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TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars episodes
- Gene Koo (Color Jam) ep 285
At the end of the day, TTRPGs share one thing in common —they tell a story. The writers, the players, the DM: everyone is there to tell a story, feel something, and have fun. Gene Koo approaches game creation differently than most of the creators you'll hear about. His games all stem from deep connections in his life, his own childhood, his daughter, things with real weight. This comes through in every game, from careful, well-placed mechanics to emotional narrative storytelling.
Today's episode focuses on player agency, emotional storytelling, and the unique mechanics that bring it all together. Gene talks to us about Color Jam, his newest game that is unique, exciting, and very much its own thing. We also talk in depth about Bonsai Diary, an amazing game that he gives a lot of insight into.
Follow Gene on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/stickydoodler.bsky.socialBack Color Jam on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lunarpunkgames/colorjamThemes: Unique Mechanics, Player Agency, Emotional StorytellingMENTIONS:
Candy LandThe Hobbit
Dungeons and Dragons Red Box
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Legend of the Elements
Plus One Forward
Lego
The Quiet Year
Stardew Valley
DIE: RPG
Poetry Foundation Podcast
Lyrical Ludology
Links: Color Jam
The Bonsai Diary
Legend of the Elements, a PBTA game inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender
PeopleCon 3, a Designed in the DMV event
These Games Are Not For Sale (we keep it so real we don't even have a webpage)
Lyrical Ludology podcast***********************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 11 min - Matthew Nevers (Decay, Nope!) ep 284
Matthew Nevers is an avid game designer and illustrator who has been playing for 25 years and has run games for 6 of those years. He publishes under Coffee All Night Games, and has created unique games like Nope! and The Winter Door. He loves horror, and his games reflect that. His new game, The Decay, is a toolbox for crafting uncanny survival horror narratives. It's perfect for adapting horror classics like Silent Hill or SCP, and its unique mechanical structures punish players and lead to horrifying twists during sessions. It's a truly unique game, and the free QuickStart guide is already available! Links below.
Today's episode is a blast, centering on the horror genre and all the fun there is to unpack within it. We talk in depth about our favorite titles, why they were so impactful, and how they relate to The Decay. We discuss some of the exciting mechanics present in his games and his unique approach to game design. His other games, like Nope! and Winter Door, are similar in that they explore mechanical and narrative crossover and how they build tension within the genre.
Check out the Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coffeeallnight/the-decay-survival-horror-roleplaying
And if you want to get started now, here's the FREE QuickStart guide: https://coffeeallnight.itch.io/fresh-decay
Oh, and here are his other great games: https://coffeeallnight.itch.io
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Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 4 min - Dr. Emily Friedman ep 283
Dr Emily Friedman is a scholar whose work centers on storytelling. For the past few years, one of those focuses has been on TTRPGs and the vibrant communities that have developed over the decades. Her work looks at both the long and understudied early history of the medium and its modern popularity boom, and looks ahead to the future. It also highlights the community's traditions and structures, and how they’re changing.
Today’s conversation is one of the most interesting we’ve had recently, giving us a chance to dive into the industry's meta and the community that bolsters it. The conversation dives into a wide range of lenses and analyses of how TTRPGs and their players have changed over time. She shares great stories and analysis from her years of work, and it was a blast asking questions and hearing her perspective on the community.
Check out Emily’s Website, YouTube, and Instagram.
And pre-order her book!
Show Notes for The Episode!
Dungeons and Dragons
White Wolf
Steve Jackson Games
Vampyre
In Nomine
I Hit It with My Axe
Chaosium
Gamechangers
Manners TTRPG
All About Love by Bell Hooks
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 45 min - Elliot Davis (The Time We Have) ep 282
Elliott Davis is making really interesting games. His focus isn't on following the usual standards — he's trying to make content that makes you feel and think. And he's absolutely killing it.
We talk about how he got into game development, actual plays, and the community at large, and we dive deep into some of his most compelling games and what makes them work.
Elliot is behind games like Project ECCO, Rom Com Drama Bomb, and The Time We Have. He's also a player, host, and GM on My First Dungeon and Talk of the Table.
- Pathfinder
- Blades in the Dark
- Catan
- Honey Heist
- Kids on Bikes
- Scurry
- Orbital Blues
- Portal at Hill House
- Thursday
- Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast
- For the Queen
- Widow's Bay
- Pluribus
- This Album May Contain Hope - Reye
- Bullet Train
- Expedition
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 13 min - Dillin Apelyan & James D’Amato (One Shot Podcast, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide) ep 281
I am joined by Dillin Apelyan and James D'Amato. If you listen to the One Shot Podcast, you've probably heard of both of them, and if you're a fan of the actual play scene, you've seen their work all over. And now, they've come on to the show to discuss their brand new book.
Dillin's been featured on Dropout, Critical Role, and podcasts across the space. They've designed a bunch of great games, including the HUNT(er/ed) and Neverland: The Impossible Island. You can find out more about Superdillin here.
James has been working in both the comedy and TTRPG scene for years. He's the creator of the One Shot Network and the author of the Ultimate RPG book series, which is an absolute masterclass in breaking down the genre for players and Game Masters alike. You can find his books here!
The pair are more than just integral parts of the community today — they're good friends and even better podcast guests. The episode was a blast, breaking down their experiences and talking in depth about their new book, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide. They dive deep about gaming culture, their GMing experiences, and provide a lot of insight as to how you can build better NPCs and characters.
