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wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
Luke Wildwoods
@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
1.1K followers 150 following 530 posts
Game designer @ gamesfromthewildwood.itch.io.
Cooking enthusiast. Once an anthropologist and professional GM.
“Very witty and wise, like a mole underneath a tree".
Ace, aro, agender (they/them).
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wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
What’s that, friend? I think I hear a train on the horizon, pulling up on the road to Hell…
July 24, 2025 at 12:48 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
give me that good, good, early morning dopamine, if you please
July 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
gamesfromthewildwood.itch.io/harvest
July 11, 2025 at 2:51 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
HARVEST gives us laden orchards & doubts thick as weeds; proud traditions & hostile stares; juice-stained lips & dirt under nails; and always the age-old questions: ‘Whose blood must be spilled to feed the land?’ and ‘Whose hand will hold the knife?’

gamesfromthewildwood.itch.io/harvest
May 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
News from the Low Cantref, sire!

In my coming-of-age generational(ish) hearth fantasy PBTA game, I’ve been thinking lately about Adults (who the basic moves imagine as a distinct class of people).

Youths have many Adults. Large NPC casts are tricky. And AW threat types are grabby & useful. And so:
Allies Instinct: to trust in them. An ally is any adult who sees the characters as capable and worthy of respect. It is a heady thing to be trusted as an adult, until you need help and have nowhere to turn. Moves: Make a request. Give permission. Listen. Principles: Give them enough rope—freedom, trust, responsibility—to hang themselves. Never offer advice or assistance—trust them to ask for it. If they disappoint you or let you down, take it hard. Guardians Instinct: to keep them from harm. A guardian is any adult who sees the characters as vulnerable and in need of protection. This may come from the very best of intentions, but unchecked it becomes a slow and awful poison. Moves: Shield them. Refuse permission. Worry. Principles Decide what harm to them concerns you—injury, heartbreak, bad decisions—and what does not. Prioritise their lasting safety over discomfort in the moment. If they get hurt or push back, overreact. Mentors Instinct: to shape their growth. A mentor is any adult who sees the characters’ potential and has a vision of where it will take them. Do not waste such a rare opportunity—but be sure you can live with the road they envisage. Moves: Challenge them. Share a lesson. Explain. Principles: Always be thinking about your vision of their future and what paths will lead them there. Use every moment of struggle as a learning opportunity. If they reject you or betray their potential, walk away.
May 23, 2025 at 3:46 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
on the plus side, with the aid of a dear friend and his poetry chops I am now making significant progress on refining and rewriting the prophecies to be both sharp poetry and highly gameable

exhibit a: the move for ending an arc (before taking a 10-20 year timeskip) plus one sample prophecy of doom
Years Pass When the years pass, reflect on your experiences and count the Milestones you marked. Then, roll minus those left unmarked. On any hit, darkness creeps across the Cantref like night’s slow tide. Mark one stanza on your playbook’s Doom: this is true forevermore and cannot be undone. On a 10+ hit, you choose the stanza. On a 7–9 hit, offer three stanzas and the Chronicler will choose one. On a miss, darkness gathers like a storm that will drown the world. Mark two stanzas on your playbook’s Doom: these are true forevermore and cannot be undone. Whatever happens, there are a few quiet years, like the sun breaking through a dreary sky. Say what your life looks like one year later and share one hope you still hold for the future. Ruin (the Door’s Doom) No margin holds, no threshold lasts; Trespass is robbed of all meaning. What virtue have our boundaries? As walls are cleft to humbled shards. The silver Door answers to no key; No bird sings sweet to praise the day, No river chuckles, no bell rings. The bone-carved Door answers to no key; No gate forbids the raider’s tread, No lock bars entrance to the thief. The iron Door answers to no key; No crossroad leads to where it ought, No mill-wheel turns, no dead leaf falls. The waxen Door answers to no key; No tongue tells tales of youthful days, No elder knows their childhood friends. The stone-hewed Door answers to no key; No tide heeds the call of the moon, No flame shudders before the wind. The cut-glass Door answers to no key; No mortal sleeps the whole night through, No dream gladdens, no rooster wakes. The mist-wreathed Door answers to no key; No fog burns off, no star shines bright, Death shrouds the land, no corpse lies still. Death’s gate cracks and the Kings of old stride forth; Glad and gaunt and grey and great and grim, Crowned in crow-black stone, armed with ancient keys.
May 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
hey folks. passing around the hat once more - quarterly utilities and tax season and delayed contract work are all colliding

all my early games are 60% off (or $30 bundled)! there's horror, history, intimacy, community - the wildwood signatures. reposts greatly appreciated.

itch.io/s/152368/60-...
May 2, 2025 at 9:40 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
Citation please?
April 29, 2025 at 3:24 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
“the additional ad valorem duty shall increase for trading partners enumerated in Annex I to this order…” suggests to me that it’s all ad valorem—starting at the baseline 10%, and increased for whom and by as much as is specified in Annex I.
April 4, 2025 at 8:57 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
TO: TTRPG people who produce *books*

I am not a lawyer, and I am not *your* lawyer (this is not legal advice), but I am a public servant by day and reading legislation is part of my day job.

