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Artwork for TABLETOP TALK

TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars

Craig Shipman
Tabletop Gaming
Role-Playing Games
Game Design
Dungeons and Dragons
Tabletop Rpgs
Dungeons & Dragons
Blades In the Dark
Game Mechanics
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Horror
Crowdfunding
Tabletop Games
Slugblaster
Call Of Cthulhu
Ion Heart
Shiver
Dice Exploder
Sam Dunnewold
Northfield
Hedge

Do you love tabletop gaming? This is your podcast. Who are the creatives behind your favorite games and content? How do they approach their work? I sit with designers, developers, artists, writers, and creators and learn how they approach their work. I try to understand their process, inspiration, and methods for crafting their creations. Craig digs deep into the work and uncovers the origins of y... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes294Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesLeisure

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Artwork for TABLETOP TALK

Latest Episodes

Dr Emily Friedman is a scholar whose work centers on storytelling. For the past few years, one of those focuses has been on TTRPGs and the vibrant communities that have developed over the decades. Her work looks at both the long and understudied earl... more

YouTube

Elliott Davis is making really interesting games. His focus isn't on following the usual standards — he's trying to make content that makes you feel and think. And he's absolutely killing it.

We talk about how he got into game development, actual p... more

YouTube

I am joined by Dillin Apelyan and James D'Amato. If you listen to the One Shot Podcast, you've probably heard of both of them, and if you're a fan of the actual play scene, you've seen their work all over. And now, they've come on to the show to disc... more

YouTube

Anthony “Runeslinger” (Casting Shadows) and I discuss what makes “good players” buy into horror roleplaying and, specifically, why characters would investigate terrifying situations and keep returning after trauma. They explore common answers, such a... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
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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

Elliot Davis
Brooklyn-based game designer, podcaster and artist
Many-Sided Media
Episode: Elliot Davis (The Time We Have) ep 282
Dillin Apelyan
Current host of One Shot Podcast; co-creative lead on villain book
One Shot Podcast, Third Floor Wars
Episode: Dillin Apelyan & James D’Amato (One Shot Podcast, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide) ep 281
James D'Amato
Co-author; longtime host/creative lead on One Shot
One Shot Podcast
Episode: Dillin Apelyan & James D’Amato (One Shot Podcast, The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide) ep 281
Laurence Phillips
Writer and designer focused on tabletop and video games
Hardy Roach Games
Episode: Laurence Phillips (Il Fantasma del Giallo) ep. 279
Ray Chou
Los Angeles-based writer, publisher and educator with Mythworks
Mythworks
Episode: Ray Chou (Mythworks) ep. 278
Craig Hatler
Creator of Shadowlight & Personae
Shadowlight & Personae
Episode: Craig Hatler (Shadowlight & Personae) ep. 277
Quinton Smith
Speaker intro on the show
Episode: Em Acosta (Crescent, Exile) ep. 276
Em Acosta
Writer and game designer responsible for Crescent and Exile
Crescent / Exile
Episode: Em Acosta (Crescent, Exile) ep. 276
René-Pier Deshaies
Designer of Breathless and Boundless, co-creator at Fairy RPGs
Fairy RPGs
Episode: René-Pier Deshaies (Breathless: Frightmare Edition) ep. 275

Hosts

Craig Shipman
Host coordinating interviews and guiding conversations across episodes
Claire Shortino
Co-host/ interviewer with focus on interview rhythm and guests

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 114 ratings
  • Take me to the Third Floor

    Craig’s interviews are fantastic. He focused on his guests and their inspirations, giving all of us insight into their process and what drove them. Give it a listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SeanNittner
    United States7 months ago
  • Best interviewer in the biz

    No one else in the industry is as good at asking questions as Craig. He does an excellent job at getting creators to mine their own experiences for interesting tidbits that will be useful to the rest of us!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    becuzitsbitter
    United Statesa year ago
  • By Crom!