REFERENCES:
Adams Media
World of Darkness
Dungeons and Dragons
Vampyre: The Masquarade
Hunter/Hunted
James' Favorite Villains: Lex Luthor - Doctor Doom - The Joker
Dillon's Favorite Villains: Charles Vane (Blacksails), Jubal Early (Firefly), Kenneth Marshall (Mickey 17), Erik Northman (True Blood)
Star vs The Forces of Evil
Pokemon
Witch Hat Atelier
Fetch Philips Archives
Microscope
In This World************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 10 min - Why do we go into the basement? ep. 280
Anthony “Runeslinger” (Casting Shadows) and I discuss what makes “good players” buy into horror roleplaying and, specifically, why characters would investigate terrifying situations and keep returning after trauma. They explore common answers, such as belonging to an organization (e.g., Delta Green), and why that only starts the conversation, contrasting player motivation (“otherwise we don’t play the game”) with believable character motivation. Anthony emphasizes building motivations through bonds, community ties, and mirrored player/character connections—what he calls “unity of perspective”—rather than removing agency by trapping characters. Using examples from their long Call of Cthulhu and Trail of Cthulhu campaigns, they examine active versus passive buy-in, GM/player collaboration, table communication, and how differing play styles and feedback help sustain engaging horror play.
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 11 min - Laurence Phillips (Il Fantasma del Giallo) ep. 279
Today we sit down with Laurence Philips of Hardy Roach Games, an independent designer who creates unique games that focus on themes that dive deeper than your average TTRPG. His one-page games are weird and exciting to play, and now he discusses his brand-new game, Il Fantasmo del Giallo.
Step into the world of Giallo, a 20th-century Italian film genre that focuses on switchbacks, misdirection, and mile-high stakes. Il Fantasmo del Giallo is a cinematic, dark, brooding game that focuses on narratives and scenes more than a traditional dice-roller. Drama, Mystery, and Mortality are the main words of the game, and it’s an excellent example of the doors that have opened in modern roleplaying. Trauma decks, scene work, and avant-garde lenses to play make for a new take on an old genre.
Il Fantasmo del Giallo Kickstarter
Hardy Roach Games
His Website
Mentions
Star Wars Visual Magazine
Call of Cthulu
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Blood and Black Legs
Lovecraftesque by Black Armada
Suspiria
Halloween
Giallo Genre
Sherlock Holmes
Vangers: One For the Road
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 16 min - Ray Chou (Mythworks) ep. 278
Ray Chou is a comic book and TTRPG creator--one of the talents behind the amazing Mythworks team, known for some of the last few years' most anticipated games--Wildsea, Slugblaster, Pico, and a whole lot more. Their studio defines the modern age of TTRPG development, and he walked us through his experience and process, offering a lot of insight into how it all works.
Today’s episode focuses on Ray’s unique experiences breaking into the industry and a close look into what it means to work in the high-level indie space. Ray broke into game writing at a pivotal point in the industry. It was before the medium really blew up, but recently enough to ride the wave of Kickstarter just as it was beginning. We also talked in depth about Mythworks and how it operates as an organization, leveraging the team's creative strengths to create indie work that feels like blockbuster TTRPG gaming.
You can find Mythworks here: https://www.myth.works/products
And follow Ray on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/theraychou/
Mentions:
Tower Defense
DOTA
Dungeons and Dragons
Neverwinter Knights
Blades in the Dark
Pathfinder
CBR+PNK
The Wilds
Punchbowl
Farewell, My Concubine
Vikings
Starfall
DTF St Louis
Rashomon
Seventh Samurai
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 30 min - Craig Hatler (Shadowlight & Personae) ep. 277
Craig talked with Craig Hatler, the creator of the RPG Shadowlight & Personae. They discussed his creative process and the origins of the game's ideas.
Get all of Craig's work HERE!
TSR’s Marvel Superheroes
Werewolf: the Apocalypse
Shadowrun
Star Wars RPG
Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition
Daggerheart
Amazing Stories
Twilight Zone
Love + Robots
House of Leaves
The Discovery of Witches
Watchmen
Downton Abbey
Matthew Goode
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
56 min - Em Acosta (Crescent, Exile) ep. 276
Today, we check in with Em Acosta, a game designer known for games like Exile and Crescent. They’re heavily involved in the industry, with a lot of writing credits on all sorts of games, and they’ve just started a blog.
Our focus is on the process of game-making. There are so many factors that go into making anything creative, and especially so in the TTRPG space. Em talks about how their process has changed over the years, the importance and complexity of playtesting and interacting with public space, and unique ways to play and consume relationships in gaming.
It’s a personal and engaging interview that touches on the larger processes of game writing.
Check out Em Acosta at the links below:
Buy their books on Mythworks or Itch.io
Check out their Bluesky!
And their new blog!
Show Mentions:
Bluebeard’s Bride
Dungeon World
Powered By the Apocalypse
Girl By Moonlight
Blades in the Dark
Neverland
Quest
DIE RPG
Practical Anarchism - Shuli Branson
1000-Year-Old Vampire
Ion Heart
Pluribus
Paradise
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
1 hr 30 min
About TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars
From the publisher's feed
Do you love tabletop gaming? This is your podcast.
Who are the creatives behind your favorite games and content? How do they approach their work?
I sit with designers, developers, artists, writers, and creators and learn how they approach their work. I try to understand their process, inspiration, and methods for crafting their creations.
Craig digs deep into the work and uncovers the origins of your favorite tabletop games and the creative process that brought them to life.
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