We do still exist. A quick message to let you know we are working on new episodes and content. Thank you.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show. Big thanks to Drunk Paul for helping us get to a Level 1 Discord server!

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

We are also on Twitch. Join us for DelveCast Live on the first Saturday of each month and also check out Alex’s live play channel.

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth, Dom Parry and Nick!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia601509.us.archive.org/14/items/delve-shall-return/Delve%20Shall%20Return.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

After watching Locke & Key, Nathan had some serious questions about giving your characters items of tremendous power, whether they understand how to properly use them or not. How do you avoid “The Music Box Problem” with your in-game items? Alex has some suggestions. And, as a bonus, we discover Nathan may have already fallen into this trap playing D&D without even knowing.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show. Big thanks to Drunk Paul for helping us get to a Level 1 Discord server!

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

We are also on Twitch. Join us for DelveCast Live on the first Saturday of each month and also check out Alex’s live play channel.

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth, Dom Parry and Nick!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia801409.us.archive.org/17/items/delve-245-under-locke-key-1/Delve%20245%20-%20Under%20Locke%20%26%20Key%201.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

I would love to tell you we jumped right into the topic of episodic games and what they can teach us about tabletop design. I mean, that was the plan. And I wish I could say it didn’t take us two hours to get around to our main discussion point. But I would be lying.

So, we start things off with discussing DC’s neighbors in Animal Crossing and how his livestream series is going. Nathan explained what’s so great about Nier Automata and one of the worst ideas you could have in Borderlands 3. Paul showed up to announce he finally started playing Borderlands 3, which led to a very long discussion of the series that no one asked for, but you’re getting it anyway.

Once everyone was in the room, we jumped into our main conversation. After playing games like Walking Dead and Life is Strange, Nathan came away with some conceits in episodic games that he didn’t feel would translate well to tabletop gaming. So, we have a discussion about set pieces, railroading, player agency and the illusion of player choice. Why do these happen and can you avoid them in your game? Listen to find out.

ALSO: Other podcasts with Delve in their name paint a fascinating picture of the digital audio landscape and we mind palace our new conspiracy podcast The Tin Foil Hat Variety Hour. But wait, what if we we did a whole podcast series… in reverse!?

ALSO ALSO: Alex learns how to swing in Bannerlord; DelveCast contemplates finally releasing Tales of the Mirror Stone; DC shares his thoughts on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake compared to the original; Paul is on spoiler alert; Salt is an always-GM; James is surprisingly quiet; someone tried to market the abacus again; and Nathan looks forward to screaming at user-created maps in Levelhead.

(There was probably more, but how much description do you need people?)

Big thank you to Paul, DC, James for joining us and Generic Brand Salt for making a debut appearance on the show.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show. Big thanks to Drunk Paul for helping us get to a Level 1 Discord server!

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

We are also on Twitch. Join us for DelveCast Live on the first Saturday of each month and also check out Alex’s live play channel.

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth, Dom Parry and Nick!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia601503.us.archive.org/29/items/delve-cast-live-may/DelveCast%20Live%20May.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

Nathan’s recent foyer into Life is Strange brought up some interesting questions about time manipulation and changing your decisions. How would you apply these things to a tabletop RPG? Is it even possible? And how could we use these powers to help Indiana Jones obtain an ancient idol? Bootstrap paradoxes, choose-your-own-adventure novels and a whole lot of GM book-keeping are up for discussion on this episode.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show. Big thanks to Drunk Paul for helping us get to a Level 1 Discord server!

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

We are also on Twitch. Join us for DelveCast Live on the first Saturday of each month and also check out Alex’s live play channel.

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth, Dom Parry and Nick!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia801405.us.archive.org/12/items/delve-244-life-is-strange-and-so-are-we-1/Delve%20244%20-%20Life%20is%20Strange%20and%20So%20Are%20We%201.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

Craig Campbell returns to the show to discuss cops and robbers in space! Capers Offworld is already on Kickstarter through April 23 and we discuss some of the creatures and species you may encounter on your voyage. Also, somehow, there is a discussion on villain accounting practices and what to do with a tank full of sharks, should you come across one in your travels. Yes, it’s that kind of episode.

