Josh Heath

Shutdown Game Design Live Stream 3 - Josh Heath/High Level Games YouTube video by High Level Games

Today's Government Shutdown livestream starts at Noon! I'll be talking about settings and how to create a setting that grab's people's attention and drags them to the table to play your game. #ttrpg #gamedesign #writing #governmentshutdown2025

youtube.com/live/tiG33V1...

Shutdown Game Design Live Stream 2 - Josh Heath/High Level Games YouTube video by High Level Games

2nd Livestream happened at Noon! Today I'll be talking almost exclusively about my new game, May I Enter. #gamedesign #govshutdown

I'll be trying to do these at 12 Noon for every Game Design Livestream during the shutdown.

www.youtube.com/live/hSAxtE-...

@stickydoodler.bsky.social Always energizes me when we talk about game design. I picked up a game of his this weekend and his excitement around pushing the envelope about how to do game design made me impressed and delighted.

YouTube video by PocketDragonPub Indie Game Month: May I Enter, a PBTA RPG by Josh Heath

Actual play of me running May I Enter! Had a great crew of players from @thepocketdragonpub.bsky.social

youtu.be/8tQ_Mj-Y74E?...

Final page of May I Enter. Main layout is done, now I just need to finish the ToC and the Indexing work. #ttrpg #gameart #gaming

People should come play the game with me!

New art for May I Enter by the great Alex Sheikman. #ttrpg #gameArt #gaming

🐉 This month at Pocket Dragon Pub, we're spotlighting indie TTRPG & board game creators! Join us Saturdays (and one Thursday!) for unique games by @highlevelgames.bsky.social ,@22to22.bsky.social, @Duamn.bsky.social, and @ashyfeet.bsky.social !🎲

#ttrpg #Indiegames

🧛‍♀️ Ready to bite into something fresh?
It’s Indie Game Month at the Pocket Dragon Pub!
First up, "May I Enter?" by @highlevelgames.bsky.social!

With:
@midnight-maiden.bsky.social
@keichiokami.itch.io
@jellyfishlines.itch.io
@bishiebunny.bsky.social

#IndieGameMonth #IndieTTRPG #VampireTTRPG

@thepocketdragonpub.bsky.social is hosting an Indie Game Month in September on our Twitch Channel. Our first game is today at 8PM EST! We'll be playing "May I Enter" by @highlevelgames.bsky.social !

Also here is a shrubbery! 🌳

I'll be on the Twitch channel Pocket Dragon Pub this weekend running May I Enter: A Vampire Game

#Worldbuilding these are all examples from our real world but don't be afraid to think of new things that are completely weird sounding or different. Weird has purpose in faith. Weird is often ritual done for purposes that have been forgotten or because of mysteries. Mystery is key to faith.

Follow-up to my last thought. Make your game's holy places special and interesting. Temples don't have to look Greek or Catholic. A massive tree may be the center piece of a holy grove. Godpoles may be present instead of detailed statues. The temple may have lots of strict rules about entry #ttrpg

Yeah, it's one of my favorite D&D settings, not least because it has a lot of verisimilitude and it meshes with the mechanics effectively. I'm new to The One Ring but it's amazing.

How you build faith and community matters in the verisimilitude of a game setting. Do some research and then try and build things so they feel real and cohesive. #worldbuilding

But not all of them. Most non-monotheistic cultures have either times and places where specific gods or spirits receive worship or people seek out any god who will answer. The best D&D setting I've found for this is Eberron, where the Sovereign Host are integrated deeply into lives. #dnd

When creating religions in TTRPGs, it's easy for folks to fall into monotheistic or henotheistic assumptions. There are numerous types of polytheistic and/animistic cultures in our world to draw examples from. Some have dedicated temples to individual gods. Some have a system of 'favored god' #ttrpg

Photo of Chris Spivey

Victoria, BC — Arc Dream Publishing (Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game, The Black Company Roleplaying Game) is proud to welcome Chris Spivey, founder of Darker Hue Studios (Haunted West, Harlem Unbound), as its new production director.

Official press release:
arcdream.com/home/2025/08...

And so easy to advocate for my rates, because even with a language barrier I was able to explain what the client needs and how best I can support them. It was... empowering to feel competent and feel like I was helping. Honestly, that's what I look for in work and it was refreshing to feel it again

Last week I had a discussion with a potential freelance client looking for SEO support. I've been doing #SEO work for 12+ years and it's also part of my day job. There are days I don't feel like an expert, but during the conversation it was so easy to offer good advice.

Occasionally people ask me why my productivity slowed down. I'm always like, no, it became healthier. And I empathize with the week of ideations.

Game writing is often a slog. I'm always impressed by people who can just put fingers to keyboard and have words appear. I've done it a few times, but honestly it was only because of undiagnosed Bipolar-2. Since becoming medicated and therapized my words come out in much more regulated speed. #ttrpg

I have to give credit to @timhutchings.bsky.social who suggested something like it. Lots has been done with the PbtA framework and it is a good idea to try and give something back to the folks who helped inspire a massive shift in game design.

I wish analog game design had a different name. Being confused for a video game designer is kind of weird. People make it weird.

I'm partial to ludographer, but I think people would make that weird too. #ttrpg #gameDesign

Double the work, but quite likely worth it

That totally makes sense for a digital only product. I did 12 point for Dark New England when I laid it out because it was easier for me to read it had to be easier for others.

This is one of those accessibility balance things I've talked about before. #accessibility comes in a lot of forms. Ease of reading for sight is good. So is a book that is easy to hold. I think Shadowdark does a good job at hitting both, but it's close with the size side of things.

Finally started reading Shadowdark #ttrpg It is clever in its simplicity. What caught my eye though was the text size. My guess is it's an 11 or 12 point font. From an old man with bad eyes POV it was super helpful to be able to read it easily. But it also increases page count a lot. #shadowdark

May I Enter: A Vampire Game Play vampires inspired by the question: May I Enter?

Pledge Manager is now active for anyone who would like to still get a copy of May I Enter #ttrpg

www.kickstarter.com/projects/hig...

I don't think she is