Episodios
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In this episode, we recap our top games of 2023! After checking out a grand total of 82 games last year, Marley and Cole cover what they think is the most Innovative, the best story game, the game we want to play the most, the most "Us" (whatever that means) game, all the way to our Top Game of 2023.
But first, some news: Riley Daniels is creating an Itch Bundle to support her local Trans Youth charity! If you have a game and want to support a great cause, join the google form here! Or if you want to donate directly, click here.
Speaking of bundles, Jex Thomas of Bump in the Dark has created a itch bundle to donate to Pathfinders, a local, Milwaukee-based organization dedicated to connecting youth with housing and mental health support. Please offer your support and check out the bundle!
Claymore has set out with the FIST JAM IV currently live and ask you to finish your supplement! Create your offering to the FIST community and submit to the FIST jam.
Marley finds the joys of Project Zomboid! Cole tries to find 10 candles during New Years and fails to!
On to TTRPGs, Marley shares his experience with Evil Hat's Playtest of Abyssal by Ash Cheshire and Lara Paige Turner, a new refreshing take on Forged in The Dark about humans, monsters, and those in between. Abyssal provides new takes on playbooks, and has 3 times and settings from which the players can explore the horrors of the abyss.
Cole checks out the Fall of House Prosh by NotWritingGames, a sci-fi tragedy and melodrama that is staged similarly to a play. Join one of 3 factions and gain or spend tokens in order to bring your faction (or yourself) to power after the death of the Emperor.
Finally, on to the main topic: The games of 2023! We had 5 categories to consider this year, and we want to know: What was your favorite TTRPG of the past year?
Featuring Cole (â â â @IceColeBrewâ â â ) and Marley (â â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â â ).
Produced by Cole, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on â â your Social Media of Choiceâ â and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to â [email protected]â !
And support us via â our Patreon
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In this episode, we talk about how notions of plagiarism, inspiration, and copyright fit into the TTRPG space. We both watched Hbomberguyâs recent video Plagiarism and You(Tube) so thatâs where our heads are at.
But first, Marley has finished Alan Wake 2 (itâs fuckin great), then started and stopped playing Hunt: Showdown after convincing himself he was good at shooters after playing lots of Fortnite.
Then Cole has brief breaking news about a court case in progress about AI art!
Cole also checked out Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Marvelâs Spider-Man 2, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and even found time to learn fighting gamesâŠ
Then onto TTRPGs!
After reading Mothership last episode, Marley has been on an OSR kick and stumbled across RAD by ÂĄHipĂłlita!, a Metro 2033-inspired post-apocalypse TTRPG. Itâs everything he wished Mothership was, particularly given how itâs clearly inspired by non-OSR systems. GMs have a lot more agency and it's thrilling to see a modern iteration.
Meanwhile, Cole stumbled across The Marvelous Children of Inang-Uri by Momatoes, a generational world-building game set on the back of a living chimera. The game is itself a chimeric mix of Avery Alderâs The Quiet Year, Ben Robbinsâ Kingdom, hidden role games, and even those complicated board games where you add up prestige at the end to figure out who won.
Then onto the main topic!
We both recently binged the gut-punch that is Hbomberguyâs recent video Plagiarism and You(Tube), which investigated several popular Youtubers who flagrantly stole their scripts from other creators and didnât bother to credit them. So we take a moment to think about how that video fits in the context of the TTRPG space. How does hacking an existing game fit into that? How should we approach being inspired by other designers? And how does drawing heavily from an existing IP fit into that?
Also, shout outs to the Ind of the Year Bundle, which has Rad, Planet Fist, and a bunch of games weâre very excited for!
Featuring Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ) and Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, Cole & Marley discuss video games that utilize TTRPG mechanics...
But first... the strike has ended! Cole & Marley catch up on various films and tv shows that they have seen while the strike was ongoing (05:00).
Marley shares his experience with Alan Wake 2, and the unique feel of the game as a part of the horror genre! (19:00)
As for TTRPGS...
Cole talks about Outward Bound by Penflower Ink (26:00), a Four Points System Sci-fi game about researching and exploring an asteroid belt known as the Teyn Belt which falls to a mysterious effect known as The Tide. Penflower Ink make a strong setting to support their new system, and it gives space to explore the relationships of your crew and of space itself.
Marley discusses Mothership by Sean McCoy of Tuesday Knight Games, a sci-fi horror game based on films such as Alien (48:30). Mothership offers a rule-heavy set of explanations for clocks, items, and skill trees. The rules of the game provide a mechanic or dice roll for almost every situation, and the skill tree is far-reaching, diverse and covers every situation.
Then, in the main topic, in which Cole points out the variety of approaches where games applied TTRPG styles to their games (1:10:02).
Then, on to shout outs (1:41:00):
Cole is continuing to work on CalazCon a Beam Saber Mega Actual Play project. Keep an eye on their Patreon for more! Cole is broadcasting more esports matches on their Twitch channel! Follow them on Twitch and turn on notifications to be alerted for when he goes live! Marley has released a new game: LET JUSTICE BE DONE, a one-shot murder mystery where you play as Consulting Detectives who use their skills of deduction to discover (and invent) Clues to frame the wealthy for crimes they absolutely didn't commit. Games for Gaza Bundle has concluded and raised a lot of money for a great cause. Marley is a part of the Strange Squad Kickstarter as a writer and designer for Code V!Featuring Marley (â â â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â â â ) & Cole (â â â @IceColeBrewâ â â )
Produced by Cole.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ â and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via ourâ Patreonâ !