    I discovered the POD via Matt John posting about it. Was a great listen, felt like I was sitting round a table listening in o mates talking shiy and having a beer.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rikdog72
    New Zealand2 years ago
  • Craig walks the walk

    My favourite online GM- Seriously.

    I have found Forbidden Lands, Symbaroum and now Vaesen through Craig.

    Listen to his 7 tips episode. I had already subconsciously adopted many of them from watching Third Floor’s play through’s on You Tube.

    He has definitely made me a better GM.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MojoPorter
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Addictive listening

    Just a fantastic insight into tabletop roleplaying game creatives. Fascinating, and a brilliantly relaxed and entertaining listen. My new must-listen in gaming podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    David F Chapman
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Positive: professional, high-quality production and deep-dive interviews.
Positive: strong questions that draw out guests' processes and inspirations.
Positive: consistent emphasis on indie design and publishing insights.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#166
New Zealand/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#216
Russia/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Elliot Davis (The Time We Have) ep 282
Q: When did you first decide you were making a game rather than just testing ideas, and what catalyzed that shift?
The moment the project became a game was when I decided the characters would be brothers, a deliberate choice that pushed me to move from exploration to execution, with ongoing development around how the two-player dynamic and deck-of-cards structure would work.
Elliot Davis (The Time We Have) ep 282
Q: Can you take me back to the point where you first discovered this hobby and what pulled you into making games?
I was a latecomer to tabletop RPGs, starting around 2020 during the pandemic, inspired by friends and streaming content, which sparked a deep curiosity that evolved into designing games after seeing indie creators like Samantha Lee and Disaster Tourism demonstrate a path from fan to creator.
Ray Chou (Mythworks) ep. 278
Q: How did Wildsea come to Mythworks and what was the crowdfunding experience like?
Ray details discovering Wildsea on Reddit, running a playtest, and engaging backers that led to a successful Kickstarter that significantly surpassed expectations, validating the publishing model.
Ray Chou (Mythworks) ep. 278
Q: How did Ray get into sequential art and Crowdfunding?
He explains starting in libraries for graphic novels, moving toward film school, then co-founding Mythworks with Vince and leveraging NYU connections to crowdfund comics that later fed into RPG publishing.
Craig Hatler (Shadowlight & Personae) ep. 277
Q: So Craig, we learned a little bit before the break about kind of some of the origins of the game. Where did Shadowlight & Personae start and what was the drive?
The drive was practical and lore-rich: create a versatile setting with an Omniverse that can host multiple genres and stories, built around a rich world and a framework for how magic, divine worship, and tech interact within it.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About TABLETOP TALK

What is TABLETOP TALK about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Insightful interviews with tabletop designers, writers, and publishers who shape indie RPGs, board games, and related media. Conversations commonly explore design processes, collaborative workflows, crowdfunding journeys, and the intersection of narrative craft with game mechanics. Listeners get behind-the-scenes looks at how creators iterate from concept to published product, including playtesting, open licensing, and community-building. A notable pattern is the emphasis on practical guidance for aspiring guests and publishers, from world-building and system design to marketing, timing, and partnerships. This mix of deep design dives and real-world publishing experiences makes it useful for creators and PR teams looking to understand who's... more

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Which podcasts are similar to TABLETOP TALK?

These podcasts share a similar audience with TABLETOP TALK:

1. Around the Hearth
2. Dice Exploder
3. Rascal News
4. RTFM
5. The GROGNARD Files

How many episodes of TABLETOP TALK are there?

TABLETOP TALK launched 8 years ago and published 294 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 TABLETOP TALK?

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What guests have appeared on TABLETOP TALK?

Recent guests on TABLETOP TALK include:

1. Elliot Davis
2. Dillin Apelyan
3. James D'Amato
4. Laurence Phillips
5. Ray Chou
6. Craig Hatler
7. Quinton Smith
8. Em Acosta

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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