BLOGGIES 2024 Commence!
Want to skip to the finalists? Click here
Want to find the latest voting form? Click here
What are the Bloggies?
Official BLOGGIES 2024 art ‘Blugtarp Blogeye and Weyman the Well-Read’ by Hodag (@HODAGRPG)
The BLOGGIES are a yearly awards event that debuted on the Prismatic Wasteland blog in 2022 to celebrates standout TTRPG blog posts from the past year — shining a light on the posts that linger in your mind long after you’ve closed the tab. The awards are a way to recognize the creativity and hard work that keeps the TTRPG blogging scene thriving.
I won Best Blog Post, last year. So Zedeck Siew passed the sceptre to me for hosting 2024.
Why does TTRPG blogging matter?
The TTRPG space has always thrived on the exchange of ideas, a collaborative culture woven into its very fabric. Its roots trace back to the mimeographed pages of wargaming and fantasy zines of the 1970s, where enthusiasts debated mechanics, shared house rules, and dreamed up entire worlds. These grassroots publications were the lifeblood of the early hobby, connecting far-flung players in a time before the internet. As the decades rolled on, the scene migrated to message boards and forums, where ideas sparked across threads and communities blossomed in the glow of dial-up modems. Today, blogging bears this torch, becoming the primary venue for deep dives into mechanics, nuanced critiques of games, and the sharing of gameable treasures.
Blogs offer a slower, more reflective pace compared to the quick hits of social media, with space to explore ideas in depth and return to them long after they’re posted. They keep alive the spirit of experimentation and sharing that shaped the hobby in its earliest days, providing a platform for creators to speak directly to players and for players to contribute back to the larger conversation. It’s a lineage of creativity and collaboration, continuing to evolve while staying true to its roots.
Who are the finalists?
Throughout December, the community has nominated over 320 unique blog posts for this year’s BLOGGIES (over double the previous year!).
I have spent the last few days reading (or re-reading) the entries to narrow down 16 finalists per main award category below (64 total). Special attention was given to posts with multiple nominations or unique form and perspective and deliberate care was taken to avoid including multiple entries by the same author within a single category. Then, each category bracket was seeded in order of number of nominations received.
Finalists will go head-to-head in a public poll, see details here.
Theory Finalists
This category highlights the ideas, criticism, or analysis about TTRPG culture, aesthetic, politic, and history.
(1) The 1 HP Dragon, from Explorers Design
Brings the ‘16 HP Dragon’ to it’s dramatic, theoretical conclusion.
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(16) Better Character Deaths in Dungeons and Dragons, from Wobble Rocket
Gives thoughtful examples of character deaths and how to improve our player character’s end.
(2) Thermodynamics for Game Design, from Benign Brown Beast
An engineer’s exploration of character attributes and how to simplify their management.
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(15) Gygax’s Fortress, from All Dead Generations
Examines early Gygaxian adventure design divergence from modern design trends.
(3) Good Lore/Bad Lore, from Mazirian’s Garden
Frames issues with lore bloat in TTRPGs and offers practical solutions for actionable lore.
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(14) How fragile is your game design?, from Skeleton Code Machine
Analyzes “fragility” in game design, offering examples, insights, and practical tips for designers.
(4) Interesting Social Situations, or The Discourse Post, from Rise Up Comus
Practical advice for social NPC interactions without the bloat of an over-engineered subsystem.
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(13) In Defence of the Modern (Dolmenwood) Witch, from Kobolds & Konsequences
Explores Dolmenwood’s portrayal of women and the occult from a female perspective.
(5) Rules Are A Cage (and I’m a Puppygirl), from Jay Dragon
Visionary articulation of a unifying game idea that bridges diverse play cultures.
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(12) Principles of Conflict, from Dododecahedron
Presents principles for referees handling conflict and outlines a conflict resolution system.
(6) What’s an OSR Game?, from Playful Void
An excellent overview of the current state of the OSR movement.
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(11) EVERY Initiative Method??, from Knight at the Opera
A deep-dive comparative analysis of initiative systems across all TTRPGs.
(7) Fixing Moria: Metro System Megadungeon Design, from Silverarm
Practical advice for rethinking overdone megadungeons (and cities) in OSR products.
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(10) A Tale of Two Sandboxes, from Mythic Mountain Musings
A landmark post articulating the Classical Adventure Gaming (CAG) style.
(8) In Praise of Legwork, from Sam Sorensen
Introduces the concept of “legwork” to describe RPG book utility to GMs.
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(9) A Survey of Overland Travel, from Beau Rancourt
Comprehensive analysis of wilderness travel and logistics in various OSR games.
Gameable Finalists
These posts provide ready-to-use content like monsters, subsystems, or scenarios that can be directly added to your game.
