SCM Annual Review 2025

Looking back at the third year of writing Skeleton Code Machine every week. More subscribers, consistent feedback, and interest in Tumulus. Here's what's next!

Happy New Year!

Thank you so much for being part of the Skeleton Code Machine community. Your love of games, design insights, and thoughtful comments motivates me to post a new article every Tuesday. For three years, you’ve given me some of your most precious resource — your attention. I appreciate it.

As is tradition, it’s time to look at the data from the Skeleton Code Machine Annual Reader Survey and see if we can identify a few things to think about.

A growing community

As of today, Skeleton Code Machine now has over 5,300 subscribers (+49% change YOY), having crossed the 5k mark back in September. That’s a shocking increase considering the site had zero subscribers in January 2023 and about 1,500 in January 2024. If you are new here, thank you for subscribing!

You are a game designer

Over three-quarters (77%) of Skeleton Code Machine readers do some sort of tabletop game design. That design work could be as a hobby or professionally. It might be board games or TTRPGs. It skews heavily toward TTRPG design (46%) vs. board games (13%) which makes sense based on both article content and barrier to entry for board game production. Interestingly, 18% of survey responders design both TTRPGs and board games.

About a little less than a quarter (23%) of readers do not consider themselves to be game designers yet. If you are one of them, welcome. I hope Skeleton Code Machine can inspire you to make weird games sometime soon.

Related to that, I’m happy to share that the percentage of readers who are aware of Unpub and Break My Game has significantly increased. Last year’s survey showed that only 29% of readers were aware of at least one of the two organizations. That has increased to 50% this year and includes a larger sample size. Unpub was the highest with 27%.

I’m sure the articles on playtesting and pitching at Unpub helped.

Every Tuesday no matter what

One of the top themes in both last year’s survey and this year’s survey was an appreciation for the consistency of posts. Readers know that a new Skeleton Code Machine article will go live every Tuesday morning without fail. It’s something they can look forward to each week.

My writing streak now spans three years without missing a single Tuesday post. Holidays and plague could not stop me this year!

The total number of posts is down a little bit from 74 in 2024 to 63 in 2025 (-14.9% change) — still more than 4 posts/month on average. This is due to a shift in how I handle longer articles.¹ Previously, I would break up longer posts into a series of smaller ones. Based on feedback, I’ve largely stopped doing that and instead just post the longer articles as a single piece. I’m happy to report that the survey results agree with this change, so that’s how I’ll continue in the future.²

Weekly email is the most popular format

While Skeleton Code Machine is a newsletter, it is available via other channels as well. It can be read on the web, via an app, or via RSS.

Here’s what the survey said:

• Email is preferred: Most readers (66%) prefer to read Skeleton Code Machine via email with smaller numbers using the web (17%) or the Substack app (17%). I did get a few comments lamenting that I did not give RSS as an option! I’ll be sure to include that one in next year’s survey. Otherwise, these results are largely unchanged from previous years.

• Weekly is the way: An overwhelming 78% of readers enjoy the weekly post frequency and would like to keep it that way. And while I appreciate the enthusiasm of the one person who wants me to switch to daily emails, I unfortunately can’t do that. :)

• Most read every article: An impressive 91% of survey responses said you either read every post (53%) or almost every post (38%).

• Don’t miss the archive: Despite my best efforts, only 72% of readers are aware that every Skeleton Code Machine article is available for free in the archive. If you missed one, you don’t have to hunt for the email.

Tabletop game design theory

When asked, “Select the type of Skeleton Code Machine posts that you enjoy. You can choose as many as you like.” the answer was loud and clear. You want to continue to see a mixture of board game and tabletop roleplaying game design theory and mechanisms. The “general tabletop game design theory” option was the most popular (92%) with TTRPG mechanisms (86%) and board game mechanisms (79%) close behind.

There continues to be interest in a limited number of tutorials (63%), interviews (50%), and retro games (46%).

At the bottom are two topics that I try to avoid which include Top 10 lists (41%) and general news and updates (37%). So no worries there.

Text articles, printed books, and game jams

Every year I ask, “When it comes to additional Skeleton Code Machine content, which format would you prefer?” The options always include a few formats that don’t currently exist but would theoretically be added (e.g. YouTube videos, Discord server, puppet show, etc.).

My key takeaway this year is that text articles (70%) and printed guides (like ADVENTURE!) are what people want. I’m really happy to see this. Based on my limited time and resources, I’m shelving the idea of a YouTube channel (33%) until at least 2027.

It’s also interesting that game jams scored so highly this year (44%). I’d love to run one and have an idea of what it would look like. Should I make that happen?

There’s basically no interest in a Discord server (17%) or short-form social media (10%).

More of this and less of that

I asked what you want to see more of and what you want to see less of at Skeleton Code Machine. The results were interesting.

Some say there is too much board game content and not enough TTRPG content. Others say there is too much TTRPG content and not enough board game content.³ But without a doubt, both types are popular. I’ll continue to play, think about, and share both.

Wargames (historical or skirmish) were among the least popular, although still a net positive “want more” vs. “want less.” The real loser of this question was 18XX train games which was the only topic with a net negative score. I’ve never covered an 18XX train game and yet people want even less! Noted.

Tumulus readership is growing

I launched Tumulus, the Skeleton Code Machine print-only, quarterly zine, in December 2023. It’s a project I’m extremely excited about as I mentioned in the Exeunt Press Year-End Review. Subscriptions are growing and single back issues are very popular too.

