Explore every episode of the podcast Rene Plays Games
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mappa Mundi (Solo) | One-Player One-Shot | 23 sept. 2026 | 01:05:16 | |
Solo September rolls on and this week's one-player one-shot is the Exploration & Ecology RPG Mappa Mundi by Three Sails Studio!
This game was thrown at me A LOT during its crowdfunding, and I totally get why. The pitch is a game about exploration and observation of wildlife and rediscovering a world after a mysterious event fractured different cultures and places for a century or more. Now, the Mappa Mundi Institute sends out Chroniclers to journey through the world, find wildlife, locate legendary creatures, and return with information about their habits, behaviors, and ecological niches.
It was pitched in another interview as "What if Pokemon but no battling?" Just the Pokedex quest, and ... yea sign me up.
The solo supplement is a little crunchier than my usual preference, but I think that there's a lot of cool stuff in this game that probably translates to group play very well. It's incredibly collaborative, narrative, and the skill tree progression looks pretty cool! Check it out, and I hope you enjoy my little trek to find the ornery Vodyanyk!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Distant, Part Two by Vindsvept Windswept Realms Vol. II by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Princess With A Cursed Sword | One-Player One-Shot | 16 sept. 2026 | 00:45:56 | |
Solo September is fully in swing! Time for another one-player one-shot and this time it's one of the solo games I've had in my collection and on my list for the longest: Princess With a Cursed Sword by Anna Anthropy!
In this solo journaling game, you play a - you guessed it! - princess given a cursed sword and tasked with finding where it belongs to get rid of it. I had a great time making Princess Camille and delving into the dark tombs of the past to see an ancient deal finished. I hope you enjoy, and DEFINITELY think you should try this one.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Village Festival by Tabletop Audio Paragon Dark Dulcimers by Monument Studios Through Time (Bonus Track) by Vindsvept Dungeon C by Monument Studios The Mad Harvester by Vindsvept Puzzle Dungeon by Tabletop Audio Conflict Braam Loop by Monument Studios The Undercroft by Tabletop Audio A World Divide by Vindsvept A World Unbound by Vindsvept | |||
| Perspective Checks | Games, Life, and the Human Experience with SuperDillin (One Shot) | 09 sept. 2026 | 01:10:30 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month's episode is with the incomparable SuperDillin, host of One Shot Podcast as well as one half of Dorkspawn, the video game book club podcast! Oh and he also recently cowrote the newest addition of the Ultimate Roleplaying Series - The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide with James D'Amato. Besides being just very cool, Dillin plays a lot of games over on One Shot and appearing elsewhere as an AP icon, and we talk about games as a hobby, a community, and a preferred vehicle for exploring all things about the human experiences.
This chat is honestly mostly just me gushing over all the cool things Dillin is involved with, but we do talk about some really interesting things in the world of tabletop games from the intentionality and creativity of indie games, the "everyone's hot and nobody's horny" problem that drives Dillin to encourage sexuality and romance heavily in his games, and more.
Here's a list of some (hopefully most) of the things we talked about in this episode:
----more----
Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 11: Tree of Light, Tree of Woe (The Finale) | 04 sept. 2026 | 01:08:49 | |
Beneath the Tree of Woe, the wicked towering tree at the heart of the forest of Eryn Vorn, Iorlas wields his ancestral blade, Nimloth's Tear, against the Flame in the Dark, an ancient nameless thing of evil.
With a sword named for a white tree, a memory of light, Iorlas goes into battle against a shadow that has accumulated the dark shadows of hate for Ages.
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Fallen by Vindsvept The Gaping Maw by Tabletop Audio Terror in the Woods by Tabletop Audio Troll Grotto by Tabletop Audio Action 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios Dream of Paradise feat Celestial93 by Vindsvept Passion by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Ronin | One-Player One-Shot | 25 août 2026 | 00:57:59 | |
Quick pivot to play a recommended one-player one-shot of Tiago Junges' Ronin, recommended by this month's Perspective Checks guest Cezar Capacle!
Ronin is a solo TTRPG that was the mechanical and framework precursor to the excellent NOTORIOUS & OUTSIDERS which I played on this podcast. You play the part of a Ronin, a masterless samurai of Sengoku period Japan on a journey to achieve your goal.
I condensed what could have been a whole series into one hour, but I highly recommend you play this game and let me know how your story goes! I want to play more of it now, and I already have the successor to Benjiro, Little Bear Ronin to do it with :)
Get Ronin (for FREE) here! and now I want to check out Shinobi - an expansion for Ronin!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
and Get in on playing some Wicked Good Adventures!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Distilled: Tranquility by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| [Bonus] The One Ring DMs After Dark One-Shot | 24 août 2026 | 02:58:33 | |
Sure, we've had one one-shot, but what about second one-shots?
Okay, the joke doesn't land, but you get it! I ran some of the DMs through a one-shot of The One Ring 2e! Amber, Chris, Jess, and Kent play as members of a new fellowship in the time between the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings far away from anywhere you may be familiar with in Middle Earth! West of the Shire, west of the Blue Mountains lies the lands of Lindon, where the elves set sail from the Grey Havens to the Undying Lands, but north of those elven lands lies Forlindon, a northern territory of elves long banished or self-exiled from the rest of their eternal kindred.
