Episodes
Today, I'm taking you to Paris, France, to chat with Côme Martin, a prolific and uber-creative French designer. Côme's best-known titles include the iconic Meanwhile in the Subway, Broken Cities, Feathered Adventures, and many more.
In this episode, we discuss Côme's journey as a designer, from the first one-pagers to his most innovative games, how the Norwegian indie scene influenced his work, and the differences between the US and French-speaking indie scenes.
Côme Martin...
Published 09/15/24
David Blandy is the designer of the post apocalyptic weird hope game Eco MOFOS!!
The game is powered by the Into the odd/Cairn engine. Fast rules and character creation. Fantastic art by Daniel Locke. In this episode we talk about David's journey as a creator, and how his work as an artist informs game design. We also discuss Weirdhope, a unique genre of his own creation that teaches us that we can find joy and meaning, even in a strange and at times harsh world.
ECO MOFOS!!...
Published 08/11/24
The Parthenogenis of Hungry Hollow is an adventure module and campaing setting for the Mmodern horror tabletop RPG Liminal Horror. In this espisode with returning guest designer Goblin Archives we talk about bees, flesh, a weird baby shower, and an American Pacific Nothwest town being corrupted by an owerwhelmind deity and cult.
The Parthenogenis of Hungry Hollow on...
Published 06/28/24
Yochai Gal is the designer of the forest fantasy RPG Cairn. Right now, Cairn second edition boxed set is live on Kickstarter. In this episode we talk about how Yochai grew the first edition of Cairn into this new expanded RPG marvel.
Cairn Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1557907976/cairn-2e-boxed-set
Yochai's first two appearances on The Lost Bay...
Published 04/14/24
Chris Mc Dowall is the designer of the rules light flavor heavy trifecta of games Into the Odd, Electric Bastionland and Mythic Bastionland. In this episode we talk about Chris' latest game Mythic Bastionland, its sources of inspiration, design process, and the spirit behind its ruleset.
Bastionland blog & Patreon
https://www.bastionland.com/
https://www.patreon.com/bastionland
Mythic Bastionland preorders
https://mythicbastionland.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
The Lost Bay -...
Published 04/04/24
Samantha Leigh is a multi-faceted tabletop RPG creator and has released some of the coolest solo games of the indie scene. She’s been recently kickstarting Outliers, an award-winning game inspired by her own experience as a lab researcher. In this episode we’ll talk about her sources of inspiration, editing secrets, and future projects.
Outliers
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marx-of-high-water/far-horizons-coop-presents-outliers
Samantha...
Published 03/26/24
Watt is the designer behind the Nausicaa inspired ecological space fantasy game Cloud Empress. After a successful launch in 2023 Cloud Empress returns to Kickstarter in 2024 with two new books/settings.
In this episode we talk everything shop, from writing and layout strategies to game mechanics and their impact on the players and the gaming experience.
Back Cloud Empress, Life and...
Published 03/21/24
Evangeline Gallagher is an illustrator with a taste for dark fantasy and horror. Their art is inspired by 80s and 90s media. Evangeline is one of the most productive and striking artists of the TTRPG scene and beyond. In this episode, we talk about their sources of inspiration, their practice, a mental directory of faces, and why red is their favorite color.
Follow Evangeline...
Published 03/12/24
watt is the designer of Cloud Empress, an ecological science fantasy tabletop RPG inspired by works like Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind, Dune, Full Metal Alchemist. Cloud Empress is both a hack and a campaign setting for the Sci-Fi horror TTRPG Mothership. The game has a striking universe both harsh and tender. In this episode we talk about the genesis and the design choices behind a game that is expected to be one of the most notable releases of 2023.
Cloud Empress Kickstarter...
Published 02/01/23
Mörk Borg is a Swedish tabletop role-playing game by Pelle Nilsson & Johan Nohr with a strong pitch-black apocalyptic fantasy vibe. The fantasy setting features a dying world, where all is dark and gloomy, even the characters you play. The book itself has a unique visual style, wild and colorful reminiscent of the 80s Punk-Rock zine scene and of Doom Metal music.
In this interview we talk about the creative strategies of the two designers, the Swedish alternative to Dungeons and Dragons,...
Published 11/23/22
Emiel Boven is the writer, illustrator and designer of the games DURF and The Electrum Archive. Emiel has stumbled across the tabletop indie scene only a couple of years ago, and since then he's been extremely productive: He wrote several adventures and modules, two games and contributed to build an international community of creators. He’s one of the designers you definitely want to keep two eyes on.
In this episode we’ll talk about biking, becoming a full time RPG designer, the power of...
Published 10/15/22
Liminal Horror is a modern horror tabletop RPG. It started a year and a half ago as a hack of the game Cairn, and since then its ecosystem has significantly grown. It has been published in print, counts two official modules, and is supported by a vibrant community.
In this episode we'll talk about Goblin Archives' journey as a game designer, how to write horror, crowdfunding using itch.io, growing supported by the community and giving back to it, and the two first official modules for the...
Published 09/10/22
Today I have a very special episode for you, where for once I get to be interviewed. I’ve been a guest on the Weekly Scroll. It’s a super cool stream part of the Adventure Archive where Hunter and Ryan interview TTRPG designers, do reviews of indie games or unboxing of TTRPG Kickstarters.