Based on this, books seem pretty clearly untouched by the latest EO. Card and board games, not so lucky.
b) The following goods as set forth in Annex II to this order, consistent with law, shall not be subject to the ad valorem rates of duty under this order: (iv) other products enumerated in Annex II to this order, including copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, and energy and energy products; 49011000: Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter in single sheets, whether or not folded 49019900: Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, other than in single sheets
April 3, 2025 at 10:17 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
Okay have now checked and to the best of my not-a-lawyer understanding, it's true:

(b) The following goods as set forth in Annex II to this order, consistent with law, shall not be subject to the ad valorem rates of duty under this order: (iv) other products enumerated in Annex II to this order...
April 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
rereading through the draft for TERROR, my hybrid Forged in the Dark / Desperation Engine game of grim survival in the polar night, as I prepare to dive back in this weekend and plunge deeper into the ice.

and look what I found, another tasty morsel for all the historical tragedy sickos out there:
If your character suffers a terrible affliction (drowned, mauled, executed, exiled, throat cut, etc), their life becomes untenable. Maybe they seem to breathe their last, their body rests in state in the hold, or they are left for dead out on the ice. The choice is always yours: Trudge steadily onward, animated by routine and duty (play on with +1 Toil). What joys have gone cold in your heart? Reappear amidst the crew, scarred and haunted (play on with +1 Question). What terrible fixation has taken hold of you? Spite the Devil and claw your way back to life (play on with +1 Clash). What makes you flee death so desperately? Murder a shipmate and steal their identity (play on with +1 Trespass). What story covers for any change in look or build? Wake up—or wander in off the ice—as a changed man (play on as a new playbook). What vital part of yourself will you never surrender? Die.
February 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
All of which is to say:
February 19, 2025 at 1:26 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
okay i lied, every room a mouth wasn't my *only* stab at a solo journalling game. i've got plenty of notes for the twelfth, i just need to settle down, finish the thinking, oh and write the whole damn thing. ah well.
January 25, 2025 at 10:43 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
twelfth, the first-and-last song, a Wizard's Grimoire game about being "a merry wanderer, footloose and fancy free, with a song in your heart and a tale on your lips, chasing the echoes of a myth the world itself forgot". i still have a soft spot for this idea. when the deck clears, perhaps...
You & Your Qualities You are a minstrel and troubadour, footloose and fancy free, wandering the wide world with a song in your heart and a tale on your lips. What’s your name? What are your pronouns? You are merry, stirring, tireless, and crafty, in measure. Answer the following questions, and keep a running tally. 1. Suppose that you are travelling in the wilds when a rainstorm rolls in, dreary and cold as a miser’s heart. Will you hum to yourself and think of better, warmer days? Or will you set your jaw and shoulders and trudge on without complaint? If the former, tally 1 to MERRY. If the latter, tally 1 to TIRELESS. 2. Suppose that you have been apprehended for trespassing and brought before the local magistrate. Will you remind them of a tale that preaches kindness and mercy to travelers? Or will you produce documents (perhaps forged, perhaps legitimate) that grant you right of passage? If the former, tally 1 to STIRRING. If the latter, tally 1 to CRAFTY.
January 25, 2025 at 10:41 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
you think I, avowed Cadfael fan, was gonna play Pentiment and not feel the urge to make a game about it??? eleventh is a medieval monastery detective game that never got off the ground.
