Almost Bedtime Theater

@almostbedtime

🎲Dad & creator of all-ages TTRPGs 📚CRIT Award winner: The Librarian's Apprentice solo RPG 🦋ENNIE-nominated: Song of the Scryptwyrm solo RPG 🎙️Family-friendly podcast of kids playing and reviewing role-playing games

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Bluesky

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Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· 4d

Lily and Hensley, reporting for duty!

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· 14d

I may not be getting to Gen Con, but I received an amazing collection of games today that will keep me plenty busy. Thank you, @montfordtales.com!

A pile of books wrapped in tissue paper.

A collection of TTRPGs: Dead Letter Society, The Almanac of the Sanguine Paths, and Asher’s Ridge

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· 21d

If you have enjoyed Song of the Scryptwyrm, please consider voting for it in the Best Solo Games segment of the 2026 CRIT Awards! Voting is live through Aug 23: www.critawards.org And if you aren’t familiar with this solo #TTRPG mystery in an infinite library, you can find it on itch.io!

CRIT Awards Finalists: Best Solo TTRPG
* Pirouette by Michael Sweeney
* Odyssey of the Giant by Heltung Storytelling
* Song of the Scryptwyrm by Almost Bedtime Theater
* Underneath by Seb Pines
* Heir of Swords by Yanni Panagiotopoulos

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Jul 11

Playing around with ideas for a tutorial / training montage level for a card-based Two-Hand Path hack. It’s the first thing you’ll do after completing the ritual to become one of the Inkbound (a.k.a. the ones the Great Library Librarians turn to for help when someone won’t return a book.)

A pencil sketch of a basic map made up of square rooms connected by lines. It’s titled “Training Course,” and notes in the corner read “Vault? Keepers of the Forbidden.”

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Jun 20

I absolutely love the story I'm discovering with HOME. My pilot - a witch controlling the nature-mech Dark Athena from inside the giant geode at its core - didn't survive her clash with a vicious Mirrorback, but she took it out with time loops before she was lost. Two more Fronts to go...

A map of the contested lands in HOME. A mysterious rift at the center shows where kaiju are appearing. Other locations of interest are also marked, as is a series of three combat sites.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Jun 20

For solo #TTRPG club today I'm trying out HOME, the Mech vs Kaiju mapmaking RPG from @deepdark.games! 🎵 Pacific Rim soundtrack: check 🤖 Old Mechwarrior figurines for inspiration: check 🎲 Closest thing I have to two sets of matching d6s: check Let's do this thing.

The HOME game book, character sheet, and map, plus dice and a trio of small plastic mech toys.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Apr 4

It's now right there along with Wither and Grow!

A series of games available in a vending machine.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Apr 4

I included it on Ghost Roads & Moon Dust, which is going to be available via vending machines thanks to @knaveofcups.com

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Mar 22

I got to run a game on the Big Table at the new Tabletop Bookshelf shop!

A large wooden gaming table with seats for 6 and several sheets and game pieces.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Mar 4

Ghost Roads and Moon Dust - a solo #TTRPG about taking back (pieces of) the moon - is just about ready for submission to @junkfoodgames.bsky.social's Lean Green Zine Jam! (Even if it is more blue than green...)

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Feb 3

I love exploring TTRPGs presented in formats other than books/zines, and am excited to dig into this duo from @comemartin.bsky.social and @nicolasfolliot.itch.io The Red Lion Hotel is presented as card decks and Meanwhile, In The Subway is a subway map!

A boxed set of cards titled The Red Lion Hotel and a folded subway map titled Meanwhile, In The Subway.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Feb 2

I managed to create a set of fantasy ears to add to a set of modular hand puppet eyes. I’m quite pleased with the brad earring.

A pair of puppet eyes with slitted pupils and long green ears. One ear has a metal stud earring.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Feb 1

It's February, and that means it's nearly time for the French version of my solo journaling #TTRPG The Librarian's Apprentice, coming from Neoludis / Les Fondations de l’imaginaire! This will be an A5 zine version of the game, with a fun little bookshelf for the character sheet.

The cover of La Bibliotheque Infinie, which has the title on top of a kaleidoscopic image looking down a pair of an infinite wells of books.

A character sheet for the game, set up as a bookshelf.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Feb 1

Making more eyes/expressions for the modular puppet idea. The kiddo requested “squinty side-eye.” I think it worked out fairly well! The glasses took a few tries but I like the shiny googly eyes as lenses.

Five sets of puppet eyes: standard, tired, squinty side-eye, vertical slit, and wearing glasses.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Jan 31

This morning’s idea was “modular hand puppet.” Pick a body color (a.k.a. a glove), a set of eyes, a set of hands, and stick it all together!

