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RTFM

RTFM

By RTFM

Maxwell Lander is an educator and photographer in eastern Canada. Aaron King is an editor and collage artist in the Midwestern US. They're both game designers, and together, they read RPG books, find the good bits, and discuss them critically. Welcome to RTFM.
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Currently playing episode

RTFM Brain Power Corollary (Tunnel Goons)

RTFMMar 19, 2024

00:00
50:20
RTFM Brain Power Corollary (Tunnel Goons)

RTFM Brain Power Corollary (Tunnel Goons)

We're currently on hiatus, so here's a Patreon episode that ended up being a sort of prequel to our "Brain Power One" episode. It's about Tunnel Goons by Nate Treme at Highland Paranormal Society.

Thank you to our patrons for making this episode possible! We'll be back in a couple weeks with more content here and in the Patreon.

Also, Thomas Manuel invited us onto the Yes Indie'd podcast! We talked about criticism and reading in the RPG field. Go check it out!

Mar 19, 202450:20
RTFM Season 4 Finale & Ranking of the Games

RTFM Season 4 Finale & Ranking of the Games

⁠⁠⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

A freewheeling discussion of the themes and lessons of the season: ownership, games criticism, social versus mechanical rules. We discuss what's next for the podcast and, as always, we rank the games.

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Mar 06, 202401:23:05
RTFM: Errant

RTFM: Errant

This episode is sponsored by ⁠The Lost Bay RPG, on Kickstarter now⁠.

⁠⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We're joined by Sam Dunnewold of Dice Exploder to cover Errant by Ava Islam, an OSR game that is "rules light, procedure heavy."

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Feb 20, 202401:24:43
RTFM: Vermis
Feb 07, 202450:17
RTFM: Firebrands

RTFM: Firebrands

⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

It's Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands by Meguey Baker & D. Vincent Baker. Returning guest Essay joins us to discuss a game that has been pitched to Max as exactly what he wants. But is it?!

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Jan 23, 202401:06:27
RTFM: Dream Askew/Dream Apart

RTFM: Dream Askew/Dream Apart

⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We continue on our journey to cure our brains of D&D. This time, our delicious medicine is Dream Askew/Dream Apart by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. We recorded it a while back, so I don't remember what else we talked about.

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Jan 16, 202401:13:19
RTFM Brain Power One (PbtA)
Dec 27, 202301:06:58
RTFM: D&D 4E

RTFM: D&D 4E

⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Look, it's Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition! The last good D&D. We talk digital tools, layout, and doing one thing well.

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Dec 12, 202356:26
RTFM: Keep on the Borderlands

RTFM: Keep on the Borderlands

⁠⁠Max Lander⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Aaron King⁠⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Dia Lacina is back to talk about more adventure modules. This time, it's that classic Gygax, Keep on the Borderlands. Is it good? Is it horny? Is it colonial? And what's with all these totally normal men?

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠⁠join our Discord⁠⁠. And ⁠⁠check us out on Patreon⁠⁠ for extra episodes!

Nov 28, 202301:18:13
RTFM: Troika!

RTFM: Troika!

This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Lost Bay's Outer Rim Uprising. Follow the Kickstarter for this cool set of Mothership scenarios and resources!

⁠Max Lander⁠ and ⁠Aaron King⁠ dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Aaron Lim is here to chat about Troika! by Daniel Sell and the Melsonian Arts Council, where game mechanics are lore and inspirations are a compost heap from which oddness blooms.

If you want to chat about the episode, ⁠join our Discord⁠. And ⁠check us out on Patreon⁠ for extra episodes!

Oct 24, 202301:07:38
RTFM: Principia Apocrypha

RTFM: Principia Apocrypha

This episode is brought to you by The Lost Bay's Outer Rim Uprising. Follow the Kickstarter for this cool set of Mothership scenarios and resources!

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Game designer Chris Bissette joins us to talk about Principia Apocrypha, one of the cornerstone documents of the Old School Revival (OSR) movement. What is the OSR? What use can non-OSR gamers get from it?

