Talk of the Table
Talk of the Table is a TTRPG talk show where hosts Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty talk with game designers, actual play producers, journalists, academics, artists, and performers about all the coolest things happening in the TTRPG community in an effort to understand what’s on the mind of the tabletop industry.
The Secrets of Overlay Design (w/ Stellaluna)
In our first ever video episode, Brian and Elliot are joined by Stellaluna, an actual play producer, performer, and graphic designer to discuss our brand new Talk of the Table video overlays. Along the way, we discuss the secrets of good overlay design, producing streamed actual play, and how to be an effective producer for sponsored actual play.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Stellaluna.tv
Stella on bluesky
Gudiya
Stella’s production flowchart
Stella Recom...
Blades '68: One Hat At A Time (w/ Tim Denee)
Brian and Elliot are joined by Tim Denee, a game designer who wears several creative hats in his making of projects like Deathmatch Island and the upcoming Blades ‘68. We dive into how Blades ‘68 expands on the beloved world of Blades in the Dark, where this ambitious new supplement began, and how Tim balances all of the various creative roles it takes to make a book of this scope.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Blades ‘68
Tim on Bluesky
Old Dog Gam...
Designing Cloud Empress & Rust Wings (w/ watt)
Brian and Elliot are joined by Watt, the designer of Cloud Empress, to discuss designing inside established systems, Ghibli-inspired games, and their latest project Rust Wings.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Rust Wings
Cloud Empress.com
Tim Recommends:
Mythic Bastionland
Our Links:
Support TotT on Patreon
Many Sided Newsletter
Many Sided Media Discord
Credits:
Edite...
Murker of Morks & Dead Internet Theory (Zine Month #4)
In the final episode of our Zine Month 2026 series we’re diving into the Mork Borg universe with two great takes on the Borg style.
[Ad-free feed and bonus episodes available on Patreon]
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Murker of Morks
Back Dead Internet Theory
Murker of Morks
Nishaant on Bluesky
Nishaant Recommends: The Crypt Has Opened
Dead Internet Theory
David on Bluesky
...
Lie to Him & W.F.H. (Zine Month #3)
In the third episode of our Zine Month 2026 series, we are discussing deception, tarot, and jenga towers and how you can tell stories of corporate horror over Slack.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Back Lie to Him
Back W.F.H.
Lie to Him
Michelle on Bluesky
Michelle Recommends: One-Page TTRPG Bundle Volume #2
EUphoria - How to Play Lie to Him
EUphoria Interview
W.F.H.
Dan on TikTok
<...Axolotl with a Gun & Blightfall (Zine Month #2)
In our second Zine Month 2026 special episode, Brian and Elliot are talking about gun-toting axolotls and doomed heroes fighting corruption.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Axolotl With A Gun
Back Blightfall
Axolotl With a Gun
Bri on Bluesky
Jon on Bluesky
Brightbardgames.com
Bri Recommends: Food & Evil by Goosepoop Games
Jon Recommends: The Bottle Episode by Spilled Coffee Creatives
Bligh...
Be Wizards, Have Sex, F*ck Fascism (Zine Month #1)
In our first Zine Month 2026 special episode, Brian and Elliot are joined by Robin Ekberg and Dillin Apelyan, the designers behind Rise, Wizards! and All’s Fair respectively. We discuss their two-game project collaboration with Elliot/moreblueberries, the unique dice-stacking and worldbuilding mechanics of Rise, Wizards!, and why All’s Fair is simultaneously important, challenging, and joyful to bring into the world right now.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
BACK Rise, Wizards! & All's Fair
Dillin on BlueSky, TikTok<...
Building the Eternal Ruins w/ Sam Carr
Brian and Elliot are joined by Sam Carr, the creator and illustrator of The Eternal Ruins to discuss his approach to world building and how an art project became the latest TTRPG from Mythworks.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Follow Sam
Learn About The Eternal Ruins
Back The Eternal Ruins on Kickstarter
Download The Eternal Ruins Quickstart
Sam Recommends:
Mouse Guard
Our...
Designing for GMless Play w/ Nat Mesnard
Brian and Elliot are joined by Nat Mesnard, a game designer, professor, and co-founder of Scryptid Games and Unquiet Games. We discuss their latest game Assemblage and how they approach GM-less game design.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Follow Nat
Buy Assemblage
Learn about Nat's Games
Nat Recommends:
Scryptid Games
Our Links:
Support TotT on Patreon
Many Sided Newsletter
<...Building a TTRPG Business (w/ Andy Boyd)
Brian and Elliot are joined by Andy Boyd, owner of Pandion Games and game designer behind such beloved titles as Badger & Coyote, Substratum Protocol, and his latest Midnight Muscadines. We dig into how Andy built Pandion with 12 page zines, what makes a game a “Pandion game”, and how to level up your TTRPG business slowly and smartly.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Follow Andy
Pandion Games
Pandion on itch
Andy Recommends:
Frieren...
