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Ludonarrative Dissidents

Ross Payton
Tabletop Rpgs
Delta Green
Cyberpunk Red
Game Mechanics
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Character Development
Heart: the City Beneath
Brindlewood Bay
Dogs In the Vineyard
Night City
Role Playing Games
Kickstarter
Dungeon Crawling
Rifts
Call Of Cthulhu
Gen Con
Japan
Character-Driven Rpgs
Ars Magica
Grogs

Ludonarrative Dissidents is a podcast from Greg Stolze, James Wallis, and Ross Payton to explore and analyze tabletop RPGs. What does each game do, how does it work, and why do people play it? We are currently in season 3, and we've expanded to include sourcebooks and adventures. Visit our website at www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/ to get detailed show notes. Join our Discord at d... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes84Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureGames

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Artwork for Ludonarrative Dissidents

Latest Episodes

Our livestream discussion for June!

Watch the episode on Youtube

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss this episode on our Discord.

CHICAGO BY NIGHT is a 2018 city sourcebook for Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition, written by Matthew Dawkins and a host of others, and published by Renegade Game Studios, who have the rights to do all this stuff these days. The most recent iteration... more

Our livestream discussion for May, featuring special guest Jerry Grayson of Khepera Publishing. Check out the Godsend Agenda today.

Watch the episode on Youtube

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss this episode on our Discord.

Our April livestream!

Watch the livestream on Youtube

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss this episode on our Discord.

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Jerry Grayson
Run Khepera Publishing. Publisher of role-playing game books
Khepera Publishing
Episode: Ludonarrative Dissidents Livestream for May
Adam Scott Glancy
Designer at Pagan Publishing and contributor to Delta Green
Pagan Publishing
Episode: Livestream for February 2026
Gareth Hanrahan
Author and RPG designer known for creating the Laundry Files RPG
Episode: Hole in the Sky - Dungeon Crawl Classics Module #86 - Actual Play

Hosts

Ross Payton
Host and co-creator of the show, with long-running involvement in overseeing and contributing to discussions on RPG design, publishing, and industry context.
James Wallis
Co-host and influential voice with deep experience in RPG design, history, and community discussions.
Greg Stolze
Co-host with a background in game design and writing, contributing critical perspectives and design critique.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 129 ratings
  • Nope

    Nobody asked about your FF13 opinions.

    Also, every time they talk about RPG history, they get it wrong. No one on this podcast seems to actually know any RPG history. They have hazy, dusty memories, but they don’t have any good facts. It’s all just wrong.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Teem Dodger
    United States2 months ago
  • RPG deep dive

    LND is a great podcast about designing, running and playing TTRPGs. Loaded with tons of experience and also very funny at times. Top notch.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Holle reviewing
    Germany7 months ago
  • Great potential

    Knowledgeable TTRPG luminaries discuss various games and game topics, and episodes are great when they (occasionally) rise above snark and tangents.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Corvi
    United States2 years ago
  • “Soooo… uuuuh… yeah.”

    This persistent refrain seems to be caused by one of the hosts constantly getting distracted and losing his train of thought halfway through a sentence. Another host interrupts with constant pointless overindulgent digressions. The topics are very interesting, but recent episodes just can’t seem to stay on topic. They never follow through on the framing device questions they supposedly have for themselves. I don’t know if they’re too busy or distracted by a live chat or if their hearts just aren... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    trurl_klapaucius
    United States2 years ago
  • Sophomoric

    If you want a morning shock jock attitude on games, this is your show. In their review of Pendragon, one critique of the game was that it can’t stand up to modern sarcasm, with an example of “what is stopping someone from throwing a Frankish axe at a man’s groin and saying ‘I just franked your beans’?” Blame juvenile player behavior on the game?

    Dice Exploder is a much better game design podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Icengine
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Positive feedback often centers on historical context and practical design discussions, mixed with sharp banter.
Guests and topics are varied and knowledgeable, making it valuable for listeners into design and publishing.
Overall, the show drums up thoughtful RPG design talk with strong industry insights, but can feel unfocused at times due to tangents.
Some listeners critique the hosts' on-air pacing and occasional derailments, yet many praise the depth and humor.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#92
Canada/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#117
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#243
Canada/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#96
Australia/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#17
South Korea/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#24
Israel/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Livestream for February 2026
Q: Were there any other intelligence agencies considered for Delta Green?
Not really, but the French agency had a soft spot due to their insane historical context.
Livestream for February 2026
Q: What broke down during the long gap between Delta Green books?
It was not planned; they faced significant issues with money and distribution, particularly with printers that led to delays.
Livestream for February 2026
Q: How can you run it after, say, Impossible Landscapes or the Cowboy Years when the grind was what did you win?
Countdown is several campaigns in one where you focus on one folk group at a time instead of switching weekly between them.
Delta Green: Convergence
Q: What do you think is the purpose of this scenario? What is it trying to do for the players or to the players?
It's really interesting. I came fresh to Convergence. I've not read it before. It's very much set in 1996...

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ludonarrative Dissidents

What is Ludonarrative Dissidents about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Deep-dive conversations about tabletop RPG design, play, and production, with a focus on how games handle power, politics, ethics, and collaboration. Episodes blend rigorous design discussion with hands-on play, industry anecdotes, and open-ended campaign ideas, peppered with humor and history. Noteworthy traits include a strong emphasis on antifascist and critical examination of hobby culture, cross-pertilization with publishing and marketing, and a knack for exploring niche mechanics and indie publishing trends. This mix makes it appealing to designers, publishers, veteran players, and curious newcomers who enjoy thoughtful, sometimes opinionated discussions about how RPGs work and why people play them.

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Which podcasts are similar to Ludonarrative Dissidents?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ludonarrative Dissidents:

1. Role Playing Public Radio
2. Dice Exploder
3. RPPR Actual Play
4. Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
5. Yes Indie'd Pod

How many episodes of Ludonarrative Dissidents are there?

Ludonarrative Dissidents launched 4 years ago and published 84 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 Ludonarrative Dissidents?

Recent guests on Ludonarrative Dissidents include:

1. Jerry Grayson
2. Adam Scott Glancy
3. Gareth Hanrahan

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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