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Oct 10, 202301:22:37
RTFM: RuneQuest

RTFM: RuneQuest

This episode is brought to you by The Lost Bay's Outer Rim Uprising. Follow the Kickstarter for this cool set of Mothership scenarios and resources!

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

This one starts as an episode about RuneQuest, but it quickly becomes about citation, ownership, and stewardship in the RPG industry. Like, almost solely about that.

Here's a link to the Feminist Killjoys blog post we mention.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Sep 26, 202301:04:12
RTFM: Blades in the Dark

RTFM: Blades in the Dark

This episode is brought to you by The Lost Bay's Outer Rim Uprising. Follow the Kickstarter for this cool set of Mothership scenarios and resources!

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

By popular demand, we're talking Blades in the Dark with returning guest Essay from the Three of Hearts podcast. Topics include built-in settings, position and effect, and CRIME.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Sep 12, 202301:33:35
RTFM: Pasión de las Pasiones

RTFM: Pasión de las Pasiones

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Quinns from Shut Up & Sit Down joins us to talk about Brandon Leon-Gambetta's Pasión de las Pasiones, the telenovela RPG. We cover adding drama to your game, the player-to-GM pipeline, and kissing in dungeons.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!


Aug 29, 202301:26:20
RTFM: Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition

RTFM: Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Another trip to the dungeons with dragons. This time, it's the first outing from Wizards of the Coast. We're talking unified mechanics, feat trees, and Max's secret origin. Also, we conclude this season and rank the games.

Note: we recommend some movies/shows that are maybe stricken materials under the current SAG-AFTRA/Writers Guild strike, so don't check them out! Instead, listen to this interview with a Writers Guild member & organizer.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Aug 15, 202301:39:10
RTFM: Slugblaster

RTFM: Slugblaster

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We're talking Slugblaster by Mikey Hamm, and we're joined by Sean Harkin. We cover metacurrencies, skateboarding histories, and who's the chillest of them all.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Aug 01, 202301:09:18
RTFM: Apocalypse Keys

RTFM: Apocalypse Keys

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We're joined by Aaron Voigt to talk Apocalypse Keys, mechanized feelings, hungry worms, and hurting God with your sins.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠Ratti Incantati, an excellent distributor of RPGs, zines, and literary ephemera⁠.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!


Jul 18, 202301:04:21
RTFM: Thousand Year Old Vampire

RTFM: Thousand Year Old Vampire

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We're joined by Kait Tremblay to talk about Thousand Year Old Vampire, breaking rules, medium conventions, and "Lightning Crashes" by Live.

Check out Kait's book, Collaborative Worldbuilding for Video Games!

This episode is sponsored by ⁠Ratti Incantati, an excellent distributor of RPGs, zines, and literary ephemera⁠.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes!

Jun 20, 202301:11:30
RTFM: Bloodbeam Badlands

RTFM: Bloodbeam Badlands

This episode is sponsored by Ratti Incantati, an excellent distributor of RPGs, zines, and literary ephemera.

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Adam Vass of World Champ Game Co joins us to talk about Bloodbeam Badlands by Viditya Voleti. Including:

  • what it actually takes to put out an RPG
  • putting yourself into your games
  • T. rex with a gun face

Check out Adam's Kickstarter, 1978 (a final girl two-player RPG) here! If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes and a zero-ad experience!





Jun 06, 202301:10:11
RTFM: Mutants in the Now

RTFM: Mutants in the Now

This episode is sponsored by Ratti Incantati, an excellent distributor of RPGs, zines, and literary ephemera.

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

For Mutants in the Now by Julian Kay, we're joined by Aaron Fiskradatz and Pete (just Pete). These two educators talk to us about hidden curriculum, (dis)respecting churches, and game designer permissions. It's our most contentious episode since Fiasco.

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out on Patreon for extra episodes and a zero-ad experience!




