How to Organize TTRPG PDFs
I'm in beginning-of-year cleaning mode, and as part of that project, I reorganized my PDF archive. Here's how I did it. Maybe you'll find it useful. The key element of this is that at each level of the hierarchy, all folder names answer the same question.1
Each major heading is the first level, and subheadings after that denote different sublevels. The first level asks the question "What general kind of thing is this?"
Games
Systems and full capsule games all go here. The subdividing question here is "what general sort of game is it?"
GMed
Games with a traditional GM figure. The question subfolders answer here is "what is the lineage of this game?" Several lineages follow, presented alphabetically in bulleted list form:
- Forged in the Dark: Blades in the Dark obviously goes here, and many others that explicitly label themselves as FitD. This includes many games by Stras Acimovic, TEETH and GOLD TEETH previews, and things a little more distant, like The Wildsea.
- Gauntlet: Games out of the Gauntlet community. I don't actually own any Carved from Brindlewood games---the only game in here is "Against the Dark Conspiracy"---but despite some personal rudeness I have experienced with Gauntlet-aligned folks, I think it is a separate-enough lineage to merit its own subfolder.
- GUMSHOE: This is the clearest system-based lineage. My trad folder (below) could include this, but the GUMSHOE subsection is so large that it merits its own group. I don't really play GUMSHOE games any more but I used to love running TimeWatch and Night's Black Agents at conventions!
- Indie: Bespoke, independent games that don't feel traditionally structured for one reason or another. Usually, this means they don't share mechanics with other lineages in a clear way, but not always. The line between this and other categories is blurry, and that's okay. I know what I mean. Some games included are Under Hollow Hills, Hollows, and Good Society.
- Jenna Moran: The only designer with her own category. Nobilis (2nd and 3rd ed.), Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, Glitch, and The Far Roofs are all here. Moran has such a unique style that she merits this distinction.
- OSR: All games remotely in the OSR tradition go here. Some examples include Cairn 2E, Mythic Bastionland, His Majesty the Worm, and all of Kevin Crawford's games (including the ones that aren't fantasy). Probably the most unusual pick to include here is Break!! - this is mostly based on a read of it and Josh McCrowell's reports of play.
- Powered by the Apocalypse: Apocalypse World and its clearest descendants. Forged in the Dark gets its own category but other than that, all classically PbtA games go here. Urban Shadows (1E and 2E), The Watch, and tremulus all have a spot here.
- Trad: Trad is trad. Like indie, this is a tenuous designation and includes some odd picks. The obvious ones include games like 13th Age (1E and 2E), Pathfinder 2E, Numenera, LANCER and Draw Steel. Less obvious picks (that mostly have to do with my perception and experience running) include games like Heart, Wetrunners, and Over the Edge. Even though those games often include player agency over the setting and similar features, they still have trad vibes to me.
GMless
Games without a GM figure (although plenty of them are facilitated). This includes, for example, all of Ben Robbins's games, Fall of Magic, and The Zone.
I am considering doing further subdivision into lineage, like the GMed category, but I haven't decided what this would be yet. Perhaps some categories like "old-school early 2000's", "the Baker family", or "Seattle-style" would be appropriate? This category also might suit being divided by designer, which was my old method at the top level of my RPG folder.
It's Complicated
Games which don't fall easily into either GMed or GMless. This includes the Ironsworn series or The Wizard's Grimoire, by Vincent Baker.
Solo
It's just Thousand Year Vampire. I'm not much of a solo RPG enjoyer, although I'm curious to try Spine off of Nova's recommendation.
Wargames
It's just MAC Attack.
Modules
Individual modules for different sets of systems. Adventures, investigations, Dungeon World world kits, you name it. I won't spell these out, because I don't feel like it. I've got a lot of GUMSHOE stuff, some random Numenera stuff, the Mothership Deluxe Edition modules, and a few other bits and bobs. They are organized (roughly) by system.
My Work
I won't go into sublevels here but I find it useful to have a folder where I keep all my local archives of various projects for easy reference.
Tools for Making Games
This only has two entries: the Adherents of the Worm template and my own personal logos which I commissioned from Darrin Michelson who did great work! I met him on the Duckfeed.tv Patreon Slack 2-3 years ago.
Tools for Play
Random generators, playsets for Fiasco (which one might consider modules but eh, these categories are a bit murky and search exists), "The Monsters Know What They're Doing", and Murky Time go here! This is not as extensive as the others, but contains things that are usable at the table while not being games or modules themselves.
Conclusion
This is a useful breakdown for me and hopefully for you too. It's interesting how many meaningful choices about ontology one must make to construct an organization system like this.