Rascal News

Magic: the Gathering

Wizards Of the Coast

Rpgs

Tabletop Games

Tabletop Rpgs

Tabletop Industry

Dungeons & Dragons

Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Tabletop Gaming

Polygon

Tariffs

Warden's Operations Manual

Apocalypse World

Daggerheart

Eberron

Mental Health

Luigi Mangione

Charlie Hall

Crowdfunding

Mothership

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

59 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	68	Founded	2 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Entertainment NewsGamesLeisureNews

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Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Rascal Radio Hour E45: Just a Simple Country Stonetop

Thomas and Chase are riding the blue wave into today's Radio Hour episode, which features discussions of Dan Ayoub as Wizards of the Coast's new president and Eldritch Automata rising from its previous wreckage. Thefts at Spiel Essen raise questions ... more

9 Nov 2026 • 1 hr 12 min

Reading Club: Realis

Book club episode! We are are discussing Realis by Austin Walker. 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 post in the discord ... more

2 Nov 2026 • 54 min

Rascal Radio Hour E44: A Grab is Better Than a Click, and a Treat is better than a Trick, feat. Eryk Sawicki

Chase and Thomas welcome publisher, designer, and union expert Eryk Sawicki of Peregrine Coast Press onto the podcast to discuss United Wizards of the Coast's two new unions and how these workers rights units operate in both the US and the UK. Later,... more

19 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 17 min • Popular

Talkback: Eberron

Book club episode! I am joined by Duamn Figueroa Rassol, game designer and Eberron afficionado, and we respond to people's responses about my discussions questions from last week. Audio is a little rough this week, apologies.

Also, in an attempt t... more

12 Oct 2026 • 58 min

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Recent Guests

Eryk Sawicki

Publisher, role-playing game designer, and former game-worker organizer

Peregrine Coast Press

Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E44: A Grab is Better Than a Click, and a Treat is better than a Trick, feat. Eryk Sawicki

Duamn Figueroa Rassol

Game designer and illustrator known for his work on Looters.

Mordor Press

Episode: Talkback: Eberron

Christopher Hutton

Journalist covering TTRPG Insider, contributor to Rascal News

TTRPG Insider

Episode: Rascal Radio Hour E43: Two Many Vampires, feat. Christopher Hutton

Cameron Kunzelman

Established games critic and co-host of Game Study Studies Buddies on Range Dust Podcast Network

Rascal News guest and writer

Episode: Interview: Cameron Kunzelman on Lifepaths

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

Hosts

Thomas Manuel

Writer, editor and critic covering tabletop role-playing games and the industry.

Chase Taylor-Carter

Writer and presenter covering tabletop games and their industry.

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

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Listeners Say

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

One review highlights the compact, tightly paced format.

Listeners value the combination of tabletop industry reporting and thoughtful discussion of the hobby.

Listeners praise the hosts and the perspective they bring to industry stories and community issues.

Reviews describe the coverage as distinctive, insightful and a useful way to keep up with tabletop games.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts	#132	United States/News/Entertainment News
Apple Podcasts	#104	United Kingdom/News/Entertainment News
Apple Podcasts	#113	Canada/News/Entertainment News
Apple Podcasts	#128	Australia/News/Entertainment News
Apple Podcasts	#147	Germany/News/Entertainment News
Apple Podcasts	#234	Italy/News/Entertainment News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Rascal Radio Hour E44: A Grab is Better Than a Click, and a Treat is better than a Trick, feat. Eryk Sawicki

Q: Why does Wizards of the Coast need to recognize this union?

Sawicki explains that unions represent defined bargaining units, which can differ by team depending on work and workplace structure. Separate units can secure protections suited to each group, while the union provides organizing support and training.

Rascal Radio Hour E44: A Grab is Better Than a Click, and a Treat is better than a Trick, feat. Eryk Sawicki

Q: I know it might be a process that US readers will be familiar with, but do UK unions work the same way where there is like an intent to unionize and then it goes to a vote?

Sawicki says UK unions first seek voluntary recognition. If that fails, they can pursue statutory recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee, which checks employee and union membership lists and can establish a baseline recognition agreement.

Talkback: Eberron

Q: How do you think about the pleasure of reading versus playability? Is this a binary or are there games to do both?

Duamn sees a real tension between readability and referenceability, but says strong writing, illustrations and layout can inspire game masters while still helping them run a game. Thomas and Duamn also discuss how playability depends on the game, the table and personal taste.

Talkback: Eberron

Q: What do you think about Eberron?

Duamn describes being drawn to Eberron by its distinctive art and setting, then reflects on its postwar history, moral complexity and colonial themes. He and Thomas discuss how the world can support varied campaigns and put marginalized or monstrous peoples closer to the center of play.

Rascal Radio Hour E43: Two Many Vampires, feat. Christopher Hutton

Q: What are the biggest obstacles you face during journalism in the tabletop space?

Time and money are scarce; balancing multiple projects, reporting deadlines, and the broader shrinking economy for news journalism in the space.

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?

Regular conversations and interviews about tabletop role-playing games and the industry around them, from game design and setting books to publishing, labor organizing, awards, licensing and media coverage. The format alternates between news-focused discussions with Chase Taylor-Carter and Thomas Manuel, interviews with designers, journalists and organizers, audience-response conversations, and Manuel's close readings of RPG books and their approaches to play.

The distinctive appeal is the mix of practical gaming discussion and independent industry scrutiny. Episodes consider how rules and settings shape play at the table, while also examining working conditions, corporate decisions, creative credit and the economics of publishing. It suit... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Rascal News?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Rascal News:

1. Yes Indie'd Pod
2. Dice Exploder
3. Talk of the Table
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 68 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. Eryk Sawicki
2. Duamn Figueroa Rassol
3. Christopher Hutton
4. Cameron Kunzelman
5. Asa Donald
6. Clayton Notestine
7. Jenna Stoeber
8. Tomas Franzese

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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