May 23, 202301:25:22
RTFM Zine Club: Amanda Lee Franck

RTFM Zine Club: Amanda Lee Franck

RTFM just learned about indie RPGs. Have you heard of this shit? They're so cool! RTFM's biweekly Zine Club will be hosted on Pateron, where hosts Max Lander and Aaron King each bring an RPG zine to discuss. Like show and tell but with swears.

This episode is our little sampler for everyone, and it's all about Amanda Lee Franck's zines, focusing on Mouth Brood (a hex crawl mutant biome) and Vampire Cruise (a boat crawl monster vacation).

May 16, 202301:10:20
RTFM: Monster of the Week

RTFM: Monster of the Week

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Sen Holiday joins us to discuss Monster of the Week. The game has a laser focus, but it's a popular D&D off-ramp. What's the deal with that?

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.



May 09, 202301:04:53
RTFM: Ghostbusters International

RTFM: Ghostbusters International

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Ghostbusters International! It's Ghostbusters. We talk about caving to audience demands, sex comedies through the decades, and how bustin makes us feel. (Spoiler warning: it feels good.)

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.

Apr 25, 202356:32
RTFM: Monster Care Squad

RTFM: Monster Care Squad

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Jonathan Levstein joins the conversation on Monster Care Squad from Sandy Pug Games. How many player choices are too many? How does layout affect the reading experience? What's the best monster, and why is it the one who wants people to live in it?

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.


Apr 11, 202301:12:19
RTFM: Bluebeard's Bride

RTFM: Bluebeard's Bride

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Haunted house time! Natalie Zina Walschots joins us to talk about Bluebeard's Bride. What's the deal with men? Can you consent to a book? Can tone go too far?

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.

Mar 28, 202301:44:09
RTFM: Wet Grandpa

RTFM: Wet Grandpa

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

As monster season continues, Dia Lacina joins us to talk about Wet Grandpa by Evey Lockhart. What's the best way to write an adventure? Do vibes rule everything? And why do we end up talking about '90s RPGs?

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.

Mar 14, 202301:36:41
RTFM: Blood Feud

RTFM: Blood Feud

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Dan Phipps of Gem Room Games is here to talk about Blood Feud from Blackfisk Publishing! It's the start of our new season. The theme is "monsters," and we talk about the biggest monster of all: toxic masculinity. 

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord.

Feb 28, 202301:27:48
RTFM Appendix Now: Kismet and The Invisibles

RTFM Appendix Now: Kismet and The Invisibles

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

This is the final mini-sode exploring the influences behind the games we're Kickstarting. First up is Kismet by Cezar Capacle, a deceptively simple game with revolutionary mechanics. Then we talk about The Invisibles, a comic by Grant Morrison and a whole host of artists. Discussion ranges from designer toolboxes to messy queer narratives and ends in an invitation to work sex magic so that our Kickstarter funds.

We also mention Tunnel Goons by Nate Treme.

Check out our Kickstarter here. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Feb 14, 202356:23
RTFM Appendix Now: Battle Royale & The Matrix

RTFM Appendix Now: Battle Royale & The Matrix

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual  so that you don't have to.


With our Kickstarter running, we wanted to do a series of shorter  episodes focusing on the various inspirations for our games. It's movie night! With Battle Royale and The Matrix. We talk about subtext, text, and supertext and just sort of compliment both movies.


Check out our Kickstarter here. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Feb 11, 202301:06:33
RTFM Appendix Now: Cybermetal 2012

RTFM Appendix Now: Cybermetal 2012

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual  so that you don't have to.

With our Kickstarter running, we wanted to do a series of shorter episodes focusing on the various inspirations for our games. First up is Cybermetal 2012 by Adam Vass. What has Max repeatedly saying "Fuck you, Adam" (respectfully)? How can a game be both inextricable from its mechanics but webbed to them? Why should we make weird & personal shit?

Check out our Kickstarter here. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Feb 03, 202346:57
RTFM: Ranking of the Games Season 2

RTFM: Ranking of the Games Season 2

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We look back at this season's games, rank them, and chat about our upcoming season three.

