An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games

David Millians, Editor

Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA

millians.david@paideiaschool.org

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Hi All,

Our first guest of the year was Adam Watson, founder of KyEdRPG, a platform dedicated to providing resources and support for educators who want to incorporate TTRPGs into their classrooms. Through KyEdRPG, Adam shares his experiences, insights, and practical advice on how to use games like Dungeons & Dragons to enhance learning, foster creativity, and develop essential skills in students. Adam’s work highlights the potential of TTRPGs to create engaging and transformative learning experiences for students of all ages. You can watch our interview on our YouTube channel.

Adam is also a member, and there are several events coming up of note. The first is Dungeons & Desks on February 18. It’s the first in a planned series of free regional development opportunities, a six hour, interactive event near Western, KY. You can register here. In March, Adam’s leading a session at the all-day conference, Love Thy Gamer, on March 1. Register here. Finally, on March 15, Adam and a group of intrepid educators will play D&D from noon to 4 p.m. ET on March 15 to benefit the Ohio Valley Educational Fund, which helps the youth of North Central Kentucky attend early childhood programs, overcome learning challenges, and prepare for jobs. You can register or watch it livestreamed here.

The best news of all is we have a record number of candidates for our CAR-PGA board! David will share more, but we encourage you to vote; every vote matters, and remember that there are only five slots for board membership. Voting concludes at the end of this month. I look forward to the results!

Sincerely,

Mike Tresca

Committee Chair

BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTING 2025

Here’s the link for board voting. Please cast your vote and do so by Friday, February 21, 2025.

It’s relatively straightforward. Voting members just enter their name and email and then check as many members as they want to vote for and click submit.

There are six candidates standing for election to fill up to five slots on the board.

David Hartless

Dave was the original engineer and eventual engineering leader for D&D Beyond. While his work focus has shifted to a non-gaming-related field, he is still very passionate about the TTRPG community and the benefits role-playing games bring to society.

Ryan Jones

I am a gamer, coach, and doctoral student with an interest in the intersection of personal development and tabletop role-playing games. I cut my teeth DMing 3rd edition D&D in 2004 and have been running games ever since. I am developing my own TTRPG to use as a coaching intervention with clients, and I offer workshops and coaching to individuals and groups, helping people to connect more consciously to the characters and worlds they create in order to generate more learning and life satisfaction through gaming.

Faith Elisabeth Lilley

Accessibility, diversity, and equity are a few of the many reasons I am an impassioned advocate for the TTRPG industry. With eight years of experience in this industry and over thirty in technology, including executive level leadership, being an ambassador with Women in Games, and frequently speaking on panels, podcasts, and videos to champion the benefits of role-playing games-whether they be for social connection, mental health, or education. I believe CAR-PGa has a crucial role to play in supporting research and providing resources for the industry and community, but to maximize our impact, we need to raise our profile. My vision is to expand awareness of CAR-PGa’s work, ensuring that both industry professionals and the whole community recognize the wealth of knowledge and advocacy we provide. I am active on social media with discussions and very interested in exploring new ways to engage members and the wider community in meaningful conversations.

David Millians

I teach fifth and sixth graders and have explored applications of games in educational settings for many years. I am a current board member and editor of this newsletter.

Thomas Tatum

As the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Lurking Fears (https://lurkingfears.com/) and current Treasurer for NerdLouisville (https://nerdlouisville.org/), I’m heavily involved in TTRPGs professionally and personally. I’ve been playing TTRPGs for a few decades and consider myself a system ‘polyglot’. I’ve run and/or played most versions of D&D, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu, WEG Star Wars (d6), Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP), (Mayfair) DC Heroes, other Star Wars games (including Saga), Toon, GURPS, Champions, Alien, Dragonbane, Vaesen, some of the Fantasy Flight Warhammer 40k games, Warhammer Fantasy, DCC, Shadowdark, Dune (the current Modiphius version AND I own a copy of the Last Unicorn book!), and I’m probably missing some… Gaming is woven into every part of my life. I’m also the healthiest nerd you’ll ever meet. When I’m not running or playing games, I run. I’m an accomplished ultra-runner with a few extreme events under my belt.

