Hi! I’m Nova (she/her), known as Idle Cartulary. I play DIY elfgames, I write modules and sometimes games, and I talk about dungeons on my podcast Dungeon Regular, but I’m most well known for my world-famous Bathtub Reviews and for my blog Playful Void.

My Bathtub Reviews and I Read Games reviews are typically detailed critiques, covering the whole gamut of what goes into creating a roleplaying game product, such as writing, game design, visual design and layout, art, and information design, as well as looking at broader trends, all through the lens of what I like to bring to my table, but aimed to meet the creator where they’re at, be that high production value offset printed hardcover, or published as a pdf exported from Microsoft Word.

I use affiliate links where I can (that means if you choose to buy something by clicking that link, I’ll get a small credit allowing me to buy something from that store), because keeping up with new releases is expensive and it’s one way to make this sustainable for me to do. For the same reason — sustainability — I’ll accept complementary copies (free copies from creators). None of these things affect my critique of what I’m reviewing; while reviewing is always subjective, you’ll see I try to be even-handed with my critique irregardless of the source it came from.

Why do I keep up this largely thankless job of reviewing modules and games week in and week out? Initially, because I love TTRPGs and modules and I want to understand them deeply and be able to make the best ones I can. But also because there aren’t many people doing regular reviews, and they all come from a similar corner of the hobby: Through diversity, the hobby is stronger. And finally, because I love our hobby, and the creators who strive to create beautiful and interesting things deserve to have their work considered thoughtfully, and talked about.

If you want to hear from me more often, follow me on Bluesky, add Playful Void to your RSS reader, or subscribe to the monthly Idle Digest to have what I’m doing delivered to your inbox.

If you want to support me, I have a Ko-fi, or you can pay me for subscription on my Substack. These don’t provide you with any perks; my hands are full with everything I’m doing already, but you’ll have the satisfaction of helping me continue to afford doing what I do. If you need a reward, my games and modules are available at Idle Cartulary Store: I’d recommend Advanced Fantasy Dungeons and the Curse of Mizzling Grove if you’re into fantasy, Hell on Rev-X if you’re into science fiction.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you’ll be back soon!

Idle Cartulary