We sit down with the Bakers to talk about how games and art grow out of everyday family life. We dig into creative conflict, staying unstuck, and why shelving a project can be a sign of craft rather than failure.
• building a household that supports making through space, tools, and tolerance for mess
• handling creative disagreement by keeping vision ownership clear
• collaborating across different styles from solitary drafting to talk-it-through ideation
• separating feedback from co-opting, asking for help without losing control
• switching modes with small rituals, momentum, and “one step closer” progress
• letting unfinished work exist, then choosing what to keep or release
• abandoning broken designs, saving parts, and avoiding years-long dead ends
• finding creative community through weekly meetups, check-ins, and lightweight support structures

Thank you so much for listening. Please comment and let us know what you thought of the episode or your thoughts on creativity and making games.

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Thanks for listening to Diceology! If you enjoyed the show, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts. Want to support the show and get exclusive content? Head over to Play Fearless or My Patreon to subscribe and join the community! Let's make this our regular thing! 🤘🏾

Creativity doesn’t come with a handbook, so we're building our own. We swap notes on how solo game makers and artists actually get things done: setting a three-influence pillar to keep ideas fresh, designing from mechanics without losing theme, and navigating the murky last 5 percent where projects stall. Sarah shares how Bluebeard’s Bride and Velvet Glove grew from triangulated influences, why a haunted hotel retreat unlocked a stuck chapter, and how tiny mint‑tin drawings rebuilt a drawing habit. Jay brings a crunchy “debt‑punk” concept where upgrades cost debt and the whole loop is about clawing your way back to zero, plus the reality of pacing work under the gaze of Kickstarter backers.

We get candid about boundaries, voice, and trust. Backers deserve clarity, not personal disclosure, so we talk about communicating progress without oversharing. Editing is a partnership that should preserve tone, not sand it down. Accountability doesn’t have to be a crowd; sometimes it’s a weekly call with one trusted peer who will cheer, critique, and expect pages by Tuesday. And when screens drain you, physical making—ink sketches, pencils, binding, even painting minis—can refill the well in a way no doc can. Music becomes a quiet engine for focus too: looping Yes Yeah Yeahs for a vast, echoing dungeon vibe; dropping All Them Witches to score void‑cathedrals and space‑goth moods.

There’s a personal layer we don’t gloss over: how early support—or the lack of it—shapes creative identity, and how we parent with privacy in mind while giving kids real access to tools, art, and music. We close with an “Ask One Forward” prompt for our next guests, the Bakers, about social media, kids, and creativity, and we lay out what’s shipping: In The Pines in edit, Velvet Glove headed to editing, Prison Planet drafting, and more playtests on deck. If you care about game design craft, sustainable habits, and finishing strong without losing your voice, this one’s for you.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, share with a creative friend, and leave a review with your favorite trick for getting from 95 percent to done.

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Thanks for listening to Diceology! If you enjoyed the show, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts. Want to support the show and get exclusive content? Head over to Play Fearless or My Patreon to subscribe and join the community! Let's make this our regular thing! 🤘🏾

In this episode, we reflect on our favorite tabletop RPG experiences of 2024 and discuss exciting upcoming games for 2025. We explore character creation, the importance of storytelling, and how strange mechanics add depth to our games.

• Reflection on standout RPG experiences of 2024
• Insights from Judd Karlman on tabletop storytelling
• Exploration of the Ioun City game and its unique narrative
• Importance of memorable NPCs and their impact on gameplay
• Embracing the weirdness and unpredictability in RPGs
• Anticipation of innovative games in 2025
• Discussion of missed opportunities for gaming experiences
• Tips for running engaging and memorable game sessions

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Diceology! If you enjoyed the show, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts. Want to support the show and get exclusive content? Head over to Play Fearless or My Patreon to subscribe and join the community! Let's make this our regular thing! 🤘🏾