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In this episode, Cole asks Marley for a post-mortem on his most recently released project: Salvager's Isle, a Bump In The Dark supplement made for the Iron Country Autumn Bump In The Dark Jam.
But first... Cole talks about how they found a kitten and brought it home (08:00)! Now it has moved in and refuses to pay rent! He then goes on to talk about his past weekend producing and commentating for a charity tournament in Rocket League over the previous weekend (18:00)
Marley shares his sorrows in finding the perfect game (21:00). Here is a hint: it is not Fortnite, nor Quantum Break, nor even The Lamplighters League. Please, assist Marley on this grand quest to find the perfect game, and send your recommendations to [email protected]
As for TTRPGS...
Marley talks about Crush Depth Apparition by Amanda Lee Franck (0:29:00), a survival horror game about enduring deep sea travel as a spectral labyrinth grows out from inside your submarine. It's a unique d20 game with fantastic tools for horror, but how does it hold up as a system?
Cole explores The Hidden Isle by Causa Creations (0:39:00), a Kickstarter project that boasts a re-imagined Forged In the Dark system utilizing tarot cards instead of dice. With a fresh take on how to approach consequences, downtimes, companions, and even magic, this game offers a whole new perspective on how FitD systems can be approached.
Finally, Marley talks about Eat The Reich by Grant Howitt & Will Kirkby (1:08:00), a d6-based TTRPG about vampire commandos killing Nazis in Paris. This game has high stakes action, cool moves, and is the most beautiful fucking TTRPG we've ever seen.
Then, in the main topic, in which Cole asks some questions about Marley's latest project, Salvager's Isle (1:17:00). Where did the idea come from? What inspired him to make this supplement? What is his end goal, creating so many supplements for games?
Then, on to shout outs (1:48:00):
Cole is currently producing Rocket League matches and commentating tournament series! If you would like to have them cover a match for you, reach out to them through their social medias! Cole also wrapped Fire in The Dark, a Blades in the Dark actual play on Huntsmen's Hydra! Check out the series finale on their twitch! Marley released Salvager's Isle! Try the demo for free! Strange Squad, a paranormal investigation game that Marley wrote an adventure for, will be launching its Kickstarter soon! Make sure to follow it to find out when it's live! Game Master Monday released an episode playing Marley's Paranormal Inc. mystery, The Ghost Storage Facility! Marley also submitted games for the Games for Gaza Bundle to support Palestinians in danger in Gaza. We'll let you know when it's live!Featuring Marley (â â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â â ) & Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â )
Produced by Cole.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, we are joined by Commander Pulsar, GM-for-hire on StartPlaying.Games to answer our questions about how to get started as a GM-for-hire, how to pitch yourself as a competent GM on a marketplace, how to balance the power dynamics as a paid GM and their table, and the best game for new-comers.But first... Pulsar talks about his adventures of hacking Horizon Zero Dawn into a Cortex Tabletop Roleplaying game, and his experience with the system (0:06:00).Cole continues with his adventures in Round 8 Studios' Lies of P and talks about how he feels about the genre the more he progresses through the game (0:25:00).They then proceed to talk about AEW's PPV event WrestleDream, held in honor of Antonio Inoki and his reactions around wrestling (0:32:00)Marley talks about the new lessons he has learned as he continues on his path as a freelance writer (0:36:00)
As for TTRPGS- Marley shares his experience with â Lovecraftesque 2e from Black Armada Gamesâ (0:43:00), a cosmic horror, prompt based tabletop roleplaying game with new prompts and a new streamlined teaching system. Pulsar breaks down what he loved about â Hard Wired Island by Weird Age Gamesâ (0:50:00) ,a sci-fi retrofuture cyberpunk adventure about the far off future of 2020 boasting an easy-to-learn system and fantastic art on the inside!Cole looks to take care of beasts of legend in â Sandy Pug Games' Monster Care Squadâ (1:08:00), a Powered By The Apocalypse game about solving the mystery of a disease while caring and fostering creatures of myth and magic across the land of Ald-Amura.Pulsar comes back around to talk aboutâ Project Perseusâ (1:26:00) written by Stras Acimovic and John LeBoeuf-Little, a Evil Hat Productions game in beta testing about spies versus the Supernatural in a 80s and 90s spy aesthetics and provides a new challenge in FiTD mechanics between playing field agents and the handler who runs the mission behind the scene.Then on to the main topic, (1:45:00)- we ask Pulsar about GMing professionally on a website called Startplaying.games! Pulsar shares where he started as a GM online, and how he came to work in the field. He also shares advice on how to promote yourself versus promoting the game you are running, especially with the unique and new games that many people may have never heard of!Then, on to shout outs (2:24:00)Marley is still in the office! He is writing games! Keep an eye on his socials for what is going on!Cole is doing esports commentary and producing local football games for Vype Media!Pulsar is currently running games at â Startplaying.gamesâ , ask him to run games for you at Startplaying.gamesFeaturing Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ), Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â ) & special guest Commander Pulsar (@CommanderPulsar)Produced by Cole.Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]! And support us via our Patreon! -
In this episode, we take a listener question and talk about queer representation in tabletop roleplaying games along with our own journey with queerness and games...
