Join me in the exploration of why we love table top games through long form interviews with game designers and industry influencers. Learn more at DiekuGames.com
Thu, April 10, 2025
I was once again by Gavriel Quiroga, designer of Neurocity, Warpland and Hell Night, along with Austin DuRivage who is the illustrator of Hell World - a brutal, old school, post-apocalyptic biopunk role playing game.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavrielquiroga/hellworld-earthKickstarter ends April 30!https://www.instagram.com/blood_oath_garfieldhttps://gavrielquiroga.comhttps://www.instagram.com/gavrielquirogaWorlds of Quiroga Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/691555924725358------------Learn more about Dieku Games:https://bsky.app/profile/diekugames.bsky.socialhttps://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.iohttps://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugameshttps://www.tiktok.com/@diekugameshttps://www.patreon.com/diekugameshttps://diekugames.blogspot.comhttps://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5#OSR #TTRPG #NSR
Sun, March 30, 2025
Create, Sell, and Get Recognized! JOIN NOW: https://itch.io/jam/fun-with-fang Calling all TTRPG designers, storytellers, and creatives! The Fun with Fäng Adventure Jam is your chance to design and sell your own adventure for Fängelsehåla! This jam is all about creating adventures for Fängelsehåla under its third-party license. That means you can design, sell, and profit from your own Fäng-compatible content. Get inspired by Fäng's world of bold, minimal, and nostalgic aesthetic of 1960s children's books and IKEA design. Already have an adventure you made for another system? Adapt it for Fäng! Love fairy tales? Use one as inspiration! Remember a children's book that sparked your imagination? Turn it into an adventure! How to Participate - Join the Jam right away so you can keep up-to-date on news and tips. - When in a form that is ready to start sharing, create a new Itch project that contains your adventure and submit it to the Jam. - Keep refining your work as required until the Jam ends on Sept 11. - Set your price—free, pay-what-you-want, or a fixed cost—it’s up to you. - Share your progress on socials using the hashtag #FunWithFang and tag @DiekuGames so I can help share your work Judging & Prizes Prizes and recognition await the best submissions. Winning projects will be featured on the Jam Wrap-up Livestream, and all submitted adventures will be promoted across Dieku Games' website, social media, and podcast! The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will also be invited to share their work on the Dieku Podcast with over 3500 subscribers! Learn more about Dieku Games: https://bsky.app/profile/diekugames.bsky.social https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #FunWithFang #OSR #NSR
Thu, March 06, 2025
I welcomed back, Kobayashi, the designer of Fleaux!, Rats in the Walls, Black Sword Hack, Ronin Saga and now his most recent game - Assassins, Demons & Dying Gods - a roleplaying game about demon hunters, mad gods and revolutions in the city of Ashengrad. DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/12338/livres-de-l-ours Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/alexandrekobayashi BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/kobayashi-rpg.bsky.social #TTRPG
Thu, February 13, 2025
Fame and Fable is a fantasy-themed competitive board game for 1 to 4 players. Use your actions to buy ally and item cards from the market and play these to defeat monsters, complete contracts or disrupt other players. Gain fame through your exploits to move your player token around the game track, picking up bonus tokens as you travel. The player with the highest fame at the end of the game wins.Learn more:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owendavey/fame-and-fablehttps://www.instagram.com/fameandfablehttps://www.instagram.com/owendaveydraws#fantasygames #DnD #boardgames
Fri, January 03, 2025
Buy a copy of FÄNGELSEHÅLA https://dieku.myshopify.com
Mon, December 23, 2024
2024 was another interesting year in the TTRPG Industry, and I was once again joined by Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series, to provide historical context to the events of the year. Shannon shared his insights on a variety of topics including the 50th Anniversary of D&D, emerging competitors, crowdfunding trends, and more. This is Free Trader Beowulf https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/products/this-is-free-trader-beowulf Designers and Dragons website: https://www.designers-and-dragons.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designersanddragons/ Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Designers-Dragons-History-Roleplaying-Industry/dp/B0848YJ84B/ DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141206/Designers--Dragons-The-Complete-Hardcover-Set-BUNDLE Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #gamedesign #ttrpg #dnd
Tue, December 17, 2024
I welcome Ryan and Hunter from The Weekly Scroll podcast, which provides in-depth unbiased analysis of indie role playing games, as well as creator interviews and actual plays called - side quests. Learn mores at: https://www.twitch.tv/TheWeeklyScroll https://x.com/Weekly_Scroll https://bsky.app/profile/theweeklyscroll.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/the.weekly.scroll https://www.threads.net/@the.weekly.scroll https://spotify.com/show/3ImMl6cwPn6kgydbl5j3Jf #ttrpg #DnD #gamedesign
Mon, November 18, 2024
I welcomed back John “Hambone" McGuire who along with Geo Collazo created 321 RPG, and they are currently crowdfunding a 5th Anniversary Expanded Rulebook and Monster Guide on Backerkit. Backerkit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/321action-rpg/321-Action-RPG-Expanded-Rule-Book-And-Encyclopedia-Monstergoria To learn more: https://321actiongames.com https://www.instagram.com/321_rpg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@321_rpg https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/search?q=3%2C2%2C1%E2%80%A6Action%21 https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/18006 https://321actiongames.itch.io #OSR #TTRPG #dnd
Fri, November 15, 2024
I was once again joined by Andrew Kolb @andrewkolb the designer of Neverland, Oz, and now a book-end to this fantastic trilogy - Wonderland - which will be released on Tuesday Nov 12. Buy Wonderland: https://www.amazon.ca/Wonderland-Fantasy-Role-Playing-Andrew-Kolb?affiliate_id=2868133 Domestika Course: Creative Gameplay Maps: Illustrate a Fantasy World https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/4843-creative-gameplay-maps-illustrate-a-fantasy-world/course Neverland Interview: https://youtu.be/yvzKWtXz_EE Oz Interview: https://youtu.be/baR0OlgUhZk Learn more at: https://www.kolbisneat.com https://www.instagram.com/kolbisneat https://x.com/kolbisneat https://www.facebook.com/kolbisneat https://www.youtube.com/c/andrewkolb
Mon, November 04, 2024
I welcome Sean McCoy one half of Tuesday Knight games, along with Alan Gerding. They are the creative minds behind games such as Two Rooms and a Boom, Werewolf in the Dark, and Mothership the sci-fi horror game that has become one of the darlings of the indie game industry. https://www.backerkit.com/c/collections/mothership-month https://www.tuesdayknightgames.com Projects: Wages of Sin https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/35ce4a9a-b5d8-4f6a-a39d-00c9c48d5f25/landing?ref=home-page Burning Gods https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/59e664b9-244d-4eb4-944a-86e3afee8bb3/landing?ref=home-page What was left to Rot https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/643abb8a-c1ee-4fd9-8471-c48bbd5e2877/landing?ref=home-page Interloper https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/a0914d97-b46e-401d-8ae1-67095bb10ad3/landing?ref=home-page Devil's Due https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/00417a50-948f-452f-bef8-4c980bdab907/landing?ref=home-page Not Enough Scoundrels https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/37e04d68-0c28-4c44-b0d0-64063da0f136/landing?ref=home-page 50 Unique NPC Cards https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/be5d263e-48ef-4639-aaba-ba9d831a2803/landing?ref=home-page Orgy of the Blood Leeches https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/rv-games/orgy-of-the-blood-leeches/launch_party Death Pays All Debts https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/859b2910-1d62-4431-8acf-c1821e3cc808/landing?ref=home-page PK49 https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/dfeaffd1-3b40-483f-83de-5156d4286841/landing?ref=home-page Daedalus Station and the Rimspace Racing League https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/04de5919-f3fe-4229-9ecd-84ed25f23453/landing?ref=home-page The Dose Makes The Poison https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/c45d7f4e-4669-41f8-b2fe-24be00c7e052/landing?ref=home-page 90 Seconds to Midnight! https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/30f7b954-acd0-4cd8-8ccb-1c6027b50183/landing?ref=home-page Knowledge Asymmetry https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/953f0a97-2d5d-4ba8-8a32-e002490e712c/landing?ref=home-page Starships & Soldiers https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/c627dd7e-6c37-4d3c-9a7c-c0c7a886be54/landing?ref=home-page OMENDROME: Exploitation Film Subjects https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/7e6b2033-6be8-4494-a25a-7bf48a18b677/landing?ref=home-page Syndicate Wastrels https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/8a580f93-b5f0-4713-b81d-700729e7d217/landing?ref=home-page Straight Arrows https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/b250145a-3617-4cac-bda5-18b90567759e/landing?ref=home-page Operation Golden Cut https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/6ef4976a-d929-429e-b45d-14e44044a72c/landing?ref=home-page The Iron Hive https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/79a3e317-b1d9-4f10-b761-da3233aa5947/landing?ref=home-page Johnson 2 https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/d4a9c389-2eac-4e1a-bf66-cbb96fd780bb/landing?ref=home-page #OSR # Mothership #TTRPG
Mon, October 28, 2024
I was joined by Josh Domanski and Zach Vaupen of Liminal Horror to discuss how to design an adventure or setting for horror. Bring your questions and thought! For more information about Liminal Horror: https://liminalhorrorrpg.com Horror of the Americas Game Jam: https://itch.io/jam/horror-of-the-americas-jam Zach Vaupen https://emo-sludge.com #DnD #TTRPG #Horror
Thu, October 24, 2024
