Episodes

  • Episode 14: Relationships in Play feat. Avery Alder

    Episode 14: Relationships in Play feat. Avery Alder
    Sep 4 2026
    In this relatable episode, we’re joined by special guest Avery Alder - creator of Monsterhearts, Dream Askew, and The Quiet Year - to talk about relationship mechanics. How does your game change when you model relationships as variable stats, states of being, currencies, cycles, roles, or power dynamics?How do you provide mechanical handles for specific types of relationships, while allowing them to be messy and emergent? What happens when two characters have wildly different interpretations of their mutual relationship? Where do relationships even exist, in terms of the physical sheet or game component that bears them?Avery sees the kids for the trees. Violet hassles her vassals. Freya sticks to the classics. Avery seizes the means of narration. Violet doctors the narrative. Freya draws her friends close.*** Check out Avery’s Stuff! ***https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/*** Check out JourneyMon! ***https://ilgingell.itch.io/journeymon*** Check out Freya’s Blue Skies Sabbatical, Volume 1! ***https://severalseals.itch.io/drake-barcode-morse-inspectorhttps://severalseals.itch.io/foleynauts*** Timestamps ***No mailbag this time!Intro to topic [*1] - 0:15:16Why mechanise relationships? - 0:20:37Design questions - 0:31:00History - 0:53:47Three angles on the Taxonomicon - 1:01:30Rivalries - 1:07:51Digression about Shock and conceptual poles - 1:13:45Authority hierarchies - 1:21:46Peer relationships - 1:30:49Relationships as a resource - 1:39:00Parasocial relationships - 1:45:16Odds and ends and anecdotes - 1:53:17Difficult relationships (and more Monsterhearts) - 2:02:16Design Dreams - 2:12:27Wrapup - 2:27:45*** Design Dreams ***Freya: the League of Super FrenemiesViolet: Hand Inarticulate HandAvery: Love’s Letters LostBonus: The Dream Ghost Conspiracy [*2]*** Games discussed ***MonsterheartsDream Askew / Dream ApartThe Quiet YearJourneyMonUnderwhelming Acolytes of an Ageing Immortal [-]D&D 3.5eD&D 4eAD&DGood SocietyThe Deep ForestMasksExalted EssenceVampire: The MasqueradeDelta GreenPendragonSagas of the IcelandersGirl FrameHot Guys Making OutStar CrossedInterstitialRiddle of SteelBurning WheelBlades in the DarkReignA Place To Fuck Each OtherThirsty Sword LesbiansLady BlackbirdChuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting EngineDogs in the Vineyard Apocalypse WorldMasksDungeon WorldBluebeard’s BrideWorld of Darkness (assorted)AberrantGenius: the TransgressionOver The MoonTournament ArcTransitShockLasers & FeelingsAvatar LegendsFlabbergastedThe BetweenPathfinderEveryone Is JohnBelonging Outside BelongingMad Alien With A BoxGolden Sky StoriesBlue RoseThe Serpent’s ToothLost Kingdom (The many gm one streamer game)DialectGoing For BrokeSmallvilleLast FleetExalted (not Essence)The Thunder Perfect MindSilver And White [-]MicroscopeChildren of Time [-] [*3]Seven-Part Pact [-]Yazeba’s Bed and BreakfastVoidheart SymphonyMidnight Muscadines*** Other media discussed ***Earthborne RangersSteven Universe (obliquely)The L WordAnimal CrossingHomestuck (inevitably)Kingdom HeartsBeastieballPride & PrejudiceJeeves & WoosterDr WhoThe Order Of The StickMage KnightGloomhavenBattlestar Galactica [*4] Final Fantasy XIVBuffy the Vampire Slayer [*5]DispatchPersuasionPortal 2Philosophers in SpaceA Psalm for the Wild-BuiltA Close And Common OrbitShogun (the board game, not the show)The World Ends With You: NEO*** Notes & Links ***[*1] …and apparently a local dog immediately goes wild in the background of Freya’s audio, sorry! It doesn’t last forever.[*2] if you know of a game that already implements Dream Ghost Conspiracy’s mechanics, tell us about it! It saves us having to write it ourselves.[*3] Predictably, the Children of Time crowdfunder ended some time before we finished editing this episode.[*4] the board game, but also the licensed RPG I guess![*5] all this Monsterhearts talk and it took us two hours to mention Buffy. Spoilers at ~2:12:00![-] games with this tag are unpublished (not yet released) or un-published (un-released).It is a fact universally acknowledged that when you make a joke and say “that was rubbish, you can edit it out,” that makes it funny enough to leave in.According to the dictionary wot I done red, a pastiche does not have to also be parody. The term, delightfully, is derived from a name of a pie with a melange of many ingredients.Sorry, Francis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_History_and_the_Last_Man*** 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.com*** Additional Credits ***Our 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/System Shop is made by humans. We do not use generative AI at any stage of our process, from research to editing.
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 34 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Ennies Exploration 2026

