TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars
Craig Shipman
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 your favorite tabletop games and the creative process that brought them to life.
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 your favorite tabletop games and the creative process that brought them to life.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 17, 2026 • 1h 31min
Ross Bryant and Cupp (Push the Roll) ep. 273
Cupp and Ross Bryant join us for an informative episode about the nature and specifics of roleplaying and podcasts. The pair dives into their experiences with role-playing games. The two of them are seasoned role-players and understand more than most what the impact of throwing a microphone in front of your face has on the way you approach sessions. The highlights of this episode focus on how GMs can make the experience more visual and cinematic, and on the power of improvisation and fluidly moving through the session with your players. We discuss horror as a genre, so if you're into getting spooked during the session, it’s good listen. Check out Push the Roll here: https://pushtheroll.comand sign up to their Patreon! https://members.pushtheroll.com/?synced=1Listen to Ain’t Slayed Nobody: https://aintslayednobody.comFollow Ross on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rossbb/and Cuppycup: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5olaqsnnyq7hqxxjr2qhtds7SHOW NOTES:Blades ’68Glass Cannon NetworkDropout TVKids on BikesCall of CthuluFall (film) Bout of RadnessThe Victorians and Ancient Greece by Richard JenkynsAlien: The Cold Forge by Alex WhiteThe Traitors (TV)************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Mar 2, 2026 • 1h 18min
Tim Denee (Blades '68) ep. 272
One of the great beauties of art is how different creators build upon their influences and contemporaries, creating layers that work together. We see it a lot in the TTRPG space, from shared mechanics, an influx of hacks and shared IPs, and so much cross-creation between mediums, be it books, video games, board games, and films. Tim Denee joins us today to talk about Blades ’68, but the conversation turns to adaptations and interweaving that any avid RPG lover can learn from. He discusses how Blades ’68 transports the universe of Blades in the Dark into a new era, playing on how our world could look like a science-fiction fantasy realm of its own, and he straddled the source material with his own personal approach. We’re at a point where TTRPG’s aren’t being developed in a vacuum—the genre is sprawling and interweaving in ways that give creators, DMs, and players a lot of room to grow and play. It’s a great inside look at how the most cutting-edge developers are working together to forge bigger and better universes than ever. Tim Denee is a designer who works on all sorts of projects, from book covers to websites and TTRPGs! He’s well known for the acclaimed Deathmatch Island, and has a lot of great games in development outside of Blades ’68, like Bloodred Clouds in the Western Sky and Unit-X. His highly stylized games blend genre and period perfectly to create really exciting games. REFERENCES:Band of BladesMythic BastionlandDeathloopDishonoredPeaky BlindersWavelengthMonikersMagical AthleteMagic: The GatheringFactorioSatisfactoryAlchemy Factory************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Feb 10, 2026 • 2h 9min
Kickin’ The Tires with Sean Nittner (Evil Hat Productions) ep. 271
Sean is the Director of Projects at Evil Hat Productions, a game developer and TTRPG enthusiast who has played more games than almost anyone we know. He’s been part of the design team for great titles like Agon, Apocalypse Galactica, Blades in the Dark, Dead World, and Stone Dragon Mountain. He adds a refreshing energy and commitment to the world of TTRPG’s—he’s been doing it for decades. In today’s episode, we break down different gameplay styles and the realities of various mechanics, how they affect the flow of play, and how players interact with the world. It’s a deep dive into how game hacking and open-source development work, and it's great for homebrewers and developers alike. Sean discusses what makes for a robust mechanical structure and how best to integrate a game's structure and story into an evocative product. He explores how to deliver