Rephonic
Artwork for System Mastery
Role-Playing Games
Roleplaying Games
Character Creation
Dungeons & Dragons
Fabula Ultima
Game Mechanics
Dungeons and Dragons
Wild West RPG
Capers
Superheroes
Tales From the Floating Vagabond
The Companion's Tale
Final Fantasy
Ghost Dog: Way Of the Samurai
RPG Mechanics
MÖRK BORG
The Quiet Year
Unbidden
1920s
Doctor Who

Jef and Jon review old roleplaying games

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes350Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesHobbiesLeisure

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Artwork for System Mastery

Latest Episodes

Woof.

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Welcome to Trashween! It's all garbage this time, baby! This game isn't awful, but it is trash-themed. Stay tuned for next time!

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Big old anime RPG, and actually from Japan for once! Vaguely superhero but realistically sorta shonen, let's talk about Double Cross.

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Finally, everyone's favorite thing, a universal OSR system! And in such a straightforward and simple 36 pages!

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Key Facts

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

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Kira Woodmansee
Game designer and artist
Tales from the Floating Vagabond
Episode: 311 - Tales from the Floating Vagabond 2e, Part 2: An Interview
Sean Ellis
Game designer and writer
Tales from the Floating Vagabond
Episode: 311 - Tales from the Floating Vagabond 2e, Part 2: An Interview
James DiMatteau
President of OneShot Podcast Network and RPG designer
OneShot Podcast Network
Episode: 309 - Invisible Sun Lore
James D'Amato
Co-host of various roleplaying podcasts and game designer
Possible Worlds Games
Episode: 308 - Invisible Sun

Hosts

Jef
Reviews role-playing games and creates role-playing game content.
Jon
Reviews role-playing games.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 452 ratings
  • So good

    Jef and Jon are experts at explaining old weird roleplaying games and experts at making me laugh. It’s a great combination that actually translates into a really considered discussion of the elements that make up a fantastic game.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lovehate Design
    Australia12 days ago
  • An excellent review which showed me exactly why I am glad it did not buy this game. What an entertaining resource.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    indigonegative
    a year ago
  • This makes me want to get this game. These three apparent Americans using the word "twee" incessantly is incredibly annoying.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    Rocky McCobb
    a year ago
  • If you're lookingfor honest in depth discussion of ttrpgs thuis is not the place for it. The hosts don't learn the rules then take turns shifting on the rules that they didn't read. If you want smarmy comments about rules and settings that aren't accurate or applicable, these are your guys.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    JohnQPublic
    a year ago
  • It's nice to hear old systems being reviewed, but the utter lack of any seriousness is extremely off-putting. Sure, have fun and make the episode interesting, but at least try to be intellectually honest to the system you've put so much effort into learning! Honestly, if every game system review is a series of continuous jokes, why bother reviewing them at all??

    I appreciate the enormous effort to review so many game systems. It's just a shame the work gets lost under piles of innanity.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    Siltoneous
    a year ago

Listeners Say

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

The reviews help listeners understand a game's mechanics and design without having to read the book themselves.
Listeners value the hosts' rapport, humor, and detailed takes on obscure or out-of-print RPGs.
Critics say the hosts can be dismissive or underprepared when discussing a game's context.
Some listeners find the sharp, sometimes crude humor entertaining; others consider it immature or overdone.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#187
United States/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#57
Canada/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#45
Australia/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#234
France/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#18
Philippines/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#21
Denmark/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

311 - Tales from the Floating Vagabond 2e, Part 2: An Interview
Q: What's next for Tales from the Floating Vagabond?
They plan to produce more content, including adventure modules and explore the game's universe further, introducing new mechanics and expanding on existing ideas.
308 - Invisible Sun
Q: Would you play this game again?
I would play this game tomorrow; it was a delight to play.
308 - Invisible Sun
Q: What's your least favorite thing about this game?
It has to be the way in which this is written—very obtuse and sliding in and out of different perspectives.
264 - Monsterhearts
Q: What was your least favorite thing?
There's not a lot I dislike about this game, but if I'm going to find anything, it's the base mechanical stuff.
264 - Monsterhearts
Q: What was your favorite thing about Monsterhearts First Edition?
I love the fact that this starts out with like, hey, there is no unconditional acceptance.

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 System Mastery

What is System Mastery about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Jef and Jon review tabletop role-playing games, often older, obscure, out-of-print, or unusually ambitious titles. Their two-host conversations explain a game's premise, character creation, rules, and intended play, then weigh what works against problems in design, organization, balance, and usability. The commentary is candid and comedic, with frequent comparisons to other games and pop culture, and a willingness to praise a clever mechanic even when the overall book disappoints. Episodes generally focus on one game and offer enough detail for listeners to judge whether they might want to read or play it themselves. Recent coverage ranges across fantasy, horror, science fiction, superheroes, and experimental narrative games, making this a ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to System Mastery?

These podcasts share a similar audience with System Mastery:

1. Movie Mastery
2. Expounded Universe
3. Ludonarrative Dissidents
4. Chilluminati Podcast
5. Welcome to Night Vale

How many episodes of System Mastery are there?

System Mastery launched 12 years ago and published 350 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 System Mastery?

Recent guests on System Mastery include:

1. Kira Woodmansee
2. Sean Ellis
3. James DiMatteau
4. James D'Amato

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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