Introduction
TL;DR — What This Blog Is About
The Dash Action is a blog about helping people play more tabletop games, and get more out of the time they spend doing it. I focus on the experience of play—especially roleplaying games, but also board games, solo play, and anything adjacent—through the lens of facilitation, confidence, and reducing friction. You’ll find practical reflections for game masters and players who want games to happen more often, feel less intimidating, and be more rewarding when they do. If you care about getting more from your hobby, you’re in the right place.
Why The Dash Action Exists
When I started this blog back in late 2021—it was called A Dash of RPG. That name made sense at the time. I was returning to tabletop roleplaying with fresh eyes, poking around the hobby again after years spent mostly in video games, and I wanted a place to record what I was discovering.
Since then, both the blog and I have changed shape a few times.
Some of that reinvention was deliberate. Some of it was me following curiosity. And some of it was me realising—slowly—that certain directions just weren’t doing it for me.
At one point, I leaned harder into writing about business. It made sense on paper. It’s what I do professionally, and tabletop games are a business. But creatively? It didn’t light anything up. I already spend most of my working life in that space, and when I sat down to write, it felt like I was clocking back in rather than leaning into why I love this hobby in the first place.
So I stopped, reflected, and tried to articulate what actually energises me.
I came away with two clear realisations.
#1 - I’m a Facilitator at Heart
I am happiest, most engaged, and most fulfilled when I’m at a table with other people, playing games. Most often, I’m the one running them.
I enjoy shaping experiences around the people in front of me—welcoming newcomers into the hobby, or giving experienced players something they haven’t quite seen before.
I like the theatrics. I like the sense of occasion. I like that moment when everyone leans forward because something clicked.
In my day job, I’m often a facilitator. As a game master, I’m doing the same thing—but for joy. For shared imagination. For the pleasure of seeing a table come alive.
That’s the first pillar of this blog: play as a facilitated experience, and the craft of making that experience welcoming and memorable.
#2 - Friction Is the Real Enemy
The second realisation is simpler, but more far-reaching.
It is hard to get games to the table.
Video games are very good at one thing: getting you to the fun fast. They’re slick, streamlined, and low friction. As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve wanted to spend less time in front of screens, which is why tabletop games—roleplaying games especially—have pulled me back so strongly.
But tabletop play comes with friction. Sometimes a lot of it.
Finding people to play with is a big one. Time zones, schedules, energy levels. Online play has helped enormously—I regularly play with friends scattered across continents—but it brings its own kind of drag. You’re playing, yes, but something about being physically around a table is missing.
Then there’s setup. Components. Rules. Mental overhead. Modern board games and RPGs are wonderful, but they often ask a lot of you before the first meaningful decision happens. Learning a new system can feel like homework, and that alone is enough to keep people anchored to the one game they already know.
Roleplaying games add another layer: creativity. Improvisation. Performing a role. Making things up in front of other people. That’s exhilarating when you’re in the right headspace—and exhausting when you’re not. At the end of a long day, even something you love can feel like too much effort.
And hovering over all of this is a quiet kind of gatekeeping: the sense that you need to know more, prep more, or “do it properly” before you’re allowed to play.
All of that friction adds up. And friction is what stops games from happening.
What This Blog Is About Now
The Dash Action is a blog about tabletop play.
Roleplaying games are my first love, but this also includes board games, card games, miniature wargames, and all the spaces where those worlds overlap. I’m interested less in individual products and more in the experience of play.
My focus is simple:
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helping people get more games to the table and play more
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helping people get more out of the time they do spend at the table
When I say “get more”, I don’t mean optimisation or superiority. I mean playing with more confidence, less anxiety, and fewer barriers between intent and enjoyment.
I believe—deeply—that all of us are creative, and that the world would be a better place if people played more. Tabletop games create moments of connection, inspiration, and shared imagination that are increasingly rare elsewhere.
This blog exists to support that.
Why You’ll See So Much Solo Play Here
One of the biggest frictions in tabletop gaming is needing other people. Because of that, I’ve leaned heavily into solo play—both solo roleplaying games and other forms of solo gaming.
Sometimes, solo play is practical. It’s a way to learn rules, build confidence, and onboard yourself before bringing a game to a group. Many modern games now support this explicitly, and the result is better experiences for everyone around the table.
But solo play is also its own joy.
It lets you explore at your own pace. Leave a game set up. Take time with a decision. Follow a thread of curiosity without worrying about anyone else’s patience. In roleplaying games, it allows space for reflection and texture that group play doesn’t always support.
Solo play doesn’t replace group play—but it removes friction. And removing friction means more games happen.
That’s why you’ll see it explored often here.
An Invitation
So this is the positioning of The Dash Action now.
Less business. More play. More attention to experience, facilitation, and the small, practical choices that make games easier to start and more satisfying to finish.
Most of what I write is aimed at game masters—because that’s where I’m most at home—but if you care about getting games to the table, there’s space here for you too.
If you want to play more, feel more confident doing it, and get more out of the games you love, you’re in the right place.
I’m glad you’re here.
Dashmeister
This blog is written by me, with a little help from AI editing for clarity and tone. All ideas, feelings, and memories are mine.