(1) Overloading the Random Encounter Table, from Prismatic Wasteland
Encounter procedures nested into a universal 3d6 roll, with a play-ready example.
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(16) Location Events: Making Rumors Natural, from Behind the Helm
Gives examples for dynamic rumors that disrupt the static traditional format.
(2) 10 Minutes and a Knife, from Benign Brown Beast
A MOSAIC-strict subsystem for hunting and butchery, adaptable to any game.
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(15) OSR: 1d20 Dungeon Merchants, from Coins and Scrolls
Twenty evocative dungeon merchants ready to drop into your dungeon game.
(3) A Person Shaped Hole, from Mindstorm Press
A fun and collaborative hook to tie all the characters together at the start of a new game.
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(14) A Perfect Wife, from Slow Loris Press
An exceptional Pontianak-themed urban horror investigative adventure module available for free.
(4) Dolmenwood Factions, from Among Cats and Books
In-depth breakdown of Dolmenwood factions with new NPCs and systems for faction management.
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(13) CRAFTSMAN, from Spiceomancy
An ARG disguised as a GLoG class… or a GloG class disguised as an ARG?
(5) Dungeon Gods, from Dungeon Doll
Introduces petty gods, shrines, and a prayer/boon system to drop into your next dungeon game.
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(12) Summer LEGO RPG Setting Jam, from DIY and Dragons
A community-driven RPG jam that brings together creators to collaborate via blogs (no central platform needed).
(6) OSR Social Resolution Procedures, from Occultronics
Expands on Morale and Reaction rolls to create guidelines for evaluating persuasive actions based on player method.
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(11) Group Downtime Activities: Remembering the Dead, from Mazirian’s Garden
A thoughtful downtime subsystem for acknowledging and memorialising fallen player characters.
(7) The North Rona Island Rat Apocalypse, from Molten Sulfur
A real-world history, geography, and ecology presented as gameable material.
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(10) The Mystery Manual, from Strange Aeons
A collection of free open-ended OSR mystery adventures set in a Call of Cthulhu-inspired world.
(8) Reputation Tables, from Luke Gearing
A simple reputation subsystem that parallels player-character progression.
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(9) The Bell Curving Encounter Table, from Pointless Monument
Uses bell-curves to nest civilization, borderlands and wilderness encounters into a unified table.
Advice Finalists
This award acknowledges the tips and methods about play, prep or publishing within the scene.
(1) Eight Intangible Tips for Editing Your TTRPG Manuscript, from Playful Void
Explores a neglected aspect of indie design with experienced insights.
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(16) Four Types of Dungeon Design & How To Combine Them, from Dice Goblin
A concise summary of four effective dungeon design approaches with practical examples.
(2) Monster Checklist, from Goblin Punch
Codifies decades of old-school monster design into a fresh and approachable format.
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(15) How to Set Up and Use Faction Turns, from Among Cats and Books (Elmcat)
In-depth post on hacking the Mausritter downtime system for faction turns.
(3) Setting up an OSR Sandbox, from Roll to Doubt
A digestible masterclass in creating a sandbox for immediate play.
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(14) Form and Structure: The DNA of Adventure Modules, from Loot the Room
Fascinating comparison of adventure module structures across systems.
(4) YE COMPLEAT MANUAL OF UNMANNERLY FIGHTING, from Press the Beast
A rare gem offering actionable advice for players, especially fighters.
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(13) Writing Wages, from Luke Gearing
Insightful behind-the-scenes post on creative processes and sustainable writing practices.
(5) The Gift Economy in Play, from Archon’s Court
Explores the mechanics of gift economies and how to use them effectively in play.
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(12) Collaborative Worldbuilding: Glimpses, from Mindstorm Press
A useful technique for collaborative worldbuilding that maintains creative consistency.
(6) Toybox Creativity: The Genius of Dragon Ball, from Prismatic Wasteland
An inspiring deep-dive into creativity and fantasy, cutting through design debates.
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(11) Ten Tangible Tips for Editing Your RPG Manuscript, from Sam Sorensen
Succinct, actionable advice for editing RPG manuscripts.
(7) On People-Centered Adventure Design, from Weird Wonder
Fantastic guide to placing people (and their problems) at the core of your next adventure.
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(10) A Nest of Vipers: Navigating TTRPG Contracts and Partnerships, from Uncanny Spheres
In-depth analysis and commentary on the commercial and contractual risks of TTRPG publishing.
(8) Put Your RPG Campaign on a Deadline (It’ll Be Okay.), from Silver Arm
Persuasive argument for scoping campaign length to ensure satisfying conclusions.
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(9) Grid System 101: A Beginner’s Glossary, from Explorers Design
A generous, beginner-friendly resource on layout design for TTRPG books.
