Liberty graduate student creates tabletop RPG game

When Josiah Mork was growing up, he struggled to connect with his peers, but everything changed once he discovered the world of fantasy role-playing games.

“My parents were really good about trying to get me out and making friends, but I was still very introverted,” Mork said.

When he joined his Boy Scouts troop, Mork was introduced to the fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Dungeons & Dragons. He observed the way this game brought friends together through the avenue of storytelling and was determined to create his own original version of the tabletop game.

Mork’s first RPG came to life in the form of a 50-page printer paper book, which quickly rose in popularity within his Boy Scouts troop.

After the release of his first official fantasy RPG entitled “BLADE,” Mork wanted to create a new game that was more accessible. Thus, Hoodwink Games was born — combining his graphic design, business and communication skills. 

Through years of dedicated work and research, he created an RPG where “people can tell their own stories.”

The goal was to deconstruct the stigma around RPGs by designing an all-new fantasy RPG Play Easily Now (PEN), which allows players to develop more than 1 million unique characters and even write their own spells.

Mork’s mission with PEN is to help people form meaningful connections with others through an immersive storytelling experience.

“At the end of the day, it’s just telling stories with your friends. When you can phrase it that way, it’s very disarming and promising to people because everyone wants friends, but they also want to tell stories,” Mork said.

Mork believes that there are several mental health benefits to participating in RPGs. He has learned this firsthand by working with a charity in Washington called Alexandria RPG Library. The charity helps rehabilitate veterans with PTSD and children who have gone through abuse by implementing RPGs in therapy.

“(RPGs) help them build trust and connect with one another,” Mork said.

Mork said that RPGs like PEN are special because they encourage people to communicate through stories.     

“One person directs the story. They’re the game master, and they will describe the setting and the characters,” Mork said.

PEN is a fun and interactive way to create relationships and memories with the people you love.

Mork said he is nowhere near finished in his pursuit of creating games and content that can foster community. He shares the Gospel in an author’s note on the back of each game he creates to reinforce his mission of recognizing and promoting the importance of Christ-centered community.

“God is using the game for somebody,” Mork said.

This winter, Mork plans to release a second edition of his original game, Star Set, as he continues completing his Master of Arts in Professional Communication focusing on critical influential communication at Liberty University. To pre-order PEN, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/starsetrpg/play-easily-now-pen-roleplaying-game.

Schoonover is an arts & culture reporter for the Liberty Champion.