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psychhound.com
Luka │ Psychhound Games
@psychhound.com
360 followers 370 following 290 posts
Luka Brave. he/they. #indiettrpg designer and researcher studying transformative play and analog games

working on #spiritkeep - an animist fantasy campaign-length #ttrpg that helps players grapple with their pasts

https://psychhound.com/
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psychhound.com
oh... so so close. does anyone want to help tip "with breath & sword" over to 3,000 downloads? it's in a charity bundle right now :) #TTRPGs #indieTTRPGs

psychhound.itch.io/with-breath-...
a screenshot from itch showing 2,999 downloads
October 13, 2026 at 12:50 AM
psychhound.com
its #IndigenousPeoplesDay here in the US, so i wanted to shout out some Indigenous creators from Turtle Island who are making some wonderful, interesting, and transformative #TTRPGs :)
October 12, 2026 at 10:18 PM
psychhound.com
really enjoying reading ryne so far and very excited to get it to the table. but this example of play made me laugh so much. im not sure if it was intentional or not, but ... congrats to bris on her transition. get that bread, girl
a screenshot from the TTRPG Ryne, showing a short example of play including a female character named Bris and another character named Challa
September 9, 2026 at 10:58 PM
psychhound.com
🎲 #spiritkeep is a campaign #ttrpg for a gm & 3-5 players. PCs come from diverse magical lineages and embody storybook tropes to gain abilities, with over 500 potential combos. a bespoke dice system has PCs balance effort spent with potential burnout & conditions

more ➡️ psychhound.com/spiritkeep/
a sunfolk knight and naturefolk wisp shepherd by faun w digital art depicting two characters in the world of spiritkeep. one character is a thinner woman with medium brown skin, short, tightly curly orange hair with a light streak in it, and yellow eyes. she has a scar on her cheek and is wearing golden armor. the other character is fat and has pale, greyish skin, pink hair pulled up into a short ponytail, and antlers. they have a large, wooden-looking scar on one shoulder and are wearing dark pants, brown boots, a red bandana, and a white, off the shoulder blouse. the two characters are sitting close together by a small fire and are looking at each other fondly. by their feet is a green, translucent plant-like cat spirit, who is rolling over a little to show its belly. the background is made of simple green shapes a dreamfolk wayfarer by skye m a colored digital drawing of a man sitting on a tree stump. he is thin, with tan skin and long, shiny white hair that is pulled back in a messy ponytail with several small braids. there are light purple patterns on his face and wrists. he is wearing traveler's clothes, including a large scarf and an oversized coat with several patches. he is waving to someone off screen with one hand, and holding two forearm crutches with his other. the crutches are made of wood and have intricate designs carved into them. the background is a light purple swirl an animalfolk scholar by bons a digital drawing depicting a Black person holding a woven basket with jarred supplies on their head. they have waist-length locs that are brown, red, orange, and blond, with multicolor chunky beads in their bangs. they have large ears, a bushy tail, and paws for feet like a red fox. they're wearing a light green wrap that crosses over their chest and has one sleeve as well as a decorated green loincloth. with one arm, they're keeping the basket balanced, and have several items hanging from their bicep, including a small bag, a forked stick, a glass jar, and a bell. the other arm, which is amputated above the elbow, is at their side. their amputated arm and their chest on that side have large scars. the background is a tan oval
September 8, 2026 at 11:16 PM
psychhound.com
may i trade this photo for a recording? 🤲😁
a photo of OP holding a donated copy of star crossed in a gaming bar next to a note that that says "if you play, take a picture and let us know!" from bully pulpit
September 4, 2026 at 2:18 AM
psychhound.com
tonight at 8pm est (7 hours from now) i'm gonna be chatting with @plusoneexp.bsky.social and @adisasterqueer.bsky.social about our relationship-focused 2 player #indieTTRPGs!! come join if you can 👀

plusoneexp.com/products/sha...

plusoneexp.com/collections/...

