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Alternatives to game sessions

or Dealing with Creative Burnout

What do you do when it all seems like too much of a chore to prep for a game? How do you cope with the feeling that nothing you do is good enough, or that life is sapping your energy so you have nothing left over for creativity? Why does it all sometimes seem just too darned hard?

I’ll be honest for a moment, 2024 and 2025 really did a number on me. Yes, I was doing a lot of things that I had wanted to do – interviews, attending conventions, running games for international folks – but it all came at a price: Burnout.

We often forget that TTRPGs are a creative endeavour, and that creativity isn’t a resource you can just turn on and off at will. We require rest and, dare I say it, a little boredom to help fuel it. When life gets in the way of a good time, as it so often has a habit of doing, it can be tempting to power through the inertia in an effort to just have some fun. And sometimes that works. And sometimes, it doesn’t.

As a GM, we are so focussed on weaving a good story for our players that we often forget that we are also there for a good time. So, when we start to feel run down, or lacklustre, or just plain tired, we soldier on thinking that the game will give us the boost we need to keep going. But what happens when that stops being the case, and the game (or games) we are running actually start to be part of the problem, not the cure?

There is nothing wrong with taking breaks from your games. Navigated correctly, communicated appropriately, it can mean the difference between just dropping a game entirely or revitalising your creative brain. Just as players sometimes need to take a break because life is interrupting their ability to enjoy your sessions, you are also completely valid in needing to take a break too. Chatting with your players about what is going on, how long you think you’ll need to recover, and what they can do to help is a great way of keeping everything transparent, so they can help support you.

But what if it’s just not fun anymore and you want to stop it altogether?

Well, that’s completely valid too. There’s no GM Bible that decrees “Thou must finish the game to everyone’s satisfaction!” Sometimes games just end because they’ve got to the end of their benefit run. And yes, it’s sad, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the end of your group catching up and hanging out. You can always find new ways to engage with TTRPGs, without adding to the workload that got you to burnout in the first place.

Slide deck nights (aka: PowerPoint Party)

Everyone makes a slide deck about a system or setting they’re excited about, or a BBEG they’ve been dying to include in a game, or any other aspect of the hobby you all love. Just quietly between you and I, I would love to do one of these. I think it’d be super hilarious and fun to boot. Keep it short and simple. Include all the whacky transitions you can think of, and have fund teaching your friends about things you’re into, and learning more about your folks!

Mini painting session

Just want a super chill night with little to no prep? Why not grab a mini each and just paint it. No agenda. Limited pre-session prep beyond packing your paints and brushes (and your mini, of course). Just a group of friends, bringing life to a bunch of lil guys! It’s a perfect palate cleanser if the game prep is getting you down. Just don’t drink the paint water.

Silent reading night

Snacks. Drinks. Book. Done. TTRPG books are, of course, preferred, but not necessary. You can have some suitably themed music on in the background if that’s your jam, or not as your attention requires. Everyone gets cosy, opens their books and just enjoys some parallel … ermmm… reading?

Window Adventuring Party Mansion Shopping

Now, hear me out – bring your own device, open Zillow, and start looking for the perfect place for your adventuring party or coterie of kindred to take over. Zero dollars spent, and max window shopping vibes. The more ridiculous, the better. I mean, if they didn’t want us to click on their property, why would they have included that photo? You know the one I’m talking about. The GM can also share suggestions for the ultimate BBEG lair, because everyone needs a base of operations, amirite?

Image: John Pizzi Real Estate

Get crafty

Make friendship bracelets in your characters colours or themes and share them with your fellow party members (and the GM, of course). Make mood boards for notable NPCs. Make a deck of cards from your characters and NPCs. Whatever it is, make it low-cost, low-effort and fun.

Food and drink pairings

If there is a cookbook from your system of setting (such as the Heroes Feast D&D cookbook, or perhaps the Fallout cookbook), why not choose a recipe each and make a night of it? Alternatively, you can each make a dish and drink of your character (the GM chooses an NPC or perhaps the setting overall) and share it together. The idea of eating something you thought your character’s parent might make them when they were a child is just so (if you’ll forgive the pun) delicious!

These are just a few ideas to give your self a reprieve from game session prep while still hanging out with your group. What ideas would you like to try? Can you think of any others? I’d love to hear about what you and your party might get up to

How to promote your TTRPG Actual Play

You’ve gathered the players and GM. You have a story to tell and are about to start recording.

Stop.

How are you going to get your actual play in front of the right people?
Sure, you’ve probably got social media accounts and probably a Discord. You might have even got some artwork for your player characters done by one of the amazing artists in the community, but unless people know about your AP, where to find it, when to watch it, and what they can do to support your efforts, you’re going to be just another voice in the void.

So, how do you get your work in front of the right people to grow your audience?

Find the right audience

Having a good idea of who would be the right audience is the first step. Fans of the game system you’re playing is a good start, as is the genre of story you’re playing.

Use the right language

This will help you word things correctly for them. For example, using “D&D” if you’re playing Call of Cthulhu might attract some people, but it’s not going to bring your primary audience – those people who will come to see what you’re doing differently.

Find the right platform(s)

It’s no good putting your work on one platform, if no one is there. This is where diversifying your publishing becomes important. Live playing on platforms like Twitch is great for initial views if your audience is awake and ready to watch at the same time, but if they want to go back and watch later, you’re going to need to think about somewhere like YouTube where videos can live on in posterity. Long tail views account for a large portion of your overall audience viewership in APs, and YouTube works really well in conjunction with a website to get visibility of your group in search.

Be strategic

Not unlike heading into a lair of some eldritch being, going in with all guns blazing might bag you a few hits, but ultimately it’s going to lead to more misses. By the same token, if a strategy isn’t working, you and your team might need to adapt and change tactics mid-battle. Knowing what you’re doing to spread the word of your work is vitally important, and having everyone on the same page (liking and resharing posts on social media for instance) means more people to help build momentum behind your project.

Planning what you’re going to post out on social media ahead of schedule allows you ensure continuity of messaging. Take a look at the 2025 Social Media Planner if you’re looking for an easy planning tool.

Community is golden

The TTRPG community is a goldmine of connections and cheerleaders. There are many avenues to share what you’re working on with people who are actively invested in the thing’s you’re making,s o be active int he community – not just to share what you’re doing but to support others in the community too. Positive sentiment is rocket fuel for creatives, and reciprocity is rife amongst TTRPG players and writers, so get involved!

My top tips

  • Make a stand-alone website as a home for your project or group. It doesn’t hve to be fancy but it has to help folks find you in search.
  • Have a unified, branded look for your website and all social media. Logo, name, handle, links all help people recall you and your project.
  • Use a link aggregator like Beacon or Linktree to share links in social media profiles, etc. It’s way easier to update links in one place and have it roll out.
  • Be an active part of the TTRPG community. We all want this community to thrive and you might find your next superfan amongst them!
  • Make sure your players and crew are all sharing any posts. It’s an easy way for them to support the work everyone is doing.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. It takes time to build an audience and time to make an impact. Focus on having fun and telling the story in your heart.