A collection of puppet pieces: glove, eyes, hands, arm rod.

An assembled hand puppet with wild hair.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Jan 7

I love how good Emily's mock-ups make my stuff look!

A thin book, laying face-down and flat on a table so that both the front and back cover are visible.

A thin book standing upright, so that the front cover and spine are visible.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 23

Back into Area 3 but my botanist got distracted by a plant with responsive leaves and spent far too long watching it. I figured I had plenty of time to get out. I did not factor in Science Fascination(tm). Or time twisting plants, frankly.

A notebook page with the sketch of a plant with needle-like leaves in clusters all along the stem. A second sketch shows the needles curled up against the stem. The text reads: "15:15, Area 3. Needles curl up around stem when disturbed."

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 23

The good news is that I've made a major discovery in Area 6: there's a plant here that distorts time! The bad news is that this plant distorts time and it's now rather later than it should be...

A map of the Exclusion Zone with a sketchbook sitting on top of it. On the map is the text: "Corruption: 1." The sketchbook contains a drawing of a spiky aloe vera-like plant. The time - 12:40 - has been scratched out. Handwritten text reads: "13:26; Area 6. Chronological distortion!"

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 22

A few weeks ago, I started reading/playing a digital copy of @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social's solo game SPINE. It was awesome, but I quickly realized that to do it justice I needed a copy that was an actual book. That print copy has now arrived, and it looks so good! backwards-tabletop.itch.io/spine

A black book with gold lettering that reads "Siderius Plug's SPINE: Immortality in Ninety Nine Endnotes. Revised Edition."

An interior spread of SPINE. The left page shows a few torn pieces of a handwritten letter, though several pieces are missing. The right side appears to be an unusually formatted poem.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 21

Lily says Happy Birthday!

A gray house cat on her back, displaying her belly spots.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 20

I did manage to discover another new specimen. It only slightly blinded/disoriented me, so that’s nice. It does mean however that my plan to head on to Area 6 has been put on hold as I stumbled off in the wrong direction. I’m sure that won’t come back to haunt me…

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 20

Also, my first discovery! Note: Do not eat the berries.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 20

All prepped for this morning’s solo RPG club get-together! (Wish me luck on surviving @exeunt.press’s Exclusion Zone Botanist. I have… concerns.)

A pile of supplies for playing a solo RPG, including a copy of the game Exclusion Zone Botanist, markers, paper, and a container for dice.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Dec 17

@bibliofi.bsky.social's playthrough of The Librarian's Apprentice continues with epic poems of history and folklore carved into frosty scrolls and spiced gingerbread! You can vote on where she goes next: The Hall of Watchers or the Making Your Own Luck section. www.patreon.com/posts/ttt-pa...

A map for game The Librarian's Apprentice, made with two playing cards. One card is labeled "Cedric's Office" and the other "The Frost Scrolls of Music." The text indicates this is for Table Top Tuesdays, and that a more detailed story can be found on Patreon.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Nov 7

I had a wonderful time this evening presenting solo journaling games to some delightful folks! I printed out some one-page games for trying right away and shared some of my favorites from my game library.

A selection of role playing games set out on a table.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Oct 17

I spy, with my little eye, so many excellent games at the Imagining Games / @ipr.bsky.social booth at Gamehole Con! @mallenhall.com @pandiongames.com @exeunt.press @goblinmixtape.bsky.social @deepdark.games @montfordtales.com

A booth set up with multiple displays of TTRPGs.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Oct 6

I got the chance to play Goblin Night Market and it turned out so good! Rolling on the lists gave me a short, hairy goblin selling containers in a book. He's definitely going into my mental bank of NPCs to drop into games I run! waywardadventurers.itch.io/goblin-night...

A drawing of a shop in a book. The shopkeeper is a green fuzzball with eyes, nose, and two feet standing on a table with a sign that says "All sales final!" Above the shelves it says, "Iz-Ben's Bags and What." The shelves are full of various containers, from bags to boxes to bottles to a bucket. Some have stuff in them; others appear empty. There's also a terrarium on one shelf that appears to have mushrooms growing in it.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Oct 4

One more update for the night, then I’d best find out what this would cost before I spend too much time getting excited about it. 😬

A thin cardboard box folded up to look like a book and held closed by a paper band designed to look like a lock on the book. The cover has “Path of the Bookbound” worn on it faintly in pencil.

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Oct 3

The TTRPG ideas, they be flying fast and furious today…

A prototype of a folding box, open to show sheets of paper.

The open prototype box set up like a GM screen, plus a sheet of paper set out like a character sheet

Almost Bedtime Theater@almostbedtime· Sep 19

No idea what kicked off the spike in attention on itch.io, but somehow Song of the Scryptwyrm jumped to #2 for physical games today?!