Lost Pages was founded in 2012 by Paolo Greco, who decided that academia was frustrating as hell. Barely employed, from of a desk make of loudspeakers and a cabinet door they developed 'Adventure Fantasy Game', and then went off to release a series of spellbooks, including some bound by hand by Paolo, who dabbles in bookbinding and printmaking. This helped grow a strong and idiosincratic aesthetic, made in equal measures of 17th century pamphlets, medieval grimoires, and 20th century technical handbooks, often at the same time both game material and in-world artefact and prop. Publishing Lost Pages soon after became a publisher, and released other games such as Chris McDowell's 'Into the Odd', Brendan Strejcek's 'Wonder & Wickedness', and Eric Nieudan's 'Macchiato Monsters', who all went to gained recognition and success, inspiring a slew of other games and creations such as Beyond The Pale, Book Of Gaub, and Wulfwald. Learn more: https://shop.lostpages.co.uk
Tue, October 15, 2024
Have you ever dreamed of hosting your own public access TV show? Investigating the bizarre supernatural mysteries of your small town? Now's your chance! Introducing Weird Heroes of Public Access - the table-top roleplaying game that lets you and your friends step into the shoes of quirky public access TV personalities battling monsters, angry moms, and juvenile delinquents to save your beloved town of Fairhaven. Under the glow of a relentless full moon, you and your crew of public access heroes will use a simple d6-pool system to quickly get into the action. Time is of the essence as you race to uncover Fairhaven's darkest secrets and protect your show from being canceled! This 100+ page core rulebook is packed with everything you need, including: - The complete Weird Heroes of Public Access game rules - Selections from Tales from Fairhaven 1 & 2 - The WHPA Station Manager's Guide - Over 20 pages of brand new, unreleased content! https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/get-haunted-industries/weird-heroes-of-public-access
Mon, September 23, 2024
JP Coovert shares information about his new system-neutral setting - Dragon Town and the Darkness Below! This system-neutral, tabletop roleplaying adventure is light in tone, but heavy on danger. It’s a perfect introduction for first-time roleplayers and filled with enough weirdness to surprise even the most seasoned dungeon delvers. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jpcoovert/dragon-town-and-the-darkness-below Website: http://jpcoovert.com
Thu, September 05, 2024
Huckleberry is a dark and weird tabletop role-playing game inspired by the mythology of the American Old West. In this unforgiving landscape, the veil between reality and the Wyrd is frayed and worn thin, allowing the Wyrd to seep into every crevice, corrupting and twisting the very fabric of reality. In this brutal landscape, storytelling takes center stage. Huckleberry focuses on blockbuster moments without getting bogged down in little details. Can you survive the Wyrd Frontier? Learn more at: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/28102/huckleberry-rpg https://www.HuckleberryRPG.com #ttrpg #OSR #DnD
Mon, August 26, 2024
I welcome the Griffith Morgan and Chris Graves who collectively make uo The Fellowship of the Thing which are the folks behind the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary, as well as publishers of the The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg, Blackmoor Foundations, and the upcoming Into the Wild Blue Yonder. To learn more: https://www.tfott.com https://www.ArneCon.net https://www.secretsofblackmoor.com https://www.facebook.com/tfott https://x.com/ArneconTFotT
Fri, August 23, 2024
Miami 86 RPG is a rules-light, action-packed role-playing game designed for 2 to 6 players (or more) with solo play options. Immerse yourself in the quintessential 1980s Miami ambiance, inspired by iconic classics like the film Scarface, the TV series Miami Vice, and the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game emphasizes minimal rules and fast-paced action, featuring a core mechanic reminiscent of Into the Odd and Cairn. Character generation is quick and random, allowing you to dive straight into the action. For Game Masters, there are tools to randomly generate adventures, ensuring fresh and exciting gameplay every time. The book includes detailed descriptions of fictional places and non-player characters in Miami and beyond (including far-off locations like Colombia). Additionally, it offers an introductory adventure to get you started immediately. To learn more: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/arispen/miami86
Mon, August 19, 2024
Philip Jensen joins me to discuss NECROVENGE, a solo TTRPG about rebuilding your dungeon and getting your revenge on those pesky adventurers! NECROVENGE is a standalone solo game, where you, as a failed necromancer, set out to get revenge on those who have wronged you. Recruit minions, build traps, and rebuild your dungeon while trying to survive attacks from kings, queens, and that lunatic from the neighboring town – Bert, before at long last getting your well-deserved revenge. Learn more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/philipjensen/necrovenge?ref=cewr79 https://discord.com/invite/p2dtzzhzv6 https://philipjensen.itch.io http://philipjensen.dk
Mon, July 22, 2024
I was joined by Gordon Johansen, owner of the World's Largest Game Store - The Sentry Box. Communities are not just bound by borders – they are often comprised of people with shared passions. A friendly local game store (FLGS) is a unique place where people can connect with each other, create memories, and build community. Celebrating over 40 years of operation, the Sentry Box in Calgary, Alberta has grown to become the world’s largest game store. It has achieved this incredible milestone by being an inviting and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to enjoy table top games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. We share the unique history of the Sentry Box by interviewing the owner, long-time customers, current and former employees, and local industry influencers who have all been connected by the friendly local game store. Watch the Documentary: https://youtu.be/seREqdX75lk Learn more at: https://diekugames.com/flgs https://www.sentrybox.com #games #flgs #documentary
Fri, June 21, 2024
I was joined by Jason Connerly, the host of the Nerd's RPG Variety Podcast, which I have been regular listener of since it began in 2019. Recently Jason has made some changes to the format, and we'll be talking about that, as well as the history and legacy of the show. https://open.spotify.com/show/4oPnUnwitpUqn9saEkFaNf?si=2f1a06bcac254bfd&nd=1&dlsi=e8214fdc08804f64
Fri, June 14, 2024
Wasteland Degenerates is a gas-guzzling, high octane post-apocalyptic RPG about miserable, radiated scum struggling to survive in tomorrow’s unforgiving carcass! Enter Wasteland Degenerates: Jumper Cable Edition, a Cy_Borg variant where you play the worthless dregs of post-apocalyptic society going out and finding the supplies that make the world just that much more comfortable for the fortunate few who get to live in safe enclaves. You'll take on the role of road warriors, hellfire preachers, survivalists, scavengers, and former soldiers scouring the wasteland for treasures of the old world that will keep you alive just one more day. The world before the fall of Wasteland Degenerates is familiar enough to use reference points from Mad Max vehicles to The Last of Us-style walled cities, but also far enough into the future to feature advanced technology, such as androids and reality-altering devices. Of course, you can (and should!) have a souped-up hot rod to ride the wastes in style; vehicles are an essential part of the game, and occupy half of the character sheet! https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/e29ba2a7-c31d-4485-a048-da04afab3085/landing?ref=home-page https://wastelanddegenerates.com #OSR #MORKBORG #TTRPG
Mon, June 03, 2024
I was joined by Zoe Franznick who is kickstarting a new magic item deck called Marginal Worlds along with co-creator Mac Boyle, both bringing their expertise in Medieval Studies to bear on the project. I think it's a good fit for games like Knave, OSE, Cairn, and Dolmenwood! Marginal Worlds is a magic Item Deck is a deck of 50 easy-to-play magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts that you can play in any TTRPG. The deck features 50 playable, hand-illustrated magic items and a Game Master’s Guide to match. Each item is a real-life artifact or magic item found in a medieval manuscript. Plus, Marginal Worlds magic items are D&D 5e-compatible AND system-agnostic - you can use the deck in any TTRPG system, no fuss! The Deck and Guide are available in PDF and physical print copies, and includes: - 50 system-agnostic magic items with easy-to-play descriptions - Quick-play icons for features such as cursed items, sentience, or high-level play - Excerpts featuring each item in its original medieval manuscript - A detailed Game Master’s guide with additional descriptions and lore - Gorgeous, hand-illustrated manuscript art - Systematic, consistent, and easily adaptable game design - A complete D&D 5th edition appendix - 3 additional Optional Play appendices - A detailed glossary of our medieval sources Plus, all backers will receive their name in the credits! Learn more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/themaniculumpodcast/marginal-worlds-magic-item-expansion-pack https://www.themaniculumpodcast.com
Tue, May 28, 2024
I was joined by Joseph R. Lewis, author of Raiding the Obsidian Keep, as well as Liam Pádraig Ó Cuilleanáin, author of The Horrendous Hounds of Hendenburgh, whose best selling adventure modules are being dusted off by the team of the Merry Mushmen who are comprised of Eric Nieudan and Olivier Revenu. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/896102915/an-adventure-double-feature-by-the-merry-mushmen Published by the Merry Mushmen https://www.themerrymushmen.com Raiding the Obsidian Keep by Joseph R. Lewis https://www.josephrlewis.com with art by Li-An https://www.li-an.fr/ The Horrendous Hounds of Hendenburgh by Liam Pádraig Ó Cuilleanáin https://twitter.com/budapestkick with art by Bruno Prosaiko https://twitter.com/BProsaiko #OSR #DnD #TTRPG https://www.youtube.com/@themerrymushmen6390
Thu, April 11, 2024
I was joined by Chris Gonnerman, the creator of Basic Fantasy and Iron Falcon and one of the founders of the OSR. We discussed Chris' start in the hobby and the development of the amazing community around Basic Fantasy. We also covered Chris writing Iron Falcon, a throwback to the little brown books and Greyhawk. Basic Fantasy: https://www.basicfantasy.org http://www.facebook.com/bfrpg https://www.basicfantasy.org/forums https://discord.gg/5cra8aTRuh https://www.cafepress.com/basicfantasy https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chris-Gonnerman/author/B00HPBHWWG https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/basicfantasy Iron Falcon: https://www.ironfalconrpg.com/ https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=iron+falcon&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00 Dragonsfoot Forum: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/
