Rune and Slayers designer Spencer Campbell accepts the end of his RPG career

Some tabletop designers quickly carve out a niche for themselves within the industry, constructing their commercial identity around an early success or thematic inclination. This could strictly be a business decision—vertical slices make for easy marketing to the right crowd—or a convenient alignment of trends and personal taste. Spencer Campbell occupied the second category, marrying his love of looter shooter video games such as Destiny and Borderlands with tightly designed and action-focused RPGs.

One of Campbell’s earlier projects, a love letter to Warframe aptly called Frame, angered the video game’s community to the point that they harassed him in private messages and public posts tagging developer Digital Extremes. These individuals accused Campbell of stealing the developer’s IP despite Frame simply ambiguating Warframe’s live-service mission model and hyper-agile fighting robots—neither of which are new concepts for video games. The experience triggered a panic attack, and Campbell immediately pulled the plug on his crowdfunding campaign. Months later, he had moved on to less toxic pastures.

The experience highlighted Campbell’s passion but also how large the creator’s mental health looms over his work process. It’s been three years since the Frame incident, and he is now facing a different—and much more personal—crisis. Speaking at Gen Con 2024, Campbell and fellow tabletop designer Will Jobst spoke about burnout, the taxing experience of being professionally online and reflecting on one’s career. Once a prominent example of passion-led artistry, Campbell is tired: of the grind, of performing online, and perhaps of creating tabletop RPGs.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.