BESW
@besw.bsky.social
Reposted by BESW
Making art is not all joy and fungus reanimated bunnies! That’s okay. That’s normal. That’s part of why art is important and also why artists and writers need to be paid for their work. If you keep dragging yourself back even when it’s hard, you’re doing fine.
December 20, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Making art is not all joy and fungus reanimated bunnies! That’s okay. That’s normal. That’s part of why art is important and also why artists and writers need to be paid for their work. If you keep dragging yourself back even when it’s hard, you’re doing fine.
Reposted by BESW
Here's a surprisingly interesting game design problem that I've been pondering. Take a standard D6 with dots, and figure out what the next six dot patterns would be, continuing the existing sequence. These are only some of the options I came up with.
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Here's a surprisingly interesting game design problem that I've been pondering. Take a standard D6 with dots, and figure out what the next six dot patterns would be, continuing the existing sequence. These are only some of the options I came up with.
Reposted by BESW
We don’t wait to open presents from each other in this household we open them as soon as they arrive and THE PRESENT BEN GOT ME ARRIVED TODAY. A WOODEN RIVEN PUZZLE BALL. A RIVEN PUZZLE BALL!!!
December 18, 2025 at 6:10 AM
We don’t wait to open presents from each other in this household we open them as soon as they arrive and THE PRESENT BEN GOT ME ARRIVED TODAY. A WOODEN RIVEN PUZZLE BALL. A RIVEN PUZZLE BALL!!!
Reposted by BESW
Beware of companies promising to make sites completely accessible, compliant, and immune from lawsuits with just a few lines of code. This just isn't possible. Disabled users have long said these tools don't actually help them, and can often make things worse.
December 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Beware of companies promising to make sites completely accessible, compliant, and immune from lawsuits with just a few lines of code. This just isn't possible. Disabled users have long said these tools don't actually help them, and can often make things worse.
Reposted by BESW
99% of rpg zines and books should have page numbers.
And that's just the start. There's actually a lot of technique and intentionality behind things like page numbers, running headers, etc.
Let me know what you think!
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-si...
And that's just the start. There's actually a lot of technique and intentionality behind things like page numbers, running headers, etc.
Let me know what you think!
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-si...
How to Design Signals in Books
User-friendly definitions, tips, and tricks for tabletop rpg designers.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:59 PM
99% of rpg zines and books should have page numbers.
And that's just the start. There's actually a lot of technique and intentionality behind things like page numbers, running headers, etc.
Let me know what you think!
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-si...
And that's just the start. There's actually a lot of technique and intentionality behind things like page numbers, running headers, etc.
Let me know what you think!
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-si...
Reposted by BESW
happy first birthday to this thread in which I set out to make fun of myself and half the indie ttrpg community took splash damage
Okay, my meeting with my boss has been postponed by three hours, which is not enough time to start a new work task but too much time to sit around twiddling my thumbs. So I'm making a thread of What Your TTRPG Product's Title Font Says About You: Featuring Only Fonts I Already Own.
December 14, 2025 at 6:04 AM
happy first birthday to this thread in which I set out to make fun of myself and half the indie ttrpg community took splash damage
Reposted by BESW
For screen readers to recognize headings, heading text can't just be body text or normal text that's been made to look bigger and bolder. It must be formatted as a heading. In Microsoft Word and Google Docs, this can be done in the styles box. In HTML, use the tags h1 through h6.
December 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
For screen readers to recognize headings, heading text can't just be body text or normal text that's been made to look bigger and bolder. It must be formatted as a heading. In Microsoft Word and Google Docs, this can be done in the styles box. In HTML, use the tags h1 through h6.
Reposted by BESW
Hey friends - trying to finally broaden my knowledge of the indie side of RPGs beyond the low hanging PbtA side of things. What games, esp from the 2000-2015 era, would you recommend for getting a better feel for the development of indie RPGs?
December 12, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Hey friends - trying to finally broaden my knowledge of the indie side of RPGs beyond the low hanging PbtA side of things. What games, esp from the 2000-2015 era, would you recommend for getting a better feel for the development of indie RPGs?