Mon, April 08, 2024
Archeterica is an pseudo Napoleonic TTRPG about secret societies and unearthly phenomena! This is a classless 2D6 system with a focus on dramatic character development and shadow organizations activities. In Archeterica you will be able to embody extremely versatile personalities as your heroes, participate in dangerous firefights with single-shot pistols on dynamic initiative, lose a limb and sanity, gain curses and diseases incognita, found a secret brotherhood, engage in ritualism, metasurgical experiments and much, much more! Game Features: - Narrative Attributes and Talents: make up your character with help of simple ideas - Dynamic and Lethal Fights: no time to hesitate, respond to danger swiftly. - Shadow Societies: start your own secret organization and rise above the Penumbra Theater. - Wounds, Physical and Mental: grow a collection of scars, injuries, delusions, and curses from the beyond. - Mysticism and the Occult: pursue enlightenment and tune in to your paranormal abilities. - Otherworldly Crafts: ritualistics, metamedicine, and metaengineering are unique mechanics for unique ambitions. - Historical Arsenal: a wide selection of 19th century weapons, including various kinds of pistols and muskets with realistic mechanics. - Specialized Experience Points: each character develops the skills they actually use; narrative attributes, combat skills, and psychic powers advance independently. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theimagocult/archeterica-imago-the-invitation https://discord.com/invite/zVeuXAm8Ym https://imagocult.com
Thu, March 21, 2024
I was joined by Iko who is the creative mind behind the Outer Rim Uprising and Skyrealms, and is currently kickstarting The Lost Bay - a suburban gothic tabletop RPG, setting and collection of adventures set in alternate 90s. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thelostbay/the-lost-bay-suburban-dark-fantasy-rpg Website: https://www.thelostbaystudio.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostbay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelostbaystudio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100023769553522
Thu, March 07, 2024
Take the world's most famous fantasy RPG, combine it with Idiocracy, add a bit of Borderlands, and let it soak in a slag bin for 6,042 years in front of a TV playing Rick & Morty and Futurama on a loop… there you have WEIRD WORLD! WEIRD WORLD is a weird science-fantasy role-playing game with fast and easy-to-learn rules that combines retro-futurism and fantasy in a violent and humorous setting. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tinhatgames/weird-world-bizarre-punk-ttrpg Instagram https://www.instagram.com/TinHatGames Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinHatGames Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinHat_Games Website: https://www.tinhatgames.it YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TinHatGames
Fri, February 16, 2024
FÄNGELSEHÅLA is the Swedish word for "dungeon." We are inviting you to play an epic adventure with the elegance of the instructions from everybody's favorite furniture store! This tabletop role-playing game takes a minimalist approach, offering an immersive experience without the complexity. Forget thick rulebooks and intricate character sheets – FÄNG is as easy to grasp as connecting the dots in an instruction manual. Designed for new players and one-shots that allow you to embark on quests with mechanics so straightforward that you can be up and running in minutes. Back it on Kickstarter now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/diekugames/fang?ref=aqx25e
Thu, February 08, 2024
I welcomed Leo Hunt, the creative mind behind Vaults of Vaarn, which a widely admired game within the OSR community. Leo is now on the cusp of releasing The Shrike which is a a dark fantasy sandbox adventure in a derelict limbo of rusted iron, saltwater, stone, and blood, designed for Old School Essentials. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joello/the-shrike-0 Silverarm Press: https://silverarmpress.com Vaults of Vaarn: https://vaultsofvaarn.com Jantiff Illustration: https://www.instagram.com/jantiff_illustration
Tue, January 30, 2024
I was joined by Spiros Drakatos, the creative mind behind DIMDAY_RED, the TTRPG that pits players in the last days of human kind. Nowhere to run, no deus ex machina, just choosing how they will live their lives while the world ends. Spiros will be launching Nodus Zine 02 which features Neu Bonn, expanding ominous slums of Fleisch District, including a mini adventure that will unleash the Center's darkest shadows! To learn more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dimdayred/dimday-red-ttrpg-nodus-02 https://www.dimday.red
Thu, January 18, 2024
I welcome Stu Horvath, the author of Monsters, Aliens and Holes in the Ground - which chronicles how RPGs have evolved since their inception. Stu is also the co-host of The Vintage RPG Podcast along with John "Hambone" McGuire and also publisher of the Unwinnable web site and Patreon which has a monthly newsletter that features analysis and critique of pop culture. Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Aliens-Holes-Ground-Roleplaying/dp/0262048221 Unwinnable Web Site: https://unwinnable.com Unwinnable Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/unwinnable Vintage RPG Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0r3MNL1cU3gqKvStV3Nawd Unwinnable YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TeamUnwinnable
Mon, January 15, 2024
This is Whispers of the Woods. A minimalistic role-playing game in which players will fill the shoes of 18th-century villagers on a journey into mysterious, dark woods. The game is focused on storytelling, making difficult decisions, and weaving a collaborative, intertwined narrative. Beautifully illustrated with art based on old linocuts, and filled with tones of story hooks, tables, and plot points, it’s a unique tool for creating memorable, atmospheric stories. Learn more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heltung/whispers-of-the-woods-narrative-driven-tabletop-rpg https://heltung-storytelling.itch.io https://twitter.com/pawelkicman https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/21253/Heltung-Storytelling https://www.facebook.com/heltungstr
Sat, January 13, 2024
I welcome two of the best know bloggers within the indie/OSR space. W.F. Smith, also known as Prismatic Wasteland, whose blog goes by the same name. WF also won an Ennie this last year in the category of Best Supplement for Barkeep on the Borderland, along with many contributors to the great adventure setting. Zedeck Siew who has earned admiration for writing many adventure settings, blog posts, and has the distinction of winning the inaugural overall Gold Bloggie last year for D&D’s Obsession with Taxonomy. Bloggie Results: https://zedecksiew.tumblr.com Bloggie Voting: https://twitter.com/zedecksiew Prismatic Wasteland: https://www.prismaticwasteland.com Barkeep on the Borderlands: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/429877/Barkeep-on-the-Borderlands
Thu, January 11, 2024
I welcome Jason Cordova - the creative mind behind Brindlewood Bay, the cozy mystery game that features elderly mavens solving TV-style cases, within the backdrop of a larger cosmic horror. Jason is also the host of Fear of a Black Dragon and The Darkened Threshold as well as founder of the Gauntlet community which has brought us games like Trophy. https://www.brindlewoodbay.com https://twitter.com/jasoncordova6 https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12676/The-Gauntlet https://discord.com/invite/jxDbMXV
Mon, December 18, 2023
2023 was another interesting year in the TTRPG Industry, and I was once again joined by Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series, to provide historical context to the events of the year. Shannon shared his insights on a variety of topics including the OGL Fiasco, emerging competitors to DnD, crowdfunding trends, and more We also get a sneak peek of Shannon's upcoming projects, including a new edition of Designers & Dragons for the 2010s which he shares with his patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designersanddragons/ Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Designers-Dragons-History-Roleplaying-Industry/dp/B0848YJ84B/ DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141206/Designers--Dragons-The-Complete-Hardcover-Set-BUNDLE
Tue, December 12, 2023
Let Us Build a Tower is one-of-a-kind OSR adventure that takes players back thousands of years to a temple-city in the throes of apocalypse. There they ascend the ever-changing Tower to Heaven, braving the curse of chaos in hopes of reaching the ultimate reward at the Tower’s heights. To learn more, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/calebwimble/let-us-build-a-tower - A Mythic Bronze Age setting in the apocalyptic ruins of the City of Babel, inspired by the biblical tale and ancient Mesopotamian legend. - The Tower of Babel, an epic megadungeon ascent to Heaven full of wonders and hellish dangers through ever-stranger floors. Thanks to Heaven’s curse of chaos, the Tower’s contents change every time players enter, with thousands of possible configurations. Whether for a single short adventure or a lengthy campaign, the Tower always provides something new and exciting for players and Referee alike. - Powerful tables which generate countless artifacts, magic weapons, traps, NPCs, quests, and unique chamber features to keep each excursion fresh and surprising. Collect Babel Stones to communicate across language barriers and create miraculous spells. - Beasts of Babel ranging from Angelic Ophanim, to Fallen Gods, to the Scorpionfolk guardians of the underworld, to the legendary Behemoth and Leviathan. Encounter, evade, bargain with, and battle more than 80 other Monsters of the ancient world. Each is fully detailed with stats for OSR, Sojourn RPG, and your classic dungeon-crawling game of choice. - Player Guides offering advice for Throne-Seekers of any skill level. The guides detail four classic classes and a unique free-form magic system. If you don’t already have a favorite game system, here you’ll find all the dungeon-crawling rules you need to start playing right away. - More than 100 beautiful illustrations hand-crafted by a team of accomplished fantasy artists. No AI-generated images here—all human skill and imagination.
