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What Would The Smart Party Do?

The Smart Party
Role-Playing Games
Dungeons & Dragons
Call Of Cthulhu
RPG Reviews
Play-Informed Review
Game Mechanics
Gaming Community
Hot War
Tabletop Rpgs
Cold City
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Pendragon
War In Ukraine
Game Play Culture
Kraken Gaming Retreat
Kickstarter
Ukrainian Culture
Marketing In Reviews
Cold War
Player Engagement

The UK's Premier RPG Podcast

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes221Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureGames

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for What Would The Smart Party Do?

Latest Episodes

While at The Kraken Gaming Retreat, Gaz and Stunt Ben Guy joined legendary game designer Jonathan Tweet to discuss all manner of gaming topics, taking many quandaries live from the audience and delivering sage advice.

While at the Kraken gaming retreat, Gaz and Stunt Ben (Guy) caught up with famed game designer Jonathan Tweet to discuss his chapbook for the event - Fighter Wizard Elf — My Rules for Bare Metal D20 Gaming among his many other games, design in genera... more

We were delighted to be joined by returning guest, Jason Cordova, to talk about his new release of anthology retro horror game, Public Access.

You can check out the Kickstarter here.

Check out an Actual Play of the game on Unconventional GMs.

Love Blades in the Dark, but want that Swinging 60s vibe? Maybe you're more of a Tinker, Tailor, spy maker kind of guy? Join us this time to go all psychedelic and groovy (or dark and moody) with Tim Denee telling us all about the new Blades '68.

Wi... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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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Recent Guests

Jonathan Tweet
Famous game designer and author known for Fighter Wizard Elf, 13th Age, and other RPG projects
Independent designer, Chaosium collaborator
Episode: Jonathan Tweet Interview - Live at The Kraken
Tim Denee
Game designer and author of Blade 68
Evil Hat Productions (blades 68 designer context)
Episode: Tim Denee - Blades '68
Becky Annison
Co-founder of Black Armada Games, designer of narrative-driven tabletop games.
Black Armada Games
Episode: Black Armada Games Interview
Josh Fox
Co-founder of Black Armada Games, designer of tabletop RPGs.
Black Armada Games
Episode: Black Armada Games Interview
Jason Cordova
Founder and organizer of The Gauntlet gaming community, publisher of tabletop role-playing games, and co-host of two podcasts.
The Gauntlet
Episode: Jason Cordova Interview Two
Jon Hodgson
The hands behind Handiwork Games
Handiwork Games
Episode: Hot War, Cold City
Malcolm Craig
Creator of Airstake, Cold City and Hot War
Episode: Hot War, Cold City
Justin Alexander
Game designer and author, known for his work on advanced game mastering and The Alexandrian website.
Macmillan and Page Street Publishing
Episode: How To GM with Justin Alexander
Rob Schwalb
A game designer known for Shadow of the Demonlord and Shadow of the Weird Wizard
Schwalb Entertainment
Episode: Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb

Host

Gaz
Long-running host with deep roots in the show's RPG design discussions and UK gaming scene

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 60 ratings
  • NA

    😭...damp squib. Rude and twee. Once were a great voice in gaming, and I loved them. But they have lost their minds and the podcast is now unlistenable. 2016 onwards has ruined everything good and fine.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    anthologos
    United Statesa month ago
  • Too many interviews

    I’m sure that they have fun interviewing their peers, but no one wants to listen to an hourlong podcast of someone shilling their own product, and that’s what this podcast has become. Wow, the person who wrote this magazine thinks it’s really good. How interesting. I’m tired of my life filling up with ads, and I’m not going to listen to them in long form.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Teem Dodger
    United States2 months ago
  • A once great podcast
with concerns

    Edit (july 2025): it has become clear that the show as it existed is no more. Very much a shame. You can listen to Gaz at least on Unconventional GMs, where he is as clever as ever.

