Almost Bedtime Theater
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almostbedtime.bsky.social
Almost Bedtime Theater
@almostbedtime.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.2K following 530 posts
🎲Dad & creator of all-ages TTRPGs
📚CRIT Award winner: The Librarian's Apprentice solo RPG
🎙️Family-friendly podcast of kids playing and reviewing role-playing games

🔗 http://bio.link/AlmostBedtimeTheater
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almostbedtime.bsky.social
I had a wonderful time this evening presenting solo journaling games to some delightful folks! I printed out some one-page games for trying right away and shared some of my favorites from my game library.
A selection of role playing games set out on a table.
November 7, 2025 at 2:04 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I spy, with my little eye, so many excellent games at the Imagining Games / @ipr.bsky.social booth at Gamehole Con!

@mallenhall.com
@pandiongames.com
@exeunt.press
@goblinmixtape.bsky.social
@deepdark.games
@montfordtales.com
A booth set up with multiple displays of TTRPGs.
October 17, 2025 at 1:16 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I got the chance to play Goblin Night Market and it turned out so good! Rolling on the lists gave me a short, hairy goblin selling containers in a book. He's definitely going into my mental bank of NPCs to drop into games I run!

waywardadventurers.itch.io/goblin-night...
A drawing of a shop in a book. The shopkeeper is a green fuzzball with eyes, nose, and two feet standing on a table with a sign that says "All sales final!" Above the shelves it says, "Iz-Ben's Bags and What." The shelves are full of various containers, from bags to boxes to bottles to a bucket. Some have stuff in them; others appear empty. There's also a terrarium on one shelf that appears to have mushrooms growing in it.
October 6, 2025 at 11:30 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
One more update for the night, then I’d best find out what this would cost before I spend too much time getting excited about it. 😬
A thin cardboard box folded up to look like a book and held closed by a paper band designed to look like a lock on the book. The cover has “Path of the Bookbound” worn on it faintly in pencil.
October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
The TTRPG ideas, they be flying fast and furious today…
A prototype of a folding box, open to show sheets of paper. The open prototype box set up like a GM screen, plus a sheet of paper set out like a character sheet
October 3, 2025 at 11:41 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
No idea what kicked off the spike in attention on itch.io, but somehow Song of the Scryptwyrm jumped to #2 for physical games today?!
September 19, 2025 at 1:18 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Hip hip hooray, it’s TUMULUS day!

If you’re a fan of the gaming inspiration, design theory, and playable #TTRPG content of @exeunt.press, the Tumulus zine has all that and more, including guest pieces. (@junkfoodgames.bsky.social and @grinningrat.itch.io contributed to this one!)
A copy of the TUMULUS zine, with tentacles on the cover.
September 11, 2025 at 11:07 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
The first wave of Song of the Scryptwyrm went out out on Saturday. Wave 2 is ready to ship Monday!
Four cardboard boxes stuffed with mailers and a fifth containing additional packages.
September 8, 2025 at 12:51 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Just down the road from where I live is a yard with two goose statues, one of which is headless. When I started reading this game I immediately thought of this duo. What I had to decide was if only Headless was to become my small god or I was making offerings to the pair.
Two small goose statues, unpainted and standing in a yard. One is half-hidden by ivy. The other has been damaged and is missing its head.
September 1, 2025 at 3:30 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
📚 Looking for an entrance to the infinite Great Library? 📚

Well, if you are lucky enough to be at #PaxWest2025 this weekend, you can find it via The Librarian's Apprentice from @ipr.bsky.social at #Booth4320!
Three trifold brochures that are labeled as volumes 1, 2, and 3 of The Librarian's Apprentice RPG. A library card for the Great Library is also shown.
August 30, 2025 at 1:19 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
It's here! It's here! The printed copies of the Song of the Scryptwyrm solo RPG have arrived from @printninja.bsky.social and they look amazing. I'm so excited to get these out to all the wonderful backers who supported this project!
A book titled Song of the Scryptwyrm: A Librarian's Apprentice Mystery. A butterfly sits on the cover; its wings have map textures on them.
August 27, 2025 at 11:06 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Just received my copy of Bonds Between (plus a bespoke journal) and it looks so good! Just need to grab a deck of cards to cut/color/burn while we play.

Big congrats to @brightbard.bsky.social & @graftbound.bsky.social on a job well done!
Two small booklets: the Bonds Between RPG and a journal with stacks of books and a fish bowl on the cover.
August 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
The kiddo and I are trying out the #Daggerheart quick start adventure and I thought it would be fun to have a thematic, dagger-shaped ruler for ranges.

Spoiler: It is. It really is.
A paper dagger with the words Melee, Very Close, Close, and Far printed on it, set in the middle of fantasy minis.
July 29, 2025 at 10:21 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
✨ #Booth449 is THE place to visit at #GenCon2025 ✨

IPR is going to have a huge variety of indie #TTRPG options on hand, including The Librarian's Apprentice!
A copy of The Librarian's Apprentice cover and contents, with logos for Gen Con, Indie Press Revolution, and Almost Bedtime Theater, plus the phrase "Booth #449".
July 28, 2025 at 5:13 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
This is just a post to say that @tabletopbookshelf.com is awesome.

Not only do they carry a wonderful selection of indie games - including the ones displayed below - but I ordered these less than 48 hours ago and they have already arrived!

Well done, Tabletop Bookshelf.