Roll Earthy to resist consequences from deprivation or disappointment. • When you Mingle, you keep company with your neighbours, sharing your hopes, doubts, and troubles. • When you Conceal, you hide what you would not have others discover—be it your presence, or the truth. Roll Holy to resist consequences from understanding or doubt. • When you Probe, • When you Soothe, Roll Worldly to resist consequences from deception or punishment. • When you Judge, • When you Quarrel, Someone from a bloodsoaked past Someone with vaulting ambition Someone with their head in the virtuous and inspired clouds Someone who keep this damn place running Someone freshly arrived and tied to the world. Someone very ancient, burdened by secrets.
January 25, 2025 at 10:39 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
tenth is EVERY ROOM A MOUTH, my first and only real stab at the solo games / journalling games craze (very much inspired by the work jeeyon was doing at the time on gideon blythe and jack harrison's artefact/bucket of bolts). i finished a first chapter, mostly. maybe someday i'll write more
Every Room A Mouth “And now, like the wayward spider who witlessly settled on a sleeper’s tongue, you will be swallowed. Because the truth is this: When a house is both hungry and awake, every room becomes a mouth.” Anatomy. “An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored.” The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson “Still waters go stagnant Bodies bloat And the cellar door is an open throat.” The House That Dripped Blood, the Mountain Goats EVERY ROOM A MOUTH is a story game of architectural haunting and human frailty for one player, designed for contemplative solo play. It’s a classic setting for horror: the spooky old house on the hill, or the edge of the woods, or deep in the suburbs. There’s a family starting a new life; strange creaking and banging doors; words drawn in fogged-up mirrors or painted on walls in blood. Mostly the families escape to happier days, or else lay the restless spirits within to rest. But what about the other houses, foundations thick with bones and walls so drenched in malice that they’ll never find peace? How does it feel to them with such loathsome little maggots crawling around inside? EVERY ROOM A MOUTH invites the player to step into the shoes of a house—watchful, rotten, and full of hate—that will never be a home, as it seethes and growls and feeds on mortal flesh and tragedy. You’ll feel the centuries bear down upon you as horror festers in your heart, walls crumbling and roof sagging as you wait for your next victim. Act I: The House You are old, now. Your beams ache with strain when the wind howls outside, and your wallpaper sags and peels. The damp sour dirt in your basement has long since eaten away the bones in each shallow grave, but the air is still sticky with stagnant suffering. Some days, you think you might buckle and break under the terrible weight of all your hate. But things weren’t always so. Once, you were only a plan in someone’s head and an empty plot of land… You were built sometime in the last millennia. Re-arrange the digits of your birth month and day to generate the date that construction started. Record it like so—“Built 1XXX”—in the bottom left corner on the first page in your journal, where you will draw a floorplan of your house in steps to come. What bones were buried in your foundations? Choose 1, then begin the floorplan in black ink with a cellar. On the opposite page—which will come to hold the litany of all the lives that the house has swallowed up—write out in black ink who died and how they suffered, then add a heavy black stain to the floorplan to mark where the bones went into the earth. If it bleeds through the page, all the better. • A rabbit and her offspring who burrowed into the loose earth while the digging had paused for winter. So insignificant were they that no one even noticed the furry bodies when work resumed. • The oldest of the workers, who worked slower but never complained of his aches and pains. When his heart stopped, they didn’t bother to dig a grave—just threw him in the pit they’d already dug.
January 25, 2025 at 10:37 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
years ago, back when i ran historical RPGs for kids as a living, one of the campaigns i designed for that job was a take on robin hood (those who know me, hide your surprise). ninth is the conceptual framework i laid out for adapting that work (in that job's in-house system) into a BOB framework
January 25, 2025 at 10:34 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
okay i fell behind i'm catching up. eighth is through the smoot, my erstwhile FITD game of classic fairy tale shenanigans (think jack the giant killer, puss in boots, east of the sun west of the moon, tsarevich ivan the firebird and the grey wolf).

