Ryan Zenith
@ryanzenith.bsky.social
Queer TTRPG designer, writer, editor, and teacher. Member of Storygames Chicago.
🎲 Co-creator of Vesta Mandate 🎲
🎲 Co-creator of Vesta Mandate 🎲
Pinned
Ryan Zenith
@ryanzenith.bsky.social
· Feb 20
Vesta Mandate
Hard sci-fi, political thriller TTRPG set on the tense powderkeg of Vesta Station.
www.kickstarter.com
Come check out Vesta Mandate, a sci-fi political thriller TTRPG made with @chkurk.bsky.social and art from @tonytranrpg.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
The first spell that was ever cast in my very first playtest session of Diabolic Dialect was ‘BONES ON THE OUTSIDE!’
Pretty horrific, I know. But man what a tone-setter!
Check out the pre-launch and the full campaign coming next week!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
Pretty horrific, I know. But man what a tone-setter!
Check out the pre-launch and the full campaign coming next week!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
February 11, 2026 at 9:34 PM
The first spell that was ever cast in my very first playtest session of Diabolic Dialect was ‘BONES ON THE OUTSIDE!’
Pretty horrific, I know. But man what a tone-setter!
Check out the pre-launch and the full campaign coming next week!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
Pretty horrific, I know. But man what a tone-setter!
Check out the pre-launch and the full campaign coming next week!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sto...
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."
February 10, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
City of Blood and Plaster and the Print & Play for my upcoming Kickstarter - Diabolic Dialect - are both in this!
Go support a good cause and get so… many… incredible games!
Go support a good cause and get so… many… incredible games!
The No ICE in Minnesota Charity Bundle has officially LAUNCHED!
There are 1,439 games to discover for a $10+ donation to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota!
Purchase the bundle here: itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...
There are 1,439 games to discover for a $10+ donation to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota!
Purchase the bundle here: itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...
February 9, 2026 at 11:58 PM
City of Blood and Plaster and the Print & Play for my upcoming Kickstarter - Diabolic Dialect - are both in this!
Go support a good cause and get so… many… incredible games!
Go support a good cause and get so… many… incredible games!
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Back it or don't, but PLEASE watch the video trailer five times, I worked very hard on it 🙏✌️
It's 968 AC.
An artificial sun shines down upon Doskvol. Autopods cruise down rows of peaceful, prosperous houses. Beneath it all, strange actors and twisted conspiracies work their shadowy agendas.
Blades '68. The future is now. Don't miss it:
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/e...
An artificial sun shines down upon Doskvol. Autopods cruise down rows of peaceful, prosperous houses. Beneath it all, strange actors and twisted conspiracies work their shadowy agendas.
Blades '68. The future is now. Don't miss it:
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/e...
Blades '68 Crowdfunding Trailer
YouTube video by Evil Hat Productions
www.youtube.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Back it or don't, but PLEASE watch the video trailer five times, I worked very hard on it 🙏✌️
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Hot take:
In fantasy games, big pantheons where there's a deity for every type of character morality and it's assumed you'll go for yours?
That sucks the juice out of defining characters as sinners, apostate, of walking away from faith and returning to it; if faith is easy pablum, it has no spice.
In fantasy games, big pantheons where there's a deity for every type of character morality and it's assumed you'll go for yours?
That sucks the juice out of defining characters as sinners, apostate, of walking away from faith and returning to it; if faith is easy pablum, it has no spice.
February 3, 2026 at 12:09 PM
Hot take:
In fantasy games, big pantheons where there's a deity for every type of character morality and it's assumed you'll go for yours?
That sucks the juice out of defining characters as sinners, apostate, of walking away from faith and returning to it; if faith is easy pablum, it has no spice.
In fantasy games, big pantheons where there's a deity for every type of character morality and it's assumed you'll go for yours?
