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When Rome Burns
When Rome Burns episodes
- This Indie Game Cured My Grief (And It Could Cure Yours Too)Can a video game actually help you process grief better than traditional therapy? Michael Stevens explores In Between, an indie puzzle game that uses gravity manipulation and surreal visuals to guide players through the five stages of grief. Created by a tiny three-person team over four years, this isn't your typical gaming recommendation.🎯 What You'll Learn:• How the game's difficulty curve literally mirrors the emotional stages of grief• Why rotating gravity to solve puzzles creates unexpected moments of catharsis• The story behind Gentlymad Studios' four-year labor of love and personal healing• How each chapter's unique visual style represents denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance👤 Perfect for: curious listeners who appreciate how art and technology can tackle life's biggest challenges in unexpected ways.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael introduces the indie game that changed his perspective on loss[01:45] The gravity-defying mechanics that make grief tangible[04:15] How a three-person team spent four years crafting emotional truth[06:30] Why the hardest levels come in the middle (just like real grief)[08:45] The visual poetry of each grief stage brought to life[11:00] Why this might be the most therapeutic 3 hours you'll spend gamingThis episode hits different if you've ever struggled to process loss or wondered how interactive media can create genuine emotional breakthroughs. Stevens breaks down why In Between succeeds where other "serious games" fall flat, and how the developers turned personal pain into universal healing.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns and turn on notifications. Multiple episodes drop daily, and tomorrow Michael's covering how ancient Roman funeral rites compare to modern grief counseling. You won't want to miss that connection.🔍 Topics: indie games, grief counseling, interactive therapy, emotional healing, game design
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
-----------Keywords: historical failures, naval warfare, gold standard, ned kelly, historical disasters, history podcast, war stories, empire declineLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 min - The One Admiral Who Saved Korea with 13 Ships Against 330 Japanese WarshipsEver wonder how one man with 13 ships could face down 330 enemy warships and somehow win? Michael Stevens breaks down Admiral Yi Sun-sin's impossible victory, showing exactly how the Korean naval genius turned certain defeat into one of history's most brilliant tactical masterpieces.This isn't just another war story. It's a masterclass in turning desperate circumstances into devastating advantages.🎯 What You'll Learn:• How Yi's "turtle ships" became floating fortresses that Japanese forces couldn't crack• The exact tidal timing strategy Yi used to trap 330 ships in a death funnel• Why Yi never lost a single battle in over 20 naval engagements (spoiler: it wasn't luck)• The psychological warfare tactics that made enemies retreat before fighting👤 Perfect for: history buffs and anyone fascinated by underdogs who refuse to accept impossible odds.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens sets up Japan's "unstoppable" invasion force[01:45] Meet Admiral Yi - Korea's last hope with a skeleton fleet[03:30] The turtle ship design that changed everything[05:15] Battle of Myeongnyang - 13 vs 330 ships[07:45] How tidal currents became Yi's secret weapon[09:30] The victory that saved a nation[11:00] Why this strategy still matters todayYi Sun-sin understood something most military leaders miss: when you're outnumbered 25 to 1, conventional tactics will get you killed. Innovation and timing become everything.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and next week Michael's covering how the Mongol Empire collapsed from the inside out.🔍 Topics: Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Korean naval history, turtle ships, Japanese invasion of Korea, naval tactics, military strategy
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
-------------Keywords: ned kelly, political meltdowns, american revolution, ancient romeLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 min - Why Everything You Know About the First Crusade Is WrongWhat if everything you learned about the Crusades in school was basically medieval propaganda? In this eye-opening episode, Michael Stevens tears apart the Hollywood myths and church-approved stories to reveal what actually happened when 100,000 Europeans decided to march 2,000 miles to Jerusalem in 1096.🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why only 15,000 out of 100,000 Crusaders actually made it to Jerusalem (spoiler: it wasn't just the fighting)• How the Pope's original speech was never written down, so every "quote" you know is basically fan fiction• The shocking reality of cannibalism at Ma'arra that horrified even the Crusaders themselves• Why most participants thought this would be a quick road trip, not a years-long nightmare👤 Perfect for: history buffs who suspect their textbooks left out the messy parts and anyone curious about how stories get sanitized over time.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens breaks down the biggest Crusade myths[02:15] The Pope's speech that launched 1,000 ships (and wasn't recorded)[04:30] Why 85,000 people never made it past the first year[07:45] The cannibalism incident that shocked medieval Europe[09:30] How distance and ignorance doomed the mission[11:00] What this teaches us about historical narratives todayThis isn't your high school history class version. Stevens digs into primary sources, medieval chronicles, and archaeological evidence to show how religious fervor, geographical ignorance, and pure human desperation created one of history's most misunderstood events. You'll walk away questioning everything you thought you knew about holy wars and historical truth.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, medieval history, historical myths, European history, religious wars
