Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
@travisdhill.bsky.social
Tabletop Game Design | Educational Psychologist | Researching Giftedness & Creativity | Equity & Justice through Education | Coffee Required | he/him
Games: presspot.games
Research: travisdhill.com
Newsletter: presspotgames.beehiiv.com
Games: presspot.games
Research: travisdhill.com
Newsletter: presspotgames.beehiiv.com
Pinned
It’s time to update my pinned post:
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
In a bit of shock at the moment and wanted to share:
I'm presenting at a professional conference next week about creativity and tabletop game design in the gifted education space.
A book publisher just reached out to meet to explore potential "opportunities for collaboration." What is this life?
I'm presenting at a professional conference next week about creativity and tabletop game design in the gifted education space.
A book publisher just reached out to meet to explore potential "opportunities for collaboration." What is this life?
November 7, 2025 at 9:22 PM
In a bit of shock at the moment and wanted to share:
I'm presenting at a professional conference next week about creativity and tabletop game design in the gifted education space.
A book publisher just reached out to meet to explore potential "opportunities for collaboration." What is this life?
I'm presenting at a professional conference next week about creativity and tabletop game design in the gifted education space.
A book publisher just reached out to meet to explore potential "opportunities for collaboration." What is this life?
I might have made stickers out of a 10 minute doodle I did of my head as a coffee mug.
November 3, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I might have made stickers out of a 10 minute doodle I did of my head as a coffee mug.
It’s time to update my pinned post:
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
November 2, 2025 at 12:38 AM
It’s time to update my pinned post:
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
👋
I’m Travis, am multifaceted, and post about several topics here:
• tabletop game design, zines, trains
• creativity & ed psych research
• inequities in K12 US education
• craft coffee, weird books, loud music
• my cat, Nox
All relevant links in bio.
I need everyone to see this seagull mug I just got.
November 1, 2025 at 11:41 PM
I need everyone to see this seagull mug I just got.
Celebrated this momentous occasion today by staying home from work, eating an entire pizza by myself, and playing a new board game.
Oh, and watching more Lower Decks.
Oh, and watching more Lower Decks.
Just gonna post this update here real quick! #PhD
October 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Celebrated this momentous occasion today by staying home from work, eating an entire pizza by myself, and playing a new board game.
Oh, and watching more Lower Decks.
Oh, and watching more Lower Decks.
This is an AWESOME time to be completing a Ph.D.
*cries in academic job search*
*cries in academic job search*
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:04 AM
This is an AWESOME time to be completing a Ph.D.
*cries in academic job search*
*cries in academic job search*
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
🎲✂️
Howdy! @czamboni.bsky.social and I are looking to connect with TTRPG / LARP creators from outside of North America creating games that address oppression and resistance from a cultural perspective. We're putting together a list for potential guests for our podcast-in-progress!
#TTRPG #LARP
Howdy! @czamboni.bsky.social and I are looking to connect with TTRPG / LARP creators from outside of North America creating games that address oppression and resistance from a cultural perspective. We're putting together a list for potential guests for our podcast-in-progress!
#TTRPG #LARP
October 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
🎲✂️
Howdy! @czamboni.bsky.social and I are looking to connect with TTRPG / LARP creators from outside of North America creating games that address oppression and resistance from a cultural perspective. We're putting together a list for potential guests for our podcast-in-progress!
#TTRPG #LARP
Howdy! @czamboni.bsky.social and I are looking to connect with TTRPG / LARP creators from outside of North America creating games that address oppression and resistance from a cultural perspective. We're putting together a list for potential guests for our podcast-in-progress!
#TTRPG #LARP
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
Tonight! We'll be checking out "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social live on stream!
Tune in at 830P EST on Youtube :D
youtube.com/live/8Iu-7-i...
Tune in at 830P EST on Youtube :D
youtube.com/live/8Iu-7-i...
October 21, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tonight! We'll be checking out "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social live on stream!
Tune in at 830P EST on Youtube :D
youtube.com/live/8Iu-7-i...
Tune in at 830P EST on Youtube :D
youtube.com/live/8Iu-7-i...