Michael Tresca

I have been Committee Chair for five years and am the host of the CAR-PGA’s YouTube channel, where I conduct monthly interviews with RPG luminaries from all walks of life.

Allen White

I use RPGs in engineering education and am a current board member of the Reacting Consortium, a group of college educators that create and publish RPGs for university education. I am also a board member of the Reacting Game Development Conference, and I had a microgame published in Roll for Learning. I am a current CAR-PGa board member.

Please vote!

NEW MATERIAL

This is a compilation of articles and other resources that have come to the editor’s attention over the last month. Everyone is welcome to send bibliographic information about anything you discover that fits the mission of CAR-PGa and this newsletter.

American Library Association (2024) Platinum Play – Platys. https://www.ala.org/gamert/gamert-platinum-play-platys. Board, card, RPGs, and video games recommended for use in libraries.

Appelcline, Shannon (2025 Jan 1) 2024: The Year in Roleplaying. https://www.designers-and-dragons.com/2025/01/01/2024-the-year-in-roleplaying. Reflections and summaries of the past year in gaming and game publications.

Baur, Wolfgang (2025 Jan 23) State of Pay: Kobold Press and the business of being in the Kickstarter business. https://koboldpress.com/state-of-pay-kobold-press-and-the-business-of-being-in-the-kickstarter-business. Discussion of company strategies and uses for funding platform.

Bell, Adam (2025 Jan 4) There’s No Such Thing As a Solo Game. https://croakerrpgs.substack.com/p/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-solo-game. Shifting games from single player to multiplayer and vice versa.

Binary Star Games (2025 Jan 2) 2024 Year in Review (by numbers). https://binarystar.games/posts/original-1735825398-2024-year-in-review. Overview and breakdown of the financial dynamics of a freelance game designer.

Boffa, David (2025) Dice in the Dairyland: The History of Dungeons and Dragons. https://pbswisconsineducation.org/look-back-episode/dungeons-and-dragons. PBS video exploring the origin of D&D with historians and Victor Raymond.

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, Elektra Diakolambrianou, Simon Brind, eds. Transformative Role-playing Game Design. Uppsala University Library: Uppsala, 2024. Games of change – theory, practice, and research.

Buajeeb, Waranun, Patricia A Reynolds, Hatailux Boontub, Yanon Tangmanpuwadol & Kawin Sipiyaruk (2024 Dec 27) Comparison of the effectiveness of a serious game and pre-recorded lecture in diagnosis and treatment planning of oral lesions for dental students. Sci Rep 14, 30641 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83433-0. Roleplaying games worked in this area of education.

Bull Press (2024) Books to Prisoners. https://bullpress.org/books-to-prisoners. Publishing with contraband codes in mind. Review by Christopher Chinn.

Bute, Adam (2025 Jan 29) Wargamer Charity Drive — by Yes, That’s 3D Printed and FauxHammer. https://www.rascal.news/wargamer-charity-drive-2025. Moving unused miniatures into therapeutic gaming spaces.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 2) TTRPGkids on Ludology Podcast, Episode 19: Classroom ready TTRPGs. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/02/ttrpgkids-on-ludology-podcast-episode-19-classroom-ready-ttrpgs. Game writing and teacher prepping can work together.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 9) Little Ways to Help With TTRPGs: Libraries. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/09/little-ways-to-help-with-ttrpgs-libraries. Supporting your local book hub.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 13) Tabletop RPG Classroom: In-Game Social Studies Lesson for High School Students. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/13/tabletop-rpg-classroom-in-game-social-studies-lesson-for-high-school-students. Goals, engagement, and examples of implementation.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 16) Review of BREAK!! RPG. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/16/review-of-break-rpg. Colorful play for kids and adults.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 24) Review of Gratitude Guardians. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/23/review-of-gratitude-guardians. Excellent supplement for games that adds thoughtful appreciation of goodness.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 27) Interview with Dr. Emily Friedman, TTRPG actual play scholar and gaming professor. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/27/interview-with-dr-emily-friedman-ttrpg-actual-play-scholar-and-gaming-professor. RPG implementation and lessons learned in tertiary education.