Wed, November 29, 2023
I was once again joined by Andrew Cawood, the creator of the popular Monsters Book Series, which featured Monsters of the Underworld, City, Wilderness, Dungeon and Feyland 1 and 2. Andrew is currently kickstarting the World of Myrr, which is the fantasy setting in which the monster books have been based in. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cawoodpublishing/the-world-of-myrr-campaign-setting-for-any-rpg To learn more about Cawood Publishing: https://worldofmyrr.com https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/cawoodpublishing https://www.facebook.com/worldofmyrr https://twitter.com/cawoodpublish https://www.instagram.com/cawoodpublishing https://www.redbubble.com/people/cawoodpublish/shop https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=cawood https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/west-of-the-wood-podcasts/id1317446649
Thu, November 23, 2023
OBSCURE is a tabletop role-playing game inspired by the genre "found-footage horror" known from movies and video games like The Blair Witch Project, Outlast and V/H/S. The game is made for one-location horror one-shots and survival horror campaigns, where storytelling is weighted above rules, and horror above action. The Player Characters are not heroes, just regular everyday people caught up in horrifying situations, where death is always lurking around the corner. This roleplaying game is designed to match the unnerving experience of watching a horror movie or telling a ghost story around a campfire. To capture the atmosphere of urban legends in a time before the internet was a common thing. OBSCURE is about solving mysteries. It is about running and hiding. It is about confronting your worst fears and overcome them. And above all, it is about getting through the night - alive. Join us for a live stream with Tommy Sunzenauer - a Danish illustrator, graphic designer and gamebook maker, and one half of the company Blæk Games, that brought you SVMP and Goblin Gonzo. To Learn More: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunze/obscure https://blaek.games https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083190349046&sk
Tue, November 21, 2023
I welcomed the creatives minds behind LIMINAL HORROR, which is a rules-lite, adaptable modern horror roleplaying game about normal characters and their struggles against the things that go bump in the night. I welcome Goblin Archives who wrote Liminal Horror based upon the Cairn System, and Josh Domanski who has been instrumental is developing the look and feel of the system through modules like The Bureau and The Bloom. To learn more: https://spacepenguin.ink Itch: https://goblinarchives.itch.io/liminal-horror https://unenthuser.itch.io Twitter: https://twitter.com/goblin_archives https://twitter.com/Unenthuser SubStack https://goblinarchives.substack.com
Fri, November 03, 2023
I welcome back Chris McDowall, who is the author of the influential games of Into the Odd, and Electric Bastionland. Chris will be kickstarting his newest venture Mythic Bastionland which has been billed as rules light roleplaying in a dreamlike world of knights and myths. Learn more at: https://www.bastionland.com https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd
Tue, October 31, 2023
Happy Hallowzine! Luchador Hero as part of the HallowZine Bundle https://itch.io/s/105763/itchio-halloween-sale-2023 Liminal Horror: https://goblinarchives.itch.io/liminal-horror The Haunted Hamlet: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/359080/The-Haunted-Hamlet--and-other-hexes Bug Busters Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/diekugames/bug-busters Bug Busters Game https://diekugames.com/bugbusters Bug Busters Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdKRzdlphk&list=PL9wgt1BOPPpMWqHPycMsed5GbApqKzP9G Ghostbusters PDFs: https://ghostbusterscities.com/media/ghostbusters-the-roleplaying-game #OSR #TTRPG
Fri, October 27, 2023
I welcome two people, whose names I'm sure will be familiar to many in the TTRPG space. J-M DeFoggi is a long time creator and well-known for the Jackals bronze age game. and now has the role of Savage Universe Community Manager. Chris Landauer is the Director of Marketing for Pinnacle Entertainment Group, the folks that that have brought us the Savage World System that has been described as fast, fun and furious. Learn more: https://savageuniverse.com https://www.youtube.com/@Peginc https://www.facebook.com/PinnacleEntGroup https://www.instagram.com/pinnacleentgroup https://www.twitch.tv/peginc https://twitter.com/PEG_Games https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnofficialSavageWorlds
Fri, October 27, 2023
I welcome Jeffrey Talanian, one of the pillars of old school gaming renaissance, and the creative mind behind Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea which recently completed the 3rd edition of the game earlier this year. For more information: https://www.hyperborea.tv https://www.facebook.com/HYPERBOREA.TV https://www.instagram.com/hyperborea576 https://twitter.com/hyperborea576 To learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Wed, October 04, 2023
Join the working class exterminators of Bug Busters Ltd to fend off a secret alien invasion in the mid-90's! I'll be doing an overview of the game setting and the design philosophy behind the game mechanics! Hop on and ask some questions! Follow on Kickstarter! https://www.bugbusters.ltd #OSR #TTRPG
Sun, October 01, 2023
Can you hear it? It’s a roar. It’s a tide rising from the edges of the galaxy. It’s a calling for you to join the fight. Outer Rim: Uprising is a bundle of 15-plus original zines, pamphlets, cards, maps, and player-facing accessories all driven by a strong, riotous spirit. Links: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thelostbay/outer-rim-uprising https://www.outerrimuprising.com https://www.twitter.com/thelostbay What Is ORU? ORU is a massive bundle of adventures and accessories for the tabletop RPG Mothership. It’s brought to you by The Lost Bay Studio, expert tabletop RPG bundlers, and a gang of top-tier international designers and artists. Features: 20+ adventures, pamphlets, and player-facing accessories Deck of 40 full-color NPC cards by Victor J Merino Campaign handbook packed with custom classes, factions, hooks, items, and procedures Sounds of Space audio tape by David Blandy Faction patches by Alfred Valley A pool of veteran Mothership designers Breathtaking art by Evangeline Gallagher, Zach Hazard Vaupen, Holly Jenka, Victor J Merino, Daniel Locke, and Vil Laid out by the best layout designers of the system: Gontijo, Josh Domanski, Jean Verne Professional editing by Walton Wood of Līber Lūdōrum, and Samatha Leigh
Fri, September 29, 2023
I welcomed the the Menzies brothers - Barney and Charlie - who are the creative mind behind the award winning Shiver, and the Ennie nominated Shiver Gothic. We talk about their journey into roleplaying games, the design of Shiver, as well as discussing their newest creation - Don't Play this Game. To learn more, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/327195066/dont-play-this-game-a-cursed-solo-rpg https://www.dontplaythisga.me https://www.twitter.com/GamesParable
Mon, August 28, 2023
I welcomed Mikey Hamm who is the creator behind the game Slugblaster - which has teenage hoverboarders sneaking into other dimensions to explore, film tricks, go viral, and get away from the problems at home. It’s dangerous. It’s stupid. It’s got parent groups in a panic. And it’s the coolest thing ever. Slugblaster was recently nominated for both best art and game of the year by IGDN, taking the big prize! To learn more: https://youtu.be/oTVSS6btqNE https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/567cddc9-e57e-4575-9fb2-821a1b289aca/landing https://wilkies.itch.io/slugblaster https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikeyhamm/slugblaster https://www.mikeyhamm.com
Mon, August 21, 2023
I welcomed Ben Mazzochetti and Ted Gilbert, the co-creators of Don't Tell Mom and Dad, the tabletop RPG fuelled by pulp horror VHS cassettes, sugar and fireworks! To learn more about Don't Tell Mom and Dad: https://www.donttellmomanddad.com https://www.instagram.com/donttellmomanddad https://twitter.com/DontTellMomDad https://weirdhobbies.bigcartel.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/21718/Weird-Hobbies https://weird-hobbies.itch.iohttps://letterboxd.com/giallohands/list/dont-tell-mom-dad Lunchmeat Zine: https://lunchmeatvhs.com
Mon, August 14, 2023
I am excited to welcome Ben Milton, the host of the very popular Questing Beast YouTube channel which has introduced thousands of new players into the OSR. Ben is also the creative mind behind Maze Rats, The Waking of Willowby Hall, the Labyrinth Adventure Game as well as the very popular Knave, which just finished kickstarting it’s second edition. For more information: https://www.youtube.com/QuestingBeast Patreon: http://bit.ly/QBPatreon Glatisant Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Glatisant Itch: http://bit.ly/ItchStore Merch: http://bit.ly/QBMerch Amazon Products: https://amzn.to/30kfamM
Fri, July 28, 2023
I was joined by the Joseph R. Lewis, author of the original Ragged Hollow Nightmare adventure, as well as Eric Nieudan who is one half of the Merry Mushmen along with Olivier Olivier Revenu. Together, they have dusted off the original adventure into a new exciting new module called Nightmare Over Ragged Hollow, which is Kickstarting right now. To learn more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/896102915/nightmare-over-ragged-hollow Published by the Merry Mushmen https://www.themerrymushmen.com Written by Joseph R. Lewis https://www.josephrlewis.com Art by Li-An https://www.li-an.fr Cartography by Queer Wizard https://queerwizard.co.uk To learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://threads.net/@diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Mon, July 10, 2023
I welcomed Kobayashi, the creator of the Black Sword Hack, which has recently been updated to a new Ultimate Chaos Edition through the Merry Mushmen publishing team - who are well known in OSR circles for their Knock zine. To learn more: https://www.themerrymushmen.com/product/black-sword-hack-ultimate-chaos-edition https://twitter.com/TMushmen https://www.instagram.com/nobboc https://www.gorangligovic.com https://squarehex.myshopify.com https://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net To learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://threads.net/@diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #OSR #TTRPG #dnd
Mon, July 03, 2023
Seth Skorkowsky was born beneath the pine trees of East Texas and grew up with a love of camping and outdoors. His teen years were spent ingesting heavy doses of Dungeons & Dragons and Clive Barker novels. At thirteen, while visiting his favorite comic/game shop, he saw the cover for the AD&D “Lankhmar: City of Adventure” campaign book. Seth had no idea who Fritz Leiber or his heroes, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, even were, but the imagery captured him. Leiber’s stories became the single greatest influence on the atmosphere of his fantasy writing. Sometime after college, while attempting to write the next great epic horror/fantasy, he penned a short story on the side called ‘The Mist of Lichthafen‘. It was his nod to Fritz. He sold the story to TTA Press who wanted it for their upcoming Black Static magazine. “The Mist of Lichthafen” was praised among readers. It received a longlist nomination for the 2009 British Fantasy Award. Seth would later narrate the story for TTA Press’ ‘Transmissions From Beyond’ podcast. Later, during a moment of writer’s block in his novel, he wrote an origin story for a thief character called The Black Raven. ‘Birth of the Black Raven’ was always intended to be a stand-alone story with a very open ending. A year later, after his first trip to Venice, he wrote ‘Race for the Night Ruby‘, and decided to cast the same character, but now as a master thief. Once that was done, he really had no choice but to fill in the gaps between the two stories and then continue on with more adventures. As of writing this, Black Raven has had over 21 stories. In 2011, after attending a brutal 3-day writing workshop, Seth finally came to grips that his first novel was simply dreadful. Instead of feeling dismayed, it gave him the courage to let it go and actually start work on an Urban Fantasy story that he’d been mulling for several years. DÄMOREN sold to Ragnarok Publications in 2013. It published in 2014 and was a Audie Award finalist for Best Paranormal Audiobook. A week later, lightning struck twice more when he signed to publish not just one, but two collections of Black Raven adventures. MOUNTAIN OF DAGGERS and SEA OF QUILLS. Seth has now published four Valducan novels and a seperate novel Ashes of Onyx. He has many more Black Raven adventures planned. One day he hopes to pen that epic fantasy, as well as a gritty pulp crime novel. In 2016, he started making YouTube videos about table-top role-playing games one day. His channel won the Gold ENnie Award for Best Online Content in 2019. In 2020, his first published RPG scenario ‘A Mother’s Love’ was released in the Call of Cthulhu collection New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley. The collection went on to win the 2020 Gold ENnie Award for Best Electronic Book. When not writing, Seth loves going on walks to clear his head and daydream. He enjoys traveling. His favorite city is Florence. Table-top role-playing is still an enormous part of his life. He loves, going to Renaissance faire