    Bonus Episode: Ennies Exploration 2026
    Jul 31 2026

    Hello, systemic shoppers! This is (hopefully) part one of a 2-part bonus about the nominations for the 2026 Ennies: the annual public-vote awards for TTRPGs.


    We realised that the games tended to fall into either “I own and have played this” or “I haven’t even heard of this”.


    Now, we’re not going to talk at length about impressions of games we haven’t played, because judging a book by its cover is only appropriate for the games nominated for Best Cover Art.


    But we are going to each pick one game, give it a spin in the near future, then reconvene with part 2 to talk about our experiences.


    ******


    Voting will have closed by the time this episode goes up (it’s only open for like a week!) but the list of categories and nominees is on their website:


    https://ennie-awards.com/2026-nominees/


    ******


    The Girl Frame review Freya references is by Caelyn Ellis of Rascal News: https://www.rascal.news/girl-frame-confidently-stomps-its-way-into-a-niche-mecha-genre/


    ******


    We also had a discussion about Deadline: A Clockwork Press that was definitely comedy gold, but (ironically enough) didn't make the cut because we’d decided to end the recording immediately before it. Whoops!
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Episode 13: Vehicles

    Episode 13: Vehicles
    Jul 27 2026
    Vrrrroom! (Sorry, I had to). In this all-hands-on-deck episode, we’re talking about vehicular play and the scale shifts it introduces as it opens new horizons. What happens when you bring a knife to a tank fight - and how do you avoid trivialising the whole game when you’re the one in the tank? How do you set stakes when everyone might go down with the ship? And when does hyper-specialisation for crew roles actually cripple your cooperation?Violet puts the cart before the oars. Freya mounts her soapbox. Violet rigs the game. Freya floats a flotilla.*** Timestamps ***Mailbag - 0:09:02Topic intro & design questions - 0:17:34History - 0:49:20Comparing Wildsea experiences - 0:55:59Taxonomicon - 1:03:13Freya admits her serial salvage surplus & shipmate shortage - 1:41:59 to 1:52:05Design Dreams - 1:53:23Freya’s insectile aspiration announcement - 2:12:01Wrapup (and oops, more bugs) - 2:12:54*** Design Dreams ***Violet - Record of a Spaceborn FugitiveFreya - Disney Pixar’s Cars: The Driver’s Licensed TTRPGViolet - Wormhole Long HaulFreya - Transform and Role Out*** Games discussed ***Tool Team[*1]Bestial Princess Disease: A Torture Chamber[*1] (can be seen here: https://files.catbox.moe/5mb50b.webp)Several collage contributorsDrake Barcode: Morse Inspector [*1]Shadowrun (2e, specifically)PathfinderLancerD&D 5eScherzando! [*2]Break!!Sword WorldPicoClassifiedRiftsTravellerMothershipOD&DD&D 3.5eStar Trek AdventuresWildseaLast CaravanRibbon DriveCar WarsGURPSHeavy GearApocalypse WorldScum and VillainyBlades in the DarkEdge of the Empire / GenesysFateHomeworld [*3]Mothership: Gradient DescentTransitHorse GirlMy Girlfriend Has Turned Into A Car (And We’re Escaping This City)Savage WorldsCypherThe Magnus Archives RPG [*4]Electric BastionlandMythic BastionlandIntergalactic BastionlandWanderhomeStars Without NumberEberronIon HeartLast FleetSongs for the DuskPasión de las PasionesHoney HeistGood Society*** Other media discussed ***Affinity Publisher (does that count as media??)Magic: the GatheringCamel Up, Heat, Thunder Road, and Magical AthleteThe works of Adrian Tchaikovsky (as usual)Shadowrun series (Harebrained Schemes)Fuga: Melodies of SteelSlay the SpireCaptain SonarStar Trek (Voyager & DS9 specifically)Sunless SeaRogue TraderGet in the Car, Loser!SubnauticaStar Wars: Galactic RacerX-WingRadio On (1979, dir. Christopher Petit)One Piece Live Action Season 2Pacific DriveMagic Mike XXL (and other roadtrip movies)Revolutionary Girl UtenaShut Up & Sit DownGaslandsAkiraHot FuzzBug FablesThe Wandering VillageDunecrawlStar Trek: ArmadaXCOMMoby DickRailseaEmbassytownRecord of a Spaceborn FewGodzilla: Planet of the MonstersBattlestar GalacticaDisney Pixar’s CarsRocket LeagueIron LungShards of Earth (The Final Architecture)TransformersThunderbirdsNowhere (1997)Cowboy BebopShadows of the Apt *** Notes & Links ***[*1] if you haven’t heard of these games, that’s because they’re ours and some of them aren’t released yet.[*2] now with canon-compliant exclamation mark.[*3] which is indeed published by Modiphius.[*4] the Magnus Archives RPG is indeed based on the Cypher system.Some research thanks to my local tank museum (and also, totally normal people on the internet) suggests that modern tanks have dedicated commanders among a crew of 4, and WW1 tanks had crews of 8 or more because they were huge and horrible and required a lot of manual labour. My tolerance for military history forums hit its limit at that point so I refuse to research WW2.American Psycho (Wet) - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eY9ccvv7NlgLiving spaces in space, from Cowboy Bebop - https://www.tumblr.com/bluedelliquanti/123202722454/one-of-my-favorite-things-about-rewatching-cowboy Random bug generator - https://perchance.org/bug-species My chair is unusually creaky in this one, so keen ears will probably pick it up occasionally. Sorry about that!*** 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.com*** Additional Credits ***Our 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/
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 18 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Violet's Conpulsion Con-trived Title

