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Leylines, my one-page map-making + relic-hunting TTRPG, is out now! Want to see what inspired it? Read on below. (and please grab your own free copy at drawleylines.com!)

1. Tunic by Andrew Shouldice / @finjico.bsky.social. The layout of Leylines was hugely inspired by the graphic design of Tunic's manual. I love Tunic's soft retro style, hand-drawn elements, and playful instructional vibe, and tried to bring that forward in Leylines' layout.

Gameplay wise, Tunic is a game about finding secrets. But how do secrets work in a GM-less worldbuilding game? Leylines is collaborative so players make the secrets, but there still needs to be "surprise" when they are found. I think the dice progression system delivers that surprise really well.

2. Two-Hand Path by @wilkiescandylab.com. Two-Hand Path is a "polyhedral yahtzee" solo RPG, and its brilliant: the frequency distribution/odds are strange, and the asymmetry is simple but fun. Leylines began as an experiment with a polyhedral dice pool, and I love the brain-feel it gives.

(You should grab a copy of Two-Hand Path:) wilkies.itch.io/two-hand-path

3. The Quiet Year by @lackingceremony.bsky.social. This kinda feels like a fantasy author citing LOTR as an inspiration, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Single-session, efficient on-boarding, and creative map-making: there is a reason TQY is a classic and inspired Leylines (and every game I make).

4. Microscope by @lamemage.com and i'm sorry did you say street magic by @seaexcursion.itch.io (two more classics). Leylines was an experiment: could you have collaborative, multi-scale, object-focused worldbuilding that wasn't free-form? Is it fun to have your options limited by dice? I think so.

4.5. Grasping Nettles by @adambell.games. I love how Adam's games combine narrative play with "gamey" mechanics, like using the Rondel in Grasping Nettles. I think this builds on the point above: slightly restricting what you can build gives me a great brain-feel.

5. The Corgi-space talk by @adamatomic.bsky.social. I've mentioned "brain-feel" a couple times above, and this is where I got that term from. Adam talks about designing small video games, and it's been the most influential game design video I've watched this year. Seriously worth your time.

(you can watch the Corgi-space talk here:) www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGsl...

Please check out Leylines if you haven't! There are unlimited community copies, so please take one. Happy hunting! drawleylines.com