Reposted by BESW
One life eclipses another; Smilodon takes down a whitetail deer. Inspired by petroglyphs, cave art, and ancient Scythian art. It's weird to think that the whitetail deer survived the ice age and made it to the present but many of its predators did not. #art #smilodon #paleontology #rockart #deer
October 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
One life eclipses another; Smilodon takes down a whitetail deer. Inspired by petroglyphs, cave art, and ancient Scythian art. It's weird to think that the whitetail deer survived the ice age and made it to the present but many of its predators did not. #art #smilodon #paleontology #rockart #deer
Reposted by BESW
I think sometimes its important to draw a dragon the way your 9 year old self would have appreciated. Look at her. Shes dreadful. What a splendid beast.
December 10, 2025 at 11:23 AM
I think sometimes its important to draw a dragon the way your 9 year old self would have appreciated. Look at her. Shes dreadful. What a splendid beast.
Reposted by BESW
🪶🌎🧪 WE'RE HIRING!!! Want to band fabulous birds on a far-flung island in the Western Pacific? We need to fill this position ASAP. More information here: birdpop.org/docs/jobs/Ro...
December 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
🪶🌎🧪 WE'RE HIRING!!! Want to band fabulous birds on a far-flung island in the Western Pacific? We need to fill this position ASAP. More information here: birdpop.org/docs/jobs/Ro...
Reposted by BESW
More self indulgent dragon wips.
December 10, 2025 at 6:34 AM
More self indulgent dragon wips.
Reposted by BESW
Love to see the Sedgwick County Zoo putting out a good explainer on why GenAI slop videos of animals are a problem & how to identify them! It’s succinct, easy to read, and doesn’t shame people for not knowing better. A+ useful link to share with family and friends.
scz.org/blog/the-rea...
scz.org/blog/the-rea...
The Reality of AI Animal Content – Sedgwick County Zoo
If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably seen them – bears bouncing on trampolines, apes caught on doorbell cameras, or “rescued” wild animals acting in ways that seem too good to be…
scz.org
December 9, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Love to see the Sedgwick County Zoo putting out a good explainer on why GenAI slop videos of animals are a problem & how to identify them! It’s succinct, easy to read, and doesn’t shame people for not knowing better. A+ useful link to share with family and friends.
scz.org/blog/the-rea...
scz.org/blog/the-rea...
Reposted by BESW
Artist friends, what’s your cool tip for shadow layers? (on a character portrait)
I’m currently painting it in black, using Multiply and dropping the opacity to 40%
But it looks a bit “burned”.
I’m considering mixing in a copy with Overlay to bring back the original colors…
I’m currently painting it in black, using Multiply and dropping the opacity to 40%
But it looks a bit “burned”.
I’m considering mixing in a copy with Overlay to bring back the original colors…
December 8, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Artist friends, what’s your cool tip for shadow layers? (on a character portrait)
I’m currently painting it in black, using Multiply and dropping the opacity to 40%
But it looks a bit “burned”.
I’m considering mixing in a copy with Overlay to bring back the original colors…
I’m currently painting it in black, using Multiply and dropping the opacity to 40%
But it looks a bit “burned”.
I’m considering mixing in a copy with Overlay to bring back the original colors…
Reposted by BESW
one more night in the tidepools tonight & I had a blast seeing who fluoresces! just about every crustacean I found fluoresced including eelgrass isopods (couldn't get a good pic unfortunately)
🌊🌿🦀🐙🦑
🌊🌿🦀🐙🦑
December 7, 2025 at 3:28 AM
one more night in the tidepools tonight & I had a blast seeing who fluoresces! just about every crustacean I found fluoresced including eelgrass isopods (couldn't get a good pic unfortunately)
🌊🌿🦀🐙🦑
🌊🌿🦀🐙🦑
Reposted by BESW
Laerke the polar bear found the perfect winter toy: a giant stick! ❄️🐻❄️
📹: Keeper Russell
📹: Keeper Russell
December 6, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Laerke the polar bear found the perfect winter toy: a giant stick! ❄️🐻❄️
📹: Keeper Russell
📹: Keeper Russell
Reposted by BESW
Truth Coming Out Of Her Well To Shame Mankind - 2025.
June 16, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Truth Coming Out Of Her Well To Shame Mankind - 2025.
Reposted by BESW
#PudgyHorse Lascaux Tribute 2. A companion piece to the first, following one of the other cave horses with a darker colour morph. Again, painted with pigments made by Mary Sanche from Cretaceous rocks from the Albertan badlands. From 2020.