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
Lots of really big crowdfunding campaigns and preorders launching today. Here's to tossing in my little project!
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
Coming soon: RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament RPG Zine
An RPG Zine for up to four players participating in four sacraments during the bleak midwinter.
www.kickstarter.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:10 PM
An old friend reached out to interview me about creativity, the tabletop game industry, finances, & indie #TTRPG #zines.
He let me talk for like 90 minutes about all the things.
If you want some insight into the space I fill up (and me as a designer, a researcher, etc), feel free to check it out.
He let me talk for like 90 minutes about all the things.
If you want some insight into the space I fill up (and me as a designer, a researcher, etc), feel free to check it out.
What are you making? Ep. 4: Travis D. Hill
YouTube video by What are you making?
www.youtube.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
Stepping into spooky season with these two tabletop RPGs on our livestream! :D
OCT 21 - "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social
OCT 28 - "Thieves of the Tome" by @dairykillsme.bsky.social
Tune in on Tuesdays, 830P EST to join our read-throughs on Youtube :D
OCT 21 - "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social
OCT 28 - "Thieves of the Tome" by @dairykillsme.bsky.social
Tune in on Tuesdays, 830P EST to join our read-throughs on Youtube :D
October 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Stepping into spooky season with these two tabletop RPGs on our livestream! :D
OCT 21 - "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social
OCT 28 - "Thieves of the Tome" by @dairykillsme.bsky.social
Tune in on Tuesdays, 830P EST to join our read-throughs on Youtube :D
OCT 21 - "this world is not yours" by @travisdhill.bsky.social
OCT 28 - "Thieves of the Tome" by @dairykillsme.bsky.social
Tune in on Tuesdays, 830P EST to join our read-throughs on Youtube :D
Sorry to share such violent rhetoric first thing in the morning. ☕️
Tariffs have rapidly increased the price of coffee—a drink with almost no nutritional value and lots of functional substitutes. Yet coffee may also be the one thing Americans can’t live without, @elcush.bsky.social writes: https://theatln.tc/8Yv660RN
October 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Sorry to share such violent rhetoric first thing in the morning. ☕️
Nox would like you to check out this zine.
October 19, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Nox would like you to check out this zine.
feels appropriate to share today.
I just submitted:
HOW ARE YOU ADVANCING THE REVOLUTION? a one-page world-building zine about fighting against a totally fictitious oppressive world.
Check your heart, head, sight, voice, and guts to organize the revolution.
itch.io/jam/tiny-wor...
#tinyworldjam #RPG
🎲✂️
HOW ARE YOU ADVANCING THE REVOLUTION? a one-page world-building zine about fighting against a totally fictitious oppressive world.
Check your heart, head, sight, voice, and guts to organize the revolution.
itch.io/jam/tiny-wor...
#tinyworldjam #RPG
🎲✂️
October 18, 2025 at 3:44 PM
feels appropriate to share today.
Stacks and stacks of zines are cluttering my desk.
October 17, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Stacks and stacks of zines are cluttering my desk.
In 11 days, supposedly I’ll be defending my dissertation, which is terrifying to think about.
In 4.5 days, this 7-day campaign will be over, which is far less terrifying to think about.
In 4.5 days, this 7-day campaign will be over, which is far less terrifying to think about.
Lots of really big crowdfunding campaigns and preorders launching today. Here's to tossing in my little project!
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
Coming soon: RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament RPG Zine
An RPG Zine for up to four players participating in four sacraments during the bleak midwinter.
www.kickstarter.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
In 11 days, supposedly I’ll be defending my dissertation, which is terrifying to think about.
In 4.5 days, this 7-day campaign will be over, which is far less terrifying to think about.
In 4.5 days, this 7-day campaign will be over, which is far less terrifying to think about.
Back on Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD" and I am feeling angsty.
Spending the evening drafting a one-page #zine.
(Now with alt text!)
Spending the evening drafting a one-page #zine.
(Now with alt text!)
October 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Back on Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD" and I am feeling angsty.
Spending the evening drafting a one-page #zine.
(Now with alt text!)
Spending the evening drafting a one-page #zine.