The Lady of Forlindon has called for aid from beyond to solve a problem in an abandoned dwarven mine in the Blue Mountains, and our heroes take up the call! What ancient horrors lurk in the dark caves of dwarves? Listen and find out!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
and Get in on playing some Wicked Good Adventures!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode: DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands) | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 10 - Entmoot | 19 août 2026 | 00:56:16 | |
Iorlas encounters a population of Ents long separated from their kin in Fangorn Forest out on the cape of Eryn Vorn. It takes some time, but he convinces them to bring him to the heart of the forest where the corruption is most foul... but their interactions are not unnoticed.
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
and Get in on playing some Wicked Good Adventures!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Mother of Deceit by Monument Studios Netherlight by Monument Studios Haven by Tabletop Audio The Beginning by Monument Studios Privy Council by Tabletop Audio Crystalline by Vindsvept As We March by Vindsvept Through the Woods by Tabletop Audio Elven Corruption by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Mausworn & Creative Habits with Cezar Capacle | 12 août 2026 | 01:03:34 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month I'm honored to have sat down and talked with one of my absolute favorite game designers Cezar Capacle! You've heard me play multiple of his games on this feed such as Wraithound and Midnight Melodies, and believe me I will play more of them!
Cezar is a Brazilian game designer now living on the island of Madeira and not only does he put out a lot of games, all of which are incredibly quality, his breadth of genres and mechanics and concepts is truly a marvel to behold. We talk about his philosophy of letting all of your ideas bounce around in your head like a game design hadron collider to his work ethic of diligent vs. inspired creativity which helps him capitalize on those a-ha moments. Honestly, if you take nothing else from this episode, this was an amazing tip to just show up and do the work so you find your groove, hone your craft, and then the rest will come easily when the muse comes to bless you with great game ideas.
But most importantly, we talk about his upcoming game Mausworn: Brave Tails on Perilous Trails, a Mausritter-meets-Ironsworn game of mice adventurers on epic quests. This game feels like it was made FOR ME, and you can be I'm going to play it on this podcast when I can! Instead of just taking bits and mashing up the two systems, Cezar has carefully crafted OSR sensibilities and Ironsworn's narrative generation into a whole new thing and it. sounds. amazing.
Cezar's YouTube channel has multiple videos on his process with Mausworn I highly recommend!
I hope you enjoy this chat, I would love to bother and chat with Cezar every day about games if I could. Go get his games and tell me (and him!) how excellent your experience was, you won't be sorry.
----more----
Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 9 - Unwelcome in Eryn Vorn | 05 août 2026 | 00:45:27 | |
After the ambush in the barn, Iorlas rides southeast toward the dark forested cape of Eryn Vorn. Long have the steads and rolling hills of Minhiriath laid unpopulated after the Great Plague, and the massive pine forest on the high cliffs of Eryn Vorn looms over the sea like a shadow...
En route, Iorlas encounters dangers and grim sightings that may be the reason none enter these lands...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
and Get in on playing some Wicked Good Adventures!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Hollow by Vindsvept Life Below by Vindsvept Elven Procession by Tabletop Audio The Gaping Maw by Tabletop Audio Wolf Howl by Monument Studios Forgotten Forest by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Ironsworn: Legacies | 3: The Raiders of Fisher's Grove | 29 juil. 2026 | 00:46:54 | |
I've decided to continue my playtesting of the (few years out) upcoming Ironsworn: Legacies!
Five months after releasing the enormous elder shadow wolf god from the glacier, Tessa and Farina - along with some new friends - continue to track the beast.
They find themselves in the coastal village of Fisher's Grove, but their pursuit of Inkanis, the Wolf God is halted by raiders holding the small village hostage. Tessa makes things worse.
If you want to, please head over to the Ironsworn Discord channel which you can find a link to on the Ironsworn website to get in on the playtesting!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Windswept Realms Vol. II by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands
| |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 8 - The Eye in the Storm | 22 juil. 2026 | 00:47:52 | |
Iorlas departs Bree and heads south along the Greenway between the Barrow Downs and South Downs, a perilous place to travel... Not long after he sets out does he realize his progress is now being observed and his journeys are unlikely to go smoothly as he heads to investigate the cape of Eryn Vorn for Cirdan the Shipwright...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
and Get in on playing some Wicked Good Adventures!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Deep Sleep of the Elven King by Vindsvept Wizards Tower by Tabletop Audio Western Watchtower by Tabletop Audio Dark and Stormy by Tabletop Audio Lightning B by Monument Studios Dungeon Collapse by Tabletop Audio Dark by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Actual Play Theory with Ciera a.k.a. "RagePandaPajamas" | 14 juil. 2026 | 01:22:43 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month I'm joined by Ciera, a.k.a. RagePandaPajamas around the internet! Ciera is a media theory enthusiast who loves to look at and review TTRPG actual plays through a critical academic lens, as well as an author on the blog The Fandomentals, a theater & live production designer, and designer of the GM-less game Leave A Message After the Tone!
We don't get anywhere as deep as we could have into this topic, but the idea of looking into the evolving landscape of actual play performances in all of their forms from audio to video to written, with various intentions and goals to achieve different experiences was such an interesting talk. We discuss a lot about what it means to put your game out there in the world for an audience and how you don't need to strive to be like the bigger productions or do something entirely new to find your niche, but you do need to commit to learning and improving your craft.
