We’re looking forward to introducing you to Craig Campbell. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Craig, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I feel like a lot of people struggle with social media on a variety of levels. First, it’s easy to get down on yourself when you see a lot of people post great things/accomplishments/vacations. A lot of folks don’t share the tougher parts of their lives. When they do, you can easily find yourself thinking about the problems in your own life and downplaying them with “well, at least I don’t have it THAT bad.” Then there’s all the general world negativity that can be prevalent at times on social media. Social media algorithms favor incendiary posts, so you see those more because they generate more responses. Overall, there’s a LOT that is truly bad about social media.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Craig Campbell, owner, lead designer, and publisher at NerdBurger Games. Founded in 2016, NBG publishes a wide variety of tabletop roleplaying games, supplements, and accessories. The company gives me an outlet to create games I want to see happen in the TTRPG community, bring those games to others, and build community around them.
I’ve been involved with TTRPGs for almost 35 years, going from mostly just playing, then game mastering, then freelance work for other publishers, and finally to publishing my own games. It’s really been a journey that has changed me in a lot of ways. It’s given me a greater appreciation of and respect for creatives of all stripes. And it’s opened me up as a person, make me a better version of myself, and built long-lasting friendships.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Many years ago, I was a kid from small-town, rural Wisconsin who fully expected his life would be: college, career, marriage, kids…very traditional and conservative. Exposure to a wider variety of viewpoints during college slowly transformed me into someone who doesn’t believe there is “one normal way” to live your life. After college, I tried to explore who I was and who I might become, but it’s really been the past ten years or so where I’ve mostly figured it out. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m not still striving to grow and become my best self. I don’t think I’ll ever truly get to “end form Craig.” In fact, I kind of hope I don’t, because that’ll mean I’ve stopped trying to improve.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You’re going to screw up a lot. And sometimes they will be big screw-ups. But it’s okay. Each one will teach you something.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Kindness. Acceptance. Integrity. Humor.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m an architect at my day job; the game design and publishing is a side gig in my free time. I don’t feel I was born to do either. And I certainly wasn’t told to do either. I think I discovered and embraced them both, in different ways and at different times of my life. If there IS anything I feel I was born to do, it’s to leave the world and the people around me a little better for having known me. At least that’s what I hope to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nerdburgergames.com/
- Instagram: @NerdBurgerCraig
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NerdBurgerGames
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzROD1eKv5VU8g4EHvvOq0g
- Other: Bluesky: @NerdBurgerCraig
Image Credits
Booth photo by Craig Campbell
Other photos by Ryan Nichols
