W.H. Arthur

Hello, this is Arthur (佢/he/they), a game writer and narrative designer with a focus on tabletop role-playing games.I have designed and published my own TTRPGs, and worked as a contributing writer on a number of indie RPG projects. I am available for hire as a freelance writer.I have been a narrative designer on indie video game projects both as a solo developer and in a team.I am also looking to make use of my experience outside of gaming, offering my service as a consultant with regards to sensitivity and science.

My Games

You can find my games on itch.io and DriveThruRPG.Through game design, I explore culture, identity, gender, neurodivergence, trauma and healing. Sometimes, I like to experiment with mechanics and make games for fun.

A collaboration with the illustrator Carol Wu, May You Fish in Interesting Times is an RPG about anthropomorphic birds going on a fishing trip, and those birds happened to be ex-rebels from a failed revolution in the past. This is a cosy fishing game, but at the same time about broken birds bonding over shared past trauma.CONVICT-ION is an RPG inspired by Life is Strange, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Persona, as well as the philosophy of Butler and Foucault. It is an exploration of gender and social norms, and a statement on how every facet of our society is structured like a prison.Molotov College is an RPG about super-powered misfits resisting the doomed future, inspired by superhero media such as The Umbrella Academy, X-Men and Titans. I aimed to capture my emotions and feelings of being a millennial into the game; it's about dealing with trauma and hopelessness, while resisting systemic injustice and still trying to affect change in some way.Mud Ghost Estate is a spooky RPG inspired by Hong Kong folklore and urban legends, where the players take on the roles of daring teenagers exploring a haunted public housing estate in Hong Kong in the 90s.The Sol Survivor is a storytelling RPG on Chinese mythology. It was one of the first games I designed, which I got positive feedbacks from peers, and eventually ran a successful Kickstarter for the book. I have adapted the system into an SRD, which other creators have made games with.Taels of the Heisty Vixens is a PbtA game inspired Chinese folklore and history. In this game, you play as vixens going on heists in a city occupied by foreign colonisers. I have been meaning to work on a new version of the game for some time, so keep an eye out.In Teenage Menace, you tell the story of a young superhero battling villains in a society that hates them. It is also part of Superhero Cinematic Universe TTRPG, a series of stand-alone one-shots that can be linked together to form a larger narrative.The Steadfast and the Rebellious is my most popular game with over 12 thousand downloads. It is a storytelling RPG that can be played as a standalone one-shot, or as a rich prologue for a larger campaign.D12 & Delve is a small experimental RPG I wrote that fit in 12 words (and on a business card).

Other Works

Here is a list of TTRPG projects I have contributed to:

I have also written an article On Game Jam Culture and Minimalist RPGs that was published on Geek Native.

Consulting

SensitivityI grew up in Hong Kong and have lived in the UK for over a decade. Using my lived experience as a diasporic person, I can provide sensitivity reading and consultation with regards to the portrayal of race and culture in a project.I also offer consultation on the culture of Hong Kong and southern China. While I may not have a background in cultural studies, I can provide my perspective as a person of Chinese ethnicity, as seen in my TTRPG works.If you are looking for a writer on the aforementioned subjects, I would be happy to help too.

ScienceI have a PhD in Biomolecular Science, and over a decade experience in academic research. In my scientific career, I have published a number of peer-reviewed articles, including a first-author paper in Nature.As a researcher, I study biological processes at a molecular level via X-ray crystallography and biochemical assays.I can offer my service as a science consultant on your project, or write some scientific jargons for your fictional settings.