Some of the books Ciera mentions are:
----more----
Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 7 - Scars & Songs | 07 juil. 2026 | 00:54:53 | |
After falling through the floor in the ruins of Fornost, Iorlas discovers something worse than orcs or evil Men. Luckily he gets out and makes it back to Bree, where he begins to recover from the terrifying ordeal and reunites with Gandalf before the next leg of his journey begins...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Cryptic Strings by Monument Studios Necromancer by Vindsvept Hidden Passageby Tabletop Audio Lonesome West by Tabletop Audio Halfling Lodge by Tabletop Audio Solemn Vow by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Ironsworn Legacies | 2: Beneath the Sacred Glacier | 30 juin 2026 | 00:51:25 | |
Playtest session 2 of Ironsworn: Legacies!
Tessa and the hunters get Farina to the site of her dreams on a massive frozen glacial valley, but a broken opening holds sacred secrets of the past, as well as old, corrupt shadows emerging...
If you want to, please head over to the Ironsworn Discord channel which you can find a link to on the Ironsworn website to get in on the playtesting!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Windswept Realms Vol. II by Vindsvept Lair of the Wyrm by Tabletop Audio Raise Earth C by Monument Studios Resurrect by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands
| |||
| Ironsworn Legacies | 1: Escort the Dreamer | 24 juin 2026 | 00:51:38 | |
A little late, but it's going to turn into 2 episodes of the playtest materials for the upcoming Ironsworn: Legacies from Shawn Tomkin instead of just the one bonus one for next week!
I am SUPER excited to be able to test this out, and if you want to, please head over to the Ironsworn Discord channel which you can find a link to on the Ironsworn website to get in on the playtesting!
In this episode I make my character, Tessa, a mighty shieldmaiden trying to earn redemption by being part of a small group of Ironlanders from the village of Rockfall to escort a mysterious outcast known as Farina, a dreamer of gods and old magic, to a place she knows only from dreams... What could go wrong, right? ----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands
| |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 6 - Shadows of the Past | 16 juin 2026 | 00:45:09 | |
Iorlas fights the wraith that rose in the ruins of the plaza in Fornost Erain and gains insight into the past. Going further in he traces the steps of Rangers who came before him, but one wrong step sends him deeper into the darkness...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Descent by Tabletop Audio Dragon Roar by Monument Studios Ice Dragon by Tabletop Audio Lord of Bones by Tabletop Audio Tomb Guardians by Tabletop Audio Lament of the Leaves by Vindsvept Lost Mine by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | An Exploring Spirit in TTRPGs with Meadow (HowdyLoveDarlin) | 08 juin 2026 | 01:31:26 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month I'm joined by Meadow a.k.a. HowdyLoveDarlingM, an incredibly thoughtful TTRPG designer, actual play GM, performer, cosplayer, writer, singer, artist, Meadow does so much! We talk about her collection of games and how she loves to explore the world of storytelling and doesn't shy away from filling the gaps in games with her own mechanics, putting her own spin on things to leave her mark, and the importance of collaboration throughout the entire process.
We also talk about our love of media and how it inspires everything we think and make, how we can use that creativity to explore new ideas and stories, as well as the importance of WRITING THINGS WITH YOUR HANDS. Do it, seriously, try it for a bit and see how much you realize you missed it/love it.
Never stop making art, telling stories, and putting yourself into them. Rebel with whatever cool silly things you're into (and share the weird with me please). And now go follow Meadow!
Meadow's games are available on her Patreon, and you can hear them played on her Twitch or YouTube!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 5 - First Steps Into Fornost Erain | 03 juin 2026 | 00:48:19 | |
After trumpeting a magical horn found in the burnt remains of the homestead, Iorlas has earned the trust of a majestic steed en route to Fornost Erain, the ancient keep and capital of Men from Ages past.
When he arrives, he finds it twisted and overgrown, treacherous and eerily abandoned, but of course trouble lurks within... Trouble in the form of evil Men and undead, but what is it that Gandalf has sent him here to learn?
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Bringer of Rain by Vindsvept On The Twilight Strand by Vindsvept Western Watchtower by Tabletop Audio Spectral Abbey by Tabletop Audio Simple Combat Sequence by Monument Studios Abandoned Chapel by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Design Diaries | Decktectives - Co-Op Buddy Cop TTRPG | 26 mai 2026 | 00:29:31 | |
Welcome back to the monthly design diaries series of 2026 where I am holding myself accountable toward putting out more games.
For the first Design Diaries of the year that isn't about Gardens of Rust, I decided to go back to what was going to be the original Design Diaries episode of 2026... my two-player buddy cop TTRPG Decktectives.
In this game, the two players sit down and create a pair of detectives or investigators who are going to solve a crime in around 1 hour of real time like an episode your favorite procedural using a deck of cards and a Three Act Structure with "commercial breaks."
The game mechanics are very simple, using cards from small hands to overcome prompts and obstacles flipped from a 3x3 grid representing each Act of the investigation to create piles of Clues & Complications. By the end, hopefully your duo has amassed enough evidence to put away the culprit (or solve the crime and let it slide).