mechanics to your audience, how to tell more enticing stories, red and green flags in game-making, and details his awesome experiences in the field over This conversation was a blast, running nearly two hours. A true deep dive, there’s a lot to learn here.Check out Sean’s websiteVisit the amazing titles sold by Evil Hat ProductionsTitles and subjects we reference: OSR MothershipPBTA Forged in the DarkCall of Cthulu KnaveMythic BastionlandWhite Hack & Black HackScum and VillainyProject PERSEUSBand of BladesSpell and BladeDraw SteelApocalypse WorldTiān Dēng: Tales of the Immortal God ShipOutgunnedShadows of TruthTomb RaiderBlades in the Dark Apocalypse KeysWork CleanLittle OraclesShadowdarkPluribusTed Lasso************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Feb 8, 2026 • 1h 32min
Marc Majcher (The Empire Never Ended, Grackle Teeth) ep. 270
Craig and Marc discuss Marc's process for developing two of his games.Dragon MagazineTop SecretStar FrontierCall of CthuluParanoiaApocalypse WorldBlades in the DarkZombie WorldRiftsShadowrunDelicious in Dungeon************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Jan 15, 2026 • 1h 26min
Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan (Dracula Dossier, Fear Itself, Adventures in Middle-Earth) ep. 269
Craig spoke with Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan about his creative process, writing horror without being a big fan of the genre, and more.GURPSGumshoeOne RingTrail of CthuluFear Itself House of LeavesThe Ring (movie)Brindlewood Bay ************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Jan 10, 2026 • 1h 22min
Keith Ammann (Monsters Know What They’re Doing) ep. 268
Craig spoke with Keith, author of several books on making enemies, places, and combats in your games feel more real.Check out Keith's extensive libraryShadowrunGURPSCypher SystemLeague of Extraordinary GentlemenKnaveCourt of BladesBlades in the DarkBalder’s GateDragon Age: VeilguardDragon Age: InquisitionAlien RPG************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Nov 30, 2025 • 48min
Dean (Trenchcoat Raccoons, OneShotTPK) ep. 267
Craig sat down with Dean and discussed their newest game, Trenchcoat Raccoons!Trenchcoat Raccoons PreorderTrenchcoat Raccoons Free QuickstartTerry PratchettRisusLady BlackbirdDungeon Crawl CarlPenny Dreadful************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Sep 29, 2025 • 47min
Steven Alexander (Huckleberry: a Wyrd West RPG) ep. 266
Craig talked with Steven about the RPG he is crowdfunding in a week. A discussion about Westerns as a genre and how his game came to be.Huckelberry on BackerkitHuckleberry websiteFree League PublishingAlienForbidden LandsBladerunnerMarvel Superheroes Adventures in LollygaggingDeadlandsHaunted WestSavage WorldsBone TomahawkCowboys and AliensUnforgiventhe ShootistThe Aching God by Mike ShelBetween Two Fires************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Sep 23, 2025 • 1h 7min
Federico Sohns (Nibiru, Zephyr) ep. 265
Craig spoke with Federico about two of their provocative TTRPGs, where they originated, and the process of bringing them from idea to a game that can be played.************************************NibiruZephyrWarhammerWorld of DarknessTen CandlesDreadDialectAzulGloomhaven Dawn of Everything by David Graber and David WingrowDebt: The First Five Thousand Years — David GraberSeeing like a State - James C Scott************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
Aug 19, 2025 • 1h 3min
Takuma Okada (Stewpot) ep. 264
Craig talked with Takuma about their big indie hit Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern. They discuss the origins of the idea and the process from concept to release.************************************Support the show for as little as $1 a month: Add this to the end of your link on DriveThruRPG to support the show: ?affiliate_id=1044145Example: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397612/Court-of-Blades--Scandal-Forged-in-the-Dark?affiliate_id=1044145Check out our live-streaming content on Twitch Don't miss our RPG Actual Plays, tutorials, and gaming content on YouTube Listen to an excellent board game podcast Go to the Writer's Room for 7th Sea Adventures!Check out the great games from A Couple of Drakes:Listen to Tales of the ManticoreFollow us on Facebook, Follow on BlueSky
