BEYOND THE TABLE •
BEYOND THE TABLE •
Tabletop gaming shapes us in ways that extend far past our gaming sessions. Here, Chicago's TTRPG community explores the bigger questions, deeper connections, and real-world impacts of our shared passion.
From examining how games can build democratic habits to advocating for accessibility and inclusion, these contributor stories dive into what happens when we take the lessons learned around gaming tables and apply them to our lives, our city, and our community.
Featured voices. Critical perspectives. Community conversations.
Beyond the Table showcases the thoughtful analysis and diverse experiences of Chicago's tabletop gaming community. Want to contribute? Contact us to pitch your story.
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice: 9 Cozy Games for the Turn of the Season
Here are nine games where nothing is chasing you. Some are for a full table, some are for one person and a deck of cards, and yes, a couple of them will still make somebody cry.
Anything But Barovia: 8 Spooky TTRPGs That Aren’t Strahd
Dread is not a resource that accumulates over thirty sessions. It is closer to a held breath, and the reason a good scary movie runs ninety minutes rather than nine hours is that the whole effect depends on the audience agreeing to stay tense and then being let go.
A GM’s Guide to Session Zero: Tips, Checklist, and FAQs Answered
Our new GM’s Guide series is going to cover basic vocabulary and 101-style topics about running TTRPGs. The information here will be system-agnostic, that is, it can be applied to any game. We’ll also include insight from our community members and give you a free PDF to apply this technique at your table.
Spore Lore: CTGA Touches Grass
In September, about fifteen CTGA members met up with Dylan from the Chicago Mushroom Club and headed into the woods to learn about fungi. We walked, took photographs, asked questions, and spent a few hours paying attention to things that are usually very easy to walk right past.
Meet the CTGA Board at Red Gate Woods
Once they got over the existential question of "who am I?", my fellow board members were exited to play themselves and explore Chicago from a magical realism angle. Now you might be thinking that there are a lot of systems that are perfectly designed for this setting.
Who Gets to Sit at the Table?
This is, of course, one of the natural tendencies of a hobby organization. The people who are easiest to find are often the people who are already there. But, if you want a community to last, you have to think about the people who are still standing outside of it.
How to Avoid Getting Overwhelmed at TTRPG Conventions
Conventions are designed to pack as much into a short time as possible. Larger ones can have hundreds of presentations, panels, and games to choose from. And that's before we even get to the mainstage events, parties, or the sometimes endless Artist Alley. For the extroverted, this is a wonderland, but for some of us it can be a little overwhelming if not downright intimidating.
The First Shift at the Arcana Factory
If you’re a denizen of the internet, and especially D&D Instagram, you might already have heard of the Arcana Factory. Their imaginative approach to storytelling has drawn in hundreds of fans even before their first live play episode has dropped.
There and Back Again: The Tale of the CTGA Express
For many people in Chicago, Gen Con is tantalizingly close. Indianapolis is only a few hours away: close enough that it feels accessible, far enough that getting there becomes its own project. You need a car, or a friend with a car. You need to figure out parking, or rental costs, or train schedules that don't quite line up.
The CTGA Community at GenCon 2026
Come see the events, panels, presentations, and games being run by CTGA community members at GenCon 2026.
Ranking the D&D Classes from Straightest to Queerest: A Pride Tier List
Every class can be played by every person, and every class can be played gay. The most achingly tender lesbian arc I have ever witnessed at a table was between two human Fighters played by very burly straight men at a con who refused to use a single feeling-word in each other's direction, except to praise each other's violent handiwork. Identity is a rich tapestry.
Rolling a New Self: How TTRPGs Let Us Play With Who We Are
Pride is a month that asks us to celebrate, and we should. But it also asks us to notice the smaller, quieter scaffolding that holds queer identity up. We need to look to the spaces, practices, and people that let us figure out who we are before we say anything out loud. For a lot of us, the tabletop is one of those spaces, and I do not think that is an accident.
5 Tips for Attending Your First TTRPG Convention
Going to your first TTRPG convention can be overwhelming, both in good ways and uncomfortable ones. If, like me, you gain some comfort from going into a situation feeling prepared, here are 5 tips to make your first one a great experience.
Snacks, Survival, and the Natural 1 of Convention Nutrition
This particular kind of hunger is not ordinary hunger. It is not, "I could go for lunch." It is a feral, time-warped condition in which your body suddenly remembers it has been running entirely on coffee, one granola bar, and the ambient magic of a dealer hall pretzel since 9:15 a.m.
Talking Vampire: The Masquerade with Joshua Alan Doetsch
Ok, you read last week’s guide about Vampire: The Masquerade (VtM), and now you’re dying to know more? Well, there’s only so much that I, a mere mortal, can tell you.
So I went straight to the Kindred themselves. Or at least as close as you can get. Today, we’ll be talking to Chicago’s own Prince of the Camarilla, Joshua Alan Doetsch.
A Guide to Vampire: The Masquerade for Dimension 20 Fans
I am beyond excited that Dimension 20 is playing a season in Vampire: The Masquerade (VTM). So I’m going to break down the basics, define some terms/names that you’ll hear a lot in the upcoming Dimension 20 season: City Council of Darkness, and touch on the differences in gameplay styles.
Why Play Indie TTRPGs?
I’ve spent a long time talking to players at my own table and the general public about why they play the games they play, and if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to discuss a few of the biggest reasons why there’s a barrier to playing Indie RPGs.
And hopefully convince you to give them a shot.
Adventurers Wanted 2! A TTRPG Community Expo
We could never have predicted the success of last year’s Adventurer’s Wanted, and you blew us away for the second year in a row! 143 TTRPG players, gamer runners, and creators joined us at Color Club to meet more of their community and introduce players to new games.
You're the GM Now: Tips for Running Games at Your First Con
The table is full. Players are pulling out dice, glancing at their character sheets. The chatter fades. They wait with bated breath, hope, excitement, and precious con-time for this game to start. It’s electric. And then it hits you.
Oh no. You're the GM.
The D&D and TTRPG Stores of Chicago
When you visit a brick-and-mortar store, the owner has already put tremendous thought into the selection of games, minis, dice, and fun trinkets. You benefit from their knowledge of the industry even if you never ask them for recommendations (but you should, they usually have great ones).