I'm confident this one's done design-wise, I just need to get the layout done. SOMEONE YELL AT ME UNTIL I DO!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rain, Book And Cup Of Tea by | e s c p | https://www.escp.space https://escp-music.bandcamp.com | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 4 - Recovery, Refugees, and Relics | 20 mai 2026 | 00:54:45 | |
Iorlas spends time recovering between the small community of Archet in the Chetwood and a visit to Bree, where he runs into Gandalf again. After hearing news of an attack on a homestead along the Greenway to the north, Iorlas assumes it must be Drustan and his allies, so he ventures slightly out of the way to investigate. He finds a wondrous item...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Woodland Murmur by Vindsvept Reverie by Vindsvept Traveler Harp Loop by Monument Studios Privy Council by Tabletop Audio Origination by Monument Studios Enigma by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Play at the Peaks of Indie RPGs with Brian Flaherty (Many Sided Media) | 12 mai 2026 | 01:20:35 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month I have the pleasure of talking with Brian Flaherty, AP performer, GM, sound designer, producer, game designer, and one of the founders of the Many Sided Media network with an insane lineup of TTRPG podcasts including: And many, many more of some absolute staples in my own podcast queue like Dice Exploder and Maia's Game Room.
Anyway, this is just to say Brian wears A TON of hats that make him and his crew so aspirational and inspirational. One of my favorite quotes of this interview is him describing the idea for this TTRPG podcast adventure to show people "the peak of an indie game through actual play," and to get people excited about the game so they can play anywhere on that mountain in terms of how much production or extras they want to add onto it, but the goal is to provide an immersive, enjoyable experience with a game that tells a story like no other can.
Brian's episode is full of so much wisdom not just about podcasting professionally, but also about supporting creators, artists, and all the people whose work goes into making the things we love and play to tell great stories.
Please go check out everything Brian and his friends work on over at Many Sided Media and pay it back for him demanding that you leave me a rating (please do) by going and 5-star bombing all of their shows, too!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 3 - Troll In The Chetwood | 08 mai 2026 | 00:46:28 | |
The adventure continues.
As Iorlas and Fitch Talltree, Forester of Archet hunt for the escaped servants of Saruman in the Chetwood, something from Fitch's past comes back to settle a different score. Iorlas is wounded.
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Hollow by Vindsvept Atmos Braam A (D) by Monument Studios Forgotten Forest by Tabletop Audio Blighted Forest by Tabletop Audio Small Tree Fall by Monument Studios Terror in the Woods by Tabletop Audio Earthshatter by Monument Studios Single Hit F by Monument Studios Escape from the Shadow by Tabletop Audio Their Roots Go Deep by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Design Diaries | Gardens of Rust - The Community Phase | 28 avr. 2026 | 00:30:23 | |
Welcome back to the monthly design diaries series of 2026 where I am holding myself accountable toward putting out more games.
We're back to talk more Gardens of Rust, the post-catastrophe survival and community rebuilding game by myself and Christian from the DMs After Dark.
This is the final episode of this series for Gardens of Rust and it goes over the Community Phase of the game; when the PCs return back to their small settlement of survivors in the Rust, play zooms out and the players make decisions from a community-wide perspective. Based on the Comm's stats, the players have a limited number of actions to handle issues facing the community, make progress on forward-looking projects, enjoy moments when they can be enjoyed, and more, which in turn inform the goals of the next PC-focused Player Phase.
Please email or join the DMs After Dark Discord server to tell me about the kind of character you'd make for a post-collapse game so we can make it together! I want to start playtesting this game more with new players, so maybe we can set something up on the Discord.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 2 - Bad Luck In Bree | 22 avr. 2026 | 00:53:37 | |
The adventure continues.
Iorlas takes Drustan the Mercenary to Bree to face justice, but underestimates the extent of his resources. When Iorlas beseeches the folk of Bree to help him search for the escaped man, he must convince them before it's too late. In the end, he moves on, refusing to let evil men spread.
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Aldrassil by Monument Studios Hybrid Ambience by Monument Studios Viking Village by Tabletop Audio Cutpurse Pursuit by Tabletop Audio Privy Council by Tabletop Audio Arrow Target Practice B by Monument Studios Forgotten Forest by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Sharing With The Community with RP Deshaies (Fari RPGs) | 14 avr. 2026 | 01:21:33 | |
Bonjour! Salut! Ça va? Bienvenue a un autre Perspective Checks episode where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG Community to talk about all the things we love about this wonderful hobby.
Today you're getting not one but TWO Renes! I'm joined by Rene-Pier (RP) from Fari RPGs, creator of so many incredible games that almost all have free SRDs so you can learn the rules and make your own games with them! We're finally linking up to talk about RP's amazing effort to consistently share all of his own knowledge and experience making indie TTRPGs with the community, as well as
Breathless: Frightmare Edition funding now on Kickstarter!
RP is a designer who actually walks the walk, and he's created an amazing community of people through his free releases of his games SRDs, running game jams, putting out Affinity Publisher tutorials to help new designers with layout, and more! It's no surprise that his Breathless system has been used to make over 300 games and his other games continue to inspire others.
Hope you enjoy this episode, I apologize for my French, and I want to hear from everyone what game they have waiting to be made so we can get to playing it!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring 2e | Episode 1 - Spring in the Shire | 08 avr. 2026 | 01:00:54 | |
The adventure begins.
Iorlas, Ranger of the North, Dunedain, descendant of Numenor, leaves the Grey Havens in spring on a quest from Cirdan, the Shipwright to investigate a blight on the sacred trees with which the elves build the ships that ferry the elves on to Valinor upon their departure from Middle Earth.
