Taxonomy term descriptions

system · May 12, 2026, 2:12am

All products have multiple taxonomies that can be used to categorise, group, label, and describe them. Learn more about that here:

This document contains a brief description of each taxonomy term. If you’re not sure what a particular taxonomy term means, use this page as a reference.

Languages

Languages ars self-explanatory, but it’s worth noting that the taxonomy includes an option for “Language-independent”. This is for art assets or other products where there is no text in the product itself.

Game systems

Game systems are also self-explanatory. If your product can work with any system (like a set of items without stats for a specific system), you can use the “System neutral” option, or if your product is a new system on its own, you can use “Original system”.

If you would like a game system added to this taxonomy, please ask in Feature requests. The criteria for a new game system to be added is that it is a real game or system, and at least some modules or games exist that use it or are based on it.

Settings

Settings are labels for physical locations (or sometimes more asbract ones), so listing and defining them here is unnecessary.

Genres

Alternate history: Fiction set in a version of history that changed differently.
Ancient mythology: Stories inspired by ancient myths and legends.
Atompunk: Retro-futuristic fiction inspired by the atomic age.
Autumn: Stories inspired by autumnal themes, colours, and seasonal atmosphere.
Biopunk: Science fiction focused on biotechnology and genetic engineering.
Body horror: Horror involving physical transformation or mutation.
Bronze Age: Fiction inspired by Bronze Age cultures and societies.
Christmas: Stories themed around Christmas traditions, festivities, or winter celebrations.
Cosmic horror: Horror centred on incomprehensible cosmic forces.
Critters: Stories featuring small animals or tiny creatures.
Cyberpunk: High-tech fiction set in dystopian futures.
Dark fairy tale: Fairy tale stories with darker themes or horror elements.
Dark fantasy: Fantasy with grim or horror-inspired themes.
Dieselpunk: Retro-futuristic fiction inspired by the diesel era.
Dreamlike / Surreal: Fiction with strange, surreal, or dreamlike qualities.
Ecopunk: Fiction focused on ecology, sustainability, and green technology.
Epic fantasy: Large-scale fantasy involving major conflicts or quests.
Espionage / Spy: Stories centred on spies, secrets, and covert operations.
Fairy tale / Folklore: Stories inspired by folk tales and traditional legends.
Fantasy: Fiction featuring magic, mythical beings, or imagined worlds.
Folk horror: Horror rooted in folklore, superstition, or rural traditions.
Gothic: Fiction with dark romantic themes and gloomy settings.
Grimdark: Fiction with bleak worlds and morally harsh themes.
Halloween: Stories inspired by spooky, eerie, or Halloween-themed ideas and aesthetics.
Harvest: Stories focused on harvest festivals, rural traditions, or seasonal abundance.
Heroic fantasy: Fantasy focused on brave heroes and adventure.
High fantasy: Fantasy set in expansive and fully imagined worlds.
Historical: Fiction set in real historical periods.
Holiday: Stories themed around celebrations, festivals, or seasonal holidays.
Hopepunk: Fiction focused on hope, kindness, and resistance.
Horror: Fiction intended to frighten or unsettle.
Indigenous-inspired: Fiction inspired by Indigenous cultures or traditions.
Isekai: Stories about characters transported to another world.
Kaiju: Stories featuring giant monsters.
Legal: Stories focused on legal battles, often taking place in courtrooms.
Lovecraftian: Horror inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
Low fantasy: Fantasy grounded in a more realistic or limited world.
Magical school: Stories centred on schools that teach magic.
Mecha: Fiction featuring giant robots or powered machines.
Military: Stories focused on warfare, soldiers, or military organisations.
Modern: Fiction set in a contemporary setting.
Multiverse: Stories involving multiple realities or universes.
Mystery / Investigation: Stories focused on solving mysteries or uncovering secrets.
Monster hunting: Stories centred on tracking and fighting monsters.
Mythic fantasy: Fantasy inspired by mythic themes and legendary heroes.
Nautical: Stories focused on the sea and maritime life.
Noblebright: Fiction with optimistic worlds and heroic ideals.
Noir: Dark crime fiction with cynical themes and moral ambiguity.
Occult: Fiction involving hidden knowledge or supernatural practices.
Paranormal: Fiction involving supernatural or unexplained phenomena.
Pirate: Stories focused on pirates and seafaring adventure.
Political: Stories centred on politics, power, and governance.
Post-apocalyptic: Fiction set after the collapse of civilisation.
Post-cyberpunk: Cyberpunk fiction with more socially advanced futures.
Psychological horror: Horror focused on fear, paranoia, or mental distress.
Queer: Fiction centred on queer characters or themes.
Royal: Stories centred on royalty and nobles.
Samurai / Feudal Japan: Stories inspired by feudal Japan and samurai culture.
Science fantasy: Fiction blending science fiction and fantasy elements.
Science fiction: Fiction based on advanced science or technology.
Solarpunk: Fiction focused on sustainable and optimistic futures.
Space opera: Large-scale science fiction adventure set in space.
Spring: Stories inspired by renewal, growth, and springtime themes.
Steampunk: Retro-futuristic fiction inspired by steam-powered technology.
Summer: Stories inspired by warm weather, travel, adventure, or summer activities.
Superhero: Stories about heroes with extraordinary powers.
Survival: Stories focused on enduring dangerous conditions.
Survival horror: Horror focused on survival against overwhelming threats.
Sword & sorcery: Fantasy focused on adventure, action, and magic.
Time travel: Stories involving travel through time.
Transhumanism: Fiction exploring humanity enhanced by technology.
Urban fantasy: Fantasy set in modern urban environments.
Viking / Norse: Stories inspired by Norse culture and mythology.
Weird fiction: Fiction blending horror, fantasy, and the bizarre.
Western: Stories inspired by the American frontier.
Winter: Stories inspired by cold weather, snow, and wintertime settings or themes.
Wizard: Fiction focused on wizards using magic, casting spells, and wielding mystical forces.
Wuxia: Fiction focused on martial arts heroes and adventure.
Zombie: Stories involving zombies or the undead.

