Good Monday, Gamer!
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” — William Bruce Cameron
2025 by the Numbers
It’s my birthday month.
I share a birthday with Geena Davis, Rasputin, Billy Ocean, Jam Master Jay, Wolfman Jack, and Alfred Hawthorn Hill (IYKYK)!
If you’re into charts: Aquarius sun (innovation, community, forward-thinking) in the 7th house (relationships and partnerships—which tracks with all the collaborative gaming I do). Scorpio moon in the 5th house (intense emotions tied to creativity and play). Cancer rising (nurturing exterior, protective of what matters). Mercury in Capricorn in the 6th house (practical communication focused on work and service). Venus and Mars both in Scorpio in the 5th house (intense passion for creativity and deep connections). 🤷🏾♂️
Let’s talk about what actually happened last year.
Who’s Reading Play Fearless
I asked, and you answered. Here’s what I learned.
How you’re playing:
43% hybrid (a mix of online and IRL)
29% mostly online
29% not playing at all
That last number matters to me.
Your biggest challenge:Finding players and scheduling.57% of you said this is the issue.
Why you’re here:86% of you said you’re here for inspiration, GM advice, and ideas. Same.
What you want more of:More posts like Moria and Black Sword Hack. Noted.
This kind of data is useful because it’s not about vanity metrics. It helps me understand what’s actually helping you play better games—or get back to the table at all.
The Games I Actually Played in 2025
Not the games I bought.Not the games I read.
The Black Sword Hack (x2) — Such a great table and experience!
The Clay That Woke (with Sarah Doom!)
Draw Steel (with my friend Dave)
Flying Circus — That downtime cycle so, so good!!
Mythic Bastionland — Chef’s kiss
Cairn (with Judd)
Supers FitD (with Rich Rogers)
CBR+PNK — Cyberpunk FitD via Mad-Dice debut.
Break!! — Anime-inspired fantasy one-shots.
Monster of the Week — Back to IRL play
Champions 6E — Classic supers in my Lifted setting
Jiangshi (with Sarah Doom) — Fantastic premise, great game
Cold City playtest — Post-war Berlin horror
Moria (The One Ring) — Khazad-dûm as a sandbox
Lifted — Unnatural Ops
Mekton Zeta — Mecha play in a Titanfall-inspired setting
Apocalypse World: Burned Over (2E) — PbtA classic in the Kuiper Belt
That’s… more than I expected when I started writing the list.
A good mix, too: one-shots, short campaigns, ongoing games. That balance feels right, especially given adult schedules and everything else competing for attention.
Posts That Resonated
These were the pieces that sparked the most conversation, shares and reads.
RPG Design List — Tools and resources for designers
Miseries & Misfortunes — Paris, 1648, and historicalish play
Tiny Con Manifesto — Why small conventions matter
Veterans Day — A PSA that still matters
Welcome to Khazad-dûm — Kicking off the Moria campaign
What This Means Going Forward
Stats are just numbers until you ask why.
Why are 57% of you struggling to find players or schedule games? That tells me I should write more about building and sustaining gaming communities.
Why are 86% of you here for GM advice and inspiration? That tells me the direction is right—but I can probably go deeper and get more specific.
Why did those posts land? Usefulness?
That’s what I’m carrying into the next year:More practical.More useful.More “here’s how to do the thing.”
What stats would you want to see about your own gaming year?