foresight-studio
TOMORROW // TODAY
I'm Ben, a scientist, tabletop game designer, & layout artist who loves unusual stories and the people who tell them. Find out more at benmansky.com/foresight-studio
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Lin Codega, Rowan Zeoli, and Chase Carter are launching their own independent TTRPG journalism site. I am SO thrilled these folks are going to take a stab at earnest, genuine RPG coverage that's not hampered by corporate interests. Please check out Rascal News!
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Tomorrow is today's yesterday
A little late for this, but happy 2024, everyone!! I finally got around to writing a January newsletter but here's a little summary.
2023 was officially my first full year making TTRPG stuff and it was really cool! I didn't hit all my games-publishing goals, but I did way more design & layout than I expected, which has (and continues to be) super rewarding. I saw my first physical project (The Cross Stitch) in the wild, at real life brick-and-mortar game stores, plus it won an award! And to round out the year, I went to PaxU, my first tabletop convention.
My 2023 vibe was: bog. Slow, gentle, dark, sometimes frustrating to slog through, maybe a witch lives there, but that's a good thing.
So, what's coming up in 2024? First is making Triangle Agency the most beautiful, dynamic, [REDACTED] book you've ever seen. Second and third are finally finishing Hilbrook Glen: Follow your Bliss and Ex Nihilo Ad Nihilum, which... were also last year's goals. Oops! Last is to get a playable prototype of [Time Loop Game] out in the world! (In case you didn't know, I love time loops.)
Last but not least, here's some topics I've been thinking about a lot lately, some of which you'll probably be hearing more about from me eventually:
Pathologic, Deadly Premonition, Baroque (but specifically the less-good Wii remake), and the joy of broken, nonsensical games
Why asymmetry in tabletop games makes your brain feel special and magic
What graphic designers for TTRPGs can learn from skin care, cosmetics, and K-pop album packaging design
Intuitive design in physical games (a love letter to slots, boxes, stickers, tokens, and dashboards)
From Root to mah jong to tarot: how to make interpretation of card suits a more meaningful mechanic
Wildermyth, leveling up, and the gradual accretion of mostly-forgotten memories that forms the foundation of the self
Idk, something about neurobiology or epigenetics? Are you interested in that?
Maybe lmk which of these topics you'd want to hear about first:
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The Silt Verses RPG has just launched from the acclaimed designers of Brindlewood Bay and The Between!
Investigate stray angels, strange haunts, and murderous cults in a world of gods and sacrifice as a disciple of the Saint Electric, Trawler-man, Watcher in the Wings, Cairn Maiden, Pox Martyr, or the Waxen Scrivener.
Delve into backwoods towns, floating markets where sacred relics are bought and sold, bustling clinics where medical 'miracles' come at a hideous cost - and even a towering skyscraper of conjoined steel, glass, and flesh.
You can purchase a copy over on DriveThruRPG, or at the Silt Verses or The Gauntlet Patreon, netting you the rulebook, 8 Assignments, 6 Faith Sheets, 8 Journey Sheets, and more.
This game really is a labour of love from a small team of innovative indie RPG creators, and already a genuine work of art (so we'd be incredibly grateful for your help in playing, giving feedback, and spreading the word far and wide) - we think it's an absolutely fantastic achievement, and we know The Gauntlet are only going to keep building and improving on the game from here.
You can find out more by joining The Gauntlet Discord.
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Cloud Empress Rulebook FOR FREE!
Several months ago, I did development work on Cloud Empress, a standalone, Nausicaa-inspired TTRPG by worlds of watt. It's full, beautiful rulebook recently went up on DriveThruRPG FOR FREE so I think folks should check it out. I'm really proud to have taken part in the project and think the end result is tremendous! Plus, there's so much more coming for it in the near future!
Get your copy HERE!
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I’m currently working on a game where the setting is a world that fell after the gods started dying, not directly from that, but from the things their corpses attracted. Lots of whalefall parallels as well as themes of life from decay and such.
Would it be okay if I include a message in the rules recommending players to use Decomposer for creating the world for their campaign? It really does seem like a perfect fit, and Decomposer is beautifully designed. Plus the fact that the corpse might not be completely consumed leads to GREAT adventure hooks. And I’m an absolute SUCKER for the idea of players trying to ‘win’ at the session zero prep minigame creating the adversaries their characters will later have to fight.