In this episode we'll be talking about SKYREALMS, a system neutral fantasy sourcebook and coloring book, illustrated by Evlyn Moreau and with a super cool roster of international contributors. As I release...
Published 06/30/22
Alfred Valley is the writer, designer and publisher of several TTRPGS characterized by unique setting and mechanics. In particular he wrote Lay on hands, a solo RPG in which you play as a healer in a post apocalyptic RPG, and Thousand Empty Light, a solo adventure for the Sci-Fi Horror RPG Mothership. In this episode we talk about the coziness of darkness, the art of haggling, cryptography and cassette tapes.
Episode produced by Iko
Editing supervision by Laura Elle
Music by Avery...
Published 02/13/22
Ian Yusem is publisher editor and writer of Hull Breach, an anthology book, collection of adventures and articles for the Sci-Fi horror RPG Mothership. In this episode we talk about Ian's experience both as an author and as the editor/publisher of Hull Breach, the importance of layout, playtesting techniques, and how to write horror RPGs.
Get Hull Breach here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yusem/hull-breach-vol-1
Episode produced by Iko
Editing supervision by Laura Elle
Music by...
Published 01/27/22
This is the second episode of a three part mini series on TTRPG zines, the physical objects, we love, make, read and use to play role playing games. The first one is and interview with Leo from L.F. OSR, maker and publisher of limited editions of bespoke RPG zines.
If you play RPGs you're probably familiar with the concept. Community copies are free copies of RPG games or adventures, people can download from the internet. It's a way for designers and publishers to support members of the...
Published 01/07/22
Leo is very active in the RPG scene, particularly on the OSR side of it. He writes, makes art, he even just has released a dungeon synth album called Lost Fellow. But Leo also makes zines, like in crafting and publishing them, with his printing shop/publishing house called L.F. OSR. Their publications are quite unique in the scene, one hundred percent handmade, bespoke and special editions of indie zines.
In this episode we talk about hacking printers, hand stamping zines, bone folders,...
Published 12/16/21
Today what I have for you is a very short episode, I’m working on several episodes of a mini-series that require intense editing. This is why I don’t have the usual interview to offer this week.
But I didn’t want to let you with no content at all, so I’m going to give you a short tour of what is going to come in the next three episodes. We'll be talking about zines, as objects, as paper objects.
And if you stick around until the end of this bonus episode, you'll hear some of the sounds I'm...
Published 12/08/21
Paolo Greco is the writer and designer behind the RPG press Lost Pages. They have recently successfully finished the Kickstarter campaign for The Book of Gaub, a game neutral spell book, and anthology of horror micro fictions. In this episode we talk about magic, real magic, studying it, understanding it, and how it can help writing better RPG magic, a kid fascinated by the occult, and a lost and beautiful font.
You can buy The Book of Gaub here https://shop.lostpages.co.uk/
Subscribe to...
Published 12/02/21
Zedeck Siew is the writer an co-author of the zine series A thousand thousand islands. These TTRPG fantasy game neutral zines are inspired by South Asia.
In these episode we talk about being nerds, South Est Asia, writing as a craft, running a Kickstarter, cockroaches and The reach of the roach god, the first A thousand thousand islands campaign book.
The book is being kickstartered until the end of November 2021, several stretch goals have already been hit, be sure to check it here...
Published 11/17/21
Sean McCoy is the author of the Sci Fi horror RPG Mothership. This highly lethal, cinematic-flavored game, is redesigning, and giving a new youth, to the Sci-Fi horror genre.
In this episode we talk about specific game design choices, building a company, community support, being seven years old and playing RPGs until 3am, pivoting from a career in filmmaking to RPG design. And foremost, we talk about the new Mothership Boxed Set edition.
If you’re a designer, if you’re venturing into the...
Published 11/10/21
Seb Pines is the designer of the solo journaling horror RPG Dwelling. The book is amazingly beautiful and playing it literally gave me the chills, both in a scary and in a pleasant way. In this episode we talk about an old spooky haunted house, insomnia, notebooks, mourning, solo RPGs, game design and much more.
You can buy Seb's game in its digital form on itch.io
or as a physical book from Good Luck Press
This episode is available on Youtube with English subs
Support The Lost Bay...
Published 11/03/21
Discover the lineup preview for the upcoming The Lost Bay Podcast season 2.
The show becomes weekly, and will give space to talented creators, writers, designers, artists, who make amazing games and zines.
You can help The Lost Bay Podcast grow by becoming a patron.
Check the Scissors and Glue TTRPG Jam, it's running until November the 23rd.
Published 10/27/21
Ava Islam is the designer of Errant a med fan rpg she has successfully kickstarted during Zinequest 3 - The system totally rethinks and rebuilds the D&D game engine in a fascinating and innovative way.
In this episode, we talk about power, race, game design, bets and wagers, Neapolitan pizza and much more.
You can preorder Errant here
Or read Ava's blog here
Check also BROKEN LUCK a Troika! zine filled with Perplexing Ruins art. I've written the zine, it's about demigods, tarot...
Published 08/19/21