Last year at this time 26% of readers had never heard of Tumulus according to the survey, despite the launch and many announcements. This year that number has been cut in half to 12%.

Tumulus Issue 05 “Step into the fairy ring.” (December 2025) is shipping now and the upcoming issue themes have been announced:

• Issue 06. Hammer a nail in the coffin. (March 2026)

• Issue 07. Slay the dragon. (June 2026)

• Issue 08. Insert coin to continue. (September 2026)

Be sure to select the issues that you want when placing a four-issue subscription order!

The hot games of the year

I asked what the best “new to you” game of 2025 was for both board games and TTRPGs. Here’s what you said:

• Board games: No clear winner in this category, but Harmonies, Civolution, Arcs, Flip 7, and Compile all received quite a few mentions. Two player games were very popular. What was most striking to me was that many (most?) of the games were older titles, not ones released in 2025. Skeleton Code Machine readers are not part of the Cult of the New when it comes to games.

• TTRPGs: This category did have some winners: Mythic Bastionland, Mothership, and Shadowdark. OSR and rules-light style games were the most popular with titles like Dolmenwood, Cairn, OSE, Pirate Borg, MÖRK BORG, Into the Odd, and Dragonbane mentioned.⁴ Horror seems to be the most popular genre in a broad sense. Dungeons & Dragons mentions were largely absent.

Other comments and observations

“I like exploration of mechanics, especially in isolation. So it’s not a particular mechanic in a style of game like mechanics for narrative games or OSR-style, but exploration of them as they could fit in any style of game.”

“Its tone! I think you have a good balance of technical jargon and theory presented with an easy-to-read style.”

“…it has quickly become a regular touchstone in my reading life, and consistently intriguing and well-written. Superb work.”

Many of the survey questions allowed for freeform text. Those are a little harder to visualize with charts and graphs, but often provide valuable feedback. I’ve read every single comment and here are a few thoughts:

• Mechanical break downs and analysis: This was the single, loudest signal in the data. Readers repeatedly said they enjoy game mechanisms over reviews and opinions. You like isolating and exploring a single subsystem out of a larger game. Pros and cons of a mechanism with examples. No hot takes. No filler content.

• Consistent voice and tone: Readers appreciate the tone and style of Skeleton Code machine, saying that it’s clear, readable, and a good balance of technical thought and approachability. A bit academic but easy to read. I’m happy to hear this because I’m pretty much unable to write any other way! If you’ve ever met me in person, this is exactly how I talk. So… this is what you get. :)

• I write about my current obsession: From the beginning, I’ve selected Skeleton Code Machine topics based on what I’m currently playing and thinking about. That means that some weeks it might be a board game and other weeks it is a TTRPG. For readers, this provides a mix (albeit an unpredictable one) of topics that is appreciated. That will continue to be how I write in the new year!

• Murphdog is a good girl: I have shared all the lovely comments to Murphdog and she appreciates them all. She’s the hardest working employee of Exeunt Press.

And to the many people who had very kind words about taking a break so I don’t burn out, thank you. Don’t worry. Writing Skeleton Code Machine is a pleasure for me and still doesn’t feel like work. But I really do appreciate the concern.

Conclusion

Some things to think about:

• Consistent survey results: I’m surprised how similar this year’s survey was to last year’s survey, even with a larger sample size. You appreciate the same things and want to continue seeing the same things. The biggest changes were the increased exposure of Unpub and Tumulus — both good to see!

• I assure you we have an archive: Despite putting a link in every article and including it in the welcome email, almost 30% of readers still didn’t know we have an archive of all past posts. I don’t know what else to do!

• Kind and thoughtful readers: Asking for open feedback on the modern Internet is a risky proposition. And yet, you provided kind words and honest, thoughtful feedback. I really do appreciate it, and it makes writing Skeleton Code Machine each week a pleasure. Thank you.

— E.P. 💀

P.S. Want more in-depth and playable Skeleton Code Machine content? Subscribe to Tumulus and get four quarterly, print-only issues packed with game design inspiration at 33% off list price. Limited back issues available. 🩻

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Skeleton Code Machine is a production of Exeunt Press. All previous posts are in the Archive on the web. Subscribe to TUMULUS to get more design inspiration. If you want to see what else is happening at Exeunt Press, check out the Exeunt Omnes newsletter.

Skeleton Code Machine and TUMULUS are written, augmented, purged, and published by Exeunt Press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission. TUMULUS and Skeleton Code Machine are Copyright 2025 Exeunt Press.

For comments or questions: games@exeunt.press

1. Also, last year’s posts included the Make Your Own One-Page RPG series that added quite a few posts to July. I also ran MECH WEEK in November. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get Skirmish Week published in 2025 and will instead include it in 2026. Also, these numbers include all posts regardless of topic or length.

2. Honestly, it’s a lot easier to just write one big article than try to break it up. I always struggle to decide where to split the topic. So I’m more than happy to not split them!

3. I’m reminded of the G.K. Chesterton quote: “And then in a quiet hour a strange thought struck me like a still thunderbolt. There had suddenly come into my mind another explanation. Suppose we heard an unknown man spoken of by many men. Suppose we were puzzled to hear that some men said he was too tall and some too short; some objected to his fatness, some lamented his leanness; some thought him too dark, and some too fair. One explanation (as has been already admitted) would be that he might be an odd shape. But there is another explanation. He might be the right shape.”

4. I know defining OSR is hard and (to me) not particularly interesting. I’m using it in the broadest sense here.