Épisodes

  • Episode 11: Hunger feat. Roz Leahy

    Episode 11: Hunger feat. Roz Leahy
    Feb 22 2026
    In this ravenous episode, Violet is joined by returning guest Roz Leahy as we* talk about hunger mechanics. Don’t get confused with cozy campfire cooking: we’re discussing the tension and drama of *not* getting the sustenance you need. Everyone’s gotta eat in real life, but what does it mean for our storytelling?How do you make ingestion interesting? Should there be benefits to “staying hungry”? Does it matter whether your tummy is half full or half empty? Are toothless hunger mechanics worse than none at all?And most importantly, why does mechanised hunger work great for vampires, but not so well for hunters, a grab bag of “beasts”, and *checks notes* mummies?Violet’s calamari hooks her on a white whale. Roz struggles to retain retainers. Violet snacks on a hunger bar. Roz hungers for punishment. Violet rates rational numbers. Roz has one square meal.TimestampsWhat’s new? - 0:01:18Intro to the topic - 0:11:16Content warning (eating disorders) - 0:29:41 to 0:30:49History - 0:34:37Deep dive on Vampire: the Masquerade et al - 0:51:27 to 1:04:59Taxonomicon** - 1:07:47Strong opinions about “usage dice”*** - 1:46:54 to 1:53:13Content warning (eating disorders) - 1:55:25 to 1:56:25Design Dreams - 1:56:36Wrapup - 2:09:44Design DreamsViolet - Expeditions & AnticipationsRoz - Truly Miserable Hunger: Trench Foot EditionViolet - Hungry Hungry HomunculiGames discussedCarved in StoneLeathersOD&DBluebeard's BrideHeartCastle Ravenloft/Curse of Strahd Vampire the Masquerade (in particular, 5th edition)MothershipBlack HackWilderfeastDelving DeeperBasic FantasyOSEHyperboreaChivalry and SorceryTravelerAD&D, specifically Wilderness Survival Guide, and Dark SunThe Morrow ProjectAftermath!GURPSRifts (briefly)Werewolf the ForsakenMage the Awakening and Exalted (briefly)Hunter: the Vigil D&D 3.5, 5eBeast: the PrimordialVampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Hunter: the Reckoning, Changeling: the Lost (briefly)Mummy: the CurseMonsterheartsMasksApocalypse WorldTorchbearerRyuutama: Book of GastronomyGolden Sky StoriesLamentations of the Flame PrincessHis Majesty the WormErrantKnave (Briefly)MausritterDaggerheart (Beast Feast)Yes, ChefBakto's Terrifying CuisineAlgophiliaNechronica (Briefly)SpireSwyversOther media discussedArticles by Jay Dragon (see links below)Resident Evil & Stardew Valley (in the same breath!)It Has Come To Pass (painting by Sergei Lukin, 1958)Delicious in Dungeon / Dungeon MeshiLord of the Rings & The HobbitOutdoor SurvivalChainmail (briefly)The Complete Guide To Role-Playing Games (Rick Swan, 1990)Article by Merritt K (see links below)The Score (Thi Ngyuyen)Radical Uncertainty (John Kay & Mervyn King)Battle Chef BrigadeConsume MeFear and Hunger Notes & links* Well, not me, Freya. I’m writing the shownotes, but I wasn’t in this one!** …which does, as it happens, start with two more World (well, Chronicle) of Darkness games!*** We don’t strictly define “usage dice” in this section, though! Basically, instead of tracking item quantity / durability on a numerical scale, you roll a die of a certain size when you use it, and something bad (such as the die shrinking next time) happens if you roll badly. As Violet remarked when I was writing this comment, we *did* talk about usage dice way back in episode 1, so, long time fans will surely remember ;-) The official-ish website for ZiMo - Zine Month - doesn’t actually commit to when exactly Zine Month might happen, other than to clarify that it’s distinct from the two other things also called “Zine Month”. So, keep an eye out and solve their riddles three if you want to participate next year! https://iwanttoplay.games/zinemonth Jay Dragon articles:https://possumcreek.medium.com/a-dozen-fragments-on-playground-theory-684104bcb4abhttps://possumcreek.medium.com/the-game-left-unplayed-60062beaddedhttps://possumcreek.medium.com/rules-are-a-cage-and-im-a-puppygirl-69e8d569b2b6 The rather endearing life level index chart from Outdoor Survival:https://boardgamegeek.com/image/254292/outdoor-survival The Merritt K article no longer seems to be available, or at least neither of us could find it - sorry!“Sekhem” appears to be etymologically related to words for “power” and “form”, with connotations along the same lines as mana / chi / your life force of choice. Googling it in 2026 provides a long list of new-age healing businesses…. Followed by the White Wolf wiki. Disclaimer: I am not an egyptologist.Content warningsGiven the subject of this episode, we discuss:- Eating disorders- The biology and physiology of starvationNotable instances are logged in the timestamp section.Contact us!Thank you to everyone who has emailed into our mailbag - If you too have a question, idea, or interesting game you’d like to share with us, email systemshoppodcast@gmail.comAdditional CreditsOur intro music is "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp...
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    2 h et 14 min
  • Episode 10: Monster Taming feat. Imogen Gingell