But first... Marley talks about writing as a freelancer and the difficulties that come with it, especially as a freelancer finding his feet (2:00).
Cole talks about their experience playing the new souls-like game "Lies of P" from Round 8 Studios (10:50). They talk about the aesthetics of the world and the early costumes that have shown up so far. Lies of P is based on the Pinocchio lore and cannot wait to stream it on their Twitch channel.
He also talks about wedding plans and how they are actually moving forward (19:00)!
As for TTRPGS-
Marley talks about Bump in the Dark by Jex Thomas (22:50) a Forged in the Dark Monster hunting tabletop rpg with a upcoming game jam. Bump in the Dark is about a group of people who have dedicated to their lives to monster hunting and solving cryptid mysteries. The game tackles the Forged in the Dark system with unique mechanics, new ideas on how to interact with the community, and a darkness that permeates all levels of the game.
Cole talks about Songbirds 3e by Snow (47:00) a d20 based tabletop roleplaying game about undeath, supernatural powers, and blue dreams of the moon. A eldritch game that focuses on gifts, curses, and pacts guide the players through a land that has lost their god of love and the god of death sleepers forever in a moon. This game provides a variety of tools to lean on to explore a world that the characters can expand and fall in love with.
Then, on to the main topic (1:04:00), we take a listener question (Thanks again Laurie!) about the depictions of queerness in tabletop roleplaying games! From how the game interacts with characters who are queer explicitly in their game text and mechanics, to those who do not do so except for the slightest subtlety. We even talk about our own experience in queerness both at the table and in our own lives as well.
Then, on to shout outs (1:45:55)
Marley has his game, Paranormal Inc Mystery- the Ghost Storage Facility, appearing on the October 16th episode of Game Master Monday podcast! Hosted by Jenny AKA DatKooby, PondPlays, and The RPG Goblin. Cole is getting back into streaming with their partner! Come watch Cole play games on their Twitch! Or check their socials below for game announcements!Featuring Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ) and Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â )
Produced by Cole.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, we talk with Eric Silver (Join The Party, Games & Feelings, and a huge number of other podcasts) about Actual Plays, D&D, and the podcasting business overall.
But first, a lot has happened in wrestling since the last episode (0:05:39) and Cole fills us in: CM Punk (not Steam Punk) getting fired, the Monster Hunter Matthew Palmer, Minions (?), and⊠Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat?
Then, as its Labor Day (at the time of recording), Marley follows up with an update on whatâs happening with SAG-AFRA, specifically how they voted to authorize a strike for video game work (0:13:00).
(Unfortunately, we donât talk about any TTRPGs in detail this episode, because it was a lot of work editing the interview and Starfield came out, soâŠ)
Then, we do our interview with Eric Silver (0:19:46), talking about how Join The Party got started, hacking D&D vs playing new TTRPGs, the assorted controversies Wizards of the Coast has been apart of, the focus on personalities instead of game systems in some Actual Plays, the precarious business of podcast businesses, and is D&D core to what Join The Party is?
Then, on to shout outs (1:34:22):
Coleâs taking part in an Org Battle for Rocket League on September 14th at 8pm. You can check it out on The Swordfish Esports Twitch channel.
Additionally, Cole will be doing Rocket League commentary for Rocket Underground.
Marley, meanwhile, is working on a Vampire: The Masquerade thing and is under NDA, so can say no moreâŠ
Marleyâs also writing an adventure for Strange Squad, which has just had a new adventure come out: Anti-Reality Dumpsite.
And if you liked our last episode on the top-selling games on itch.io, be sure to check out Thomas Manuelâs excellent breakdown on the top-selling categories on DriveThruRPG.
Featuring Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â ), Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ), and Eric Silver (@El_Silvero)
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, we check out the best selling games on itch.io and speculate what qualities make them sell so good...
But first, Marley has been checking out niche YouTubers (00:03:21), including a stealth camping expert who gives advice for camping in roundabouts and a fast food reviewer who uses slo-mo, house music, and multiple cameras to review mediocre burgers and tacos.
Cole, meanwhile, went to a convention in full Sailor Moon cosplay and has endured the highs and lows that come with that experience (00:10:04). They offer useful tips for the best way to avoid paying the extra four bucks on a plastic cup and talk about how many great events they were able to seeâŠ
We also spend some time not talking about movies, but continuing our discussion of the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood (00:14:15).
Then, onto TTRPGS!
Firstly, we check out the kickstarter for Eat The Reich by Grant Howitt and Will Kirkby (00:17:12). (This is the vampire-commandos-drink-hitler TTRPG, for those unaware.) With no game preview released, we scour the kickstarter page for info about the characters, the setting, the sensitivity consultants, and the mysterious new Havoc Engine that this game will be usingâŠ
Coleâs also been gifted The Deck of Stories by 1985 Games (00:31:37), a card game which boasts that it âhelps you create a legendary adventure in fifteen minutes.â But can it really? (Spoiler: Cole tries it live on the pod and comes up with a chapter from Lord of the Rings, so probably the answer is pretty much yes.)
