The Stillfleet Studio

Why We Roll

Leisure EN ↓ 94 episodes

Why We Roll is a streaming show and podcast about designing tabletop roleplaying games, hosted by Chris Pickett ( Danse Macabre ) and Wythe Marschall ( Stillfleet ). Chris and Wythe host in-depth conversations with professional game designers with a focus on contemporary indie TTRPGs. They also occasionally run actual-play sessions and offer behind-the-scenes looks at the games they’re developing. Topics covered to date include game-design inspirations and best practices, the politics of games, illustrating game concepts, cards as mechanics, character backstories, party formation, eco-catastro...

Author

The Stillfleet Studio

Category

Leisure

Podcast website

stillfleet.com

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

WWR 44 ☉ Nostos & Translation in TTRPGs w. Dr. Erica Bridges 26.02.2025

Wythe and Chris chat with Dr. Erica Bridges, scholar of ancient Greek and Latin, about language and crafting narratives. Erica shares insights about her upcoming TTRPG titled Nostos, as well as the use of ancient and medieval languages in fantasy gaming. If you enjoy Why We Roll, consider signing up for the Stillfleet Patreon at patreon.com/stillfleet - for as little as $3 a month, you can help pr...

WWR 43 ☉ Mappa Mundi w. George Bickers of Three Sails Studio 13.02.2025

Wythe and Chris chat with George Bickers of Three Sails Studios about their upcoming release, MAPPA MUNDI (now funding on Kickstarter!). Imagine your favorite monster hunting game, but without fighting or hunting, replaced by a deep reverence for nature! Topics range from radical ecology and revolutionary imaginaries to practical advice on starting and running a collective with left politics. If y...

WWR 42 ☉ Bad House RPG w. Fabian Lelay & Josephine Kim 04.02.2025

This week on Why We Roll, Wythe and Chris are joined by TTRPG actual play and multimedia creators Fabian Lelay and Josephine Kim from Bad House RPG. The gang chats about post-colonial storytelling, adapting existing systems for actual play, and even some sound advice on how to get started in the AP space. If you enjoy Why We Roll and would like to support it's production, head over to patreon.com/...

WWR 41 ☉ May You Fish in Interesting Times w. WH Arthur 27.01.2025

Join Wythe and Chris as they chat with indie TTRPG creator WH Arthur about revolutionary politics in TTRPGS through his game May You Fish in Interesting Times which asks the pertinent question of what happens if the revolution fails? If you enjoy Why We Roll, consider joining us on Patreon at patreon.com/stillfleet – for just $3 a month, you gain access to early play test material, art, and our in...

WWR 40 ☉ The Griffon's Saddlebag & SKELLIES w. Griffin Macaulay 18.01.2025

WWR 40 ☉ The Griffon's Saddlebag & SKELLIES w. Griffin Macaulay On this episode of Why We Roll, Wythe and Chris chat with the man who put the Griff in The Griffon's Saddlebag... Griffin Macaulay! Tune in to hear about Griff's design process and philosophy for The Griffon's Saddlebag (with books available from Hit Point Press) as well as his new game out for community playtesting, SKELLIES. Who doe...

WWR 39 ☉ Danse Macabre: Prima Mors 28.12.2024

WWR 39 ☉ Danse Macabre: Prima Mors On this episode of Why We Roll, Wythe and Chris check in about the many mutations of Danse Macabre: Prima Mors, and the future of Danse Macabre! If you enjoy Why We Roll, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/stillfleet – for as little as $3 a month, you gain access to the Stillfleet community discord as well as the newest updates and material for all of Stillfle...

WWR 38 ☉ PAX Unplugged '24 w. Tony Grasso 21.12.2024

WWR 38 ☉ PAX Unplugged '24 w. Tony Grasso On this episode of Why We Roll, Wythe and Chris hit the floor at PAX Unplugged '24 and are reunited with TTRPG auteur and illustrator, Tony Grasso! Join in as they chat conventions, play testing, mutant animals, the future of Blister Critters, and so much more. Enjoying Why We Roll? Consider becoming a Stillfleet patron at patreon.com/stillfleet – for as l...