Campbell, Steph (2025 Jan 30) Review of Cryptid Creeks, a TTRPG full of spooky stories for all. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/01/30/review-of-cryptid-creeks-a-ttrpg-full-of-spooky-stories-for-all. Scary and cozy.

Carpenter, Nicole (2025 Jan 9) Critical Role pauses broadcast due to devastating LA wildfires, donates $30K to emergency fund. https://www.polygon.com/critical-role/506387/critical-role-fires-los-angeles-la-stream-paused. Production paused and support encouraged.

Carter, Chase (2025 Jan 14) Journalism should not roleplay as marketing. https://www.rascal.news/journalism-should-not-roleplay-as-marketing. A small hobby with overlapping roles and interests still needs agents of transparency.

Carter, Chase (2025 Jan 24) Reddit’s largest tabletop communities say “Fuck Nazis”. https://www.rascal.news/reddits-largest-tabletop-communities-say-fuck-nazis. Many communities end links to Elon Musk’s X social media ecology.

Carter, Chase (2025 Jan 27) ENNIE Awards’ updated submission policy won’t accept AI projects…next year. https://www.rascal.news/ennie-awards-updated-submission-policy-wont-accept-ai-projects-next-year. Ennie AI restrictions expanded completely for 2026 eligibility.

Carter, Chase (2025 Jan 30) Five years on, Solo But Not Alone keeps a torch lit in support of mental health resources. https://www.rascal.news/five-years-on-solo-but-not-alone-keeps-a-torch-lit-in-support-of-mental-health-resources. Solo play bundle in support of Take This Org and its work with mental health in the gaming community.

CBC (2025 Jan 18) From ‘satanic panic’ to church-approved, Dungeons & Dragons thriving after 50-plus years. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/satanic-panic-church-approved-dungeons-120000264.html. Gamers thriving in Manitoba, Canada.

Charest, Gabrielle (2025 Jan 22) Dungeons & Dragons levels up to mainstream gaming. https://scotscoop.com/dungeons-dragons-levels-up-to-mainstream-gaming. High school students in Belmont, California, reflect on old and new ways to play the game.

Codega, Lin (2025 Jan 21) The games I chose to save from the fire. https://www.rascal.news/the-games-i-chose-to-save-from-the-fire. Prioritizing treasures and memories in the face of disaster.

Crumrine, Tyler (2025 Jan 28) Big Bad Con’s cardstock currency pits networking against building community. https://www.rascal.news/big-bad-cons-cardstock-currency-pits-networking-against-building-community. Play and business are a complicated mix at conventions, especially for new creators.

David, Emilia (2025 Jan 10) Researchers improved AI agent performance on unfamiliar tasks using ‘Dungeons and Dragons’. https://venturebeat.com/ai/researchers-improved-ai-agent-performance-on-unfamiliar-tasks-using-dungeons-and-dragons. AgentRefine examines AI preparations for novel challenges through game play feedback loop.

Dix, Ellie (2025 Jan 15) Designing games for brands. https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2025/01/15/designing-games-for-brands. Insights into corporate game design.

Ellis, Caelyn (2025 Jan 6) Striking Workers At Vallejo Paint Factory Claim Victory. https://www.rascal.news/striking-workers-at-vallejo-paint-factory-claim-victory. Agreement reached by company and employees.