Absolutely, of course, 100%!! I was hoping Decomposer could be a tool for groups to build a world before diving in and exploring it, and this sounds like just the right match.
Happy writing!
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Now at IPR: Curios: Albrect Manor!
By @goodluckpress!
Reality contains fractures, a series of anomalous events that defy explanation, with only remnants of their occurrences left behind. Letters, recordings, photos, and reports are all that remains of these phenomena, housed within the Archive, a catalogue of the extraordinary and peculiar. Our first collection is calamitous events connected through the centuries: The Case of Albrecht Manor.
How old is your house? A question not so simply answered for Alex Dunn when unsettling sounds and shadows begin creeping through the house at night. A new house, far away from home, the only thing keeping Alex tethered to reality is the research into this home with mysterious providence and the letters sent to their lifelong friend Anne. Letters that for weeks have gone unanswered. Alex’s research never concluded, the last letters arriving on May 17th, 1993. Alex disappeared, presumed dead after a house fire that same day.
Alex's writing reveals just as much as the floorplans and photos included in their letters.
As a researcher for the Archive, read through Alex Dunn's letters and notes. Uncover the missing pieces of the mystery behind their rural Ontario home in 1993. Explore the connection between this house and the original, destroyed in a fire a hundred years before. Can you connect the clues and find the hidden patterns of this house's history?
https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Curios-Albrect-Manor-Print-PDF.html
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Hi, I'm Ben! And I'm happy to be here.
I'm a neuroscientist by training and also by trade (though these days I care mostly about stem-cell epigenetics). When I'm not doing science, I'm probably thinking about stories, the ways we tell them, and how the act of storytelling structures our lives in ways both obvious and imperceptible.
You're probably here because I make games. I've been writing/designing/illustrating/laying out games and supplements for a little over a year now! Here's a few of them, in no particular order:
DO/OMED. Explore the disintegrating landscape outside of a utopian domed city, and discover the nature of the secretive Namesake Project. Inspired by Annihilation plus a pinch of Jewish tradition, written and designed by me, based on RP Deshaies Breathless system.
The Cross Stitch. In this self-contained folk horror adventure, you'll explore a missing town, meet its unusual denizens, and uncover the dark mystery at its heart. Written, illustrated, and designed by me, for MÖRK BORG (but adaptable to the system of your choice). It's also my only project currently available in print.
Hillbrook Glen: Manifest your Dreams. Attend an exclusive, luxurious wellness workshop in the Adirondack Mountains, and bring your dreams to life. No, literally, your dreams are alive. And they're hungry. Written and designed by me, as the first of a 4-part series currently in progress.
Public Access. In this game of nostalgia and analog horror from Jason Cordova & The Gauntlet, you'll investigate strange mysteries surrounding TV Odyssey, a notorious TV station from the '80s and '90s that disappeared without a trace. I contributed a very tiny bit of writing to this, but mostly I did the layout and graphic design.
Decomposer. Take on the role of a worm, a fungal spore, a seed, or some other tiny creature, and decompose the remains of a dead god into a new world. Written and designed by me. (And it's free!)
I also have a few upcoming projects to look forward to:
Hillbrook Glen: Follow your Bliss. Explore a shifting meditation garden and face the branching paths your life could have taken in this post-it crawl adventure. Just be careful not to lose yourself. Coming September 2023 (I hope).
The Silt Verses RPG. In this TTRPG adaptation of the popular horror/weird-fiction podcast The Silt Verses, you'll traverse the Peninsula, hunting down stray deities while exploring your own complicated relationship with unsanctioned faiths. It's written by Gabriel Robinson & Jason Cordova, and I'm doing graphic design & layout. Coming soon.
Triangle Agency. As an employee of the Triangle Agency, it's your job to make sure the world doesn't collapse into chaos. You'll go on missions to apprehend dangerous anomalies while wielding anomalous powers of your own, battling bureaucratic nightmares along the way. TA was a runaway success on Kickstarter earlier this year, and I'm writing a mission for The Vault collection and laying out the book(s)!
Ex Nihilo Ad Nihilum. People vanish every day in the City of Y. But this one - this one is different. Or so your contact claims. Search for a missing scientist and uncover a potentially world-ending conspiracy in this surreal noir horror adventure for CY_BORG. Coming in the fall.
