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Artwork for Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons
Daggerheart
Game Design
Role-Playing Games
Wizards Of the Coast
Greyhawk
Draw Steel
D&D
Shadowdark RPG
Character Creation
Monster Manual
D&D Beyond
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Living Greyhawk
Shadowdark
Tabletop Rpgs
Player's Handbook
Critical Role
Dms Guild

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes584Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Mastering Dungeons

Latest Episodes

Episode 307 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Arcana Unleased with Amanda Hamon!

Amanda joins us to discuss the Arcana Unleashed products she led – the process, the design, and the exciting contents of both books!

News: Ravenloft Netflix TV Show,... more

Episode 306 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Best of Acquisitions Incorporated: Orrery of the Wanderer!

Completely unbiased coverage of the best and most perfect adventure ever written! You will love this show, or your money back.

News: D&D’s Se... more

Episode 305 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Tomas Härenstam of Free League!

Free League’s CEO and frequent designer discusses how the company began and grew, how they tackle crowdfunding, IPs, partnerships, organized play, and more!

News: D&D G... more

Episode 303 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Best of Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen!

Dragonlance is Back! Come see why this adventure deserves a second chance.

News: Critical Role Lands Emmy, D&D Drops Oozes and Errata, Pathfinder on Dr... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Amanda Hamon
Senior Game Designer for D&D at Wizards of the Coast; Lead Designer on Arcana Unleashed and Arcana Unleashed Deadfall
Wizards of the Coast
Episode: Amanda Hamon and Arcana Unleashed!
Tomas Härenstam
CEO of Free League Publishing
Free League Publishing
Episode: Keys to Success from Tomas Härenstam of Free League!
Adam Bradford
Industry veteran behind D&D Beyond, Demiplane, Fantasy Grounds and Spiteworks
Free League Unbound / formerly Curse / D&D Beyond
Episode: Adam Bradford, from D&D Beyond to Free League Unbound!
Mike Shea
Creator of the Lazy GM series and Sly Flourish
MCDM Productions
Episode: Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster with Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish!
Daði Einars
Mystic Arts YouTube creator and publisher
Mystic Arts
Episode: Mystic Arts and Creator Publishing
Jeff Mueller
Guest on the show discussing Curse of Strahd conversion to Daggerheart
Episode: Best of Curse of Strahd (MD286)
Chris Tulach
In charge of organized play at Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Episode: D&D Encounters Program with Chris Tulach! (MD 283)
Matt Colville
Head of MCDM, founder of Draw Steel
MCDM
Episode: Matt Colville Blows Our Minds on MCDM and the TTRPG Industry! (MD 282)
Savannah Houston-McIntyre
Creative Director for Baldman Games and Marketing Director for Mythmakers.
Baldman Games, Mythmakers
Episode: Legends of Greyhawk and RealmsBound with Savannah Houston-McIntyre (MD 275)

Hosts

Shawn Merwin
Veteran RPG designer and longtime host; widely recognized for industry experience and leadership on Mastering Dungeons.
Teos Abadía
Veteran RPG designer and co-host; frequently leads design discussions and industry analysis on the show.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 422 ratings
  • Great D&D podcast

    Teos and Shawn do a great job of giving weekly news and reviews. They are a pleasure to listen too and are positive influence on the ttrpg community. Keep up the amazing work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MarkT333
    United States22 days ago
  • Best RPG cast!

    Shawn and Teos have deep insight into RPG games and the industry. Listening to this show will make you a better player and DM. Their community and Discord are great and supportive too!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    zajatx
    United States4 months ago
  • Great Job!

    I love this podcast and thank you for your work. I would like to nominate Phandelver as one of the greatest adventures, followed by SKT, for its modularity.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    One Wise Dragon
    United States6 months ago
  • Masters of the Craft

    Shawn & Teos do a great job of sharing their collective wisdom on such a huge variety of topics. Great commentary on the industry and hobby as a whole, supported by a wealth of experience that they share via excellent and practical advice for our games.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kreggar
    United States8 months ago
  • In-depth commentary and reviews

    Shawn and Teos have been in the industry for decades and have lots of experience under their belts. Their in depth review of rules and games and adventures always explore both the good and the bad. It is great to keep up to date with them and hear about the current state of RPGs

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    the Shepster
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Two seasoned designers offer thoughtful, well-researched takes on rules, products, and publishing.
Fans often cite the nuanced conversations as a standout compared to more sensational gaming podcasts.
The hosts provide deep, sourced RPG industry insights that feel grounded and practical.
Listeners appreciate the balanced discussions and real-world experience the hosts bring to every topic.
The show is praised as a dependable resource for DM prep, design ideas, and market trends.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#44
United States/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#114
Canada/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#215
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#66
Australia/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#157
Italy/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#186
France/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Amanda Hamon and Arcana Unleashed!
Q: What does a typical week or month look like for you at Wizards of the Coast?
She explains the role of a senior game designer as project lead, overseeing concept through production, with a strong emphasis on playtesting, iteration, coordination with editors and art, as well as marketing and release support, reflecting a highly collaborative, multi-team process.
Amanda Hamon and Arcana Unleashed!
Q: How did you get started as a gamer and then as a designer?
Amanda describes starting in 3.5e/D&D as a teen, moving from gameplay into design after meeting a designer at GenCon who suggested game design as a path; she began with Pathfinder modules and gradually moved to Wizards of the Coast, leveraging journalism skills to approach design and publication with discipline.
Adam Bradford, from D&D Beyond to Free League Unbound!
Q: How did your early experiences shape your approach to product design for D&D Beyond?
Bradford explains that he focused on filling real user needs, especially around character creation and accessibility, and used data (like traffic split on character tools) to guide development, which led to a highly user-centric product.
Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster with Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish!
Q: Why launch Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster now?
There are four times as many RPG players now as eight years ago, and feedback on Return shows people still need guidance; Rise provides an expanded eight-step framework, more examples, and a broader toolkit to help GMs prep across different systems.
Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster with Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish!
Q: What does lazy mean to you?
Lazy means applying the right amount of energy at the right time, focusing on what is actually necessary to run a fun game, and trimming away the rest to avoid burning out or over-prepping.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mastering Dungeons

What is Mastering Dungeons about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A veteran-led show covers the tabletop RPG hobby from multiple angles, combining industry news, product reviews, design discussions, and practical DM guidance. Two longtime designers drive thoughtful conversations with guests, dissecting game systems, publishing trends, and ecosystem moves while offering concrete tips for players, DMs, and creators. Notable strengths include a balanced, experience-driven perspective, deep dives into how design and business intersect, and a steady stream of actionable insights for builders and enthusiasts alike. The format often blends news analysis with design critique, making it a reliable resource for staying current without sacrificing depth or practical takeaways.

Where can I find podcast stats for Mastering Dungeons?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Mastering Dungeons. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Mastering Dungeons and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Mastering Dungeons get?

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What are the audience demographics for Mastering Dungeons?

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How many subscribers and views does Mastering Dungeons have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Mastering Dungeons has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Mastering Dungeons are there?

Mastering Dungeons launched 11 years ago and published 584 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Mastering Dungeons?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Mastering Dungeons?

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What guests have appeared on Mastering Dungeons?

Recent guests on Mastering Dungeons include:

1. Amanda Hamon
2. Tomas Härenstam
3. Adam Bradford
4. Mike Shea
5. Daði Einars
6. Jeff Mueller
7. Chris Tulach
8. Matt Colville

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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