Greetings to our wonderful community, and a very Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!❤️

Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one, spending time with friends, or enjoying a little self-love, today is all about love: connection, affection, and the joy that comes from sharing meaningful experiences.

Valentine’s Day has a rich history, evolving from its ancient roots in Roman festivals celebrating fertility and love to its modern-day focus on romantic relationships. Valentine’s Day is not just about flowers and chocolates - it’s about celebrating love in all its forms: the excitement of new connections, the nostalgia of treasured memories, and the deep bonds that bring us closer together. It’s a day to reflect on the things that make our hearts race and our spirits soar.

Here at The Forge, we’re reminded of the special connections we share through our love for TTRPGs. Whether it’s the art of storytelling, the joy of creating unique characters, or the friendships we build through our shared adventures, TTRPGs hold a unique and cherished place in our hearts. This hobby brings us together in ways that go beyond the gaming table, sparking creativity and creating lasting bonds.

The real magic in gaming is not found in the game mechanics, but in the connections we forge with one another.
~ Gary Gygax

So, on this day, we wanted to share with you why we love TTRPGs so much. We asked our team to reflect on the moments that made them fall head over heels for this world of dice, imagination, and storytelling. Their answers might inspire you to share the love, too.💚

Meet The Forge Team on a Love Note

Grab your dice, pull up a chair, and join us for a heartfelt look at what makes TTRPGs so special to us!🎲

Youness Alaoui a.k.a. KaKaRoTo - CEO

TTRPG was for me the hobby which allowed me to expand my social circle and diversify my passions. It gave me the opportunity to meet so many great people and form new friendships.  

It also affected my life in ways I could never have imagined. Thanks to TTRPG, I became an accidental entrepreneur when I started The Forge as a business, and I learned so many new skills, and became financially stable thanks to it.

My love for TTRPG comes from the inherent ability to become someone else, to escape reality and the world we live in and instead explore new fantastical world. We get to become interesting characters and learn to improvise in unique situations and become a better storyteller. Also, we get to unashamedly be silly and laugh, which is a balm for the soul.

~ KaKaRoTo

Julian de Leon Guerrero a.k.a. DestinyGrey - Business Operations Manager

When I first played in a TTRPG game, I thought it was neat, but did not find myself a hard and fast fan. But then, several years later, on a lark, I decided to run a game. The rest was history.

Nowhere else can you present your chops as a creative director, presenter, and writer so directly and tailored to the experience of the player/consumer, as you can in TTRPGs.

Every weekend I DM two insane homebrew adventures, and each weekend, I only win more laurels with my players. I freaking love this hobby.

~ DestinyGrey

Rikus Marais a.k.a. Phi - Developer

I'm the kind of person who will spend two hours with a character creator in a video game (word to the wise, check if the name you want is available first! :D), so TTRPGs felt like a natural next step. I would scribble little notes on my character sheet and think about how exactly my character came across their starting weapon, or why they would carry around a crowbar, or a small wooden carving of a bird.

Having a story is a bubbly feeling, a little bit like knowing a secret. And playing a TTRPG, telling that story (be it as a player or as a GM), is like being in an awesome secret club. We're all co-conspirators, and our shared stories are super precious to us. And I love that!

~ Phi

Frankie Nicks a.k.a. Stamosis - Multimedia Commercial Artist

Living outside of your reality is why I fell in love, and will always love TTRPGs! The ability to explore different emotions and abilities, and not feel limited by the constraints of the real world.

Creating memories with friends is another reason. I still tell stories from my first playthrough, and when I get the chance to speak to the other players, we can all reminisce about our glory days!

Satisfying my improv bug! As a GM, you have to think on your feet a lot, and to me, it feels as if I am in a giant improv scene!

I also love the escapism it offers. The first character I ever made was a Female Halfling Rogue. As a clumsy and chubby 6ft closeted nerd, this was a way I could feel like I did on the inside, and I fell in love after my first interaction with her!

~ Frankie

Etienne Baudry a.k.a. PomPom - Senior Software Developer

I joined my first campaign during covid, and the remote hours we spent on VTT with my brother back then were some of the most fun we had together.
I loved playing my silly characters in the beautiful scenes he prepared and soon decided to work on my own ones. I knew more about VTT software than the actual game though, and got players lost on my over-prepared maps and macros a few times!

Chance then got me playing offline, pen and paper style, and I think that taught me a lot. Time after, my own campaign picked up, and I came back to Foundry VTT: not so often to play online actually, but as table support and common display for my live sessions. My players love it, and so do I!

~ PomPom ♥️

Lucas Pacheco a.k.a. lucasplays111 - QA Analyst

I'm pretty new to the whole TTRPG community but I must say that I enjoy dearly the acting and personification of characters, it gets really immersive as the game sessions pass. You will laugh, get angry (all in good spirit!), solve clues, and act out your character with your party in an infinite variety of ways.

I love team playing and I love Dungeon Masters that knows how to act and set the scene so you feel like you really are the character that you play.

~ lucasplays111

Tim Snyder a.k.a. wyrmisis - Senior Software Developer

Tabletop RPGs are, to me, as much about escapism as they are about connection. My late grandmother was an avid fan of Basic/Expert Dungeons and Dragons in her youth. I'm fortunate enough to be able to run the same edition for her sister, who, thanks to virtual tabletop gaming, can join us from far away.

Running games allows me to carry on a tradition of oral storytelling that I wouldn't have had a voice to do so with otherwise; I have the opportunity to share the experience of spinning emergent narratives about the absurd, awful, and awesome with my friends and family, as my grandmother and her sister had shared with me. Through stories of struggle and success, I hope that we're able to help you connect with those closest to you through the magic of gaming, too.

~ wyrmisis

Valdemar Voss a.k.a. Viztrix - Senior Software Developer

I first started getting into TTRPGs just before covid, but I immediately fell in love. It's both, a great way of spending more time hanging out with friends and a tool that promotes creative thinking.

TTRPGs offer an unprecedented amount of choice, it grants immense creative freedom in regards to character, actions, plot, and storytelling both for the Game Master and the Players. This is in sharp contrast to most video games where everything is as written and creative or unusual use of character abilities is often impossible as you are constrained by the software, whereas in TTRPGs, as long as everyone is having fun, you can do and be almost anything!

~ Viztrix

Anthony Ronda a.k.a. corporat - Technical Producer

Oh roleplaying, with you anything is possible.❤️

~ corporat

Ilijana Ivaniš a.k.a. jana2 - Community Manager

TTRPGs were completely new to me until 2023, and looking back, I can honestly say that TTRPGs changed my life - for the better! And for that, I’m truly grateful.❤️  

To be honest, I started playing not too long ago, and at first, I was skeptical. I worried that I wouldn’t be good enough. But quickly, I realized that TTRPGs aren’t about perfection - they’re about connection. Laughing, strategizing, and telling stories with friends turned out to be the best kind of therapy.

Among other things, TTRPGs have taught me that even the quietest voice can tell a powerful story.

~ Jana

A Love That Rolls Natural 20s

TTRPGs are more than just games. They’re a shared language of imagination, creativity, and friendship. Whether it’s through epic battles, heartfelt roleplay, or simply rolling dice and laughing at the chaos, TTRPGs bring people together in ways that few others can.

TTRPGs are more than just a hobby. They're a way to connect with others, tell incredible stories, and express creativity in ways that are deeply personal and shared at the same time.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s celebrate the love that TTRPGs bring into our lives.

Happy Valentine's Day from The Forge Team!❤️