11/13/2026

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

At the beginning of 2026, I sat down and put together a list of hobby goals for the year. Nothing too crazy, or at least that’s what I thought at the time. I wanted to paint more miniatures, create more content, play more games, and continue expanding what I was doing with Tabletop Thoughts.

Now that we’re getting close to the end of the year, I thought it would be a good time to revisit those goals, see how things have gone, and talk a little about what worked, what didn’t, and what I might do differently next year.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how 2026 has turned out. I’ve absolutely crushed some of my goals, I’m on track to finish a few more, and there are a couple that probably aren’t going to happen.

And that’s okay. After all, this is supposed to be a hobby, not a second job!

My 2026 Goals — Where Things Stand

Here’s the current scoreboard as of November:

Goal	Progress	Status
Miniatures Painted	298 / 150	✅ Complete
Large Models / Terrain	39 / 6	✅ Complete
YouTube Videos	21 / 24	Almost There
Game / Supplement Reviews	10 / 4	✅ Complete
Games Played (TTRPG + Board Games)	1 / 4	Behind
Thursday Drop-Ins Created	10 / 12	Almost There
New TTRPG Systems Tried	1 / 3	Behind
Shadowdark Mini-Campaign Sessions	0 / 3	Unlikely
Shadowdark Releases on DriveThruRPG	2 / 1	✅ Complete

Looking at that list, a few things really stand out. First, I apparently had no idea how many miniatures I was going to paint this year. Second, I’ve been far more productive on the creative side of the hobby than I have been on the actual gaming side.

Let’s go through them.

Miniatures Painted — 298 of 150

This one is probably my biggest surprise of the year.

When I set a goal of painting 150 miniatures, I thought that was a pretty ambitious number. That’s roughly three miniatures a week, which seemed reasonable considering everything else I wanted to accomplish.

Well, here we are in November, and I’ve painted 298 miniatures!

That’s almost double my original goal, and there’s still time left in the year.

A big reason for this has been my Etsy store. Between painting miniatures, preparing terrain, and putting together items to sell, I’ve found myself spending considerably more time at the painting table than I originally anticipated.

One thing I’ve learned is that having a reason to finish a project really helps with motivation. When you’re painting something that will eventually become part of a finished product, there’s a little extra incentive to get it done.

Of course, the downside is that a lot of my painting time has been devoted to projects for the store rather than miniatures for my own games. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something I want to keep in mind going forward.

I still have a mountain of unpainted miniatures waiting for attention. I’m beginning to suspect that no matter how many I paint, that mountain is never going to get any smaller!

Large Models and Terrain — 39 of 6

Here’s another goal that I completely underestimated.

I originally wanted to finish six large models or terrain pieces during 2026. That seemed like a reasonable target because larger projects generally take more time, more paint, and more effort than individual miniatures.

Instead, I’ve completed 39!

Again, the Etsy store has played a significant role in this. I’ve spent a lot of time working on terrain, scenery, and other pieces that can be used to bring a tabletop to life.

Terrain has always been one of my favorite parts of the hobby. There’s something satisfying about taking a plain, unpainted piece of plastic and turning it into a ruined building, rocky outcropping, dungeon room, or something else that looks like it belongs in a fantasy world.

I’ve also continued to make good use of my 3D printers, which have opened up an enormous number of possibilities for both terrain and miniatures.

The challenge, of course, is that printing things is considerably faster than painting them. I can easily print enough terrain in a weekend to keep myself busy painting for weeks!

Still, I’m extremely pleased with how much I’ve accomplished in this category.

YouTube Videos — 21 of 24

This is one of the goals I’m most pleased with.

My original target was to release 24 YouTube videos during 2026, averaging two videos per month. As of now, I’ve released 21, which means I only need three more before the end of the year.

I think this one is very achievable.

YouTube has gone well this year, and I’ve enjoyed continuing to develop the channel. Creating videos takes more work than people might realize. There’s planning, recording, editing, thumbnails, descriptions, and all the other little details that go into getting a video published.

And that’s before you even consider the time spent preparing whatever you’re actually making the video about!

One project I’m particularly excited about is a new series of videos I’m starting to record called Battle Hulks Basics.