    Episode 10: Monster Taming feat. Imogen Gingell
    Nov 17 2025

    In this genre-defining episode, Violet and Freya are joined by fiancée of the show Imogen Gingell to talk about bringing a beloved videogame genre to the tabletop. How can you faithfully capture the themes while adapting mechanics to a new medium? How do you make each little guy mechanically unique and full of personality, without losing track of your travelling zoo? We explore how different games answer these questions - including, of course, Imogen’s upcoming JourneyMon, on Kickstarter right now!


    Freya builds buzz for her broadcasting bees-ness. Violet dabbles with disobedience. Imogen reflects on symmetry. Freya draws a circle, then a blank. Violet bundles babies in her backpack. Imogen opens a box of dogs.


    Check out JourneyMon on Kickstarter now!


    journeymonrpg.com


    Funded in seven hours, and (at time of press) well on the way to our second stretch goal! Campaign ends on Thursday, November 27th 2025.


    Timestamps


    What’s new? - 0:03:25

    Tabletop Scotland - 0:11:03

    Mailbag - 0:15:36

    Intro to the topic - 0:23:37

    Mechanics & design questions - 0:33:27

    History - 0:56:44

    Digression about 00’s homebrew forums - 1:08:21

    Taxonomicon - 1:13:55

    Design Dreams - 1:55:59

    Wrap up - 2:13:02


    Design Dreams


    Violet - PokémOSR, Squires & Spirits

    Freya - Isekai Ecologists, Everyone Is Mon

    Imi - JourneyMon!


    Games Discussed


    Eberron

    Cosmere RPG

    Journeymon

    Mythic Bastionland

    Monsterhearts

    Stonewalkers (Cosmere adventure path)

    Escape From Riedra (Eberron adventure path)

    Fall of Magic

    City of Winter

    Delve

    Microscope

    Armour Astir

    Masks

    Daggerheart

    Apocalypse World

    D&D

    OSR (in general)

    Runequest

    Shin Megami Tensei TTRPG

    Big Eyes, Small Mouth

    Cute And Fuzzy Cockfighting Seizure Monsters

    Pokéthulhu

    Pokemon Tabletop Adventures

    Pokémon Tabletop United

    Pokémon 5e

    Pokéroll

    Pokeymanz

    Monsters Tail

    Magimonsters

    Animon Story

    Monsters And Other Childish Things

    Monster of the Week

    Pocket Monster of the Week

    Lancer

    Everyone is John

    Lasers & Feelings

    Kids With Critters

    How To Train Your Mutant Fire Dog

    Genepals

    Convocation Prime

    Bones Deep

    ForeverDex

    Transit

    Wilderfeast


    Other media discussed


    Arkham Horror (card game)

    Game Soup

    Escape This Podcast

    Pokémon*

    Final Fantasy

    Digimon**

    Dark Souls

    Battletech (the tabletop wargame)

    His Dark Materials

    Megami Tensei

    Dragon Quest

    Critical Ditto

    The Adventure Zone

    Microsoft Excel

    Battletech (the videogame (2018))***

    Ben 10

    Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

    Pokemon: Too Many Types

    What Beats Rock

    World of Warcraft

    Let’s Learn Everything

    Decktamer

    My Card Is Better Than Your Card

    Encounters of the Spooky Kind

    Cassette Beasts

    Jade Empire

    My Trainer is Dumb?!

    Disco Elysium

    Inside Out

    Monster Hunter

    Dungeon Meshi


    Notes and links


    * we make it 25 minutes before naming Pokemon…

    ** …and it took us 42 minutes to namedrop Digimon!

    *** I got the year wrong, clearly I’m not a True Fan


    ProZD’s Q&A about his home Pokemon TTRPG -https://youtu.be/pndtlIKl0Qw?t=272


    One youtuber’s report from the front lines of Pokemon: Too Many Types - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjoLQvj7lAE


    I couldn’t find the Chansey Death Stranding game again. I’m moderately confident that it wasn’t a fever dream.


