The pandemic made it harder to stay engaged with our games. Video calls introduce distance because of the screen divide and the infinitesimal delay in responses. I like to be all in on my characters and my stories, so I found myself finding new ways to engage with the games, sometimes alone and...
Read More
In this article, I share with you some tips for how to take better photographs of your tabletop games (you can find more gaming photography tips here). Whether you want a keepsake for yourself or a post on social media, a truly engaging photo is a shared experience that brings a community together (if only for a precious moment).
Read More
It’s the third week since my mentor was declared dead. She’s been missing for five years, after she went out on a search to find her per cryptid — the Pronghorned Desert Rat (dipodomys antilocapra). It’s obvious that we must carry on her research as its habitat is in danger — but why am I blocked...
Read More
With everything digital right now as we social distance, it’s hard to lose the physical aspects of gaming. From the roll of physical dice to the tweaking and painting of minis, shared tactile map drawing, and the creation of game artifacts, we enjoy the accoutrements of gaming from a purely...
Read More
Just a warning. This post is a bit less structured than my normal posts and is a bit more stream of consciousness. This topic is something that has been on my mind for a while but not something I have a fix for, so I cannot lay out a structured approach of problem and solution. Rather, today I am...
Read More
Depending on how closely you follow the RPG industry, you may or may not know that Wizards of the Coast has been facing stiff criticism recently. It has come from multiple fronts, and depending on who you ask, their response to the criticism has ranged from insulting to adequate. Some of this...
Read More
Now in Japanese! [Note.jp] ————————————————— In the wake of the quarantine times, I’ve found many of my IRL games heavily impacted by the inability to actually meet up. I know it comes off a...
Read More
The loss of player agency sucks. It would be fair to say many folks play tabletops to enjoy the power fantasy of being some badass adventurer. Many folks like righting wrongs and expressing a level of control and accomplishment that may or may not be lacking in their daily lives. For many, this...
Read More
Like all of you, my normal routine has been turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of my gaming friends, myself included, have conditions that make us vulnerable to some of the coronavirus’ scarier symptoms. In reality, the least of our worries is how to keep a game running. That...
Read More
Games written for remote play are inevitably fascinating to me right now, in the time of social distancing — how can we use the features of online play that make it different from playing in person to add to the experience, instead of being roadblocks we have to circumnavigate? I am lucky...
Read More
Calling all Writers! Come write for Gnome Stew!
We are always looking for new articles and gnomes to throw in the stew. Drop an article proposal over at
https://gnomestew.com/write-for-gnome-stew/
Guest authors get paid the same per article rate as full time staff gnomes.
The great account cleanup of 2021 is happening now! If you have a subscriber account and don't want it to go away, head over here to see what you have to do! Account Cleanup 2021
Through our partner Engine Publishing, we've published six system-neutral books for GMs, with over 28,000 copies sold. Available in print and PDF.
Focal Point
Unframed
Odyssey
Never Unprepared
Masks
EurekaThrough our partnership in the G.E.M. collective, many of the Gnomes are affiliated with creating products through Encoded Designs. Available in print and PDF.
Misdirected Mark Productions
Rockerboys and Vending Machines
Character Cache
Hydro Hacker Operatives