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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.

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.