    Contact us!


    At systemshoppodcast@gmail.com


    Additional credits


    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    2 h et 19 min
  • Episode 9: Mapmaking feat. Roz Leahy (Part 2)

    Episode 9: Mapmaking feat. Roz Leahy (Part 2)
    Sep 2 2025
    In this conclusive episode, we round off our discussion of mapmaking. How can random map generation both add and remove meaning in a world? Is verisimilitude in tension with playability? Do spaces need to generate conflicts?Violet re-orients her priorities. Freya turns on the worm. Roz breaks the annual silence. Violet goes loopy. Freya goes flat-out. Roz throws shade on the dark. Violet’s ideal excludes idylls. Freya enjoys a beach episode. Roz edinburrows through Edinborough.We will be at Tabletop Scotland!In Edinburgh *this weekend* (5th - 7th September). Say hi if you spot us! Freya says if you spot her in her white JourneyMon t-shirt and enthuse about your favourite companion monster, she’ll give you a bag of monster munch.Check out Roz’s stuffRoz’s portfolio can be found here - https://rozleahy.carrd.co/Her Philip K Dick podcast, Chicks with Dick, can be found in your preferred podcasting place.TimestampsMap-related news - 01:03The ever-popular taxonomicon - 13:38…including but not exclusively extended discussions of…The Quiet Year - 17:20Seas of Sand - 44:37Wanderhome - 1:03:38Mappa Mundi - 1:10:21Spotlighting some games that we found through a keyword search on itch.io - 1:19:27Design Dreams - 1:38:00Surprise! Actually it’s a discussion about real world architecture - 1:38:01Okay, now Design Dreams - 1:43:41Wrapup - 2:10:11Design DreamsViolet: Spiral School, Blobworld, Urchins Under Adventurefication, Border Loopers, Gold Rush God GameFreya: Isekai Leyline Wizards, Turns & Tides Games discussedKeep on the Borderlands (“very slight spoiler” warning around the 1 hour mark)On Mighty ThewsSwords Without MasterIn A Wicked AgeBeyond the Wall - Further AfieldMicroscopeThe Quiet YearI’m Sorry Did You Say Street MagicYour Cool City Needs A Food SupplyDelveDawn of WorldsBottled SeaUndying SandsUmbraRiseMothershipThe Vast in the DarkSeas of SandDark SunMausritterD&D (took us a while to mention it this time!)WanderhomeJourneymon (took us a while to mention this, too!)RyuutamaUnder Hill, By WaterMappa MundiHeartBad MapsWorld In Your HandSock PuppetsA Show of HandsYour Body a LandscapeWalking to FranceWisher, Theurge, FatalistMy Bad GalaxyInto The OddDelta GreenDOGS (which may or may not be in the Vineyard)Cosmere RPGOther media discussedPseudoregaliaMajora’s Mask (specifically the 3DS remake)Blue PrinceHarvest (2024)Conan the BarbarianLord of the RingsThe Domesday BookSeeing Like a StateInvisible Cities (Violet tried not to talk about it, but successfully failed)Hello Future MeVictoria 3Small World (board game)CarcassonneCivilization: New DawnDwarf FortressFlatlandPlanet ZooDark SoulsCitizen SleeperTress of the Emerald SeaMagic: The GatheringDiabloZelda: Breath of the WildSkyrimThe Logical Journey of the ZoombinisTalismanCaptain SonarZelda (in general)BloodborneHobbit Tales From The Green Dragon InnHand of FateAdvance WarsDelicious in DungeonLil’ GuardsmanHundreds of BeaversToo Many Cooks (cw: surprise horror)Late Shift (2025)InisNotes and linksThe National Underground Asset Register appears to require an account to access its beta form - https://portal.nuar.uk/ Restrictions breed creativity in the WTF game jam - https://itch.io/jam/wtfjam2025/entries Watabou’s generators on itch are just one of the many map-making tools out there - https://watabou.itch.io/ If you find the post about the guy getting stuck in the backstage of a hotel, send it to Roz because she can’t find it and it’s driving her crazy.Isekai is a truly prolific genre of anime and manga about protagonists who get magically transported to other worlds. But you knew that, you weeb ;-)Contact us!At systemshoppodcast@gmail.comAdditional creditsOur intro music is "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    2 h et 16 min
  • Episode 8: Mapmaking feat. Roz Leahy (Part 1)

    Episode 8: Mapmaking feat. Roz Leahy (Part 1)
    Aug 4 2025

    In this trailblazing episode, we have our first ever guest and our first ever two-parter! We’re joined by Roz Leahy, game designer and editor, to talk all about maps. Who makes the map, and when? How is the act of mapmaking at the table reflected within the fiction? And when can a “bad” map be better than a “good” one?


