RPGeeks is an Actual Play production that run TTRPGs based on scientific principles in a fun and engaging way. Their cast are made up of science communicators with a flare for performance. The result is brilliantly entertaining and well-produced shows that sneak in lots of juicy science facts in a fun and informal way.
Their shows have ranged from one-shots to short series and epic campaigns using a variety of systems. These include big names like Dungeons & Dragons and Starfinder, to smaller titles like Kids on Bikes, Good Society and Time Heist. They also have lots of incredible guest stars from around the world of TTRPG Actual Plays. These include Liv Kennedy, Fiona KT Howat, Jasper William Cartwright, Catieosaurus, Zack Fortais-Gomm, Edward Spence and many more!
I caught up with half of the Geeks, Shamini Bundell and Emily Bates, to talk to them about their channel, and what you can expect from them in the future.
The RPGeeks have been taking a much needed break over January, but they will be back to their regular weekly episodes starting Monday 5th February. Their episodes usually premiere Mondays at 7pm on their Twitch. You can also find pre-recorded episodes on their YouTube, and audio episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.
Meet the Geeks!
A closeup with the RPGeeks.
The RPGeeks are made up of professional science communicators; Shamini Bundell, Ali Jennings, Simon Clark and Emily Bates. Between them, they cover a whole range of scientific knowledge, performance and production skills.
Shamini’s academic background is in Zoology with a special interest in Evolution and Natural History. Her performances tend to have a mix of eccentric, elaborately dressed characters with relatable vulnerabilities. As a GM, she likes running one-shots of her own creation. These include Mayonnaise Heist, ENCODED, and the inspirationally named Sexy Archeologists! She also does a lot of the social media for the RPGeeks.
Ali’s academic background is in Neuroscience and he has a keen interest in human behavior. Ali has a tendency to play the kind of characters we love to hate! As a GM, he has a great flair for world building and creating stories. He also has a reputation for trying to kill off players in the first act. He has recently become the RPGeeks‘ Lord of Patreon, taking care of the channel’s patrons.
Simon’s academic background is in Atmospheric Physics, something that comes into play a lot in their sci-fi settings. He runs a very successful YouTube channel that covers many topics but focuses on the challenge of climate change. Simon enjoys taking on grungy characters that you can’t help but love. He also puts his video production expertise to good use by managing RPGeek’s YouTube channel.
Emily also studied Neuroscience and has worked with the likes of New Scientist and BBC’s Springwatch. She has terrific range as a performer, with a tendency towards strong willed, badass characters. As a GM, she has a great flair for developing fun and interesting characters for her players to meet. She also manages the RPGeeks‘ podcast for those who prefer their scientific adventures in audio format.
All four RPGeeks in one place. Let the nerdery begin!
Origin Story
The story of the RPGeeks, like many others, began with a ‘what if’ conversation between two friends. Years ago, Shamini and Ali were innocently geeking out about Dungeons & Dragons. With their common interests and skills, they wondered if they could apply their scientific knowledge to the world of D&D. They further wondered if having science communicators playing D&D could be something that other people would be interested in.
For the uninitiated, science communication centers on the way that science is, well, communicated to the general public. Breaking down complex scientific principles into a way that is accessible to everyone is a real challenge of our time.
In an email exchange, Ali wrote:
It gave a really creative way to engage with certain scientific ideas – especially in the context that our games were set. Often scicomm can feel a bit like ‘why are you explaining this to me?’ The story and characters would provide the reason.
The seeds were planted for this production, but Ali and Shamini knew they were going to need help with this. They reached out to Simon Clark, who was already producing excellent science communication content on his YouTube channel. Having done a lot of musical theatre with Emily Bates in the past, Shamini brought her on board and the dream team was complete!
The RPGeeks playing a one-shot of Grant Howitt’s Honey Heist
To test the concept, they started out doing home games using their rule of everything being science based. Then they experimented with podcast format, before making videos on Simon’s YouTube Channel. After that, the RPGeeks began their first campaign of Dungeons & Dragons & Science set in the sci-fi setting of Braxigantu in the distant future. After the success and popularity of this long running campaign, they started using other systems and collaborating with other Actual Play performers to create an impressive roster of shows which is still growing today!
Telling Communal Stories
When I asked Shamini and Emily what they wanted their viewers and listeners to get out of their show, it was to share the joy of playing a good game. First and foremost, they want to tell good stories and entertain their audience. Though they did say that if the audience are enjoying themselves, they are more likely to learn.
According to Shamini:
As humans, there is something very primal about storytelling as a social tool. We use it to share knowledge and experience and make sense of the world.
