Short Rest Studios is your guide to discovering the best tabletop roleplaying games, D&D 5e alternatives, and modern GM advice. Don't quest alone!
I’m Jud, and I explore new TTRPG systems, game design concepts, and GM tools that get you back to the fun. Whether you're looking to fix sluggish combat, or swap Dungeons & Dragons for fast, rules-light systems, I'm scouting the TTRPG landscape so you can focus on running great sessions.
• D&D 5e Alternatives: Draw Steel (MCDM), Nimble, Dragonbane, Cosmere RPG, Pirate Borg, and Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC). • GM Advice & Campaign Prep: Worldbuilding, combat pacing, module design, and adventure prep tools. • Game Design Deep Dives: Designer interviews, mechanical breakdowns, and OSR/indie spotlight reviews.
Join the Adventurer's Guild on Patreon: https://patreon.com/shortreststudios
Remember: You don't have to quest alone.
5 Best Mystery TTRPGs (And Why D&D Can't Do Investigations)
D&D 5e wasn't built for mysteries. These 5 TTRPGs that nail real investigation.
Join the Adventurer's Guild: https://patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
Buy Riddle of the Veiled Isles: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/585446/riddle-of-the-veiled-isles-1st-level-adventure-for-nimble?affiliate_id=3260793
25 Sept 2026
Every Published Adventure Should Have These Features in 2026
Every published TTRPG adventure needs at least these 4 essential features to eliminate bloated prep and meet modern adventure design standards.
Get Riddle of the Veiled Isles: https://bit.ly/4d2rwZ4
Join the Adventurer's Guild to support this channel: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
11 Sept 2026
4 Ways Cosmere RPG Beats D&D (But I'm Still Passing)
Does Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG actually beat D&D 5e? Here are 4 big tabletop mechanics it fixes - and why I'm still passing on the system. * Join the Adventurers Guild to support this channel: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
4 Sept 2026
The Ultimate AFFORDABLE Game Table for TTRPGs? (Starmork X-Tend Honest Review)
Is the Starmork X-tend the ultimate affordable game table? Is it too good to be true. Or somewhere in between? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/starmork/starmork-x-tend-table?ref=95sy2a
https://www.starmork.com/pages/starmork-x-tend-table
* Support me on Patreon: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
28 Aug 2026
Is YouTube Trying to Kill Small TTRPG Channels?
Is YouTube making it harder for small TTRPG channels? We dive into the new Partner Program changes and what they mean for tabletop creators’ survival. * Support on Patreon: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios * Join the Email List https://lxpjgr.subscribepage.io
7 Aug 2026
D&D Combat Is Bloated. Dragonbane Fixed It.
Dragonbane is a fast, brutal, and strategic alternative to D&D combat that eliminates bloat through streamlined mechanics and high stakes. * Get 10% off at https://legacygametables.com/shortreststudios * Join the Adventurer's Guild for the full unedited interview at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios *
31 Jul 2026
Ships, Maps, and Scurvy Scallywags! The Limithron Interview
I talk with Pirate Borg creator Limithron about 5e bloat, the OSR, battle maps, ship combat, and his latest Kickstarter! Back it here: http://bit.ly/4fH2orhJoin the Adventurer's Guild for the full unedited interview at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
24 Jul 2026
D&D Has Too Many Options (And They're Ruining Your Game)
D&D offers loads of character options, but do they actually make the game better? Choice overload is a real problem that slows down combat and kills player creativity.
Join the Adventurer's Guild: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
The article: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/choice-overload-bias
17 Jul 2026
10 Blazing Fast D&D Alternatives (That Don't Suck to Learn)
Discover 10 RPGs that are fast as lightning compared to a sluggish D&D session. These tabletop alternatives are designed for speed, offering skeletal rulesets, d6-only mechanics, and lightning-fast character creation that won't make your players crash out. * Get 10% off dice and accessories at https://MistyMountainGaming.com/shortreststudios * Join the Adventurer's Guild at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios *
3 Jul 2026
DCC Combat is the Chaos D&D is Missing
Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) is a chaotic, in-your-face TTRPG that says "balance is for babies."
* Get 10% off dice and accessories at https://MistyMountainGaming.com/shortreststudios * * Join the Adventurer's Guild at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios * Reaper Miniature's Website: https://www.reapermini.com/
26 Jun 2026
D&D Forgot How to be Gritty. Is This Game the Fix? (w/Reaper's Joe Wolf)
D&D has a "superhero" problem. While modern 5e focuses on high-power builds and predictable monsters, many players are craving the dark, lethal grit of classic pulp fantasy.
* Join the Adventurer's Guild at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios *
19 Jun 2026
D&D Magic is Broken. Draw Steel Fixed It.
Draw Steel’s intuitive magic system is a game-changer for TTRPG fans tired of the complex Vancian "fire-and-forget" mechanics in D&D. While Dungeons & Dragons relies on tracking spell slots and levels, Draw Steel integrates magic directly into a character's core abilities, removing the steep learning curve for new players and reducing the cognitive load for experienced Game Masters.
Join the Adventurer's Guild at https://patreon.com/shortreststudios
5 Jun 2026
Draw Steel Flips D&D's Most Boring Mechanic (w/James Introcaso)
MCDM lead designer James Introcaso explains how Draw Steel flips the script on boring D&D resting and resource mechanics, introducing a truly heroic gameplay loop that rewards forward momentum. By moving away from the traditional, restrictive "room-locking" approach to recovering spell slots and health, the game encourages players to push through adversity.
29 May 2026
5 Sci-Fi RPGs Worth Skipping D&D For
Discover the best sci-fi TTRPGs that are completely worth skipping a D&D night to play. If your table is stuck in a repetitive loop of traditional fantasy and you’re feeling burnt out by the world’s most popular roleplaying game, shifting your campaign out of the dungeons and into the cosmos is exactly how you shake things up.
22 May 2026
Why I’m Giving Up D&D for Nimble - And You Should Too
I'm not a D&D hater, but it's run its course for me. Here's why Nimble is my go-to TTRPG for heroic fantasy. *Join the Adventurers Guild at https://patreon.com/shortreststudios or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCychTZf1Z2Womi56s_Ddk9w/join * Nimble Website: https://nimblerpg.com Nimble Discord: https://discord.com/invite/7xKRkHfDks
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