Well done.
A deck of cards and a trio of books. The books are titled “Hidden in the Margins,” “What Lies Beneath,” and “Tangled Blessings: Echoes of the Lost Electives.”
June 10, 2025 at 10:11 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I've had a blast pulling together art from so many different sources for Song of the Scryptwyrm, including this delightful little goblin from @rossydoesdrawings.bsky.social!
A glasses-wearing goblin with a pile of books, standing next to bookshelves on a forest floor.
April 1, 2025 at 1:33 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Sometimes a game jam comes along with such an amazing concept that there's no way to tell it "No, I'm actually quite busy, thanks." This time it was the Imaginary Cards Jam, which invites you to create a single card from a totally imaginary game. Mine is "The Seven-Headed..." from UIDAH!
A card back that reads "Uncle Igor's Discount Abomination Hut!" and "Two Thumbs Up TM". It has a thumbs-up Like icon with two thumbs on one hand. A card bearing the front half of a seven-headed hydra.
March 23, 2025 at 2:46 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
✨It's Pocketopia Launch Day! ✨

Not only is the crowdfunding for my new solo #TTRPG - Song of the Scyrptwyrm - launching today over at @backerkit.com, so are the campaigns for many other game designers. @ttrpgkids.com and I even have a collab in place with early bird bonuses!
A breakdown of the bonuses available if you back physical tiers of both Song of the Scryptwyrm and TTRPGkids' Greeting Games project.
March 13, 2025 at 1:05 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
The test print of the mini-oracle deck for the Song of the Scryptwyrm #TTRPG arrived from @drivethrurpg.com and it turned out so good!

The Forbidden represents the allure and danger of things hidden, guarded, or taboo…
March 12, 2025 at 12:40 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Today's project has been a bingo card to include in Song of the Scryptwyrm, my solo mystery #TTRPG in an infinite library. Some activities are for you to do; some are for your character to do.

The decorations are from wonderful free assets by @alderdoodle.bsky.social.
A Library Bingo card, with activities like "Escape the Thing Below," "Care for your familiar," and "Donate a book."
March 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I spent far too much time figuring out how to make a rotating card.

In the Song of the Scryptwyrm #TTRPG you’ll be using eight of these cards as a small oracle deck to flavor your experiences as you travel from room to room of the infinite library in search of clues!
February 1, 2025 at 3:45 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I love the community we created: Bloomhold, a bustling tourist town on the edge of a verdant anomaly in the infinite library. From the old garden to the festival of bats to the memory cuisine... it's amazing!

And it's now the basis for a bonus postcard/oracle deck card for Song of the Scryptwyrm!
Text: A postcard from Bloomhold. Thanks, Rene! Image: An old postcard with photo of a plant. A symbol is painted over the photo, along with the words "The Message." Written on the outside edge of the postcard are the words "Illumination, Deception, Warning, Confusion." The word "Yes" is rubber stamped on it as well. There is also a sticker on the postcard that reads: "Cina B. Age 63. Exhibit Sealer. The Old Garden, Tier 1, Lot 3. Notes: excitement, found family, Bloomhold's first days, bats. The back of the postcard has a block of text that reads "Bloomhold's Old Garden is a graveyard located near the local verdant anomaly. Eating of the plants that grow there passes along memories from the interred."
January 29, 2025 at 2:39 AM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
I've wanted update my logo for quite a while now, and I'm so impressed with what @rpgandco.bsky.social has created for me!

If you are in the market for logo and branding work, he was great to work with and did a wonderful job setting me up with several variations, a color palette, and fonts.
An image of a d20 as a crescent moon on a starry background, with the words Almost Bedtime Theater below it. A mono-color image of a d20 as a crescent moon on a starry background.
January 25, 2025 at 6:38 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Thanks! A core element of Song of the Scryptwyrm is reading your Collection, a small oracle deck based on themes of the Great Library. I’ve been designing versions of the cards - like The Forbidden - using in-game ephemera and I love how they’re turning out!

www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
The text reads: Song of the Scryptwyrm. An solo mystery game in an infinite library. Launching March 2025 on Backerkit. The back of a worn envelope can be seen with a symbol brushed onto it with black ink. Written on the back are the words “The Forbidden. Temptation. Lost. Peril. Revelation.” There are faint pencil markings where someone has done some math on it, and a rubber stamp has been used to add the words “No And.” It is sealed with a piece of red tape that reads: “Do not read before written.” An image of the front of the envelope is partially shown; it’s stamped with the message “Warning: Time Looped.” There is also a square piece of paper that has a design stamped on it. A butterfly with map designs on its wings sits in the middle. In a circle around the design are letters: esf in dse cre tsch an ge rul
January 25, 2025 at 3:38 PM
almostbedtime.bsky.social
Thanks! A core element of Song of the Scryptwyrm is reading your Collection, a small oracle deck based on themes of the Great Library. I’ve been designing versions of the cards - like The Forbidden - using in-game ephemera and I love how they’re turning out!

www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
The text reads: Song of the Scryptwyrm. An solo mystery game in an infinite library. Launching March 2025 on Backerkit. The back of a worn envelope can be seen with a symbol brushed onto it with black ink. Written on the back are the words “The Forbidden. Temptation. Lost. Peril. Revelation.” There are faint pencil markings where someone has done some math on it, and a rubber stamp has been used to add the words “No And.” It is sealed with a piece of red tape that reads: “Do not read before written.” An image of the front of the envelope is partially shown; it’s stamped with the message “Warning: Time Looped.” There is also a square piece of paper that has a design stamped on it. A butterfly with map designs on its wings sits in the middle. In a circle around the design are letters: esf in dse cre tsch an ge rul
January 25, 2025 at 3:27 PM