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S1E23 Ep 23: The 2nd Foe May Be The Charm
Episode 23 – “The 2nd Foe May Be The Charm”Welcome back to The Proving Grounds, the game club where we delve deep into the worlds of CRPGs, blobbers, and roguelikes with insight, detail, and a little…
S1E22 Ep 22: Divinity's Not-So-Original Sin
Ep 22 — “Divinity’s Not-So-Original Sin”We crack open Divinity: Original Sin and talk history, story, tactical combat, and why our Game of the Month fizzled for the club even though the game helped…
S1E21 Ep 21: Sharing About Shiren
Ep 21 – Sharing About ShirenIn this episode of The Proving Grounds, we shine the spotlight on Shiren the Wanderer, one of the most enduring (and punishing) roguelike RPG series around. We cover its…
S1E20 Ep 20: Delving Into Azure Bonds
Episode 20: Delving into Azure BondsWe dive into SSI’s 1989 classic Curse of the Azure Bonds: how TSR and SSI built a novel–module–CRPG trifecta, why the Gold Box tactics still shine, and the…
S1E19 Ep 19: Elminage Barrage
Ep 19 – “Elminage Barrage” (09/11/2025)We dive into Elminage Original, a hardcore Wizardry-style dungeon crawler with old-school charm and sharp edges. I cover party building, dungeon exploration,…
S1E18 Ep 18: The Ultimate CRPG of 1981
Episode 18 – Ultima I: The First Age of DarknessIn this episode of The Proving Grounds, we dive into the history of Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, the groundbreaking start of Richard Garriott’s…
S1E17 Ep 17: A Golden Coffee Roguelike
🎙️ The Proving Grounds Podcast – Episode 17In this episode, we sink our teeth into Golden Krone Hotel, a gothic roguelike where light and darkness, humans and vampires, all clash in fast, tactical…
S1E16 Ep 16: The Original Mighty Magical Blobber
Episode 16 – The Original Mighty Magical BlobberStep back to 1986 as we dive into Might and Magic I: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, Jon Van Caneghem’s ambitious solo project that helped define the…
Ep 15: Why We Roll: The Joy of CRPGs
Episode 15 – Why We Love Party-Based CRPGsThis week, we dive deep into what makes party-based CRPGs so much fun — the freedom, the tactics, and that tabletop feel of running a whole adventuring…
S1E14 Ep 14: Etrian Beginnings
This week on The Proving Grounds, we dive deep into the labyrinth with a full retrospective on Etrian Odyssey—the classic DS-era blobber that brought hand-drawn maps and tactical survival back to the…
Ep 13: Temple of Elemental Community
In Episode 13 of The Proving Grounds Podcast, we shine a spotlight on the heart of what makes this show possible: our community. Join JCServant as we talk about the new podcast format, highlight our…
S1E12 Ep 12: Blob Hard: Dungeon Crawling Like It’s 1985
Episode 12 – Blob Hard: Dungeon Crawling Like It’s 1985In this episode of The Proving Grounds, we go tile-by-tile into the world of blobbers — those classic grid-based dungeon crawlers where your…
S1E11 Ep 11: A Class In Patience
🎙️ Ep 11 – Class of PatienceRelease Date: July 19, 2025In this episode of The Proving Grounds, JCServant dives deep into Class of Heroes, the brutal anime blobber that finally made its way to Steam.…
S1E10 Ep 10: A Rogue In The Pool of Radiance
🎙️ Episode 10 – Going Rogue with RadianceIt’s our 10th episode, and Phil’s got a brand-new mic to celebrate! In this special installment, we dive deep into two legends of the genre: Rogue, the…
S1E9 Ep. 9: The Life of a Rogue
In this episode of The Proving Grounds, we dive deep into what makes traditional roguelikes so compelling. From turn-based tactics and permadeath to emergent storytelling and infinite replayability,…
S1E8 Ep. 8: Secrets of the Inner Sanctum
🧠 Secrets, Mods, and the Future of CRPGsIn episode 8 of The Proving Grounds, Phil aka JCServant dives into the classic Might and Magic Book One: Secret of the Inner Sanctum—a foundational blobber…
S1E7 Ep. 7: Bhaalspawn Therapy Hour
In this episode of The Proving Grounds, Phil takes aim at Baldur’s Gate 3—a game he both loves deeply and occasionally wants to throw out a window. He praises the phenomenal writing, emotional…
S1E6 Ep. 6: Into The Inferno
Join JCServant as we dive into Into The Inferno, a retro-inspired dungeon crawler that sparks both nostalgia and frustration. We also break down thoughts on Baldur’s Gate 3—can modern RPGs truly…
S1E5 Ep. 5: The Sorcerer Who Forgot to Long Rest
Today, we’re putting the spotlight on Solasta: Crown of the Magister—a love letter to tabletop gaming wrapped in indie ambition. Built on the D&D 5e SRD, Solasta gives us grid-based, turn-based…
S1E4 Ep. 4: Baldur's Gate 3 - Part 3 and more!
Today, Phil talks a bit more about some of the challenges and fun parts of BG3 (spoiler free, of course!). He also shared his progress on two blobbers: Into the Inferno and Etrian Odyssey IV. We also…
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The Proving Grounds has published 24 episodes since April 2025, covering topics in Hobbies, Leisure.
The Proving Grounds is currently dormant with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h.
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