Wed, June 28, 2023
I welcomed John “Hambone" McGuire who is one of the co-creators of 3-2-1 Action system along with Geo Collazo, as well as the co-host of the Vintage RPG podcast with Stu Horvath, and official ambassador for the swamps of New Jersey. To learn more: https://321actiongames.com https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/search?q=3%2C2%2C1%E2%80%A6Action%21 https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/18006 https://321actiongames.itch.io Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://diekugames.blogspot.com https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Mon, June 19, 2023
Miyazaki meets Mad Max on a psychedelic future Earth in this rules-lite solo-friendly TTRPG. ECO-MOFOS!! is a mid-future ecopunk ruin-delving survival game, as player characters (PCs or Punks) seek a safe homestead to start a new community, Weirdhope not Grimdark. Around two hundred years ago, everything went to $hit. The wealthy, who created this mess, fucked off to Mars while the lucky ones hid in vast underground bunkers. We were left to fend for ourselves on the surface, eeking out an existence in the broken world they left behind, searching for remnants of a past world to help us survive, searching for a place to call home. Play a group of misfits who have found each other in the wastes and ruins of the fallen world. The past is just a hazy legend, the story scattered over thousands of usb sticks and servers, but the future is there to be written. Sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live on Tuesday, June 27! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/daniellocke/eco-mofos Learn more about the ECO MOFOS team: Design by David Blandy: https://twitter.com/davidblandyrpgs Art by Daniel Locke: https://twitter.com/DanielULocke Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #TTRPG #FKR #OSR
Mon, June 12, 2023
Today I welcome one of my favourite Youtube personalities - Rev. Joey Royale who is best know for is awesome show - Joey Royale’s Pizza Party! Joey isn’t just limited to his fun show, but also has created such cult classics as Ninja City and WHPA Fairhaven where you explore the oddities of your local small town! Get Haunted games and info about Rev. Joey Royale: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GetHauntedIndustries https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/18511/Get-Haunted-Industries https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjotbAxDry2Isz0_7S2o5Qs4f3_Qrial_ https://whpatv13.neocities.org https://goodman-games.com/store/?s=%22Get+Haunted+Industries%22&post_type=product https://goodman-games.com/blog/2022/03/20/community-publisher-profile-joey-royale-of-get-haunted-industries Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Fri, June 09, 2023
We welcome back Luka Rejec the writer, illustrator and designer of Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City, which provides a unique setting which is inspired by psychedelic Heavy Metal, the Dying Earth genre, and Oregon Trail. Luka shared the details for the upcoming release of the second edition of Ultraviolet Grasslands which will be available through Exalted Funeral on June 14! Sign up to be notified when UVG2 goes on sale: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/uvg-2e To see more of Luka's work visit: https://www.lukarejec.com https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter https://twitter.com/stratometaship https://www.instagram.com/wizardthieffighter https://www.facebook.com/luka.rejec https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/collections/vendors?q=WTF%20Studios https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/14157/WTF-Studio Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Wed, June 07, 2023
I was honoured to welcome one of the true greats in game design, and the creative mind behind Call of Cthulhu and one of my personal favourites - Ghostbusters. Not only has Sandy established himself as one of the premier table top game designers, but he has also been key in the video game industry working on iconic titles such as Doom and Civilization. To learn more about Petersen Games: https://petersengames.com https://twitter.com/PetersenGame https://www.facebook.com/PetersenGames https://www.instagram.com/petersengames https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/petersengames Call of Cthulhu GM Tips: https://whispersinthedark.substack.com/p/keeping-the-call-of-cthulhu Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Mon, May 29, 2023
We had the pleasure of having Adam Jury, from Partner Relations at DriveThru RPG, join us to discuss Pocket Quest 2023 which allows aspiring game designers take their first steps into publishing. For more information, please visit: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/398249/PocketQuest-2023-Starter-Kit DriveThru Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/j8VxCUMt2Q Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Fri, May 26, 2023
I was joined by Levi Combs, the creative mind behind Planet X - which has produced such titles as Escape from Skulcano Island, Robots & Rayguns, An Occurrence at Howling Crater, and Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride. Most recently Levi is Kickstarting Chainsaw Wizards, Hecatomb Creeps, and Other Ungodly Bastards which ends on June 6! Learn more about Planet X Games: https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/collections/planet-x-games https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/planetxgames/chainsaw-warlocks-hecatomb-creeps-and-other-ungodly-bastards/posts/3811774 https://www.instagram.com/it_came_from_beyond_planet_x/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/planetxgamecompany https://twitter.com/PlanetXGamesCo https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13957/Planet-X-Games Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #osr #ttrpg #gamedesign
Wed, May 24, 2023
I was joined by Christian Plogfors and Carl Niblaeus, the creative minds behind Death in Space - which I named as my favourite game in 2022. Death in Space is a game about adventure and uncertain journeys out into the darkness of space, where the void whispers to the unlucky and imbues travelers’ bodies with strange powers. It is about you and your crew making a home of your spacecraft or station, your only sanctuary in a dangerous universe. Most of all, it is about surviving in an abandoned frontier system where resources are scarce, and competition is fierce. Engage in power struggles and build your crew’s reputation. Salvage and steal to endure a ruthless universe. And above all, do anything you can to get that next job. Your life will depend on it. Learn more about the Stockholm Kartell: https://deathinspace.com https://www.stockholmkartell.com https://twitter.com/sthlm_krtll https://www.instagram.com/stockholmkartell https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/death-in-space-2 https://death-bbs.makedatanotlore.dev Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #osr #ttrpg #gamedesign
Wed, May 17, 2023
We were joined by Gavriel Quiroga, designer of Hell Night, Warpland, and Neurocity, which has a refreshed edition currently on Kickstarter until May 21. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavrielquiroga/neurocity-colorblind-edition Gavriel discusses discusses the evolution of Hell Night, as well as his approach to refreshing Neurocity. Learn more at: https://gavrielquiroga.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/gavriel.quiroga https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/17285/Gavriel-Quiroga #ttrpg #gamedesign #osr
Mon, April 03, 2023
Nathan Russel, the person behind Peril Planet Games and the creator of the minimalist game system - Freeform Universal (FU) which has inspired Nathan’s later games such as Neon City Overdrive and the most recent release - Hard City. To learn more about Peril Planet Games: https://www.perilplanet.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2577/Peril-Planet https://perilplanet.itch.io https://twitter.com/perilplanet https://www.facebook.com/gaming/perilplanet https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj-XbUcc48ZKMhx004aDZnA https://ospreypublishing.com/ca/hard-city-9781472849526/ https://www.amazon.com/Hard-City-Noir-Roleplaying-Osprey/dp/1472849523 Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Mon, March 27, 2023
We talk to Logar the Barbarian about this past Zine Quest and big changes happening at the Wobblies and Wizards - the daily podcast that features Indie game designers sharing their new games. Learn more about Logar and Wobblies and Wizards: https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards https://www.patreon.com/wobbliesandwizards https://www.facebook.com/wobbliesandwizards https://twitter.com/LogarHailCrom https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCTMmdN-k17RHg2cTlXx2w http://www.wobbliesandwizards.com Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/6yhYJx92SN #osr #ttrpg #gamedesign
Wed, March 22, 2023
Silverarm Press was started in 2021 by Joel Hines as a small press to publish old school influenced RPG material. Silverarm has a focus on producing books that are primarily easy to use at the table, modular and open world, and deeply creative with a high level of conceptual density. After Desert World of Karth, a critically acclaimed sandbox module for Mothership, Silverarm will soon launch Tide World of Mani, a revolution wracked water world in the eternal twilight. Learn more about Silverarm Press: https://silverarmpress.comhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joello/tide-world-of-mani https://joelio1.itch.io https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/19333/Joel-Hines Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.iohttps://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Thu, February 23, 2023
Singing Flame is a small publishing company based in New York City who love making zines, adventures, and supplements compatible with tabletop roleplaying games, including titles such as DNGN, Aquilus, Night Land, and Xanadu. Vasili Kaliman shared his journey into the gaming hobby, and his return to it with DCC. From there he went on to create Aquilus, the science fantasy publication for the OSR. To learn more: https://www.singingflame.com https://twitter.com/FlameSinging https://www.instagram.com/osrrpg
Tue, January 03, 2023
