Why New GMs Should Explore
Most GMs begin their journeys in familiar territory. For me, it was D&D 2e in a friend’s dining room; for others, it might be Call of Cthulhu at the local club, or a long, glorious Traveller campaign that opened the door. Those first dice rolls shape us—mechanics we learn by heart, settings we can quote in our sleep, rules we reference without looking. And for many, that first game becomes the game, the one we always return to, the one we feel safe running.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Comfort breeds confidence. But it risks limiting us if we’re not careful. Maybe you expect the appearance of the BBEG a little too easily, or start meta-gaming the next twist, or piece of lore.
The Trap of the First Game
New GMs often stick to what they know because it feels manageable. Running a session is daunting enough without also learning a new system, a new world, or a new way of thinking about play. That’s why so many campaigns stay locked in their first box—whether that’s fantasy dungeons, cosmic horror, or hard sci-fi. I remember buying book after book before I plucked up the courage to run my first campaign. Some of them are still on the shelf. My personal pile of shame.
But here’s the truth: the greatest growth as a GM often happens when you step outside that first box.
The Case for Wandering
When you pick up a new system—or even just leaf through a zine—you’re not just learning new rules. You’re learning new ways of telling stories. Every game carries its own assumptions about what matters.
Mothership teaches tension through resource scarcity and procedural horror.
Salvage Union bakes in collaboration and survival with modular mechs and community goals.
An indie 5e zine might show you how to turn a tired mechanic sideways into something unexpected.
Shadows over Sol 2e promises to blend sci-fi horror with a flexible framework for structured missions.
Each of these approaches is a toolkit you can carry back to your “home” system. Maybe your D&D party feels a little different after you’ve run Mothership and learned how dread lingers in the silence. Maybe your Cthulhu game picks up new pacing tricks after you’ve read through a lean indie zine. I have recently backed Shadows over Sol, and I am so excited to get my grubby mits on the PDF.
Reading as GM Practice
Not every game you buy needs to hit the table. Some are simply worth reading. The language of indie design—tight word counts, inventive mechanics, bold experiments—feeds your GMing brain. Even when a book never sees play, it can still teach.
I keep a small stack from Kickstarter campaigns on my shelf, and they act like sparks. Some of them are one-night curiosities. Others are treasure chests. Either way, I come away with more ideas than I started with. If you want to see some real rule breakers, check out ‘Violent Night’ by Greedy Gorgon Press. It is a brilliant read. (Although ‘Violent Night’ may well appear at our annual festive one-shot at the Tavern this year.)
Growing Your GM Voice
The more voices you listen to, the stronger your own becomes. If you only run what you first played, your GM-ing voice risks echoing the same cadences forever. You grow by wandering, exploring, and allowing yourself to be surprised.
The next time you prep a session, ask yourself: what can I steal from something new? Not in a cynical way, but in the way all storytellers do—by blending influences into something that feels uniquely yours.
Being a GM isn’t about mastering a single game. It’s about becoming the storyteller who can make any table come alive.
A Call to Wander
So here’s my invitation: pick up something new this week. It doesn’t have to be a 400-page rulebook—grab a zine, back a Kickstarter, or borrow a PDF from a friend. Read it not to run it, but to see what sparks.
And then tell me: what was your first game, and what’s the last new one you explored? I’d love to hear how it shaped your GM-ing voice.