to see more series, not just in the bloggies but more generally. One post is rarely enough!
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:16 PM
I've already submitted my favorite posts. And I'd love if you submitted one of my posts. For both, see the 🧵👇
Also, if you have a favorite *series* or wrote one yourself, please submit it! I would love to see more series, not just in the bloggies but more generally. One post is rarely enough!
Also, if you have a favorite *series* or wrote one yourself, please submit it! I would love to see more series, not just in the bloggies but more generally. One post is rarely enough!
Listen, I get it.
You're about to see "The Bloggies" all over your feed and it's going to get real old real quick. That's why you can mute it on BlueSky and bookmark the official page.
I made it so you can still participate without losing your mind.
Submissions are officially open til Jan 31st.
You're about to see "The Bloggies" all over your feed and it's going to get real old real quick. That's why you can mute it on BlueSky and bookmark the official page.
I made it so you can still participate without losing your mind.
Submissions are officially open til Jan 31st.
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Listen, I get it.
You're about to see "The Bloggies" all over your feed and it's going to get real old real quick. That's why you can mute it on BlueSky and bookmark the official page.
I made it so you can still participate without losing your mind.
Submissions are officially open til Jan 31st.
You're about to see "The Bloggies" all over your feed and it's going to get real old real quick. That's why you can mute it on BlueSky and bookmark the official page.
I made it so you can still participate without losing your mind.
Submissions are officially open til Jan 31st.
Two big announcements this New Year for me. First, the latest issue of The Explorateur is out. It has two of my favorite blog posts I've ever written in it (Including a YouTube read through! Wild!)
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
It also has my second announcement...
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
It also has my second announcement...
The Explorateur: Issue #15
Monthly design jams, critique, theory, and inspiration for tabletop rpg designers by rpg designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Two big announcements this New Year for me. First, the latest issue of The Explorateur is out. It has two of my favorite blog posts I've ever written in it (Including a YouTube read through! Wild!)
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
It also has my second announcement...
www.explorersdesign.com/the-explorat...
It also has my second announcement...
Reposted by Clayton
hello gamers, I'm here with my final blogpost of the year. this one's just a big list of every new word I learned this year, with short definitions for each. peruse at your leisure: samsorensen.blot.im/new-words-fr...
January 1, 2026 at 12:06 AM
hello gamers, I'm here with my final blogpost of the year. this one's just a big list of every new word I learned this year, with short definitions for each. peruse at your leisure: samsorensen.blot.im/new-words-fr...