Then, Marley talks about Thinly Veiled by Chloe Sobel (00:38:48), an expansion of Good Society that adds ghosts, mediums, and spiritualists. Marleyâs intrigued by it since it provides a lot of really interesting historical context to the belief in ghosts and how they might influence traditions and class relations.
Then, onto the main topic (00:47:16), in which we take a look at the top selling physical games on itch.io and speculate what makes them rise to the top of the charts. Good art, community copies, a known brand, game jams, popular streamers taking interest, and, perhaps, a certain je ne sais quoiâŠ
(Marley also gives a little background from his experience as a game designer as he accidentally got in the top 8 one time.)
Then, on to shout outs (01:08:35)!
Cole is about halfway through recordings for the CalazCon actual play (which you can follow along at their patreon).
We also want to shout out our own Patreon, which has a bonus episode coming out in the next few daysâŠ
Prolific designer Meguey Baker is also looking for support in her fight with breast cancer. You can send through donations here!
Finally, Marley is gonna be writing for Vampire The Masquerade - Milan Uprising, a crowd-funded board game which has made over $750,000 USD!
And Marley has also been writing and playtesting a vampire mystery for Strange Squad.
Featuring Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ) and Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â )
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, we have an extended interview with game designer extraordinaire Riley Daniels (As The Sun Forever Sets, Ghoul Boys, Into The Blind), talking about starting out as a game designer in the pandemic, developing a Forged in the Dark game utterly unlike Blades, and finally, their experience working with Evil Hat Productions!
We also LAUNCHED A PATREON (0:01:31)! It has a bunch of fun benefits including access to our new exclusive discord, a bonus monthly podcast, voting privileges on upcoming content, and⊠the ability to buy us a coffee!
You can show your support right here: patreon.com/InsideTheTable!
Anyway, Coleâs been reaching The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (0:05:34), which is a magical realist novel with vibes of Neverwhere and Dimension 20âs The Sleeping City. Cole is just beginning to make their way through it and Marley unintentionally spoils an early plot beat (so be warnedâŠ).
And despite our mutual dislike of D&D, weâve also both been playing Baldurâs Gate III a bunch (0:10:33). We talk about how itâs probably the best way to experience D&D, the characters we made, the way the game responded to⊠certain choices, and the kind of racist plotlines we know are waiting ahead of us.
Then, onto TTRPGs!
Cole did a big read through of Band of Blades (0:22:59), a game weâve wanted to check out for a good while, and has found quite substantial changes to the core FitD ruleset. Itâs no longer a game about daring rogues in a sunless city, instead focusing on grimdark soldiers retreating from an undying army stuck in an endless war. It has infamous chosen heroes who are helpful most of the time, a Crusader Kings-like management game, classes of soldiers who graduate into other playbooks, and a particularly grim endingâŠ
Meanwhile, Marley checked out an early version of Planet Fist by Jess Levine (1:10:27). Itâs a hack of FIST made for the recent FIST ULTRA Jam focusing on⊠undying soldiers stuck in an endless war?? However, unlike the grimdark fantasy of Band of Blades, Planet Fist feels like a game that you might have played on the original xbox. It features space soldiers with nanomachines and respawn points, killing enemies two, three times in a single mission, and even has bond mechanics which permit you to fight alongside your ex...
Then, onto an extended interview with game designer extraordinaire Riley Daniels (1:26:52), as we talk about her experience starting out as a game designer in the pandemic, her design inspirations for As The Sun Forever Sets, making a queer historical TTRPG, and what it was like pitching to (and getting accepted by) Evil Hat Productions.
(Also, you can join in with the As The Sun Forever Sets playtests by clicking here!)
Featuring Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â ), Cole (â â @IceColeBrewâ â ), and Riley Daniels (@msmcnevertweet).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on â your Social Media of Choiceâ and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
And support us via our Patreon!
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In this episode, weâre talking about Money and Marketing in TTRPGs. We ask whether charging less for a TTRPG makes it less desirable and explore how community copies, charity bundles, demos, and game jams impact how we buy TTRPGs.
But first:
Marley chats about actually playing TTRPGs again after spending a good while simply reading them (00:03:35) and it turns out theyâre really, really fun to play.
Marley and Cole then talk about the WGA and SAG-AFRA strikes happening (00:08:00). After years of weird corporate nonsense, it's really refreshing seeing people do stuff about it and speak openly about the unfairness and fight for a better world.
We also talk about how it is also indicative of a larger movement of striking workers, including with airline workers, Starbucks, UPF (which has now settled). We also talk about how the TTRPG industry, particularly streaming services, is tied up in all this.
Coleâs also been playing a lot of video games, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Coffee Talk, Generation Zero, Crusader Kings 3, Tears of the Kingdom⊠(00:19:03)
The big thing they want to chat about, however, is Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II (00:22:06), which he has started to play to satisfy his scifi kick. We also chat about the weird sexism in that game and how early BioWare approached sexuality (in good and bad ways).
