I first saw the art of Game Designer Luka Rejec on Instagram. The images I saw there had that otherwordly vibe that has struck a chord in me since I was a young nerd geeking out on D&D and sci-fi and fantasy novels. I assumed this art was from a comic series or graphic novel. What I discovered instead was that these images were from role-playing games created by game designer Luka Rejec. This only intrigued me further so reached out to Luka and asked him about his creations. —Chris Auman
Who are you?
I’m a Slovenian writer, artist, and game designer. Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a father and I’m learning the ropes on that job as well.
Congratulations on achieving fatherhood! You are from Slovenia yet you live in Seoul, South Korea, how did you find yourself there?
Mmm … you know, classic story, boy meets girl, Brexit cancels their plans to move to the UK so they move to South Korea instead and they end up there.
What do you like most about South Korea?
Quite a few things. It’s safe, well-organized, has great food and relatively reasonable living costs … but I think what I’ve found the most surprisingly pleasant is that as an outsider there are very few expectations of me, so long as I behave reasonably well, and this has let me figure out a lot of things about myself in peace and quiet.
What do you miss most about Slovenia?
My friends.
What is Wizard Thief Fighter?
It’s my name for my studio, where I write and draw and design games and things. It’s also a play on how, like multi-classing in D&D 2E, my workflow, where I do all the stuff myself, means it takes me forever to get anywhere.
How does it fit with Lastlands, Witchburner, Synthetic Dream Machine, et al? Are these separate games or modules to be played in one universe?
Oh, think of it as the name of the studio. Synthetic Dream Machine (SDM) is my name for the game system I’ve designed for UVG (Ultraviolet Grasslands) and OGA (Our Golden Age). Witchburner is a self-contained witch-hunting module. Lastlands is my basket term for the self-contained, vaguely creepy, and scary games and stories set in some ill-defined mythic central Europe. Vastlands is my basket term for the trippier, weird, remote end of time-and-space works.
Game Designer Luka Rejec
Who plays your games?
Mostly folks who like roleplaying games. Particularly folks into the Old School R[edacted] (OSR), but also others. I’d guess about 50–75% are based in the USA, others mostly in Europe and the UK, with smaller groups off in Oceania, and then a smattering elsewhere. It started from a pretty active community on G+ (that’s dead, hah), but now it lives on substacks and discords and subreddits and Twitters and Blueskies and Facebook groups. There’s a fan Facebook group dedicated to the Ultraviolet Grasslands (a game of mine) with well over a thousand members, which is definitely a pleasant surprise.
What’s your process for developing these games/worlds?
Honestly, it’s a work in progress. I keep trying to figure out a workflow that works … but usually, it starts with a seed of an idea, possibly from a live game I run, that then grows through iterations of drawing and writing and pruning and editing into … a game world.
Are you able to play these games as you create them and work through problems with other players?
Yes. Generally. During the COVID times I couldn’t, because my local group disappeared, and this made the work much more challenging because I couldn’t field-test my ideas and iterate quickly, which meant … well, I took a bit of a sidetrack on a large project called Uranium Butterflies. Hah. I’ll release that as-is once OGA is done.
What is the first game you remember playing as a child? What is the first RPG you played?
The first game I remember playing was either Ludo or Rummy. The first RPG I played must have been a text adventure game – probably Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Then Wonderland (1990) by Virgin Games. The first tabletop RPG was probably AD&D 1.5 (the DM mixed first and second editions) around 1994.
Did these early experiences inspire you to create games at an early age or did that come later?
Yeah, of course. I made art for my games from the first.
Have you ever created a comic or graphic novel based on your games?
I’ve considered it, but graphic novels are incredibly involved. I’ve done short strips in the past and one of my game zines (Eternal Return Key) features a comic running through it. What I’d actually like to do is more in the vein of illustrated novels. Something like those 19th-century serial novels, where you’ve got a piece every chapter or so.
What are your influences/inspirations, be it other games or in art, music, literature, nature, or something completely different?
Oof. So many. In my earliest years, probably the Slovenian comic book artist Miki Muster. Later on, almost anything I could get my hands on.
I spent my childhood in Africa and we didn’t have TV for many years, so whatever films I got to see were bootleg VHS rentals, books came from the school library or one local bookshop, and it was quite random. Later on, I’d say that for art, I’m very fond of Magritte.
For music, I was very into doom metal some years ago, but I’m curious about more experimental things these days. If I had to name a single band right now … mmm … I’d suggest trying out King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.
Literature … I spent many years trying to learn to appreciate high literature, but I’ll be honest — I think popular literature is often a better (or at least less pretentious if more oblique) guide to the human condition. Let’s say Homer’s Illiad and the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Nice counterpoint.
Nature, science, technology, geography, yeah, I’m a fan of a good documentary or thrilling new discovery. I try to stay loosely connected to what’s going on, but these days there’s so much news chaff, it’s harder than I’d like.
Where can people access the worlds you’ve created?
Art is easiest on Instagram. I’ve got a website I update too rarely these days and a Patreon I update regularly with art and writing and PDFs. I’ve mostly paused my activity on Twitter/Bluesky because those kinds of microblogging platforms just kill my brain and my concentration. Hmm … ah, and for physical books, check out my publisher — Exalted Funeral.
What do you have planned for 2025?
The big one is finishing off the two-book backerkit campaign we funded back in August 2024 — Our Golden Age (the world book) and the Vastlands Guidebook (the rulebook). It’s slower going than I’d like (remember that multi-classing quip) … but I’m getting there. It’s going to a big, pretty box of art and weird world.
Then, after that, I’m dreaming a cycle of linked illustrated short adventures/stories. But … that’s later.
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Thank you for reading this interview with Game Designer Luka Rejec. Read interviews with comics artists Flo Woolley, Fran Lopez, and O. Stevens, zine creator Dave Hankins, and author Zach Boddicker.
