Does your campaign suffer from choice paralysis? Learn why providing a narrative smorgasbord can sometimes backfire and how to use “islands of narrative sense” to guide your players through roleplaying games without stripping away their precious agency.
About Ben Jackson-Ellery
⏱️ Content Velocity: Steady updates: Averaging 5.4 articles per month recently.
Articles by Ben Jackson-Ellery
Ben Jackson-Ellery has also written on Tabletop & RPGs and Geek Stuff for our geeky readers.
Genre Police: Spoiler Police
Should you allow a veteran to replay a finished campaign? Genre Police investigates why spoilers matter less than the journey, exploring how group connectivity and character agency can make a familiar story feel entirely fresh in roleplaying games.
Genre Police: Pay No Attention To The Math Behind The Curtain
Discover why roleplaying games are a lot like knitting in this week’s Genre Police. Learn why understanding the mechanics behind the curtain is essential for new players and how form and function define the gaming experience.
Genre Police: Bringing in the Funny
When exhaustion hits the table, a shift toward comedy can save the session. Discover why playing the world straight while embracing absurdity is the key to mastering humour in roleplaying games.
Genre Police: Dreams Of The Outer Dark
After thirty years of waiting, one GM finally completes a long-form Call of Cthulhu campaign. Discover the vital lessons learned regarding player agency, the power of grief in horror, and why kindness is the most important tool for a definitive series finale.
Genre Police: What’s In A Name?
From “Murder-Ents” to rigid world-building, discover how the names you give your monsters and settings can either cement your immersion or accidentally kill the mystery.
Genre Police: Issues With Commitment
Are your most reliable players sacrificing their own fun to keep your campaign moving? Learn why “engine” players often miss out on character development and how to fix it.
Genre Police: Uninvent Yourself
The “Genre Police” explores how the shared language of TTRPGs can accidentally limit our creativity when switching between roleplaying systems.
Genre Police: Lost In Static
“Help! My player won’t leave the inn!” We break down the four types of passive players and how to engage them without railroading.
Genre Police: The 5-Step Campaign Refresh
Stuck in a rut? We revisit the five pillars of the Genre Police column – from Dials to The Self – and show you how to use them to design a unique campaign like Arcane.