For those unfamiliar with Battle Hulks, it’s a tabletop miniatures wargame featuring massive mechanized war machines battling it out on the tabletop. I’ve been spending time preparing the models, terrain, and other components needed to demonstrate the game, and I’m finally getting started on recording the videos.

Rather than creating one enormous tutorial that attempts to explain every rule in the game, I’m breaking things down into a series of shorter videos aimed at new players.

The idea is to walk through the rules step by step, covering the basics of gameplay, including deployment, initiative, movement, combat, weapons, and the other mechanics that make the game work.

I’ll be using actual models and tabletop examples to demonstrate the rules rather than simply talking through the rulebook. Hopefully, this will make the game easier to understand for someone who has never played before.

My goal is to make the series something a new player can follow from beginning to end, learning the game a little at a time. And if someone already knows the basics but needs a refresher on a particular rule, they can jump directly to the video covering that topic.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the series turns out. It’s also a good excuse to get some of those painted miniatures and terrain pieces onto the gaming table!

One thing I’ve learned this year is that not every video needs to be a massive production. Sometimes a shorter, focused video that explains one particular subject is more useful than a lengthy one trying to cover everything.

I don’t know exactly what my YouTube goal will be for 2027, but I definitely plan to keep making videos. Between painting, terrain building, game reviews, and projects like Battle Hulks Basics, I certainly won’t have a shortage of things to talk about!

Game and Supplement Reviews — 10 of 4

I set a fairly modest goal of reviewing four games or supplements this year.

I’ve completed ten!

This is another area where I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how productive I’ve been. I enjoy looking at different games, adventures, and supplements, especially those that might not get as much attention as the bigger releases.

One of the things I like about reviews is that they give me an excuse to explore games and products I might otherwise overlook.

Something particularly exciting happened this year as well. I had the opportunity to review two products that were actually sent to me for review: The Consortium and The Witch.

For me, that was a pretty cool milestone for Tabletop Thoughts. It’s one thing to purchase a game or supplement, read through it, and share your opinions. It’s something else entirely when a creator or publisher is willing to send you their work because they value the feedback and exposure your reviews can provide.

It’s encouraging to see Tabletop Thoughts reaching a point where creators are interested in having their products featured.

Of course, receiving a product for review doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to receive a glowing recommendation. I’ve always believed that a good review needs to be fair and honest, pointing out both the strengths and weaknesses of a product. That doesn’t change just because someone sends me a copy.

My goal is to give readers enough information to decide whether a particular game or supplement is something they would enjoy or find useful at their own tables.

I also don’t think every review needs to be a massive deep dive. Sometimes a straightforward look at what a product offers, what it does well, and where it might fall short is exactly what someone needs.

I’d certainly welcome more opportunities to work with independent creators and publishers in the future. There are so many interesting games and supplements being produced by smaller companies and individual designers, and I enjoy helping bring some attention to their work.

With ten reviews completed against an original goal of four, this has definitely been a successful year for this part of Tabletop Thoughts.

I’m looking forward to continuing the reviews in 2027, discovering more interesting products, and hopefully building a few more relationships with the talented people creating them.

Games Played — 1 of 4

And now we get to one of the areas where things haven’t gone quite as planned.

At the beginning of the year, I wanted to play at least four games, whether tabletop RPGs or board games.

So far, I’ve managed one.

The game I did get to play was Five Leagues from the Borderlands, a solo fantasy miniature wargame that combines tactical combat with campaign progression, exploration, and storytelling.

I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve played of Five Leagues so far. One of the things I appreciate about solo miniature games is that I don’t have to coordinate schedules with other players. I can set up the table, get my miniatures out, and play whenever I have some free time.

At least, that’s the theory!

Even with a solo game, finding the time to actually sit down and play can be a challenge. Between painting miniatures, 3D printing terrain, creating YouTube videos, working on Tabletop Thoughts, and keeping up with the Etsy store, my hobby time seems to disappear pretty quickly.

There’s a certain irony in spending hundreds of hours preparing miniatures and terrain for games and then barely finding time to actually play them!

I do have a couple of games I’d really like to get to the table before the end of the year, though.

One of them is Cryptid Hunter from P House Games.

I backed the Kickstarter for Cryptid Hunter, along with just about every other Kickstarter P House Games has launched! I’ve become a bit of a fan of their projects, and I enjoy supporting smaller game creators who are putting out interesting and unusual games.