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
--------Keywords: economic collapse, gold standard, historical failuresLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 min - Armello - Making a Digital Board Game Stand OutWhat if a $2 million board game could teach AAA video game studios how to actually connect with players? In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down how League of Geeks turned Armello from a simple tabletop concept into a digital phenomenon that punched way above its weight class.🎯 What You'll Learn:• How a $305,000 Kickstarter became a multi-million dollar success story• The four victory conditions that made Armello different from every other strategy game• Why spending two years in early access was the smartest move they made• The art trick that made a small indie game look bigger than triple-A titles👤 Perfect for: curious listeners who want to understand how underdogs beat giants at their own game.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the board game that changed digital gaming[02:15] The Kickstarter campaign that proved players were hungry for something new[04:30] Four ways to win: why options create obsession[07:00] The early access strategy that built a community before launch[09:30] Storybook visuals: combining 2D and 3D to stand out[11:00] Key lessons for anyone trying to compete with bigger playersThis isn't just about gaming. It's about how focusing on what makes you different beats trying to copy what everyone else is doing. League of Geeks proved that understanding your audience matters more than having the biggest budget.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.🔍 Topics: indie game development, Armello, board game adaptation, Kickstarter success, digital strategy
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
-------------Keywords: battleships, catherine the great, byzantine empire, economic collapseLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
14 min - Why Digital Board Games Fail (And How Armello Breaks Every Rule)Most digital board games feel like cheap knock-offs of the real thing. They strip away everything that makes tabletop gaming special and slap on flashy animations to hide the emptiness. But Armello? This game figured out how to be digital first and board game second. Michael Stevens breaks down exactly how this Australian indie hit cracked the code that bigger studios keep missing.🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why Armello's 4 victory paths create genuine strategic tension (not just different flavors of the same goal)• How mixing dice, cards, and politics in one game actually works without feeling messy• The art style trick that makes a $20 indie game feel more premium than $60 AAA titles• Why 45-90 minute sessions hit the perfect sweet spot for digital board games👤 Perfect for: anyone who's wondered why most digital adaptations of board games feel so lifeless, or gamers curious about what makes certain indie titles break through.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael introduces why most digital board games fail[01:45] Armello's million-copy success story[03:30] Four victory conditions that actually matter[06:15] How dice and cards create real tension[08:00] The animated art style that changed everything[10:30] Why timing your sessions matters more than you thinkArmello proves you don't need a massive budget to create something that feels special. You just need to understand what makes board games work in the first place, then build from there instead of trying to copy what already exists.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on your favorite podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, so your next favorite discovery is just one tap away.🔍 Topics: board games, indie gaming, Armello, digital adaptation, game design
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
-------Keywords: paper money, military history, history podcast, byzantine empire, ned kelly, ancient rome, civilization collapse, economic collapseLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 min - The Jerusalem Siege That Changed Christianity Forever: 40,000 Dead in 3 DaysWhat if 12,000 men could change the course of Christianity forever? In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down the First Crusade's final, bloody push to Jerusalem in 1099. From 60,000 crusaders who started the journey, only a fraction survived to see the Holy City's walls. What happened next would echo through history for a thousand years.🎯 What You'll Learn:• How crusaders built 60-foot siege towers that changed medieval warfare forever• Why only 12,000-15,000 warriors remained from the original 60,000-strong army• The 40-day siege strategy that cracked Jerusalem's legendary defenses• What really happened during those horrific three days when 40,000 people died👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand how religious passion and military genius combined to reshape the medieval world.