Explore every episode of the podcast Around the Hearth
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Hearth Games of the Year 2024 | 31 Dec 2024 | 01:47:05 | |
A collection of favorite tabletop rpgs of 2024 from our community members. It’s split into three sections, with host picks in-between. To learn more about Open Hearth Gaming Community, check out openhearthgaming.com. Podcast feed: https://aroundthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/ AP Podcast: https://playingatthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenHearthGaming Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg Bluesky: @openhearthrpg.bsky.social Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@openhearthrpg You can join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/kpfcuCFzzM | |||
| GMing Shop Talk: NPCs | 25 Jun 2024 | 01:11:38 | |
Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward Podcast) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, the Gauntlet Podcast) talk NPCs: creating, presenting & working with them. We discuss these ideas with a small GM group-- getting their ideas and suggestions. Links mentioned in episode: | |||
| Announcement: Playing at the Hearth | 28 Apr 2024 | 00:01:17 | |
Open Hearth Gaming's recorded gaming sessions are now available in an audio-only podcast format. For more information, check out Playing at the Hearth at https://playingatthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/. For more information about Open Hearth Gaming, including how to sign up for games, please visit https://openhearthgaming.com/. Thanks, everyone, and happy gaming! | |||
| Learning Legacy: Life Among the Ruins | 18 Apr 2024 | 01:45:55 | |
This is a talk by Lowell Francis about Legacy: Life Among the Ruins, a PbtA game of post-apocalyptic families and factions. Lowell (@edige23 on most social media) walks through the facets of the game giving advice and insight, with feedback and questions from the seminar participants. Talk Outline You can check us out on Patreon, YouTube, or our website. | |||
| Talking Hard Moves, Costs & Consequences | 13 Mar 2024 | 01:18:39 | |
A community event talking about GMing and playing hard moves, managing costs, and balancing consequences for PbtA, Forged in the Dark, and other storygames. | |||
| Talking Forged in the Dark | 29 Jan 2024 | 01:24:47 | |
A community event talking about the basics of FitD, challenges for play, best practices, interesting mechanics, and new games. Begins with a 30 minute overview, followed by a longer group discussion of folks' experience with and advice for playing Forged in the Dark Games. This is the actual, unedited audio from the discussion. | |||
| Open Hearth Games of the Year 2023 | 30 Dec 2023 | 01:26:33 | |
Members of the Open Hearth Gaming Community submit their favorite games and gaming experiences of 2023 in our year-end special episode. Website: https://openhearthgaming.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/openhearthgaming Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@openhearthrpg Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/open-hearth-rpg/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@OpenHearthGaming Time Codes
Games Mentioned (a partial list) Arcane Crimes Division Note: affiliate links to DriveThruRPG Releases | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 2: Mythic Bastionland, Red Markets, Kingdom | 28 Jan 2025 | 00:57:02 | |
Hey! We made it to Episode 2! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Horst and Will H. Horst's Mythic Bastionland Links: https://weirdwonder.bearblog.dev/mythic-bastionland/#fn-1
Lowell Francis: https://age-of-ravens-games.itch.io/ Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 1: UVG, Tomb Raider, Community Radio | 14 Jan 2025 | 00:55:43 | |
Hey! It's the first episode of our long-promised podcast. In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Marc Majcher and Jim Crocker. Marc Majcher: https://majcher.itch.io/ Community Radio: https://thoughtcrimegames.itch.io/community-radio Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 3: Girls of Genziana Hotel, Lovecraftesque, Sword Opera | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:57:32 | |
Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined this episode by community members Jex Thomas and Mike Minutillo to talk about their recent gaming experiences and in-depth discussions about a game they each enjoy. Jex's Links: Mike's Links: Pasión de las Pasiones Lowell Francis: https://age-of-ravens-games.itch.io/ Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 5: Playtesting, Solo Gaming, DIE | 11 Mar 2025 | 00:55:56 | |
Welcome to our fifth episode! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Sherri and Anders. Final Girl Anders Gabrielsson Lowell Francis Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex – Ep.0 | 04 Mar 2025 | 00:51:09 | |