While you wait for those projects, you can keep up with what I'm working on via my newsletter or the Foresight Studio discord server.
So, hello tumblr! I hope something I make resonates with you.
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Digest a dead god. Create a new world.
I just published Decomposer, a one-page RPG about life after death for 1-6 players! Take on the role of a larva, a fungal spore, a seed, or some other miniscule critter. Eat the remains of a beast too enormous to fathom, and digest its bits and pieces into a new plane of existence.
Decomposer is inspired by Norse & Mesopotamian creation myths, games like The Quiet Year, and by the humble creatures that form the foundation of our ecosystems.
You can get it (for free!) on itch.io.
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Snow's TTRPG Class: Lesson #1, a reading list of experimental rpgs
"Go ahead, put anything here," Tumblr says. Well don't you worry, Tumblr. I will put anything here. Just wait and see.
I wrote this article: https://nerves.games/2023/07/26/snows-ttrpg-class-reading-list/
It's got some words in there. Go check it out. OR, just look this list of games and read them. It's your first assignment. These are all games that I think have pushed on the boundaries of TTRPGs and most of them I would consider experimental. They are in alphabetical order.
Adventure RPG (in Need of Translation), Mameli – https://better-legends.itch.io/adventure-rpg-in-need-of-translation
Apollo 47 Technical Manual, Hutchings – https://thousandyearoldvampire.com/products/apollo-47-technical-manual-an-rpg
Care for Hecuba, Libre – https://bigstuffedcat.itch.io/care-for-hecuba
Clay Creatures, Sinclair – https://s-jared.itch.io/clay-creatures
Disk Horse, Geist – https://fm-geist.itch.io/disk-horse-1-off-to-the-races
Don’t Lose Your Mind, Baugh – https://evilhat.com/product/don-t-lose-your-mind
Everyone is John, Sullivan – https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/271276/Everyone-is-John
Feedback, Slattery – https://adira.itch.io/feedback
Flying Games, Dragon – https://possumcreekgames.itch.io/flying-games
Freebase, Thron & Shaughnessy – https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1411822901179.pdf
I EAT MANTRAS FOR BREAKFAST, Mison – https://mariabumby.itch.io/i-eat-mantras-for-breakfast
kill puppies for satan, Baker – https://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1370/08/1370081361036.pdf
Lady Blackbird, Harper – https://johnharper.itch.io/lady-blackbird
Paranoia, Costikyan, Gelber, and Goldberg – https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/224392/Paranoia–First-Edition
Plot Armor, Black – https://oriondblack.itch.io/plot-armor
Print Weaver, Morrison – https://nlmorrison.itch.io/print-weaver
Teen Witch, Adler – https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/variations-on-your-body
Ten Candles, Dewey – https://cavalrygames.com/shop/ten-candles-pdf
This Discord Has Ghosts in it, Jobst & Vass – https://willjobst.itch.io/ghosts
Unusual Esoterica, Unpleasant – https://axesorcs.itch.io/unusual-esoterica-series-1
We Are But Worms, LaBresh – https://riverhousegames.itch.io/we-are-but-worms-a-one-word-rpg
Wisher, Theurgist, Fatalist, Moran – https://afarandasunlessland.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/wtf.pdf
If you didn't read the article: this is not a list of best rpgs, or a list of great starter rpgs, or a list of my favorite games! It's simply a list of experimental games that I think pushed the bounds. I think if you're in my internet house (which you are while you read this, welcome in, get comfy, we've got fresh-squeezed water) you should read these and have opinions on them, even if your opinion is "lol, lmao, this is trash." But this is school so you have to put it in a complete sentence of you get an F. Minus.
Bye,
Snow
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The Lost Bay - First Look Release
Your one-way ticket for the 90s that never were.
Today is the day! after countless play tests and tweaks The Lost Bay - First Look has been released digitally. In it you play as a young person touched by the Weird, an ancient force that gives you supernatural powers. You roam the Bay with your gang, its malls, arcade games shops, skateparks and beaches, and fight the Horror that has awakened.
Key features of the game:
1. You play Vibes. Each vibe has a distinct flavor and set of powers. You can play as Splinter, Screamer, Scanner, Firestarter, and many more. Vibes are granted custom growth opportunities: every time they fail at using a power they get a Scar, and this can include getting new powers, or discovering something about the Bay.