Tones

Anxious: Creates feelings of worry or unease.
Atmospheric: Focused on mood and immersion.
Bleak: Harsh, hopeless, or emotionally heavy.
Brutal: Violent, unforgiving, or intense.
Chaotic: Unpredictable and disorderly.
Character-driven: Focused on character growth and relationships.
Cinematic: Inspired by the feel of films or visual storytelling.
Cozy: Warm, comforting, and low-stress.
Creepy: Quietly unsettling or eerie.
Dark: Serious, grim, or morally heavy.
Deadly: Dangerous with a high risk of failure or death.
Drama: Focused on emotional conflict and relationships.
Epic: Grand in scale and importance.
Fast-paced: Moves quickly with constant action or momentum.
Foreboding: Creates a sense of looming danger or dread.
Forgiving: Lenient toward player mistakes or failure.
Graphic: Explicit or visually intense in content.
Gritty: Rough, realistic, and harsh.
Grounded: Realistic and believable in tone.
High stakes: Focused on serious risks or major consequences.
Hopeful: Optimistic and encouraging.
Humorous: Intended to be funny or playful.
Intimate: Personal and emotionally close.
Lighthearted: Cheerful and not overly serious.
Magical: Focused on magical and arcane happenings.
Maximalist: Bold, excessive, and full of detail.
Melancholic: Sad, reflective, or bittersweet.
Minimalist: Simple, restrained, and uncluttered.
Mysterious: An air of mystery and the unknown.
Pulpy: Exaggerated, action-packed, and adventurous.
Realistic: Focused on believable situations and outcomes.
Romantic: Focused on romance or emotional connection.
Satirical: Uses humour or exaggeration to criticise, mock, or make light of a topic.
Scary: Intended to frighten or alarm.
Serious: Earnest and sincere in tone.
Slapstick: Focused on exaggerated physical comedy.
Slow-burn: Builds gradually over time.
Somber: Serious, subdued, and reflective.
Stylised: Deliberately artistic or exaggerated in presentation.
Suspenseful: Builds tension and anticipation.
Tense: Filled with stress, pressure, or conflict.
Tragedy: Focused on loss, suffering, or downfall.
Uplifting: Inspiring and emotionally positive.
Whimsical: Playful, quirky, and imaginative.