That sucks the juice out of defining characters as sinners, apostate, of walking away from faith and returning to it; if faith is easy pablum, it has no spice.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Zines are hard as fuck
Zines are anti-fasciast
Zines are necessary
Zines built your world
Zines always come to save the day
Zines are human
Zines are anti-fasciast
Zines are necessary
Zines built your world
Zines always come to save the day
Zines are human
February 3, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Zines are hard as fuck
Zines are anti-fasciast
Zines are necessary
Zines built your world
Zines always come to save the day
Zines are human
Zines are anti-fasciast
Zines are necessary
Zines built your world
Zines always come to save the day
Zines are human
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
the fisherman’s wife
February 2, 2026 at 3:37 PM
the fisherman’s wife
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
to those about to crowdfund, we salute you
February 2, 2026 at 6:54 PM
to those about to crowdfund, we salute you
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
The Pitt got greenlit for a season 3, out next February, and the announcement has very funny comment from HBO chairman Casey Bloys that’s like “yeah, turns out if you just make a TV show like how we used to make TV shows you can have a 15+ episode season every year 🤷♂️”
February 2, 2026 at 4:41 PM
The Pitt got greenlit for a season 3, out next February, and the announcement has very funny comment from HBO chairman Casey Bloys that’s like “yeah, turns out if you just make a TV show like how we used to make TV shows you can have a 15+ episode season every year 🤷♂️”
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Also: I’m convinced whenever you see people come out of nowhere and have massive success in this industry, it’s because they had a trust fund, or they’re parachuting in from some other industry, or their dad is a marketing exec or something. Like, that’s almost *always* the case.
February 2, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Also: I’m convinced whenever you see people come out of nowhere and have massive success in this industry, it’s because they had a trust fund, or they’re parachuting in from some other industry, or their dad is a marketing exec or something. Like, that’s almost *always* the case.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
I’m most of the way through recording the next season of Gamestorm, and it’s got me very excited!
We’ll be kicking the season off with @outridercreative.bsky.social here in a few weeks!
Check out the first season here! Rate us on Apple Podcasts if you like the show and share it with your friends!
We’ll be kicking the season off with @outridercreative.bsky.social here in a few weeks!
Check out the first season here! Rate us on Apple Podcasts if you like the show and share it with your friends!
Gamestorm | Storygames Chicago
Gamestorm is a podcast all about tabletop game design! Join us for our first season as we bring on guests from here in the Chicago area, spin a random prompt and design a game based off of it over the...
gamestorm.podbean.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:32 AM
I’m most of the way through recording the next season of Gamestorm, and it’s got me very excited!
We’ll be kicking the season off with @outridercreative.bsky.social here in a few weeks!
Check out the first season here! Rate us on Apple Podcasts if you like the show and share it with your friends!
We’ll be kicking the season off with @outridercreative.bsky.social here in a few weeks!
Check out the first season here! Rate us on Apple Podcasts if you like the show and share it with your friends!
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Starting a rewatch of Schitts Creek
January 31, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Starting a rewatch of Schitts Creek
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Wild that there was an open lane called "what if we just explain things clearly to people?" and he's the first one to ever fill it
The City’s Budget is our future. And you deserve to know how it works.
January 30, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Wild that there was an open lane called "what if we just explain things clearly to people?" and he's the first one to ever fill it
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Great thread that emphasizes why it's so important to be extra loud when supporting BIPOC creators.
<waves to all my BIPOC TTRPG designers>
Hello!
You may think you are feeling impostor syndrome, but did you stop to consider it may actually be a reaction to being silently (or loudly ) invalidated in society and in the TTRPG community?
They feel similar, but they arent the same thing.
Hello!
You may think you are feeling impostor syndrome, but did you stop to consider it may actually be a reaction to being silently (or loudly ) invalidated in society and in the TTRPG community?
They feel similar, but they arent the same thing.
January 30, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Great thread that emphasizes why it's so important to be extra loud when supporting BIPOC creators.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
I have a sneaking suspicion that “subscriber” has never watched one of Matt’s videos.
A very small number of folks taking umbrage at my being *checks notes* against doing a fascism are leaving my channel and letting me know about it.
Not the sharpest tools in the shed.
Not the sharpest tools in the shed.
January 30, 2026 at 4:56 PM
I have a sneaking suspicion that “subscriber” has never watched one of Matt’s videos.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Great advice
When GMing, make your world feel more authentic by putting animals in it. In a battle, it's not just warriors that are dying—it's horses. Afterwards, crows and dogs are there to feed on the carrion—maybe even carrion crawlers.
Animals live with us in every capacity. Enrich your world with them.
Animals live with us in every capacity. Enrich your world with them.
January 29, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Great advice
Thank you for having us! ❤️
It was so nice to sit down and talk with creators @ryanzenith.bsky.social and @chkurk.bsky.social - they are obviously passionate about game design and telling awesome stories, can't wait to see what they do next! 🥰
January 29, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Thank you for having us! ❤️
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Bumper berry crop beckons earthbound birds to bump bodies
January 15, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Bumper berry crop beckons earthbound birds to bump bodies
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Deception is what you find in the innermost ring of the forest
#ttrpg #artwork #illustration #osr #ghost
#ttrpg #artwork #illustration #osr #ghost
January 15, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Deception is what you find in the innermost ring of the forest
#ttrpg #artwork #illustration #osr #ghost
#ttrpg #artwork #illustration #osr #ghost
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
We’re being led by the anti-vaxxers of the legal sphere:
People who’ve never lived without the protections of international law and domestic regulation, so they only notice the inconvenience, not the horrors prevented.