Join RPGeeks’ 12 part Starfinder adventure: The Absalom Files.
We talked a bit about the types of stories they like to tell. Sometimes they like fun, light hearted stories, but they both agreed they really like being able to play stories that take them out of their comfort zones. Here’s what Emily had to say when I asked about some of their scarier series like their recent KULT: Divinity Lost series:
Therapy’s expensive Nick! Being able to play characters that experience this kind of drama and range of emotions can be very cathartic whilst ultimately staying safe because you’re not that character.
As I viewer, I often find something similar about watching shows where characters are grappling with these kinds of dilemmas. Some of their characters have included love-sick poets, quarrelling siblings, wannabe adventurers and paranoid space rats. All of them, no matter how outlandish, come from real people and every now and again watching them you feel you’re seeing a part of yourself that you can root for, laugh with and commiserate with.
Bringing the Science
Whilst science permeates all the RPGeeks‘ shows, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to understand it. A lot of the time, the science can be the basis of the story, and through engaging with the story you can understand it better.
My first introduction to the RPGeeks was their ENCODED one-shot. This was a game created and run by Shamini and featured the rest of the Geeks, plus Jasper William Cartwright, as the crew of a starship. The plot revolved around a mysterious virus that was affecting not only the ships, but the behavior of the crew as well. I was caught up in the drama and the terrific performances, but was pleasantly surprised by the subtext of the starship being a metaphor for the body and how viruses proliferate in their hosts. There was an after show chat all about the science of the episode that felt like talking with Gene Roddenberry after an episode of Star Trek!
Last year’s ENCODED one-shot starring Jasper William Cartwright.
The science behind the shows come out in many ways. Sometimes they are discussed during the shows themselves, in bite-sized shorts or sometimes they have whole episodes dedicated to it for those who want extra helpings!
As naturally geeky people who enjoy talking about science and researching, these episodes tend to be very fun and informal. Viewers in chat are encouraged to ask their burning questions about the shows and the science behind them. As they attracted scientifically minded viewers, sometimes the chat have answers that they are willing to share.
All this said, talking with them, it was clear that creating an enjoyable experience came before learning. Ultimately, what they wanted to achieve was to create a fun space for people to nerd out together.
Building a Community of Geeks
Talking to Shamini and Emily, they were very proud of the way that RPGeeks has grown and the community they’ve built. They had a lot of praise for the guest stars they’ve had on their show. They mentioned Zack Fortais-Gomm and his ability to create beautiful emotional arcs. Jasper William Cartwright and the sheer joy he brings to performances. Liv Kennedy and the emotional resonance she brings to characters. Fiona KT Howat and her ability to build tension and bring gravitas. Aaron Hammonds for his character portrayals that reveal their inner workings.
They also emphasized how important their community of viewers and patrons are to them. Seeing people engage with them in chats or creating fanart and memes is something they find very rewarding. One particular prominent fan goes by the name of KalamityKas. Kas has leant her incredible digital art skills to bringing characters to life, some of which you can see in this iconic Absalom Files promo video below:
In 2023, the RPGeeks launched their Patreon, and have been encouraged by sign ups there. People who become patrons get perks that include their names on promo materials, and access to exclusive Behind the Screens content. One of my favorite features is getting regular shout-outs where you get to be included in the story by having a character or a piece of art based off you. Being an RPGeeks fan really does make you feel part of the action!
What to Expect This New Year
RPGeeks will return with its regular weekly shows from Monday 5th February. Their first show will be a let’s play of social deduction game, Blood on the Clocktower featuring many guests from other Actual Play channels. As previous Blood on the Clocktower episodes had proved so popular in 2023, they are looking to be a monthly feature from now on.
After that they will be releasing two TTRPG mini-series of four parts.
Masks 2044 is up first, played in the game of Masks: A New Generation. This will be GMed by Zack Fortais-Gomm and feature Liv Kennedy, Nathan Blades as well as Shamini and Emily. They will all be playing angsty young superheroes, whilst the show itself will be a great opportunity to explore the science of superheroes.
RPGeeks’ upcoming mini-series; Masks 2044 will explore the science of superheroes!
Next will be an as yet untitled show played in the game of Orbital Blues, which Emily described as Sad Space Cowboys: The Game! It will be GM’ed by Edward Spence and feature players; Fiona KT Howat, Drakoniques, Superdillin, Shamini and Emily.
Shamini and Emily said to expect more shows like this in the near future. They also shared that they were keen to experiment with new formats, so who knows what kind of adventures they’ll be taking us on! Hopefully see you in the chat to find out!