On his way through the Shire to head south to the ruins of Eryn Vorn, Iorlas runs into Gandalf the Grey, who has his own quest for the Ranger. To the north, in the ruins of Fornost Erain, the ancient capital of the Dunedain, the shadow has lured other Men, Rangers who have not returned.
Iorlas opts to head north to save the Men who have less time than the trees to the south, but quickly runs into opposition once he leaves the Shire...
Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Veiled in Light by Vindsvept Lush World by Tabletop Audio Middle Earth: Dawn by Tabletop Audio Halfling Lodge by Tabletop Audio Blighted Forest by Tabletop Audio Goblin Ambush by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Tabletop Tutorial | Dick Wizards | 31 mars 2026 | 01:37:18 | |
Another episode of Tabletop Tutorial, where I'm joined by a guest to learn a new game together, one-on-one!
This time I'm joined by my wife, Lynn, for more Lynnsanity. She recently bought me a zine by Wolf Manzella a.k.a. Wyrd Wolf Entertainment called Dick Wizards! Yes, you read that right, and what a title! It's provocative, it gets the people going!
Now temper those thoughts, because this is a game about apprentice wizard detectives in the city of Providence, Rhode Island investigating Lovecraftian Cthulhu mythos in the form of crime and strange happenings around the city. On brand, Lynn keeps it real wild, and I think we had a great time playing this game.
I highly recommend checking this zine out, it has some really cool mechanics with tarot cards, spellcasting, and creating enemies!
Hope you enjoy, and I hope it makes you crave some Rhode Island specific food (somehow we didn't mention our amazing seafood even once, just the junk food).
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Recap by Monument Studios _Dark 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| The One Ring | Character Creation | 24 mars 2026 | 00:38:26 | |
Good day to you, I say, fair folk of the internet, and welcome to the character creation episode for my next solo podcast series of The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.
This is a short episode I'm putting out because things have gotten a little out of control here in March for me, and will continue to be for April, so please be patient with my episode releases for the next month and a half, but!
Let's make a character for a new game! If you want to add ideas or throw out potential cool locations/scenes/anything from your favorite bits of Middle Earth lore, be sure to join me for my 2nd Twitch Stream coming up Monday March 30th!
Anyway, hopefully I get the rules of this character creation right, but we have the following cool guy for this upcoming series:
Iorlas, Ranger of the North, Dunedain & descendant of the Numenoreans that sailed to the shores of Middle Earth fleeing the fall of Numenor. He is a capable Ranger, a Messenger that travels the land to spread word and ensure that the Free Folk of the world are ready for the spreading shadow from Mordor...
He wields a famous ancient blade of the Numenoreans known as Nimloth's Tear, foe-slaying blade to Evil Men and Undead, forged to harken the silver light of Telperion of old, what would be the light of the white tree of Gondor.
Very excited to tell a story in Middle Earth! I hope you're excited to hear :)
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Windswept Realms Vol. III by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Design Diaries | Gardens of Rust - GM's Guide to the Rust | 17 mars 2026 | 00:33:01 | |
Welcome back to the monthly design diaries series of 2026 where I am holding myself accountable toward putting out more games.
We're back to talk more Gardens of Rust, the post-catastrophe survival and community rebuilding game by myself and Christian from the DMs After Dark.
In episode 3 I go over the usual responsibilities and role of the GM. Calling for rolls, how to prep (minimally, because I'm not a prep kind of GM), and the kinds of things a GM would be doing during the Player & Community Phases.
This episode also has a mini-example of play with the two characters we made in the last Design Diaries. Nothing crazy comes up, but maybe next time (the last time for Gardens of Rust?) we'll do a combat or more involved example of play.
Please email or join the DMs After Dark Discord server to tell me about the kind of character you'd make for a post-collapse game so we can make it together! I want to start playtesting this game more with new players, so maybe we can set something up on the Discord.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Il Fantasma Del Giallo with Laurence Phillips (Hardy Roach Games) | 10 mars 2026 | 01:13:17 | |
Apologies for Laurence's Audio in this episode, the recording was a little strange when it exported from our video call, but I did the best I could. If you have any questions, please message or email me! (Or reach out to Laurence!)
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This episode is an early interview for Laurence's upcoming Kickstarter for his Italian horror/mystery cinema inspired Il Fantasma Del Giallo, a game about the actors, their roles, and the thinning line of reality and fiction! It's a neo-noir slasher inspired TTRPG that has some really interesting framing and mechanics, I am looking forward to see how it plays at the table!
You can find more of Laurence's games on the Hardy Roach Games itch.io page, or check out his BlueSky thread about giallo movies on his BlueSky.
Some movies to watch if you want to experience classic giallo include:
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Finale - Names & Places | 04 mars 2026 | 00:32:14 | |
Sybil's time in the Dungeons comes to an end. She leaves with a friend on a new journey.
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Darkness Fading by Vindsvept Sombre by Vindsvept Subtle Emotions Orchestra by Monument Studios Pathstrider (feat. Jason Higgins) by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Design Diaries | Gardens of Rust Part 2 - Character Creation | 24 févr. 2026 | 00:36:46 | |
Welcome back to the monthly design diaries series of 2026 where I am holding myself accountable toward putting out more games.
We're back to talk more Gardens of Rust, the post-catastrophe survival and community rebuilding game by myself and Christian from the DMs After Dark.
