Know Direction Network

As our heroes are deciding what to do next, they are attacked by a group of shadowy assailants. Join our Intrepid Heroes as they solve the mystery of the Murder in Metal City! Cast: Jason Keeley – GM Alex Speidel – Patsy Van Dyne Isis Wozniakowska – Voss Seltee Jocelyn Hamilton – Together in Electric […]

In episode 126 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with John D. Clair about his journey from gamifying mazes to becoming a full-time tabletop designer. He shares how setting clear goals, focusing only on games he is excited about, and reworking mechanics from games that inspire him shaped his design approach. John shares how he reimagines mechanics […]

As the designer of the Essence20 version of G.I. JOE’s iconic flying submarine, Ryan takes full responsibility for it being built wrong. He uses this opportunity to show off he Essence20 vehicle design rules and correct his mistake. You can find the revised stat block below! Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part […]

John shares information from Epictellers’ recent Starfinder: Afterlight media event and Jason gives his top recommendations for space fantasy games to play as you wait! Listen Now! Watch Now!

While investigating the murder of Tier 99 Professor, our heroes make a grisly discovery. Join our Intrepid Heroes as they solve the mystery of the Murder in Metal City! Cast: Jason Keeley – GM Alex Speidel – Patsy Van Dyne Isis Wozniakowska – Voss Seltee Jocelyn Hamilton – Together in Electric Dreams (Dreams) John Godek […]

Starfinder players aren’t the only ones Paizo treated to a new hardcover 2e sourcebook. Alex and James share their thoughts on the SF2 GM Core. Recorded live on Twitch. Listen Now! (mp3)

In episode 125 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with Roberto Panetta, designer of Gems of Iridescia and founder of Rock, Stone & Dice Games. Roberto shares how his background in toy and game retail gave him the marketing and sales experience to start his own publishing company. He opens up about reigniting his creativity after […]

Vehicles play a major role in G.I. JOE, Power Rangers, and, obviously, Transformers. But how do they work in Essence20? Charles, who is running a session with at least one vehicle combat soon, asks Ryan, who designed the Essence20 vehicle rules, about their intent, origin, and implementation. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes […]

Jason, John, and Ron take a quick look at the first Starfinder 2 Adventure Path: Guilt of the Grave World by Michael Bramnik. Listen Now! Watch Now!

Our heroes are ambushed in an alley but prevail, and learn that someone or something has been tracking both the professor and themselves. Join our Intrepid Heroes as they solve the mystery of the Murder in Metal City! Cast: Jason Keeley – GM Alex Speidel – Patsy Van Dyne Isis Wozniakowska – Voss Seltee Jocelyn […]

Battlecry!, the latest sourcebook for Pathfinder 2e, is full of amazing options, like the new Jotunborn big beefy ancestry with planar connections, the new commander and guardian classes, a leader and a protector, respectively, and a new skirmish system to put your PC in the middle of epic battles. The book’s design lead, our own […]

In episode 124 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Serena Fadlun about creating games that increase human happiness and how she literally dreamed her career into existence when a vision of her future son inspired her to start designing. Serena shares how she blended her work experience (from translating top-secret movie scripts […]

Follow us through the surprising evolution of the Know Direction Network’s Essence20 podcast. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part 4, generously provided by Wordburglar. Check it and other amazing 80s-inspired out at Wordburglar.com. Although the host works for Renegade Game Studios, this podcast and the network that hosts it are not affiliated […]

Jason, John, and Ron talk about the recently announced Starfinder: Afterlight video game and what they hope it includes.. Listen Now! Watch Now!