In this inaugural episode, hosts Ian and José introduce the new podcast’s focus on the player perspective in TTRPGs: As players, how do we optimize our own fun, as well as that of our peers? How do we learn to recognize, appreciate, and develop our own individual play styles? How do we embrace our own agency within games and deploy it to support the greater community of players? Contact Ian and José at adifferenthex@gmail.com | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 4: Wilderfeast, Bump in the Dark, Sunken Hearts | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:54:44 | |
Welcome to our fourth episode! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Dom and Donogh. Wilderfeast Donogh Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| Talking Game Facilitation | 02 Nov 2024 | 02:06:54 | |
Talk Outline: https://bit.ly/3UDCye3 This is a talk/seminar about game facilitation, particularly in our Open Hearth Gaming Community. In this single session, I will be walking through the material I usually cover in session one of our Game Facilitator Camps. I’ll walk through that syllabus, and we can stop off for questions and tangents. Then we’ll open things up to questions, general discussion, and any kinds of topics folks want to cover. For more information on Open Hearth, see https://openhearthgaming.com/. Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVYzlTDwVcQ | |||
| An Introduction to Designing with Cortex Prime | 17 Feb 2024 | 01:12:21 | |
This is a talk Anders did for the Open Hearth gaming community. It contains a brief overview of the history of the Cortex system, an introduction to the mechanics, a look at example characters from some different Cortex Plus games, a look at the different traits available in Cortex Prime, and some discussion on things to think about when making a Cortex Prime game. The Open Hearth: https://openhearthgaming.com/ | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 6: Urban Shadows, The David Web, Wanderhome | 08 Apr 2025 | 00:36:11 | |
In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Fumi is joined today by Jesse (jesseabe) and Mads (madelancholy, https://www.youtube.com/@Madelancholy). Games Discussed Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 1 - Character Creation | 25 Mar 2025 | 00:56:57 | |
Ian and José welcome their first guest, Gwen Marshall, to talk about how players navigate the character creation process. We discuss our personal approaches to the process, reveal our recurring character “types”, and wonder how characters continue to evolve after Session Zero. Link to Gwen’s work: https://drgwenmarshall.carrd.co/ Contact Ian & José at: adifferenthex@gmail.com Open Hearth Gaming: https://openhearthgaming.com/ Show music: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex Games Mentioned:
| |||
| Talking Hacks: PbtA & Forged in the Dark | 22 Apr 2025 | 01:34:02 | |
Another in our series of Open Hearth Community talks, this time discussing hacking Powered by the Apocalypse and Forged in the Dark: approaches, challenges, best practices. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Anders, Puckett, Bryan L, Brushman, Amaze, Ethan, Dom, and Cinna. Selected Games Mentioned | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 7: Protect the Child, Yazeba's, Blades '68 | 06 May 2025 | 00:54:42 | |
In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Rae Nedjadi (https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/) is joined today by Mint (https://mint-rabbit.itch.io/) and Casey. Games Discussed Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters 01:05 Introduction 03:07 Mint & Protect the Child 15:52 Casey & Yazebas Bed & Breakfast 32:52 Rae & Blades '68 (open playtest version) 43:41 Giving Me Life | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 2 - Negotiating Scenes | 13 May 2025 | 01:18:55 | |
Ian and José chat with Agatha Cheng about how we develop narrative arcs for our PCs and the art of calling scenes to illustrate those arcs. Along the way, we indulge in bad boy tropes and the joys of PC/PC fandom. Agatha’s Work: Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Our info: | |||
| Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 2 Villains & Vigilantes | 08 Jul 2025 | 00:41:40 | |
In this second episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Villains & Vigilantes, the superhero rpg that broke the genre open. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 10: Night Witches, Fathom, Impossible Landscapes | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:50:29 | |
In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at some really interesting and intense games. Host Mike Minutillo is joined community members Gwen Marshall and Ethan Harvey. Night Witches: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/146173/night-witches Fathom: https://sulcata.itch.io/fathom Impossible Landscapes: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/344408/delta-green-impossible-landscapes Gwen https://bsky.app/profile/drgwenmarshall.bsky.social https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=gwendolyn%20marshall https://drgwenmarshall.itch.io Ethan https://ethanharvey.itch.io https://bsky.app/profile/cavedueller.bsky.social Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| Talking World Building, Collaboration & Beyond | 24 Jun 2025 | 00:58:48 | |
