Playing Games with Strangers

As the party settles into Southern Towerfall, new allies offer hope while the search for a cure to Wilder's curse grows increasingly urgent. But just as the heroes begin to believe they have found a path forward, hidden enemies emerge from the shadows, proving that danger has already found its way inside the castle walls. Episode engineer(s): Dave Clements

As the party's separate journeys continue, unsettling events begin unfolding across the world with frightening speed. Strange omens, impossible disappearances, and the consequences of old bargains leave the heroes struggling to understand a threat that seems to transcend kingdoms and even reality itself. Cut off from one another and facing dangers on every front, they must decide who they can trus...

As the party begins to go their separate ways, new responsibilities, uncertain futures, and personal quests pull the heroes in different directions. While one companion answers a royal summons across the sea, another prepares to confront unanswered questions from his past. But as unsettling changes begin to take hold and hidden dangers emerge from the shadows, the cost of past bargains becomes imp...

A week after their harrowing journey through the Nine Hells, the party reunites in Waterdeep only to find that old mysteries have grown more complicated and new ones have begun to emerge. As unsettling revelations force the heroes to question everything they thought they knew about their pasts, an unexpected message from across the sea offers one member of the party a life-changing decision. With...

What begins as an uneasy meeting with one of the most feared beings in existence quickly reshapes the party's understanding of the war they have been fighting. As long-hidden truths finally come to light, impossible sacrifices reveal the true cost of defying powers beyond the mortal world. With hope restored but a devastating loss weighing heavily on their hearts, the heroes emerge forever changed...

After an impossible journey leads the party into the heart of the Nine Hells, their rescue mission takes an unexpected turn as old allies reunite under extraordinary circumstances. But navigating an infernal city proves far more dangerous than simply finding their missing companions, and every encounter reveals new pieces of a conspiracy that stretches beyond anything the heroes imagined. As tensi...

As the party races to break Callum's terrifying curse before time runs out, an investigation beneath the mountains uncovers ancient mysteries and impossible pathways that challenge everything they thought they knew about the world. When a desperate gamble leaves part of the group stranded in hostile territory, the remaining heroes face a familiar dilemma with potentially catastrophic consequences:...

Following the revelation that Wilder has made a pact with Lolth, the Spider Goddess, the Party attempts to rest. Callum wakes to a familiar face. Music and SFX by Pixabay, Tabletop Audio , Podcast Music AND STORYBLOCKS Playing Games with Strangers Theme by Steve Arthur Episode engineer(s): Dave Clements Become a Patron for uncut sessions, bonus content, and more! Get new click-clacks for your own...

John begins the Playing Games with Strangers Christmas season with a Kids On Bikes one-shot! Kate, Eric, and Celeste respectively play Joey, Tyler, and Sarah, three neighborhood kids who find themselves exploring the death of their friend, Mikey Wilcox, during Christmas break. We hope you enjoy this one, as well as the ones on the horizon this season! Episode engineer: Katherine Czerwinski

A desperate attempt to save Wilder's life forces the party into one of the most dangerous—and gruesome—rescues they've ever attempted. Even after the immediate threat is overcome, unsettling discoveries hint that the ordeal has changed Wilder in ways no one yet understands. As strange signs, ancient symbols, and uneasy revelations continue to surround the party, they are left wondering whether eve...

Hoping to prevent a growing Bugbear war, the party ventures into the heart of enemy territory only to discover that the truth behind the undead Sanders tribe is far more tragic than they imagined. As old relationships are tested and a dangerous infiltration begins, every step deeper into the mountain reveals new dangers lurking beneath the surface. But just when success seems within reach, a horri...

