Talk of the Table

BECOME A PATRON! (15% off Annual Memberships in July) The month of July is our Patreon Drive! Our goal is 100 new and upgrading annual members to the Many Sided Media Patreon. Here's just some of what you'll get as a Patron: Bonus Actual Plays (GMed by the game's designer) Ad-Free Episodes of My First Dungeon, Talk of the Table, and Project ECCO Cast Talkbacks for My First Dungeon Exte...

Reporting from the convention floor from Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, Brian takes you behind-the-scenes of the moreblueberries booth with a day-to-day report of our hurdles and successes. Plus he talks to folks from Mythworks, Spilled Coffee Creatives, and Tuesday Knight Games about what makes for a successful convention. Special thanks to: moreblueberries Spilled Coffee Creatives Viditya...

Brian and Elliot sit down with Tim Platt, a comedian, musician, and co-founder of the actual play podcast Rude Tales of Magic . We discuss Tim stepping into the GM chair for the latest Rude Tales series: Blue Kindness High, how Tim defines the comedic voice of his own work within and outside of the show, and why playing highschoolers can lead to better comedy in actual play. Talk of the Table is h...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Chrys Sellers, aka Hectic Electron, designer of games like Defy the Gods and Raccoon Sky Pirates . We discuss Chrys’ key lessons from her time as a horizon fellow, why a failed kickstarter doesn’t mean the end of your game, and how Defy the Gods lives up to its name. Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty . Links: Follow Chrys on Bluesky , Ins...

Brian and Elliot are joined by return guest Jasper William Cartwright, co-owner of 12 Sided Studios. We discuss how he and the team are bringing actual plays, events, and games to life while balancing creative fulfillment, business sustainability, and supporting the growth of the TTRPG industry Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty . Links: Pre-Save Force of Extinction 12...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Cam Bradley, new business manager at Gamefound, about his mission to bring more TTRPG creators to the platform. We dive into the learnings from the first ever “RPG Party” crowdfunding event, the pain points of crowdfunding for creators and platforms, and where Gamefound might find their niche amidst the crowdfunding landscape in RPGs. Talk of the Table is hosted by ...

In an episode inspired by Song Exploder , Taylor Moore breaks down the musical origins of Worlds Beyond Number and dives deep into the production of three of the more than one hundred songs on the Original Soundtrack for The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One, Book 1 : Flight to Haverward, Sirazmir, and Carrow. Worlds Beyond Number is widely considered to be one of the best actual plays of all ti...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Sam Dunnewold, creator of beloved podcast Dice Exploder and the designer of the new deckbuilder TTRPG Band-Aids & Bullet Holes . We dive deep on the mechanics and design journey of Sam’s new game, how he created the one-of-a-kind series Afterimage, and what 3 years of Dice Exploder has taught him about game design and actual play. Talk of the Table is hosted by ...

(Originally released April 28th, 2025) Elliot and Brian are joined by  Realis  writer Austin Walker and Possible Worlds founder Tyler Crumrine for a discussion about their collaboration on this exciting new game. We dive into the sentence-based mechanics, how players might imagine their own version of  Realis , and where this project fits into the large slate of upcoming Possible Worlds releases. ...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Lone Archivist, layout designer known for their work on DIE, Orbital Blues, Hull Breach and more. We discuss the fundamentals of good layout, why white space is just as important as content, and how to hone your layout skills from your first indesign session. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Back Jupitor in Eb Minor Lone Arch...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Caldwell Tanner, co-founder and cast member of Not Another D&D Podcast and the GM of their season Trinyvale X Strahd . We talk about how the team has avoided burnout and stayed excited over 8 years of making NADDPOD, how they approached a famous module for this latest series, and what new TTRPG systems Elliot and Brian think Caldwell should play next. Talk of the...

In our first ever video episode, Brian and Elliot are joined by Stellaluna, an actual play producer, performer, and graphic designer to discuss our brand new Talk of the Table video overlays. Along the way, we discuss the secrets of good overlay design, producing streamed actual play, and how to be an effective producer for sponsored actual play. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and ...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Tim Denee, a game designer who wears several creative hats in his making of projects like Deathmatch Island and the upcoming Blades ‘68. We dive into how Blades ‘68 expands on the beloved world of Blades in the Dark, where this ambitious new supplement began, and how Tim balances all of the various creative roles it takes to make a book of this scope. Talk of the Tab...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Watt, the designer of Cloud Empress , to discuss designing inside established systems, Ghibli-inspired games, and their latest project Rust Wings . Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Back Rust Wings Cloud Empress.com Tim Recommends: Mythic Bastionland Our Links: Support TotT on Patreon Many Sided Newsletter Many Sided Media Di...