In episode 2 I walk through the Character Creation process and create two different characters to try and show the breadth of characters you may be going into this game with!
Hopefully this gets you excited and thinking about the types of characters you'd want to bring to the post-collapse world who can rebuild a community and new life in the Rust. Definitely join the DMs After Dark Discord or email me to tell me about a character idea, we can build it together!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 11 - The Rookling Forge | 17 févr. 2026 | 01:05:29 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
Sybil and friends explore the Rookling Forge and discover a dark secret. They follow the spectral chains down to the source to save a friend.
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Battle Stations by Tabletop Audio Haven by Tabletop Audio Dark 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios Hidden Passage by Tabletop Audio Combative Strings by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| [Bonus] Call of Cthulhu | Love You To Death Valentine's One-Shot | 14 févr. 2026 | 01:33:50 | |
We're back again for another totally romantic Valentine's Day one-shot!
The annual tradition continues as my wife Lynn joins me for a tangentially-love-related one-shot of a TTRPG session. This year we go back to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu to play the 2nd scenario in the Does Love Forgive? collection of 1-GM-1-Player mysteries!
One day after Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre in February 1929, a simple dog retrieval turns into a long-simmering love triangle gone very, very wrong!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Ragtimers - Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate from Archive.org Heavy Machine Gun F by Monument Studios An Unbreakable Bond by Vindsvept Survivors' Bivouac by Tabletop Audio Interrogation Room by Tabletop Audio As Time Passes from ZapSplat.com Nordic Noir by Tabletop Audio Vault of Terror by Tabletop Audio Futile by Monument Studios Lament of the Leaves by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Ian (Undercommon Taste) - Homebrew Is Design | 10 févr. 2026 | 01:20:25 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
Ian and I met playing in a short TTRPG series for previous guest of the show C.R. Rowenson's LitRPG series New Eternity and knew we had to chat more from our brief interactions and roles as the tankybois of the party.
Ian is one-half of the podcast Undercommon Taste, a TTRPG Homebrew podcast, so it's perfect that he's coming on to talk about all things homebrewing! This is a big umbrella in the TTRPG space. House rules are homebrew, technically, but so are some games that hack existing systems, so when do you know it's time to make something new? How much do you need to do? What do you need to consider?
We barely scratch the surface of the topic, but there's a lot of great nuggets of wisdom in this chat!
Also, you best believe that there's a Powered by the Aporkalypse file in my Google Docs now...
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 10 - Return to Castle Revolving | 03 févr. 2026 | 00:46:41 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
Sybil returns to the major labyrinth Castle Revolving to reach the heart of the dungeon and find what lies within. Then, a new friend leads the crew straight to the Rookling Forge.
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Windswept Realms, Vol. I by Vindsvept An Unbreakable Bond by Vindsvept Gorge by Monument Studios Legion by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Design Diaries 2026 | Gardens of Rust Part 1 | 27 janv. 2026 | 00:32:28 | |
Helloooooo my favorite nerds.
Welcome to the first episode of my monthly design diaries series here in 2026 where I am holding myself accountable toward putting out more games.
I have already pivoted! The first episode was supposed to be about my upcoming playing card-based 2-player buddy cop TTRPG Decktectives, but the state of the modern world made me really not want to talk about any kind of law enforcement, so instead we're talking about a post-societal collapse game, which is way more fun.
I know you've heard me talk about this one before, but I can promise big things are happening and you can expect it sooner than later. In this episode I'm talking about Gardens of Rust, the post-catastrophe survival and community rebuilding game by myself and Christian from the DMs After Dark.
I'll be doing a few episodes about this one, but in this I just tell you about what the game is going to be, how it's going to feel, and give the basics of the core resolution mechanic we've designed known as the 2dDifference System.
Next month I'll make a character and do some solo actual play previewing of the game, and after that we'll dive into how the GM role will play out in Gardens of Rust, as well as ideas for the future beyond that.
Get excited, it is coming. (The game, not the collapse of society. I hope)
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 9 - Stillnights | 20 janv. 2026 | 00:48:35 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
After escaping the Castle Revolving major labyrinth, Sybil recovers back in Oubliette during a festival known as Stillnights.
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Dream of Paradise by Vindsvept feat. Celestial93 Yuletide by Tabletop Audio Hidden Valley by Tabletop Audio Haven by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | PJ (Solo Roleplayers Podcast) - Get Those Games Off Your Shelf | 13 janv. 2026 | 01:09:48 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
We're kicking off 2026 with PJ Sack, a fellow solo podcaster and host of the excellent A Wasteland Story Fallout 2d20 solo AP as well as the incredible The Solo Roleplayers Podcast, which you will absolutely love if you're listening to me.
PJ and I sat down to talk about solo roleplaying in general and PJ's oft-repeated advice: "Get those games off your shelf." A fellow fan of variety, PJ often has 8+ stories and games going on at any time, and sometimes it's just because opening that new rulebook and getting ideas means taking 20 minutes to just give it a shot. And once that happens, you've got a story going that you can always come back to. We talk about his fantastic framing for A Wasteland Story, wanting to interview and connect with more likeminded people, and just how wonderful solo gaming can be.
Some Games Mentioned In The Episode:
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 8 - Castle Revolving | 06 janv. 2026 | 01:00:59 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
Pressing on and into the major labyrinth Castle Revolving, Sybil and the rooklings (and Zorn) quickly realize this is not like the rest of the Dungeons. This labyrinth is hostile and brutally punishing on top of being a confusing maze to navigate.