(Now with alt text!)
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
An Altogether Different River is still a banger game and I'm really proud of it. You can get physical copies from the Heart of the Deernicorn webstore, along with Spectres of Brocken, another game I'm super proud of.
October 15, 2025 at 6:05 PM
An Altogether Different River is still a banger game and I'm really proud of it. You can get physical copies from the Heart of the Deernicorn webstore, along with Spectres of Brocken, another game I'm super proud of.
As an indie designer, I set most of my zine goals at $100.
It could seem like I’m artificially inflating “XXXX% funded!” But I’m not. If the campaign only generates $100, that’s a dozen copies of a game of mine out there!
I don’t want to chase funding goals, which is why I don’t do stretch goals.
It could seem like I’m artificially inflating “XXXX% funded!” But I’m not. If the campaign only generates $100, that’s a dozen copies of a game of mine out there!
I don’t want to chase funding goals, which is why I don’t do stretch goals.
Lots of really big crowdfunding campaigns and preorders launching today. Here's to tossing in my little project!
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
You can find RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament #TTRPG #zine below. You can grab it for $7 and receive it before the bleak midwinter.
7 day campaign. Thanks for sharing.
Coming soon: RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament RPG Zine
An RPG Zine for up to four players participating in four sacraments during the bleak midwinter.
www.kickstarter.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:02 PM
As an indie designer, I set most of my zine goals at $100.
It could seem like I’m artificially inflating “XXXX% funded!” But I’m not. If the campaign only generates $100, that’s a dozen copies of a game of mine out there!
I don’t want to chase funding goals, which is why I don’t do stretch goals.
It could seem like I’m artificially inflating “XXXX% funded!” But I’m not. If the campaign only generates $100, that’s a dozen copies of a game of mine out there!
I don’t want to chase funding goals, which is why I don’t do stretch goals.
I've been thinking a lot about Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GYBE) lately. To be quite honest, they've had a chokehold on me since 2001. I remember going to a local record store and picking up Lift Your Skinny Fists... being utterly devastated by it.
Their LPs were glorious with unique inserts.
Their LPs were glorious with unique inserts.
October 15, 2025 at 2:36 AM
I've been thinking a lot about Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GYBE) lately. To be quite honest, they've had a chokehold on me since 2001. I remember going to a local record store and picking up Lift Your Skinny Fists... being utterly devastated by it.
Their LPs were glorious with unique inserts.
Their LPs were glorious with unique inserts.
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
And finally @travisdhill.bsky.social put out RITE on kickstarter today. While I haven't played many of Travis's RPGs I love what he is doing in that space - making small, experimental experiences with his own unique vibes.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/tra...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/tra...
RITE: A Midwinter Sacrament RPG Zine
An RPG Zine for up to four players participating in four sacraments during the bleak midwinter.
www.kickstarter.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
And finally @travisdhill.bsky.social put out RITE on kickstarter today. While I haven't played many of Travis's RPGs I love what he is doing in that space - making small, experimental experiences with his own unique vibes.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/tra...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/tra...
Reposted by Travis D. Hill, Ph.D. ☕️
When asked "Why play solo RPGs?", I try to hit:
- Flexibility: play anytime
- Creativity: build your own worlds, characters, stories
- Skills: learn systems, practice GMing
- Focus: center on one character
- Immersion: explore personal experiences and emotions
- Community: share your stories
- Flexibility: play anytime
- Creativity: build your own worlds, characters, stories
- Skills: learn systems, practice GMing
- Focus: center on one character
- Immersion: explore personal experiences and emotions
- Community: share your stories
September 27, 2025 at 3:58 PM
When asked "Why play solo RPGs?", I try to hit:
- Flexibility: play anytime
- Creativity: build your own worlds, characters, stories
- Skills: learn systems, practice GMing
- Focus: center on one character
- Immersion: explore personal experiences and emotions
- Community: share your stories
- Flexibility: play anytime
- Creativity: build your own worlds, characters, stories
- Skills: learn systems, practice GMing
- Focus: center on one character
- Immersion: explore personal experiences and emotions
- Community: share your stories