Gigantic Spider (2025 Jan 1) 100% Accurate 2025 TTRPG Predictions. https://ttrpg-spider.blogspot.com/2025/01/100-accurate-2025-ttrpg-predictions.html. Themes and trends in publishing.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 2) Breaking the Vault of Viditya Voleti: A TTRPG about horrible people does something good. https://www.geeknative.com/170427/breaking-the-vault-of-viditya-voleti-a-ttrpg-about-horrible-people-does-something-good. Published to support 100% the Trans Youth Emergency Project.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 3) Recreate Christmas with the smell of new board game (candles). https://www.geeknative.com/170447/recreate-christmas-with-the-smell-of-new-board-game-candles. The Scent of a Game.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 4) Koi has a D&D shoe and fashion range. https://www.geeknative.com/170481/koi-has-a-dd-shoe-and-fashion-range. From boot wings to handbags.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 13) Malediction: Tracy Hickman penned lore, freebies and the first 3D printable miniatures card game. https://www.geeknative.com/170644/malediction-tracy-hickman-penned-lore-freebies-and-the-first-3d-printable-miniatures-card-game. Playing with new technologies.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 14) Diamond Comic Distributors files Chapter 11: It’s the indie publishers who’ll be hit. https://www.geeknative.com/170670/diamond-comic-distributors-files-chapter-11-its-the-indie-publishers-wholl-be-hit. Bankruptcy leaves questions and fewer options for small publishers.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 18) RPG Publisher Spotlight: Sad Fishe Games. https://www.geeknative.com/170743/rpg-publisher-spotlight-sad-fishe-games. Includes discussion of Managing Partner Tyler Thompson’s legal work around the OGL crisis of 2023.

Girdwood, Andrew (2025 Jan 24) TTRPG awards The Ennie criticised for accepting AI content. https://www.geeknative.com/170824/ttrpg-awards-the-ennies-criticised-for-accepting-ai-content. Products not eligible to win in categories wherein they used AI.

Hoffer, Christian (2025 Jan 1) Dungeons & Dragons Pinball Machine Announced. https://www.enworld.org/threads/dungeons-dragons-pinball-machine-announced.709370. Snazzy and retro.

Hoffer, Christian (2025 Jan 7) 2025 Monster Manual to Introduce Male Versions of Hags, Medusas, and Dryads. https://www.enworld.org/threads/2025-monster-manual-to-introduce-male-versions-of-hags-medusas-and-dryads.709488. Variations on previous published options.

Hoffer, Christian (2025 Jan 16) WizKids to Release Glow-in-the-Dark D&D Miniatures. https://www.enworld.org/threads/wizkids-to-release-glow-in-the-dark-d-d-miniatures.709637. Shiny figures.

Hoffer, Christian (2025 Jan 29) Universal Fan Fest Nights Officially Announces Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep. https://www.enworld.org/threads/universal-fan-fest-nights-officially-announces-dungeons-dragons-secrets-of-waterdeep.710961. Living adventure experiences in the Forgotten Realms.

Jesthehuman (2025 Jan 10) RPGs for Accessible Gaming is accepting submissions. https://www.rascal.news/rpgs-for-accessible-gaming-is-accepting-submissions. Game jam to raise funds for braille dice sets.

Joyce, Justin (2025 Jan 23) The greatest comic that you can’t read. https://www.rascal.news/the-greatest-comic-that-you-cant-read. Growing games and community online with Young Heroes of Halcyon.

Kevin, Brian (2025 Jan 13) Overlooked No More: Karen Wynn Fonstad, Who Mapped Tolkien’s Middle-earth. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/13/obituaries/karen-wynn-fonstad-overlooked.html. Cartographer of the Imagination (1945-2005).

Manuel, Thomas (2025 Jan 7) Mountain Witch: Trust, Fate and Betrayal on Kickstarter. https://www.rascal.news/mountain-witch-trust-fate-and-betrayal-on-kickstarter. Games, money, and real life.

Manuel, Thomas (2025 Jan 22) Alarums and Excursions: how zines remade D&D and the web. https://www.rascal.news/alarums-and-excursions-how-zines-remade-d-d-and-the-web. The impact of Lee Gold and the long conversation she has hosted for fifty years.

Morrissey, Russ (2025 Jan 13) QI Mentions The Diana Jones Awards. https://www.enworld.org/threads/qi-mentions-the-diana-jones-awards.709578. BBC quiz show mentions the award.

Manuel, Thomas (2025 Jan 24) After surviving catastrophic success, Chaosium celebrates a calm 50th birthday. https://www.rascal.news/after-surviving-catastrophic-success-chaosium-celebrates-a-calm-50th-birthday. Updating the story of one of the oldest RPG publishers.

