1. Home
  2. docs
  3. ttrpg-canvas

#TTRPG Canvas

The TTRPG Canvas is the first tool in the Nurl Sanctum "Ideation" phase of a game system.

#Overview

The TTRPG Canvas is a tool for designers to brainstorm and develop game ideas within 20 minutes to have a solid foundation for pre-development validation.

"The Canvas is your PRODUCT. The game is simply the medium to express it."

#Recommended Approach

We recommend using the following strategy to get the most value from the TTRPG Canvas:

  1. Time-box your session to 20 minutes.
  2. Go in order of the sections. Skip sections you don't have answers for.
  3. Once complete, validate the answers with your "Players" section.
  4. If people aren't excited about the answers, go back and start over.

Note: It is expected and normal to go back and start over multiple times. If you have created a "one shot" canvas - you are more than likely not following the recommended process and setting yourself up for failure.

#Time Boxed Session

The TTRPG Canvas is designed to be completed in 20 minutes. This allows you to start with the quick answers you know and then validate them with your players.

If you approach this process correctly, you will see your canvas improve and solidify over time. The more you validate your ideas with players, the better your game will be and the faster you can get to publishing.

#Go in Order

The canvas is laid out in a specific order to help you think through your game idea in a structured way that builds on itself. However, there may be sections you don't have answers for. In this case, skip them and move on to the next section. You can always come back to them later.

Remember, this should not be a one-time process. The more you iterate overtime, the longer you allow your subconscious to work on your answers, the better your game will be.

#Asking the Hard Questions

The TTRPG Canvas is purposefully meant to allow you to figure out "the right answers" to your game but also ground you in the reality of what it will take to make it a success.

Towards the end of the canvas, you will be asked more business related questions. These are meant to help you understand if your idea is actually viable to make (i.e., how much will it cost vs. how much time it will take to make).

Think of your canvas as a living document.

#Validate with Players

There is a reason why we start with the "Players" section - to ensure you know exactly who to validate your answers with.

Once your canvas is about 75% complete, you should validate the answers with your "target players".

It should be rare that you have an immediate success. Every aspect of each response matters. The goal of this canvas is not to get a "yes" or "no" answer, but to make sure you are designing a game that your target players will enjoy and want to buy.

#Iteration

You should plan on spending at least 2 weeks creating, validating, and iterating on your canvas before you can consider it complete enough to move on to the next phase.

Remember, the canvas is a living document. It should be updated and refined over time as you learn more about your game and your players.

If you are not validating your answers with players, or are not iterating on your canvas, you are setting yourself up for failure. This is a common trap that designers fall into and it is important to avoid.

#Tips

#Don't assume anything

You should never assume anything about your players or your game. This is a common pitfall of creative and entrepreneurial people in general. You believe in what you are doing and thus assume that your players will also believe in it. This is the trap that has spawned the saying

"When you are building a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

This is why it is so important to validate your entire canvas with your players. Luck rarely strikes twice.

#Don't overthink it

The TTRPG Canvas is designed to be high level and quick to complete. This allows you to start with the quick answers you know and then validate them with your players sooner rather than later.

You can accomplish more by starting with the answers you know and then validating them with your players. Then building on those answers over time.

#See it as the foundation

If you approach the TTRPG Canvas correctly, it will change the way you think about and approach your game. You will unlock new insights and perspectives that will help you create a better game much faster than ever before.

The TTRPG Canvas is your secret weapon.