A recording of a talk by Lowell Francis about handling world building and collaborative elements. This session was part of Shared Hearth, the Open Hearth Gaming Community free ttrpg weekend. In this talk/discussion we hit on
This was a mixed discussion and Q&A. We talked about adapting a more fixed setting, like Duskvol from Blades in the Dark, and make it into one with even more interesting player input and creation. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 1 Superhero 2044 | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:36:47 | |
In this first episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Superhero 2044, arguably the first supers role-playing game. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 3 - Setting & Following Character Goals | 17 Jun 2025 | 01:07:05 | |
Ian & José are joined by Marc Majcher to discuss how we develop & pursue both in- and out-of-character aspirations. What makes a goal, and how can having one drive play? Along the way we talk about how closely we identify with our PC’s, and peer briefly into using techniques from improv theatre to improve our gaming. Timecodes: Marc’s Work: majcher.com, Twitch.tv/mmajcher Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Our info: | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 9: Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, Star Wars Microscope | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:54:17 | |
In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at two really interesting projects. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined community members Amanda Mullins (iamatrex) and Chrys Sellers (Hectic Electron). We talk Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, and a hack of Microscope for a Star Wars writers' room. LINKS The Defy the Gods Kickstarter Star Wars Alternate New History Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Chapters | |||
| Talking Supers: Running, Playing, Hacking Superhero TTRPGs | 03 Jun 2025 | 01:29:01 | |
Part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, Gauntlet Podcast, Open Hearth Podcast) talk all things superhero rpgs: challenges, combat, world-building, villainy, solo gaming, and beyond. We’re joined by a group of community members for this discussion/round-table (Jim C, Anders, Rod Santos, Sabine and Jolene). Selected Games Mentioned Ex-Capes Signal Light (Protean City Comics) Age of Ravens Generators Solo Gaming Friendly Neighborhood Superhero For more information about Open Hearth, check out openhearthgaming.com. | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 8: Take the Universe, Triangle Agency, Apocalypse Keys | 20 May 2025 | 01:00:00 | |
In this podcast, community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Andrea Rick (https://plotbunnygames.itch.io/) is joined today by Agatha (https://mightyyshrimp.itch.io/) and Wyllora (https://wyllora.itch.io/). Games Discussed Andrea Rick Agatha Wyllora Chapters 00:00 Introduction | |||
| Talking Horror: Running & Playing Horror TTRPGs | 15 Jul 2025 | 01:35:43 | |
Horror as a genre can be a great tool to use in your ventures in GMing horror games, but horror movies aren’t the only place to pull from. You can pull from many forms of media including books and real life situations. Sit down with us folks and let’s see how we each approach running horror ttrpgs! Jellyfishlines Vixie David Robles Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| Tribes in the Dark Kickstarter: Roll for Mutation Bonus Ep | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:42:23 | |
In this "bonusode*" for Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History, we talk with Wil Hutton aka Rivetgeek, lead developer for Tribes in the Dark. TitD reworks and re-imagines Tribe 8, Dream Pod 9's fantastical post-apocalyptic rpg from the late 1990s. This new version adapts the Forged in the Dark mechanics to this game of tribes, outcasts, and prophecy. Tribes in the Dark is Kickstarting through September 14 2025. *term borrowed from the Ranged Touch podcast... Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio | |||
| Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 1 Gamma World | 26 Aug 2025 | 00:46:35 | |
First episode of Roll for Mutation, a new series looking at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs. In this one hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the extended history of Gamma World, with a focus on the first two editions (of many). We talk about what Gamma World is, where it fits in gaming history, what the media context is like, and our general thoughts about the game. Roll for Mutation won't be covering things chronologically, but we do hope to hit the "tentpole" games in the genre early. References For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and larps inspired by the works of Philip K Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio 00:00 Introduction: Gamma World | |||
| Open Hearth: What Is It? | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:37:21 | |
Lowell Francis provides a short introduction to the Open Hearth Gaming Community: what we are, what we do, how you can join, and how you can support what we do.
