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Rascal News

Rascal News
Magic: the Gathering
Wizards Of the Coast
Rpgs
Tabletop Rpgs
Tabletop Games
Tabletop Industry
Dungeons & Dragons
Tabletop Gaming
Polygon
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Tariffs
Warden's Operations Manual
Apocalypse World
Daggerheart
Mental Health
Luigi Mangione
Charlie Hall
Crowdfunding
Mothership
Draw Steel

Rascal News is an independent, worker-owned outfit composed of Chase Taylor-Carter, Thomas Manuel, Caelyn Ellis, Rowan Zeoli, and Lin Codega. Join them in exploring the tabletop industry and its associated online spaces across two shows: Rascal Radio Hour is a biweekly show where the crew dig deeper into the biggest news and newest games; and Rascal Reading Club allows Thomas to wax long on RPG ru... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes61Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Entertainment NewsGamesLeisureNews

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Artwork for Rascal News

Latest Episodes

Book club episode! We discuss Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Read more here.

As always, you can participate in the talkback episode by sending in a response to any or all of the following questions. You can record yourself speaking, you can pos... more

Rowan joins Chase and Thomas for a podcast that almost immediately flies off the rails and deep into tangent territory. Also, Chase gets roundly bullied by his friends and coworkers. The crew discuss Rowan, Rook and Decard's new union, Wizards of the... more

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Rascal News needs your help. You might have seen our recent article laying out the potentially dire financial straits that the we... more

Cameron Kunzelman, game critic and scholar, returns to our podcast feed with a conversation with Thomas about lifepaths, his new book Path Apparatus, and his love-hate relationship with Pendragon. This interview is also available as an article. You c... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Asa Donald
Designer and creator of Spine
Spine
Episode: Rascal Interview: Agency, frustration, and secrets in Asa Donald's SPINE
Clayton Notestine
Guest on the show, designer and blogger
Explorers Design
Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E40: The Clicky-clacky Candy Metric, feat. Clayton Notestine
Jenna Stoeber
Video essayist, former Polygon contributor, horror courses instructor
Freelance media/Polygon (former)
Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E37: Entering a Horse Race on a Donkey, feat. Jenna Stoeber and Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Author of Remastered; retro gaming journalist
Remastered (newsletter)
Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E37: Entering a Horse Race on a Donkey, feat. Jenna Stoeber and Tomas Franzese
Adam Schwaninger
Guest, Draw Steel enthusiast and speaker in original episode
Independent
Episode: Talkback: Draw Steel
Caio Lente
Guest
The Dice Society (YouTuber)
Episode: Talkback: Draw Steel
Sebastian Yue
Guest
Draw Steel contributor
Episode: Talkback: Draw Steel
ChaosOS Joseph
Guest
Draw Steel ecosystem contributor
Episode: Talkback: Draw Steel
Mollie Russell
Senior staff writer for Wargamer
Wargamer
Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E36: Scouting Days, feat. Mollie Russell

Hosts

Thomas Manuel
Co-host of Rascal Radio Hour and multiple Rascal News programs; long-time contributor with a central role in designing and guiding discussions.
Chase Taylor-Carter
Co-host and prominent voice; involved across Rascal Radio Hour and Rascal News, often driving industry-focused conversations.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 59 ratings
  • Rascal is THE gaming news source

    Rascal is a PHENOMENAL news organization for gaming and TTRPGs and often shares an interesting perspective that I hadn’t considered and hadn’t heard elsewhere. The Rascal Radio Hour is a great extension of their already excellent reporting.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Just Another Brian
    United Statesa year ago
  • Rascal is vital to the hobby and industry

    If you want to be involved in analog gaming, whether professionally or as a hobbyist, you should be supporting Rascal News. There is no other resource like this! Every game designer and fan should listen to this podcast as a great way to stay up to date with the goings-on of the hobby

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    becuzitsbitter
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great tabletop news and discussion