Seemingly attacked by a stealthy droid, our heroes give chase! Join our Intrepid Heroes as they solve the mystery of the Murder in Metal City! Cast: Jason Keeley – GM Alex Speidel – Patsy Van Dyne Isis Wozniakowska – Voss Seltee Jocelyn Hamilton – Together in Electric Dreams (Dreams) John Godek – Xabi Fraglorious Rue […]

Ryan returns as host of a new era of the Know Direction podcast. After talking about what’s been going on with the podcast and what to expect from its future, he speaks with Luis Loza about the latest hardcover for the Lost Omens line, Shining Kingdoms. Listen Now! (mp3)  

The stars aligned for this one! Alex and James go cover-to-cover with the new Starfinder 2e Player Core for the 100th episode of Know Direction Beyond! Recorded live on Twitch. Listen Now! (mp3)

In episode 123 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Mitch Wallace about how a wide range of hobbies and a YouTube rabbit hole led him into game design. He shares how his curiosity sparked idea after idea, and how the original concept for Art Society evolved through rounds of feedback to find […]

Charles’ mind has been swirling ever since he heard about Learned From The Best, a new General Perk for the Essence20 in G.I. JOE Roleplaying Game: Hawk’s Personnel Files that lets players access Perks for Threat. He challenged himself and Ryan to see just how much character customizability and storytelling potential one Perk can hold. Listen […]

Jason, John, and Ron talk about 3 things they really like about the Starfinder 2 GM Core. Listen Now! Watch Now!  

A strange message beckons six strangers to Striving, an expansive megaplex city on Aballon, the planet of Machines. There, they gather in a neon-lit cafe, surrounded by androids and robots, to meet an old friend. The bartender brings them refreshments—and a holographic recording from their mutual acquaintance. “Greetings, friends! If you're watching this, it's because […]

In episode 122 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we talk with owner of MaKa Games and designer of License to Krill, Matthew Kambic, about how a pun inspired his debut game — and how he brought it to life with a custom plushie component. Matthew shares how his engineering background, early love of […]

Ryan writes a blog about building elaborate Essence20 characters. Charles needs a new character for a G.I. JOE RPG campaign. Together, they solve crimes. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part 4, generously provided by Wordburglar. Check it and other amazing 80s-inspired out at Wordburglar.com. Although the host works for Renegade Game Studios, […]

Jason, John, and Ron recap their Gen Con Experiences and Ron also shares some big news! Listen Now! Ron Lundeen is an employee of Wizards of the Coast and his opinions are his own.

Welcome to Season 5 of Intrepid Heroes! Our new band of heroes will be taking on the Starfinder 2 adventure Murder in Metal City! Meet our Season 5 Intrepid Heroes: Jason Keeley, GM Alex Speidel Isis Wozniakowska Jocelyn Hamilton John Godek Rue Dickey Tim Nightengale Listen Now!(mp3)

In episode 121 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, J. Evan Raitt shares how an infamously frustrating game first sparked his interest in design, which eventually led to a make-your-own-game elective in college and most recently to the creation of Shifting Stones. We talk about the theme being inspired by his fascination with traditional Mayan glyphs, how other […]

Logan Bonner and Jason Keeley take us on a tour of the latest Pathfinder 2e hardcover, Battlecry, and how it leads into the upcoming Pathfinder adventure path, The Hellfire Crisis. Listen Now! (mp3) From the Gen Con 2025 Starfinder Launch Panel, shared with permission.

Jenny Jarzabski, Mike Kimmel, Dustin Knight, Aras Yazgan, and Jessica Catalan (with special appearance by Thurston Hillman) of Paizo’s Starfinder team cracks open the pages of Starfinder 2e for reveals and more. Listen Now! (mp3) From the Gen Con 2025 Starfinder Launch Panel, shared with permission.

Multiple Essence20 Core Rulebooks boldly call Story Points “The Great Equalizer”. Ryan and Charles look at how this isn’t an exaggeration, and point out how this meta narrative control consumable can elevate the stories of your G.I. JOE, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Transformers, and Welcome To Night Vale campaigns. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter […]

Starfinder designer Dustin Knight joins Alex and James as Starfinder 2e launched into the ether, becoming one with the cosmos. Recorded live on Twitch. Listen Now! (mp3)

Our heroes come face-to0-face with the creature causing all the problems on Absalom Station. Can they earn the victory and escape the ghost levels? Listen Now!(mp3)

Starfinder Creative Manager Jenny Jarzabski join Jason, John, and Ron to talk about all the cool Starfinder 2nd Edition things going on at Gen Con for today’s Starfinder 2 release! Listen Now! Ron Lundeen is an employee of Wizards of the Coast and his opinions are his own.