#ArtAdventCalendar
#ArtAdventCalendar
December 6, 2025 at 3:26 AM
#PudgyHorse Lascaux Tribute 2. A companion piece to the first, following one of the other cave horses with a darker colour morph. Again, painted with pigments made by Mary Sanche from Cretaceous rocks from the Albertan badlands. From 2020.
#ArtAdventCalendar
#ArtAdventCalendar
Reposted by BESW
More coverage of our 10,000 Game Assets Pack, this time on Dexerto. We really do appreciate all the support everyone is giving this - basically it makes the last year of working on it full time worthwhile & spurs us on to create more assets!! www.dexerto.com/gaming/indie... #gamedev #indiedev
Indie studio releases 10k human-made game assets so devs “don’t turn to AI” - Dexerto
Indie creators got a boost as a new 10k human-made asset pack launched to help developers avoid relying on AI tools.
www.dexerto.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:05 PM
More coverage of our 10,000 Game Assets Pack, this time on Dexerto. We really do appreciate all the support everyone is giving this - basically it makes the last year of working on it full time worthwhile & spurs us on to create more assets!! www.dexerto.com/gaming/indie... #gamedev #indiedev
Reposted by BESW
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
Reposted by BESW
Does anyone have suggestions for SF & F in which the main character is a full time wheelchair user?
Literally asking this for a friend who uses a chair and wants to see themselves in a book.
Literally asking this for a friend who uses a chair and wants to see themselves in a book.
December 3, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Does anyone have suggestions for SF & F in which the main character is a full time wheelchair user?
Literally asking this for a friend who uses a chair and wants to see themselves in a book.
Literally asking this for a friend who uses a chair and wants to see themselves in a book.
Reposted by BESW
After a pause, we are once again accepting pitches for games.
If you've designed a TTRPG (especially one built on PbtA, Forged in the Dark, or Fate) that's near-complete, you can find details about how to pitch us (and the services we provide) here:
evilhat.com/game-submiss...
If you've designed a TTRPG (especially one built on PbtA, Forged in the Dark, or Fate) that's near-complete, you can find details about how to pitch us (and the services we provide) here:
evilhat.com/game-submiss...
December 1, 2025 at 7:08 PM
After a pause, we are once again accepting pitches for games.
If you've designed a TTRPG (especially one built on PbtA, Forged in the Dark, or Fate) that's near-complete, you can find details about how to pitch us (and the services we provide) here:
evilhat.com/game-submiss...
If you've designed a TTRPG (especially one built on PbtA, Forged in the Dark, or Fate) that's near-complete, you can find details about how to pitch us (and the services we provide) here:
evilhat.com/game-submiss...
Reposted by BESW
The Explorateur #14 is out now! The only newsletter designed to level-up your design skills (how's that for sales copy?).
Please like, share, and subscribe. If you have any links you particularly like, drop a comment on Explorers Design or here.
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
Please like, share, and subscribe. If you have any links you particularly like, drop a comment on Explorers Design or here.
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
The Explorateur: Issue #14
Monthly design jams, critique, theory, and inspiration for tabletop rpg designers by rpg designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The Explorateur #14 is out now! The only newsletter designed to level-up your design skills (how's that for sales copy?).
Please like, share, and subscribe. If you have any links you particularly like, drop a comment on Explorers Design or here.
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
Please like, share, and subscribe. If you have any links you particularly like, drop a comment on Explorers Design or here.
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
Reposted by BESW
And that's it — all copies claimed in 11 hours! Wow!
Free copies can still be obtained by emailing me (hello@momatoes.com) and new community copies will be available come December 25.
Thank you everyone for the enthusiasm and support!
Free copies can still be obtained by emailing me (hello@momatoes.com) and new community copies will be available come December 25.
Thank you everyone for the enthusiasm and support!
December 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM
And that's it — all copies claimed in 11 hours! Wow!
Free copies can still be obtained by emailing me (hello@momatoes.com) and new community copies will be available come December 25.
Thank you everyone for the enthusiasm and support!
Free copies can still be obtained by emailing me (hello@momatoes.com) and new community copies will be available come December 25.
Thank you everyone for the enthusiasm and support!