Aaron A. Reed

Yay I'm finally here! I'm Aaron A. Reed, a writer and game designer who has written books about games, games about books, and lots of permutations in between. You might know me from Ice-Bound, Blue Lacuna, 50 Years of Text Games, or my latest thing, a #TTRPG: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/a...

If you're cold emailing someone these days, I feel like it's an increasingly vital (if mysteriously acquired) skill to establish your humanity as fast as possible. I get so many well-written emails now from bots well versed in my work and background, I'm sure I've sent real offers to spam.

Due to a fun error at the book printer I've ended up with some identical pairs of Subcutanean, WHICH DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE. Resourcefully, I've now put up a product page for "Non-unique Subcutaneans" at a discount price, in case you don't mind being a twin. aaronareed.net/store/produc...

This #TTRPG looks awesome! First edition had been on my to-play list for a long time, so rad to see a revamped and polished take coming out.

I wrote some words for this lovely game, out now! Assemble a team of misfits for doomed missions into weird underworlds. Interesting choices, gorgeous art, super replayable... fans of Fallen London and inkle games take note! Congrats to @radiofreelunch.bsky.social and @kitfoxgames.com on release 🎉🎉🎉

Narrative heist game Thousand Hells is out now, and we're happy to say it's bundled with Heaven's Vault in the "Heaven's and Hells" bundle!

I wrote some words for this lovely game, out now! Assemble a team of misfits for doomed missions into weird underworlds. Interesting choices, gorgeous art, super replayable... fans of Fallen London and inkle games take note! Congrats to @radiofreelunch.bsky.social and @kitfoxgames.com on release 🎉🎉🎉

In the meantime, I have something I haven't had in a while: free time. If you'd like me to visit your classroom, research lab, maker space, or tech company, please reach out. Danish law means I can't take payment for this, but I'm always happy to travel and talk.

14 Days until release!! 🎉 Mark your calendars and wishlist now! Thousand Hells: then Underworld Heists is a tactical narrative adventure! 📑 Many timelines. ⚒️ Deep Lore. 💰️ Vaults to Heist. store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

The princes have been murdered and now I must go to hell to bring them back... 🤴 Watch 29 minutes of Thousand Hells gameplay: youtu.be/4vAWmoy9a7Y

I wrote something like 100K words of weird underworld content for this gorgeously illustrated "tactical narrative" game from the creator of King of Dragon Pass, and that's only a fraction of the content... definitely worth a wishlist.

I know international shipping has gotten mad expensive in the last few years. I've worked out a slightly cheaper shipping solution for orders outside the US, so if that's you & you're craving a Subcutanean or Downcrawl swag, small orders are now $19 to ship to most of the world. aaronareed.net/store

Between now and October (our 20th anniversary issue), we're running a subscription drive and dedicating all new revenue toward improving pay for our staff, writers, artists, and contractors. Details on how to subscribe can be found here: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/

Just got out of Backrooms and if you like that vibe I MUST AGAIN RECOMMEND you read Subcutanean by @aaronareed.bsky.social! One of the best book club experiences I ever had because no two copies are the same! Brilliant. subcutanean.textories.com #horror #conversationpitsareweirdlyscary

For #WishlistWednesday, may I offer you a game that's been to hell and back 😈 store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

Unboxing challenge: I'm looking for more GMless games that you can play together without any reading in advance. Games you can just pick up and follow the instructions cold Show me what you got!

I made a new (short) #TTRPG ! It's a two-player storytelling game where one player is a mechanical fortune-teller who only knows the future, and the other a lost and lonely seeker who only knows the past. (yes I stole the title from Blue Prince) aareed.itch.io/dropping-coin

Ocean's Eleven meets Dante's Inferno with a mythological twist! 👯 Build the best team for the job 🔥 Dynamic narrative where your choices matter 🎮 Highly replayable 🖌️ 100s of hand-painted illustrations Wishlist on Steam now: store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

Go Play NW is an incredible annual event for fans of storytelling roleplaying games, and a wonderful community of kind and generous human beings. They could use a little help getting over the finish line for their annual fundraising drive this year!

