In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, we sit down with David Gallaher to talk about Creatures and Cocktails, an immersive Dungeons and Dragons experience built to feel welcoming, premium, and deeply communal. David shares how his background across games and comics shaped the way he thinks about “ramp up,” onboarding, and reducing lore overload so new players can jump in without feeling lost.
Together, we explore what changes when D and D becomes a live, hosted experience. How you design for comfort and confidence, how you fight choice paralysis, and why the real goal is not telling people a story, but helping a table build a shared one. If you care about narrative design, live play, or building experiences that make people feel seen, this conversation has a lot to steal.
Topics Include:
- Creating a strong “on ramp” for new players without dumping lore
- Designing immersive tabletop experiences that feel premium
- Reducing choice paralysis while preserving player agency
- Building community rules and values that protect the table
- Why shared authorship creates ownership and deeper play
👤 Guest: David Gallaher, writer and creator working across comics and games, and a driving force behind Creatures and Cocktails, an immersive Dungeons and Dragons experience
📌 Perfect for: Narrative designers, tabletop creators, indie devs, GMs, and anyone curious about immersive RPG experiences and live storytelling design.
David's Links:
-> LinkedIn (Profile)
-> LinkedIn Articles Archive
-> Bluesky
The Corner of Story and Game:
-> Discord
-> Facebook
-> Instagram
-> Bluesky
-> LinkedIn
-> Email: [email protected]#WritingForGames #GameNarrativeCraft #NarrativeDesign #TabletopRPG #DungeonsAndDragons #ImmersiveExperience #LiveStorytelling #Worldbuilding #CreativeCommunity #TheCornerOfStoryAndGamePodcast #DavidGallaher