Kill Your Darlings: Real Talk on TTRPG Design with Elder Goblin Games | Wizards of Eem EP020

Today on the Wizards of Eem Podcast, we sit down with special guest Jorbin of Elder Goblin Games to talk about Seven Delving Sins: the rules-light, co-op tabletop RPG you reach for when game night falls apart and only one friend shows up. We get into the game he is designing, the indie RPG scene, and what it really takes to get a game from your notebook to the table.

Jorbin pitches Seven Delving Sins as the game you play when your long-running campaign collapses five minutes before kickoff. It is built as a co-op experience where the "overseer" is part of the game rather than a traditional GM, all wrapped in a Corpo Dungeon Crawler vibe. You are the B-team grunts of Delver Corp, sent into the dark to do it all for the company. Think gritty, OSR-inspired aesthetics with a heavy dose of corporate silliness, and yes, Land of Eem sits near the top of his inspirations list.

From there we get into the craft: finding your game's true north, the pain of killing your darlings, why play testing is where the rubber meets the road, and how to gather feedback that is actually useful. We also dig into the idea that deep down every game master is part game designer, which hits home as we wrestle with play testing the Land of Eem wizard class.

Got a "game night fell through" story of your own? Come share it with us in the Discord.

Land of Eem is a whimsical, family-friendly fantasy RPG by Ben Costa and James Parks, available now from Exalted Funeral and a wide range of local and online retailers. New here? Grab the free Quickstart Guide on our website.

Rollin' Down the Road is featured in the Rickety Stitch Book 2: The Middle-Route Run by Ben Costa and James Parks.

The lyrics were written by Ben Costa and James Parks, and the song was written by musician Evin Wolverton.

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