What’s Happening with Taletell Hearts

We’re back from our June break with another newsletter! Taletell Hearts has some exciting things planned for this Fall and we’re excited to share everything with you once we can!

In May, we ran our second annual BIPOC Star Wars Weekend, and raised over $1,500 for the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. The games have all been uploaded to our YouTube channel to watch at your viewing pleasure!

Guest Column

A Rose By Any Other Name - Anonymous Contributor

A title and an ending. For me, all my projects start with both.

I use titles to tell the story before it begins. To colour themes a certain way or to add layers for the reader to unpack, examine, and recontextualise their experiences. But, most importantly, I use titles to feel proud of what I create. Because names are powerful things, filled to the brim with all of what your art is and all of what your art will be to those who find it.

Endings, on the other hand, I create to guide me. Knowing how a story ends helps me craft a narrative where every character name, setting description, plot point, word choice, literary device, personality trait, page break, chapter and theme, all point in the same direction.

I guess, if all that we wrote was the reeds, then to me titles and endings are the eastward winds that blow.

(Thank you to our first guest contributor! If you’re interested in volunteering to write for the newsletter, please reach out via email!)

Projects to Look Out For

This month we’ve got a few project we recommend you check out!

Up first we have a new Kickstarter project from Cloud Curio. The Book of Wyrms is a system agnostic zine of wyrms for your TTRPG adventures! This bestiary will give you 10 wyrms to add to your game, ranging from tiny to gargantuan. The wyrms come with lore, prompts, tables, and items for you to pull from when incorporating them into your stories! You can pick up a digital copy for $10 or a physical and digital bundle for $20. Check it out here!​

ThoughtCrime Games LLC has a new project coming in 44 days! They’re going to be funding a physical run of their project, Five Fires. In this game, your party will be a mix of DJs, breakers, MCs, and graffiti writers using art to heal and manage the stress of living. While has been out for over a decade in PDF, this edition will feature new art and a revised layout. If you’re also looking for influences to get into the game right away, this project will also feature starter cities to help you get into the game faster! Follow their campaign here!

Looking for a way to give back and also get some cool games out of the deal? There’s been a new bundle launch on Itch.io to raise funds for Immigrant Defenders Law Center, an LA based social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system and RAÍCES, a Texas based organization fighting to welcome and fight for families seeking safety and freedom in the U.S. For a minimum of a $10 contribution, you’ll get 560 items ranging from TTRPGs to zines to video games! Plus your money will be going to a great cause.

​Buy the bundle today!

Game Jams

If you’re anything like our team, you’re likely looking for inspiration when it comes to creating while the world is being… a lot. But as storytellers, part of our responsibility and revolution is to create stories to help folk imagine a world where we can all thrive.

This month, we’d like to feature a couple of game jams on Itch.io to inspire you to create something new. The Build a Better World TTRPG jam encourages folk to create zines, games, or supplements around the theme of building a better world. They have a few SRD (system reference documents) for folk to click on if you’re not sure where to start. We’d definitely encourage joining, especially since this jam runs until September 22nd!

​Join the jam and write a new TTRPG!

Have a game already published on Itch.io and want to help support a solid cause? SE Asian Games for Good has partnered with UNRWA to put on the Play for Peace: Games for Palestine charity drive on Itch.io. The goal is to get as many people as possible to submit games to the jam that will then be turned into a bundle to raise money for UNRWA USA.

You can submit your full finished games here - make sure to check the next steps and instructions that they’ve laid out.

That’s it for this month! Make sure that you check out YouTube page and follow us all over to stay up to date on what Taletell Hearts is up to! Follow us across all our socials and check out our older newsletters.

As always, thank you for reading. Take care of yourselves. Tell brilliant, brave stories. We’ll see you around the Library.

Written by PizzaYeti. Edited by Ave "Calamity" Kaye.