    Bonus Episode: Violet's Conpulsion Con-trived Title
    May 8 2026

    In this bonus episode, Violet discusses the games she ran and played at Con-Pulsion 2026…. Which she in-con-veniently forgets to name during the recording. Whoops!


    ***** Timestamps *****


    Panels & speakers - 02:55

    Unravel - 06:01

    Unravel… again! - 13:57

    Spoilers for the Unravel quickstart scenario - 15:39 to 16:53

    More mechanical discussion of Unravel - 17:39

    Freya’s extremely subjective opinions about Earthborne Rangers - 21:40

    The Thunder Perfect Mind - 25:08

    Dream Askew - 34:57

    Reflection & Wrapup - 43:13


    ***** Games discussed *****


    Unravel

    Liminal Horror

    Delta Green

    Lasers & Feelings

    CBR+PNK

    Earthborne Rangers

    The Thunder Perfect Mind[*1]

    Vampire: The Masquerade

    Daggerheart

    Dream Askew

    PbtA

    Wanderhome

    Mad Alien With A Box

    Gloomhaven


    ***** Other media discussed *****


    Black Wave, by Michelle Tea

    Cross stitch (like, the actual textiles hobby)

    Elder Scrolls 3 : Morrowind

    Arkham Horror (the card game)

    Arkham Horror (the board game)

    Elder Sign (the other Arkham Horror board game)

    Orphan Black

    Trios


    ***** Notes & Links *****


    Unravel quickstart: https://studio-mothmen.itch.io/unravel-the-work-is-in-good-hands

    Discord link: https://discord.gg/cMP257y8


    [*1] the game by Tanya Floaker, not the 2,000 year old poem


    Freya will be wandering the halls of UK Games Expo in May, wearing her white JourneyMon t-shirts as usual. (In related news - the digital edition of JourneyMon has now released to kickstarter backers! Exciting!).
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Episode 12: What is a Roleplaying Game?

