Brain Trust

12

Indie tabletop RPG designers Adam Vass and Will Jobst make roleplaying games, chat theory, and be friends online.

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Recent Episodes
  • Q&A: Epiphanies, Magic Systems, and Scrapping It
    Apr 9, 2025 – 00:50:26
  • The Pros of Con
    Mar 25, 2025 – 01:04:34
  • Vestments and VHSs
    Mar 20, 2025 – 00:52:15
  • The New End of the World
    Mar 12, 2025 – 01:08:55
  • Brain Trust Babies
    Mar 4, 2025 – 00:56:34
  • Bullet Points Rock My World
    Feb 25, 2025 – 00:59:15
  • Incredible Chair Experience
    Feb 18, 2025 – 01:01:48
  • Crowdfunding is a Pencil Dive into a Pond
    Feb 11, 2025 – 00:51:47
  • For Those About to Crowdfund, We Salute You
    Feb 4, 2025 – 01:07:31
  • Competitive TTRPGs and Bingo
    Oct 9, 2024 – 00:43:45
  • Q&A: Monsters, Art, and Quiet Innovation
    Oct 2, 2024 – 00:46:29
  • Approachability and Free Radicals
    Sep 24, 2024 – 00:44:28
  • Gen Con Recap and Cryptids
    Sep 17, 2024 – 00:45:40
  • Kickstarter and Disgusting Butterflies
    Sep 10, 2024 – 00:37:19
  • Plasmodics and the Human Inside the Game
    Sep 2, 2024 – 00:55:30
  • Graphic Design and Born to Die
    Feb 1, 2024 – 00:57:45
  • Save Points and Research
    Jan 25, 2024 – 01:02:37
  • Companions and Mr. Lindor
    Jan 18, 2024 – 00:57:02
  • BONUS UNLOCKED: Dungeon Lords
    Jan 16, 2024 – 00:31:30
  • Roles and Oubliette Strategies
    Jan 11, 2024 – 00:58:53
  • New Starts and Firestarters
    Jan 4, 2024 – 00:53:40
  • Season Preview
    Jan 2, 2024 – 00:05:28
  • Live Outside Gen Con (Gen Con 2023)
    Aug 23, 2023 – 00:39:45
  • Live at a Conference (Gen Con 2023)
    Aug 3, 2023 – 00:41:18
  • Three More Questions
    Jun 23, 2023 – 00:44:20
  • Don't Scam Yourself
    Jun 15, 2023 – 00:47:52
  • Triangulating 
    Jun 7, 2023 – 00:58:10
  • How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Zine
    Jun 1, 2023 – 00:55:02
  • Zines and Mushrooms
    Feb 15, 2023 – 00:58:45
  • D&D 5th Sedition
    Jan 24, 2023 – 00:54:16
  • Best of 2022
    Jan 3, 2023 – 01:18:20
  • Storage Locker Graveyard
    Dec 14, 2022 – 00:44:40
  • One is the Dungeonest Dragon
    Nov 22, 2022 – 00:49:58
  • Wonder Cabinet with Aaron King
    Nov 1, 2022 – 01:00:57
  • Spirit Halloween
    Oct 19, 2022 – 00:48:13
  • Photoshop Crash Report (haptic feedback)
    Sep 21, 2022 – 00:57:38
  • CYBERMETAL 2012
    Aug 17, 2022 – 00:39:21
  • Live at G.A.Z. (Gen Con 2022)
    Aug 9, 2022 – 00:47:32
  • Live at the Tailgate (Gen Con 2022)
    Jul 19, 2022 – 00:49:24
  • Disaster Bingo
    Jul 12, 2022 – 00:58:26
  • Alternate Universe Brain Trust
    Jun 10, 2022 – 00:53:48
  • Obtuse Lifestyle
    Apr 6, 2022 – 00:56:52
  • Game(s) Jam
    Feb 15, 2022 – 00:54:23
  • Hellacious
    Jan 26, 2022 – 00:54:42
  • Room In This Scene for the Both of Us
    Jan 11, 2022 – 00:51:01
  • Memory Booster Packs
    Jan 4, 2022 – 00:49:32
  • Corn Maze
    Nov 24, 2021 – 00:55:50
  • BOSTON RPG
    Nov 2, 2021 – 00:56:34
  • Year-Round Football
    Oct 13, 2021 – 00:55:18
  • USB Bugs
    Sep 22, 2021 – 00:54:20
Recent Reviews
  • A.E. Jonesy
    Brain Trust? More like “Brain Trust”!
    Brain Trust is a wonderful community and cabal of designers where all ideas from creators of any level and background are treated seriously, and I love spending time on their Discord. Adam and Will are two of the most naturally funny people to listen to, and I’m constantly amazed at the ideas they come up with on the fly on this show. The show is wonderful and an achievement itself, but the community they’ve facilitated and shaped by their attitudes is the real treasure here. GMBT4LYFE.
  • Blooperly
    GMBT
    Don’t listen to Adam, every episode is very good, gold star. 🐷🤝 Hog Trust forever 🐷🤝
  • floatingchair
    GMBT
    Two trustworthy brains theory craft their way through the game design jungle. They’ve also brought you the cult-classic, indie-darling, A Guide to Casting Phantoms in the Revolution. Tune in while Adam and Will earn your trust.
  • pjh898
    🧠🤝
    Consistently blasting my brain with amazing, novel, inventive ideas for role playing game mechanics, themes and interactions.
  • CoolGuyCrumrine
    A Game Design Podcast, But Also Funny
    It's like if it were okay to cry during stand-up. Also, these games slap.
  • Thegilaboy
    I Trust These Brains
    Week after week, Adam and Will drop design knowledge that you'd be a fool to turn away. What are you doing? Stop reading this review and go listen right now!
  • ADAMXVASS
    This is the Brain Trust show
    It’s not the trust brain show. It is my favorite show because it is our show.
  • 
    more than game design
    I'm a musician, not a game designer, and i found Brain Trust offered a lot of perspective on my own craft. Besides simply documenting the creation of a new game, Brain Trust is also a real(ish)-time demonstration of the creative process. As a songwriter, this podcast is a case study of how two people negotiate multiple ideas, commit themselves to one or two, and follow through to the end. At the end of the first episode I was inspired to revisit my current projects with more intentionality and a renewed enjoyment in the process of songwriting. I really recommend that any artist check out Brain Trust and consider novel ways to approach your own work.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.