GenreTainment – Monster of the Week Creator Michael Sands on Game Design

Join the hunt as we track down the origins of Monster of the Week with its creator, Michael Sands! In this in-depth interview, Michael shares the story behind the game’s development, from its supernatural roots inspired by cult classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural to its rise as one of the most beloved urban fantasy-horror TTRPGs today. We explore how Monster of the Week offers a streamlined, narrative-driven alternative to more complex systems like D&D, while still delivering thrilling, monster-packed action. Along the way, Michael dives into his game design process, shares insights on his other projects, and celebrates the incredible community that continues to expand the game. Whether you’re a seasoned RPG veteran or just getting started, this conversation is packed with valuable insights and creative inspiration.

GenreTainment is where Marx & Julie talk about what is happening in the world of books, film, TV, web series, and games. We give you interviews with writers, game designers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.

Links:

• Generic Games: https://genericgames.co.nz
• Generic Games third party policy: https://genericgames.co.nz/third_party_policy
• Evil Hat – Monster of the Week: https://evilhat.com/product/monster-of-the-week
• Evil Hat newsletter signup: http://evilh.at/1TnZya5
• XGE13 – Preview Edition: https://genericgames.itch.io/xge13-mini-preview-edition/devlog/797673/working-on-a-new-version
• Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cabbitcrossing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Dragons of a Different Tail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://books2read.com/dragonstail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Tales of Monstrosity: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://books2read.com/talesofmonstrosity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GenreTainment on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.facebook.com/genretainment)
• Marx on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MrMarx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://x.com/MrMarx)
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠McCardy Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmByV3iAOxwSQeiqQC4O5rg/featured)

GenreTainment 146 | Game Design and Writing Novels with Alexander Thomas

Join us for a fun conversation with game designer and author Alexander Thomas. As the Mutants & Masterminds Line Developer for Green Ronin Publishing, Alex brings a wealth of experience to the table. He’s also the author of the Titan City Chronicles novel series and the executive producer for the Untold Stories Project. In this episode, we dive into these exciting projects, explore the upcoming Valiant Adventures Roleplaying Game, and get Alex’s advice on breaking into the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) industry. Plus, he shares tips on creating your own TTRPG Actual Play series.

GenreTainment is where Marx & Julie talk about what is happening in the world of books, film, TV, web series, and games. We give you interviews with writers, game designers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.

Links:

GenreTainment Intro and outro music by McCardy Music.

“Perc Spot A” by Ovani Sound.

GenreTainment #119 – Writer Justin Sloan

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Marx goes solo for episode 119,  chatting with video game writer (Game of Thrones, Minecraft: Story Mode), novelist (Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon, Falls of Redemption), screenwriter (Wrecked, My Husband’s Preggo), and podcast host Justin Sloan.

They talk about Justin’s fiction books, his non-fiction (Creative Writing Career), writing for video games, how being a veteran has affected his writing, and so much more. And you may have recently heard Marx be a guest on Justin’s Creative Writing Career podcast.

GenreTainment is where Marx & Julie talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series.  We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.

Links:

GenreTainment #114 – Featuring Writer and Game Designer Sean Patrick Fannon

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This is episode 114 and we are chatting with writer & game designer Sean Patrick Fannon.

Fannon has been writing for tabletop roleplaying games since 1988. Working on such classic games as the very first Star Wars RPG (from West End Games), the superhero RPG Champions and much more. He is the author of a favorite book of mine, The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer’s Bible. He has also worked for years with computer games too.

But the main topic we have him on to discuss is the upcoming roleplaying game Savage Rifts. Taking the classic Rifts game and transforming it with the popular Savage Worlds rules system.

Fannon tells us about the highly anticipated game, we also talk about why Julie sometimes has a hard time getting excited about role-playing games, and more.

GenreTainment is where Marx & Julie talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series. We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.

Links:

GenreTainment #84 – Featuring Web Series Creators Adam Rady & James Rodehaver

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Welcome to another episode of GenreTainment! This time we are chatting with director/actor Adam Rady and writer/producer James Rodehaver. They are the creators of the fantasy comedy web series, Walking in Circles, which currently has two season online. We talk in-depth about the show, get some tips for web series creators, hear some funny stories from set, and more.

GenreTainment is where we talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series.  We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.

Links: