Laying the Mechanics As We Play (Pilot)

This is a pilot episode for Laying the Mechanics As We Play, a long-form TTRPG actual-play podcast by Em and the Packbats where every episode, we design the game we play in that episode. (It didn't get a title until after recording, hence why us in the episode don't know it.) This pilot is an entry to the One Mic Stand podcast jam, hosted by A. C. Sherman and Riley Hopkins of The Podcast Mines.

In this season premiere, Em and the Packbats set themselves a challenge: create a prologue to a YA creature horror story by first writing and then playing a new mini roleplaying game. Something is in this abandoned mine, and it has just been awoken.

This podcast is hosted and produced by Em (if you know them, you can reach out!) and the Packbats ( https://www.patreon.com/packbat , https://packbat.itch.io/ ), who collaboratively designed the game below. The theme music for this episode was produced by the Packbats in LMMS and includes samples sourced from the Vintage Dreams Waves v2.0 soundfont by Ian Wilson and the 2MGM soundfont by Yingchun Soul. The cover image was drawn by Em, and this episode was edited by Em.

Content warnings on the game part of the episode: body horror, allusion to retching, implied death by suffocation, and mention of bugs.