I welcome Jason Oberman, the creator of 6083, a military sci-fi game that has been 38 years in the making, and is now available on print on demand through DriveThruRPG. Jason is a retired career soldier whose military journey has leaked into the game’s DNA, resulting in a TTRPG experience with influence from real-life military culture. 6083 is an original TTRPG with a unique ruleset, and is not based upon any current or past game systems. It has some mild-rule complexity (crunch), but aims to provide a role playing experience that is cinematic with detailed and fast paced combat encounters. View the 6083 home page: https://www.missioncontrol6083.com Purchase on DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/20832/Jason-Oberman?term=Jason%20ObermaN Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #gamedesign #ttrpg #traveller
Wed, December 21, 2022
2022 was another interesting year in the TTRPG Industry, and we once again were joined by Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series, to provide historical context to the events of the year. Shannon also shared his insights on a variety of current topics including the OneDnD, DriveThruRPG, VTTs, OSR, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Free League licensing, AI being used in game design, NuTSR, Satine Phoenix & Stone Jamison, and many other topics! We also get a sneak peek of Shannon's upcoming projects, including a new edition of Designers & Dragons for the 2010s which he shares with his patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designersanddragons Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Designers-Dragons-History-Roleplaying-Industry/dp/B0848YJ84B/ DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141206/Designers--Dragons-The-Complete-Hardcover-Set-BUNDLE Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #gamedesign #ttrpg #dnd
Fri, December 02, 2022
Garry Snow was joined by Logar the Barbarian from Wobblies Wizards as they both share their letters asking Krampus for games they want this holiday season, as well as a list of their top games from 2022! We are inviting viewers to provide superchats with all proceeds going towards two charities - Schools for Chiapas and Doctors Without Borders, with matching donations up to the total amount of $100! --- Schools for Chiapas (Logar) Schools for Chiapas is an organization of grassroots activists and communities working to support the autonomous, indigenous Zapatista communities of Chiapas, Mexico. We are neither a traditional NGO (non-governmental organization) nor are we affiliated with any government, religion, or business. Schools for Chiapas was created the mid-1990’s by individuals searching for ways to make the world a better place and working to create a world where all worlds fit. Donate directly and learn more: https://schoolsforchiapas.org --- Doctors Without Borders (Garry) Doctors Without Borders focuses on providing medical care to victims of armed conflict, epidemics, forced migration, and disasters. It runs both immediate humanitarian relief projects and longer-term medical programs that treat diseases such as cholera, HIV/AIDS, and measles. Finally, MSF’s advocacy arm raises awareness on issues relating to human rights abuses and healthcare inequality. MSF Canada provides spending figures by country, not broken down by program area. In 2020, MSF provided 9,904,200 outpatient consultations, facilitated 1,026,900 emergency room admissions, and assisted 306,800 births. It provided 112,000 outpatient consultations for covid-19 and admitted 15,400 covid-19 patients. It also treated 2,690,600 malaria cases and 8,300 cholera cases. In 2020, the charity’s three largest focus countries, in order of program spending, were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Yemen. Donate directly and learn more: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca Logar's Wishlist: 3. Screams amongst the Stars 2. Forbidden Lands Book of Beasts 1. GURPS 4e Garry's Wishlist: 3. TORQ 2. MAUSRITTER 1. HP LOVECRAFT SOCIETY PROP SET Logar's Best of 2022: 3. DNGN 2. HYPERBORIA 3E 1. LIMINAL HORROR Garry's Best of 2022: 3. THE BUREAU 2. HELL NIGHT 1. DEATH IN SPACE --- Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugam
Wed, November 09, 2022
Jesse Schell is the author of the critically acclaimed book "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses," published in 2008. The book captured Game Developer Magazine's coveted "Front Line Award" in 2008. In 2014, he released the second edition of this book. In 2019 the tenth anniversary and third edition of the book was released. Jesse is also the founder and CEO of Schell Games. Since starting Schell Games in 2002, Jesse has grown it into the largest and most successful game development company in Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, Schell Games has produced an amazing array of innovative, transformational and award-winning entertainment experiences, including the Disney Fairies MMO, Pixie Hollow, Toy Story Mania TV Game and some of the most popular interactive theme park attractions in the world. Jesse also holds a faculty position as Distinguished Professor at the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) of Carnegie Mellon University. Since 2006, Professor Schell has taught the Building Virtual Worlds class, created by ETC Co-Founder and "The Last Lecture" author, Randy Pausch. Prior to starting Schell Games, Jesse was the Creative Director of the Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio, where he worked and played for seven years as a designer, programmer, and manager on numerous projects for Disney theme parks and DisneyQuest. He is perhaps most celebrated for his design of Disney's Toontown Online, the first massively multiplayer game for kids. Toontown Online won several awards, including the following: Computer Gaming World - "2003 MMORPG Game of the Year" Webby Awards - "2003 People's Voice Award, Kids Category" Parents' Choice Foundation - "2003 Silver Honor" Children's Software Review - "2003 All Star Software Award" WiredKids - "2005 Safe Gaming Award" 2005 Webby Awards - "Webby Worthy Selection Award" Learn more about Schell Games: https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Game-Design-Lenses-Third https://schellgames.com https://schellgames.com/blog/among-us-vr-launches-on-november-10-2022 https://twitter.com/jesseschell https://twitter.com/AmongUsVR https://www.etc.cmu.edu Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames
Thu, November 03, 2022
In the summer of 1973, as Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax worked to complete the manuscript for D&D, Greg Svenson was given a play-test copy of that novel new game. He used those rules to create his own adventure dungeon. Tonisborg is the second oldest Mega Dungeon to come out of the Twin Cities group. Svenson and Arneson placed the dungeon in the world of Blackmoor, where Vestfold is located today. Sadly, several years later all copies of the maps were thought lost or destroyed. The maps came to be known as "The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg," or "Tonisborg" for short. Decades later, during production of the documentary, Secrets of Blackmoor, a mysterious set of ten old dungeon maps was uncovered - these turned out to be photocopies of Svenson's originals. Now published with extensive background information, The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg is not like any RPG book you've ever encountered. Step back into time with one of the oldest dungeon adventures ever created! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/secretsofblackmoor/the-lost-dungeons-of-tonisborg https://www.secretsofblackmoor.com/ https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sobfinal https://twitter.com/Blackmoor_Film
Thu, October 27, 2022
What better way to celebrate October than by exploring the amazing creativity of indie zines! We will be doing daily zine reviews throughout the month, ending with a grand prize draw for $200 store credit from Exalted Funeral, where you can purchase many of the zines being reviewed! To enter the draw, sign-up for our newsletter on our web site: https://diekugames.com On Halloween day, we will be hosting a livestream event on our YouTube Channel at 1pm EST: https://youtu.be/N0XVFK_oqgE Be sure to subscribe, and follow us on social media for updates! Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5 #HallowZine #ttrpg #osr
Wed, September 21, 2022
I was joined by Steve Jackson who has had a distinguished career, designing iconic games such as GURPS, Car Wars, The Fantasy Trip, and last, but not least - Munchkin! Steve shared his journey from his first entry into the hobby, to lessons learned along the way, and the sharing of new games such as the re-releases of Car Wars and The Fantasy Trip. To learn more about Steve Jackson Games: http://www.warehouse23.com https://thefantasytrip.game
Wed, September 07, 2022
I had the pleasure of being joined by Lee Gold, the creator of the Lands of Adventure RPG, Land of the Rising Sun supplement for Chivalry & Sorcery, Vikings for Iron Crown, GURPS Japan and the Valhalla Trilogy novels. Lee is also the editor of Alarums and Excursions one of the longest running APAs (Amateur Press Association) featuring content from fan zines since 1975! Alarums and Excursions back issues are available here: https://www.conchord.org/xeno/aande.html To purchase Lee's work: Valhalla, Into the Darkness: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0B1916RYX Valhalla, Absent Without Leave: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B091FZTKFB http://www.amazon.com/Lands-Adventure-Fantasy-Role-Playing/dp/B000C19XW8 http://www.amazon.com/Land-Rising-Sun-Box-Set/dp/B000BIXTSQ http://www.amazon.com/Vikings-Rolemaster-Campaign-Classics-1030/dp/1558060472 http://www.amazon.com/GURPS-Japan-Lee-Gold/dp/B000KBGKPS
Wed, August 31, 2022
I was joined by Cezar Capacle, the designer of minimalist games such as Starlight Riders, What Lies Beneath the Darkness, Kismet and Cows vs Zombies. Cezar also shared the fundamentals of the Push SRD which is Creative Commons and able to be used as a basis for your own game. Learn more at: https://www.patreon.com/capacle https://capacle.itch.io https://twitter.com/capacle https://ko-fi.com/capacle/shop https://www.pnparcade.com/collections/vendors?q=Cezar%20Capacle https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11268/Not-A-Giraffe-Studio
Fri, August 26, 2022
We were joined by Andrew Kolb, who shared his design process for the new Oz TTRPG setting. This is Andrew's follow up to the the Ennie Award nominated Neverland TTRPG. Using inspiration from Frank Baum's novels, Andrew combined his mid-century styled illustrations with solid layout and typography to create a cohesive setting book that is compatible with almost all flavors of Dungeons and Dragons. To pre-order Oz: https://www.amazon.com/OZ-Fantasy-Role-Playing-Andrew-Kolb/dp/1524873772?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=dieku08-20 To order Neverland: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/331102/Neverland-A-Fantasy-RolePlaying-Setting?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=dieku08-20 To learn more about Andrew: https://www.kolbisneat.com https://www.instagram.com/kolbisneat https://twitter.com/kolbisneat https://www.reddit.com/user/kolbisneat Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Wed, August 17, 2022
I was joined by Doctor Emily Zarka the writer and host of Monstrum - an award-winning series featured on PBS's Storied YouTube channel. Monstrum examines the complex histories and motivations behind some of the world's most famous monsters, and has featured many that would be familiar to D&D players such as the Basilisk and Trolls. For more information on Monstrum: https://www.youtube.com/pbsstoried https://twitter.com/ZarkaEmily https://www.pbs.org/show/monstrum Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Mon, August 01, 2022
I had the pleasure of having Logar the Barbarian as my guest, who is the host of Wobblies and Wizards, the daily (yes, DAILY!) podcast that features Indie Game Designers who have that scrappy DYI attitude. We discuss Logar's history and process of making his podcast, from one podcaster to another! You can learn more about Logar and Wobblies and Wizards at: https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards https://www.facebook.com/wobbliesandwizards https://twitter.com/LogarHailCrom https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCTMmdN-k17RHg2cTlXx2w http://www.wobbliesandwizards.com Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Tue, July 19, 2022