Playstyles

Base-building: Focused on building and managing a base or settlement.
Campaign: Intended for long-term ongoing play.
Combat-focused: Focused heavily on combat encounters.
Drop-in / Drop-out: Players can easily join or leave between sessions.
Dungeon crawl: Focused on exploring dangerous locations room by room.
Duo: Designed for two participants.
Episodic: Structured as separate self-contained sessions.
Exploration-focused: Focused on discovery and exploration.
Fiction-first: Prioritizes narrative over detailed mechanics.
GM-less: Does not require a game master.
Gamist: Focused on challenge, strategy, and game mechanics.
Heist: Focused on planning and executing thefts or missions.
Hexcrawl: Focused on exploration across hex-based maps, usually over a wide area.
Investigation-focused: Focused on solving mysteries or uncovering clues.
Journaling: Focused on written reflection or journal play.
Large group: Designed for larger player groups.
LARP: Playstyle involving live-action roleplay with players physically acting out characters and scenarios.
Lyric: Playstyle focused on poetic, emotional, or impressionistic storytelling and expression.
Mission-based: Structured around individual missions or objectives.
Narrative-focused: Focused on story and character development.
One-shot: Intended to be completed in a single session.
Open-ended: Allows players freedom in how they approach play.
Player-driven: Players shape the direction of the story or game.
Plot-driven: Focused on following a structured storyline.
Pointcrawl: Focused on travel between connected locations.
PvP / Competitive: Includes competition or conflict between players.
Puzzle-focused: Focused on solving puzzles or challenges.
Quick: Games intended for short or fast sessions.
Resource management: Focused on managing limited supplies or assets.
Rotating GM: Game master duties rotate between players.
Roguelike: Playstyle focused on repeatable runs, procedural elements, and high-risk progression.
Rules-heavy: Uses detailed and complex rules.
Rules-light: Uses simple and streamlined rules.
Sandbox: Allows open exploration with few fixed objectives.
Simulationist: Focused on realistic systems and world behavior.
Small group: Designed for smaller player groups.
Social deduction: Focused on hidden roles and player deception.
Social: Focused on roleplay and social interaction.
Solo: Designed for one player.
Strategic: Rewards planning and tactical thinking.
Survival: Focused on enduring harsh conditions or scarcity.
Tactical: Focused on careful decision-making and positioning.
Travel / Journey-focused: Focused on travel and journeys between places.
Wargame: Playstyle focused on tactical battles, military conflict, and strategic decision-making.
West Marches: Focused on player-led exploration in a shared world.
Worldbuilding: Playstyle focused on collaboratively creating and developing settings, cultures, or histories.

Audience & content

Accessibility-focused: Designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind.
Adult: Aimed at adult audiences (not neessarily “adult content”).
Beginner: Suitable for new or inexperienced players.
Casual: Easy to pick up and play casually.
Children: Intended for children.
Couples: Designed for two players or romantic pairs.
Educational: Intended to teach or support learning.
Experienced players: Intended for experienced or advanced players.
Family-friendly: Suitable for families and mixed age groups.
Graphic violence: Contains explicit or intense violence.
Horror themes: Includes horror-related themes or content.
Low prep: Requires little preparation before play.
Low violence: Contains little or non-graphic violence.
Neurodivergent-friendly: Designed to be welcoming for neurodivergent players.
NSFW: Contains explicit adult content. Required, if applicable.
Party: Designed for larger social gatherings or party play.
Queer-friendly: Inclusive of queer players or themes.
Romance themes: Includes romance as a major theme.
Safety tools recommended: Encourages the use of safety tools during play.
Teen: Intended for teenage audiences.
Therapeutic: Designed to support reflection or emotional wellbeing.
Young adult: Intended for young adult audiences.

Play requirements

Battlemap: Uses maps for tactical positioning during play, especially combat scenarios.
Coins: Requires a coin or coins, whether it’s for flipping or as tokens or as other items.
Custom cards: Requires specially designed cards.
Custom dice: Requires specially designed dice.
d6 only: Uses only six-sided dice.
Discord bot: Requires or supports a Discord bot.
Dominoes: Uses dominoes during play.
Dry erase markers: Requires dry erase markers for play.
Folding / papercraft: Requires folding, cutting, or paper assembly.
Jenga tower: Uses a Jenga tower as a gameplay mechanic.
Journal: Involves writing journal entries during play.
Microphone recommended: Works best with voice communication.
Miniatures: Uses miniatures or figures during play.
Mobile device: Requires or supports a mobile device.
Music / soundtrack: Uses music or soundtracks during play.
Pencil & paper: Requires writing materials during play.
Playing cards: Uses standard playing cards.
Polyhedral dice: Uses standard TTRPG dice sets.
Print-and-play: Intended to be printed and assembled at home.
Printer required: Requires access to a printer.
Scissors: Requires scissors during setup or play.
Tarot cards: Uses tarot cards during play.
Timer: Uses timed mechanics during play.
Tokens: Uses tokens or markers during play.
Virtual tabletop (VTT): Designed for use with virtual tabletop software.
Web browser: Requires or supports a web browser.
Webcam recommended: Works best with video communication.