Check out our Kickstarter here. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Jan 31, 202344:55
RTFM: CyberGeneration

RTFM: CyberGeneration

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We return to R. Talsorian Games and Mike Pondsmith in order to talk about CyberGeneration! We cover regretting and correcting their creative decisions, punk and optimism, and malls. Also, R. Talsorian keeps their out-of-print books available as print-on-demand, so you can get CyberGeneration and read along.

Check out our Kickstarter here. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Jan 24, 202301:08:37
RTFM: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Quest

RTFM: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Quest

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We continue our slow exploration of D&D editions with the First Quest box set for AD&D 2nd Edition. Is the box set the ultimate expression of the RPG? Do more RPGs need to hire child actors to pretend to play the game? 

If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Jan 10, 202301:21:09
RTFM: Patchwork World

RTFM: Patchwork World

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Our holiday extravaganza concludes as Max is joined by return guests KeganExe, Rae Nedjadi and new guest Josh Hittie to talk about Patchwork World. Is it the real D&D? What's up with all the whales and parents?

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Dec 27, 202201:38:58
RTFM: Himbos of Myth & Mettle

RTFM: Himbos of Myth & Mettle

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Actually, that's a lie. Max isn't here this time, because we're talking about the game he wrote, Himbos of Myth & Mettle. Aaron is joined by previous guest Izzie Colpitts and himbos extraordinaire Adam Guzkowski and Ivory. We talk about light game structures, the meaning of camp, and hashtag fries.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Dec 12, 202255:42
RTFM: Edge of the Empire

RTFM: Edge of the Empire

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Christian Sorrell of MeatCastle GameWare joins us for another Star Wars episode. This time, it's Edge of the Empire from Fantasy Flight Games. We talk about proprietary components, walls of text, and play experiences.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Nov 22, 202201:20:01
RTFM: Star Wars (West End Games)

RTFM: Star Wars (West End Games)

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Christian Sorrell of MeatCastle GameWare joins us for the first of two episodes about Star Wars. Here, we discuss the Star Wars RPG published in 1987 by West End Games. Topics include genre emulation, morality in roleplaying, and scripts in RPGs. Also, Aaron does a Yoda voice.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Nov 15, 202201:22:08
RTFM: Witch—The Road to Lindisfarne

RTFM: Witch—The Road to Lindisfarne

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Join us on a pilgrimage to a northern island with Witch: The Road to Lindisfarne. Author Natalie Zina Walschots joins us to talk about LARP adjacency, GMing in GMless games, read-aloud ritualism, and more. It's a long episode for a short game!

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord! And buy Natalie's book Hench wherever books are sold.

Nov 01, 202201:28:38
RTFM: The Quiet Year

RTFM: The Quiet Year

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets  of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

Shh, it's time for reflection. Rev. Haven Green joins us to talk about The Quiet Year by Avery Alder. Is it a mapmaking game or a game about community? How do radical organizations make decisions? And learn about a game so good that Max won't play it.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Oct 18, 202201:02:46
RTFM: Eclipse Phase

RTFM: Eclipse Phase

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so  that you don't have to.

Come with us to the future! KeganExe joins the podcast to talk about transhumanist sci-fi RPG Eclipse Phase. Who imagines the future? How do we free ourselves from the present? And when do we all get to start purring?

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Oct 04, 202201:26:08
RTFM: Apocalypse World

RTFM: Apocalypse World

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets  of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

We finally break our streak of fighting about books! We're talking Apocalypse World with 0sarahXfrank0. How did it revolutionize game design? How do you untrain your brain from bad game habits? How much can we talk about sex before our listeners get uncomfortable?

Small programming note: Max's recording setup got messed up, so some of the audio isn't of the usual quality. Our apologies!

Check out Sarah's Apocalypse World actual play, DIRT, on Twitch. And find Max's recent writings on sex in games in Splat #3.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Sep 20, 202201:32:27
RTFM: Agone

RTFM: Agone

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so  that you don't have to.