Cryptid Hunter is one I’ve been wanting to play, and with Thanksgiving coming up, I think I might have the perfect opportunity.

Thanksgiving is a great time to bring out a quick game after dinner. Everyone is sitting around, talking, relaxing, and recovering from eating far too much food. Rather than breaking out something that requires an hour of rules explanations and a massive table setup, it’s nice to have something that can be brought out and played casually while everyone is enjoying the evening.

I’m thinking Cryptid Hunter might be a good candidate for exactly that.

I also have Finding Frogman, another game from P House Games, that I’d like to get to the table. Between the two, I should have some good options for squeezing in a little more gaming before the year is over.

And who knows? Maybe one or both of them will eventually make their way into a Tabletop Thoughts review or YouTube video.

What makes this goal particularly frustrating is that I certainly don’t have a shortage of games to play. I’ve got plenty of rulebooks, miniatures, board games, and terrain. In fact, I probably have enough gaming material to keep myself occupied for years without buying another thing.

But we all know that’s not going to happen!

I think this is one of the biggest lessons I’m taking away from 2026.

It’s very easy for the hobby surrounding tabletop gaming to consume all your available time. Painting, printing, writing, reviewing games, and making videos are all enjoyable activities, but sometimes they push the actual gaming to the back burner.

For 2027, I’d like to do a better job of making time to sit down and play, even if it’s just a quick game here and there.

I also need to remind myself that not every gaming session has to be some grand event. Sometimes an hour spent playing a simple game with family or friends is just as enjoyable as an elaborate afternoon-long tabletop battle.

And if I can get Cryptid Hunter and Finding Frogman played before the end of December, I’ll be a lot closer to reaching my original goal.

After all, what’s the point of having all these games if they never make it to the table?

Thursday Drop-Ins — 10 of 12

This is another goal I’m very confident I’ll complete before the end of the year.

At the beginning of 2026, I decided I wanted to create and release one Thursday Drop-In every month. That would give me twelve new encounters, locations, or short adventures by the end of December.

So far, I’ve released ten, which puts me right on schedule. With November and December still ahead of us, I should have no problem reaching my goal of twelve.

For those unfamiliar with the series, my Thursday Drop-Ins are short, ready-to-use encounters, locations, or adventure ideas that a Game Master can drop into an existing campaign with minimal preparation.

The idea behind them is pretty simple. As a Game Master, I’ve always appreciated having a collection of interesting encounters and locations that I can pull out when I need something unexpected to happen during a session.

Maybe the players decide to explore a location you hadn’t planned for. Perhaps they’re traveling between towns and you want something more interesting than another random monster encounter. Or maybe you just need a little adventure to fill an evening.

That’s where the Thursday Drop-Ins come in.

I try to make each one interesting enough to stand on its own while leaving plenty of room for a Game Master to adapt it to their own campaign. I also prefer creating situations that encourage players to make decisions rather than simply presenting another monster to fight.

Some of my favorite Drop-Ins this year have leaned heavily into mystery, atmosphere, and the darker side of fantasy gaming.

For example, September’s The Crooked Mile presented a strange and unsettling location that adventurers might stumble across during their travels. October’s The Inn With No Morning took things in a more sinister direction, which seemed particularly appropriate for Halloween.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about creating these is the freedom to experiment. Because they’re relatively short, I can take a strange idea and develop it into something playable without committing to writing an entire adventure module.

I’ve also enjoyed working on the presentation of the series. I wanted the Drop-Ins to have a consistent look and feel, with an old-school, grimdark fantasy style that fits the kind of games I enjoy running.

The black-and-white artwork, atmospheric locations, and compact format have become an important part of the series.

Of course, even a relatively short adventure takes time to create. Coming up with the initial idea is often the easy part. Turning that idea into something a Game Master can actually use requires a little more work.

You have to think about how the players might interact with the situation, what happens if they make unexpected decisions, and whether the encounter offers something more interesting than a single predetermined outcome.

But that’s also what makes writing them enjoyable.

Looking ahead to 2027, I’d definitely like to continue the Thursday Drop-In series. Releasing one per month seems to be a good balance between maintaining a regular schedule and giving myself enough time to develop each idea properly.

