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

• 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: 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

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 Besties: 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. 

• 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 2024-2025 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)