Get answers to all your burning questions about The Critshow here! If you still have a question we haven’t answered, feel free to drop us a line.
Do I need to be a gamer to enjoy The Critshow?
Not at all! We have many listeners who are not gamers, and we play the game/tell the story in a way that game mechanics don’t bog down the narrative. Though, do be warned: many non-gamers who have listened to the show find themselves looking to start rolling dice themselves after the first 2-3 story arcs!
What is Monster of the Week?
Monster of the Week is a skin for Apocalypse World (more about that below under “What does Powered by the Apolcalypse mean?”) The moves, playbooks, and enemies are retrofitted to feel like you’re in the world of TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, or X-Files.
Do I need to know how Monster of the Week works to enjoy this?
You do not! But by the time you get through the first story, you’ll have a clear understanding of how the game and its mechanics work. In fact, several of our listeners have told us they felt much more comfortable trying the game themselves because they’d already learned the basics listening to the show!
What does Powered by the Apocalypse mean?
Powered by the Apocalypse is the rule/dice system which originated from a game called Apocalypse World. PbtA games, as they’re known, use two six sided dice and a 2-page character sheet (also known as a playbook) that you use to build a character by choosing from a set list of stats, moves, and weapons. It makes for a game that is very fast to pick up, learn, and start playing. It is rules-lite and narrative heavy, with the players and the DM (or Keeper in MotW terms) working in tandem to tell the story.
Do I need to listen from the beginning or can I pick up with the latest episode?
Do start at the beginning (it’s a very good place to start)! The story we tell is episodic in nature, much like the genre that it is paying homage to – so if you jump into the middle, there will be themes, information, and even recurring characters that you’ll miss out on.
Your name is The Critshow and your logo has a d20 – are you aware that the game system you play doesn’t use crits or d20s?
Haha, yes – very aware! A little behind the scenes: we had the logo and the name of the podcast created back when the show was going to feature a different game system, but about six weeks before we launched, we played MotW and loved it so much that we changed the podcast to feature it instead. But we still loved the name and the logo we had, so we kept them! And who knows what future seasons might bring…
I’m an artist, can I make fan art?
We love fan art! Be sure to check out our fan art gallery, and submit your own through our contact form.
I work for a company that’s interested in sponsoring the show, do you accept sponsors?
We certainly do! Send us a message through our contact form and tell us about who you are, what your company sells, makes, or does, and what you’ve got in mind for sponsorship!
How can I book the team for a live show or event?
The best way to get the ball rolling is to send us a message!