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens sets up the final assault on Jerusalem[01:45] The shocking numbers: who survived the journey[03:20] Engineering genius: building siege towers taller than city walls[05:30] 40 days of desperation: why time was running out[07:45] July 15, 1099: the moment everything changed[09:30] Three days of massacre that horrified even medieval chroniclers[11:00] Why this siege reshaped Christianity and Islam foreverStevens connects this pivotal moment to modern religious conflicts and shows how the patterns of siege warfare evolved into today's urban combat strategies. You'll never think about the Crusades the same way again.The aftermath of Jerusalem didn't just affect the Middle Ages. It created fault lines we're still dealing with today. Stevens explains exactly how this 40-day siege became the foundation for centuries of conflict between Christianity and Islam.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical disaster is one tap away.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, Jerusalem siege 1099, medieval warfare, siege towers, crusader military tactics
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
---------Keywords: catherine the great, byzantine empire, military history, historical failures, history podcast, naval warfareLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 min - The 8-Month Siege That Nearly Broke Christianity's Greatest ArmyWhat if Christianity's greatest military force nearly collapsed not from enemy swords, but from sheer starvation and desperation? In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals how the Siege of Antioch became the First Crusade's most brutal test, where elite warriors were reduced to eating leather and the fate of an entire holy war hung on one man's betrayal.🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why Antioch's 4-mile walls and 400 towers made it nearly impossible to conquer• How eight months of stalemate pushed crusaders to cannibalism and mass desertion• The secret Armenian guard who changed history with a single opened gate• Why this siege was the turning point that either saved or doomed the entire crusade👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want the real story behind Christianity's most famous military campaign, told without the sanitized textbook version.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens sets up the impossible fortress[02:00] October 1097: The siege begins with confidence[04:30] Winter reality: horses become dinner[07:00] Spring desperation: when holy warriors break[09:30] Firuz the tower guard makes his choice[11:00] June 1098: how betrayal saved the crusadeThe crusaders arrived at Antioch thinking they were unstoppable. They'd already conquered cities, defeated armies, and marched a thousand miles from Europe. But Antioch wasn't just another city. It was a fortress that had stood for centuries, and it nearly became Christianity's graveyard.Stevens breaks down how geography, politics, and simple human endurance collided in eight months of misery that tested every crusader's faith. You'll understand why this siege mattered more than any battle, and how one Armenian's decision changed the course of European history.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical disaster is one tap away.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, Siege of Antioch, medieval warfare, Byzantine Empire, crusader states
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
------------Keywords: military history, strategic bombing, founding fathers, ned kelly, hitler, paper money, history podcast, historical failuresLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 min - Europe: The First Crusade - Men of IronOnly 40,000 out of 100,000 crusaders made it to Jerusalem. What happened to the other 60,000? In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals the brutal reality of medieval warfare that history books sanitize.You think you know about knights in shining armor? Think again. The First Crusade wasn't some noble quest - it was eight months of starvation at Antioch, followed by a massacre that left 70,000 dead in Jerusalem's streets.🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why the 8-month siege of Antioch nearly destroyed the entire crusading army• How crusaders built a 3-story wooden tower on wheels to breach Jerusalem's walls• The shocking casualty rate that turned 100,000 crusaders into 40,000 survivors👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want the real story behind the legends, not the sanitized textbook version.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens breaks down the numbers that don't add up[02:15] Eight months of hell: what really happened at Antioch[05:30] Medieval siege warfare: engineering meets brutality[08:00] The Jerusalem massacre that lasted for days[10:45] Why 60% of crusaders never made it homeThis isn't your high school history class. Stevens connects medieval warfare tactics to modern military strategy, showing how the patterns of conquest and collapse repeat throughout history. When empires clash, ordinary people pay the price.The crusaders thought they were fighting for God. They ended up fighting starvation, disease, and each other. Some victories cost more than defeats.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, medieval warfare, siege tactics, Jerusalem, Antioch
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
