A simple episode... about machines? Sort of? Show Notes: Run Time: 2:03:55 We dig into the past of the Order of the Simple Machine, both in comics and in our creative process. We reveal things we've never before said publicly! And then we make up new stuff, too! Join us next week for a live show! We love it when people ask questions live! Genuinely…

Let's Bust some Bunks! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:08:17 Oh no, another long one! Well, at least you get a number of villains out of it! And a couple issues! And a bunch of letters answered! So, pretty usual fare. This story certainly didn't land at the time as the writer hoped it would, and would be remembered largely for the big robot suit fights. Bu…

But just who are the April Fools, anyway? Show Notes: Run Time: 1:21:28 We (and just who is we are in unclear) do some goofs, tell some stories, and read your letters! It's just a totally normal episode! Join us next week for more normal episode times, in which we record an episode about the Bunker Busters!…

Greetings astute alchemists, In this our twelfth episode, we ramble through our preamble discussing Christmas music, knock-knock jokes, online scams and modern art. After we amble through those brambles, Christopher takes us through a year of our mail bag of comments and questions. We hope you find the chaos of our 12th recording both diverting and…

We don't want to bug you, so please bear with us... Show Notes: 1:48:49 Adam and I kick it off with talking about how we haven't done a good job with Bugbear... and the ultimate result by the end of the episode is this cover, so, take that as you will. Regardless, we definitely do a bunch of Bugbear work, and answer a bunch of Bugbear letters! Hope…

Another live show! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:06:07 Over two hours?! Yes, but just barely! Look, we had a lot to go through, and that makes us all smartthinkers, don't you think? Here's the upcoming schedule: Tuesday, April 1st: Episode #314 - Writers' Room: A digital foe in a digital realm Tuesday, April 8th: Episode #315 - Writers' Room: Bunker Bust…

We're number 1! Or, at least, the issue this episode is about is #1! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:29:29 Hey! It's time to introduce a character who has been around for a long time but we've barely talked about! No, not Ra. We've said so much about him. Instead, we finally talk about Calypso! (And just in time for the upcoming Bugbear episode...) But bef…

Vampires! In March? I guess so! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:38:25 We get to do a bunch of storytelling things in this story that we've wanted to attempt for some time and haven't really had the opportunity to do so. Does this episode mark the beginning of a new era of The Letters Page? Well, I wouldn't go THAT far. But we did have a lot of fun, and we …

Greetings, alchemists. Once again, we dive into an arcane topic, but this one has a bit of a metatextual level: we speak of teaching the subject of game design. Christopher has many questions for Luke, who has answers, experience, and even some questions of his own. We discuss subject matter, students, things to consider from the academic side of t…

More Scions?! Sounds like a bad idea... Show Notes: Run Time: 1:57:01 We have a few ideas, but we're also creating mostly blind, which is often how we like it! We make up some Scions (and hint at others) and then answer a bunch of questions! That's how these things go! Join us next week when we kick off March with a Prime Wardens story... with vamp…

We're back and we're live and we're gonna say a bunch of things! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:05:00 We haven't talked much this month about love and/or romance, but that ends now! We're making this happen! Or, at least, we're gonna take a swing at it! Here's what we'll be talking about next month! Tuesday, March 4th: Episode #311 - Writers' Room: Prime …

What bizarre vision have we crafted this time?! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:30:08 Man, the story on this one came together QUICK! Especially for something that we knew so little about at the start. Pretty cool! And good thing, too, as there were a BUNCH of follow-up questions from a recent episode about a particular future... Join us this coming Friday…

K.N.Y.F.E.! No Punch! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:49:09 We may have bit off more than we can chew with this one... but we'll do our best! Actually, it turned out really well, in our opinion, making us stretch as creators and also making Paige Huntly stretch as a character. Success! We're into February now, so 2025 is well under way, and we've got a lot…

Players of Games, As a game designer, playing other games is important to the design process, especially games orthogonal to your area of expertise. In Episode 10 of Ludological Alchemy’s Hypothesis we broaden our remit to discuss a topic adjacent to roleplaying games: war games. Specifically in our case, Hearts of Iron 4 by Paradox Entertainment. …

Come and hear tell of our PROPHES1ES! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:44:12 This one ran pretty long AND I tried to skip the banter at the beginning (entirely unsuccessfully) AND we didn't even cover every little bit of what we wanted (which we get into in the episode) AND we tried to speed up in the second half (with only marginal successful) but it's a b…

We were live for the first time this year! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:32:51 Lots of goofs, silliness, mistakes, apologies, answers, justifications, and ridiculous listener interactions (encompassing interactions that are ridiculous AND listeners who are ridiculous — you know who you are), all of which means: it's another Editor's Note! Thank you all f…

Dearest listener, Here we present to a special episode. Normally, we limit such special episodes to paid subscribers, but we enjoyed this discussion so much we wanted to share it with everyone. Please enjoy and if you’re so compelled, put a few goldberries in our yellow hat. TOM BOMBADIL. Merry old Tom is a denizen of the Old Forest, northeast of t…

