Creator Resources
Looking for more ways to improve or support your work? Check out these resources:
Financial Assistance
Chapbook Co-Op: helping first-time, impoverished and/or marginalized identities get their TTRPG zines printed and in the hands of retail distributors
RPG Creators Relief Fund: provides financial assistance to tabletop roleplaying game creators suffering hardship due to medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other catastrophic situations.
Storytelling Collective Scholarships: nominate yourself or a friend to receive a scholarship for their digital writing and creativity courses, including their RPG Writer's Workshop content
The Pathways Fellowship: offers quarterly grants to tabletop organizations promoting diverse voices and offers scholarships for emerging designers to attend events
GAMA Horizons Fellowship: a six-month accelerator offering coaching, grants, and con attendance for prospective and newly established tabletop game publishers, creators, and retail store owners from historically underrepresented communities
IGDN Metatopia Diversity Scholarship: a scholarship for marginalized tabletop designers to attend Metatopia
New Voices in Gaming: a scholarship & mentorship that supports diverse board game designers attending Tabletop Network Conference in Dallas, TX
1,000 Dreams Fund Twitch BroadcastHER Grant: $500 - $1,500 for women broadcasting on Twitch (priority given to students). Funds can be used to cover travel to gaming conventions and educational conferences, for hardware upgrades, and for instructional programs related to creative or artistic pursuits.
Big Bad Con Scholarship Fund: covers hotel rooms, convention badges, and other necessary fees for financially challenged women, people of color, disabled, and lgbtqia+ individuals to attend Big Bad Con in Burlingame, CA
Game On! Grants: $250-$500 to assist a library or libraries in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities
Mentorships
IGDN Mentorship Program: the IGDN offers a mentorship program to new designers starting their journeys into the tabletop game industry. A mentor and mentee work together towards a goal over a six-month period. A minimum of four one-on-one mentoring meetings happen over this timeframe in parallel with electronic communication. ($50 fee for mentees, can be waived)
Board Game Broads Mentorship Program: a mentorship for women and gender non-conforming folks in the tabletop design community, organized through the Board Game Broads Facebook group
Kickstarter Board Games Mentorships: mentorships run through the Facebook group for people creating Kickstarter projects
TGDA Mentor Program: an Australian mentorship for tabletop designers that lasts between 3-5 hours spaced out over a period of time run by Tabletop Game Designers Australia ($50 fee for mentees)
IGDA Global Mentorship Program: the program allows for mentees to get advice from people in their field and mentors to practice mentorship and build relationships (for paid IGDA members only)
Breakout Con Mentorship Program: a one-day mentorship for board and card game and RPG designers at the in-person Breakout Con in Toronto, Canada
Facebook Groups
Tabletop Game Designers Guild: a great place to learn and get help with board game design
Tabletop Game Publishers Guild: a space for publishers to share information and help each other regarding the industry or manufacturers and best practices
Tabletop Game Art & Graphics Guild: connects tabletop game artists with publishers needing them as well as offers assistance when it comes to graphic design, illustrations, or 3D sculpts specific to the board game production
Tabletop Game Crowdfunding Guild: a community dedicated to improving crowdfunding campaigns before they go live
Board Game Reviewers & Media: for board game media members helping each other and for publishers seeking coverage for their games
Association of Colourblind Gamers: a resource for colour challenged players and board game creators alike spreading awareness and keeping board games colour blind friendly
Board Game Broads+: an inclusive space for women, gender non-conforming, non-binary and trans folks in the tabletop game industry
Resources for Creating Diverse and Inclusive Games
Anti-Racism Resources for Tabletop Games: a great list of resources on topics including representation, world-building, and miniatures creation to help combat racial discrimination in games and gaming communities from No More Damsels
Accessibility in Tabletop Resources: an incredibly thorough list of resources for games, worldbuilding, art, technology, and language to help make games and the gaming communities more accessible, compiled by Jennifer Kretchmer
TTRPG Safety Toolkit: a selection of resources to make playing TTRPGs a safer experience, created by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk
Disability Consultants for Geeky Projects: a list of consultants available to help with project accessibility, many of whom specialize in tabletop projects, compiled by Writing Alchemy (rates vary)
Accessibility Consultancy: have game prototypes tested and evaluated for accessibility, with actionable suggestions made by Meeple Like Us (hourly rates vary)
Sensitivity Readers: a variety of individual sensitivity readers, some with TTRPG experience, organized and vetted by Salt & Sage Books (rates vary)
DOTS RPG Project: resources for making accessible PDFs, 3D models for braille dice, and a directory of accessibility and disability consultants
Mental Health Resources
Games and Online Harassment Hotline: a free, text message-based, confidential emotional support hotline focused on gamers. Available Monday-Friday, 4-7 Pacific time (US only).
Mental Health Resources and Tools: a great page of resources from Take This, a mental health nonprofit decreasing stigma and increasing support for mental health in games. This page compiles resources including crisis lines, therapy resources, and self-care tools.
CheckPoint: an Australian organization providing mental health support for gamers and the gaming community, with a website full of videos, tools, and resources
Trans Lifeline: a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive
Additional Resources
Playtesting Groups: an amazing list of playtesting groups (online and IRL) compiled by Cardboard Edison
The 2022 Guide To Board Game Conventions: Meeple Mountain created this handy guide to board game conventions with an updated list of online and in-person conventions happening worldwide
Tabletop Game Jobs & Board Game Jobs: both sites contain tabletop-related job listings
The Compendium: a board game publisher directory with submission guidelines from Cardboard Edison (fee applies)
RPG Writer Workshop: several courses available to help TTRPG writers start or hone their craft (fees apply)
Game Design Online & The Board Game Design Course: these courses are designed for new board game designers looking to get a head start and learn best practices (fees apply)
Peer Coaching: participants are matched with a peer coach and meet over video chat to share their knowledge of the business of game design (for paid members of the IGDN)