    While you still can, partake in

    listening to their back catalog, for it is a Smaug’s hoard of amazing shows.

    I really hope that everyone gets healthy again soon
i miss the pair of them so much. The world needs a Smart Party!

    The guests are fantastic of course, but mehopes for a return to form soon. I will back a... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    anthologos
    United States10 months ago
  • A once great podcast
with concerns

    Edit (march 2025): listening to their back catalog, binging more accurately, and oh man what amazing shows. I really hope that everyone gets healthy again soon
i miss the pair of them so much. The world needs a Smart Party! They need their paladin.

    The guests are fantastic of course, but mehopes for a return to form soon. I will back again!

    ****************

    When The Smart Party was Baz and Gaz, their episodes were solid gold, each and every time. Whether listening to Gaz being sour and brilli... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    anthologos
    United Statesa year ago
  • A once great podcast
with concerns

    When The Smart Party was Baz and Gaz, their episodes were solid gold, each and every time. Whether listening to Gaz being sour and brilliant about every aspect of gaming history and the party and thrust of real-world gaming problems, or listening to Baz sounding like the most charming bloke in Europe, as well as one of the most insightful chaps in gaming, every episode was unique and memorable and insightful.

    The Smart Party began relying too heavily on guest interviews for my liking, although... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    anthologos
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the show for expert insights and friendly, veteran-host banter.
Many reviews applaud deep-dive RPG design discussions and accessible storytelling.
Fans appreciate the breadth of guests from indie to established designers.
Some criticisms note heavy reliance on guest interviews and shifts in format over time.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#181
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#168
Israel/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#172
Denmark/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#234
South Korea/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bare Metal Gaming Seminar - The Spring Kraken
Q: How do you handle balancing social interaction with action in a single evening?
They advocate brevity for social interactions, cutting them when they stop contributing to progression; balance is achieved by ensuring both social and combat elements contribute to forward momentum and wrap up in a satisfying way.
Bare Metal Gaming Seminar - The Spring Kraken
Q: Does pacing differ between one-shots and campaigns for fast-paced games?
The speakers generally keep a consistent pace by treating campaigns as sequences of sessions and focusing on every session having a main beat, while still allowing long arcs to unfold; preparation is flexible, and they adapt pacing to fit the format.
Black Armada Games Interview
Q: What advice do you have for budding game designers?
Play a wide variety of games; reading and listening isn't enough.
Black Armada Games Interview
Q: Why would people care about the Lovecraft-esque game?
It's a GM-less mystery game that builds around player-created clues leading to a cohesive story.
How To GM with Justin Alexander
Q: How should GMs manage NPCs and players in a city setting?
GMs should prep districts and landmarks, making encounters feel rich and alive, while using a structured approach to running urban adventures.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About What Would The Smart Party Do?

What is What Would The Smart Party Do? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show combines in-depth RPG design conversations with candid chats about industry trends, interviews, and practical GM tips. Episodes frequently feature veteran designers sharing approaches to campaign structure, pacing, and player spotlight, alongside discussions with indie and mainstream creators about worldbuilding, publishing, and community-building. A standout trait is the long-running, conversational vibe that blends theory with actionable takeaways, making it useful for both aspiring designers and listeners who enjoy deep dives into gaming history, design tradeoffs, and practical play examples.

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Which podcasts are similar to What Would The Smart Party Do??

These podcasts share a similar audience with What Would The Smart Party Do?:

1. The GROGNARD Files
2. The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
3. The Vintage RPG Podcast
4. The God Learners
5. Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff

How many episodes of What Would The Smart Party Do? are there?

What Would The Smart Party Do? launched 9 years ago and published 221 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 What Would The Smart Party Do??

Recent guests on What Would The Smart Party Do? include:

1. Jonathan Tweet
2. Tim Denee
3. Becky Annison
4. Josh Fox
5. Jason Cordova
6. Jon Hodgson
7. Malcolm Craig
8. Justin Alexander

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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