twitch.tv/TonyPlusOne
a promo image for Now You've Zine It with Alyssa, the creator of UST, and Luka Brave, the creator of Shadow / Giant 2nd edition, at 8pm est on August 27th at twitch.tv/TonyPlusOne
August 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM
psychhound.com
in a "know your enemy" way, i wanted to see what genAI thought about some of my games w less public info. & boy was this all news to me 😬

so whats REALLY going on in my toxic yuri haunted house #TTRPG? find out with the dead & alone bundle & get two other games about death!

itch.io/b/3822/dead-...
August 11, 2026 at 8:50 PM
psychhound.com
When a forest spirit reveals to preteen Mazel that she's not the only resident of her mountain town being haunted, she must enter the bad memories creating these monsters to save her community... and herself.

Great for fans of:
-Over the Garden Wall #otgw
-Kiki's & Howl's #ghibli
-Undertale #utdr
A selection of text from the novel Sleep by Night: “Doing what?” “Big tree fell on one of our entry roads. Not really sure why, the roots looked fine. But Old Ike couldn’t get out of town to pick up more kerosene for the streetlamps. Told him he doesn’t need more until tonight, but … you know these old folks, wanting to do everything before the sun even starts to roll over. So, there I am like some chump at 5am chopping and hauling the darn thing.” “You don’t have to say ‘darn’. I’m twelve.” Jenny chuckles. She releases the neck of her guitar long enough to take a bite of her sandwich, then brushes her hand off and goes back to strumming. She speaks around her mouthful, as if it’s more casual that way, some sort of barrier. “You see any more monsters?” My appetite dissipates. I set down my roll. Very purposefully, I don’t look at Bes. “No.” End ID
August 11, 2026 at 7:49 PM
psychhound.com
if yall gencon folks aint stopped by the @plusoneexp.bsky.social booth #449 yet youre missing out on a ton of great games, including my duet wolf & cub game shadow/giant 2e, inspired by twd, logan, tlou, stranger things, arcane, & more!

ty for pics 💖@faefatalegames.bsky.social @jaztice.bsky.social
two photos of hands holding the physical copy of shadow / giant 2e by Luka Brave of Psychhound Games at Gen Con
August 2, 2026 at 6:20 PM
psychhound.com
sorry if anyone at #gencon just got a strong craving for veggies. i tried plugging my dog into cerebro like prof x so i could use her psychic powers to tell everyone that #indiettrpg shadow / giant 2e is at booth #449 with @plusoneexp.bsky.social, but she really only cares about fresh veggies... :/
A photo of the TTRPG zine Shadow / Giant 2e by Luka Brave of Psychhound Games. The cover shows art of an Indian man looking shocked and worried as a young Vietnamese girl steps in front of him with a circle of fire coming out of her hands. The background of the cover is a ray of various patterned papers and scenes. The zine is laying on black fabric, surrounded by objects such as: a pocket knife, a pen, playing cards, old coins, a 20-sided die, the corner of an old framed photo, a crystal necklace, and a beaded bracelet with beads spelling "SHHHH".
August 1, 2026 at 7:54 PM
psychhound.com
there are also random generators now!!

the set up generator quickly randomizes genre, each playbook, the PC's communication barrier, the safe place they're trying to get to, and the threat that's after them.

try it online: perchance.org/shadowgiant2e

& with purchase - a scene prompt card puller!
June 29, 2026 at 11:09 PM
psychhound.com
my first print run for one of my TTRPGs, so i'm being a bit indulgent :') new baby photoshoot

pspsps who wants a 2 player wolf & cub game? 🤲

psychhound.itch.io/sg2e
plusoneexp.com/products/sha...
A photo of the TTRPG zine Shadow / Giant 2e by Luka Brave of Psychhound Games. The cover shows art of an Indian man looking shocked and worried as a young Vietnamese girl steps in front of him with a circle of fire coming out of her hands. The background of the cover is a ray of various patterned papers and scenes. The zine is laying on black fabric, surrounded by objects such as: a pocket knife, a pen, playing cards, old coins, a 20-sided die, the corner of an old framed photo, a crystal necklace, and a beaded bracelet with beads spelling "SHHHH".
June 29, 2026 at 11:09 PM
psychhound.com
gamers should i watch twin peaks