250 Shows at The Twenty Sided Tavern (w/ Jasmin Malave)
Brian and Elliot are joined by Jasmin Malave, cast member of the touring live show The Twenty Sided Tavern. We dig into what Jasmin has learned over 250+ performances, how the show has changed over the years, and where this live experience sits on the spectrum of actual play.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Jasmin on Instagram, TikTok
The Twenty Sided Tavern
Jasmin Recommends:
“Confidence is an illusion, just do it, I believe in you!”...
A Shared World Through Play (w/ Kendrick Smith)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Kendrick Smith, creator of the award-winning actual play Tales Yet Told. We dig into how Kendo has used multiple seasons and TTRPG systems to create “The Sublime”, a shared universe that is built and refined through play. Along the way, we talk about intentional storytelling through actual play, the motivations behind why we make art, and what is next for the Sublime on Tales Yet Told and beyond.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
List...
Making GMs over 50 Million Dollars (w/ Devon Chulick)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Devon Chulick, founder and CEO of StartPlaying, the largest online platform for players to find TTRPGs and Professional GMs. We discuss how the platform is allowing GMs to make a living in tabletop roleplaying games, how StartPlaying can help expand the hobby and introduce new games, and the power of community created through play.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
StartPlaying.com
Startplaying
Devon
Devon R...
Dramaturgy in Actual Play (w/ Connie Chang & Sea Thomas)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Connie Chang and Sea Thomas, the creative duo behind the award winning actual play Transplanar RPG. We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it weaves the wants and needs of players and GM, how it informs safe artistic storytelling in a noncolonial anti-orientalist multiverse, and how it supports long-term actual play in Transplanar’s The Chaos Protocol.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Check out The Chaos Protocol Arc 4
...Roundtable: Teaching Games Through Actual Play (ft. Brennan Lee Mulligan, Quinns, and Dr. Emily Friedman)
In this Talk of the Table Roundtable special, Brian & Elliot sit down with Dr. Emily Friedman, Quintin Smith aka ‘Quinns’, and Brennan Lee Mulligan for a discussion on pedagogic actual play. We dig into whether or not actual play is the best tool for teaching games, how we understand skill and learning in TTRPGs and beyond, and who our imagined student is when thinking of actual play as a teaching tool.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Hear the rest of this Episode:
...
From Magic Ponies to Biblical Apocalypses (w/ Jack Caesar)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Jack Caesar of Caesar Ink, the team behind TTRPG adaptations of beloved IPs like My Little Pony, Discworld, and Labyrinth. We dig into how to approach IP-based games, how to treat adapted properties with respect even if you’re not a typical fan, and how working on licensed games informs Caesar Ink’s work on the original world of Doomsong.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
DOOMSONG: Thou Shalt Not Suffer The Wycce
Ca...
Unboxing Lovecraftesque 2e (w/ Josh Fox)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Josh Fox who is one half of Black Armada, the duo behind Lovecraftesque. We get into the exciting new features of the boxed second edition of this emergent mystery game, why safety tools should be a tailored part of game design, and Black Armada’s latest project Ex Tenebris.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Ex Tenebris
Buy Lovecraftesque 2e
Black Armada
Follow Josh on Bluesky
H...
Coyote & Crow 4 Years Later (w/ Kenna Alexander)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Kenna Alexander, designer of Coyote & Crow and owner of Coyote and Crow games, to discuss the lessons she’s learned in the 4 years since the hit science fantasy roleplaying game released. We get into the impact the game has had for native players and beyond, the new horror setting Ahu Tiiko, and what she has planned next for Coyote & Crow.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Coyote & Crow: Digital
Pre-Order Ahu Tiiko
Co...
Designing and Composing Worlds Beyond Number (w/ Taylor Moore)
Elliot and Brian are joined once again by Taylor Moore, creative director and composer of Worlds Beyond Number, to discuss the completion of Book 1 of The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One. We dig in on sustainable working practices, narrative payoff in composition, and how he’s applying the lessons of campaign 1 to the next major campaign of Worlds Beyond Number.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Listen to Worlds Beyond Number
Taylor on Bluesky
Ta...
Making Mechs Mythic in Dragon Reactor (w/ Nevyn Holmes and Quinn Morris)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Nevyn Holmes and Quinn Morris to talk about their mythopoetic mech TTRPG, Dragon Reactor. We discuss the importance of language in building a mythic story and Brian explains why this game’s Countdown mechanic restored his faith in downtime mechanics.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Dragon Reactor
Dinoberry Press
Nova Recommends:
I am Your Beast
Metallic Rouge
Q...
