Why We Roll

The Stillfleet Studio

Details

Why We Roll is a streaming show and podcast about designing tabletop roleplaying games, hosted by Chris Pickett (Danse Macabre) and Wythe Marschall (Stillfleet). Chris and Wythe host in-depth conversations with professional game designers with a focus on contemporary indie TTRPGs. They also occasionally run actual-play sessions and offer behind-the-scenes looks at the games they’re developing. Topics covered to date include game-design inspirations and best practices, the politics of games, illustrating game concepts, cards as mechanics, character backstories, party formation, eco-catastrophes, epic powers and “boss fights,” espionage in games, faction rules, genres, “medieval” settings, hit points versus wounds, “madness” rules, safety at the table, solo RPGs, the OSR or even the NSR, what makes a game a game, what makes a system a system, product development, the business of indie RPGs, and so much more! Why We Roll is recorded in Brooklyn and Queens, NYC.

Recent Episodes

OCT 1, 2026
WWR 100 ☉ Episode 100! w. Lauren Bilanko, Daniel Kwan, Sam Sorenson, & Arthur Wells
Join us for a very special Episode 100 of the roleplaying game podcast Why We Roll! Wythe Marschall (Stillfleet, PICARO!) chats about the future of indie RPGs with judges from the Grit System Game Jam: Daniel Kwan, Arthur Wells, Sam Sorensen, and Lauren Bilanko. (Dear Rollers, don't worry: we'll host a whole separate retrospective with cohost Christopher Pickett of Danse Macabre!) Thanks to everyone who's joined us and shared their wisdom and creativity on 100 numbered and a dozen-odd bonus episodes. Real talk—YOU are Why We Roll! ☉ Sam Sorensen's blog is full of that deep stuff https://samsorensen.blot.im/ ☉ Daniel Kwan has written a ton of game books https://danielhkwan.carrd.co/ ☉ Daniel's podcast, Asians Represent, is rad https://aznsrepresent.carrd.co/ ☉ Arthur Wells is an amazing AP performer and designs games https://wherewolf.itch.io/ ☉ Lauren Bilanko runs the belovèd Twenty Sided Store https://twentysidedstore.com/ ☉ Lauren is also working on a game, Mystic Aether https://bilanko.com/blogs/mystic-aeth... Shouting out our friends at Plus One Exp, we at Stillfleet Studio have two relevant projects to plug: ☉ For Appndx N Jam, we made “The Weird of the Winter Worm” https://stillfleet.itch.io/the-weird-... ☉ With our greater Stillfleet and Danse Macabre community, we've developed a new game—ULTRADELVE https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/... ☉ Join the conversation: https://discord.stillfleet.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
79 MIN