WWR 37 ☉ Under the Autumn Strangely w. Graham Gentz 16.12.2024

WWR 37 ☉ Under the Autumn Strangely w. Graham Gentz On this episode of Why We Roll, we chat with Graham Gentz, author of Under the Autumn Strangely (as well as many others) and vocal proponent of GM-less TTRPGs! We talk supportive design and what that means, genres as buckets, and the power of community and cons! Learn more about Stillfleet Studio at stillfleet.com If you enjoy Why We Roll, consid...

WWR 36 ☉ Shadow Scar w. Cody Pondsmith 20.11.2024

WWR 36 ☉ Shadow Scar w. Cody Pondsmith Wythe and Chris chat with Cody Pondsmith of R. Talsorian Games (Cyberpunk Red, The Witcher TRPG) about his newest original title, Shadow Scar. Ninjas, mythos, and table top nerdom collide on this episode of Why We Roll! If you enjoy what you hear, consider becoming a patron of Stillfleet Studio over at patreon.com/stillfleet – Patrons get access to the latest...

WWR 35 ☉ World Champ Game Co. w. Adam Vass 17.10.2024

WWR 35 ☉ World Champ Game Co. w. Adam Vass Join Wythe and Chris as they chat with musician and ttrpg designer Adam Vass about punk ethos and visual design in ttrpgs, iteration through and with genre, and the sinister appeal of writing for horror games! If you enjoy Why We Roll, consider becoming a patron of the Stillfleet Studio on Patreon! For as low as $3 a month, you gain access to the Stillfle...

WWR 34 ☉ TTRPGs v. Board Games w. Sarah Shah and Aaron Hill 04.10.2024

WWR 33 Board Games v. RPGs w. Sarah Shah and Aaron Hill Join Wythe on this episode of WWR as he chats with board game reviewer Sarah Shah and game designer Aaron Hill, discussing designing board games, what we love about them, and how they differ from the TTRPGs we usually talk about! Like what you hear? Consider becoming a patron of Stillfleet Studio to support the production of Why We Roll, as w...

WWR 33 ☉ Adventure Writing w. Luke Gearing 23.09.2024

WWR 33 ☉ Adventure Writing w. Luke Gearing Join us as we chat with prolific adventure module auteur Luke Gearing about writing across systems, structuring adventures for publication, and Luke's approach with advice! Like what you hear? To support Why We Roll (as well as all of Stillfleet Studio's stable of amazing ttrpgs) then head over to patreon.com/stillfleet and consider becoming a patron! For...

WWR 32 ☉ Gila RPGs w. Spencer Campbell Pt. 2 16.09.2024

WWR 32 ☉ Gila RPGs w. Spencer Campbell Pt. 2 Join us as we are re-joined by the delightful and prolific Spencer Campbell of Gila RPGs – the designer (and psych professor!) so nice, we interviewed him twice. We chat with Spencer about designing iteratively, the intersection of psychology and game design, and Spencer's newest game, LOOT (funding on Kickstarter starting Tues, Sept 17th!). Want more W...

WWR 31 ☉ At GENCON 2024 w. Spencer Campbell of Gila RPGs 26.08.2024

Join Wythe and Chris, for the last episode of Why We Roll Season 1, as they chat with the brilliant Spencer Campbell of Gila RPGs from the floor at GENCON 2024! Spencer shares some insights into running a booth at a convention, as well as a sneak peak at his thinking around designing ttrpgs blended with other tabletop mechanics (which will be expanding on in a full interview in season 20! Why We R...

WWR 30 ☉ The Sometimes Stream w. Erica Simpson & Ethan Gouldini 18.07.2024

On this episode of Why We Roll, Wythe chats with Erica Simpson and Ethan Gouldini about the ongoing AP stream and upcoming podcast, The Sometimes Stream! Produced by Stillfleet Studio, The Sometimes Stream blends AP zaniness with actual game development and play testing, all in Ethan's deep, lore-filled world of The Sometimes Kingdom RPG. To watch past playtest streams of The Sometimes Kingdom, he...

WWR 29 ☉ 3,2,1... Action! w. John Hambone McGuire 03.07.2024

Join us as we chat with John Hambone McGuire of The Vintage RPG Podcast and Ham and Egg Publishing. about community building, the punk ethos in the indie ttrpg scene, and, of course, the very exciting and cinematic 3,2,1... Action! ttrpg system, created by John himself! From the 3,2,1... Action! Itch page: 'With rapid and intuitive gameplay, 321 Action is the perfect RPG system for newcomers and s...