A Legacy of Learning Through Design (w/ Avery Alder)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Avery Alder, designer of beloved games like The Quiet Year and Monsterhearts, to discuss the many full circle moments of her career, why trigger warnings are actually for the sickos, and how she continues to learn from her designs even after putting them down for over a decade.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Buy Going for Broke
Buried Without Ceremony
Avery on Bluesky
Avery Recommends:
...
[LIVE SHOW] Triangle Agency: Two Years Later (w/ Caleb Zane Huett & Sean Ireland)
Elliot and Brian sit down for the first ever Talk of the Table LIVE Show at Twenty Sided Store for a follow up conversation with the co-designers of Triangle Agency Caleb Zane Huett and Sean Ireland. We dig into bringing this game to life, the joys and horror of corporate lingo, and where the money actually goes when you raise $380,000 on Kickstarter. Featuring a Q&A from our first ever live audience!
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Buy Triangle Agency
...
Hope on the High Seas of Hell (w/ Moss Powers)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Moss Powers of Brewist Tabletop to discuss Book of Leviathan, their new expansion to the religious horror TTRPG HELLWHALERS. We discuss what this game has to say about hope and religious trauma, why gambling with Sic Bo is the perfect mechanic for driving home these themes, and what players can expect from this new expansion.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Book of Leviathan
Buy HELLWHALERS
Follow Moss
More games...
A New Vision for Games at Kickstarter (w/ Asher McClennahan)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Asher McClennahan, the new Head of Games at Kickstarter, to discuss new features built on community feedback, how TTRPG creators can most effectively use Kickstarter, and how he hopes to regain the trust of creators who have left the platform in recent years due to concerns over AI and more.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
games@kickstarter.com
Kickstarter Learning Lab
Autonomica Campaign Page
Asher Recommends:
<...[PATREON PREVIEW] Roundtable: TTRPG Publishing
In this Talk of the Table Roundtable special, Brian & Elliot sit down with Ray Chou of Mythworks and Fred Hicks of Evil Hat for a frank discussion on the state of TTRPG publishing amidst uncertainty caused by tariffs and more.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Hear the rest of this Episode:
Talk of the Table on Patreon
Links:
Mythworks
Evil Hat
Many Sided Media Discord
...
Love & Hate in Adaptation (w/ Jess Levine)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Jess Levine, designer of games like Planet FIST, I Have the High Ground, and Going Rogue—one half of the forthcoming two-game book with Riley Rethal’s Galactic. We discuss bringing this massive collaboration to life, the choice of working in GMless or GMed design, and why the best adaptational media is made with love and hate.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Galactic & Going Rogue
Follow Jess
Follow Jumpgate Games
Introducing FIVE New Affiliate Shows
The Many Sided Network is EXPANDING! And as a part of that expansion we are adding FIVE new affiliate shows to our network.
In this episode you'll be getting a proper introduction to each of these phenomenal new shows from the creators themselves.
The Many Sided Network is dedicated to TTRPG and nerdy podcasts telling great stories in new and innovative ways and this first class of affiliate podcasts are doing just that.
Dice Exploder
Maia’s Game Room
Tales Yet Told
Dorkspawn
Mage Hand High...
A Love Letter to Violence (w/ Daniel Kwan)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Daniel Kwan, designer of Wandering Blades to discuss the balance of OSR and storygame design sensibilities behind this new game, how he found inspiration in the beautiful violence of wuxia media, and what designers can learn by playing TCGs.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Wandering Blades
Follow Daniel
Daniel’s wuxia & wuxia-esque Recommendations:
Come Drink With Me
Dragon Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn...
Games That Demand Play (w/ Zach Cox)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Zach Cox, founder and creative lead of SoulMuppet Publishing to discuss growing a business while hating capitalism, being a sicko about book production, and creating games that demand play.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Back Mad As Hell on Kickstarter
Mad As Hell Quickstart
Mad As Hell - Radical’s Handbook
SoulMuppet Publishing
Zach on Bluesky
Zach Recommends:
Ne...
Glorious Heists (w/ Andre Novoa)
Elliot and Brian sit down with Andre Novoa of Games Omnivorous to discuss his latest game The Job and how it uses simple mechanics to elegantly recreate a heist movie for your gaming table. We also discuss what makes Games Omnivorous unique and touch on the TTRPG scene in Portugal.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
The Job on Backerkit
Games Omnivorous
Follow Games Omnivorous on Bluesky
Our Links:
Su...