Cole has also been getting into TTRPGs that have faction game mechanics (00:28:30) after seeing how things have gone during the Beam Saber CalazCon actual play recordings (which you can also support on Patreon) and listening to Friends at the Table play Armor Astir.
Then, onto TTRPGs weâve been checking out!
Marley starts off with Blades in â68 by Tim from Old Dog Games (00:31:34), which is an in-progress setting book for Blades in the Dark which explores Duskvol in its own version of the swinging sixties. Currently, it exists only as a Twitter thread (and a Substack), containing some playbooks, faction details, maps, and really solid art.
Cole has been reading Hunt by Spencer Campbell (00:51:11), in which you play as a knight going out to fulfill oaths and slay a terrible beast. Much like Campbell's previous game, Rune (which we played on our Youtube channel), Hunt is narrative-based with combat like a tactics game, only this time it has no dice rolls, so players decide what their move is going to be themselves.
Then, we begin our main topic, which is What is the best way to price a TTRPG? (01:06:19) We discuss Jess Levineâs recent twitter thread about increasing the price of her TTRPGs. The thread has a number of interesting takeaways, including the common wisdom that the charging less for a TTRPG makes it less desirable for the consumer.
We discuss that idea, along with the role that charity bundles, community copies, demos, free games, game jams, and discounts influence which TTRPGs we actually spend money on.
We close with a shout out to Oathsworn (01:44:50), a new actual play podcast for Band of Blades, which looks to be a great introduction to a FitD system we've really wanted to check out for a while now!
Featuring Cole (â @IceColeBrewâ ) and Marley (â @Mynar_Lenahanâ ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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With world-building complete (see previous ep), we jump in to our Star Wars-y noir one-shot of Ironsworn: Starforged by Shawn Tomkin, featuring an insect-like robot and a grub-like jedi-like!
(â â â And yes, you can also watch this full episode with visual accompaniments on our Youtube channel!)
Of course, we take the time to briefly go over the facts of the galaxy (and our characters) that we came up with last time (0:02:18), before outlining the communities and factions we came up with in between episodes (0:24:19), before finally jumping into the game itself (0:43:39)!
And gosh, this one-shot has everything:
A sabotaged vending machine containing the leader of spy network and a trade hub A techno dance-club which inexplicably offers hotel accommodation A Wheel of Fortune-based convenience store, hiding an illegal auction house somewhere deep within... And yes, a Space USB that everybody wants to get their hands on, even though nobody (not even us) knows what's on it...With a lovely three hour and forty minute run-time, we even had the time to give our final thoughts about the system (03:25;39) and give Shout Outs (03:35:35) to some projects we've been checking out while making this extra long ep!
Featuring Marley (â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â ) and Cole (â @IceColeBrewâ ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In this episode, we just start playing Ironsworn: Starforged by Shawn Tompkin!
It's a rad PbtA Star Wars-y game that Cole has been extremely excited to play. Marley, meanwhile, is approaching it with an empty head and an open mind, curious to learn what an Ironsworn game is... (â â And yes, you can also watch this episode on our Youtube channel!â â )
Now, as one of our longest episodes and so you might be wondering, "Hey, is this both world-building, character creation, and a full game??"
Nope!
Honestly, we just take our time introducing the system (0:01:06), establishing the truths of the setting (0:16:31), and create some characters who exist within the world we built (1:39:50).
It was an absolutely delightful experience and we look forward to jumping into full gameplay in the next episode!
Featuring Cole (â @IceColeBrewâ ) and Marley (â @Mynar_Lenahanâ ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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It's our birthday episode! One full year (give or take a few weeks) of talking tables and we're celebrating by doing an episode where we talk about our feelings about sanity mechanics.
On the topic of sanity mechanics, Cole's been checking out Darkest Dungeon 2 (0:04:10) and has found this new one has more interesting interpersonal connections. Also, it's less about treasure hunting and more about restoring the hope of the world.
Then, of course, we spend a decent while talking Tears of the Kingdom (0:14:59). Marley, who doesn't own a Switch, has been watching four different let's plays and loves seeing how people learn the game. Cole, meanwhile, has been passing the controller between their fiance and himself and has been really enjoying the new mechanics... and fish people.
(We also very briefly talk about what would be our dream TotK tabletop game and our hopes for how this game will inspire future TTRPGs.)
Then, onto tabletop games!
Marley has been checking out Wreck This Deck (0:25:50), a game about defacing playing cards and summoning demons. His big takeaway is that it feels legitimately occult in a really interesting way.
Cole has been checking out Starforged (0:37:45) in preparation for a potential let's play we might do... It's a scifi hack of Ironforged which gives you and opportunity to create your own galaxy to exist within. And, as Cole learned a little too late, it has an app which streamlines that relatively crunchy process.
In preparation for a writing thing, Marley has been checking out Skyrealms (0:44:25), a system-less setting set on floating islands in a sea of mist. It's also a coloring book? With Adventure Time vibes? It's reminded him how much he loves almanacs and the subtle connections that world-building books can have.