i got something like 70% of the way to playtest.
January 25, 2025 at 10:30 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
seventh is STRIFE, an unfinished, mostly-abandoned collab with Jay Dragon where we dared to ask “what if Mad Max Fury Road made out with Princess Mononoke & Nausicaa, and it was all really about being trans when you live in a Society”. some snippets from the barely-started third draft follow:
When you name a request or demand, ask if the one you address will simply do your bidding. If not, divine carefully. If fate smiles, invite them to name their price. “I’ll do it but I’ll hate you for it” — “I’ll do it if you threaten me” — “I’ll do it if you hurt me” — “I’ll do it if you help me first” — “I’ll do it if you flatter me” — “I’ll do it if you lie to me” — “I’ll do it if it benefits me” — “I’ll do it if you make it easy” — “I’ll do it if you make it safe” — “I’ll do it if you make it worth my while” — “I’ll do it but it will destroy me” — “I won’t do it, but I’ll tell you who might”. Pay their price, and they’ll do as you wish. If fate sighs, the price is two-fold, and both must be paid. If fate scowls, they would rather die than do your bidding. You grow in Hate. When you watch your warm blood spill, divine bitterly and meet the gaze of the one who hurt you. Tell them what you once believed before their violence left you for dead, and what you believe now. “I once thought people were kind” — “I thought you were better than this” — “I thought I could trust you” — “I called you family” — “I looked up to you” — ”I used to love you” — “I hope you die.” If fate smiles, they grow in Hate for every truth you speak, but if fate sighs, there is no justice here — your Hate grows as fast as theirs. If fate frowns, you cannot bear to meet their eyes or speak your bitter truth. Succumb To Hate. Ask the table at least 2 of the following questions, until sentiment and history bind the characters together: Did any among you know me in my youth, when I still called myself a hero? Ask anyone who did how they remember you, and describe the Item you gave them and what promise it represented. Have any among you ever crossed blades with me before? Tell anyone who has why you spared their life, and ask them what Item they gave (or you took) as a trophy. Who among you do I know will someday surpass me? Ask them what it would take for them to realise their potential, and tell them which of you holds the Item that represents their destiny. Have any among you pledged with me never to take up arms against each other? Tell anyone who has what binds you to your word, and ask them which of you holds the Item that represents it. Choose the relationship you have with your Holding. You are a mighty warrior in your Holding, always kept at an arm’s length. Hold a single token of Regard; your Holding claims two. Gain Hate. You are a bloodthirsty fighter, infamous for your command over your Holding. Hold two tokens of Regard; your Holding will claim a third. Then, gain Hate twice. You are a self-chosen exile, fleeing from your Holding and the bloody swathe they would carve with your sword. Gain no Hate, but your Holding claims three tokens of Regard.
January 24, 2025 at 3:55 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
sixth is Cross & Crow, a FITD game of doomed Norse ambition I’m working on off-and-on (right now we’re off) with Bee Scerri. Big inspiration from the show Vikings, but for the next draft I’d love to draw in more of Eggers’ The Northman.
Champion. You can push yourself to do one of the following: outdrink, outboast, or outwrestle any challenger — make yourself the centre of attention through words or deeds — clash with a group of opponents on equal footing. Famous. Choose one word to describe how you are spoken of (maybe cunning, merciful, ruthless, or bold) in the tales that the wind carries across the North. The first time you meet a Power, tell the table what they’ve heard about you—the Storyteller will tell you honestly if they believe it, and how they feel about it. Whenever you play into your reputation in a social situation, you gain increased effect. Honoured Guest. You can invoke guest-right to be welcomed into any hall or home or camp and given shelter, safety, and sustenance. When you remind your hosts of your protected status or confront those who disregard it, you have potency. Viking Dooms When you run out of Luck, mark one of the Dooms below. The GM must bring it to pass, however they are able, in days to come. You are Doomed to turn one of your Kith against you, and make a new Foe. You are Doomed to fail your community, and lead great danger to their gates. You are Doomed to shame yourself before a crowd, and sully your reputation forevermore. You are Doomed to be hounded by a Power who craves to show all the world they are your better. You are Doomed to convert to the White Christ, and lose your place in Valhalla, forever. You are Doomed to succumb to ambition, and become a Power in your own right. Raven-Feeder A Raven-Feeder is a Power who leaves strife and bloody ruin in their wake. Do not be deceived by their high walls, their loyal subjects, or the reach of their gold — it is their own prowess you must fear above all else. What drives them? Faith — Fame — Freedom — Greed — Grief — Love — Power — Spite What is missing from their life? Belonging — Challenge — Closure — Honesty — Hope — Legacy — Respect — Trust They lay claim to a settlement — perhaps as its ruler, its raider, or its “protector” — of 3–5 dozen farmers, and 1–2 more of the following: A sturdy longhouse ringed by a palisade A small fortune won through violent deeds A map of vulnerable ports on the shores of Britain A collection of trophies claimed from past victims A siege weapon won on some past campaign A half-dozen valuable hostages and the means to hold them
January 24, 2025 at 3:39 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