I was honored to be joined by Marc Miller, the creator of Traveller - the best selling sci-fi RPG of all time! I discuss the many innovations that Traveller brought to the TTRPG design world including, life paths during character creation, skills, patrons, UPP code, and the game-within-a-game ship and world building. Far Future Enterprises: https://www.farfuture.net Agent of the Imperium https://www.amazon.ca/Agent-Imperium-Marc-Miller/dp/1982125071 Traveller 5 https://traveller5.net https://twitter.com/TravellerNews Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Tue, July 12, 2022
I was joined by Daniel Sell the Ennie award winning creator and Publisher of Melsonian Arts Council, who make Troika!, the OSR style game that combines unique characters into an unusual setting that has grown a strong community around it. Daniel shares his journey into publishing, and provides some great insight on what it takes to be a successful indie TTRPG publisher. To learn more about Daniel and Troika, visit: https://www.troikarpg.com https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/melsonia https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melsonia/the-big-squirm http://whatwouldconando.blogspot.com
Tue, June 28, 2022
We had the pleasure of having Lysa Penrose - RPG Marketing and Charity Manager, and Kage - Community Relations Representative from DriveThruRPG join us. We discussed the upcoming PocketQuest game jam taking place in August, as well as tips and tricks for new creators taking their first steps into publishing. We also learned about the recent announcement of the partnership between DriveThruRPG and Roll20 for supporting the VTT through the Dungeon Masters Guild. For more information, please visit: https://www.drivethrurpg.com DriveThru Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/j8VxCUMt2Q PocketQuest: https://medium.com/oneblogshelf/join-us-this-summer-for-a-pocketquest-9f50e2fbcc8f Roll20 Partnership: https://medium.com/oneblogshelf/dungeon-masters-guild-announces-partnership-with-roll20-6fab717dde91
Thu, June 23, 2022
It was a pleasure to have Nate Treme of Highland Paranormal Society on the show to discuss his design process and the many unique games that he has made over the years, such as Tunnel Goons, Kozmik Objects, and adventures like What Child is This, Barrow of the Elf King and Dogtooth Valley. Learn more about Highland Paranormal Society: https://highlandparanormalsociety.com https://natetreme.itch.io https://www.patreon.com/HPS https://twitter.com/NateTreme https://www.tiktok.com/@highlandparanormal Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Tue, June 14, 2022
We were joined by Adam Vass of World Cha,mp Games Co. who has been making some very unique and creative games within the Indie game design scene. Games such as Necronautilus, Babes in the Wood, Cobwebs, Hell Cabin, and more! You can learn more at: https://www.worldchamp.io https://worldchampgameco.itch.io https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10896/World-Champ-Game-Co https://www.patreon.com/worldchampgameco https://www.facebook.com/worldchampgameco https://twitter.com/WCgameco https://www.instagram.com/worldchampgameco
Tue, June 07, 2022
We were joined by Deborah from Geek Gamers, who shared their history and evolution of the Solo Game Master's Guide and YouTube channel. For more information: https://www.youtube.com/GeekGamers01 https://www.modiphius.net/products/solo-game-masters-guide
Tue, May 31, 2022
We were joined by Jim Parkin, the designer of Weird North and Any Planet is Earth, who shared his views on Free Kriegsspiel Revolution (FKR) style gaming to create an immersive role playing experience. To learn more: https://d66kobolds.blogspot.com https://classless-kobolds.itch.io https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/17280/Classless-Kobolds FKR Discord Server: https://discord.gg/3GdFMKa
Thu, May 26, 2022
We were joined by Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons, who shared his game design journey with us, starting with 5e supplements on the Joy of Cooking Monsters, to the very popular OSR Azag game and setting. Lex also provides some of his realizations on and learnings with each new product, including the Narfell supplement which is entirely digital focussed. To Learn More: https://lfosr.com/product/azag-single-volume https://dank-dungeons.itch.io https://twitter.com/DankDungeons https://dankdungeons.bandcamp.com https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lex%20Mandrake https://www.patreon.com/dankdungeons Contributors and Mentions: https://twitter.com/diogo_oldskull https://www.gontijolab.com https://lootthebody.bandcamp.com https://mobile.twitter.com/safia_d https://www.instagram.com/party_in_the_front https://www.instagram.com/liltachyon https://twitter.com/axebane https://twitter.com/maharhar
Thu, May 26, 2022
We were joined by Eric Nieudan, who along with Olivier Revenu, makes up The Merry Mushmen, who have created the go-to OSR magazine - Knock. We learn of the history behind how this magazine came into existence, and what the future looks like for this publication. For more information: https://www.themerrymushmen.com https://www.twitter.com/TMushmen https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?ref=nav_search&term=Olivier%20Revenu https://www.themerrymushmen.com/2021/02/06/the-questing-beast-on-knock Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/M3jmUvcKt5
Tue, April 19, 2022
We were joined by Bryce Lynch, who run's the Ten Foot Pole blog which is the de facto Dungeons and Dragons adventure review site. Bryce shares his list of tips and tricks that every aspiring adventure designer should know before setting out to write! Bryce also shares the background to the 4-year Review of Dungeon Magazine adventures, and the Wavestone Keep adventure design contest that has been resulting in some incredible items! Learn more about Bryce at: http://www.tenfootpole.or g http://www.tenfootpole.org/forum/index.php ttps://www.patreon.com/join/tenfootpole Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/ZBpHnjQ5
Tue, April 12, 2022
We were joined by Chris McDowall, the designer of the Ennie nominated Electric Bastionland, which was built upon the rule-set and concepts first used in Into the Odd. Chris shares his process in developing these two foundational games, and what he looks for in both game systems and settings. You can learn more about Chris' work at: https://www.bastionland.com https://www.patreon.com/bastionland https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/bastionland https://www.youtube.com/bastionland https://www.twitch.tv/bastionland https://bastionland.pledgemanager.com/projects/into-the-odd-remastered/participate/
Wed, April 06, 2022
We were joined by Manuel Sambs who created the Savage Worlds supplement Sprawlrunners which combines cyberpunk with sci-fi fantasy elements. To learn more about Sprawlrunners and Savage Worlds: DriveThru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Manuel%20Sambs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeiledFuryEntertainment The Veiled Fury Entertainment Discord Server: https://discord.gg/XG4ndnn5F9 Unofficial Savage Worlds Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VqT7CJj Pinnacle Entertainment Group: https://peginc.com Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/ZBpHnjQ5
Tue, March 08, 2022
It was an honour to be joined by Greg Costikyan who has created many ground-breaking table top role playing games such as Paranoia, Toon and Star Wars D6. Greg has gone on to be a change maker in the game design industry, speaking up for indie game developers, and sharing design theories that are now considered foundational. To learn more about Greg and his work, please visit: https://www.costik.com Shout-out to Noble Knight Games, who rushed me a copy of Stainless Steel Rat at my request! They are my go-to source of after market games: https://www.nobleknight.com Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames https://discord.gg/ZBpHnjQ5 #ttrpg #gamedesign #costikyan
Thu, February 24, 2022
We were joined by Andrew Cawood, the creator of the World of Myrr, which includes the wildly popular Monsters of Feyland, Monsters of the Underground, Monsters of the City, and Monsters of the Wilderness. To learn more about Cawood Games: https://worldofmyrr.com https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/cawoodpublishing https://www.facebook.com/worldofmyrr https://twitter.com/cawoodpublish https://www.instagram.com/cawoodpublishing https://www.redbubble.com/people/cawoodpublish/shop https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=cawood https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/west-of-the-wood-podcasts/id1317446649 Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames
Tue, February 15, 2022
We were joined by Luka Rejec, designer of TTRPG products such as Ultraviolet Grasslands, SEACAT, Witchburner, and Let Us In. Luka shared his journey of starting out in TTRPG forums on the Forge and G+, before he found his voice. Luka also shared his philosophy on learning through mistakes, and that trying to make things perfect is the enemy of learning. To see more of Luka's work visit: https://www.lukarejec.com https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter https://twitter.com/stratometaship https://www.instagram.com/wizardthieffighter https://www.facebook.com/luka.rejec https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/collections/vendors?q=WTF%20Studios https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/14157/WTF-Studio Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://www.patreon.com/diekugames
Tue, February 08, 2022
We were joined by Andrew Kolb, the designer of the Ennie Award nominated Neverland TTRPG. Andrew shared his career path from graphic designer, illustrator, and game designer, and the lessons that he's learned along the way. Using inspiration from the JM Barrie's original concept, Andrew combined his mid-century styled illustrations with solid layout and typography to create a cohesive setting book that is compatible with almost all flavors of Dungeons and Dragons. To purchase Neverland: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/331102/Neverland-A-Fantasy-RolePlaying-Setting?affiliate_id=2868133 https://amzn.to/335xwzB To learn more about Andrew: https://www.kolbisneat.com https://www.instagram.com/kolbisneat https://twitter.com/kolbisneat https://www.reddit.com/user/kolbisneat Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames
Wed, January 26, 2022
After watching an incredible football game on Sunday between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, it made me realize the similarities between Sports and the OSR Style of play. OSR Style of Play = Sports (Random Tables & Complete Player Agency) Other Styles = Scripted Drama (Railroad & Adventure Path) This is NOT to be confused with Ben Milton's great comparison of Combat as Sport vs War video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnKc64ADYf8 My take is about the dramatic formula, between a scripted TV Detective Show and a Live Sporting Event, where the sport has so many variables that play out in real time, that the OSR is more akin to sports which provides that special magic of the unknown. Dieku Discord Channel https://discord.gg/6JVnTPpF Thanks for listening https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.facebook.com/diekugames https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.tiktok.com/@diekugames https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.patreon.com/diekugames
Sun, January 23, 2022
After taking a bit of a break over the holidays, the channel is ramping back up with more long-form interviews with some incredible of designers. In the meantime, I just wanted to take the opportunity to look at what some of our previous guests have been up to!
