There’s an unconscious need to compare #TTRPGs and #VideoGames. I get it. But the production of these two things aren’t even vaguely alike. Before you get in a huff, I spent 15 years in VGs and shipped MANY games of all types, ditto RPGs. What makes them so different?

BURN RATE. Even the indiest of an indie video game is a money sink on a level the most expensive TTRPG will NEVER be. Video Games gobble up cash unlike anything else. TTRPGs? By comparison, they’re CHEAP. Like cheap, cheap. Pennies.

ONE PERSON SHOW AND ACCESSIBLITY. TTRPGs are much more accessible for creators these days. Tools and computing has made it far easier to make a POD book or PDF will minimal help. A full RPG rule book is not far past that.

(Video games also have improved tools, but those tools require much more skill from select people to use (and those with those skills can make a ton of money with them.) TTRPG devs are just writers, basically — a dime a dozen. )

LOTS OF REQUIREMENTS. Video games have a few auteurs — people that do EVERYTHING on a single game, but it’s rare. A game released for any platform has a vast amount of requirements just to get to that platform. Usually that means hiring in a ton of people. TTRPGs? Not so much.

PROFITABILITY. Believe it or not, with the current Kickstarter model, you’re better off making a TTRPG than a VG. VGs don’t fund well for many reasons, but more than that — printing and direct selling TTRPG books pays decently well. Also, it’s likely you can own your work.

So. What does this say? Video games are expensive and complex and growing ever more so. While TTRPGs are cheaper and easier to create. Does this mean you shouldn’t make a video game? Or course not. But it DOES mean that comparing it financially to a TTRPG or vice versa is foolish