Make a Scene! Scenario Festival

NBPN — No Blank Page November

Just write something every day. Maybe it’s a book but maybe it is just an exercise to get you further along your journey.

No need to wait for the awards to get playing! There's a "vibe edition" of Shawn Roske's Roots Underground inspired by local MN game Still Life. Plus a fresh game from past MAS contributor Alyse Leung.

The students in my & @am0.bsky.social's tabletop design studio course are focusing on refining their games, and so I wanted to put out a request to y'all:

What's your best playtesting advice?

(I asked this awhile ago, and I loved the answers so much that I wanted to repeat the request). #🎲✂️

An orange bowl sits on a porch next to a jack o lantern, surrounded by dry leaves. The bowl is filled with the 8 pieces of art representing the premiere scenarios at Make a Scene: Under the Surface. Above the bowl is a handwritten sign saying, "Please take only ONE Larp Scenario per kid"

A homegrown Minnesota larp!

I need us all to internalize that there are more larps than boffer larps or international blockbuster larps. Parlor and freeform larps provide just as much power. One of the best larps I have ever played isBut Not Tonight by @yeonsoonerorlater.bsky.social. It's accessible and packs a punch.

A fruit bowl that appears to show rotten fruit witg maggots on them

One of the scenography twists from Gothic was replacing some of the props with others when the players were not looking. Everything here is edible, including the worms!

I’m enjoying reading these unhinged games.

Even the ones I’m not considering for awards are weird and wonderful.

Keep making experimental art everyone. The world needs it.

Make a Scene will return! August 14-16, 2026.

Save the Date! Make a Scene returns August 14-16, 2026.

Same great venue, same food-included and sliding-scale accessible ethos at North America's European-style scenario festival. Our 2026 theme reveal and call for scenario pitches will be in early 2026.

What's your number one personal game design principle? And even better - does it have a cool name?

🎲✂️

Howdy! @czamboni.bsky.social and I are looking to connect with TTRPG / LARP creators from outside of North America creating games that address oppression and resistance from a cultural perspective. We're putting together a list for potential guests for our podcast-in-progress!

#TTRPG #LARP

Tag yourself! We're "500 larpers"

This looks really fun and cool.

Strangers on the 'Net by Soft Chaos - Gamefound Get ready to gossip, roleplay, flirt, fight, fall in love, confess your secrets, explore your identity, and confront what it meant to be a teenager online in the 90s.

Soft Chaos has launched their crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound for their online interactive experience Strangers on the 'Net! gamefound.com/en/projects/...

Their larp Thunder Only Happens When It’s Raining premiered at Make a Scene 2025!

get in the car loser we're making suboptimal moves

New game from these Make a Scene authors!

ConFluence Is a Minnesota Convention for and by BIPOC Nerds For many convention-goers, something important has been missing from the Minnesota scene.

#Minnesota BIPOC geeks, nerds, fans, and artists felt an absence in the MN convention scene. Enter #ConFluence, coming back to #Minneapolis this weekend, October 18–19.
#TwinCitiesGeeks
twincitiesgeek.com/2025/10/conf...

Back to the Stars: Odysseus Awaits

Welcome to follow Ellarion Tales, the new home of Odysseus and beyond! Odysseus is returning as a recurring event with an upgraded permanent spaceship through crowdfunding.

Read our full blog post: ellariontales.com/blog/blog1-b...
Join our mailing list at ellariontales.com/newsletter

I wish there was a Facebook-like social media, where you could write shortish larp reports and discuss with right people.

I would basically that the most things that were not great in Odysseus were great in Eclipse, and most things that were not great in Eclipse were great in Odysseus. And why.

A white hallway with posters for the larps Desaparecides and The Language of Bones.

Decorating my apartment with signed posters of the larps I’ve written for @makeascenemn.bsky.social

Jon, wearing glasses, a @3m Aura N95 respirator, a brown T-shirt with Cookie Monster cartoon inside a circular frame made out of illustration of ribbons and text that saya “Cookies - Gratia - Cookies” and “Tasty” on the left side and “Om Nom Nom Nom” on the top, and an illustration of a chocolate chip cookie at the bottom.

“Since I realize that I'm hardly unique, I mask to prevent spreading anything I might pick up to those who may be vulnerable or have vulnerable loved ones.”—Jon @dabunny42.bsky.social recently got the vax & posed for @msjulieslam.bsky.social #MaskTogetherAmerica at a @makeascenemn.bsky.social event

"Cosplaying" and "larping" are real activities done by real people, and using these terms as slang for "pretending to be someone you're not, for political purposes" does indeed alienate those of us who take part in these activities.

Promotional graphic for the Tabletop Arts Fund 2026 Actual Play Grants. At the top center is the Tabletop Arts Fund logo, featuring a stylized book with a red d6 and yellow d10 on its pages, crossed by a pen and paintbrush inside a circle. The Text reads: 2026 Actual Play Grants “Open to any podcast or video actual play with at least three episodes released in 2025. Grants provide entry fees to all festivals in the 2026 Audio Fiction World Cup. Preference for all awards given to first-time festival participants and creators from marginalized backgrounds.” At the bottom, bold text states: Submissions close October 31, 2025 Link: https://apply.tabletoparts.fund/actualplay2026

Previous winners have received more than 100 nominations and three dozen awards at festivals on four continents. Now it's your turn! The Tabletop Arts Fund is proud to announce our 2026 Actual Play Grants.

📅 Submissions close October 31, 2025.
👉 Apply now: apply.tabletoparts.fund/ActualPlay2026

one more game project would fix me

Can't overstate this! It feels wonderful to know that someone had a good time with your game. It's not just that they appreciate your work. Someone's day, maybe a day with their friends, got better because of something you put into the world. It's a special feeling.

Slide: loose touchable design for leaky, excitable creature - strategies for tabletop roleplaying game design that stays embodied and immersive (Avery Alder)

At @qgcon.bsky.social for like one whole hour this weekend and managed to catch this amazingly titled @lackingceremony.bsky.social talk which unlike her I am 100% certain also applies to boardgames (and 45% sure for digital experiences)

Now would be a good time to remind you all that Minicon 59 is Easter 2026 - mnstf.org/minicon59/ -
and Minicon 60 will be Easter 2027

Nathan Fielder is actually a master at creating immersive theatre

No I will not be taking any questions

Did you know? Talking about games and thinking about games and writing about games are all cool but are still way less cool than playing games?

We were so happy to have your scenario premiere at our festival! Good luck at @omenstar.bsky.social's The Smoke!