Sybil begins to figure out the way through, but the elemental attrition and Bastion defenders of the labyrinth force her to make an early exit back to Oubliette...
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Windsong Cavern by Vindsvept Icy Dystopian Atmos by Monument Studios Cinematic Atmos 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios Orcish Encampment B by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| 2025 Retrospective//Plans for 2026 | 30 déc. 2025 | 00:23:08 | |
Another year of the podcast is in the books! In this short episode I mostly just want to thank everyone for listening and share some insights from the year.
Some big ones were:
And for 2026, I have small plans to slightly adjust the regularly scheduled offerings from the last 2 years by making 4th week releases strictly design diaries, but specific to near completion/release games to hold myself more accountable, as well as a monthly Twitch stream where I just hang out with folks who want to come chat about games and what goes on behind the screen.
I hope your personal 2025 wasn't on par with the dumpster fire that was this year, and I hope your 2026 is going to be incredible with many many many many great games :) <3
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Afternoon Nap from Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/needmospace/afternoon-nap Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Christmas Is Coming | DMs After Dark Family Holiday One-Shot | 23 déc. 2025 | 01:59:50 | |
Happy Holidays!
DO YOU HAVE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IN YOU?
Welcome back to another DMs After Dark holiday one-shot! This year we decided to do a sequel to a previous holiday special - the Thursday time loop cheesy holiday movie set in a strange little bean tree town that we have appropriately named Beantree! This year, a group is traveling to avoid holiday get-togethers in a one-shot of Grant Howitt's Christmas Is Coming, a folk horror RPG, which, honestly tracks for how our holiday one-shots tend to go...
In all seriousness, though, we at the DMs After Dark/Rene Plays Games family of nerds sincerely wish all of you a safe, happy holiday season and the best 2026 full of peace, prosperity, and most of all... games.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Auld Lang Syne Rock (Royalty Free Music) Sleigh Bells Sound Effect by GowlerMusic -- https://freesound.org/s/265458/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Rot by Monument Studios Chase by Monument Studios Metallic and Ceramic Tones by Monument Studios Anxious Atmos by Monument Studios Music by Juan Carlos from Pixabay Downlifter B by Monument Studios Laugh Textured by Monument Studios | |||
| Tabletop Tutorial | The Time We Have with Troy from DMs After Dark | 16 déc. 2025 | 01:17:37 | |
Time for another Tabletop Tutorial, the series where I play two player TTRPGs with friends and we learn them together.
BIG OL' CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS EPISODE: Death, Alcoholism, Inappropriate Crude Body Humor, Body Horror, and probably a whole lot more, be careful with this one, please. It's heavy.
I'm once again joined by Troy from the DMs After Dark to play the heartbreaking two player TTRPG The Time We Have by Elliot Davis, a.k.a. moreblueberries, an excellent game designer as well as tabletop roleplaying mind from podcasts such as Talk of the Table and My First Dungeon, both regular staples in my podcast audio diet.
The Time We Have is a game about brothers in the post-apocalypse. There are a lot of potential settings provided with the game that cover more genres than near-future Earth, but the truth of the game is that one of you has been infected and only has 6 days to live. The two brothers sit on other side of a closed door and have conversations until the end or a hard decision must be made.
No spoilers for our episode, but safe to say Troy and I were both very moved by the session. The game has a rule that at the end of the game, you open the door and hug the other player, and for a game that gets this heavy, it's a very nice touch. Go get The Time We Have.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Radio Sound FX from https://www.zapsplat.com Body Fall Glass B & Glass Crunching Steps by Monument Studios Lifeless Eyes Watching by Vindsvept Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Kat The Dungeon Mom - TTRPGs as a Village | 09 déc. 2025 | 01:35:57 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
The last Perspective Checks of 2025 is a wonderful conversation with Kat The Dungeon Mom, a GM, actual play performer, teacher, mom, and so much more as a community member. We sit down to talk about raising the next generation of nerds, maintaining a curiosity and interested approach to new things in familiar spaces, and recontextualizing the concept of the broad, internet-sized TTRPG community more in terms of "the village," a smaller scope, more intimately involved group of people playing games and helping one another.
I cannot recommend the actual play All Our Faults that Kat is on enough, it is an amazing Monsterhearts 2 show that will make you feel things, and you should not shy away from feeling big things!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 7 - No Going Back Now | 05 déc. 2025 | 00:55:26 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
Sybil wants to return to Oubliette to have her new unique rookstone appraised, but she didn't get here alone, so she continues deeper into the Dungeons with Zorn and the rookling to find the lost rooklings and possibly a Rookling Forge.
Sybil finds a way back to the surface, but with too many questions left unanswered, she stays in the Dungeons and finds yet another major labyrinth...
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Metallic and Ceramic Tones by Monument Studios Raise Earth by Monument Studios Clockwork by Vindsvept Troll Grotto by Tabletop Audio Rock Fall by Monument Studios Solemn Vow by Tabletop Audio Simple Hybrid Combat by Monument Studios Whispering Caverns by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Midnight Melodies | One-Player One-Shot | 29 nov. 2025 | 01:20:09 | |
We're a few days late, but if it means anything to you, dear listener, it made me haul a lot of my music equipment up to my office and I am definitely going to try and do more original music for my episodes now!
