When Cards Go Bad | MAGIC: THE GATHERING
this is about M:TG (obviously) but a lot of stuff here is relevant to designing, e.g., skill trees
DJ's Dungeon Mapper
another little mapping utility!
gridmapper
elegant little utility for drawing dungeon maps
The CRPG Addict: Game 316: Caverns of Mordia (1980)
from what crpg addict calls the "establishing era," this reminds me a bit of 80 Days
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG
"We began the development with some clear goals: create an RPG set in late 90s New Jersey (as RPGs rarely are set in modern times), strike a healthy balance between humor and a compelling plot, as well as make a world with depth. We looked outside of games for inspiration, particularly to author Haruki Murakami. He is an incredible writer, our favorite living author, and someone who makes you feel as if he’s writing your dreams. We made sure everyone on the team read his entire collective works before we began development." (text from related article here https://blog.us.playstation.com/2019/01/16/inside-the-classic-rpg-and-literary-influences-of-yiik-out-tomorrow/)