fifth some snippets from Blood Stains the Peaceful Field, my someday Spiral Path spin-off about rebel Irish warriors leading a revolt against the High King, his armies, and his druids. the vision is having the same playbooks so a campaign can pivot from one frame to the other and back again.
January 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
fourth, titled “Paleolithic PBTA”. I have a grand notion of a game that defines playbooks by cultural expertise—here the Hunter, who knows the names and movements of beasts, where they gather, how to hunt them. all that is a 12-page setting book, and mastering it as a player is the point. we’ll see.
When you move with care to pass unseen, scale the heights, or travel at speed, roll with the questions: Are you warm and limber—muscles loose and blood pumping? Are you free from injury? Do you know this ground well? On a 10+, you are a shadow, a mountain goat, a long-loping wolf. You move with great skill—only the patient can glimpse your passage, only the bravest dare follow in your steps. On a 7–9, you are too slow, too clumsy. You make it, but name the price: Your belongings drag you down. Cast one aside. You are hurt—a rolled ankle, a shallow cut, palms torn up. You are slow as the sun, and arrive too late. On a 6-, your care fails you. Expect trouble. When you prey on someone to get your way, take what’s theirs, or bring them low, roll with the questions: Are they vulnerable—young, old, sick, or injured? Are you ready to hurt them? Do you have more friends nearby than them? On a 10+, you are a fox, jaws closed soft around a rabbit’s throat. They must choose: play along, freeze up, back off, or push back. If they push back, you are ready for any fight that comes. On a 7–9, they still choose but you have shown your true self. You are a predator, cruel and hard to trust—those here will not forget. On a 6-, you chose the wrong prey. Expect trouble.
January 23, 2025 at 11:45 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
third is an old favourite, the unreleased Tales from the Low Cantrefs—a game of Welsh hearth fantasy, coming-of-age, & a slowly-gathering apocalypse. think Chronicles of Prydain, or Garth Nix’s Sabriel, or (for my fellow Australians) Rowan of Rin. actively pushing towards publication for this one
Turn to Folklore When you turn to folklore for answers, name a question and roll +Learning. On any hit, the Chronicler will tell you what is common knowledge, reveal a deeper insight and who you heard it from, and make clear where the gaps in your understanding lie. On a 10+ hit, you may ask them to elaborate. They need not answer but must give you a concrete lead to find out more. On a miss, the Chronicler will share only what is common knowledge: no more, no less. Lead a Difficult Journey When you lead others on a difficult journey, name your destination and roll+Resolve. On any hit, the way is hard and you’ll face some trouble, but you’ll make it in the end. On a 10+ hit, you choose the trouble. On a 7-9 hit, the Chronicler chooses instead. You hit a dead end—ask the Chronicler what paths lead on. You discover a landmark—ask the Chronicler what hazard it conceals. You attract pursuit—ask the Chronicler by who or what. You must pause to rest halfway—ask the Chronicler where. You must set a cruel pace—everyone marks one Wear. Bell Engaging, truthful, and sincere, with a real way with words. Will you work to be kind, or grow up clumsy with people's hearts? Name: Something gentle, regal, or musical. Impressions Circle 1–2 from each set: Just a child, growing like a weed, awkward adolescent, nearly grown. Wide eyes, caring eyes, bright eyes, sincere eyes, knowing eyes. Stirring voice, gentle voice, strong voice, lilting voice, soothing voice. Open smile, secret smile, warm smile, blooming smile, wistful smile. Milestones Choose 3 steps you’ll need to take on your journey towards adulthood: Set a firm boundary with a loved one. Resolve an entrenched or violent conflict. Deliver terrible news to someone. Protect someone by lying to them. Sorcery Sorcery is a dread magic—wicked and volatile. It is smoke and ash and hungry flame, devouring all it touches. It burns, blackens, inflames, consumes, and transforms. At best sorcerers are walking wildfires, dangerous to all who come close, and no-one ever heard of one who had a happy ending. But most are worse—death in their touch, ruin in their gaze, the exaltation of the inferno howling in the scorched pit of their chest. Common knowledge: Sorcery is old magic. The eldest magic. Before the Cantrefs, or the Conjurer Kings, or the Great Trees themself. The world was born in its fires—a wasteland of molten rock that quaked and shone as ashen giants walked. Sorcerers are born candles—their hearts the wick, their lives the wax, and their magic the flame. Those who have lived long, beware. Some sorcerers can create elementals, taking inanimate matter (stone or clay, in the tales) and kindling life within. To others, people are just another flame—they fire passions, char restraint, and even burn up memories if they wish.
January 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
wildwoodsgames.bsky.social
second is a short one, imaginatively titled “pirate BOB game”. shout out to Black Sails and my friend Riley, who are to blame. I never wrote more than these two playbook pitches. thankfully Beneath Pirate Flags exists, play that instead.
The Beacon (Flint) A character with a vision for the future that blazes like the sun—magnetic, impulsive, driven, and defiant. They are a lighthouse of purpose in a sea of doubt, but will they lead you to salvation or dash you on the rocks? The Measure (Gates) A character who knows the worth of everything and has the measure of each man—steady, pragmatic, insightful, and experienced. They are the scales of judgment that weighs the souls of all, will they see your worth, or find you wanting?
January 23, 2025 at 11:17 PM