Find all sorts of new products and merchandise over at www.nerdburgergames.com as well as some new supplemental material.

And check out the Kickstarter before April 23 to have your own offworld adventure.

You can follow Alex and Nathan and Craig on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia601504.us.archive.org/1/items/delve-243-capers-offworld/Delve%20243%20-%20Capers%20Offworld.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

With as many remakes and remasters as we see these days, the concept may be confusing for many. Let’s make it even more confusing for you. Some of us are excited for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, many have already expressed their love of Resident Evil 3 Remake, and Nathan is loath to mention playing Wasteland Remastered. It also gives us a good opportunity to discuss Nathan’s first experience playing the Final Fantasy X/X2 HD Remastered collection, with Alex explaining to him why he is wrong.

ALSO: The Delve Co-Hosts talk about the pros and cons of Eastern and Western RPGs… again; Alex really likes Legacy of Kain; Nathan wrote more lists; James found a sharknado; DC might be playing Animal Crossing; Delve+ is off to a predictable start; and Paul pops in for five minutes to mention BDSM. Yep, another day at the office over here.

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia801502.us.archive.org/8/items/delvecastlivedelveremastered/DelveCast%20Live%20-%20Delve%20Remastered.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

Nathan had a plan to discuss the naming of genres and that did eventually get covered. We say eventually because a whole bunch of other stuff got covered beforehand. But once we got onto the topic, the term “Metroidvania” got vetted for accuracy and meaning. We weighed the benefits of using generic terms against specific reference points and what any of it says about those games and the people who may be tempted to play them. But all of this seems to pale in comparison to whatever the hell is happening with Alex in Rimworld.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia801506.us.archive.org/32/items/delvecastlivedelvelikegenre/DelveCast%20Live%20-%20Delve-Like%20Genre.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

While most people may be familiar with the D&D alignment chart as a meme for your favorite characters from Pokemon, Star Wars or The Office, you might be surprised to learn that it’s an actual thing in a game. On this episode we explore how alignment works, what it means for characters, what we might change, how it would be implemented in another system and whether it really matters at all. Will we lean toward Lawful Stupid or Chaotic Blasphemous? Find out on this episode of Delve.

And one of these Futurama alignment charts is probably accurate.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below! 

https://ia801503.us.archive.org/14/items/delve242properalignment/Delve%20242%20-%20Proper%20Alignment.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

Hey kids, have you heard about this cool new game called RAID Shadow Legends? We haven’t been able to STOP hearing about it. On this episode we explain a little about the problems with the mobile game market, which has begun infiltrating the AAA market as well. We ask some important questions, like: What is the appeal of sitting idle while a game plays itself? Is your typical mobile free-to-play an actual video game? What predatory monetization practices threaten to ruin games forever? Can you really justify game previews and early access? Did we just want to do this episode so we could shout “RAID SHADOW LEGENDS” into a mic? Spoilers: Yes.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia601406.us.archive.org/32/items/delve241paidshadowlegends1/Delve%20241%20-%20PAID%20Shadow%20Legends%201.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/

A wave of big news hit us in January, mostly telling us about the virtue of patience. Everything has been delayed, sometimes indefinitely, and this causes a few concerns. Let us delve into those concerns on this episode.

You can follow Alex and Nathan on Twitter, as well as the show itself at DelvePodcast. Make sure you follow along to join in on all the topics!

Stop by our Discord server and say hello! Join us in chat, on one of our live shows, or let us know about something you’d like discussed on the show.

We are on iTunes & Google Play! Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get finely crafted podcasts like this one!

Check out our YouTube page for more Delvecast projects in video form!

If you have questions for us or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

And yes, we do indeed have a Patreon featuring some extra content. Thank you to our Shiny! level patrons: Bonnie Ainsworth and Dom Parry!

You can get a Direct Download of the show, or listen below!

https://ia601406.us.archive.org/30/items/delvecastlivedelayedindefinitely/DelveCast%20Live%20-%20Delayed%20Indefinitely.mp3

DelveCast » Delve is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://delvecast.wordpress.com/