00:00 Introduction | |||
| Talking Mysteries: Running Mystery TTRPGs | 12 Aug 2025 | 01:05:16 | |
This is the edited version of an older seminar by Lowell Francis talking about planning and running TTRPG mysteries. It's about 50 minutes of talk followed by a Q&A. Lowell talks about his approach and best practices for running mysteries in rpgs. Topics include:
...and more. See here for an outline of the talk Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 3 Underground | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:46:56 | |
This time Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History jumps forward in time to the mid-1990s. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Underground (1993), Mayfair's attempt to build on the DC Heroes system with a dystopian, cyberpunk supers setting. Content warning: cannibalism, PTSD, transphobia, regressive treatment of disabilities and mental illness. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| Fireside Chat with Agatha: Ep 1 Lowell Francis | 29 Jul 2025 | 01:04:43 | |
In the inaugural episode of Fireside Chat with Agatha, Agatha is joined by Lowell Francis, Community Manager for the Open Hearth and designer of Hearts of Wulin, to talk game design. Listen as Agatha pushes Lowell for more stuff for HoW and beyond! Agatha Cheng is the Co-Creator and Co-Host of the Asians Represent! and The Game Design Game Show podcasts Lowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can check out all of Lowell's actual plays on YouTube. You can find Hearts of Wulin and more on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 11: Smallville, Flying Circus, Mythomorphosis | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:56:39 | |
In this episode we cover a wide range of games old and new. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Rich Rogers (+1 Forward, Hit the Streets) and Jay Brown (Diceology, Life: Indomitable). Smallville Find Rich Rogers' Hit the Streets here Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can check out all of Lowell's actual plays on YouTube. You can find Hearts of Wulin and more on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Introduction | |||
| Talking Hearts of Wulin | 17 Jul 2025 | 01:11:25 | |
Be sure to check out the Hearts of Wulin Bundle of Holding running through Wednesday July 23rd, 2025. This is an edited and cleaned up version of a talk Lowell Francis, designer and co-writer on Hearts of Wulin, gave talking about moves, NPCs, set ups, and other topics in this game of wuxia melodrama. It is split between presentation and audience Q&A. This is part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 4 - Bleed | 16 Sep 2025 | 01:22:03 | |
Content Advisory: colonialism & imperialism; sexual violence in a horror/vampire context; death of loved ones, including miscarriage; excessive immersion; grief & bleakness. Mads joins Ian & José to talk about the relationship between player & character, the Magic Circle that divides them, and how experience can Bleed through from one to the other. Along the way we discuss some of the pitfalls of immersive gameplay, how to dial up or down that immersion, ways to stem the Bleed once it’s already started - and, of course, vampires! Mads’ Work!! Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Our info: | |||
| Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 4 Champions (1st-3rd Editions) | 09 Sep 2025 | 00:49:24 | |
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History returns to one of the earliest and most important superhero ttrpgs: Champions. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis talk about a game which is near and dear to their hearts-- both having played these editions extensively. They go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. They then move to general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug. This episode focuses just on the earliest editions-- prior to the release of the Champions 4th Edition, the "Big Blue Book." If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 12: Rangers of a Broken World, Aberrant, Masks | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:58:55 | |
In this episode Host Rae Nedjadi (Apocalypse Keys, Once More into the Void) talks with Sebastian Yūe and Matthew Arcilla about games, superheroes, villainy, gender, and much more. They look at Evil Hat's forthcoming ttrpg, a classic from White Wolf, and a more modern take on heroism (which is apparently getting a second edition). Content warning for second segment: mention of sexual assault in a short story. Rangers of a Broken World (aka Heroic Chord) Matthew can be found here: experimentego.bsky.social 00:00 Introduction | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 17: Under Hollow Hills, Raccoon Sky Pirates, CAIN | 30 Apr 2026 | 00:40:11 | |
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Tea talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time maiya and Sina discuss things they recently played, cover three RPGs in more depth (Under Hollow Hills, Raccoon Sky Pirates, and CAIN), and then the group finishes up with some things they've been digging recently. Links: maiya on the OH Discord Sina is Beatingaroundthebooks on Discord You can also check out their work at https://adhdandme.kit.com/ Tea is Tea_amat on Discord and @tea-amat.bsky.social
Support or donate at https://patreon.com/swordqueengames or https://ko-fi.com/matthewarcilla Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Introduction | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 8 - Your Home Table | 14 Apr 2026 | 01:02:17 | |
