About us

Roll & Play Press is a multi-award-winning independent publisher based in London, UK. We create high-quality books and accessories that solve problems for game masters, making it faster, easier, and more fun to run tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Our products are trusted by thousands of players around the world.

Our Story

We’re all about making life easier for game masters, because that’s how our journey started. Our first book was born when Sam needed a way to quickly come up with content for the different campaigns he was running. Since then, Sam, Kay and their tightly knit team have been making game-changing resources for players and game masters everywhere.

Check out the timeline at the bottom of this page to see where we started, and where we’re going.

Meet The Team

SAM BARTLETT

Chief Creative Officer

Sam spent over six years working in the publishing industry as a graphic designer, creating books for the likes of LEGO, Star Wars, Blizzard and Marvel, before launching Roll & Play Press.

He is a forever GM and runs both homebrew campaigns and one-shot adventures for his friends and family, the team and the community.

KAY LUBWIKA BARTLETT

Chief Executive Officer

Kay began her career as a financial crime consultant before qualifying as a lawyer. She brings her experience to oversee all aspects of the business, helping it grow and expand. 

In her spare time, you will find her watching Korean dramas, playing one of her expanding collection of guitars or recklessly endangering NPCs.

BETH DAVIES

Editorial Manager

Beth has previously written and edited books about ninja, superheroes, space travellers and princesses (although never all at once) for Disney, Warner Bros and Star Wars and LEGO.

In addition to the books she works on, Beth enjoys tales of magic, history and anything involving a heist.

PASHA AKINRINWA

Marketing Coordinator

Before joining the team at Roll & Play Press, Pasha worked in education as well as health and social care services.

As an avid reader and active bookstagrammer, she enjoys reviewing books and engaging with the literary community. Outside of books, Pasha also spends her time playing tennis and watching YouTube videos.

ANNI SANDER

Supply Chain Manager

Anni was a bookseller for a decade before moving into publishing. Prior to joining Roll & Play Press, she worked in various operational roles and gathered a breadth of knowledge and experience.

She spends her free time drawing and painting. You could also find her playing board games and escape rooms, tending her garden, or hanging out with her cat.

CHRISTINE BOLLANS

Business Administrator

Christine has previously worked as a Quantity Surveyor, Operations Manager and Executive Pastor. She loves working with people and organising stuff.

She spends her free time playing board games with family and friends, baking cupcakes, and watching crime dramas with Amy her pet beagle.

ALEX LLOYD

Design Manager

Alex has worked in a broad spectrum of companies, most recently as the design manager of Adidas' global communications, and has years of experience in both publishing and media design.

Having previously lived in London, New York, and Germany, Alex loves to travel, and frequently spends his free time learning about new places.

DANIEL TAM

Community Manager

Before joining Roll & Play Press, Daniel worked in the UK Civil Service in correspondence. He also has a background in music education, specialising in ensemble work and performance.

If he isn't busy playing video games, Daniel enjoys travelling, exploring new cuisines, and hosting board game nights for friends and family.

APRIL 2020

THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT

Sam, a book designer and TTRPG fan, had the idea to write a compilation of super-useful random tables and put them into one handy book. He worked together with Kay during lockdown to launch Roll & Play: The Game Master's Fantasy Toolkit on Kickstarter, to see if any other GMs would like the idea and pledge for a copy.

MAY 2020

KICKSTARTER EXPLODES

The Kickstarter campaign went live on a Sunday night, with no marketing, no email sign-ups and no expectations. Game masters from around the world started pledging their support and, by the Monday morning, it was fully funded. Over the next 30 days, the project blew up, and more than 7,500 GMs jumped on board.

NOVEMBER 2020

A COMPANY WAS BORN

Sam wrote and designed Roll & Play: The Game Master’s Fantasy Toolkit in his evenings and weekends, while Kay worked behind the scenes on the logistics. When the time came to fulfil, and work on the project was wrapping up, Sam left his day job to put everything into making more TTRPG content. That’s when they launched Roll & Play Press as an independent publishing company.

JUNE 2021

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

Over 2021, Roll & Play Press grew when Pasha and Beth joined full-time. The team released a wave of new products for TTRPG players, The Game Master’s Fantasy Toolkit won an ENNIE Award, and there were exciting collaborations with fan-favourite content creators including the incredible cast of Critical Role!

MARCH 2022

EXPANDING OUR UNIVERSE

The team jumped into a new genre with the launch of The Game Master’s Sci-Fi Toolkit and The Sci-Fi Character Kit. Beth and Sam spent months trawling through NASAs website, vehicle schematics and UFO blogs to nail the sci-fi terminology. Meanwhile, Kay and Pasha built a network of retailer relationships to get Roll & Play Press products into gaming stores across the world.

SEPTEMBER 2022

HITTING THE ROAD

The Roll & Play Press team head out to conventions for the first time since launching. They travelled to London, Manchester, Milton Keynes and even Germany to meet loads of creators and TTRPG fans. The books fly off the stands, and the team learn the secrets of surviving back-to-back conventions (caffeine and sugar).

PRESENT

NEW CHAPTERS

The team push ahead with their quest to make it easier to jump into TTRPGs. They launch One-Shot Wonders and their Quest Journals stationery collection, and give the Roll & Play Press brand and website a complete makeover. Their community continues to grow, and even more projects are coming to life.