WWR 28 ☉ Ratwave Game House w. Kayla Dice 19.06.2024

WWR 28 ☉ Ratwave Game House with Kayla Dice On this episode, we're joined by Kayla Dice of Ratwave Game House for a chill conversation around the ins and outs of self-publishing, growing as a designer, genre inspiration, and a deep dive into Kayla's newest game, PSYCHODUNGEON (now on Kickstarter until June 20th - don't miss this one!). From the PSYCHODUNGEON Kickstarter: PSYCHODUNGEON is a fantasy...

WWR 27 ☉ Hexavexagon w. Vex Chat-Blanc 14.06.2024

WWR 27 ☉ Hexavexagon w. Vex Chat-Blanc Join Wythe as he chats with Vex Chat-Blanc, creator of many incredible and innovative ttrpgs and tools, including Killing Billionaires for Sport and Ashfall. Wythe and Vex discuss the New Zealand ttrpg community for Kiwi RPG Week, the application of politics in games, and character trauma and how it can inform narrative, all while taking a deep dive into Kill...

WWR 26 ☉ Marginal Worlds w. Zoe Franznick & Dr. Mac Boyle of The Maniculum Podcast 30.05.2024

WWR 26 ☉ Marginal Worlds Join us as we talk with Zoe Franznick and Dr. Mac Boyle of the wonderful Maniculum Podcast about medievalism and its influence on ttrpgs! We also discuss the legacy of Tolkien, magic systems in ttrpg's, and most importantly: Marginal Worlds: Magic Item Expansion Pack , The Maniculum Podcast's first publication! With 50 items and equipment inspired by items from medieval ma...

WWR 25 ☉ Titanomachy RPG w. Lex Kim Bobrow 15.05.2024

WWR 25 ☉ Titanomachy RPG w. Lex Kim Bobrow How does anyone start producing TTRPGs from scratch? How can we use games as a tool to move from alienation to a state of community? Join us as we chat with the one and only Lex Kim Bobrow, the brilliant mind behind Titanomachy RPG and Caltrop Core, as we work through these questions and more! To support Why We Roll, head over to Patreon.com/stillfleet ☉...

WWR 24 ☉ Multitude w. Amanda McLoughlin & Eric Silver 08.05.2024

WWR 24 ☉ Multitude w. Amanda McLoughlin & Eric Silver On this exciting episode of Why We Roll, we chat with podcast power couple Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Silver of Multitude! Join us as we discuss the history of actual play podcasting, the business and benefits of working as a collective, and even designing one page TTRPGs. Stick around to the end to hear the best (or worst?) queer TTRPG dad jok...

WWR 23 ☉ Twice Rolled Tales w. Emily Tworek & Linnie Schell 01.05.2024

WWR 23 ☉ Twice Rolled Tales w. Emily Tworek & Linnie Schell All hail the button! On this episode of Why We Roll, we're joined by the wonderful Emily and Linnie of Twice Rolled Tales! Join us as we chat about actual play, dada, building a business with friends, and publishing AP modules. If you haven't already, check out and pre-order the incredible Tabletop Gone Mad, created by Linnie and publishe...

WWR 22 ☉ Spooky Bell Games w. Chris Koger & Wes Ascolese 27.04.2024

WWR 22 ☉ Grindcore w. Chris Koger & Wes Ascolese On this episode of Why We Roll, we're joined by Chris and Wes from Spooky Bell Games. Join us as we chat about the Grindcore System, historical politics in gaming, and Spooky Bell's upcoming No Nazis in Valhalla. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WWR 21 ☉ Twelve Pins Press w. Laurie O'Connel 20.04.2024

Hey folks, Chris here! Unfortunately, this episode has some minor audio issues. However, we feel that this is a great episode and we hope you still enjoy it! On this episode of Why We Roll, we chat with indie TTRPG luminary, Laurie O'Connel of Twelve Pins Press, author of Heironymous and the upcoming Death Game. Join us as we discuss bending and using genre conventions, shifting GM systems, and ev...

WWR 20 ☉ Borough Bound w. James Nathaniel & Will Savino 10.04.2024

On this episode of WWR, we are joined, once again, with Will Savino of Borough Bound fame, but this time Will has brought along. party member - art director and cartographer of Borough Bound, James Nathaniel! Come along with us as we chat fantasy cartography, the business of third-party product design, get illustration tips from James, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

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