You folks know I’m a sucker for a good solo TTRPG. I dove into them hard when the pandemic started and they are a constant source of joy for me. I love discovering new ones, especially when they let me explore a new angle on an old theme or idea.
Which is why I was so excited to talk with Ennio about his solo TTRPG Bloodless, which is an intriguing take on a vampire journaling game. But of course we talked about other things as well…
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Brent: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Ennio. For our readers not yet familiar with your work, please tell me a bit about yourself.
Ennio: Thanks for having me! I’m Ennio, a TTRPG and layout designer from Puerto Rico. I make games and write D&D adventures. I’m a big fan of mysteries, horror, and comedy. I also love hearing about new creative projects, so if you’re working on anything fun, please share it with me!
B: What drew you into tabletop roleplaying games? What was your “hero origin story” in the hobby?
E: I didn’t get into ttrpgs until later on in life, so I feel like I’m still new to the space. I saw an episode of Critical Role and thought “I want to try that!” I deal with social anxiety so it took me a while to reach out and find people to play with, but eventually I got into a new pathfinder group. It was so much fun and we stopped playing after about a month due to schedule conflicts (Time, the true endgame boss). The experience stuck with me though and I started going to local game stores and playing there. Eventually I started running my own games at the stores and at home. It was something I loved doing, it was a way for me and friends to hang out and do something creative together. I’ve been engrossed with ttrpgs ever since.
B: How and when did you shift from player/GM to designing your first adventure or game? Was that gradual or did you jump in right away?
E: Gradual, in a sneaky way. Growing up I would often write short stories, though I didn’t see myself as a creative person. When I started DMing, I was writing lore, items, npcs, and story beats for my players every week. I found that I enjoyed it and I was good at it. It’s funny, I have a shelf full of binders with all the stuff I wrote for those campaigns but I still didn’t see myself as a writer. I had been designing my own adventures for years without realizing. It wasn’t until my players suggested I post online that I realized “Wait, you can do that?”
B: Bloodless is your solo TTRPG available on Itch right now. Can you tell me a bit about the game?
E: Bloodless is a rules-lite journaling game where you play as a vampire who’s had a rough night. The stakes are high, figuratively and literally, and you only have a little bit of time before the sun comes up and burns your life away. It’s a quick game that helps you write your own vampire story, whether that’s a dire horror, or more of a comedy of errors like What We Do in the Shadows.
B: Many vampire themed games feature their superhuman abilities and how powerful they are. Bloodless focuses on a vampire in their moment of greatest, and perhaps fatal, weakness. What made that a compelling basis for a game?
E: So the game came about after watching the Vampire the Masquerade series LA by Night. While vampires are these immortal powerful creatures, typically the whole world is against them. Some of my favorite moments from that show were when players faced that adversity and the dice didn’t work with them.Things would get complicated. The players would have to find new creative solutions that often lead to more disastrous results. Those results, and the baggage they caused, would build the next arc, making the whole series feel much more engaging. So I wanted to focus on that and have a game that encourages risky solutions.
B: Bloodless is built on Caltrop Core by TitanomachyRPG. What made that the ideal engine for this solo TTRPG?
E: At the time I had just finished writing a few D&D adventures and wanted to try something new. I started playing solo rpgs for the first time and one of my favorites was Her Odyssey by S. Kaiya J. I loved how straightforward the mechanics were. With Caltrop Core, all you needed to dive into a new world were a handful of d4s. It provided guidelines, without getting in the way, making it a great way to write my own game.
B: Besides Bloodless, you’ve also designed other small games like Feathers and Thread and Who’s Hoo?. What is it that draws you to create solo and more focused multiplayer games?
E: I usually write something that I want to play. For Who’s Hoo? my group was taking a break from a campaign so I came up with something we could play after watching this video. (I still laugh everytime I see this.) With the pandemic, that shifted to smaller games that could be played alone or with a partner. I found that these solo games still have a good collaborative experience, since you can share your playthrough with others. They just have the benefit of being played at your own pace.
B: Besides your games on Itch you have also created and contributed to adventures for D&D 5e. What do you find different when creating for each? And does your work with one contribute to the other?
E: Since there’s so much content for D&D I typically start with some established setting and build off from there. My other games tend to be more random ideas. Though working on adventures helped me develop new skills and learn a lot about design in general. They set the groundwork for me to be comfortable working on my own unique ideas. And to add to that, Itch is filled with so many diverse rpgs. I see a huge variety of games, ranging from playing as a Mythic Muse to playing as a dog with a sword. It’s all very inspiring.
B: Your games are listed on both the DM’s Guild site and Itch. Can you talk about how those sites compare as far as reaching potential players, and your experience with each?
E: DM’s Guild has a lot more reach. The way their site is set up and their weekly newsletter makes it easier for people to find new titles. Right now, Itch seems mostly focused on digital games. There could be more tools to help out TTRPG creators. Though I do love the small ttrpg community that’s building up on Itch. People are very open to talk about games, leave comments and share. It feels like people there just want to help indie devs and try new rpgs.
B: As a layout editor, what are some things you wish people knew about good layout design? What are some elements someone trying to design a layout for the first time should consider?
E: I’m still learning but good layout mostly comes down to organizing the text in a clear way. You don’t want to make it hard for people to read what you wrote. For first timers, start with looking at other titles or your favorite book and seeing how it’s organized. Use templates! They’re a great way to learn what works. This one by Clayton Notestine was intentionally made to help teach good layout.
B: As a designer, what other games out there right now excite you? What are you drawn to as a designer and as a player/GM?
E: I’ve been really into solo rpgs lately and I’m a fan of horror so I can’t wait to play Carved by the Garden. It looks creepy, and weird and I love it. Typically I’m drawn to games with a strong clear theme, it doesn’t have to be expansive, just enough to dive into. Games like Rune or Dead Belt where it feels like your playthrough is part of a wild and huge world. I also appreciate games with a good sense of humor. If your game makes me laugh, I’ll play it. (Here’s looking at you Hamsters and Himbos.)
B: It may be too soon to ask, but any future projects coming up? Anything you can tease or talk about?
E: Yea! Later this year I’ll be working on the layout for Pelogos, It’s a horror ttrpg about underwater paranormal investigators and I can’t wait to see the full game. As far as my own stuff, I’ve been a bit busy with commissions lately and haven’t written down anything solid in a while. I started writing a series of one page D&D encounters that I’d like to finish sometime soon. And I also have an idea for a solo rpg that’s like the video game Journey, where you’re exploring a huge lonely world. I feel like I have the problems a lot of creators do where you have a lot of ideas but not enough time to bring them to life.
B: Thank you again for talking with me! Where can folks find you if they want to see what you’re up to?
E: Thank you so much, this was fun! My website is the place to find me and I’m on Twitter and Bluesky at Ennio_Goes. If emails are more your thing, I also have a newsletter where I talk about new games and design tips.
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Thanks again to Ennio for talking with me! Please check out the links above to find more of his work and follow him on socials to stay on top of his work.
