The Indie Game Talk Club copertina

The Indie Game Talk Club

The Indie Game Talk Club

Di: Paul Beakley Mike Van Dusen and the Indie Game Reading Club
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IGRC’s podcast about small press roleplaying and the fine art of intentional make-believe
Episodi
  • Making And Breaking Genre

    Making And Breaking Genre
    Sep 24 2026
    Weird Terminology and Acronyms Apophenia: the brain’s natural tendency to create patterns from inputs, whether there are intentional patterns there or not. Wikipedia has a whole lot more information! Genre: one of those wide-open words folks can get lost in the weeds defining and defending. In this episode, we mean subject matter, theme, setting, and expectations. For example, the zombie survival genre as defined by work like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, or 28 Days Later. There are dangerous beings that used to be living humans, those beings might not be the most dangerous thing about the world, the world order has collapsed after the arrival of these beings, and we expect our protagonists to be faced with high-stakes choices as they try to survive. In game talk, “genre” can mean a lot of other things as well! Trope: A “rule” of a genre, a recognizable moment, theme, or other element. In the zombie survival genre, for example: roving gangs of survivors, living villains who are more dangerous than the zombies because of understandable motivations, hiding the fact that you’ve been bitten and endangering everyone around you. LARP: Live Action Role Play. Once again we direct you toward Wikipedia for more information. It’s an incredibly rich, complex body of work! IGRC is far more interested in the Nordic larp tradition than other forms. Flags: In rpg talk, signals between players pointing toward interests, preferences, or no-go areas. Choosing a warrior-type character might be a flag pointing toward an interest in violence and fighting, or it might be a flag pointing toward themes of regret and the cost of violence. Some games have explicit flags, such as stated goals or personality traits, while others offer only implicit flags, such as skill or class choices. Troy Costick has a nice blog entry about flags. X-Card/Safety: You don’t know everything about everyone at the table, and sometimes subject matter or play style can be upsetting in a way the participants did not opt in for. John Stavropolous created the X-Card, one of the first explicit safety tools. The Indie Game Reading Club has also covered safety. PbtA: Powered by the Apocalypse, the meta-platform pseudo-concept not-a-license game design framework that arose with the publication of Apocalypse World. Distributed Authority/GMful: Both phrases point toward roleplaying games in which duties typically enshrined in a single player at the table are spread among multiple players. These games typically feel much different at the table because there isn’t a central authority (GM/DM/facilitator) with final say on all non-character matters. Games and RPG products referred to in this episode. These are affiliate links to DriveThruRPG, where hopefully we can earn enough pennies to defray the cost of acquiring these games. The Indie Game Reading Club does not accept free or promotional copies of games! Dragon TownBirthrightKing Arthur PendragonDark SunGhosts of SaltmarshDragonlanceZombie WorldDesperationNoteboardDragonbaneMutants & MastermindsFiascoCall of CthulhuBasic Role Playing (BRP)Dungeon WorldApocalypse WorldMonsterheartsThe Slow Knife — Project informationFor The QueenDragon Braggin’The Quiet YearA Complicated ProfessionTrouble For HireStewpotDaggerheartAfter The WarSongfall SurvivorsBreathlessSubstratum ProtocolThe FacilityInvisible SunImpulse DriveCoriolis: The Great DarkThe Burning Wheel Contact Us As always: If you have questions, comments, ideas or complaints, email us at hello@indiegamereadingclub.com!
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    1 ora e 15 min
  • Meet Paul and Mike

    Meet Paul and Mike
    Aug 27 2026
    We’ve been threatening to do a podcast for years. That time has finally come. Let us know what you think: email us at hello@indiegamereadingclub.com. Meet your hosts, Paul Beakley and Dusey (Mike Van Dusen). Paul Beakley Dusey Van Dusen Huge, huge thanks to our friend Tim Denee for our swanky logo. Go buy his games! Introduction to Paul and Dusey, what our goals for the podcast are, running games for money, and what even is “indie” these days? Episode 1 Show Notes Weird Terminology and Acronyms LDS: The Church of Latter-Day Saints, ie Mormonism OGL: the Open Game License created by Wizards of the Coast in 2000 that led to an explosion of D20-compatible games. PBTA: Powered by the Apocalypse, the meta-platform pseudo-concept not-a-license game design framework that arose with the publication of Apocalypse World. GNS: Gamism, Narrativism, Simulationism. A version of the “Three Fold Theory” of roleplaying. Big Box Model: A theory of gameplay and game design formed by Ron Edwards and others on The Forge Fruitful Void: A Forge-era concept that says systems frame and outline the central concept, idea, premise, whatever of a game but do not directly mechanize it. OSR: Old School Renaissance/Revolution/Revival (depends on who you ask), a game design, play and publishing movement that formed around resurrecting the very oldest functional rules of Dungeons & Dragons. Trad: Short for traditional roleplaying. Usually means party-based, GM-facilitated, one player per character, system rooted in mostly physical, literal concerns. Indie: Short for independent. The core question of the Indie Game Talk/Reading Club! Trindie: Portmanteau of traditional and indie. Games that incorporate strengths from both trad and indie gameplay and design. Still have questions? Email us and we’ll add more notes! Games and RPG products referred to in this episode. These are affiliate links to DriveThruRPG, where hopefully we can earn enough pennies to defray the cost of acquiring these games. The Indie Game Reading Club does not accept free or promotional copies of games! AD&DB/X D&DD&D BeyondD20 ModernStar Wars D20ShadowrunGURPSTiny DungeonDungeon WorldTop SecretWarhammerTravellerDeadlandsDeadlands: Hell on EarthSavage WorldsMutant Chronicles RPGKultBurning EmpiresExaltedThe Burning WheelFading SunsZombie WorldDragon TownPathfinderCall of CthulhuAvatar LegendsTales From The LoopThe Electric StateAlienDune: Adventures In The ImperiumJohn Carter of MarsBeyond the PaleUrban ShadowsFor The QueenThe Quiet YearStill Life Contact Us As always: If you have questions, comments, ideas or complaints, email us at hello@indiegamereadingclub.com!
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    57 min
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