2.The lore of The Lost Bay is spread throughout the ruleset, tables, and game procedures. You’ll discover it as you create your character and play, without having to read boring lore text blocks. The lore of the Bay is embedded in the items, powers, Scars and NPCs you’ll encounter.
3.Open and play. Three attributes, two resources to manage (Heart and Weird), one mechanic to rule it all: a D6 dice pool. If you have a basic knowledge of tabletop RPGs you’ll need fifteen minutes to familiarize yourself with the ruleset.
GET THE LOST BAY FIRST LOOK
4.Weird is cool. And there’s a lot of it in the Bay: cults, curses, relics, and Living Saints. The Lost Bay is both a familiar playground and an uncanny world that portrays an alternate version of the 90s. It’s wicked enough to give you the chills, and it’s open enough for you to expand it the way you like.
Why the 90s?
Because they’re a decade where the ancient analog world mixes with the modern digital one. This mix creates infinite clashes and conflicts, ideal to spark tabletop RPG adventures, and horror stories.
The Bay itself is the incarnation of this contrast. Ancient creatures and forces dwell right next to modern technology and buildings. Even the playable characters embody this duality: they are archetypes inspired by the late 80s/90s media and culture, but their powers derive from the ancient and mysterious forces.
What you’ll get in the First Look edition?
Spooky Locations
Scary MOFOs
Supernatural Horror
Powerful Vibes
Loads of items
Relics
Living Saints and immortals
Story sparks
VHS, arcade games, skateboards, evil cults, demons, ghosts, blood and fear.
You can get the First look edition right now at an affordable price. The game PDF is updated on a weekly basis, and its price will increase as new sections are added. Meaning that the earliest you get it, the less you’ll pay for it. Pretty neat right? Funds collected will allow commissioning more art from Evangeline Gallagher and to pay for editing.
Have you ever wanted to play a zombie or a ghost? Now you can!
This week’s update features two new Vibes (playable character classes): the Half-Dead, and the Spirit. To unlock them you have to die first, and if you’re lucky enough you’ll become a Reborn. You might even get a Zombie cat pet.
MINIDUNGEON
If you have little time on your hands and are looking for a ready to play horror adventure compatible with The Lost Bay check UNIT DH-17. This suburban horror mini dungeon has been updated to fit The Lost Bay ruleset.
You can also get them both as a bundle with a 20% discount here https://itch.io/s/99423/the-lost-bay-rules-adventure
Weird is beautiful
Want to know where this game comes from, what it’s really about?
I grew up in an environment where toxic masculinity was the rule. Both at home, and outside of it. And by toxic, I mean horror-movie level toxic. Murders, blood and all. That was just the way things were, the world of the grown ups. Normalcy. I didn’t find that normal at all! I was pretty scared most of the time. But I was lucky enough to be part of a gang of kind souls. We loved each other and helped us survive the harsh world of the Bay. We were Geeks, Punks, Queers and Dreamers. The normies called us Weird. At first that felt hurtful, and it took me years to understand that being “Weird” is more than ok, that “Weird” is beautiful. Eventually, I made “Weird” my one-word motto, and used to wear a Why be normal? pin. I was proud of my Weirdness. Things felt better, the Bay was my playground, I loved its marshes, forests, beaches and skateparks. I was happy.
Then one day, something unexpected happened. I had to leave the Bay, without notice. Like in the movies. At dawn, hiding, in secret. I didn’t come back for more than 15 years. During that exile the Bay grew in my mind like a place of fantasy, and actual memories blended with fiction. The Lost Bay became a dream, partly familiar, partly alien, a place of wonder shrouded in a terrifying mystery.
TAKE ME TO THE LOST BAY
The Lost Bay - First Look is the travel guide to this wondrous and wicked place I’m offering to you. If you accept the invitation you’ll play beautiful and powerful characters, you’ll fight the horror in breathtaking combats, and rewrite the Lost Bay’s history.
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Saturdays are for prototyping character sheets!
Have a couple small games in the works that are very very close to finished, a follow-up to Manifest your Dreams and an entry for the One Page RPG Jam. Just a tiny bit more tuning to do but I'm really excited to get these out in the world - it's been a minute since I published something!
(also, hi tumblr, will probably do a little introductory post soon)
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