    Freya invents Bawdy&D. Roz lays her cartography on the table. Violet joins the little leagues. Freya is inclined to descend. Roz delivers a north-winded explanation. Violet goes dotty. And most importantly, everyone enthuses about local history. There’s no pun there, we just think it’s neat.


    Check out our various things!


    The kickstarter prelaunch page for Journeymon, the monster-training RPG written mostly by Freya’s award-winning fiancée but also partially by her, is waiting for you at https://journeymonrpg.com/ . There’s also a free quickstart adventure. Check it out!


    Roz’s portfolio can be found here - https://rozleahy.carrd.co/ . Her Philip K Dick podcast, Chicks with Dick, can be found in your preferred podcasting place.


    Timestamps


    What’s new - 3:05

    Mailbag - 11:46

    Intro to topic - 15:05

    Design Qs - 22:00

    History - 58:50

    Wrapup - 1:18:55


    TTRPGs (and a lot of specific modules this time!)


    Border Riding

    Keep on the Borderlands

    Journeymon

    Going for Broke

    Masks

    Dungeons & Dragons: Men & Magic booklet

    Cosmere RPG

    Stars Without Number

    Mothership

    Mausritter

    Mörk Borg

    Planescape

    Dawn of Worlds

    Hyperborea

    Hyboria (not to be confused!)

    Descent into the Depths of the Earth

    West Marches

    Dungeon Geomorphs

    Traveller

    Microscope

    The Quiet Year

    Dark Forest

    I’m Sorry Did You Say Street Magic

    Songs for the Dusk


    Other media things discussed


    The Carry On film series, for some reason

    Kill James Bond

    Original Podcast Do Not Steal

    Escape This Podcast

    City of Six Moons

    Chicks with Dick

    Pathologic

    A prospective map of unified Germany from 1848

    Shadow & Bone (season 2)

    Game of Thrones

    Babylon 5

    Sword of the Stars

    Stellaris

    Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

    Captain Sonar

    Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space

    Outdoor Survival

    Chainmail

    Guild Wars 2

    Elden Ring

    Big Walk

    Ratatouille

    Fallout 3

    Assassin’s Creed



    Notes and links

    The virtual escape room “Break this Game” praised in Freya’s intro can be found here - https://mattj375.itch.io/vr-game-escape-room


    “On Exactitude in Science”, by Jorge Luis Borges, happens to only be one paragraph long, and you can read the text in translation here - https://neilgreenberg.com/ao-quote-borges-on-exactitude-in-science/


    The National Library of Scotland’s archive of maps is available here - https://maps.nls.uk/


    Mystic Arts’ Video on 3-mile hexes is on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEIg1DlRkLg


    More information about the singular phenomenon that is Hyboria can be found here - https://snv-ttm.blogspot.com/p/tony-baths-hyboria.html


    Contact us!


    At systemshoppodcast@gmail.com


    Additional credits


    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    1 h et 20 min
  • Episode 7: Pre-Generated Characters

    Episode 7: Pre-Generated Characters
    Jun 30 2025

    In this tailor-made episode, we discuss the advantages and challenges of using and writing pre-generated character sheets. Is there a sweet spot of player choice? And what are the risks of telling players exactly who they are and how they should feel?

    Freya watches for waspmen. Violet horseshoes around. Freya posits a post-it plan. Violet digs up a classic Indie game.

    As a bonus, we also have a themed mini-debrief of the 2025 UK Games Expo. And that theme is? Themes.


    As a double bonus, we introduce a new segment: “game ideas that it turns out somebody else has already done which is great because it means it already exists in the world”!