- dale cooper 87% top match
- mark watney 87%
- sean maguire 87%
- uncle iroh 86%

openpsychometrics.org/tests/charac...
dale cooper from twin peaks, 87% top match uncle iroh from avatar: the last airbender, 86% match mark watney from the martian, 87% match Dr. sean maguire from good will hunting, 87% match
June 9, 2026 at 2:32 AM
psychhound.com
The 60-page zine comes with a whole host of examples, roll tables, picklists, & oracles to make 2 player GMfull play a breeze

- Best for 1 to 12 sessions
- Uses dice & playing cards (alt rules for digital incl)
- 2 to 4 hours per session

Also SUCH gorgeous art by Vicky Lee (insta: @svickerdoodles)
[ID: A spread from Shadow / Giant 2e showing the Giant's rolling mechanic. It includes the circumstances that grant rerolls, Devil's Bargains that grant rerolls at a cost, and the results of each potential dice combination, including no combo, 3 of a kind, small straight, full house, large straight, and 5 of a kind. Each combo has a specific outcome and shows an example next to it. There are also textboxes with hypothetical examples using the players Lee and Clementine. End ID] [ID: A spread from Shadow / Giant 2e showing the last page of the Shadow's character creation. It includes picklists for the origin of the Shadow's difference, the feature that sets the Shadow apart, and one thing they wish they were versus one thing they try not to be. The facing page has an example Shadow from the hypothetical player Lee and shows art of a young Mongolian girl clutching a bag and running away while glancing behind her. End ID]
May 26, 2026 at 10:26 PM
psychhound.com
Shadow / Giant 2e, a 2 player wolf & cub #indieTTRPG a la Logan, TLOU, Arcane, and more, is coming to print through @plusoneexp.bsky.social !

Take on the roles of a traumatized, powered youth & their jaded guardian, trying to get somewhere safe & outrun the Threat.

plusoneexp.com/products/sha...
May 26, 2026 at 10:26 PM
psychhound.com
this is the error i get no matter the options i click on. trying to open the dropdown menus also causes the site to glitch out, i have to click on them 3 or 4 times before they actually open rather than flash and send me to a different place on the page
A screenshot of the site under the header Cost Estimates. Print cost per unit shows up as $--.-- with a red warning underneath that says HTTP 401 Unauthorized: Not authenticates
May 25, 2026 at 11:29 PM
psychhound.com
when people ask me, a guy with a master's in writing, basic grammar questions
a very wet and pathetic toy chick
May 25, 2026 at 6:25 PM
psychhound.com
somehow completely missed this @partyofonepodcast.bsky.social episode but it made me weep with laughter. i love when an absurdist comedy game can be described as "nightmareish"

you can find this game here!! first one i ever designed. came to me in a dream (fr)
psychhound.itch.io/not-a-tabloid
May 25, 2026 at 12:37 AM
psychhound.com
so excited to officially announce that SHADOW / GIANT 2e, a hugely improved & expanded edition of my wolf & cub #TTRPG, is coming to print THIS JUNE (in like a week!!) through @plusoneexp.bsky.social, with a bunch of GORG art by vicky lee (@svickerdoodles on insta)