    Episode 12: What is a Roleplaying Game?
    Apr 1 2026
    In this foolish episode, we…. Wait, what is it we do here again? I… I can’t remember… we’ve got a long road ahead of us if we’re going to make sense of all this.(Seriously. It turns out we can’t even begin to answer this question without talking about the nature of storytelling, improv, kayfabe, the role of GM, the purpose of rules, being instructed to *break* those rules, what it means to “play”, the promises made when a game describes itself… this was meant to be a silly joke episode, dangit!)Freya turns her lovers into fighters. Violet collates a collaborative coventure. Freya is drawn to a new role. Violet explores the past pre-tense. Freya breaks free of her bindings. Violet imagines a world without imagination.*** Timestamps ***What’s new - 02:56Mailbag - 11:07Intro to the topic - 18:30History - 25:12Taxonomicon - 40:16Actual start of the taxonomicon - 41:06Just kidding, it’s a discussion of the spectrum between ‘board game’ and ‘improv theatre’ - 41:07Could this be the taxo- oh, no, now we’re talking about the nature of rules - 46:32Listen, I think we’re just not going to have a normal taxonomicon in this one - ?:??:!?Wait! A list of games in quick succession! This must be it! - 53:20Discussion about Wanderhome and Kishotenketsu and game Promises and- are we sure we actually know what this podcast is about at all? - 01:05:36Who’s Game is it anyway? (Discussion on the nature of GMs) - 01:21:08The Counterexampliad, whatever that means - 01:27:25Exclusive unlocked patreon content preview [*1]: international paper size deep dive - 01:31:51 to 01:33:17Design Dreams - 01:56:58We made it! - 02:12:59*** Design Dreams ***Two Truths And A Lie-FallParasocial InvestigationsDiararchaeologyRedaction RPGPBTA Chaos DraftCo-Op Adventure QWOPRPG: Rebus-Picto-Glyphs*** Games discussed ***D&D 3.5eHeavy GearD&D 1ePathfinder 1eEat the ReichUnravelStories from the GraveWildseaEberronGoGo GolfKagematsuTriangle AgencyHyboreaCoventry [*2]Tunnels & TrollsPasión de las PasionesIn Nomine Satanis / Magna VeritasVampire: the MasqueradeApocalypse WorldDogs in the VineyardWorld Wide WrestlingMonsterheartsA Song Of Ice And Fire RPGGenesysFellowshipMasksDo: Fate of the Flying TempleAvatar LegendsYazeba’s Bed And BreakfastTroikaMausritterGolden Sky StoriesSavage WorldsWanderhomeJourneymonAlas for the Awful SeaTransitLancerChuubo’s Marvellous Wish-Granting EngineSlugblasterInterstitialPitcrawlerTriangle AgencyMothershipCypherRuneQuest IIMonster of the WeekBrindlewood BayScherzandoLost KingdomBelonging Outside BelongingColostleFor Small Creatures Such As WeWreck This DeckHot Damn Deadly Alien Overlord Au Pair [*3]TackleboxFor The QueenOur Queen CrumblesThe Tragedy of GJ237BParanoiaToonMicroscopeI’m Sorry Did You Say Street MagicActs Of Evil [*4]“Messed Up Little Guy” [*5]Goblin CountryDream AskewBand of BladesArs MagicaEveryone Is JohnStar Trek AdventuresThis Discord Has Ghosts In ItGobloniaEverything Is TablesYour Body A LandscapeSpireDe ProfundisApothecaria*** Other media discussed ***Mass EffectThe Twilight Zone (and its ilk)Majora’s MaskFinal Fantasy Tactics AdvanceThe Elusive ShiftKriegsspiel [6]The Lord of the RingsBattleshipMastermindKiki’s Delivery ServiceStar Wars: Empire At WarFTLNierFinal Fantasy XIVFighting FantasyGrapefruit (Yoko Ono)FoundationUnwritten Earths SymposiumOctober: Ten Days That Shook The WorldSpyfallPacific RimDicey DungeonsCity of the Six MoonsWildermythPenny Arcade*** Notes ***[*1] This is a joke, we don’t have a patreon and if we did we’d serve you something better than this gag, probably.[*2] As you’ll discover when listening, this and several other entries on this list are debatably proto-RPGs. I’m giving them the honour of not being relegated to the ‘other media’ zone…[*3] Once again - I’m sorry, world.[*4] The author’s name is Paul Czege.[*5] By Grant Howitt. This is a paraphrasing of the game’s name, but delightfully, you will find it if you google this.[*6] Unlike Coventry, this one definitely goes on the ‘other’ list. Because it definitely is a wargame. It’s in the name.*** Links ***The term “ashcan edition” derives from quick, low-quality mockups used in the comics industry to quickly establish trademarks, and not intended to be read: something you’d take one look at, then thrown in the (tr)ashcan. In publishing, the term has shifted to mean early promotional materials. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashcan_comic Ironically, if you haven’t seen this xkcd, we may have overestimated your familiarity. https://xkcd.com/2501/ “Fafhrd”, of “Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser”, probably isn’t pronounced the way Violet valiantly attempted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fafhrd_and_the_Gray_Mouser Violet quotes from The Grasshopper: Games, Life, and Utopia, by ludologist Bernard Suits. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusory_attitude Freya only references webcomics if they’re at least 17 years old. https://...
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 16 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Freya's Contingency Con-Return

