Or something TTRPG adjacent, related to your game, and just be a gamer.

The holidays can be a little topsy-turvy when it comes to TTRPG schedules. Some of us go home to spend time with family, leaving our regularly scheduled games to hiatus for a week or several. I honestly thought I’d have more time to write one of many reviews and work on my own projects (just remembered two more yesterday.)

Yeah, it’s the busy season here. I’m happy if I get 10 minutes while someone is trying on clothes to read through Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux. I have to wait for everyone to go to bed and then I’m usually too wiped out to do much. Maybe I can sneak a little solo gaming or some writing in Sunday night when everyone is getting ready to go back to school/work on Monday. My advice is: big or small, take whatever you can get whenever you can get it.

How to handle being the only member of your gaming group in town.

Once upon a time, I only had my parents to go home to on the holidays. I either stayed home and watched anime, ate a burrito, and painted minis all weekend or I went home to small town middle-of-BFN Iowa where there was no Internet, no computer, and no one still in town that wanted to game. However, I usually got a lot of reading done when I wasn’t hanging out with Dad watching the Red Green Show or some obscure Britcom on public television.

As a GM we often have the advantage of always having some prep to do. I came up with tons of campaign ideas that I wrote down in a little Steno pad I keep in my backpack. Sometimes I knew I was coming back to a game night with my college buddies, so I prepped a module. I’m sure there are GMs out there who can relate.

In the modern world of 2025, I don’t have any games on my phone. I do have a ton of downloaded PDFs to read on any given day. It also saves on doom scrolling social media for an hour while my wife and her aunt have girl talk. If you’re a GM I highly recommend keeping at least one core rulebook on your phone and possibly a supplement or a campaign setting. It really can be a big help.

If you’ve done as much prep as humanly possible or if you’re just a player and not a GM, there are still things you can do. Make characters, read up on a new game system or sourcebook, binge watch an Actual Play, try out solo gaming, or paint a mini. Since we are in the modern age of gaming and the Internet is widely available, you can also catch up on blog reading or look at forums (not Reddit, though. Yeesh.) There are also websites out there dedicated to all kinds of TTRPGs past and present to read up on. It can be a good time to go down that Internet rabbit hole and do a deep dive into a game or even a real world topic you’ve been meaning to spend time with.

There’s also all that mundane holiday stuff, I guess.

I spent a few holiday weekends doing term papers when I was in college. Boring, I know, but it freed up time to do gaming stuff later when it counted. It’s not glamorous, but it’s an option.

There is also that whole spending time with family thing. I know we’re not all so lucky as to have that option or you have those two relatives who bicker incessantly. But if it’s an option for you, sometimes the best thing you can do is be present in the moment with loved ones. I often remind myself of this, and tell the kids to put their devices away at the dinner table.

It’s also a good time to play some non-TTRPG board games, especially with some of the younger kids. We’ve played Monopoly twice here the last two nights. I’m hoping for Clue or to maybe pull out something of mine to introduce the kids to. There’s also Mario Party and Fortnite with my kids. Fun stuff when you can get away with it.

Finally, some people can get lonely over holiday breaks. Depression kinda sucks. Please try to look in on your friends, gaming group, and so on if they’re going to be alone all during break. Try to sneak them some leftovers or just hang and watch a movie. Whatever you normally do might make a world of difference if someone is lonely and feeling down. It doesn’t have to be game related, just being present goes a long way sometimes. It’s easier than ever to check in on someone with all of the technology at our disposal these days.

Happy holidays, whatever you celebrate, if you celebrate. Take care of yourself and one another. Enjoy your time off while you can. Busier days are just around the corner.

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.