Short Rest Studios
Short Rest Studios is your guide to discovering the best tabletop roleplaying games, D&D 5e alternatives, and modern GM advice. Don't quest alone!
I’m Jud, and I explore new TTRPG systems, game design concepts, and GM tools that get you back to the fun. Whether you're looking to fix sluggish combat, or swap Dungeons & Dragons for fast, rules-light systems, I'm scouting the TTRPG landscape so you can focus on running great sessions.
• D&D 5e Alternatives: Draw Steel (MCDM), Nimble, Dragonbane, Cosmere RPG, Pirate Borg, and Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC). • GM Advice & Campaign Prep: Worldbuilding, combat pacing, module design, and adventure prep tools. • Game Design Deep Dives: Designer interviews, mechanical breakdowns, and OSR/indie spotlight reviews.
Join the Adventurer's Guild on Patreon: https://patreon.com/shortreststudios
Remember: You don't have to quest alone.
Listen on:
Episodes
Episodes
Sep 25, 2026
Sep 25, 2026
10 min
Every published TTRPG adventure needs at least these 4 essential features to eliminate bloated prep and meet modern adventure design standards.
Get Riddle of the Veiled Isles: https://bit.ly/4d2rwZ4
Join the Adventurer's Guild to support this channel: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
Sep 11, 2026
Sep 11, 2026
13 min
Does Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG actually beat D&D 5e? Here are 4 big tabletop mechanics it fixes - and why I'm still passing on the system. * Join the Adventurers Guild to support this channel: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
Sep 4, 2026
Sep 4, 2026
11 min
Is the Starmork X-tend the ultimate affordable game table? Is it too good to be true. Or somewhere in between? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/starmork/starmork-x-tend-table?ref=95sy2a
https://www.starmork.com/pages/starmork-x-tend-table
* Support me on Patreon: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
Aug 28, 2026
Aug 28, 2026
8 min
Is YouTube making it harder for small TTRPG channels? We dive into the new Partner Program changes and what they mean for tabletop creators’ survival. * Support on Patreon: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios * Join the Email List https://lxpjgr.subscribepage.io
Aug 7, 2026
Aug 7, 2026
10 min
Dragonbane is a fast, brutal, and strategic alternative to D&D combat that eliminates bloat through streamlined mechanics and high stakes. * Get 10% off at https://legacygametables.com/shortreststudios * Join the Adventurer's Guild for the full unedited interview at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios *
Jul 31, 2026
Jul 31, 2026
17 min
I talk with Pirate Borg creator Limithron about 5e bloat, the OSR, battle maps, ship combat, and his latest Kickstarter! Back it here: http://bit.ly/4fH2orhJoin the Adventurer's Guild for the full unedited interview at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
Jul 24, 2026
Jul 24, 2026
10 min
D&D offers loads of character options, but do they actually make the game better? Choice overload is a real problem that slows down combat and kills player creativity.
Join the Adventurer's Guild: https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios
The article: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/choice-overload-bias
Jul 17, 2026
Jul 17, 2026
16 min
Discover 10 RPGs that are fast as lightning compared to a sluggish D&D session. These tabletop alternatives are designed for speed, offering skeletal rulesets, d6-only mechanics, and lightning-fast character creation that won't make your players crash out. * Get 10% off dice and accessories at https://MistyMountainGaming.com/shortreststudios * Join the Adventurer's Guild at https://Patreon.com/ShortRestStudios *