Mike Vazquez-DeAnda, PhD

A look between the branches

Feliz Dia de Muertos

CD PROJEKT RED — Award-Winning Creator of Story-Driven RPGs As the team behind The Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, we create revolutionary RPGs with memorable stories that inspire gamers.

If any of my lead-level narrative designer pals are up for moving to Boston, my old job is open! It's a lovely team and a very cool project! (And it's not open due to churn but due to my replacement getting promoted and the narrative team expanding!)
www.cdprojektred.com/en/jobs/2064...

Grandpa Simpson yelling at a cloud

Back in my day, AI used to stand for Adobe Illustrator! And we hated that, too!

Open Source TTRPG Resources Here's a collection of forever open licensed tabletop roleplaying games and resources. Borrowed from and inspired by the Forever Open Source RPG game jam series. Example Open Licenses Creative Commons Zero ("CC0"). Release your work into the public domain. The most open license. Creative Com

Come explore a large random selection of forever open source #TTRPG resources, from games to SRDs to art and more!

thoughtpunks.com/ope...

#OpenSource #TabletopGames #IndieGames

And the Crops Withered: A TTRPG Hunt For Persephone - Library Of Words And the Crops Withered is an emotional TTRPG that follows Demeter as she attempts to find Persephone and save her from the underworld.

“And the Crops Withered is a wonderful experience. While the mechanics are simple, the game’s writing and overall experience structure do a fantastic job of capturing the myth’s emotional core, making this a deeply thought-provoking and highly emotional TTRPG.”

libraryofwords.com/and-the-crop...

A graphic I made, inspired by the 2015 film, The VVitch.
Just enjoy playing around with aesthetic and design. Really into exploring typesetting.
#October #TheWitch #TheVVitch

I enjoy playing with visual design and my quotidian contexts.

The news cannot show what is happening in Chicago because the FAA banned all non-government drones for 12 days over a 15-mile radius (100s of square miles). They don't want anyone watching them disappearing our neighbors. They don't want anyone reporting what they're doing. Please, don't look away.

NEW DISHES
Angry Fire Ants
We take the traditional “ants on a log” and drizzle them with Frank’s Hot Sauce cuz you can put that shit on everything!

#NewDishesPS

My phone buzzed
Jon sent a video
I giggled
I saw us reflected
Such special love

#TankaPoemPS

65su25ab

Just practicing PixelArt — open to improvement tips!
Done with the #beep8 retro style.
#PixelArt #GameDev #IndieGames #beep8 #IndieDev #IndieGameDev #RetroGaming

Polaroid photo of dice and game pieces on an indistinct map. Text: Join the Jam Forever Open Source 2025

Running all year long! The *third* Forever Open Source game jam. Come contribute not just games (though we love games!) but SRDs, art, music, settings, anything that helps people create or play TTRPGs! Explore a world of open gaming:
itch.io/jam/forever-...

#TTRPG #GameJam

And the Crops Withered by Alice D Games Chronicle Demeter's quest to find her missing daughter, Kore, in this solo TTRPG.

Mabon Blessings!

"And the Crops Withered" - Community Copies are now available. Backers on Kickstarter generously made 26 copies available. If you are in some financial need, and want a copy, grab one! alicedgames.itch.io/and-the-crop...

#mabon #Persephone #IndieGameDev #GameDesign #tarot #TTRPG

Mabon blessings of abundance, balance, and reflections of gratitude to you.
Persephone begins her journey today back to her Underworldly throne. #mabon #equinox #harvest #persephone #witchsky

Who can never be sure?

