I don’t care who you are, if you are involved in tabletop roleplaying game development, there simply are a few hard truths that you likely don’t want to hear. I know I don’t, that’s for sure! But let’s go over a few, and see how viscerally they affect you…
Truth #1: Your game system sucks, no matter how cool or innovative you think it is. Let’s be honest, our game systems are our babies, and we nurture, coddle, and protect them as any parent might. But no matter how much thought, work, and playtesting you have done, you invariably have missed something, and it will be fundamentally broken upon release. Maybe that flaw won’t be all that huge to you, or even most of your games’ fans, but to at least a few folk, it is ruined for them. You failed, it sucks, and so do you.
Truth #2: Unless you happen to be preternaturally talented (you aren’t), your game’s setting is, well, boring. What you envisioned as some sweeping epic setting, full of mystery, danger, and adventure is in actuality just another basic game world. There will be many people that pick up your book, flip through it, yawn dramatically, then go back to playing [Insert Trendy Indie TTRPG Here… Probably MÖRK BORG].
Truth #3: Someone already created that. Yeah, you may have just thought up a really “cool” or “innovative” game mechanic, but no you didn’t… Someone already thought that up before you did, and either put it into a game you’ve never heard of, or disregarded it as trash compared to the better ideas they came with to replace it. But don’t feel too bad, game mechanics can’t be trademarked in most nations, as far as I know (Not a Lawyer), so go ahead and use it, anyway. What’s the worst that happens? Some random person accuses you of ripping off another established TTRPG developer?
Truth #4: You are not John Harper. You are not Kevin Crawford. You are certainly not Vincent and Meguey Baker. But that’s okay, no one expects you to be. Just understand that you may think that your TTRPG is amazing, and that of course everyone will be scrambling to back it on the Crowdfunding service of your choice, and soon money will be rolling in, hand over fist. No it won’t, your game is just another needle in an elephant-sized haystack, and you have no fanbase or even some level of name recognition that might catch a potential backer’s attention. They worked hard to get where they are, you are just starting out. Kevin Crawford, for example, is extremely successful on Kickstarter. Download, read, and follow the advice he gives in this free article he made some time ago. It will help you out a lot.
Truth #5: The TTRPG industry is hard. Most people never make it anywhere, never sell a single book, and fade away into obscurity. That said, don’t give up. Never give up! I’ve been bumbling my way as a TTRPG dev for over 30 years now, and I have never sold a single book. That said, I still persist on the side, as there are plenty of avenues available now that there were not, back when I started out. DriveThru RPG, D&D Beyond, Demiplane, Itch.io… There are so many different ways to self-publish your TTRPG games and other products now, even if you are mostly giving them away for free, you can still build up a fanbase and name recognition that way (see #4, above). The point is, this is a veritable golden age for self-publishing your own game, you just have to go out and do it.
Truth #6: It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again here, for the very slow – No one wants your AI Slop. You could have made the greatest TTRPG ever devised, but if you use AI “art”, or as an “editor”, and especially if you used it to “help” write the text, no one will want it, and your reputation will be in the toilet. Write your own book. Use public domain artwork and photos that are easily found on the internet. Spend a few bucks if you absolutely must and hire an actual editor to check out your manuscript before publishing it. But AI “tools” are only going to ruin your product, and your potential career. Don’t do it.
Truth #7: No matter how hard you work, or how much you do things “the right way”, there will be a seemingly never ending supply of online critics who will tear down your product, and you personally. They will do everything possible to destroy your career in game development before it even gets a chance to flourish, and laugh the entire time. Ignore the Trolls, keep fighting the good fight, and they will either get bored and move on, or find a new target to harass.
Anyway, I hope this helps some. But many of you won’t want to hear some or all of the above, and that’s fine. Suit yourself.