These two need to calm down. Show Notes: Run Time: 1:38:04 We come out the gates swinging with this one, telling a tale we didn't necessarily expect, including characters we hadn't planned for! And then we also read your letters! Woo! Join us this coming Friday for a live show, that is, if you're on the Letters Page Patreon!…

It's snowy and cold, but it wasn't when we recorded this! The passage of time is astounding! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:44:00 We make up a few villains, as is our way, each of a different sphere of Tempest's interest and influence. The first is one we've apparently talked about before, though folks forgot, including us as well! Anyway, we talked more …

Welcome to 2025, everyone! Did you think you would get a mini-sode on Tuesday, even after we expressly told you we would NOT be posting such a thing? Well, so did we! Unfortunately, The Fates had other plans, and Trevor was laid low by the throat of strep! Thus, you get this lil snippet a couple days later. But it still counts! Instead of a very en…

We know that for many, today is a day known as "Christmas Day", however, we here at Ludological Alchemy celebrate a more esoteric event: the final episode of our podcast The Hypothesis for the year 2024. Our first year of podcasting and blogging has been tumultuous, perilous, enlightening, frustrating, joyous, fraught, and entirely worthwhile, by o…

Is The Scholar simply having a wonderful Christmastime? It doesn't look like it... Show Notes: Run Time: 1:23:27 A Christmas tale on this Christmas Eve, but unlike the standard fare! We did a lot of prework on this episode so we could just get right into the telling, given the challenge of a holiday tale of a... less cheery sort. So, far from the l…

The last live show of the year! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:26:04 Here at the end of the year, we cover so many different topics! Certainly a wide variety of things, and not a singular focus... Anyway, here's what we're talking about at the start of next year! Tuesday, January 7th: Episode #305 - Creative Process: Tempest Foes Tuesday, January 14th: Ep…

Necrosis is gross! Can Akash'Thriya do anthing about it?! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:10:34 The shortest episode we've recorded in a long time! But not because we short-change the story or anything; it just turned out that way. This coming Friday is our last show of 2024! Come join us for an end-of-year Editor's Note! Everyone on our Patreon can watch,…

Let's get STICKY! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:42:56 Will this be the final moment of Setback?! How can he survive such a defeat?!?! You'll just have to listen to find out! We've already recorded next week's episode about Akash'Thriya and Necrosis, but the following week will be the last Editor's Note of the year, followed by a Santa Scholar holiday epi…

We return to undertake a challenge. What rules must one adhere to when crafting roleplaying games? We develop a list of ten of them. Listen to follow our journey! Technical note for our listeners: Recording this episode seems to have triggered some mild curse. Christopher appears to have angered some kami of audio, a gremlin of podcasting. Thus the…

Wait, this is a Creative Process? But then why does it have this cover...? Show Notes: Run Time: 2:37:13 Yup, another 2+ hour episode, and you'll hear why once you start listening! We definitely set out to make a Writers' Room, but it ended up being a bunch of lightning round Writers' Rooms! Whoops? Sorry? (Not really sorry.) Do we answer the quest…

Good morning, everyone! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:53:03 A long Editor's Note! What is happening?! And it's not just because of the frankly-not-good-radio unboxing at the end of the recording! But first, the upcoming schedule: Tuesday, December 3rd: Episode #302 - Writers’ Room: Setback vs The Adhesivist Tuesday, December 10th: Episode #303 - Writers’…

A long episode for our three-hundredth! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:38:08 A big episode, indeed! We come in with a hint of a plan, tell a couple stories, and then go to the Letters section, where we tell even more stories! If you're on the Letters Page Patreon, you can join us this coming Friday for a live show! And if you're not on the Patreon... cons…

Let's get Rambly! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:52:13 This one is a DOOZY! Rambler, Biomancer, even GloomWeaver?! And we come into it cold and do it all live?! Spooky month, indeed! We hope you enjoy it — we certainly did! Next week is a live show, so consider joining our Patreon at any level so you can join us live! Contributors can be in the chat with …

Are games truly games without those who play them? In this latest episode of our Ludological Alchemy podcast "The Hypothesis" we discuss the terms, personages, conditions by which we can identify and better understand that which is the most difficult part of any game: the player. Are you a player of games? Surely you must be, but what sort of playe…

The Delusional Comedy! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:47:16 Guise is back! And he's extra ridiculous! As per usual! We find our hero in unexpected realms accompanied by a mysterious guide and dealing with Guise's worst nemeses: the consequences of his own actions. How horrible! With this episode, we wrap up the spooky month of October... and move into the…

So many things to talk about! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:37:41 We cover a bunch of topics before even getting to the schedule! Including these yarn fellas! OmKnitron-X: The Savage Hook-a: FaKnitic: Updates on Crochet-Ranger: And then, we get to the schedule! Here it is: Tuesday, November 5th: Episode #299 - Writers’ Room: Rambler vs Biomancer Tuesday,…