Then, we reply to an excellent email from listener Laurie about how two different systems Vaesen & Darington Press's Candela Obscura approach santity mechanics (0:51:26), using it as a springboard to talk about our feelings about sanity mechanics in general.
We close with Cole shouting out doing shout-casting with Swordfish eSports & ML eSports, and maybe getting back into twitch streaming??
Marley has also released a Lasers & Feelings hack of complicated 4x strategy games, Explore! Exploit! Expand! Exterminate! which he did because he thought was funny.
Featuring Marley (â â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â â ) and Cole (@IceColeBrew).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In this episode, we straight up design a TTRPG. It's only the initial brainstorm, but we do just improvise and troubleshoot the beginnings of a new tabletop system LIVE (and pre-recorded).
But first, it's been a month since our last proper episode, so we have a lot of inspirations to chat about:
Marley talks about reading the Akira manga (0:00:48) and finding that he loves it more than the film (which he also loves). Cole has been checking out Tails of Iron (0:07:50), a 2D-platformer with an angry mouse that's Redwall meets Hollow Knight, but actually takes the time to explore To take a break from watching incredible (but deeply cynical) prestige dramas, Marley's been watching the Limitless TV show (0:14:39), which is bizarrely very nice and wholesome for a show about a man who takes brain stimulants to help the FBI catch people comitting high treason. Cole gives his final verdict on The Super Mario Bros. Movie (0:19:55). Cole also chats about the newest hotness in the gaming world, Omega Strikers (0:23:11). What's that, you ask? Well, it's a hero sports game that's part Rocket League, part Pyre that Cole has been enjoying. It's got all the characters you'd expect from such a game: the witch, a person in a devil mask, a dragon guy, several MILFs, and a giant hamster.Then onto TTRPGs!
Cole has gotten their hands on getting the Spindlewheel deck (0:32:01) he kickstarted from Tea Cabbage Studios, aka Sasha Reneau. It's a really fun tarot-like storytelling game with some very beautiful cards that can work with any setting. We've also thought about using them to guide the structure of a podcast at one point...
Marley then talks about the excellently named The Devil City & its Seventy-Seven Vicious Princes (0:39:50) by Alex D. It's a game where you play as a aristocratic house meddling around in a cut-throat city, concocting schemes, putting your nose where it doesn't belong, and syphoning power from demons. This book is worth it for the world-building alone, but it is fascinating to play as an entire faction that uses (and perhaps sacrifices) player characters to achieve its goals.
Cole has also been reading through the preview for Stoneburner (0:52:49) by René-Pier Deshaies-Gélinas and Galen Pejeau. It's a solo-friendly game that asks the question: "What if some dwarves dug too greedily and too deep... IN SPACE?" The result is a Dwarf Fortress-inspired system as they try to safely rebuild a community, while dealing with rival dwarves, demons, and growing responsibility. Also, there are DOOM vibes.
Then onto the main topic in which we basically brainstorm and troubleshoot a brand new TTRPG (0:58:37) based on stuff we've talked about in the episode and ideas that are floating around. It's a fun look into the process of making stuff, asking (and answering) questions, and throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks.
We close up with some shout outs:
Marley has a system-less random encounter supplement coming out with this month's Let's Role Play Pass. Cole is getting back into streaming with a bunch of interesting games planned... Cole's fiance Holly has contributed to Soaring Heart, a Tifa Lockhart Zine that is now crowdfunding! She's a dope artist and it's absolutely worth checking out!Featuring Cole (@IceColeBrew) and Marley (â â @Mynar_Lenahanâ â ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In this episode, Marley plays a TTRPG all by his lonesome, as Cole has been feeling under the weather (P.S. You should send them your well-wishes to @IceColeBrew on Twitter...). In any case, Marley takes this opportunity to explore the 110 year history of the Spaceship Theseus with a really good world-building game.
See, the world-building game in question isThe Ground Itself by Everest Pipkin. It's an evolution of The Quiet Year with some Microscope thrown in. And yes, it's not technically a solo game, but the game's prompts make it easy to play with as a journaling game (even though collaborating with friends is far more fun).
The episode closes out with shout outs to the Sci-Fi Is The Best vs Fantasy Is The Best bundles, which are currently competing to settle the issue once and for all.
(Btw: Sci-Fi is the best, even though we are perhaps biased on that front given that Marley's Apocalypse Roadtrip is one of the games in that bundle...)
And also, The Awards (an indie TTRPG awards show that presents itself as an Ennie-alternative for weird, alternative TTRPGs) is looking for designers to submit their TTRPGs and judges to judge them. Last year's winners included some stone cold bangers, so be sure to read through them...
Featuring Marley (â @Mynar_Lenahanâ ).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In the newest episode of Inside The Table, we ask: "What The Hell Brings Player Characters Together?" We discuss the tools (or lack of tools) utilized in games that encourage building bonds and investment in the story at your table.
But first, Cole talks about their experience with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which was a joy to watch, even if it was a little Marvel-y. We also chat about the surprising behind the scene videos showing the incredible puppets and practical effects that were used in this film, especially given the industry's focus on CGI in recent years.
Marley has been excited for the latest fishing survival horror game, Dredge. It's a game with three things he loves: Inventory management, cool maps, and eldritch horror. It's also a great, if sometimes stressful way to while away a few hours and damn, it would be sick to write a TTRPG like this.