And after twelve releases, I’ll have built up a pretty nice little collection of encounters and locations that Game Masters can use in their own campaigns.

Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll collect them all into a single supplement.

For now, though, I’ve still got November and December to finish. Unless something unexpected happens, this should be another goal I can officially mark as completed by the end of 2026!

New TTRPG Systems Tried — 1 of 3

This is another goal that hasn’t gone quite the way I hoped.

At the beginning of 2026, I wanted to try three new tabletop roleplaying systems. I figured that would be a great way to experience some different game mechanics, explore new settings, and perhaps discover a few games that might become regular additions to my collection.

Unfortunately, I’ve only managed to try one new system so far.

And it certainly isn’t because of a lack of interest!

There are so many interesting tabletop RPGs available today, especially from independent creators, that it’s almost impossible to keep up with everything being released. I’m constantly discovering new games that look interesting, and my collection of rulebooks continues to grow considerably faster than my opportunities to actually play them.

One game I was particularly interested in trying this year was Neon Skies by Wyloch.

I’ve followed Wyloch’s work for a while, and when I learned about Neon Skies, it immediately caught my attention. I picked up the rulebook and gave it a quick read-through, and I really liked what I saw.

The concept and overall approach to the game appealed to me, and it’s definitely something I’d like to experience at the table rather than just read about.

But there’s a pretty big difference between owning a rulebook and actually getting to play the game.

I briefly considered running Neon Skies myself, but realistically, I just don’t have the time to take on another Game Master commitment right now.

Running a game requires more than simply sitting down for a few hours and rolling dice. There’s preparation, learning the rules well enough to keep things moving, organizing players, scheduling sessions, and all the other little responsibilities that come with being the GM.

And with everything else I’ve been working on this year, adding another campaign to my schedule just hasn’t been realistic.

The obvious alternative would be to join someone else’s Neon Skies campaign as a player.

That would actually be a nice change of pace. I spend a lot of time thinking about games from the Game Master’s perspective, so having the opportunity to simply show up, play a character, and enjoy the adventure sounds pretty appealing.

Unfortunately, finding a game is only half the challenge.

The other half is finding one that fits my schedule.

Committing to a regular weekly or biweekly campaign can be difficult, especially when you’re already balancing work, family, YouTube, painting, writing, and everything else.

And I don’t want to join a campaign only to discover that I can’t consistently make the sessions. That’s not fair to the GM or the other players.

This is where I think shorter games and one-shots might be a better option for me.

Instead of committing to a campaign that could run for months, I’d love to find opportunities to try new systems through introductory sessions or short adventures. A single evening is much easier to fit into a busy schedule than a recurring commitment.

It’s also a great way to experience a new game before deciding whether it’s something I’d want to play more regularly.

I still want to give Neon Skies a try, and I’m hoping an opportunity will eventually present itself.

Maybe there’s an online group running introductory sessions, or perhaps someone in the Tabletop Thoughts community is already playing and wouldn’t mind having another player join for a session or two.

For now, though, Neon Skies is going to remain on my list of games I really want to play.

Looking ahead to 2027, I think I need to approach this goal a little differently. Rather than simply setting a target of trying several new systems, I might need to actively look for one-shots and introductory games that fit into my schedule.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that finding an interesting new RPG is easy. Finding the time and people to actually play it with is the hard part.

And if anyone reading this has played Neon Skies, I’d love to hear what you think of it. Better yet, if you know of any online groups running one-shots or introductory sessions, let me know!

I’d really like to get this one off the bookshelf and onto the gaming table.

Shadowdark Mini-Campaign — 0 of 3 Sessions

This is probably my biggest disappointment of the year.

One of my goals was to create and run a three-session Shadowdark mini-campaign online.

I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish. Three sessions seemed like a manageable commitment, both for me as the Game Master and for the players.

It would give everyone an opportunity to experience a short adventure with a beginning, middle, and end, without asking anyone to commit to months of weekly gaming.

Unfortunately, I haven’t managed to get it off the ground.

The biggest obstacle has simply been time. Between YouTube, painting, 3D printing, the Etsy store, writing adventures, and everything else that comes with everyday life, I haven’t found the time to put everything together and actually run the sessions.

There’s also another problem I haven’t completely figured out.

Where do I find the players?

I’ve considered using something like StartPlaying, or perhaps looking for players through online tabletop communities.