Welcome to another one-player one-shot where I play games I have been dying to get to the table all by myself. This time it's another by one of my favorite designers in the TTRPG community, Midnight Melodies by Cezar Capacle.
In Midnight Melodies, you play as a jazz pianist confronted by the Grim Reaper themself after a night out playing, but there's a catch - you're immune to their touch. Instead, they recruit you for the Department of Unauthorized Deaths to investigate strange, unsanctioned deaths while the big Death works out what to do with you. Now, every now and again, a name will appear in the tip jar at the end of the night, and you must get to the bottom of the unnatural death.
In this episode I play Riley Hawkins, member of the big jazz band The Eclipse, as he goes unauthorized death detective on the case of an academic counselor, Bradley Keats. It gets wild.
Go get Cezar's games, they're all bangers, you can't go wrong!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Bugablue from Pixabay Sweet Braam (D) by Monument Studios Bass Hit by Monument Studios Autumn Leaves Falling Again by Trygve Larsen from Pixabay Podcast Jazz Music by Denis Pavlov from Pixabay Dark City by TabletopAudio.com Nordic Noir by TabletopAudio.com Noir Procedural by TabletopAudio.com Portal by Monument Studios Body Fall Glass B by Monument Studios Into Silence by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 6 - Whispers of Rookling & Stone | 18 nov. 2025 | 01:00:18 | |
Welcome back for another episode of Colostle - Dungeons!
Sybil and the Rookling are joined by the traveling Bastion monk, Zorn, who is searching for something known as a Rookling Forge after many of the rooklings from his monastery have left to destinations unknown. When their expedition hits a dead end, they are waylaid by a Lichen Rook and rush away only to find that Sybil's Whisperstone is pulling her somewhere. Remembering her strange experience with a Spectral Rook, she follows it into a labyrinth where she finds another unique rookstone as well as more clues about the Spectral Rooks...
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Monsoon Temple by Tabletop Audio Cerebral Ensemble Mix B by Monument Studios Tomb Guardians by Tabletop Audio Descent by Tabletop Audio Rock Fall, Dragon Roar, and Rock Fall B by Monument Studios Lair of the Wyrm by Tabletop Audio Hopeful by Monument Studios Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Perspective Checks | Craig Hatler - Learning & Teaching RPGs | 11 nov. 2025 | 01:18:05 | |
Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss what they love about this wonderful hobby!
This month's episode is with Craig Hatler (a.k.a. Tezrak the Impslayer most places on the internet), a game designer and educator who came on to talk about the importance of a game's communication and resources when sitting down to learn how to play, run the game, or even for designers before it goes out. We talk about his game Shadowlight & Personae, a genre-agnostic neutral system aiming to be able to emulate any type of story, and the work he's done to improve his layout, resources, and more.
This episode bounces around a lot, but we primarily stick to the topic of "how can we, as designers or players engaging with a game, ensure that the rules and mechanics are effectively spelled out so we can just get right to the gameplay." Even as an admitted hoarder of TTRPGs, the act of sitting down to read a rulebook isn't the most exciting thing, I'd rather be reading an actual book to get ideas going, I just need the game book to explain how to do the thing.
We talk about Daggerheart's cards, pre-generated character sheets, player resource sheets, the read-along rules from For the Queen, and more to lower your game's barrier to learning!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| Colostle | Dungeons Episode 5 - Spectral Chains & Fostles | 04 nov. 2025 | 00:51:48 | |
Welcome back to the new series of Colostle - Dungeons!
Sybil ventures out of the hanging city of Oubliette with her ice rookling in tow to attempt to find her way back to the surface. The two have more time to appreciate the immensity of the subterranean world and its architecture, but hear a cry for help while investigating a chained rook husk. The find a stranger bound with spectral chains, but before they can help, he is pulled away into the darkness below. When Sybil and the rookling give chase, they find an archaeological dig site for a Fostle, and brave the poisonous fumes to go in and rescue this stranger.
Learn more about Colostle and the Dungeons supplement here! If you like all of the new additions and ideas constantly being added to the world of Colostle, I highly recommend checking out Nich's Patreon page!
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Dusk to Dawn by Vindsvept Vault of Terror by Tabletop Audio Forcing Fate's Hand by Vindsvept Origination by Monument Studios Simple Atmos B by Monument Studios Dungeon C by Monument Studios Choir Ensemble by Monument Studios Invisible Mountain by Tabletop Audio Dreamscape by Vindsvept Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands | |||
| [Bonus] Halloween Star Crossed | 31 oct. 2025 | 01:16:02 | |
Bonus Halloween day episode release and it's one we teased wayyyy back in February in our Valentine's Day bonus episode! I'm joined by my wife Lynn to play another game of Star Crossed (and in digital) by Alex Roberts, published by the wonderful Bully Pulpit Games, but this time we're not leaning hard into the expected romance tropes or characters, we're getting spooky! (spoiler: it is not, in fact, spooky).
In this Halloween-flavored game of forbidden love, we take on the roles of a House and the Ghost that really, really wants to haunt it, but they really, really can't.
Neither of us could have ever expected where this episode was going to go, but in the end, I think it comes together quite nicely. Also, Rene's a sucker for a happy ending, so... that tower's bound to fall.
----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!
I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)
Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree | BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com
Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands The Witch's Familiar by Vindsvept | |||