Fight, Item, Run is available to back now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whimsymachine/fight-item-run-a-pixelated-ttrpg Taylor Curreysmith and I prepare for the worst as we discuss his Kickstarter based on the pixelated worlds of NES c

Pay the Price

Oct 28th, 2020 41m 17s

Kyle Thompson and I prepare for the worst as we discuss object-oriented design, separation of intent, and a really cool move that I didn't love going in. In the Patreon episode, Kyle and I also go off topic to discuss a wild amount of other mo

Choose

Oct 14th, 2020 48m 8s

Literally one day left to get Apocalypse Keys 25% off for being a Hard Move listener! temporalhiccup.itch.io/hardmove25John Harper and I prepare for the worst as we discuss the building tension, core loops, and how we both get spooked out real

Accuse Someone of Lying

Sep 30th, 2020 39m 56s

Reminder that you can get Apocalypse Keys 25% off for being a Hard Move patron! temporalhiccup.itch.io/hardmove25Tomer Gurantz and I prepare for the worst as we discuss the nature of move engagement, what it means to be an audience, and how to

Holy Symbol Arsenal

Sep 16th, 2020 44m 31s

Get Apocalypse Keys 25% off for being a Hard Move listener! temporalhiccup.itch.io/hardmove25Jammi Nedjadi and I prepare for the worst as we unfold a developer's story about Apocalypse Keys and an amazing move that stole my heart.The Hard Mov

Tell a Story

Sep 2nd, 2020 45m 45s

Proceeds from this month's patreon go to Color of Change, support them here: https://colorofchange.org/about/Yoshi Creelman and I prepare for the worst as we move in herds, uhh find a way and, after careful consideration decide not endorse yo

Surrender to Weariness

Aug 5th, 2020 45m 17s

Misha B and I prepare for the worst as we fight against the shadow until we Surrender to Weariness. Misha is an absolute joy to listen to, and I think this episode brings a lot of that out.The Hard Move was created by Matthew Gravelyn, and is

Thy Will Be Done

Jul 22nd, 2020 41m 45s

Aaron King and I prepare for the worst as we satiate an Object's Hunger with Thy Will Be Done. This episode unfolds a lot about what we want from the move that isn't present, which is kind of different for this format.The Hard Move was created

In-Brain Puppet Strings

Jul 8th, 2020 39m 36s

Paddy Hutchinson and I prepare for the worst as we pull on some In-Brain Puppet Strings. An interesting move, we discuss a lot about the requirements for the move and how we make it sing at our table. This a fun ep, and it's stripped back from

At Any Cost

Jun 25th, 2020 36m 35s

Rach Shelkey and I prepare for the worst as we take a look at At Any Cost from Urban Shadows. One of my favourite eps, when we discover that we both have a totally different understanding of this move.In the Patreon cut, Rach and I also talk a

The Abyss Stares Back

Jun 10th, 2020 41m 16s

https://itch.io/b/520/bundle-for-racial-justice-and-equality Spenser Starke and I prepare for the worst as we take a look at The Abyss Stares Back from The Veil. An interesting move, we discuss as much about how we love unpacking the poetry

Drives

May 27th, 2020 41m 43s

Jenn Martin and I prepare for the worst as we take a look at the Beacon's Drives from Masks. We go through how Drives offer players guidance, and how the smart design offers beats without defining an arc. In the Patreon cut, Jenn and I also ta

Gaze Into The Abyss

May 13th, 2020 38m 41s

Andrew Gillis and I prepare for the worst as we Gaze into the Abyss from Monsterhearts 2. In this episode we discuss inviting players in, generating stakes, and developing good dark stories. In our patreon release Andrew and I also talk about

Go Aggro

Apr 29th, 2020 40m 31s

Adrian Thoen and I prepare for the worst as we go OG and Go Aggro with Apocalypse World 1e and 2e. In this episode we discuss shifting agency of threats; bluffing and calling it; and how to do moves from "a distance".In our patreon release Adr

Spit In The Face Of Guidance Or Influence

Apr 15th, 2020 37m 56s

Ryan McNeil and I prepare for the worst as we step into the time-shifting Innocent, and look at a really hostile move. In this episode we discuss escalation in PbtA; what it means to have moves "on the table"; and how different triggers drive d

Last Breath

Apr 1st, 2020 44m 17s

Matthew Gravelyn and I prepare for the worst as we explore Dungeon World's move for facing down the black gates of the death. In this episode we discuss the nature of RPG death; triggering and engaging with the move in new ways; and have a blas

Trailer

Hard Move Season 2 Announcement

Mar 31st, 2020 1m

The Hard Move returns for Season 2... with a twist! New episodes start on April 1st.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehardmove/support

Make A Challenge

Mar 14th, 2019 1h 2m

Becky Annison and I dive into her upcoming game Bite Me! and explore the complicated dynamics of werewolf pack authority. The move Make A Challenge is used as a mechanical device whenever someone willingly, unwillingly, or even unknowingly chal

Act Under Pressure

Mar 6th, 2019 41m 20s

Rev Deschain and I check out the move Act Under Pressure from Monster of the Week. This seemingly generic move is used whenever there is risk or doubt about the success of an action and offers a wide assortment of both mechanical and narrative

Take A Powerful Blow

Feb 27th, 2019 48m 9s

Lloyd Gyan and I expand on a Twitter conversation by discussing Take A Powerful Blow from Masks. In a game where super humans battle it out with fists and wits, the concept of harm is replaced with systems of conditions and narrative outcome. T

Transform

Feb 13th, 2019 44m 5s

Jonah M. Jackson and I launch into Uncharted Worlds to discuss Transform, a move from the Shaper playbook found in the Far Beyond Humanity expansion. This move is mechanically light, relying on another basic move for its trigger, but offers ama

Keep Your Cool

Feb 6th, 2019 44m 23s

Marsie Vellan and I head back into Monsterhearts 2 to check out another pivotal move for any teen monster, Keep Your Cool. Mechanically it’s simple: you try to keep your wits about you in a tense situation and, if you’re cool enough, you could

Stand Strong in Your Convictions

Jan 30th, 2019 45m 14s

Lauren McManamon and I talk about her game Girl Underground as we discuss the move Stand Strong in Your Convictions. At the heart of this game is a sense of empowerment and discovery by The Girl who is striving to turn imposed manners into pers

Mesmerism

Jan 23rd, 2019 38m 8s

Kyle Gould and I look into his first PbtA game, Blades in the Dark, and explore the move Mesmerism from the Slide playbook. Mechanically this move augments the Sway action, allowing the Slide to trick their victims into not remembering the expe

Express Your Love Passionately

Jan 16th, 2019 1h 6m

Brandon Leon-Gambetta and I get steamy and talk about Express Your Love Passionately from his forthcoming game Pasión de las Pasiones. Mechanically we talk about modifying rolls by answering move and playbook questions as well as the outcome of