Axe of the Blood God: A Deep Dive Into RPG Dungeons
PODCAST | What makes a good RPG dungeon? Kat and Nadia discuss!
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Axe of the Blood God is our weekly RPG podcast hosted by Kat Bailey and Nadia Oxford. You can find the previous episodes here.
In this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God (download link here), Nadia and I get into a topic that's been on my mind lately: RPG dungeons.
The genesis for this discussion was an article I wrote earlier this week about Persona 5's dungeons, and how they form a satisfying arc not unlike a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That made me want to explore the history of dungeons and their impact on the genre, which I've apparently never done on this podcast (I'm surprised too). So here's a nice, long deep dive into RPG dungeons, their origins, their design, and what makes them good (or bad).
Also in this episode: I discussion of Ian Bogost's recent article about storytelling in videogames. Nadia has some thoughts already, but I think there's plenty to cover from an RPG perspective. Stay awhile and listen!
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Show Description
Kat and Nadia delve deep into RPG dungeons this week (30:44), where they talk about their origins, their purpose, and what makes them enjoyable. They also share some of their favorites! Also in this episode, Kat and Nadia discuss Ian Bogost's recent argument that games shouldn't have stories. Naturally, as RPG fans, Kat and Nadia have Thoughts. Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at usgamer@usgamer.net. We may read your letter on the show!
Music from Axe of the Blood God is courtesy of Lena Chappelle, who has also contributed the themes to Active Time Babble and Roleplayers' Realm. I also use music from the RPG Music Pack over at rpgmaker.net. Check it out!