-----Keywords: paper money, war stories, american revolution, nazi germany, economic collapseLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20 min - The Iron Secret That Turned Pilgrims Into Medieval War MachinesWhat if the Crusades weren't won by faith, but by Facebook-level military tech? Michael Stevens breaks down how a bunch of medieval pilgrims became Europe's deadliest war machine, and it all came down to gear that cost more than most people's houses.Turns out crusader knights were basically medieval tanks. Their equipment ran about the same price as a small farm, and when you're dropping that kind of cash, you better believe it worked. Stevens walks through exactly how European crossbows, heavy cavalry, and siege engines completely outclassed anything the Middle East had seen.🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why a single knight's gear cost as much as a farm (and made him nearly unstoppable)• How crossbows gave crusaders a 100-yard kill advantage most enemies had never faced• The physics behind cavalry charges that could shatter infantry lines in minutes• Why 300-pound stone projectiles were medieval shock and awe👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want the real story behind famous victories, minus the usual "God willed it" explanations.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens introduces the Crusaders' secret weapon[02:00] The farm-priced armor that changed everything[04:30] Crossbow physics vs. traditional archery[07:00] Heavy cavalry: medieval tank warfare[09:30] Siege engines that terrified defenders[11:00] Why technology wins wars, not just courageThis isn't your typical Crusades story. Stevens connects medieval military innovation to modern warfare, showing how technological advantages create unstoppable forces. Whether it's crossbows or drones, the pattern stays the same: better gear wins wars.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and next week Stevens covers how the same military advantages completely backfired in later Crusades.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, medieval warfare, military technology, crossbows, heavy cavalry, siege warfare
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
----Keywords: naval warfare, hitler, ned kelly, paper money, fall of empires, empire declineLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 min - The First Crusade: Why Historians Can't Agree If It Was Actually GoodWhat if the most successful Crusade in history was also one of the worst humanitarian disasters? In this episode, Michael Stevens tackles the uncomfortable question historians have wrestled with for centuries: was the First Crusade actually "good"?🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why Emperor Alexios got 100,000 zealots when he asked for a few thousand mercenaries• How 90% of the Crusader army died before ever reaching the Holy Land (hint: it wasn't from battle)• The brutal math behind Jerusalem's fall: 70,000 civilians killed in three days of "holy" warfare• Why the Crusader states lasted 200 years despite being built on bloodshed👤 Perfect for: history buffs who want the real story behind the sanitized textbook version. Stevens doesn't shy away from the messy contradictions that make medieval history so fascinating.📍 Chapters:[00:00] Michael Stevens sets up the impossible moral question[02:15] The disconnect between Byzantine expectations and Western reality[04:30] Disease and starvation: the real killers of the Crusade[07:00] Jerusalem 1099: three days that changed everything[09:30] The unexpected longevity of the Crusader experiment[11:00] Why historians still can't agree on the verdictThe First Crusade succeeded militarily but failed morally. It established lasting Christian kingdoms but through methods that horrified even medieval observers. Stevens breaks down how something can be historically significant and strategically successful while being ethically indefensible.This isn't about picking sides in a 900-year-old conflict. It's about understanding how good intentions, religious fervor, and political miscalculation created one of history's most complex moral puzzles.🔔 Never miss an episode:Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop daily, and next week Stevens is covering the fall of Constantinople. Your next historical rabbit hole is one tap away.🔍 Topics: First Crusade, medieval warfare, Byzantine Empire, Jerusalem siege, Crusader states
Stream the full show at When Rome Burns
--------------Keywords: hitler, history podcast, strategic bombingLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 min
About When Rome Burns
From the publisher's feed
Fifteen years of making teenagers care about dead people taught Michael Stevens one thing: the best history lessons happen when everything's falling apart. The former high school teacher turned podcaster after realizing his classroom walls were holding him back from the stories that really matter.
When Rome Burns isn't your typical history show. Stevens digs into the moments when civilizations, leaders, and entire ways of life completely imploded. Think the fall of empires, political meltdowns, cultural collapses, and the kind of disasters that reshape everything. But here's the thing: these aren't just stories about the past. Stevens connects each historical catastrophe to what's happening right now, showing how the patterns repeat and why understanding them actually matters.
Every episode feels like getting the real story from that teacher who actually made class interesting. Stevens breaks down complex historical events into the human moments that drove them, the mistakes that made them inevitable, and the lessons we're still ignoring today. No dry textbook recaps or academic jargon, just compelling storytelling about how things go wrong and what we can learn from the wreckage.
Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always fresh content. Follow now and discover why history's biggest disasters are the best teachers we have. Multiple new episodes daily—follow now!