Rephonic
Artwork for Around the Hearth
Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
TTRPG
Ttrpgs
Player Agency
Open Hearth Gaming
Gamma World
Twilight 2000
Open Hearth Gaming Community
Apocalypse Keys
Hearts Of Wulin
Dungeons & Dragons
Character Creation
Roleplaying Games
Champions
Game Mechanics
Good Society
Bleed
Rotted Capes
Npcs

Around the Hearth features discussion on a wide range of topics relevant to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) featuring members of the Open Hearth Gaming Community. We talk games, gameplay, design, and the games being played at the Open Hearth Gaming Calendar. Our online games are free and open to all! If you'd like to join the fun, visit openhearthgaming.com for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes85Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesLeisure

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Artwork for Around the Hearth

Latest Episodes

In this especially unusual Hex, José & Ian sit down with Open Hearth stalwart Tea-amat to discuss games with no particular GM. Some of these games have strict procedures to keep play on track; others are almost like tone poems, eschewing structure fo... more

YouTube

Welcome to another episode of our new series on the Around the Hearth podcast feed: Known Territory: GMs Talk Games. Each episode we sit down with an experienced game facilitator who has played a specific TTRPG extensively. They will discuss how they... more

YouTube

Welcome to another episode of our new series on the Around the Hearth podcast feed: Known Territory: GMs Talk Games. Each episode we sit down with an experienced game facilitator who has played a specific TTRPG extensively. They will discuss how they... more

YouTube

In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Dominik talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Guy and Anders discuss things they recently played, cover three RPGs in more depth (Trespasser, The One Ring 2e, and Slugb... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Madeline Colley
Game designer and facilitator who has run six completed series of The Between
Episode: Known Territory: Ep 3 The Between
Agatha Cheng
Reader/Player/Facilitator of Good Society
Open Hearth Gaming Community
Episode: Known Territory: Ep 2 Good Society
Will Munn
Lead designer at Adept Icarus; in charge of publishing
Adept Icarus
Episode: Open Hearth Podcast Ep 23: Talking Arium
David MK
Designer, teacher, and game tinkerer; involved in Arium's design and visuals
Open Hearth / Adept Icarus
Episode: Open Hearth Podcast Ep 23: Talking Arium
Jax Mads
Designer of a game called Bump in the Dark
Independent game designer
Episode: Open Hearth Podcast Ep 21: Blades '68, Firebrands System, Dungeon World 2
Jim Crocker
GM who has run Band of Blades extensively and discusses running the game
Open Hearth Gaming Community
Episode: Known Territory: Ep 1 Band of Blades
Jay Brown
Game designer and author of Play.Fearless, discussed as a guest in the episode
Independent game design and publishing
Episode: Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness
Chrys Sellers
Author of Defy the Gods
Open Hearth Gaming Community
Episode: Open Hearth Podcast Ep 19: Raccoon Sky Pirates, Capers, Traveller
Rich Rogers
Co-host of Plus One Forward; PBTA designer and commentator
Plus One Forward
Episode: Talking PbtA

Hosts

Ian
Host of the show, co-host with José
José
Host of the show, co-host with Ian
Lowell Keehem
Host of various Open Hearth and related shows (multiple roles across communities)

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 11 ratings
  • Great RPG Discussions

    Just a fantastic show. Great discussions about RPGs by many people who are not designers, but just folks who like to play games.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shakespeare Potato
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great RPG discussions that feel inclusive and practical, not just theory.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#154
Poland/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#233
Austria/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#249
Finland/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 11 - Headless
Q: What is the quality of being most interested in play when it gives your character an opportunity to be morally upstanding in every situation?
Tea calls this “nicies” and says that, when a game depends on narrative tension, players need to create problems rather than keeping their characters free of conflict. Debriefs and supportive table cultures can help players feel safe making morally complicated choices.
A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 11 - Headless
Q: How do you keep a GM-less game from getting aimless when it has no prepackaged goal?
Tea says experiences vary by game, and players can find direction by communicating, paying attention to what others bring into play, and reconnecting themes and story threads. Genre conventions and character-creation choices can also help players identify what the group wants to explore.
Known Territory: Ep 3 The Between
Q: What are you going to tell a potential game facilitator who's maybe curious about this?
Colley says facilitators should enjoy episodic play, be ready to manage multiple active threats, and collaborate rather than control outcomes. The game uses a set phase structure, while character histories emerge through play rather than extensive prewritten backstories.
Known Territory: Ep 3 The Between
Q: So if you're going to say, hey, I want to run this, do you want to play this? What are you telling the players before they go in?
Colley pitches the game as Victorian monster hunters resolving threats to Crown and City, with messy emotional arcs and collaborative, non-canonical solutions. Players gather clues and work together to form a theory rather than waiting for the facilitator to reveal a fixed answer.
Open Hearth Podcast Ep 23: Talking Arium
Q: How distinct is each book and what do they do?
Create enables collaborative world building, Discover provides a streamlined rules-light way to play in any world built with Create, and Evolve focuses on deepening and extending a campaign through ongoing world development.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Around the Hearth

What is Around the Hearth about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on tabletop RPG discussion, design, play, and community dynamics, with a focus on Open Hearth Gaming Community activities and PBTA-inspired systems. Episodes frequently explore practical GMing tips, onboarding new players, narrative structure, safety tooling, and collaborative storytelling, often through roundtable conversations with community members and guest designers. A notable strength is the mix of hands-on play experiences, system design critique, and real-world event context, which makes it useful for listeners who want actionable ideas for running or playing in indie and traditional TTRPGs. The format often emphasizes inclusive play, practical tooling, and community-driven projects, making it appealing to both asp... more

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1. Dice Exploder
2. Yes Indie'd Pod
3. TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars
4. Rascal News
5. Panda's Talking Games

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Around the Hearth launched 3 years ago and published 85 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Around the Hearth?

Recent guests on Around the Hearth include:

1. Madeline Colley
2. Agatha Cheng
3. Will Munn
4. David MK
5. Jax Mads
6. Jim Crocker
7. Jay Brown
8. Chrys Sellers

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