Morrissey, Russ (2025 Jan 22) Evil Genius Games Attempts To Remove Bad Press. https://www.enworld.org/threads/evil-genius-games-attempts-to-remove-bad-press.709776. Resulting in more discussions instead of less.

Morrissey, Russ (2025 Jan 24) Evil Genius Games Attempts To Remove Bad Press [Update–And Then Adds Legal Threats!]. https://www.enworld.org/threads/evil-genius-games-attempts-to-remove-bad-press-update-and-then-adds-legal-threats.709776. Unfolding legal action.

Nield, David (2025 Jan 6) Open-World Games Like Zelda Can Boost Your Mental Health, Study Says. https://www.sciencealert.com/open-world-games-like-zelda-can-boost-your-mental-health-study-says. Mental well-being akin to results of meditation.

Organ Mountain News (2025 Jan 6) Branigan Library expands adult Dungeons & Dragons program amid high demand. https://www.organmountainnews.com/branigan-library-expands-adult-dungeons-dragons-program-amid-high-demand. Program in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Osuh, Chris (2025 Jan 1) Orcs, elves and culture wars: how diversity in D&D met a rightwing backlash. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/jan/01/orcs-elves-and-culture-wars-how-diversity-in-dd-met-a-rightwing-backlash. Change and the tensions that accompany it.

Prismatic Wasteland (2025 Jan 14) Monster, Maiden, Madonna, Medusa. https://www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/monster-maiden-madonna-medusa. Male sexual gaze in the foundations of RPG.

Russell, Mollie (2025 Jan 2) How one DnD player’s death created a community for grieving gamers. https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/adventures-of-galder. Mourning together and supporting one another through RPG-themed obituaries for deceased players and their characters.

Tresca, Mike (2025 Jan 27) You Can’t Just Buy Hasbro. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-you-cant-just-buy-hasbro.709719. Methodical steps are required to purchase a company.

Tresca, Mike (2025 Jan 28) Dungeons & Desks: Level Up Vibrant Game-Based Learning with TTRPGs. https://bsky.app/profile/worldofwelstar.bsky.social/post/3lgtqelhsws2p. Conference in Kentucky, Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Vega, Nicholas (2024 Dec 28) 50 years later, Dungeons & Dragons still brings in millions of dollars — including nearly $110,000 in 2024 for one small Brooklyn business. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/business/money-report/50-years-later-dungeons-dragons-still-brings-in-millions-of-dollars-including-nearly-110000-in-2024-for-one-small-brooklyn-business/3590464. An ecosystem of play grown far beyond the publisher.

Wood, Eric (2025 Jan 9) Tabletop Role-Playing Games In College Mental Health. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericwood/2025/01/09/tabletop-role-playing-games-in-college-mental-health. Benefits and opportunities.

Wybourne, Hugh (2025 Jan 10) The Many Multiverses Of London Town. https://www.rascal.news/the-many-multiverses-of-london-town. Groups of gamers and gamer groups in the capital of the UK.

Zamboni, Camilla, Matthew Farber, William Merchant, eds. (2024) Roll for Learning: 51 Micro Tabletop Role-Playing Games to Use in the Classroom. Play Story Press, 2024.

Zeoli, Rowan (2025 Jan 13) The One Shot Network shows how collectives can help APs grow. https://www.rascal.news/the-one-shot-network-shows-how-collectives-can-help-aps-grow-2. Interview with growing platform for actual play.

Zeoli, Rowan (2025 Jan 24) Ennie Awards allow submissions with AI-generated content, prompting backlash. https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/513161/ennies-ennie-awards-ai-generated-submissions. More examination of AI guidelines for prominent RPG award.

Zeoli, Rowan (2025 Jan 28) The Dimension 20 MSG show was everything I hoped it would be — except for the venue. https://www.rascal.news/the-dimension-20-msg-show-was-everything-i-hoped-it-would-be-except-for-the-venue. Wondrous, warm, imaginative historic event in spite of Madison Square Garden’s own glitches.

© Copyright 2025 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404) 377-3491, email millians.david@paideiaschool.org. Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn’t have someone else’s copyright on it. Information, including details on joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.