Unwritten Earths Symposium

Unwritten Earths Symposium

Unwritten Earths Symposium

Episodes 39
Avg. Duration 1h 1m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (4)
Since Nov 2024
Latest Episode Jun 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
71%
Hosting
feeds.fireside.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Welcome to the Unwritten Earths Symposium! In each episode, tabletop RPG designers Nathan D. Paoletta and Epidiah Ravachol try to trick each other into designing a game they wouldn't otherwise make.

Podcasting 2.0 Features

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Recent Episodes

S2E39 The Sexy Episode

Jun 10, 2026 1h 5m

It's the summer, which means time for a sweaty, exciting episode about... distribution platforms! A new challenger has entered the arena, and we discuss the role of these digital marketplaces as part…

S2E38 The Prompts & Standards Episode

May 27, 2026 1h 2m

We come back from a brief sabbatical to consider a bundle of topics from our Scholars. We talk about prompts in truly true roleplaying games (and reclaiming them from their AI-related meaning),…

S2E37 The Works In Progress Episode

Apr 29, 2026 1h 5m

Nathan and Eppy finally turn in their spring semester homework, discussing where they are at with The Marian and Robin Roleplaying Party Game (and spinners!), and Fair Winds and Following Seas (and…

S2E36 The Haters Episode

Apr 15, 2026 59m

No, this isn't about games we don't like; following up on a question from our Wisdom Episode, we talk about the parts of making games that are not fun, from merely boring all the way to actively…

S2E35 The Wisdom Episode

Apr 01, 2026 50m

As is tradition on this first day of April, we're going through some of the wisdom we've accumulated as self-publishers over the years, in hopes it'll help out those who are starting their game…

S2E34 The (First) Mailroom Episode

Mar 18, 2026 53m

In this episode, we visit the mailroom to field some listener questions! We discuss design rituals that we each have, the experience of having games or mechanics fall flat for us in play, and some…

S2E33 The Hacks Episode

Mar 04, 2026 1h

In this episode, Nathan and Eppy report back about their "do this with that" homework assignment. Eppy debuts The Marion and Robin Party Roleplaying Game, and Nathan outlines how Remember Tomorrow…

S2E32 The Mind-Blown Episode

Feb 18, 2026 56m

Nathan and Eppy assigned homework off-mic, to discuss some games that showcase thinking about games in a way we never would have, or that made such an impression on us that we've made them part of…

S2E31 The Survey Episode

Feb 04, 2026 53m

In this episode, Nathan and Eppy respond to listener feedback, talk about a recent play experience, and then go through some of the projects we're each working on or thinking about that are not the…

S2E30 The Shel Kahn Episode

Jan 21, 2026 1h 13m

In this episode, we sit down with friend, artist, game designer and art director for Swords Without Master Shel Kahn to talk about... all of those things! We touch on the different roles of art in…

S2E29 The Constraints Episode

Dec 17, 2025 1h 4m

In this episode, Eppy brings a discussion of "technological" creative constraints in game design. We talk about what this means in the context of tabletop, how constraints surface through the design,…

S2E28 The Reflection Episode

Dec 03, 2025 1h 1m

In this episode, Nathan and Eppy reflect on the first year of this podcast, talk about how things change in the doing, and discuss how creating a community is part of the overall endeavor. This leads…

S2E27 The Surfaces Episode

Nov 19, 2025 1h

In this episode, Nathan and Eppy report back on their recent work on PET CRIMES, centering on making digital tools for play. This leads into a discussion of the concept of designing the "surfaces" of…

S2E26 The Card Concepts Episode

Nov 05, 2025 1h 3m

In this all-homework episode, we each bring an initial sketch of the cards that could drive each of our card-based game concepts. Nathan's "Big Lore" game explores using card decks to reveal things…

S2E25 The Season Two Premiere Episode

Oct 22, 2025 45m

We're moving into the next season of our podcast! In this one, Nathan and Eppy talk about how we're turning from the scholarly side of our project to the instructional side, and how our show homework…

S2E24 The Episode Without Master

Oct 08, 2025 59m

The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone…

S1E23 The TBR Pile Episode

Sep 17, 2025 1h 3m

In this episode we tackle our to-be-read piles of recent game acquisitions for our homework, highlighting more recent work that we've both been digging and finding some common themes across different…

S1E22 The Playtesting Episode

Sep 03, 2025 51m

In this episode Eppy leads off with a hot take about playtesting, leading us to a discussion of the multiple purposes of playtests, playstorming, techniques for effective playtests, and an…

S1E21 The Ludography Episode

Aug 13, 2025 54m

In this episode we do our game design homework of looking through game ludographies to chase down a chain of influence. It's a fun journey and we end up in very different places for our arcane gems!…

S1E20 The Sailing Episode

Jul 30, 2025 55m

In this episode we talk about handling multiple ongoing projects as full-time working creative people, and then Nathan brings a game idea for discussion: a game that creates or invokes the…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Unwritten Earths Symposium have?

Unwritten Earths Symposium has published 39 episodes since November 2024, covering topics in Arts, Design.

Is Unwritten Earths Symposium still active?

Unwritten Earths Symposium is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h 1m.

How do I contact Unwritten Earths Symposium for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Unwritten Earths Symposium, including email and social media links.

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