Stories built for the table.
Cinderlight Games is an independent tabletop RPG studio creating cinematic, player-driven stories through immersive worlds, streamlined systems, and choices that matter.
Built around story, tension, and choice
Cinderlight Games was founded to make tabletop RPGs that feel cinematic without losing the intimacy that makes the medium special. The studio’s work is built around strong atmosphere, clean but meaningful mechanics, and stories shaped by player decisions instead of pushed past them.
Every game is designed to give players room to inhabit their characters, make difficult choices, and leave a real mark on the world around them.
Streamlined, but never flat
Cinderlight’s games aim for mechanics that stay readable and fast at the table while still leaving space for depth, tone, and emotional payoff. The focus is always on immersion and the feeling that what happens in play truly matters.
Co-Founders
Jordan Schmidt
Jordan Schmidt
Jordan Schmidt is the co-founder and lead designer of Cinderlight Games. A former photojournalist, horror expert, and tabletop RPG player of more than 20 years, he brings a strong sense of atmosphere, visual storytelling, and emotional tension to the studio’s work.
He previously created under the public name Lanosmire through horror-focused YouTube and music, a background that still shapes his design voice today. Based in Chicago, Jordan is the designer behind Fatefully Tragic Hero, Fade to Black, and O.A.R. (Operations and Reconnaissance), developed alongside his co-founder Simone Alicea.
Simone Alicea
Simone Alicea
Simone Alicea is the co-founder of Cinderlight Games and the editor helping shape the studio’s tone, clarity, and final voice. She is a journalist and executive producer at City Cast Chicago, bringing editorial discipline, strong story instincts, and a sharp sense of audience to every project.
At Cinderlight, Simone helps refine structure, language, and narrative cohesion so each game lands with polish, readability, and emotional clarity at the table.
Designed to leave an impression
Cinderlight Games is built around the idea that tabletop RPGs can be immersive, emotionally resonant, and mechanically approachable all at once. The studio’s goal is to create worlds players want to return to and stories they will keep talking about after the night ends.