12/26/2025

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

As the end of the year draws near, it’s a good time to slow down, look back at what got done, and start sketching out where things might go next. 2025 was a solid year of showing up, making things, and keeping the creative gears turning.

Here’s a quick recap of 2025:
40 videos uploaded to YouTube (not counting 132 Shorts)
6 Thursday Drop-Ins released
91 posts on the Tabletop Thoughts website (including this one)

And of course, the printers have been quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) doing their thing in the background. Thanks to #OctoPrintWrapped, I can actually see just how much work the FDM printers have put in.

As of 12/24/2025:
Total hours printing: 6,792
Average print time: 8.08 hours
Average prints per day: 2.35

That’s a lot of plastic turned into terrain, minis, and half-finished ‘I’ll clean that up later’ projects. Huge thanks to my amazing wife for helping me keep the printer queue moving—she removes finished prints so I can start new ones remotely through OctoPrint. Seriously, if you have an FDM printer, you need OctoPrint. It’s easy to set up, lets you start, stop, and monitor prints from anywhere, and even upload files remotely—basically wizard-level control from your office chair.

Looking Ahead to 2026
Going into 2026, my goal isn’t just to make more stuff—it’s to broaden the hobby a bit and focus on finishing and sharing more complete projects. I want to spend time exploring more games, both by getting them to the table and by putting together thoughtful reviews and impressions.

Alongside that, I’m aiming to take more ideas from the “notes and drafts” phase into fully assembled, publishable work. That means putting real effort into getting content properly packaged and released on DriveThruRPG. Whether that ends up being a supplement, a standalone adventure, a collection of items, a small setting, or something else entirely, the focus is on creating finished products that other tables can actually pick up and use.

Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Plans

One of the things I’m really excited to try in 2026 is running a short online mini-campaign for Shadowdark. I haven’t quite decided yet whether this will be with friends and family or open to subscribers and fans of Tabletop Thoughts—time and interest will tell!

I’m keeping this campaign small and manageable with just three sessions. That way, it’s easier on everyone’s schedule, keeps the commitment low for the players, and makes it simpler for me to prep and run.

I won’t be filming the actual play, but I might create a campaign recap for the channel afterward. That could include laying out some of the more epic scenes with miniatures and terrain, taking photos and videos while recounting the adventures, and highlighting the memorable moments. We’ll have to see exactly what’s possible, but it should be a fun way to bring the campaign to life for anyone following along.

Trackable Goals for a Creative Year

To help keep myself honest, here are the goals I’m setting for 2026:
2026 Goals Progress
🖌️ Minis Painted: 0 / 150
🏔️ Large Models / Terrain: 0 / 6
🎥 YouTube Videos: 0 / 24
📝 Game Reviews: 0 / 4
🎲 Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games): 0 / 4
📜 Thursday Drop-Ins Created: 0 / 12
🧪 New TTRPG Systems Tried: 0 / 3
⚔️ Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions: 0 / 3
📘 Shadowdark Release on DriveThruRPG: 0 / 1

I will keep these goals pinned at the bottom of every post as a little nudge to stay on track all year—consider it my accountability spell in action.

These goals are practical and attainable, but they also serve as a nudge to push myself, try new things, and make steady progress. Either way, they give me a clear direction heading into the new year—and something to point at when I need motivation to actually finish what I start.

Getting Back Into Superheroes
I’m also hoping to dive back into the superhero genre this year! With a new edition of Mutants & Masterminds on the horizon, I’m feeling inspired to dust off some of my old ideas and maybe even bring back Superhero Saturdays. The plan? Create a new superhero each session using any number of superhero RPGs—Marvel FASERIP, Mutants & Masterminds, ICONS, Sentinel Comics, and more. It’ll be a fun way to explore different systems, play with powers, and flex a bit of creative muscle outside the usual fantasy fare. It might not become a weekly thing, but I’m aiming for at least one superhero post a month—and who knows, some of these might even make it into my YouTube videos.

Thanks for sticking with Tabletop Thoughts through another year of dice rolls, paint spills, half-finished projects, and the occasional spark of something genuinely cool. Whether you’ve been reading along, watching videos, or just quietly borrowing ideas for your own table, I appreciate you being part of this little corner of the hobby. Here’s to trying new games, finishing more projects, and making 2026 a year of playable, shareable, and well-used creations.

Keep on gaming!