Rephonic
Artwork for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

Scott V. Burger
Roguelike
Hades
Steam
Roguelike Games
Rift Wizard
Caves Of Qud
Heat Signature
Risk Of Rain 2
Deadzone Rogue
Kingdom: New Lands
Spelunky
Noita
Blue Prince
Cube Chaos
Azure Dreams
Vampire Survivors
Indie Games
Path Of Achra
World Of Horror
Spell System

The GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast is a bi-weekly show about four friends talking about a featured Roguelike game. We cover the full spectrum of titles, from the more modern, action-oriented games like Binding of Isaac and Hades to the traditonal roguelike designs of games like Cogmind and Caves of Qud. Join us each episode as we unpack what makes a roguelike game fun (or not) and then rank it against ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes109Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Video GamesLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

Latest Episodes

At PAX West this year I had a great time interviewing Angel Polanco: the solo dev behind the incredibly well-rated bullet hell roguelite The Void Rains Upon Her Heart! An incredibly interesting game from mechanics, boss designs, art, story, I couldn’... more

YouTube

It’s time to put the BOOM back into boomer shooters as we fire up the hottest graphics of 1996* with Strafe! Another entry in our Devolver Digital review catalogue, the self-described “ worlds bloodiest roguelike first-person shooter” will put our pi... more

YouTube

It’s Christmas in August as we unload the sooty petro-rocks from our stockings and crack open the clean-burning Coal LLC! The quick action mining-themed roguelite version of Motherload, you are tasked to fill your quota of coal before time runs out. ... more

YouTube

Roguelites belong to the Nords! This week we return to tower defense rogue land with Nordhold: the vaguely Viking-themed tower defense roguelite featuring tower synergy systems, work placement econometrics, and decisions about whether or not to sacri... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

RoguePod LiteCast
RoguePod LiteCastDanny & David
Triple Click
Triple ClickMaximum Fun
Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast
Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game PodcastStephen Hilger + Brendon Bigley
The Secret Lives of Games
The Secret Lives of GamesThe Secret Lives of Games
The Besties
The BestiesRuss Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy

Recent Guests

Angel Polanco
Developer of The Void Rains Upon Her Heart
The Hidden Levels (publisher)
Episode: The Void Rains Upon Her Heart: Interview with Developer Angel Polanco
Craig Hamilton
Composer of the Caves of Qud soundtrack
Caves of Qud development team
Episode: Caves of Qud Part 3: Interview with Composer Craig Hamilton
Dylan White
Developer of Rift Wizard and Rift Wizard 3
Rift Wizard development team
Episode: Rift Wizard 3: Interview with Developer Dylan White
Will Wright
Guest, designer/creator persona referenced in discussion
Will Wright (guest appearance)
Episode: UFO 50 (with Woody Ciskowski)
Helen (Gagther)
Special guest on this episode
Episode: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (with Helen @gagther)
McDougla Online
Hasban's handle for Rogue Eclipse showcase
Rogue Eclipse
Episode: Roguelike Dev Interviews at PAX West 25
Aaron BigSimple Harshman
Special guest, seasoned veteran of the Qud scene and streamer
Episode: Caves of Qud Part 2: Gameplay and Mechanics (with @BigSimple)
Woody Ciskowski
Resident Lunkhead and guest Star
Episode: Spelunky (with Woody Ciskowski)
Tyler Pittman
Guest and Roguelike expert
Episode: Noita (with Tyler Pittman)

Hosts

Scott Burger
Host of GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast
Scott Berger
Host of GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast; lead discussion facilitator
Andrew Harshman
Co-host contributing analysis and jokes
Colin Smith
Co-host, roguelike commentator
Will Wright
Co-host, roguelike enthusiast

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 44 ratings
  • Thanks for history

    I love this show. Listening to it, especially the episode 100 series took me back to my time as a teenager. I remember things now that I had long forgotten. Thanks for being concise, clear, it makes it easier to understand. Now let’s see … what should I type next … ahh, yes, LAMP ON.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Eqblackrose
    United States25 days ago
  • A bunch of moronic retards pretending to be games reviewers

    Considering that one of the reviewers had never heard of the term 4X and the other one thought that Xcom was a 4X shows that these guys just aren’t qualified to give informed opinions on the games they are supposedly reviewing. Listening to the Monster Train 2 review was enough to convince me to leave a 1 star review, as the reviewer challenged me to do so if he was incorrect in stating that the MS1 clans hadn’t been changed at all. Guess what, the clans did have their own unique items, rooms an... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Haohmaru79
    Australia7 months ago
  • Keep up the great work

    I love the podcast! I found the analysis of gameplay really insightful. You can tell that the hosts are experienced gamers. 


