The True Scenario Designery Series
Anyone Mere Adventure Builder can follow the step-by-step instructions in their Game Mastery Guide to build a perfectly adequate, serviceable encounter, adventure, or campaign. But creating truly great gaming content is a work of game design art. And that art is called Scenario Design.
This series is about applying the art of game design to tabletop roleplaying games to build the best damned encounters, adventures, and campaigns you possibly can.
Course Prequel and Introduction
Just Design a Good Game
May 31, 2024
I’ve made a terrible decision. But I can’t tell you what it is until I defend my stance on worlds that level with the characters and get you to sing the game design anthem with me.
What the Hell is Scenario Design Anyway?
June 20, 2024
The Scenario Design cat is out of the bag and clawing up the furniture. Which means it’s time for a real True Scenario Designery introduction. And this is it.
Game Design Fundamentals
Designing on Purpose
June 28, 2024
It’s time for the first of three hodgepodges of game design concepts that together make a sort-of foundation for this whole True Scenario Design thing.
The Anatomy of a Game
July 7, 2024
It’s time for the second in this three-part whirlwind tour of what True Scenario Designers know about what makes games games. And this really is all about what makes games games.
What Makes a Challenge
August 28, 2024
In this last of three parts, I wrap up my introduction to basic, conceptual game design. Now, maybe we can move on to actually designing a Scenario or something. That is if you dunderheads actually grok this crap.
Scenario Design That Makes a Statement
October 28, 2024
Let’s see if I can’t help tie together the last three lessons of random, conceptual, game design bullshit by showing you how a True Scenario Designer comes up with a Design Statement.
Supplemental Materials to Game Design Fundementals
A Scenario Design Interlude: Why Are We Here?
October 31, 2024
Let’s take a moment here to consider, again, why we’re doing this whole True Scenario Designery thing. Because, listen maties, there be rough waters ahead.
Designing Scenarios You Can Win and Lose
Win, Lose, or Draw
November 29, 2024
It’s time to start a whole new True Scenario Designery module. This one’s not about Winning and Losing, but that’s where we’re starting, and boy is that a messy place to start.
Quality Wins and Losses
November 30, 2024
Last time, I told all y’all you need a more complete, more nuanced understanding of the concepts of Winning and Losing. This time, I’ll give you that understanding. Because I’m awesome.
Gaming in Fits and Starts
December 11, 2024
Now that you know what Winning and Losing are, actually, correctly, and for reals, I can tell you how gameplay is both continuous and discrete and what the Quest Structure really, truly is.
What Do Players Know Anyway?
December 24, 2024
In our ongoing discussion about Scenarios players can win and lose, we need to talk about how players often see Goals different from Scenario Designers and why that’s not true and you’re stupid for thinking it is.
Inertia: Fighting Failure
January 29, 2025
Winter break is over and it’s time to talk about True Scenario Design again. Today, I’m introducing the first in a pair of complementary game design forces, Inertia and Momentum, that separate the real True Scenario Designers from the Mere Adventure Builders.
Momentum: Building Victory
March 14, 2025
Today, I teach you about the second of a pair of complementary gameplay dynamics vital to making winnable — and losable — adventures that feel great to play.
Momentous and Inertial Adventure Design
May 19, 2025
I promised you a big honking example of how to design an adventure with goals, challenge, momentum, and inertia in mind. This is it.
Challenge Or Goal?
June 10, 2025
In this informal little digression from the main True Scenario Designery lessons, I’ll help you suss out the difference between goals and challenges. Because, as some of my supporters are about to learn, they’re easy to confuse.
Supplemental Materials to Designing Scenarios You Can Win and Lose
Angry’s Five Rules for Amazing Adventure Design
Feburary 4, 2025
A bit of a chance of pace today since I’ve got some new eyeballs on my work. I’m taking a break from the really heavy game-design theory to give five principles that form the foundation for good adventure building Scenario Design. Then it’s back to the overwrought heavy crap.
Is Attrition Inertia?
Feburary 6, 2024
A quick — well, quick for me — aside about whether you can count on D&D’s Attrition Dynamic for all the gameplay Inertia you need.
Open-Endedness, Open Challenges, and Hat Theory
June 12, 2025
This rambling rant covers a lot of ground about the many hats a Game Master has to wear and why you shouldn’t worry about worry about open-endedness or creativity when you’re writing adventures. Seriously.
Scenario Structure
Struction: An Introduction to Structure
July 18, 2025
It’s time to open a new chapter in our True Scenario Designery journey. So let’s talk about how scenario structure is like the beams and masts that hold up a confection shaped like an animated porifera. You heard me.
Structure All the Way Down
July 25, 2025
More True Scenario Design and more on structure. Actually, the real structure discussion starts here. Last time, I breathlessly yelled about what makes good structure good and bad structure suck. Now I’m actually going to show you structure. I’ll even outline a crappy adventure you can finish for your own use if you suck at tone and genre.
The Shape of a Scenario
Coming soon…
Supplemental Materials to Designing Scenarios You Can Win and Lose
When Is a Scenario Not a Scenario?
October 27, 2025
I lied. Everything isn’t a Scenario. Also, Santa isn’t real. But Scenario Design is as real as Christmas and it’s just as magical.