293 épisodes
- Elliott Davis is making really interesting games. His focus isn't on following the usual standards — he's trying to make content that makes you feel and think. And he's absolutely killing it.
We talk about how he got into game development, actual plays, and the community at large, and we dive deep into some of his most compelling games and what makes them work.
Elliot is behind games like Project ECCO, Rom Com Drama Bomb, and The Time We Have. He's also a player, host, and GM on My First Dungeon and Talk of the Table.
- Pathfinder
- Blades in the Dark
- Catan
- Honey Heist
- Kids on Bikes
- Scurry
- Orbital Blues
- Portal at Hill House
- Thursday
- Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast
- For the Queen
- Widow's Bay
- Pluribus
- This Album May Contain Hope - Reye
- Bullet Train
- Expedition
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Follow on BlueSky Dillin Apelyan & James D’Amato (One Shot Podcast, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide) ep 281
20/07/2026 | 1 h 9 minI am joined by Dillin Apelyan and James D'Amato. If you listen to the One Shot Podcast, you've probably heard of both of them, and if you're a fan of the actual play scene, you've seen their work all over. And now, they've come on to the show to discuss their brand new book.
Dillin's been featured on Dropout, Critical Role, and podcasts across the space. They've designed a bunch of great games, including the HUNT(er/ed) and Neverland: The Impossible Island. You can find out more about Superdillin here.
James has been working in both the comedy and TTRPG scene for years. He's the creator of the One Shot Network and the author of the Ultimate RPG book series, which is an absolute masterclass in breaking down the genre for players and Game Masters alike. You can find his books here!
The pair are more than just integral parts of the community today — they're good friends and even better podcast guests. The episode was a blast, breaking down their experiences and talking in depth about their new book, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide. They dive deep about gaming culture, their GMing experiences, and provide a lot of insight as to how you can build better NPCs and characters.
REFERENCES:
Adams Media
World of Darkness
Dungeons and Dragons
Vampyre: The Masquarade
Hunter/Hunted
James' Favorite Villains: Lex Luthor - Doctor Doom - The Joker
Dillon's Favorite Villains: Charles Vane (Blacksails), Jubal Early (Firefly), Kenneth Marshall (Mickey 17), Erik Northman (True Blood)
Star vs The Forces of Evil
Pokemon
Witch Hat Atelier
Fetch Philips Archives
Microscope
In This World************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky- Anthony “Runeslinger” (Casting Shadows) and I discuss what makes “good players” buy into horror roleplaying and, specifically, why characters would investigate terrifying situations and keep returning after trauma. They explore common answers, such as belonging to an organization (e.g., Delta Green), and why that only starts the conversation, contrasting player motivation (“otherwise we don’t play the game”) with believable character motivation. Anthony emphasizes building motivations through bonds, community ties, and mirrored player/character connections—what he calls “unity of perspective”—rather than removing agency by trapping characters. Using examples from their long Call of Cthulhu and Trail of Cthulhu campaigns, they examine active versus passive buy-in, GM/player collaboration, table communication, and how differing play styles and feedback help sustain engaging horror play.
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Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky - Today we sit down with Laurence Philips of Hardy Roach Games, an independent designer who creates unique games that focus on themes that dive deeper than your average TTRPG. His one-page games are weird and exciting to play, and now he discusses his brand-new game, Il Fantasmo del Giallo.
Step into the world of Giallo, a 20th-century Italian film genre that focuses on switchbacks, misdirection, and mile-high stakes. Il Fantasmo del Giallo is a cinematic, dark, brooding game that focuses on narratives and scenes more than a traditional dice-roller. Drama, Mystery, and Mortality are the main words of the game, and it’s an excellent example of the doors that have opened in modern roleplaying. Trauma decks, scene work, and avant-garde lenses to play make for a new take on an old genre.
Il Fantasmo del Giallo Kickstarter
Hardy Roach Games
His Website
Mentions
Star Wars Visual Magazine
Call of Cthulu
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Blood and Black Legs
Lovecraftesque by Black Armada
Suspiria
Halloween
Giallo Genre
Sherlock Holmes
Vangers: One For the Road
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Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky - Ray Chou is a comic book and TTRPG creator--one of the talents behind the amazing Mythworks team, known for some of the last few years' most anticipated games--Wildsea, Slugblaster, Pico, and a whole lot more. Their studio defines the modern age of TTRPG development, and he walked us through his experience and process, offering a lot of insight into how it all works.
Today’s episode focuses on Ray’s unique experiences breaking into the industry and a close look into what it means to work in the high-level indie space. Ray broke into game writing at a pivotal point in the industry. It was before the medium really blew up, but recently enough to ride the wave of Kickstarter just as it was beginning. We also talked in depth about Mythworks and how it operates as an organization, leveraging the team's creative strengths to create indie work that feels like blockbuster TTRPG gaming.
You can find Mythworks here: https://www.myth.works/products
And follow Ray on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/theraychou/
Mentions:
Tower Defense
DOTA
Dungeons and Dragons
Neverwinter Knights
Blades in the Dark
Pathfinder
CBR+PNK
The Wilds
Punchbowl
Farewell, My Concubine
Vikings
Starfall
DTF St Louis
Rashomon
Seventh Samurai
************************************
Support the show for as little as $1 a month:
Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145
Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145
Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch
Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube
Listen to an excellent board game podcast
Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!
Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:
Listen to Tales of the Manticore
Follow us on Facebook,
Follow on BlueSky
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À propos de TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars
Do you love tabletop gaming? This is your podcast.
Who are the creatives behind your favorite games and content? How do they approach their work?
I sit with designers, developers, artists, writers, and creators and learn how they approach their work. I try to understand their process, inspiration, and methods for crafting their creations.
Craig digs deep into the work and uncovers the origins of your favorite tabletop games and the creative process that brought them to life.
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