RPG Dark World is presently open for submissions. If there’s a weird RPG you think more people should play, you can pitch us a 100 word mini-review. If you have something more complex to say about RPGs, you can pitch us a 500 word feature. 

How do I submit a pitch?

Email us at darkworld@vextro.site, introduce yourself briefly if we haven’t spoken before, and tell me what you want to write about. If I think it’s a good fit, I’ll ask you to send me a draft. I’ll offer some gentle editorial feedback to make sure what's special about it comes through clearly, and when we’re satisfied with it, it’ll go in the queue and I'll publish it in an upcoming issue.

If you're confident that what you're pitching is a good fit, you can include a draft in your first email if you wish. We cap reviews at 100 words, but feel free to send in longer drafts, or multiple drafts trying out different angles, and I'll help you boil down to the most compelling 100 words I can with my meager editorial skills.

What counts as an RPG? Is <game> enough of an RPG?

That's up to you! I don't want to gatekeep the bounds of genre, I want to connect RPG enjoyers to games outside their usual zone of awareness. If a game isn't recognizable as an RPG, you might have to work a little harder to connect it back to the form - but as long as what you're saying has some relevance for RPG enjoyers, it's fair game. 

What kind of RPGs do you review?

Games overshadowed by the industry, whose content, values, or circumstances of production keep them in commercial and cultural obscurity. The primary focus is on games made outside of the industry, games made without funding or studios or publisher “support”: freeware games, hobbyist and DIY games, fangames, romhacks, doujin games, VIPRPGs, games too weird, niche, obtuse, experimental, or broken to sell, dredged up from the depths of itch.io. There is room also for “retro” games of commercial origin that were overlooked or forgotten by history: “dated” games, games that were too hard or mean or obtuse to catch on, “generic” games or “clones” of more popular games with underappreciated quirks or nuances, games that were unknown in Japan and america but popular in other markets, games that reveal paths not taken and evoke alternate histories. Industry games younger than 20 years old have a higher bar to clear.

I’m especially excited about:

• Games from artists who are making games right now and need more support to keep at it
• Games from black and indigenous creators
• Games with a strong command of game design language or for which the use of game design is a core part of what makes them special
• Games whose strengths are unconventional or unfamiliar
• Redemptive readings of old games people thought were poorly made or forgettable.
• Games that have never been reviewed before (not counting steam reviews, itch comments, etc.)

I’m mostly not interested in hearing about:

• Games that already get a lot of attention or have a visible fandom. (If something's in a gray area, feel free to ask.)
• Demos of games that are still in the oven, unless you can argue that they stand on their own. (Abandoned games are fine.)
• Self-promotion. I'd love to hear about what's great about your game, but it has to come from a critical perspective, so it should come someone who's experienced it as a player. You can encourage your friends or fans to write something all you want.
• Games I (Sraëka) have made. Okay, I am interested in hearing about them, I just won’t print it.

What do you want out of a review?

I want to know what makes the game special for you. The goal of RPG Dark World isn’t to merely highlight weird games from the cultural margins, it’s to make a case for them being good. What did you think the game was really great at? How does it succeed at what it’s doing? If it doesn’t succeed at it, what made you want to write about it anyway? You can only explain so much in 100 words, so rather than being comprehensive, I suggest focusing on the one or two aspects or experiences that moved you the most. Reviews don’t have to be strictly positive, but the takeaway should be celebratory.

If you’re hurting for words, don’t worry about describing what the game is or what it’s about. The players have a screenshot and web search to cover the basics. Focus on the stuff they can’t look up.

What kind of features do you want?

I’m still figuring this out! More in-depth reviews of underappreciated titles are definitely on the table, though as with micro-reviews, they should have a strong critical perspective and come from a place of love. I’m definitely interested in features that are about RPGs as a format or tradition, on currents within RPG history and culture, and more theory or design focused stuff. This technically departs a bit from the theme of “victories from the shadow of the industry”, but I think it serves a related purpose, demonstrating that RPGs are worth 

I want to submit but I’m afraid my pitch is stupid and you’ll make me feel like an idiot for even trying.

Yeah I feel that, that’s how my brain works too. My values dictate that I should try to be on your side as much as possible if you’re approaching me in good faith, but I’m pretty fried these days so I can’t always conjure the utmost grace and sensitivity. You should count on me to be a little terse or blunt. But if you’re feeling shy or doubting yourself, you can say so in your email and I’ll take it as a cue to practice being sensitive.

Will you pay me for contributing?

No! I’m not giving you one red cent. This is a volunteer operation and if you’re not into that, don’t contribute. You gotta do it because you, too, want this thing to exist and its function to be served.

That said, all contributors get access to the printable versions of all issues of RPG Dark World, and all contributors share the right to print, sell, and profit from the zine. Everyone else can sell your work, you can sell everyone else’s, and no one is obligated to pay anyone. If you think you can turn a profit selling the zine, great! I encourage you to print and sell as many copies as you want for whatever price you please. You have all the same rights here as I do.

How much are you making off our unpaid contributions?

I sell black & white copies for a dollar each but mostly I give them away for free. I put my revenues toward recouping printing costs. In the unlikely event that I turn a profit, I have the right to do whatever I want with it, but I want to put it toward some kind of weird RPG grant fund. I’d like everything I generate from this goes back into the community in some way.

I can’t prove everything I’ve done or especially what I will do. Beyond a certain point you just have to trust me. Here’s my accounting spreadsheet if it helps.

I like the newsletter and want it to succeed. How can I help?

Play the games discussed in the newsletter. If you like them, tell your friends, post about them on your favorite website, leave itch comments or steam reviews, or message the devs and tell them what it means to you. This newsletter succeeds when people are excited about weird RPGs, so if you’re doing that, you’re already helping.