In the final episode of our Zine Month 2026 series we’re diving into the Mork Borg universe with two great takes on the Borg style. [Ad-free feed and bonus episodes available on Patreon] Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty . Links: Back Murker of Morks Back Dead Internet Theory Murker of Morks Nishaant on Bluesky Nishaant Recommends: The Crypt Has Opened Dead Internet Th...

In the third episode of our Zine Month 2026 series, we are discussing deception, tarot, and jenga towers and how you can tell stories of corporate horror over Slack. Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty . Back Lie to Him Back W.F.H. Lie to Him Michelle on Bluesky Michelle Recommends: One-Page TTRPG Bundle Volume #2 EUphoria - How to Play Lie to Him  EUphoria Interview W.F...

In our second Zine Month 2026 special episode, Brian and Elliot are talking about gun-toting axolotls and doomed heroes fighting corruption. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Back Axolotl With A Gun Back Blightfall Axolotl With a Gun Bri on  Bluesky Jon on  Bluesky Brightbardgames.com Bri Recommends: Food & Evil by Goosepoop Games Jon Recommends: The Bo...

In our first Zine Month 2026 special episode, Brian and Elliot are joined by Robin Ekberg and Dillin Apelyan, the designers behind Rise, Wizards! and All’s Fair respectively. We discuss their two-game project collaboration with Elliot/moreblueberries, the unique dice-stacking and worldbuilding mechanics of Rise, Wizards! , and why All’s Fair is simultaneously important, challenging, and joyful to...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Sam Carr, the creator and illustrator of The Eternal Ruins to discuss his approach to world building and how an art project became the latest TTRPG from Mythworks. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Follow Sam Learn About The Eternal Ruins Back The Eternal Ruins on Kickstarter Download The Eternal Ruins Quickstart Sam Recommend...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Nat Mesnard, a game designer, professor, and co-founder of Scryptid Games and Unquiet Games. We discuss their latest game Assemblage and how they approach GM-less game design. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Follow Nat Buy Assemblage Learn about Nat's Games Nat Recommends: Scryptid Games Our Links: Support TotT on Patreo...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Andy Boyd, owner of Pandion Games and game designer behind such beloved titles as Badger & Coyote , Substratum Protocol , and his latest Midnight Muscadines . We dig into how Andy built Pandion with 12 page zines, what makes a game a “Pandion game”, and how to level up your TTRPG business slowly and smartly. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Bria...

Brian and Elliot are joined by Jasmin Malave, cast member of the touring live show The Twenty Sided Tavern. We dig into what Jasmin has learned over 250+ performances, how the show has changed over the years, and where this live experience sits on the spectrum of actual play. Talk of the Table is hosted by  Elliot Davis  and  Brian Flaherty . Links: Jasmin on Instagram , TikTok The Twenty Sided Ta...

Elliot and Brian are joined by Kendrick Smith, creator of the award-winning actual play Tales Yet Told . We dig into how Kendo has used multiple seasons and TTRPG systems to create “The Sublime”, a shared universe that is built and refined through play. Along the way, we talk about intentional storytelling through actual play, the motivations behind why we make art, and what is next for the Sublim...

Elliot and Brian are joined by Devon Chulick, founder and CEO of StartPlaying, the largest online platform for players to find TTRPGs and Professional GMs. We discuss how the platform is allowing GMs to make a living in tabletop roleplaying games, how StartPlaying can help expand the hobby and introduce new games, and the power of community created through play. Talk of the Table is hosted by Elli...

Elliot and Brian are joined by Connie Chang and Sea Thomas, the creative duo behind the award winning actual play Transplanar RPG . We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it weaves the wants and needs of players and GM, how it informs safe artistic storytelling in a noncolonial anti-orientalist multiverse, and how it supports long-term actual play in Transplanar’s The Chaos Prot...