In episode 120 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pete Petrusha of Imagining Games about adapting the Eisner award-winning Image comic series, CHEW, into a Forged in the Dark foodie crime drama TTRPG! They discuss several delicious topics including the concept of meeting needs and answering questions with your game designs (what's something I […]

Ryan and Charles go through the contents and development of the latest Essence20 sourcebook for the G.I. JOE Roleplaying Game: Hawk’s Personnel Files. Anyone who preordered the physical copy from Renegade Game Studios can currently download the PDF. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part 4, generously provided by Wordburglar. Check it and […]

Jason, John, and Ron are all going to Gen Con next week! They share what they will be busy doing as well as what they look forward to the most! Listen Now! Ron Lundeen is an employee of Wizards of the Coast and his opinions are his own.

Killer bees! A gross gravid mound! Charity station meltdown! It all comes to a head in the penultimate episode of the season! Listen Now!(mp3)

In episode 119 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ann Journey about what inspired her to create a game about going back in time to see the dinosaurs, rather than bringing them here to the modern day and age. (Because that never goes well!) They talk about revisiting and combining concepts […]

Carlos (you know, the game dev?) Cabrera, the project manager of Renegade Game Studios’ Welcome To Night Vale RPG joins Ryan to talk about the development of the project, why Essence20 was the right system to bring the cult and occult radio drama to the tabletop, and how the new cross-compatible options can influence other […]

John and Ron talk about the top Science Fiction/Fantasy properties that they would like to see converted to the Starfinder 2e system. Surprise, there is no overlap between their lists! Also, a much needed update on Ron’s new chickens! Listen Now! Ron Lundeen is an employee of Wizards of the Coast and his opinions are […]

Alex and James talk Starfinder 2e playtest adventures and GMing Starfinder 2e. Listen Now! (mp3)

Our heroes encounter some informative hespers who warn them of the beast that awaits! Listen Now!(mp3)

In episode 118 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pat Marino, game developer and Director of Hobby Games for The Op about capturing the excitement of the Cuphead video game in a unique tabletop experience that resonated with existing fans and the board game community. They explore what it takes to […]

Ryan and Charles talk about how the new Transformers Roleplaying Game Transformers ONE Sourcebook can transform your Essence20 game. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part 4, generously provided by Wordburglar. Check it and other amazing 80s-inspired out at Wordburglar.com. Although the host works for Renegade Game Studios, this podcast and the network that […]

Ron is off this week. John and Jason talk about some of the games released for Free RPG day, including Starfinder 2nd Edition’s Battle for Novarush! Listen Now!  

Our heroes meet adventurers who were pulled in from the Plane of Wood! Listen Now!(mp3)

Alex and James crack open the first Starfinder 2e hardcover, and the first Starfinder hardcover since Mechageddon, the Starfinder Galaxy Guide. Listen Now! (mp3)

In episode 117 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with game designer Simon Weinberg about his journey from reviewing terrible games to realizing just how tough it is to make good ones. He shares lessons from navigating the publishing world like understanding a company’s catalog before pitching, being patient during the long […]

Ryan and Charles talk about the Essence20 panels and announcements at RenegadeCon 2025. Listen Now! (mp3) Featuring Letter From Snake Eyes part 4, generously provided by Wordburglar. Check it and other amazing 80s-inspired out at Wordburglar.com. Although the host works for Renegade Game Studios, this podcast and the network that hosts it are not affiliated […]

With just 8 weeks left until the release of Starfinder 2, RPG freelance author John Godek, Paizo Senior Game Designer Jason Keeley, and Dungeon & Dragons Designer Ron Lundeen discuss what Starfinder 1 adventures to play now! Listen Now! Ron Lundeen is an employee of Wizards of the Coast and his opinions are his own.

Our heroes head down to Charity Substation to prevent a reactor meltdown and come face-to-face with an transdimensional maw! Listen Now!(mp3)

In episode 116 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with game designer Leonie Grundler about what inspired her nature-themed tableau builder, Biome. They discuss how inspiration can come from the worst places – like being laid off from a tech startup and catching COVID – how binge-playing Wingspan sparked the idea for […]