Lightspress focuses on several underserved genres in roleplaying, including crime, mystery, dark academia, cozy fantasy, and political thrillers. Our titles aim to transition away from wargaming roots toward more story-driven, character-focused experiences. Additionally, we prioritize settings set in the present day, familiar past (such as the Victorian era or 20th century), and near future to align with other popular media like television, film, and novels.

I'm presently revising the FAQ page; hence it's temporarily offline. It might evolve into a series of pages organized by topic, like a general Lightspress FAQ, a DoubleZero FAQ, and so on. My aim is to ensure easy access and provide genuinely helpful information.

I've realized that I need to prioritize my well-being and creative fulfillment over chasing after certain projects that no longer align with my goals. In the face of this burnout, I've made some decisions about the future of my work.

Ghostlight invites you into a realm of dark academia, where Gothic intrigue thrives. Set within the walls of a prestigious private performing arts college nestled in a seaside New England town, your characters immerse themselves in the world of theater. But beneath the surface of this seemingly ordinary setting lies a tapestry of mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Can they peel back the layers of secrets shrouding the school, the town, and its inhabitants?

Theme is another one of those aspects where people either understand what I’m doing, or it feels like they never will. A few people seem outright repulsed by the idea, given the reactions I’ve received from the very first book on theme in roleplaying that I published through my Great Gatsby hack.

The question I get asked most is why. They want to know why I seem so obsessed with the idea that theme is an essential element for roleplaying. My answer is simple; I like my adventures to be about something.

I know you’re probably tired of my experimenting with pricing and want me to land on something already. We’re getting closer, and I want to add some transparency to my thought process here.

In case you missed them, here’s what’s new in the shop this week!

• DoubleZero: Detective

• DoubleZero: Federal Agent

• DoubleZero: Journalist

• DoubleZero: Police Officer

• DoubleZero: Undercover Agent

• Dark Academia: Classes

• Dark Academia: Alchemy

• Dark Academia: Grimoires, Volumes 1 & 2

• Dark Academia: Athames

My sincerely held personal belief is that the roleplaying community adheres to the 80/20 rule. For those unfamiliar, the TLDR is that 20% of people are responsible for 80% of results. Like, 20% of customers account for 80% of your sales, that sort of thing. It’s not meant to be an exact 80/20 split, but represents the idea that there is a majority and a minority and that the larger number is significantly greater than the smaller.

Some people find the word manifesto to be off-putting. It’s just a mission statement when you come right down to it. The definition is something like “a public declaration of goals and policy”. Of course, there can be a political connotation, usually ascribed by people whose political agenda revolves around accusing everyone they disagree with of having a political agenda. These are the people that think Star Trek and X-Men only became progressive, like, last week or something.

Today I want to talk more about the part of the hobby that doesn’t involve actually playing, watching other people play, or collecting pretty books you’ll probably never play. I want to talk about the joy of making stuff. Engaging with your creativity, building characters for the fun of it, building worlds, plotting adventures, crafting house rules, all of that stuff.

Today I want to talk about systems. What most people call rules. Without going into a tirade many of you have heard before, I dislike the word rules because it implies structure where it shouldn’t be, creates boundaries in terms of thinking about creative choices, and connects to the whole game/winners/losers thing.

Welcome to The Day-to-Day, a development log where I'll share insights into my ongoing projects. I’ve decided to start with Lightspress itself, a company that embodies my vision for roleplaying as an art form and a commentary on the hobby. Lightspress is more than just a publishing company; it's a statement piece and a form of performance art. My goal with Lightspress is to challenge traditional notions of roleplaying, the industry, and community. We embrace a simple approach to roleplaying. That’s the new official tagline. I plan to avoid, if not entirely jettison, future references to lo-fi aesthetics, brutalism, and punk DIY values. Those are references, but I want to talk about what is, and what’s to come, not what we’re building upon.

I'm Berin Kinsman, and it's my pleasure to welcome you to the dynamic universe of Lightspress. With a wealth of experience in the realm of roleplaying, having participated in and guided countless sessions across a myriad of systems, I've dedicated myself to crafting tools that empower both players and guides to shape their own narratives. Since 2014, I've been fully immersed as a publisher, writer, and designer in this captivating world, and I'm thrilled to share the journey with you.