Ian, José, and special correspondent Danny put the knowledge we've gained from past episodes into practice. We talk about figuring out what you actually like in a game and advocating for it, playing to lift our fellow players, and Danny's 4-step method for iterative improvement through play. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Our info: 0:03:38 - Pick Your Poison | |||
| Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 4 Apocalypse World | 10 Feb 2026 | 00:55:17 | |
In our fourth episode of Roll for Mutation, we look at one of the most important post-apocalyptic games, Apocalypse World. We consider both the impact of PbtA and the depiction of "the Apocalypse" in AW-- and how it differs from other contemporary games. Hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the short but rich history of AW and its long tail. We talk about what Apocalypse World is, where it fits in gaming history, our experiences playing it, and our general thoughts about the game. References For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and LARPs inspired by the works of Philip K. Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio 00:00 Introduction: Apocalypse World | |||
| Talking RPG Cities | 03 Feb 2026 | 01:08:29 | |
What makes a good city in a role-playing game? People, places, factions, rumors? We're going to be talking about that and bringing together your insights. This community discussion ranges widely but includes: tools for building cities, techniques for making cities feel alive, mapping, citybook resources, and more. While we don't follow my outline, you can see my planning doc here. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community | |||
| A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 6 - The Gift of Offers | 27 Jan 2026 | 01:17:25 | |
As the first installment in a series of episodes on improv tools at the gaming table, Ian & José are joined by Karen Twelves, the author of Improv for Gamers, to discuss how players can make and receive meaningful offers in TTRPGs. Timecodes Karen's Work Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Our info: | |||
| Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 6 Godlike & Wild Talents | 20 Jan 2026 | 00:47:35 | |
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at two related RPG systems. First Godlike, the World War II supers game that leans into realism and consistency. Second Wild Talents, the evolution of the systems from Godlike which can follow that history or be recast into a generic supers RPG. The hosts look at what both games do, their place in the history of gaming, and the influence of related comics media. They wrap that up general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Thanks to Rich Rogers for the edit of this episode. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Intro | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 15: Mythic Bastionland, Villa Encantata, Rapscallion | 13 Jan 2026 | 00:40:51 | |
In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Kieron Gillen and Cat Rambo to talk about recent games, plans for future games, current writing projects, and more. Kieron Gillen Cat Rambo Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Introduction | |||
| Open Hearth Games of the Year 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 01:51:38 | |
A collection of favorite tabletop RPGs of 2025 from our community members. It's split into three sections, with host picks in-between. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community SPOILER | |||
| Open Hearth Podcast Ep 14: Going for Broke, Grimwild, Band of Blades | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:59:01 | |
In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Michael D. and Alun R. to talk about the ups and downs of "funny" game mechanics, a modern approach to traditional fantasy, and facing down what feels like inescapable doom. They examine light rules for sitcoms, new rules with an old feel, and a game that puts you on the losing side of a war. Please note that we will not be releasing any more episodes in December, but look for our upcoming annual Games of the Year episode dropping at the start of 2026! Going for Broke Panda's Talking Games Lowell's Dumb Honkai Star Rail Returning Player Code Michael Alun Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community 00:00 Introduction | |||
| Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 3 Paranoia | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:57:28 | |
Note: we had some audio issues with this recording (apologies)! In our third episode of Roll for Mutation, a look at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs, we bow in abject obeisance Friend Computer and the incomparably perfect TTRPG Paranoia from West End Games and then Mongoose. We consider the different editions and how we live in a phenomenal time which sometimes necessitates updating. But of course it never actually changed, since the Computer tells us that it has always been that way. Hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the extended history of the game and how it desperately raced to keep itself contemporary. We talk about what Paranoia is, where it fits in gaming history, our split experience playing it, and our general thoughts about the game. References For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and LARPs inspired by the works of Philip K. Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio 00:00 Introduction: Paranoia | |||