plusoneexp.com/products/sha...
[ID: Promo art for the TTRPG Shadow / Giant 2e, by Psychhound Games, art by Vicky Lee An elderly Haida woman is sheltering a young Mongolian girl under her button blanket while they both look forward at something. The button blanket is red and black with a bear design on it. The older woman has a woven basket on her back. The young girl is wearing a blue deel (a traditional Mongolian robe) and has a satchel at her side. The background is light and textured like a book page. The text reads: “Do you see anything?” With a blink of surprise, she dropped her eyes to the young girl. “You were supposed to stay at camp.” Peering at the figures in the distance, the girl shrugged. “Got bored.” A brief glance up, flippant. “Plus, you’re a hundred years old. Hard to spy if you can’t see more than a meter in front of you.” “Cheeky little thing.” A huff. She pulled the young girl under her button blanket. “Alright, then … The patrol circles three times before switching routes, see? So, our best bet for getting inside—” End ID.]
May 24, 2026 at 11:28 PM
psychhound.com
reading the day's section out to the animals and then listening to the song together has become our bedtime ritual!
a close up photo of an old tan pit bull pressing her face against the chest of a young orange cat with no eyes
January 17, 2026 at 4:03 AM
psychhound.com
this game and 4 others are on sale right now until halloween!! if you're looking to get into the spooky mood, look no further!! i've got multiplayer games for families & adults, a duet game, and two spooky solos!! please check it out :D

itch.io/s/161859/hal...
a screenshot of an itch sale showing the TTRPGs mama werewolf, familiar field trip, the graveyard game, crescent grin, and a heart starts beating
October 14, 2025 at 10:42 PM
psychhound.com
my thesis on therapeutically applied #ttrpgs was published!! 40,000 words about the psychology, linguistics, and therapeutic impact of multiplayer tabletop roleplay, including a brand new study on ttrpgs building emotional resilience!!

www.proquest.com/docview/3251...
Abstract: This thesis aimed to further research on a growing method of play therapy, therapeutically applied tabletop role-playing games, and examine its users as a discourse community with shared but unmet needs. Several methods were taken to accomplish this goal. A literature review explored the current state of the research. Then, a study with 109 participants was conducted to deduce the connection between tabletop role-play and emotional resilience. Finally, five popular texts in the tabletop role-playing game genre were analyzed against seven criteria, synthesized from therapeutically applied role-playing game community experts, to determine if currently available texts fulfilled the needs of this community. The texts included Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, New World of Darkness, Apocalypse Keys, Wanderhome, and Songs for the Dusk. This research found that the benefits of tabletop role-playing games are shared between clinical use and home use, but that currently available texts are not ideal for fulfilling therapeutic purposes. Therefore, the thesis includes the foundations of a new text that is designed to be perfectly suited to the requirements of this genre: a game called Spiritkeep, designed to help players heal from complex trauma through long-term play. As the therapeutically applied role-playing field is growing in use by experts as well as in popular attention, the development of this new text has the potential for great impact in the role-playing community.
September 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
psychhound.com
i didn't consent to be a part of this marketing video or your marketplace. i do not want my games in this video. if you wanted to create a solution for our community you should've actually consulted us first
a screenshot of the video with several games circled in red
September 14, 2025 at 4:14 PM
psychhound.com
almost to 40 followers on the shadow / giant 2e prelaunch!! 2 player #ttrpg following a jaded adult and traumatized, magical child with touchstones like marvel's logan, #strangerthings, & #tlou

some VERY RAD guest writers will be announced soon!! all queer & trans writer team!!

👀👉 igit.me/sg2e
a banner for the TTRPG shadow / giant. it shows a silhouette of an adult and child holding hands as well as the title shadow / giant in bold letters. text reads "2-player TTRPG / GMless + Oracles / d6s + Playing Cards." the banner is in speckled risograph style, like an old pulp comic, with orange and blue overlapping to make a green image and font.
August 25, 2025 at 9:24 PM
psychhound.com
woah shadow/giant #5 on itch right now :O

if y'all like the lone wolf & cub trope, jaded adult & traumatized magical child (logan, the last of us, the walking dead, bioshock, etc etc) ... maybe check out? >:)

#ttrpg #indiettrpg
psychhound.itch.io/shadow-giant
a screenshot of itch.io, showing the most popular physical games. shadow / giant is fifth on the page
July 8, 2025 at 3:07 AM