Katrin Dietzsch designs printed circuit boards that support storytelling in tabletop role-playing games. Speaking at Hackaday Europe 2026, Dietzsch explained how she combined her hardware hobby with her interest in TTRPGs, making electronic circuits part of mystery, exploration and player interaction. Her PCB D20 stood out as one example of this approach.
According to Dietzsch, objects that acquire meaning are objects that accumulate stories around them and interact with players. Capacitive touch sensing, RF, IR beams, motors and switches can bring elements such as “attunement,” proximity-based responses and puzzle mechanics to life electronically. While code can also contain secrets and hidden messages, circuit traces, copper layers and silkscreen can be used as part of the visual storytelling.
Why it matters
This approach shows that physical objects in tabletop role-playing games can be designed not merely as accessories, but as tools that directly affect how the narrative works. This means players’ ability to solve mysteries, respond to their surroundings and interact with the game world is no longer limited to verbal storytelling or printed materials. Using electronic components together with visible circuit traces and hidden messages in code creates common ground between technical design and visual and dramatic storytelling. While this development offers new forms of production, particularly for hardware hobbyists and tabletop role-playing game designers, it also leaves open questions about how such systems will be implemented at the gaming table and to what extent they will change the player experience.
Background
Hackaday is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 2 news stories mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated 24 August 2026. The development here will be added alongside those records in our archive; readers can follow the earlier articles bearing the same name in the archive to see the full timeline.