Tue, December 21, 2021
2021 was another interesting year in the TTRPG Industry, and we asked Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series, to provide historical context to what we are seeing in a Year in Review. Shannon also shared his insights on a variety of current topics including the return of conventions, DnD5E, OSR, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Swedish Game Design, Free League, Mothership, Pathfinder, TSR3 & Ernie Gygax, VTT, Critical Role, DnD Live, Diversity & Inclusion, and many other trends and topics! We also got a sneak peek of Shannon's upcoming projects, including a new edition of Designers & Dragons for the 2010s which he shares with his patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designersanddragons/ Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Designers-Dragons-History-Roleplaying-Industry/dp/B0848YJ84B/ DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141206/Designers--Dragons-The-Complete-Hardcover-Set-BUNDLE Learn more about Dieku Games at: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames https://www.facebook.com/diekugames #gamedesign #ttrpg #dnd
Fri, December 17, 2021
We were joined by Gavriel Quiroga, designer of Hell Night which is currently on Kickstarter until January 22. Gavriel discusses discusses his inspiration for design Hell Night, as well as his older games Warpland and Neurocity. Learn more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavrielquiroga/hell-night https://www.facebook.com/gavriel.quiroga https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/17285/Gavriel-Quiroga
Thu, December 16, 2021
We were joined by prolific game designer, Philip Reed, who has produced volumes of supplements over his career. Although he has a full time job as CEO of Steve Jackson Games, he continues to pursue making small indie style game supplements out of his sheer love of design. Most recently he has created several supplements for OSR style games such as o Mork Borg and Troika. He shared some of his design process and lessons that he has learned over a career that has spanned over 25+ years! To learn more: https://twitter.com/philipjreed https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/philipreed/created https://www.battlegrip.com http://www.sjgames.com
Wed, December 08, 2021
We were joined by Matthew Carlson, the creator of WanderSquares, The Underwood Tunnels - a fantasy tabletop role playing game with an ever-changing map and choose-your-path adventure guide, designed for adventurers, 9 & up! WanderSquares successfully completed their first Kickstarter in 2020, and now is looking to launch their second adventure - The Golden Hive - in 2022! For more information on WanderSquares: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wandersquares/wandersquares-the-underwood-tunnels https://www.wandersquares.com https://www.facebook.com/WanderSquares https://twitter.com/wandersquares https://www.instagram.com/wandersquaresgame
Fri, December 03, 2021
Making role-playing games can feel futile at times, and sometimes you feel like just giving up. Maybe your game is too weird, too old, too..... whatever! I came across this inspiring interview with Wes Anderson from the New York Public Library, and it made me realize that sometimes you just have to find your audience, even if it is just a single voice.
Wed, December 01, 2021
We were joined by Yochai Gal, the creator of Cairn, an adventure game about exploring a dark and mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities. Character generation is quick and random, classless, and relies on fictional advancement rather than through XP or level mechanics. It is based on Knave by Ben Milton and Into The Odd by Chris McDowall. The interview covers Yochai’s journey ranging from the random discovery of Palladium Fantasy, to PBtA, and finally landing the Old School Revolution (OSR). Yochai went on with others to define new variations of OSR's approach as the New School Revolution (NSR) which has grown into an active and thriving game design community. For more information on items within the interview: https://cairnrpg.com https://newschoolrevolution.com/ https://classless-kobolds.itch.io/weird-north https://www.instagram.com/licopeoart https://www.bastionland.com https://mausritter.com https://www.youtube.com/questingbeast https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year https://lichvanwinkle.blogspot.com https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com
Tue, November 23, 2021
We were joined by Tim Earley, who recently completed a successful Kickstarter for his new game - Holler, an Appalachian Apocalypse folk horror game. Tim's shares the inspiration for the game as a love letter to his own heritage and experiences growing in the Appalachia. Tim also shares how he got into RPGs and designing games, as well as the string of events that caused Pinnacle Entertainment Group to embrace Holler as one of their own products under the Savage Worlds brand. For more information: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/holler-an-appalachian-apocalypse-for-savage-worlds http://www.timearley.net https://peginc.com
Tue, November 16, 2021
Leo from LF OSR joins us to discuss his journey into the world of OSR, starting with AD&D stylized illustrations which grew into a thriving printing and design business including the amazing Packet of Particular Peaks! Leo also shared his advice for new designers thinking about taking their first steps into printing their games and zines. For more information on LF OSR https://lfosr.com https://www.instagram.com/lf_osr https://twitter.com/lf_osr Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z7gNqSZvX20
Wed, November 03, 2021
As part of filming the Friendly Local Game Store documentary, we interviewed a number of amazing individuals that brought great insight into all the things we love. We ended up with over 20 hours of footage, that we had to edit down to approximately 90 minutes. As part of the bonus features in the Kickstarter we are including some of the extra footage that allowed our guests to be more in-depth. One such guest is Brandon Hearty, who completed his Masters Thesis on the topic of "Chaotic/Neutral: Comparing the Social Worlds and Psychological Utility of Fantasy Role-playing and Religion." It is a fascinating discussion that covers many topics of what utility games are in our society, and we discuss hypothesis on the future of table-top role playing games. Brandon's Master's Thesis: https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/11023/4117 Upstairs Alchemy Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zkwMAd9llIwKKaXcP38zo Local Friendly Game Store Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/diekugames/flgs
Wed, October 27, 2021
After a lengthy gap in podcasts, I provide a bit of an update on what I'v been up to - including the discovery that I'm a needle in a needle stack! But it also provided me some perspective on what I really appreciated about the TTRPG hobby, which is talking about games, game designers, and the industry in general. From that realization, I used my energies to create a documentary on the World's Largest Game Store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where I live! Today I launched a Kickstarter to support the post-production of the documentary! Learn more at diekugames.com
Fri, May 21, 2021
I was joined by Kevin Madison from the Dungeon Musings YouTube Channel, which has now live-streamed over 500 gaming sessions since launching in 2015. As amazing as that feat is, even more impressive is the Channel’s Heroes Saving Villages charitable efforts. The Dungeon Musings Community has now donated over $10,000 for SOS Children’s Villages, an incredible organization that supports orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children across the globe. Dungeon Musings: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DungeonMusings Heroes Save Villages: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/heroes-save-villages1/kevinmadison Twitter: https://twitter.com/dungeonmusings Anchor: https://anchor.fm/dungeonmusings Discord Server: https://discord.gg/DyKFASvU Redbubble store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/dungeonmusings/shop Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dungeonmusings Learn more about Dieku Games: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames
Wed, April 28, 2021
In this episode of the Dieku Podcast, we were joined by M.A. Guax, a Brazilian TTRPG designer who has been developing some very interesting minimalist games since coming onto the scene. This last March, Guax hosted the first ever #LatAmJam on Itch with some of his fellow Latinx designers. Warch to learn more about how Guax entered the TTRPG industry and his philosophy on game design and influences from the #osr and #artpunk style. https://twitter.com/maguaxRPG https://maguax.itch.io/ https://itch.io/jam/rpg-latam-jam Learn more about Dieku Games at: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames
Fri, April 23, 2021
In this episode of the Dieku Podcast, Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series provides an incredible overview of the many companies that have contributed to the table top role playing game industry over 40+ years. Shannon also shared his insights on a variety of current topics including DnD5E, the OSR, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Swedish Game Design, Diversity & Inclusion, and the cycles of boom and busts that he has seen. We also got a sneak peek of Shannon's upcoming projects, including a new edition of Designers & Dragons for the 2010s which he shares with his patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Designers-Dragons-History-Roleplaying-Industry/dp/B0848YJ84B/ DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/141206/Designers--Dragons-The-Complete-Hardcover-Set-BUNDLE Learn more at: https://diekugames.com https://diekugames.itch.io https://www.instagram.com/diekugames https://www.twitter.com/diekugames
Fri, April 16, 2021
In this episode of the Dieku Podcast we discuss the burning question that keeps every game designer up at night. That of course is damage and armor! We pose some questions about damage and armor, and do brain dump and deep dive on the subject. We also share our own solution to damage and armor by identifying the problems we hoped to solve with the Dieku System, highlighting some samples and scenarios. Learn more at: www.diekugames.com www.diekugames.itch.io www.instagram.com/diekugames www.twitter.com/diekugames
Fri, March 19, 2021
In this episode of the Dieku Podcast we discuss design trends in the RPG industry, and in particular the OSR, where much of the innovation is taking place. Reviewing a recent episode of the Questing Beast, we dive into the idea of having unique voices within the industry that is a breath of fresh air compared to the corporate produced games of WOTC's Dungeons and Dragons. We then cover where this time sits within the evolution of the RPG world, and question whether we are just in a repeat of the cycle where hand-waving OD&D gave way to more rules, and inevitably story games. Will history repeat itself, or are we on a new tangent? Questing Beast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvYwePdbWSEwUa-Pk02u3Zw Luka Rejek and Ultraviolet Grassland: https://www.wizardthieffighter.com Chris McDowall and Electric Bastionland https://www.patreon.com/bastionland Grant Howitt: https://www.patreon.com/gshowitt Learn more at: www.diekugames.com www.instagram.com/diekugames www.twitter.com/diekugames
Sat, March 06, 2021
In this episode we have special guest, Chuck Welch, who has spent the last 25 years bringing together fans of the pulp fiction character Doc Savage through The Hidalgo Trading Company website and the Flearun Facebook group. When he isn't discussing Doc Savage online he edits the Bronze Gazette, a magazine devoted to Doc Savage. Pre-COVID, Chuck hosted an annual convention for Doc Savage fans called the Bronze CONversation. In 2020, like many other activities, the CONversation was held virtually. He'll tell you he's not the world's foremost expert on Doc, but he is thrilled to host opportunities for those experts and fans to get together to discuss the fiction they fell in love with. LINKS TO DOC SAVAGE Hidalgo Trading Company: https://docsavage.org The Flea Run Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/Flearun The Bronze Gazette: https://www.bronzegazette.com 86th Floor - Chris Kalb: http://heropulp.com/the86floor Bronze Icon - Tom Barnett: http://bronzeicon.com Doc Fantasy Covers - Kez Wilson: https://docfantasycovers.com LINKS TO DIEKU GAMES diekugames.com Twitter.com/diekugames Instagram.com/diekugames
Sat, February 27, 2021
Discussing the philosophy and design choices in making the Cities Grimm game setting, trying to balance the super hero genre with occult darkness, gangbusters, Cthulhu and temple run style games. LINKS TO DIEKU GAMES diekugames.com Twitter.com/diekugames Instagram.com/diekugames
Thu, December 17, 2020
Garry Snow introduces himself and his background on RPGs and shares his plans for The Cities Grimm RPG, as well as a minimalist RPG system that retains an OSR feel. Topics include a call out to Basic Red Box D&D, Palladium Games, and the goal of striking the balance between minimalism and comprehensive systems. LINKS TO DIEKU GAMES diekugames.com Twitter.com/diekugames Instagram.com/diekugames
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