Know Direction Network

Latest Episodes:

Know Direction Beyond 101: GM Core Review Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Game Design Unboxed 125: Gems of Iridescia Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

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 feeling uninspired, collaborating with family to build the story and theme behind his first game, and learning the power of feedback from fellow designers. We also discuss common misconceptions about “pretty” games, the pros and cons of bringing your design to digital platforms, and why clear rulebooks matter.

Roberto also talks about his experience with how welcoming and supportive the tabletop design community is, and his convention recommendations for new designers entering the space including UNPUB, Protospiel, and smaller playtest-focused conventions.

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Featuring:

Roberto Panetta – Guest

Danielle Reynolds – Host

Upshift 51: Vehicles In Essence20 Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

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.

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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 Renegade Game Studios.

Video

Digital Divination 145 – New Starfinder 2 Adventure: Guilt of the Grave World Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

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

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Intrepid Heroes 168 – The Ambush (Murder in Metal City Session 3) Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

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 Hamilton – Together in Electric Dreams (Dreams)
John Godek – Xabi Fraglorious
Rue Dickey – Whose Boughs Are Lit Within (Boughs)
Tim Nightengale – Dexter Rayne

Starfinder 2nd Edition Actual Play Podcast

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Know Direction 306: Battlecry Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

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 Jason Keeley, joins Ryan to talk about all of that and more.

However, that’s not all that Battlecry! has to offer. Ryan spends the first segment of the episode looking at four of the new archetypes introduced in the book, and how they encapsulate different ways an RPG option can be good. Then, in the final segment of the episode, Jake from Wisdom Check, himself highly invested in the Battlecry! archetypes lately on his YouTube channel, tells Ryan what he loves about Pathfinder, and what he brings to the community.

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Video

Game Design Unboxed 124: Happy Haven Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

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 to a career in psychology and mental health) into her game theme and mechanics, continuing to apply her knowledge of statistical analysis and short term research methods into playtesting.

They also discuss her decision to release a free print-and-play game that collected optional donations to support future research, a shared fear of public speaking, insights from Yale’s Science of Wellbeing course, and how interacting with social media can be challenging but rewarding in the tabletop world.