A stick figure GM sitting amongst books and maps and dice, a golden thought bubble reads: How about a Not Level 20 game? Full text: Do your players pester you about playing a level 20 campaign? Do they sigh wistfully at the thought of all those abilities and powers and spells and feats and seemingly endless possibilities whilst you sweat in fear at the very same? Or are you simply looking for something new or an unconventional way to kickoff a long-term campaign? Paragon Advancement Services may be just what you’re looking for! Designed for use with Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, this is a short campaign to (eventually) scratch the itch for high-powered gameplay . A group of legendary adventurers find themselves facing the most dreaded of perils: rolling a level one character. Work with your players to discover their dream level 20 character, then hide it all away and watch the group scramble to survive the dungeon and unravel the machinations behind it all. As this is an amnesia-themed game, clear and enthusiastic consent is key. All GMs are legally* required to read the Paragon Advancement Services programme form aloud and provide players a written copy. *not actually legally required, it’s just fun. It’s also an in-game mechanic. But seriously, please make sure your players understand that while they have control over their actions and their characters, the situation may be a bit unusual and not to everyone’s gameplay preferences.

I’m writing up a very silly Not-Lvl-20 d&d (or pathfinder) adventure I started as a one-off lark.

TTRPG friends, if any of you are interested in trying it out before it goes on itch (or after!), please let me know. I’d love to see if it works for anyone else.

Today, I had students make paper snowflakes to get them to ponder ritual, liminality, play, and making.
Reflections:
-liminal space constitutes the stable space/structure
-rituals can be small and seemingly mundane
-playful making as exploration of uncertain but exciting anticipated outcome

YouTube video by Pebbles Kids Stories Ungrateful Lion Story in English | Moral Stories in English | Storytelling For Kids | Animal Stories

“The Ungrateful Lion” a folktale, interpreted and told across many cultures

youtu.be/NT7uGc4_jIg?...

Time for some witchcraft.

Time for School of Design grad student welcome! Let’s go AY2025-2026!

Mastering Intrigue: Crafting Suspense and Tension in TTRPGs Handling Intrigue in Tabletop RPGs with Trackers, Tags, and Motif Rolls Political intrigue in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) is often one of the most challenging genres to run. Balancing complex relationships, shifting loyalties, and a web of lies and secrets can quickly overwhelm a Game

Intrigue & politics are overwhelming for many GMs + hard to engage with for many players, even when the idea itself is appealing. So let's talk about both TTRPG mechanics and psychological tools you can use to more easily bring the intrigue!

thoughtpunks.com/mas...

#TTRPG #Blog

And the Crops Withered by Alice D Games Chronicle Demeter's quest to find her missing daughter, Kore, in this solo TTRPG.

Check out my latest game, “And the Crops Withered,” inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone’s Abduction: alicedgames.itch.io/and-the-crop...

What game system would you use to tell a culturally-spcific story about your heritage or home?

Watercolor painting of Hermes

Trying my hand at watercolor pencils.
Totally just playing around after watching some YouTube videos. 🤫
#watercolorpencils #playingwithart #hermes #art

Open Source TTRPG Resources Here's a collection of forever open licensed tabletop roleplaying games and resources. Borrowed from and inspired by the Forever Open Source RPG game jam series. Example Open Licenses Creative Commons Zero ("CC0"). Release your work into the public domain. The most open license. Creative Com

Come explore a large random selection of forever open source #TTRPG resources, from games to SRDs to art and more!

thoughtpunks.com/ope...

#OpenSource #TabletopGames #IndieGames

South Asian Mythology Meets Fantasy: Must-Read Books and Hidden Gems In the ever-expanding universe of speculative fiction, stories rooted in diverse mythologies are more than just refreshing — they’re essential. South Asian mythology, with its rich pantheon of gods, epics, monsters, and moral complexities, has become fertile ground for fantasy and sci-fi writers seeking to break away from Eurocentric narratives. Whether it’s the ancient tales of the Mahabharata or the mystical traditions of Sufism and regional folklore, these cultural touchstones are being reimagined in brilliant new ways.

Need more South Asian Mythology? Check out my must read books inspired by South Asian lore!

I threw a wish in the well, don’t ask me I’ll never tell.
#renfaire #renfairelewk #bristolrenfaire

Madison, WI

@czamboni.bsky.social, “You’re so sweet!”