Review Finalists
An award for the reviews of TTRPG-adjacent books, games, systems, content, adventures, or products.
(1) Mothership: Engine Malfunction, from Knight at the Opera
Comprehensive and provocative review of a successful indie darling.
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(16) Swords & Wizardry: Which Monster Book to Pick, from Attronarch
In-depth analysis of the various S&W bestiaries, complete with an index of 1,682 monsters.
(2) D20 Tabletop Roleplaying Game Gift Ideas that Aren’t Just More TTRPGs (or Dice), from Prismatic Wasteland
Answers the call for better gift guides, blending practical suggestions with GMing advice.
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(15) A Great Game Finally Gets the Rulebook it Deserves, from The Weeping Stag
Celebration and thoughtful analysis of the new Star Trek Adventures edition.
(3) Xandering is Slandering, from DIY & Dragons
Thorough critique of the re-coining of the design technique, “Jaquaysing”.
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(14) Deep Dive: Stonetop, from Indie Game Reading Club
Mechanical deep-dive into the long-anticipated Stonetop PbtA game.
(4) He Cooked — Zaan, Olo Malan, from False Machine
A fascinating review, nudging Hugh Cook onto my unofficial Appendix N reading list.
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(13) Triangle Agency (Part 1), from Split Party
A post-play discussion about the emergent mechanics of Triangle Agency.
(5) Mörk Borg Layout Exhibit, from Explorer’s Design
Fresh take on Mörk Borg’s iconic layout, highlighting its unique aesthetic strengths.
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(12) [Review] Old School Essentials, from Beau Rancourt
Meticulous, data-driven review of one of the OSR’s defining retroclones.
(6) What Does a Work Not Need?, from Sam Sorensen
A review of Luke Gearing’s The Isle grapples with the very question of what an adventure is/should be.
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(11) Cults of RuneQuest: The Prosopaedia - What is it for?, from El Rune
A review of Glorantha’s system-neutral deity catalog and it’s value beyond RuneQuest.
(7) Bathtub Review: Tephrotic Nightmares, from Playful Void
From this consistent series, comes an honest critique of Mörk Borg’s latest outing.
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(10) Genders Without Number, from Traverse Fantasy
A review that goes beyond the surface, and digs deeper into the game’s themes and politics.
(8) The loss we gain from a Thousand Year Old Campfire, from Hendrik ten Napel
Concise, heartfelt review of a truly unique game from Tim Hutchings.
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(9) Pendragon, The 6th Edition, from Andrew Logan Montgomery
A loving tribute to Greg Stafford’s magnum opus in its ultimate form.
Bonus Round: Debut Blog
An initiative to spotlight new bloggers who stood out in their debut year. This category will have one big vote, therefore they are not seeded in tournament brackets.
Where’s the ‘Blog Series’ category?
Award for a series of posts from the same blog.
I had originally planned to a bonus round for ‘Blog Series’ (series of posts from the same blog). However, after reviewing the nominations it’s become clear that posts within a larger series don’t struggle to stand out (the majority of them were already finalists in a main category above). As a result, I have made the decision to cut the ‘Blog Series’ bonus category. However, fear not! All nominations for this category were considered amongst the other nominations.
What’s next?
With the nominations now narrowed down to the above finalists, as with previous years, we now turn to public voting. Knock-out bouts (ie, a tournament) will be run throughout January. The Debut Blog bonus category will be a straight bohort (ie, a single round of voting), partway through the month.
THEORY
- 3 January (Friday): Round of 16 - Results
- 4 January (Saturday): Round of 8 - Results
- 5 January (Sunday): Round of 4 - Vote!
- 6 January (Monday): Quarter-finals (winner of category)
GAMEABLE
- 10 January (Friday): Round of 16
- 11 January (Saturday): Round of 8
- 12 January (Sunday): Round of 4
- 13 January (Monday): Quarter-finals (winner of category)
Bonus Category: DEBUT BLOG
- 18 January (Saturday): Voting for Debut Bloggers (winner of bonus category)
ADVICE
- 20 January (Monday): Round of 16
- 21 January (Tuesday): Round of 8
- 22 January (Wednesday): Round of 4
- 23 January (Thursday): Quarter-finals (winner of category)
REVIEW
- 24 January (Friday): Round of 16
- 25 January (Saturday): Round of 8
- 26 January (Sunday): Round of 4
- 27 January (Monday): Quarter-finals (winner of category)
BEST BLOG POST OF 2024
- 31 January (Friday): Finals (winner of 2024 BLOGGIES)
What’s the prize?
When Zedeck hosted last year, he created some awesome appropriately themed lino art for the category winners. I am please to say he’s agreed to do so again.
Lino-art prize for my 2023 post. Art by Zedeck Siew)