    Nobody does it like Rascal! Insightful discussion, critique and reporting of news and stories from within the tabletop industry and communities. Really great group of people behind this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    edmocat
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • A tight 60 minutes, every time

    Plus all the other minutes for good measure

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MossyToes
    United States2 years ago
  • Rascal Radio Hour, the new podcast from the team at Rascal News, provides an excellent critical look at the tabletop industry, from RPGs to Actual Play podcasts to Wargaming and more. If you care about tabletop game design and the news of this often bizarre industry, you need to be listening to these journalists' voices. The podcast both stands alone as an explainer and source of news and insightful commentary, and also provides important supplementary material of their stellar journalism.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    TheSpybrarian
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Covers a wide range of RPG topics with a strong community vibe.
Consistent depth and clear authorial voice; a reliable source for hobby and industry news.
Engaging, up-to-date industry analysis with thoughtful guests.
High-quality discussions and practical GM insights.
Tackles tough industry issues with nuance and candor.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Interview: Cameron Kunzelman on Lifepaths
Q: So with permission from the people who are interviewing, maybe some articles can exist both in text form and in audio form. That would be pretty cool.
They discuss how interviews can be repurposed into audio format with careful editing to preserve meanings, and how the Lifepath discussion benefits from both text and audio presentation.
Rascal Radio Hour E41: Three Damage Tracks!!
Q: do the Paizo and Wizards of the Coast stat blocks for Jimothy represent cynical bandwagoning on internet micro-celebrity or earnest celebration?
The hosts contemplate both possibilities and conclude that corporate posts are marketing content, while recognizing individuals may have authentic enthusiasm; overall, Jimothy is treated as a marketing artifact rather than a purely celebratory act.
Rascal Radio Hour E40: The Clicky-clacky Candy Metric, feat. Clayton Notestine
Q: Why do you think the ENNIEs have persisted for so long despite criticisms?
Because they serve as a public dialogue forum, generate discussion, and provide visibility for games that might otherwise be overlooked, even if their execution isn't perfect.
Rascal Interview: Agency, frustration, and secrets in Asa Donald's SPINE
Q: Why did you decide to include endnotes as a mechanic rather than a traditional narrative device?
He explains that endnotes create friction, draw attention to frame of reference, and enable a layered, paratextual experience that interacts with the main text.
Rascal Interview: Agency, frustration, and secrets in Asa Donald's SPINE
Q: What were your biggest design fears or challenges, especially around chapter design and puzzles?
Asa discusses concerns about first chapters being pedantic and the second chapter's tough ciphers, balancing learning the game with maintaining engagement, and providing a path forward if puzzles stall.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Rascal News

What is Rascal News about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show covers the tabletop gaming industry with a mix of news, design analysis, and guest interviews that span indie RPGs, classic systems, and publishing realities. Episodes frequently thread industry trends, licensing, unionization, platform dynamics, and design philosophies through thoughtful, opinionated conversations, plus in-depth author or designer spotlights. A standout aspect is its willingness to tackle contentious topics (labor, AI in publishing, platform economics) while maintaining accessible, practical discussions for GMs, designers, and fans. Listeners can expect a steady cadence of interviews, market analysis, and hands-on guidance for running games or assessing new systems, all delivered with a distinctive worker-owned pe... more

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How many listeners does Rascal News get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Rascal News 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 Rascal News?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Rascal News:

1. Talk of the Table
2. Side Story
3. RTFM
4. Friends at the Table
5. Around the Hearth

How many episodes of Rascal News are there?

Rascal News launched 2 years ago and published 61 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 Rascal News?

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.

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What guests have appeared on Rascal News?

Recent guests on Rascal News include:

1. Asa Donald
2. Clayton Notestine
3. Jenna Stoeber
4. Tomas Franzese
5. Adam Schwaninger
6. Caio Lente
7. Sebastian Yue
8. ChaosOS Joseph

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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