On the tabletop side of things, Cole revisits Scum & Villany by Stras Acimovic & John Lebouf-Little â it's the sci-fi space drama hack of Blades in the Dark, swapping out crew playbooks with different ship types to use on their space escapades. Also, Cole is about to use it as an introductory game for his D&D group, so that should be interesting!
Marley jumps feet first into Skyfarer: The Sunless Skies Role-Playing Game by Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor. It's a TTRPG set in the Fallen London universe, in which you play as a crew of a spacefaring locomotive who have lost their captain for one reason or another and must delve the High Wilderness themselves or die trying. It's a really neat game with some solid mechanical ideas, if perhaps a little inaccessible for the non-Fallen London-heads among its players (as might be expected).
Finally, Cole looks at Briar Sovereign's April Fool's joke and new Armour Astir supplement: Amor Astir, which allows you to elope with your rival, have sex with your buds, and become a poster child for the revolution. (And also in the game.)
Then, on to the main topic: "What The Hell Brings Player Characters Together??"
In this, we have an extended discussion about how TTRPGs build up relationships between player characters (mechanically and narratively), building connections to the game-world, and what we do when some TTPRGs don't include rules for teamwork. We also answer the vital question: Which TTRPG has the TTRPG world's greatest approach to player bonds??
Featuring Marley (â @Mynar_Lenahanâ ) and Cole (@IceColeBrew).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In this episode, we talk about the TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Florida bundle which collects 505 games for $5, and the TTRPGs which caught our interest.
But first, Marley talks about recently finishingThe Wire then immediately finding out about the death of Lance Reddick. Cole talks about the influence the show has had on them and they both talk about how the show has got them so excited for seeing the cast in other things.
Cole checked out the poorly-advertised Strange World and was refreshingly surprised to see that it was a pulp adventure story about the dangers of exploiting the earth, rather than instilling a legacy on the young. And it has Disney's first queer protagonist. Again.
In TTRPG talk, Cole went to Tanuki Games and got some cool physical TTRPGs, including:
Beak, Feather, and Bone, a map-labelling ttrpg about factions of cute corvids shaping the city they live in. Cole got into it to try and convince their DM to mess with the D&D module they're playing.
Cole also checked out Anamnesis by Sam Leigh. Itâs a journaling game that uses tarot cards to piece together a characterâs identity after losing their memory. We knew about it from the Anamnesis Jam, but we also had the sudden realisation we heard it on Friends At The Table, too.
Meanwhile, Marley checked out The Between by Jason Cordova, a Victorian gothic mystery game inspired by Penny Dreadful, League of Extraordinary Gentleman, and Blades in the Dark. Itâs a game with no set solution to a mystery, but the players brainstorm a solution themselves through play. There is also a long-term mystery involving a Moriarty-type figure who masterminds everything from behind the scenes?? It's sick.
Apocalypse Keys has released it physical copies, and so Cole takes this opportunity to talk briefly about this Hellboy-inspired PBTA game.
Then, we talk about our favourite games from the TTRPG Bundle for Florida Trans Rights, which has over 500 games, but we sat down to talk about 10 games we were excited about (or roughly 2% of the total), including:
die RPG by Nala J. Wu - A very charming game written while Nala was alseep. Sherwood | A Game of Outlaws and Arcana by R. Rook Studio, which Marley loves specifically from reading Page 4, which encourages you to smash down many pre-existing notions from Robin Hood depictions and also Fuc... not give a damn about the True King. Thirsty Sword Lesbians by April Kit Walsh- A flexible system that can give Revolutionary Girl Utena vibes to any setting. Itâs a game that Cole may or may not have done an actual play of at some point. Lighthouse At The End Of The World by Bannerless Games - The kind of nautical horror journaling game that Marley has been looking for recently, especially after watching a lot of Dredge and thinking about The Lighthouse. Serious Reading by Jordan Boschman - A game in which you play as an opinion columnist ostensibly writing about one topic, but sneaking in another topic on the sly. Very âDonât Even Get Me Started!â vibes. ECO MOFOS by David Blandy - An optimistic and non-grimdark OSR game. Itâs specifically Weirdhope, about punks building up communities after the end of the world. FIST by CLAYMORE - A paranormal paramilitary hack of Offworlders, which we get so hyped about during the recording that we vow to do an actual play of it in future. Boondock Cartomancy by Hook, Line, & Sinker - Which Marley declares his favourite game in the bundle based on vibes alone. Maharlika RPG by Makapatag - A Meka game built around Filipino mythology, which just has such a distinct sense of place to it. Errante by Mundos Infinitos - One of those games which takes the perspective of characters who don't often appear in a TTRPG, which Marley appreciates.Featuring Cole (@IceColeBrew) and Marley (â @Mynar_Lenahanâ )
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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In this episode, Marley and Cole are talking about pitching a campaign to the table, the difference between running a streamed game vs a home game, and campaigns we've always wanted to play.
