2026 Substack and TTRPG Goals

Read, write and play more

Last Year Recap

If I had to summarize 2025 in a single word, it would probably be something like “collection” or “backlog.” I did, in fact, purchase a bit more than I would have expected at the beginning of the year.

I was fully aware of every purchase I made. Still, something is amusing about realizing this when tabletop role playing games are a hobby that does not actually require much to enjoy.

In most cases, you buy a single book, and you are ready to play. Many systems even offer free rules that let you play for a long time before spending anything on core books. That said, I discovered many great publishers this year, including Exalted Funeral and Free League. On top of that, my long-time favorites, like Dungeons and Dragons, also had some great releases.

So yes, I spent more than I planned. I do not regret those purchases at all. However, I do want to make sure I spend time with those products before acquiring more RPGs.

So, if 2025 was about getting a lot of books, I want 2026 to actually be about reading them.

What I really want is to enjoy the TTRPG products I already own. That can mean actually playing the games, but it can also mean simply reading them.

For me, playing is only half the fun. I genuinely enjoy reading rulebooks, discovering the art, the layout, the fonts, the art direction, and the overall production quality. All of that is part of the experience.

I also enjoy digging into game mechanics, reflecting on them, and imagining small tweaks I might make. In that sense, I sometimes treat TTRPG books the same way I treat novels. Simply owning and reading them can already be enough to make me happy.

That said, there is definitely a part of me that wants to play more. Time is always a factor, whether it involves group play or solo play. Solo gaming gives me more flexibility, and I already play in a weekly D and D campaign with friends. Still, I would like to make room for more games overall.

Try to be S.M.A.R.T

Whenever I set goals, whether they relate to hobbies, health, finances, or other areas, I try to follow a clear framework. I often come back to the SMART framework, which means goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

With that in mind, I know I cannot realistically say that I want to play every TTRPG I own in 2026. There are simply too many.

A more realistic overarching goal is to explore and play more TTRPG than I did last year, and to revisit the purchases that interest me the most, either by reading them or by playing them.

From there, I can break that intention down into clearer goals.

Goal #1

My first goal focuses on play and reading. Specifically, I want to engage with at least two TTRPGs per month. When I say play, I also include reading the books in depth. This goal is measurable, achievable, and realistic. It directly supports my desire to become more knowledgeable about different systems and to feel that my purchases were worthwhile.

Goal #2

My second goal focuses on writing. I want to be more consistent in sharing what I discover. Ideally, I would like to write about TTRPGs every week, with at least two reviews per month. That means publishing an article every two weeks. This gives me a clear deadline, makes progress easy to track, and feels realistic in terms of time and effort.

If I stick to that pace, by the end of the year, I will have covered around 26 different TTRPG products.

That feels meaningful without being overwhelming. Publishing articles also serves as proof to myself that I actually read or played the game, which ties everything together nicely.

Final thoughts

So those are my goals for 2026: play more, explore more, and write more about the games I love.

I would love to hear your thoughts, and I would also appreciate hearing about your own goals or resolutions for the year. What are you hoping to explore next?

Thank you for reading. Cheers!

🔴 P.S. I recently started a YouTube Channel, take a look here