    As a triple bonus, the Journeymon Kickstarter prelaunch page and free quickstart adventure went live while we were editing this episode! Check them out here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ilgingell/journeymon-monster-trainer-roleplaying/


    Timestamps


    UGKE discussion - basically from the start

    GITITOSEHADWIGBIMIAEITW - about 19:40

    Mailbag - about 25:44

    Intro & design Qs - about 30:53

    History - 1:02:06

    Taxonomicon - 1:11:45

    Design Dreams - 1:40:00

    Wrap up - 2:02:13



    TTRPGs discussed


    The Vanilla Game

    Keep on the Borderlands

    OSR in general

    D&D (4e, 5e)

    Psychodungeon

    Voidheart Symphony

    Subway Runners

    iHunt

    Call of Cthulhu

    Changeling: the Lost

    Tales of the Kytin Age *

    Sagas of the Icelanders

    For the Honor

    Animon Story

    Journeymon

    Mappa Mundi

    SPEEDRUN RPG

    Pathfinder 1e

    Biosphere Guardians 2050

    Trickster’s Net

    Rifts

    Aberrant

    Shadowrun

    Savage Worlds

    PbtA

    Lady Blackbird

    Monsterhearts

    Dream Askew

    World of Darkness (in general)

    AD&D

    The Adventures of Indiana Jones

    Yazeba’s Bed and Breakfast

    Mistborn Adventure Game

    The Exes of Casey Estrada

    Last Day at Honkwarts

    Genesys

    Black Code

    Pirate Borg

    Edge of the Empire

    Armour Astir

    Stealing the Throne

    Interstitial: Our Hearts Entwined

    Mothership

    Daggerheart



    Other games and things discussed


    Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

    Shadows of the Apt **

    https://www.tumblr.com/haveyouplayedthisttrpg

    Fullmetal Alchemist

    Crescent Moon (board game)

    Battlestar Galactica (board game)

    The Commedia dell’arte

    Lord of the Rings: the Third Age

    “I Finished A Videogame”’s LotR adaptations retrospective ***

    Escaflowne

    Wheel of Time

    Everything Everywhere All At Once

    Dark Souls

    Nier Automata

    Root

    https://www.youtube.com/@Hollandspiele

    Original Podcast Do Not Steal ****


    Notes


    * as promised in the audio, the artist for this game is Yasen Stoilov https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:37fsd5g3kwmkmi5dvs2yxsgj


    ** yes, I must mention this every single episode


    *** not merely four hours - it’s actually five. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/poMnJKLGYo0?si=ynx0cQu_43vamIZE


    **** the bugworld guest episode is not yet up! They must have a mighty buffer. https://open.spotify.com/show/4a3x2GlQw0jsSk4vFTdpus


    Violet’s oft-referenced LARP design handbook is “LARP Design: Creating Role-play Experiences”, available from the authors at https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/136330/978-952-03-2260-1.pdf


    The Hungarian for “thank you” is “Köszönöm”.


    Contact us!


    At systemshoppodcast@gmail.com


    Additional credits


    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    2 h et 7 min
  • Episode 6: Multi-Attacks & Dual Wielding

    Episode 6: Multi-Attacks & Dual Wielding
    May 30 2025

    In this all-out episode, we discuss dual wielding and various other kinds of multiplicative modes of attack. How can frequency-focused fighting styles make different characters feel different? And how can you balance attack and defense mechanics so that “just attack more” isn’t the only answer?

    Violet trades a strike in the hand for two in the bush. Freya studies the studs. Violet decides Drizzt is a decent dude. Freya accidentally designs a videogame (again).

    Timestamps

    Mailbag - 8:29

    Intro to the topic - 11:08

    History - 26:23

    Taxonomicon - 33:15

    Design Dreams - 59:21


    TTRPGs discussed

    Band of Blades

    Blades in the Dark

    Exalted (various editions) & Exalted Essence

    PbtA (in general)

    D&D (various editions)

    Lancer

    Cosmere RPG

    Empire of the Petal Throne

    Runequest

    Pathfinder

    OSR (in general)

    Dark Heresy

    Old World of Darkness

    Vampire: the (various things)

    One Roll System (Reign, Monsters and Other Childish Things, etc)

    Genesys

    Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy

    Tiles and Truenames*

    Last Days at Honkwarts*


    Other games and things discussed

    Blue Prince

    Gone Home

    Animal Well

    Link’s Crossbow Training

    XCOM

    Knights of the Old Republic 2

    Battletech

    Bushido

    Knights of the Old Republic… 1!

    Total War

    Warhammer 40k

    Dissidia: Final Fantasy

    The concept of LARPing

    Absolver

    Combo Fighter

    Yomi

    Final Fantasy XIII

    Signs of the Sojourner

    Megaman: Battle Network

    Cobalt Core

    Paperback Adventures


    Notes

    *Dear listeners, allow us the brief indulgence of talking about our own games during the wrapup.