But first, Cole chats about finishing Hi-Fi RUSH (and immediately starting a new game), before Marley talks Kings of the Wyld, a fantasy book that reminds him how much he likes a good fantasy map and good, grounded, fantasy world-building, but kind of doesn't
Then, Cole chats about Bleak Spirit by Chris Longhurst, a GM-less game where players alternate between describing the world and describing the strange, unknowable protagonist moving through it. It's really fun in how it approaches the mystery of a Soulsborne game, encouraging players to flesh out the history of a ruined location and what kind of adversary waits at the centre of it, while never saying for certain if the story is true or not.
Marley got his hands on The Score by Steve Dee, an exciting heist card game out now on Kickstarter! In it, players plan a heist with simple prompts, build and create your character from random trait cards, then jump into a heist. The game is quick, and fairly easy to pick up and can lead to some fantastic heists all in under 18 minutes! (unless you're us, in which case it's a 47 minute Actual Play on YouTube).
Then, onto the main topic, where Cole leads us through their history of playing in and pitching campaigns both at home and online. This broadens out into a discussion about how pitches change for different TTRPG systems, our favourite pitches that we wish we could play, how missing out on playing campaigns can lead to writing TTRPG systems, and what a chemistry test is.
Closing up, we have a bunch of shout outs, including The CalazCon Indiegogo campaign (ending soon!), Marley's appearance playing Ghoul Boys for The Fiction First Network, and a Pentiment-inspired Cosmic Horror mystery he wrote for the Let's Role Play Pass.
Cole meanwhile is about to begin a new season of Fire In The Dark at Huntsmen's Hydra, continued working on MLE Sports, and shouts out the incredible work done by The Roll Plus Bond community raising over $8,404.98 for Trans Lifeline!
Featuring Marley (@Mynar_Lenahan) and Cole (@IceColeBrew).
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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This week Cole plays Alone in The Station Remnants by Caro Ascercion, a solo journaling game about exploring the ruins of a station you grew up in as a scout with a mission to fulfill for your base, while also remembering the good, the bad, and the painful memories associated with a place you once called home.
Content Warning: This episode contents references to the following-
- Blood
- Mentions of dismemberment
- Being crushed by rubble.In this game, Cole takes on the role of his rookie, Dorian Branch, before the events of CalazCon! A Beam Saber Actual Play hosted by Austin Ramsay. Join Dorian as they remember the station they sat and learned to pilot their Balisong, Our Lady of Means, learn of his past squadmates and friends, and discover a mystery that arrives in a familiar package.
To learn more about CalazCon and support the crowdfunding go to their Indiegogo page. Donate NPC names, or sponsor an episode! OR donate to get a copy of Beam Saber and The Growing Conflict Supplement.
Check out Caro's Alone in the Station Remnants and other games here.
Featuring Cole (@IceColeBrew).
Produced by Cole, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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This episode, we are joined by special guest Emma to talk about All The Witches (an upcoming deck-based TTRPG they wrote about the diversity of witches in a fantasy world) that's coming to Kickstarter on March 16!
But first, we spend some time chatting about Hi-Fi Rush, Tales of Arise, Kingdom Hearts 3 (once more), Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Forespoken, and, for some reason, The Quiet Man.
To kick off the TTRPG stuff, Emma talks Cryptid Creeks by Hatchlings, a game about kids investigating mysteries with the help of a local cryptid. Itâs kind of like "What If Monster Trucks (2017) was a TTRPG?" Plus, who doesnât like cryptids? And creeks?
Emma also chats about Fleet Detrik's My Motherâs Kitchen, a solo journaling game about tradition and cooking, in which you play as the spirit of the family cookbook itself. It features beautiful art by Fabian Lelay and Hailee Smith, and you can find a preview here.
Marley chats about the preview of Cassi Mothwin's Tangled Blessings, an tarot-based witch school game, inspired by (among other things) graduate school. In it, you play two rival students who compete to get the magic school equivalent of tenure, which is amazing.
Cole has been looking at See You, Space Cowboy by Tidal Wave Games, and it has been scratching a scifi itch that he got thanks to the new Trigun series.
Emma also chats about Splat #4: Frights, a collection of essays on horror, horror TTRPGs, safely playing horror, and more. It's got an all-star cast of people working on it, including Jay Dragon, Casper Oliver, CeeJay (AKA ScholasticDragn), Josephine (AKA scarydogfriend), and more!
Emma also shows off Witchbound, a really interesting solo game, where you make your way through a series of illustrated environments. Itâs an incredible way of doing a choose-your-own-adventure type book, which has blown us away with its design.
Marley also talks about Riley Daniels new game, Trophy Warp, which is a horror scifi game about freelancers surviving on the very edge of the galaxy. It feels like an Alien, a Blade Runner, a Citizen Sleeper, or, yes, a Mothership, but Riley has made some very interesting design choices, which Marley made a thread about...
Finally, we have an extended interview with Emma about talking about the origin of with All The Witches, running her first kickstarter, the joy of collaborating, adding deck-based rules, and witch sports.
Featuring Marley (@Mynar_Lenahan), Cole (@IceColeBrew), and Emma (@emmapanada)
Produced by Marley, as well.
Follow Inside The Table on your Social Media of Choice and be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Also, send in your Listener Questions to [email protected]!
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