With many different creators across many different areas of KiwiRPG week, there’s one thing we all have in common – we love when people see our stuff and support us!
Kia ora, my name is Riwhi, and I make games! Throughout the wonderful KiwiRPG week, I’ll be on two streams and one panel, plus the opening and closing ceremonies as a committee member, so I’m sure you’ll all be sick of me pretty quickly 😉
Below is a list of ways that I’ve identified that you can support creators in the TTRPG space – from game creators and designers to streamers and video creators, to artists, there’s ways to support all sorts of awesome mahi (work) from lots of creatives.
Supporting game creators/designers:
To start with, the area I am most familiar with: game design and creation. Those of us who decide to strike out from the base D&D and Pathfinder, and add to those and other games, or make our own entirely. Weirdos (affectionate), basically.
Buy their games
This is incredibly obvious, but it would be a glaring omission if I didn’t include it. So, as is evident by the heading, buy games! When you have enjoyed a creator’s work, and you see they’ve put out a new game, buy it, if it interests you. If it’s a Pay What You Want game, tip a couple of dollars. If they’ve got a function to add community copies for extra spent on the game, add a bit more on if you can, so that more people can enjoy these awesome games.
Engage with them on social media
This one is good on multiple levels. First, following them on social media means they have a bit more credibility in the eyes of The Algorithm (because this is an unfortunate thing that we need to work with to survive ☹) and potential customers (not that I believe that small follower numbers means ANYTHING AT ALL about how good of a designer someone is, and vice versa), but also, it means you get updates about new stuff they make! Maybe even sneak peeks?!
But beyond following them, you should also engage with their posts! If they talk about a game they made, reblog/reskeet/repost/whatever the hell it to boost how many people know about it. Like their posts. Reply to their posts! If they post about something new and you buy it, comment on their promo post saying what you enjoyed about it, what was interesting, what stuck out. We LOVE it when people talk to us about the things we make, I promise! If you’re not being an asshole about it, we wanna hear it.
Tell people about their games
Found something you like? Tell literally everyone who stops long enough to listen about it.
I’m only mostly kidding…
Spreading the word is wonderful! I’ve had markets where people have told me that their flatmate/partner/friend/cousin’s sister’s dog gave them my games because that person (or dog) thought they’d love it and they did, which is the biggest compliment, and also so helpful! Spreading the word is a sacred duty.
Tell other TTRPG people, tell non-TTRPG people, tell those folks you know who only play D&D – maybe you can get them onto other games!
When sharing about games, say why you like them. What is it that sticks out?
Another very key point about telling people about those cool games you love: make your own posts on social media! When TTRPG creators do it about our own games, it’s because we’re biased. So if you come in, and honestly talk about why you love a game, it goes a really long way! Also, then we have a testimonial to use in our own promos, so it’s extra cool 😉
Review their games
Let’s be real here, none of these points have been particularly niche. These are all things that are pretty common sense. Buying games, sure, give the creator money. Follow them on social media, mmhm, that’s just how the world functions these days. Tell people about their games, well, you need to do that to play them with other people, so whatever. Even this one, review games, easy breezy, of course, of course.
Okay, THEN GO DO IT!
I just checked, and my most downloaded game with just over 750 downloads on itch, has 15 ratings. Only 2 of those have words attached beyond the star rating. While itch is really weird about reviews, and only publishes them to people who follow you, it’s still hugely important to have them! As mentioned before, then they can be used as testimonials, they still get released to your followers, and also they are so so so wonderful to receive as a creator! Every single review I get boosts my motivation to write things 1000 times over. Very literal ‘support’, in the ‘ways to support’.
So, go review your fav TTRPGs and your fav creator’s work. It means a lot!
Also, often if you take a community copy, there’ll be a request for a review in return – please do that!
Supporting Streamers:
Admittedly, I watch less streams and videos than I intend to, or even want to, and I don’t want to leave these creators out, since there are many in the KiwiRPG community, and quite a few in the KiwiRPG week lineup, so here are some ways you can support these folks too!
Watch their streams (obviously)
Again, saying the obvious purely so no one is like ‘well you didn’t say to actually watch their streams soooo’. No pedantry allowed! Preddy simple here.
Engage in the stream chat
Especially if it’s a solo stream, from what I’ve heard from streamer friends, it makes their jobs a lot easier, giving them something to respond to, but also you can have cool convos with other people in the chat.
Engage with them on social media (again)
An added bonus of most streamers (to my understanding) will post about their stream schedule, or post when they’re live, so you can be aware of when they’re playing.
Give them feedback on what you enjoyed! ‘Caught the stream today, LOVED when Johnny Bob (three raccoons in a trench coat) threw a Molotov cocktail at the president, the look on the GM’s face was incredible!’
Tell people about their streams (again)
‘Hey I just found this awesome new TTRPG stream, you should check it out! My favourite character is Johnny Bob (three raccoons in trench coat). Maybe we could watch together?’
Easy peasy!
Post about the stream on your social media of choice, beyond just resharing their posts. It goes a long way!
Supporting podcast creators:
Do I have to say all the same stuff? It’s pretty much identical:
Listen to their podcasts (including the backlog)
Engage with them on social media and in the comments
Tell people about the podcast
Review the podcast wherever you listen to it
Support video creators:
We all love videos about TTRPG stuff, and if you don’t, I simply can’t help ya! Very similar stuff here as above, to be honest. Pretty much the same stuff here.
Watch their videos (obviously) including their backlogs
Engage with them on social media
Leave a comment!
Tell people about their videos
Recommend them on social media, in your discords, to people in your offline life, in your TTRPG groups
Like, subscribe and hit—
*I am forcibly removed from the blog before I can finish saying that*
Supporting Artists:
Can’t forget our wonderful artist friends! Unsurprisingly, it’s the same, by and large.
Like and comment on their posts/videos
Engage with them on social media, even the posts that aren’t just their posted art
Tell people about their art
Buy prints if they have them!
Print out their art and eat it
😊 I am not taking questions about this at this time, thanks.
To finish off
Okay, okay, I’ve said the same thing over and over enough times. You all get the gist. Support TTRPG creatives however you can! Above and beyond the things here, sometimes they’ll have Patreons or Kofi accounts, and these can help give them that financial supplement to keep making the awesome art you love. Generally, creators will be pretty clear in telling you how you can support them, and if not, I guarantee they’ll be willing to answer a question asking that.
Have I missed something you see as super important? Whakamōhio mai, let me know in the comments or by tagging KiwiRPG on social media!
Happy KiwiRPG Week 2026, folks!
– Riwhi