I don’t necessarily want to run a massive campaign with a rotating cast of players. I’d just like to find a small group of people interested in playing three sessions of Shadowdark.

Ideally, I’d like players who enjoy old-school fantasy gaming, exploration, dangerous encounters, and the kind of unpredictable situations that make tabletop RPGs so much fun.

Maybe the answer is to advertise a short, free online mini-campaign and see who is interested.

Or perhaps I should simply put out a call through Tabletop Thoughts and see whether anyone in the community would like to participate.

I’m still interested in making this happen, but realistically, I don’t think I’ll get all three sessions completed before the end of 2026.

This may be one of those goals that carries over into 2027.

And if anyone reading this has experience finding players for short online campaigns, especially through StartPlaying or similar platforms, I’d love to hear how you went about it.

Shadowdark Releases on DriveThruRPG — 2 of 1

Finally, we have another completed goal!

I wanted to publish at least one Shadowdark product on DriveThruRPG during 2026.

I’ve managed to release two.

This is something I’m particularly happy about because publishing an adventure or supplement is very different from simply writing something for your own table.

When you’re creating something for other people to use, you have to think about clarity, organization, presentation, and whether a Game Master can actually pick up the material and run it.

There’s a lot more involved than just writing down a few ideas.

You also have to consider layout, artwork, editing, and all the little details that turn a collection of notes into a finished product.

It’s a rewarding process, though, especially when you finally see something you’ve created available for other people to enjoy.

I’ve got more ideas I’d like to develop, and I certainly don’t plan on stopping at two releases.

I’d like to continue expanding my collection of Shadowdark material in 2027, although I also want to be careful not to overload myself with too many projects at once.

So, Was 2026 a Successful Hobby Year?

Absolutely.

Looking back at everything I’ve accomplished, it’s difficult to be disappointed.

I’ve painted nearly 300 miniatures, completed 39 larger models and terrain projects, released 21 YouTube videos, written ten reviews, created ten Thursday Drop-Ins, and published two Shadowdark products.

That’s a tremendous amount of hobby activity, especially when I consider that all of this has been done around work and everyday responsibilities.

But there’s also something interesting about the goals I haven’t completed.

Almost all of them involve actually playing games.

I’ve been incredibly productive when it comes to creating things for tabletop gaming, but not nearly as successful at making time to enjoy those games at the table.

I think that’s worth paying attention to.

It’s easy to get caught up in the productive side of a hobby. Finishing a miniature, publishing a video, or releasing an adventure gives you something tangible to show for your efforts.

Playing a game doesn’t necessarily produce anything you can put on a shelf, upload to YouTube, or sell in a store.

But that doesn’t make it any less valuable.

In fact, some of my favorite tabletop memories have come from the unexpected things that happen during actual play.

And that’s something I want to experience more often.

Looking Ahead to 2027

I’m not quite ready to put together my official 2027 hobby goals. We still have several weeks left in 2026, and there’s a good chance I’ll check a few more items off the list before the year is over.

But I already have a few thoughts about what I might do differently.

First, I probably need to be a little more realistic about how many different projects I can juggle at once.

Second, I want to continue building on the things that have worked well this year, particularly YouTube, painting, Thursday Drop-Ins, and publishing Shadowdark material.

And third, I need to make actually playing games a higher priority.

Maybe that means scheduling a regular game night. Maybe it means running more one-shots. Or maybe it means finally getting that three-session Shadowdark mini-campaign organized.

Whatever the solution, I’d like 2027 to include more time rolling dice and less time simply preparing to roll dice.

Of course, I say that while looking at another pile of miniatures waiting to be painted!

What About Your Hobby Goals?

Did you set any hobby goals for 2026?

If you did, how are you doing with them?

Did you accomplish everything you wanted? Did you discover something new that completely changed your plans? Or did life get in the way of a few things?

And for those of you who play or run games online, where do you find your players? Have you had success with StartPlaying, Discord communities, or other platforms?

I’d really like to hear your experiences, especially when it comes to organizing short campaigns or one-shots.

We’re getting close to the end of the year, but there’s still time to finish a few more projects, play another game, or finally tackle something that’s been sitting on the hobby table for months.

Until next time, keep painting, keep creating, and most importantly, …

Keep on gaming!