    The banter between hosts seem very genuine and they seem like actual friends (I think they mentioned that they went to college together or something). They make funny and self-aware jokes.

    I think one or more of the hosts has a data science background. So they also sprinkle in some brief game analytics in there too. 

One of the past reviews mentions issues with microp... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ajsbdfnjwvdba
    United Statesa year ago
  • Keep up the great work

    Working on a podcast is really hard and it seems like these guys put in time to analyze the games

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ajsbdfnjwvdba
    United Statesa year ago
  • Fantastic for roguelike fans

    Thanks to all the hosts for their efforts planning and producing these great episodes!

    I like that there tend to be a myriad of opinions from each of the hosts. Often I disagree, but I still love listening. They are harsh judges, but fair!

    It's so fun to hear some of my favorite games being discussed and dissected. It's both a widespread but a niche subgenre, and these guys find some awesome deep cuts on Steam.

    One of the hosts has quite bad mic quality and, to be brutally honest for the sak... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    PeregrinT
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Cons: occasional mic quality issues noted by listeners.
Pros: thoughtful analysis and genuine host chemistry.
Great roguelike deep dives with diverse guest mix and strong community energy.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#9
Brazil/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#23
Brazil/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#146
South Africa/Leisure/Video Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Void Rains Upon Her Heart: Interview with Developer Angel Polanco
Q: What is the development lifecycle like for a solo creator handling everything from code to art to music?
Being a solo developer means juggling many roles, relying on a Discord community for bug fixes and testing, and structuring updates around what I feel motivated to work on while managing scope creep by layering new mechanics into existing boss systems. It's a balance between inspiration and sustainable workload.
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart: Interview with Developer Angel Polanco
Q: How did Undertale influence your story approach and themes of pacifism and empathy?
Undertale inspired me to center the game around kindness and non-lethal progression, allowing all player choices to lead toward a pacifist route. This influences events, dialogues, and even mechanisms like a quiz that reinforces lore without punishing players—it's about emotional impact and growth rather than destruction.
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart: Interview with Developer Angel Polanco
Q: Could you walk us through how you balance difficulty to keep it accessible without losing the bullet-hell feel?
I started from a very approachable baseline, using a level-5 difficulty as a reference point and then dialed up, but I still kept level-1 extremely easy and slow to ensure players can grasp the core mechanics without getting overwhelmed. The cap around level 10 keeps escalating challenge manageable, and I rely on iterative testing and personal progress as a metric rather than purely external benchmarks.
UFO 50 (with Woody Ciskowski)
Q: What is the core premise of UFO 50?
A collection of 50 two-button NES-era games that form an interconnected universe with a meta-narrative, a faux historical background, and shared progression systems like gold, cherries, and house-based milestones.
Roguelike Dev Interviews at PAX West 24
Q: What sort of defines a Roguelike game in your opinion?
It's a kind of bullet heaven, where you have mechanics like pushing enemies back and strategizing your play.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

What is GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers roguelike games through a lively, opinionated panel that dives into design decisions, mechanics, and broader game systems. Episodes typically mix deep-dive analyses of specific titles with candid Industry commentary, guest interviews from indie developers, and comparisons across a broad roguelike compendium. A standout trait is the willingness to challenge conventions—whether critiquing balance, discussing dynamic progression, or exploring cross-media influences like art and audio—while keeping a playful, community-driven vibe. This mix makes it a strong fit for listeners who enjoy thorough, game-nerdy conversations and for potential guests or sponsors seeking alignment with independent game development, design thinking, an... more

Where can I find podcast stats for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast. 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 GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast 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.

Which podcasts are similar to GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast:

1. RoguePod LiteCast
2. Triple Click
3. Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast
4. The Secret Lives of Games
5. The Besties

How many episodes of GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast are there?

GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast launched 4 years ago and published 109 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 GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

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 GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast?

Recent guests on GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast include:

1. Angel Polanco
2. Craig Hamilton
3. Dylan White
4. Will Wright
5. Helen (Gagther)
6. McDougla Online
7. Aaron BigSimple Harshman
8. Woody Ciskowski

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days