Tyler Crumrine of Possible Worlds Games has brought us Agone, a French fantasy RPG. We talk about "what is an RPG?" sections, horny satyrs, and Aaron's favorite actual play podcast, Friends at the Table.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Sep 06, 202201:34:01
RTFM: Fiasco

RTFM: Fiasco

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

This episode, we're joined by Essay Mnktl, audio engineer and player on the Three of Hearts podcast. We talk about the first edition of Fiasco by Jason Morningstar. What's up with these "story games"? How can a designer set tone and expectations for potentially problematic material? And who wins the first out-and-out argument between Max and Aaron?

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Aug 23, 202202:07:43
RTFM Season Finale: The Ranking of the Games

RTFM Season Finale: The Ranking of the Games

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of   mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so you don't have to.

This episode is the season finale! We rank the 12 games we've read so far in an intense hour of judgment and argument. (Not really; most of them were pretty easy.) We also answer listener questions!

If you want to make your own ranking before you listen, here's the list of games we've read: Traveller, Cyberpunk 2020, AD&D's Complete Book of Humanoids, 13th Age, Gamma World, Changeling: The Lost, Original D&D, The Game of Dungeon/Minneapolis Dungeon, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, GURPS, Star Frontiers, and Cyberpunk Chromebook.

We also make extensive mention of Bloodbeam Badlands by Viditya Voleti, which you can get here.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

Aug 09, 202250:06
RTFM Lost Episode: Traveller

RTFM Lost Episode: Traveller

NOTE: This was the first episode we ever tried to record. As such, the audio isn't great! But we wanted to release it so that we could reference it in future episodes. Plus, Traveller is a cool game!

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of   mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

This episode, we look at the classic sci-fi game Traveller. You can also probably hear Aaron open beers throughout. We were so bad at recording. :(

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Aug 02, 202239:07
RTFM Live at Exalted Funeral Con

RTFM Live at Exalted Funeral Con

Max Lander and Aaron King do live game design at Exalted Funeral Con! By reading random excerpts from random RPG books (along with some audience participation), they put together an aquatic game of genetic manipulation and rebel resistance. And lots of juice and milk and ooze.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

Jul 27, 202201:07:41
RTFM: Chromebook

RTFM: Chromebook

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of  mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that  you don't have to.

This episode, we're joined by Izzie Colpitts as we return to our roots, taking another look at Cyberpunk 2020. This time, we're discussing the Chromebook "style guides." Is RPG layout the same as UX? Can a confusing book be redeemed by looking cool? How can we modify our meat hands?

We also talk about Izzie's cool game design nonprofit, DMG Toronto.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

Jul 12, 202201:13:20
RTFM: Star Frontiers

RTFM: Star Frontiers

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to.

This episode, we're joined by JP Robichaud, and he brought Star Frontiers with him! What's up with this 1982 sci-fi game from TSR? What are the differences between the sci-fi subgenres? And why don't these games ever get horny for aliens the way Diego Luna gets horny for Jabba the Hutt?

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

Jun 28, 202201:08:58
RTFM: GURPS

RTFM: GURPS

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of   mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that   you don't have to.

This episode, we're joined by game designer Adira Slattery to talk about GURPS! The Generic Universal Roleplaying System is supposed to be able to handle everything, but can it handle criticism? We discuss its history, its potential shortcomings, and the place of generic RPG systems.

CONTENT WARNING for discussion of gun violence. We don't get too gruesome, but given recent events, I wanted to mention it.

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

Jun 14, 202201:09:10
RTFM: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

RTFM: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of  mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that  you don't have to.

This episode, we're joined by John Geary, game designer and Warhammer knower. Listen to us talk about fans of ideas vs fans of companies, how to write a tutorial adventure, and the beautiful turtle lizard centaur creature known as the zoat. And buy Sledgehammer, the grimdark rules-lite RPG that is much easier to play than Warhammer!

If you want to support the hosts, check out the RTMF Ko-Fi store for limited-run zines and merch. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord!

Music by will jobst. Sound effect attribution: FX128 by jalastram.

May 31, 202201:16:03