The Possible Worlds of Realis (w/ Austin Walker & Tyler Crumrine)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Realis writer Austin Walker and Possible Worlds founder Tyler Crumrine for a discussion about their collaboration on this exciting new game. We dive into the sentence-based mechanics, how players might imagine their own version of Realis, and where this project fits into the large slate of upcoming Possible Worlds releases.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Realis Ashcan
Follow Austin Walker
Friends at the Table
Shelved by Genre
Follow Po...
A Quantum Amount of Goofballery (w/ Land of Eem)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Ben Costa and James Parks, co-designers of Land of Eem. We discuss their lifelong collaboration and how it led to the creation of this world that has spawned graphic novels, middle-grade fiction, and now a TTRPG that facilitates how Ben and James love to play games.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Land of Eem
Exalted Funeral
James Recommends:
Usagi Yojimbo
Ben Recommends:
Listen to the Game (w/ Jason Morningstar)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Jason Morningstar, co-owner of Bully Pulpit games and designer of titles like Fiasco, Night Witches, and the upcoming Zhenya’s Wonder Tales. We discuss how to listen to a game when designing, the power of being curious, and why sometimes the best business is built on friendship.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Support Zhenya’s Wonder Tales
Bully Pulpit Games
Follow Jason
Jason Recommends:
SUPER BANDI...
A Game Can Always Come Back (w/ Viditya Voleti)
BACK A LAND ONCE MAGIC
Elliot and Brian are joined by Viditya Voleti, award winning designer of Bloodbeam Badlands, Space Between Stars, and the currently crowdfunding A Land Once Magic (published by our own moreblueberries!). We discuss keeping a sketchbook of games, the love of worldbuilding, and why it’s never too late to bring one of your games to print.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Support A Land Once Magic
Follow Viditya
...
No One Expects the Monty Python RPG! (w/ Brian Saliba)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Brian Saliba, lead designer of Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme. Brian, Brian, and Elliot dive deep on writing a licensed TTRPG, the important distinction between a “Python” game and a comedy game, and why rolling a nat 20 means you’re taking everything way too seriously.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
Pre-Order Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme
Crowbar Creative - Brian’s Company
Brian Recommends:
Apollo 47 Technical Handbook
3 Projects, 2 Editions (Zine Month #4)
In the final Talk of the Table Zine Month Special Episode, Elliot and Brian are joined by two designers who are bringing their games to second editions. Adam Bell takes us through the royal court drama game Uneasy Lies the Head. Then, Aaron Lim tells us all about his TWO games Ithaca in the Cards & What Should We Have Tomorrow?.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty
Adam’s Links:
Support Uneasy Lies the Head
Follow Adam
Support A Perfect Rock
...Love Gods & Warped Pods (Zine Month #3)
In the 3rd Talk of the Table Zine Month Special Episode, Elliot and Brian are joined by two designers who are getting meta with their projects. Graham Gentz tells us all about the “Hallmark-meets-Cabin-in-the-Woods” game Love for the Love Gods. Then, Jordan Dube takes us through his interdimensional podcast game Warped FM.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty
Graham’s Links:
Support Love for the Love Gods
Follow Graham
Support Mum Chums, Out of Orbit, & Against Time and Death
...
Heroic Sacrifice & Plenty O' Patrons (Zine Month #2)
In the second Talk of the Table Zine Month Special Episode, Elliot and Brian are joined by two designers creating games perfect for before your next fantasy campaign. Ethan Yen tells us about his tactical storytelling game of heroic sacrifice Prequel. Then, Meghan Cross takes us through her game that reimagines the warlock-patron relationship O Patron Mine.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty
Ethan’s Links:
Support Prequel
Follow Ethan
Check out Lyla’s Newsletter
Support Out of Orbi...
Horse Farts & Raccoon Spies (Zine Month #1)
In the first Talk of the Table Zine Month Special Episode, Elliot and Brian are joined by two designers creating comedy-forward TTRPGs. Tom Lavery takes us through his two-people-in-a-horse costume game Horse Majeure. Then, Stephen Hans shares his three-raccoons-in-a-trenchcoat spy comedy Mission: ImPAWsible.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty
Tom’s Links:
Support Horse Majeure
Follow Tom on Bluesky
tomlavery.com - Grab Horse Majeure for Free!
Support Caught in the Rain
Bonus - Watch Midsomer Mu...
Zine Month 101 (w/ Tony Vasinda)
Elliot and Brian are joined by Tony Vasinda, Chief Alchemist of PlusOneEXP and one of the organizers of Zine Month, for a practical deep dive on marketing, team formation, and fulfillment for designers this Zine Month.
Talk of the Table is hosted by Elliot Davis and Brian Flaherty.
Links:
PlusOneEXP
Find Tony on Bluesky
Zine Club - Get Zines Every Month!
Marketing:
TONY’S PRESS KIT VIDEO
Rascal Announcement Section
Communities:
R...
