Game loops aren't just for video game designers - they're one of the most powerful tools a TTRPG game master can use to plan campaigns that feel alive, cohesive, and endlessly addictive for our players. In this video, I'm walking you through how I use three types of game loops to build campaigns my players obsess over.
We'll cover the Meta Loop (why your players care), the Progress Loop (what keeps them moving), and the Core Loop (what they're actually doing session to session) using a Mythic Odyssey-inspired campaign concept as a live example.
🎥 Didn’t catch last week’s video yet? Watch it here :: https://youtu.be/uhNKUOGEUEU?si=UpmPZASpLpTxZ3eU
💕 Links 💕
✨ Campaign Building 101 Playlist :: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVTu7wtieHuee9AyCASaAGd6DZfanZXcp&si=Qa0uiURV-5O4Gv0L
✨ One Page Campaign Guide Video ::
✨ Pre-session 0 Video ::
✨ Crafting with Monster Parts :: https://youtu.be/GNJcXLK_RjA?si=ppLYOrvIkeMXiItm
✨ Indie Game Clinic - Game Loops Explained with Music :: https://youtu.be/4T2Ok650IGs?si=3cScvMXzoxF2WVbm
✨ Cute Game Loop example :: https://youtu.be/irMiPwLefwg?si=YMfuWKB1IN_9qFQ0
✨ Cycles and Loops in TTRPGs :: https://levikornelsen.itch.io/cycles
✨ Cycles and Loops Capstones ::https://levikornelsen.itch.io/cycles-2-capstones
✨ Cycles and Loops Midrange ::https://levikornelsen.itch.io/cycles-3-midrange
✨ The Monsters Know What They're Doing by Keith Ammann :: https://www.themonstersknow.com/
💕 Time Stamps 💕
0:00 - Intro & recap of game loops
01:00 - What we're building today (Mythic Odyssey campaign concept)
02:40 - Step 1: The Meta Loop (why do players care?)
11:42 - Step 2: Progress Loops
14:46 - Step 3: Core Loops (session-to-session play)
20:21 - Monster Hunting loop breakdown
24:24 - Seeds of Rebellion loop breakdown
28:30 - Exercises to practice thinking in loops
30:21 - Outro & resources