WARNING: Listener discretion is advised due to difficult situations. Early in 2021, John invited Steve, JS, and Dave to a Call of Cthulhu session. What began as a fun game turned into a darker story than anyone planned. This is the final half of that session. Episode engineers: JS Earls & Dave Clements

WARNING: Listener discretion is advised due to difficult situations. Early in 2021, John invited Steve, JS, and Dave to a Call of Cthulhu session. What began as a fun game turned into a darker story than anyone planned. This is not your typical Playing Games episode. Episode engineers: JS Earls & Josiah Crandall

Leaving the horrors of the mysterious carnival behind, the party presses onward toward a brewing Bugbear civil war, hoping to prevent yet another tragedy. But unsettling visions, disturbing discoveries, and clues pointing to a far greater conspiracy suggest that the conflict before them is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. As the truth behind the undead Sanders tribe begins to emerge, the he...

The party ventures deeper into the sinister carnival to rescue Stumblefoot, only to discover that nothing beneath the Big Top is what it seems. As terrifying truths are revealed and an impossible foe emerges from behind a familiar face, the heroes are pushed to their limits in a desperate battle for survival. Even if they can escape with their lives, they soon learn that some nightmares are far fr...

What begins as a battle against a monstrous carnival worker quickly descends into a nightmare where reality itself cannot be trusted. As the party ventures deeper into the mysterious carnival, each hero is forced to confront haunting visions, impossible choices, and echoes of the past that refuse to stay buried. While some find unexpected hope, others uncover terrifying truths that suggest the car...

As the party journeys north, an impossible encounter draws them into a place where nothing is quite as it seems. Familiar comforts and irresistible temptations conceal unsettling dangers, testing the heroes' resolve before they even realize they've wandered into a trap. With the party scattered, their leader missing, and strange figures waiting just beyond the darkness, the next step may be their...

As Wilder struggles to separate painful memories from terrifying reality, the party uncovers disturbing evidence that the horrors stalking Waterdeep are becoming impossible to ignore. But while one mystery leads beneath the streets, another strikes far closer to home, leaving one of the heroes questioning everything they remember about their own past. With old wounds reopened and unsettling discov...

A quiet morning at the Yawning Portal offers the party a rare chance to catch their breath, but the calm proves painfully short-lived. As unsettling supernatural forces continue to tighten their grip on the heroes, hidden burdens can no longer remain secret, and old scars begin to resurface in unexpected ways. With new threats demanding their attention and the past refusing to stay buried, the par...

With Aelin finally within reach, the party believes they have everything they need to make her whole again. But as long-hidden truths come to light, they discover that saving one life may come at a heartbreaking cost. While old wounds reopen and impossible questions linger, one member of the party is forced to confront a past that can no longer remain buried.

With time running out, the party races to undo the damage caused by the fractured soul crystal before Aelin's condition grows even worse. New revelations about the true nature of souls, possession, and consent reshape everything the heroes thought they understood, while unsettling warnings hint that an even greater danger may already be traveling beside them. As the search finally leads the party...

With new clues pointing toward a possible way to save Aelin, the party embarks on an experiment they hope will unlock the secrets hidden within the mysterious soul crystals. But every answer seems to raise even more questions, forcing the heroes to confront difficult choices about life, death, and how far they're willing to go to save a friend. As their search for a solution grows increasingly des...

With the battle against Jadis finally behind them, the exhausted party takes a rare opportunity to rest and reflect on everything that has changed. But as old allies catch up on recent events and new questions emerge about the growing threat surrounding Zaos and Kerrek, it becomes clear that their brief respite won't last. Before the day is over, one member of the party receives a chilling reminde...

As the party races to save Pough from a bargain that should never have been made, long-buried family tensions, impossible choices, and unlikely alliances collide beneath the roof of Jadis' mysterious walking house. With time running out and every sacrifice carrying unforeseen consequences, the heroes must risk everything to reclaim one of their own. But even victory may reveal that some battles le...

When a desperate bargain leaves Pough's fate hanging in the balance, the party races to undo a choice that may cost far more than anyone expected. As uneasy alliances form and impossible negotiations unfold, old wounds, hidden motives, and painful truths threaten to divide the group at the worst possible moment. To save one of their own, the heroes may have to make a sacrifice that changes them fo...