Lightspress was founded on a simple idea: roleplaying should be clear, accessible, and story-driven. Games should inspire creativity, not slow it down with complicated rules.
Launched in 2014 by Berin Kinsman, Lightspress is a one-person imprint with input from trusted friends, game designers, and publishing professionals. Decades of experience running, playing, and writing for dozens of games shaped this approach. Lightspress takes inspiration from the James Bond 007 roleplaying game, the original Traveller, and GURPS, with Dungeons & Dragons, for better and worse, always in the background. These games taught us what works, what doesn’t, and what makes roleplaying flow naturally.
At the heart of Lightspress is The Simple Approach, a system designed for narrative-driven traits, beat-based difficulty, and rules that stay out of the way. It is the foundation for everything we publish, from core systems to sourcebooks that support both popular and overlooked genres.
Lightspress is for players and gamemasters who value storytelling, accessibility, and mechanics that support creativity rather than restrict it. If you believe roleplaying should be about character choices, meaningful interactions, and the freedom to tell great stories, you are in the right place.
Vision
Roleplaying is a creative act, a shared experience, and a way to tell stories that reflect the full range of human experiences. Lightspress creates clear, flexible systems that make storytelling easier and more meaningful. Roleplaying should be intuitive, immersive, and open to everyone, regardless of background, identity, or experience level.
Stories are powerful. They shape how we see the world and how we see ourselves. Everyone deserves to take part in them.
Mission
We design barrier-free roleplaying tools that are structured but flexible, deep but easy to use. Barrier-free means accessible to all players, not an excuse for bad behavior.
At the core of everything is The Simple Approach, a system built on clarity, collaboration, and accessibility. It keeps the focus on characters and story, not rules and complexity.
We publish sourcebooks and games across many genres—fantasy, historical drama, mystery, and more. Roleplaying should support more than just combat mechanics. It should help players explore a full range of stories and experiences, from adventure to introspection.
We believe in safe, inclusive gaming spaces. Every player has the right to feel comfortable, respected, and heard. Our games encourage collaborative storytelling, active consent, and shared ownership of the narrative.
Values
Creativity, collaboration, and inclusion are at the heart of roleplaying. It brings people together through shared experiences and allows them to see the world through different perspectives.
We believe in clarity. Games should be easy to learn, play, and teach. We believe in collaboration, the best stories are built together, with every player having a voice that is respected, not overruled. We value literacy, not just in reading and comprehension, but in developing empathy, problem-solving, and critical thinking through storytelling.
Most of all, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Roleplaying should reflect many experiences, cultures, and perspectives, not just the same tired stories. Representation is not optional. Everyone deserves to see themselves in the stories they play, and no one should feel unwelcome at the table.
We design roleplaying games that honor the past while embracing the future. The best mechanics serve the story, not the other way around.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Stay connected with The Manifesto, our newsletter, published four times a month with a quarterly special issue. It’s where we explore roleplaying, storytelling, and game design with clarity, depth, and a focus on creativity.
Subscribe now to join the conversation and get insights, updates, and discussions delivered straight to your inbox.