    Bonus Episode: Freya's Contingency Con-Return
    Mar 4 2026

    In this tradition-setting bonus episode, Freya debriefs about the mechanics and tabletop experiences of seven games she played, two she ran, and one she designed (!) at Contingency 2026, the UK’s premier seasonally skewed seaside TTRPG convention.


    As always, a massive thank you to all the GMs and players who make this con a highlight of my year ~


    Timestamps

    Immediate digression about competitive tabletop games - 0:07:04

    The Code of Steam and Steel - 0:13:35

    Tournament Arc - 0:22:42

    Guest appearance from my cat - 0:29:53

    Nibiru - 0:33:42

    Inhuman Game Jam - 0:38:51

    Phoenix: Dawn Command - 0:49:28

    Goblonia - 0:57:26

    Digression about games for actual toddlers - 1:05:20

    Demigods - 1:08:55

    Slugblaster* - 1:12:49

    Rivers of London - 1:14:42

    Break!! - 1:27:14

    Con Haul - 1:35:10

    Digression about settings where you’re just a lil guy - 1:38:32

    Wrap up & what we’d like to play again - 1:42:48


    Games discussed

    Wildsea

    Cosmere RPG

    Shadowdark

    Black Code

    Black Rune

    The Code of the Space Lanes (briefly)

    The Comics Code

    Belonging Outside Belonging

    JourneyMon

    Interstitial

    The We-ness

    Warhammer (briefly)

    Wanderhome

    Vampire: The Masquerade

    Spire

    The Sprawl

    The PBTA genre in genre-al

    Call of Cthulhu

    D&D

    Pathfinder

    Delta Green

    The One Ring

    Die

    Avatar Legends**

    Cypher System (2019 edition)

    Magnus Archives RPG (briefly)

    Genesys

    Mouse Guard

    Mausritter

    Mythic Bastionland


    Other media discussed

    Warhammer

    Magic: the Gathering

    Battletech

    (Is Tarot “media”? Hmm.)

    Megaman: Battle Network

    Yu-Gi-Oh

    Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged

    The works of Adrian Tchaikovsky

    The Mind

    The concept of the mechsploitation genre

    Leverage

    That children’s memory game where you flip and match pairs of cards

    Baby youtuber thumbnails

    Various other infant toys, sorry, we got stuck on A Thing

    Rivers of London (the novels themselves)

    Inscription

    Iron Lung (briefly)

    Waters of Leith***

    Battlecon: War of Indines

    Millennium Blades (briefly)

    Hollow Knight

    Roadside Picnic****

    STALKER


    Notes & Links

    * You may have noticed this section is short. There’s not much to say about Slugblaster! It’s good. More verbose and video-oriented reviewers have talked much about it already.


    ** Mild spoiler warning in the final few minutes for some of the season premises (and a canon ship, ha) of Legend of Korra.


    *** I have now *finished* listening to Waters of Leith. It’s a fun and competent production… but despite the GM’s stated intentions, it doesn’t really engage with the anticolonialist antagonist in an interesting or nuanced way. Which is not great, considering it’s set in (a version of) the real world and names real locations, peoples, and cultural artifacts.


    **** Spoiler warning for a seminal 1970s sci fi story.


    Wolfram Alpha reports that the probability of at least one 4 on 4d4 is a bit over 2/3rds. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=probability+of+at+least+one+4+on+4d4


    “Nibiru” is an Akkadian term for “point of transition”. Nice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibiru_(Babylonian_astronomy)


    Games For Crabs is running July 18th - 19th, 2026, in Sheffield (UK). https://gamesforcrabs.co.uk/


    Toast Tea in Edinburgh is indeed a good café, and they are not - unfortunately - paying us.


    Violet will be at Conpulsion in April - https://conpulsion.org/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 46 mins
  • 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...
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 14 mins
  • 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/
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 19 mins