He's a man... alone... nowhere and nowhen... and he's got a metal arm... Show Notes: Run Time: 1:28:38 This one shot hearkens forward to the Time Trust One-Shot that we recently discussed, but that's just how life works sometimes! Just seems like it's the season of La Comodora and Chrono-Ranger and friends, I guess! We tell a tale that involves a f…

Wait, not Darkstrife AND Painstake, Darkstrife VS Painstake?! Oh no... Show Notes: Run Time: 2:04:55 AND it's another long one?! Man, that must have been a helluva recording day. (It was.) We make up some new people, some new lore, some new mythos... look, we've gotta let loose once in a while, y'know? We also read your letters and answer your ques…

In space, no one can hear you control the weather... Show Notes: Run Time: 2:00:09 Another two hour episode? Must mean we were recording two episodes in one day again! (That's exactly what happened, in fact!) Welcome to the first of two spooky months! I hope you're ready for so many spooky times! (And some non-spooky times, as well.) This one we re…

Greetings, alchemists, and welcome to another episode of our humble audio ventures into the unknown: a so-called "podcast", and it is so called "The Hypothesis". We are your Ludological Alchemists, Luke and Christopher. Sam was not with us in body or voice for this recording, but very much so in spirit. He will return for another episode in the fut…

The Southwest Sentinels? From Sentinel Comics?! In this podcast?! You'd better believe it! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:36:19 We talk about a bunch of issues, story arcs, events, and characters! But then we do also tell a proper Writers' Room style story. And Adam drew a WILD cover! Awesome. We're about to record two episodes this coming Friday, so send…

We were owned before we even started. We're number... something embarrassingly low... Show Notes: Run Time: 1:39:32 Trevor managed to grab some audio from the streaming video from before we started recording, so you can hear a bit of just how we were not just one-upped, but several-upped. What a world. And that's not all that happens this show! The…

It's about time! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:26:49 We've told parts of this tale before, but never the whole thing at once, and some of it has never come up before! Also, we talk a bit about temporal positioning, including the when/where/whom of The Chronoist! And, as is the usual thing for us, we answer many questions about a recent past episode. Whic…

Two issues? What an ideal number. Should would be a shame if someone came along who wanted THREE things instead... Show Notes: Run Time: 1:48:33 Finally, you get to hear the story we crafted when we recorded this episode AND the Benchmark foes creative process... and I don't feel like this episode ended up much shorter! Sure, it's shy of the two ho…

Dearest listener, This episode of our Hypothesis contains a different outlook than our previous iterations. Herein, we present to you a live recording captured at Gen Con ‘24 of your humble alchemists at their labors. In this experiment, we attempt to play our game, The Alchemist & the Golem with each other and then, as a body, with the audience. I…

It's the first Creative Process in a long time! Will this become some sort of new standard?! Show Notes: Run Time: 2:03:36 This is the first of two episodes we recorded in one day, and we inteded to go through it (and next week's episode) quickly to make two in one day possible... but look at that run time! Geeze! Well, we probably learned our less…

Another live show?! In the same month?! Wild. Show Notes: Run Time: 1:41:22 A fun time was had! Plus, we told some true tales, like what we'll be talking about next month! Upcoming schedule: Tuesday, September 3rd: Episode #292 - Writers’ Room: Sky-Scraper and Fashion team-up Tuesday, September 10th: Episode #293 - Writers’ Room: Time Trust Tuesday…

Welcome to another live show, this one featuring live real trumpet playing by Trevor! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:31:13 A noir-style episode! We had costumes, the afore-mentioned trumpet-playing Trevor, cool(?) accents, and even a smoke machine! There were very cool cosplayers, as well! And even more silly accents. And some live surprises! I was attack…

Hello, everyone! We were at Gen Con last week, and boy are our arms tired! We had a tremendous live show that went so well, mostly in thanks to Trevor's impressive skills and the audience's excellent participation. Adam and I were also there! Do you want to hear how it went? Good news! Next week's episode will be that very recording! Join us for th…

Welcome to yet another episode of The Hypothesis! Today, we discuss uncertainty! In all its myriad forms. Can we crack open any kernels of known unknowns? We suggest listening to the episode from start to finish, and not in some random order, but we cannot control you. Nor would we want to! For you, dear listeners, provide us with yet another — and…

Gen Con is upon us! But first: another Legacy story! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:36:28 This is a fun one (we say that a lot) because even though it's about Legacy, it's not a Legacy-as-the-main-character story. Plus, we get to do fey stuff. SPOILERS! Anyway, short notes this time because I'm writing these in between doing booth setup stuff AT GEN CON! …

The pre-Gen Con editor's note! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:38:24 We are experiencing physical and psychic aches and pains! A variety of different damage types have been dealt to us! Thus is the way just before Gen Con. I explain "chin tucks" which makes for terrible radio, but here and here are some better explanations! Tuck your chins! (Unsurprisingly…

Another Legacy episode, but younger! Show Notes: Run Time: 1:42:22 We're feeling the pressure of the looming Gen Con. Are you gonna be there? Will you be at this event? We hope so! Also, we talk about the Compile livestreams I've been doing lately with two Matts. Check them out on our Twitch channel! Next week's episode is an Editor's Note, which m…