Page format

A0: International paper size measuring 841 × 1189 mm or 33.1 × 46.8 in, commonly used for large posters and oversized prints.
A1: International paper size measuring 594 × 841 mm or 23.4 × 33.1 in, often used for maps and display prints.
A2: International paper size measuring 420 × 594 mm or 16.5 × 23.4 in, commonly used for posters and large artwork.
A3: International paper size measuring 297 × 420 mm or 11.7 × 16.5 in, often used for maps, charts, and spreads.
A4: International paper size measuring 210 × 297 mm or 8.3 × 11.7 in, commonly used for home printing and documents.
A5: International paper size measuring 148 × 210 mm or 5.8 × 8.3 in, often used for booklets and zines.
A6: International paper size measuring 105 × 148 mm or 4.1 × 5.8 in, commonly used for cards and small handouts.
Accordion fold: Folding format with multiple panels folded back and forth in sequence.
Bifold: Layout designed to be folded once into two equal panels.
Booklet: Multi-page format designed to be printed and folded into a small book.
Business card size: Small card format matching standard business card dimensions, typically around 90 × 55 mm or 3.5 × 2 in.
Cut-out sheet: Printable sheet designed for cutting out individual components or pieces.
Double-page spreads: Two-page layout designed to be viewed as one continuous spread.
Fillable PDF: PDF file that includes interactive fields for digital form filling.
Gatefold: Folding format with two side panels that open outward like doors.
GM screen panels: Individual panels designed for use in a multi-panel game master screen.
Half letter: US paper size measuring 140 × 216 mm or 5.5 × 8.5 in, commonly used for compact booklets and journals.
Magazine: A periodical-style publication containing articles, adventures, supplements, reviews, or other TTRPG content, typically released as part of an ongoing series.
Mini card: Small card format smaller than standard playing cards, often used for compact decks or tokens.
Playing card size: Standard card format measuring approximately 63 × 88 mm or 2.5 × 3.5 in.
Poster spread: Large layout designed to be printed as a single visual poster.
Single pages: Format consisting of individual standalone printable pages.
Tabloid / Ledger: Large US paper size measuring 279 × 432 mm or 11 × 17 in, commonly used for posters and wide-format layouts.
Tarot card size: Larger card format measuring approximately 70 × 120 mm or 2.75 × 4.75 in.
Tile sheet: Printable sheet containing modular tiles for assembling maps or environments.
Trifold: Layout designed to be folded into three equal vertical panels.
US legal: North American paper size measuring 216 × 356 mm or 8.5 × 14 in, commonly used for legal documents and forms.
US letter: North American paper size measuring 216 × 279 mm or 8.5 × 11 in, commonly used for home and office printing.
US royal: North American paper size measuring 152 × 229 mm or 6 × 9 in, commonly used for non-fiction and rade paperbacks.
Z-fold: Folding format where pages fold in alternating directions in a zigzag pattern.
Zine: A small, independently produced publication that often focuses on niche ideas, experimental content, or creator-driven tabletop RPG material.

Art asset types

Animated assets: Moving or animated visual assets for digital play or presentation.
Animated maps: Maps with animated elements designed for virtual tabletop use.
Backgrounds: Background textures or designs for pages and layouts.
Battlemaps: Tactical maps designed for combat encounters and positioning.
Borders & frames: Decorative borders and frames for pages, handouts, or layouts.
Brushes: Digital brushes for creating artwork or maps.
Character art: Artwork depicting player characters or humanoid figures.
City maps: Maps showing towns, cities, or urban environments.
Covers: Front cover artwork or designs for books and products.
Creature art: Artwork depicting creatures, monsters, or beasts.
Creature sheets: Printable or digital sheets for tracking creature information and statistics.
Dungeon maps: Maps designed for dungeons, ruins, or underground locations.
Environment art: Artwork depicting landscapes, locations, or environments.
Equipment art: Artwork depicting weapons, armour, tools, or gear.
Fonts: Installable typefaces for use in documents, graphics, or layouts.
Handouts: In-world documents or printable materials for players.
Hex tiles: Hexagonal map tiles for building modular maps or terrain.
Icons & symbols: Small graphic symbols for maps, interfaces, or layouts.
Isometric maps: Maps created using an isometric perspective.
Item art: Artwork depicting individual items, treasures, or objects.
Layout assets: Visual assets used for page design and layout creation.
Logos: Logo designs or branding graphics for games and products.
Map assets: Visual assets used to create or decorate maps.
Paper miniatures: Printable paper figures for tabletop play.
Pixel art: Artwork created using a pixel-based visual style.
Portraits: Portrait-style artwork depicting characters or NPCs.
Posters & signs: Printable posters, signs, or notices for in-game or decorative use.
Reference sheets: Quick-reference materials for rules, tables, or gameplay information.
Regional maps: Maps showing regions, territories, or large local areas.
Scene art: Artwork depicting complete scenes or narrative moments.
Spell effects: Visual effects representing magic or supernatural abilities.
Stock art: Reusable artwork licensed for use in multiple projects.
Templates: Pre-designed files or layouts for creating content.
Tiles & tilesets: Modular tiles used to build maps or environments.
Token art: Artwork designed for use as virtual tabletop tokens.
Typography: Stylised text or lettering design assets.
UI elements: Interface graphics for digital tools, apps, or virtual tabletops.
Vector art: Scalable artwork created using vector graphics.
VTT assets: Assets specifically designed for virtual tabletop platforms.
World maps: Maps showing entire worlds or large global regions.

ellohir · May 29, 2026, 6:45am

Very comprehensive, nice!