Still available for one more week!

Downcrawl 2E and Skycrawl are this week's Bundle of Holding! Get both #TTRPG games and ALL supplements at tremendous savings while you can. Explore weird and wondrous environments in pointcrawl adventures through forgotten labyrinths and skyborne kingdoms... bundleofholding.com/presents/Dow...

If you're like me, you can't get anything done without emotional support tea. I am deeply soothed by the ancient ritual of boiling the water, choosing which tea to get down from the cabinet, letting it steep on the desk beside me, and then completely forgetting about it until the following evening

Here we go... Announcing the Visible Zorker Project and Patreon! Remember how I did Visible Zork 1 and 2? I'm going to do Zork 3, and then continue through Infocom's entire canon -- in chronological order, one per month. blog.zarfhome.com/2026/01/the-...

Rain falls deep beneath the earth, and will not stop. How will you survive a damper, slimier, flooded underground? Can the Godswimmer be found? Will an Aquaeon Conclave be called? Sink or swim in... The Drizzle Depths Downcrawl Adventure Zine #3 #ttrpg www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

On the night before Christmas, your party encounters the bones of a reindeer... Traverse the Midnight North in Thousand Hells: The Underworld Heists. 🎁 Wishlist now: store.steampowered.com/app/3794210/...

I understand Christmas is a nice time for some people. If that's you, I hope you have a wonderful week. If it's not, remember you're not alone.

All 35 talks from THINKY CON, about making puzzle games, are on YouTube: thinkygames.com/news/all-35-... #puzzlegames #gamedev

Roguelike Celebration is happening today and my awesome friend Johnathan is giving this inspiring talk (gonna be a great time). www.roguelike.club

Nice! Looking forward to reading a deep dive on a tough design space many designers engage with.

"Which would you rather play, a GMless or a diceless RPG" To which I say, "why not both" To which you say, "examples please" Leaving out (checks notes) every single one of my games, let me throw out a few. If I miss your favs, chime in!

Hey it's #SteamSale! You can get 🔥 IMMORTALITY for $9.99 👁️ TELLING LIES for $4.99 ☕ HER STORY for $4.99 & wishlist Project C and Project D whilst you are there... It's a good time to play good games in the present and wish for good games in the future! ✨ store.steampowered.com/developer/Sa...

Wow, Alien Earth started out so strong but has sure gotten real dumb the last couple episodes...

It’s an honor to help launch this series with @anasalter.bsky.social

⬇️ 🚨🚨Heads up, this sale ends tonight!🚨🚨 This is a _rare_ occasion when my physical books are on sale as well my digital stuff (probably increasingly rare if the tariff situation continues to worsen).

good morning, i wrote a manifesto about a new direction for game design / play possumcreek.medium.com/the-expressi...

Reminder: my #BookSale this weekend includes: 🚪 Subcutanean, spooky novel that changes for each reader: subcutanean.textories.com ⚔️ Downcrawl 2E, #TTRPG of underworld exploration: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5... 💾 50 Years of Text Games, history of interactive fiction: if50.textories.com

ReSkies or NuBlues or whatever they're called on here much appreciated 🙏

our game about DEAD GODS and TAKING BILLIONAIRES TO COURT FOR THEIR CRIMES is in the graun!! thx @yourkyotowife.bsky.social for a thoughtful write-up touching on our complex conversational systems & how joy + rage power transformation 🔥 @allwillrise.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/games/2025/a...

I hiked the 211-mile John Muir Trail #JMT in the Sierra Nevada this summer, and made a video montage of thirty-second clips from each day of my trip: youtu.be/KXIiEFTvQ64

Look, some of you are sickos banging on the window at night, saying YES to more games like King of Dragon Pass and YES to kaleidoscopic psychopomp journeys into underworlds so you gotta say YES to Thousand Hells, it's the law

Lucky enough to be one of the writers involved in bringing this wild stygian world to life! If you've ever wanted to barter with a dead swan god or infiltrate the fortress where souls go to be flensed, wishlist this game...

About to fulfill a long-time dream by hiking the John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada. If you need me, I'll be back in August. 😎🌲🏔️