    Some illustrated sources re the question of historic “studded leather armour”:

    https://www.quora.com/Was-the-studded-leather-armour-used-in-D-D-ever-used-in-real-historical-combat-situations-If-so-was-it-useful

    https://youtu.be/hmm_2GRa-o8?t=230

    Pathfinder 2e does not use base attack bonus! It rolls the concept of weapon skill into its general tiered proficiency system, which applies the same rules to attacks, skills, saves, spellcasting, and probably several other things.


    The referenced clown college gag on Tumblr is apparently from 2016 and the original poster has deactivated, but it lives on in our hearts and our reblog chains, e.g. https://sunbeamstarship.tumblr.com/post/656273434937016320/new-clown-in-town-juzavoices-im-in


    Convention alert!

    Freya will be at UK Games Expo in Birmingham on Saturday 31st May and Sunday 1st June. She will be wearing a white Journeymon promo t-shirt on at least one and possibly both of those days. Say hi if you see her!


    Contact us!

    At systemshoppodcast@gmail.com


    Additional credits

    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    1 h et 19 min
  • Bonus Episode: Violet's Conpulsion Con-venture

    Bonus Episode: Violet's Conpulsion Con-venture
    May 3 2025

    In this unconventionally conventional episode, Violet talks about a recent event in Edinburgh.

    Violet has to hand it to handouts. Freya learns about a Thing or two. Violet takes the wrong notes. Freya is unexpectedly out-gayed.

    Thank you to everyone who emailed into our mailbag - If you too have a question, idea, or interesting game you’d like to share with us, email systemshoppodcast@gmail.com

    Timestamps

    Start of Con Discussion: 3:07

    Liminal Horror: 9:27

    Delta Green: 21:22

    Kaleidoscope: 26:41

    The Family: 34:41


    Games discussed

    Liminal Horror

    Delta Green

    Kaleidoscope

    The Family

    Black Hack (and OSR in general)

    Monsterhearts

    Microscope

    Belonging Outside Belonging / Dream Askew / Dream Apart / No Dice No Masters

    Wanderhome

    Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine

    Mörk Borg

    Avatar Legends

    Masks


    Games that aren't TTRPGs that we nonetheless discussed, sometimes at surprising length

    Dead Rising

    Battlestar Galactica (the board game)

    Betrayal at the House on the Hill

    Mario Party

    Immortality (confirmed, this is on Netflix)

    The Executive

    Lost Odyssey


    Notes & links

    Itch page for the designer of the Family https://clevercrumbish.itch.io/

    Weird Hope Engines: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2025/3/weird-hope-engines

    Video essay about Lost Odyssey - https://youtu.be/iqgSDClU4Qo?si=M1vnb3gixwhaz8zM


    Additional Credits

    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    50 min
  • Episode 5: Challenge Rating

    Episode 5: Challenge Rating
    Apr 3 2025

    In this level-appropriate episode, we discuss encounter design through the lens of totally objective ratings of enemies’ power levels. Yes, we do mention Dragonball Z - but somehow entirely refrain from any “over 9000” jokes.


    Violet shares tips on tipping points. Freya mopes about mopping up. Violet hates on Fate. Freya insists she liked D&D 4e all along.


    Thank you to everyone who emailed into our mailbag - if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions please email us at: systemshoppodcast@gmail.com


    Timestamps

    Mailbag - 9:00

    Intro to the topic - 11:18

    Design questions - 19:40

    History - 35:40

    Taxonomicon - 47:45

    Design dreams - 1:03:15


    Games discussed

    Star Trek Adventures

    Last Days at Honkwarts*

    The Great Dalmuti

    Master and Apprentice*

    Pathfinder

    Fate

    D&D

    Dark Heresy

    Capers

    D&D 4E specifically

    Vampire: the Masquerade

    Lancer (like, a lot)

    13th Age

    Battletech (it’s back!)

    Grimwild

    Genesys

    Time of Monsters

    Vaesen

    Mothership


    *These are games designed by Violet herself. She apparently forgot to even mention the name of the second one :-P


    Notes

    It turns out that Freya’s graphics card has become eight years old since she last checked, so she’s definitely not going to play Monster Hunter Wilds, alas.


    The nineteen-year-old Order of the Stick comic that Freya recalls with only moderate accuracy is https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0347.html


    Additional credits

    Our intro music is

    "Magic Escape Room" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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