When institutions work, their benefits become invisible, until they’re gone.
People who’ve never lived without the protections of international law and domestic regulation, so they only notice the inconvenience, not the horrors prevented.
When institutions work, their benefits become invisible, until they’re gone.
January 6, 2026 at 2:38 PM
We’re being led by the anti-vaxxers of the legal sphere:
People who’ve never lived without the protections of international law and domestic regulation, so they only notice the inconvenience, not the horrors prevented.
When institutions work, their benefits become invisible, until they’re gone.
People who’ve never lived without the protections of international law and domestic regulation, so they only notice the inconvenience, not the horrors prevented.
When institutions work, their benefits become invisible, until they’re gone.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
You lose one light, you find another 🐇🌿
January 5, 2026 at 5:26 PM
You lose one light, you find another 🐇🌿
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
I've added 30 new Community Copies to Diabolic Dialect both to celebrate the holidays and the release of our first adventure for it!
Pick up a community copy or grab both in a bundle here!
itch.io/s/177129/gin...
Pick up a community copy or grab both in a bundle here!
itch.io/s/177129/gin...
Gingerbread Factory + Diabolic Dialect by Storygames Chicago
A bundle by Storygames Chicago, $7.50 for Diabolic Dialect, The Gingerbread Factory
itch.io
December 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I've added 30 new Community Copies to Diabolic Dialect both to celebrate the holidays and the release of our first adventure for it!
Pick up a community copy or grab both in a bundle here!
itch.io/s/177129/gin...
Pick up a community copy or grab both in a bundle here!
itch.io/s/177129/gin...
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
Some of you have forgotten that only three years ago you were perfectly capable of writing a text, writing an email, telling a bedtime story to a child, and it should worry you that powerful companies have convinced us we can’t do things we’ve been doing since the dawn of time.
December 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Some of you have forgotten that only three years ago you were perfectly capable of writing a text, writing an email, telling a bedtime story to a child, and it should worry you that powerful companies have convinced us we can’t do things we’ve been doing since the dawn of time.
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
This has some of the most indulgent and fun writing from @ryanzenith.bsky.social that I’ve gotten to see.
Which feels like it’s saying something…
Which feels like it’s saying something…
Need a game to play over the holidays?
Get our new holiday one-shot adventure The Gingerbread Factory! Flee from the sticky monster, DOUGH. Fend off the Wizard-hating carolers. Unravel the mystery of gingerbread life.
Get both The Gingerbread Factory and Diabolic Dialect in a bundle, now on Itch.
Get our new holiday one-shot adventure The Gingerbread Factory! Flee from the sticky monster, DOUGH. Fend off the Wizard-hating carolers. Unravel the mystery of gingerbread life.
Get both The Gingerbread Factory and Diabolic Dialect in a bundle, now on Itch.
The Gingerbread Factory by Storygames Chicago
My, my. All the gingerbread has come to life! Rita Rhizome needs your help to fix it!
storygameschicago.itch.io
December 24, 2025 at 3:08 AM
This has some of the most indulgent and fun writing from @ryanzenith.bsky.social that I’ve gotten to see.
Which feels like it’s saying something…
Which feels like it’s saying something…
Reposted by Ryan Zenith
"This story doesn't need a sandworm"
This is almost always wrong. Arguably, EVERY story benefits from adding a huge subterranean worm with quasi-mystical or semi-supernatural powers, or equivalent (similar to Moby Dick).
Obviously the bigger the worm, the more literary quality it adds.
This is almost always wrong. Arguably, EVERY story benefits from adding a huge subterranean worm with quasi-mystical or semi-supernatural powers, or equivalent (similar to Moby Dick).
Obviously the bigger the worm, the more literary quality it adds.
what is your least favorite piece of writing advice and why? 👀
December 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"This story doesn't need a sandworm"
This is almost always wrong. Arguably, EVERY story benefits from adding a huge subterranean worm with quasi-mystical or semi-supernatural powers, or equivalent (similar to Moby Dick).
Obviously the bigger the worm, the more literary quality it adds.
This is almost always wrong. Arguably, EVERY story benefits from adding a huge subterranean worm with quasi-mystical or semi-supernatural powers, or equivalent (similar to Moby Dick).
Obviously the bigger the worm, the more literary quality it adds.