331: Connecting Call of Cthulhu Scenarios, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Release Date: 01/26/2026
345: Alien, with Holly from RPG Reanimators
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Alien Since its release in 1979, Alien has become a fan favourite, spawning any number of spin-offs across every medium. But what is the secret of its enduring appeal? How well does it stand up after almost five decades of imitators and pastiches? And what can we take from its strange DNA for our own games? Our Guest Host We are delighted to welcome Holly back to the Good Friends! Holly co-hosts , a podcast focusing on providing resources for GMs and players of horror RPGs. She’s also a regular on , an actual play YouTube channel. In addition to RPGs,...
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344: Why You Shouldn't Learn to Roleplay From Actual Plays, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Why You Shouldn’t Learn to Roleplay From Actual Plays Actual play podcasts and streams have grown in popularity massively over the past 20 years, redefining and dominating the hobby. They play a huge role in bringing people into roleplaying games, and possibly an even larger one in teaching new players how they work. But is this always a good thing? What are the advantages and possible pitfalls of learning from APs? And what other approaches might we recommend? This episode was recorded live at A Weekend With Good Friends 2026. While it mostly follows the usual format, we do...
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343: Reactive GMing, with Ross Bryant
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Reactive GMing No game ever goes to plan. Whether you have prepared for every eventuality or are running off the cuff, players will always do the unexpected. Improvisation is a key skill for GMs, from spinning narrative on the fly to incorporating whatever chaos the players come up with. But what are some of the key techniques in making this work? How do you learn to let go as a GM? And are there ever times when you might want to keep a grip on the reins? We have discussed similar topics in earlier episodes on and . This episode was recorded live at A Weekend With...
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342a: ENnies Nomination Special
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We were delighted to hear that The Good Friends of Jackson Elias has been nominated for an ENnie Award in the Best Streaming Content category. This is both exciting and unexpected. The Good Friends has been running for over 13 years now and we’re just happy that people are still listening! The awards themselves are decided through . If you are a fan of the podcast and you’d like to vote for us (and earn our undying gratitude), you can find . Voting runs between the 10th and 19th of July 2026. If you are voting, you might also consider casting votes for Jayson Green’s “The...
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342: The Stuff, with cuppycup
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: The Stuff Following on from our discussion of last episode, we’re taking a look at Larry Cohen’s 1985 film The Stuff. Cohen blended horror, social satire, and absurd comedy to create one of the stranger mainstream releases of the decade, lampooning America’s growing obsession with guilt-free snack foods and the intrusive ways in which they were marketed. As well as discussing the film itself, and how it might inspire our games, we’ll talk a little about Larry Cohen himself and what made him such a unique filmmaker. Our Guest Host We are delighted to...
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341: Food and Horror, with Cuppycup
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Food and Horror To live is to require sustenance. Food is not only nutrition but usually a source of pleasure. But our relationship with food is complicated and filled with potential horror. Can we trust that what we eat is not tainted? What happens when our relationship with food becomes dysfunctional? Should we blind ourselves to the horrors of how our food is manufactured? And how do we react when humans find themselves on the menu? We touched on some of these issues in episode 182, on . Content Warnings After our episode on gore, we had some requests for content warnings...
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340: Environmental Storytelling, with Alex Sun
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Environmental Storytelling Every location bears scars. These might have been left by human occupation, entropy, natural disasters, or something altogether more eldritch. Whatever the cause, places have their own stories to tell. But just how does environmental storytelling work in fiction and gaming? What turns seemingly random items into a non-linear narrative? And how might we use these techniques in our own games? We touched on related matters when we discussed with Heather Miller in episode 304. Our Guest Host This episode we’re delighted to welcome Alex Sun back...
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339: Liminal Spaces, with Alex Sun
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Liminal Spaces Liminal spaces have been a source of fascination on the internet for several years now. Like much of the analogue horror movement, they are defined more by an aesthetic than any specific subject matter or tropes. But for all their vagueness, they have found their way into fanfic, short films, video games, and now, with the forthcoming Backrooms movie, onto the big screen. So what makes a space liminal? Why are they so uncanny? What are some of the best uses we’ve seen in media? And how might we use them in our own games? We touched upon this topic when...
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338: New Takes on Classic Monsters, with Sasha Sienna
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: New Takes on Classic Monsters It’s probably safe to say that every horror fan loves monsters. While we regularly see new creations breaking free from the laboratory, so many monsters in media are old favourites. Whether they’re vampires, werewolves, or Deep Ones, there are certain archetypes we’re drawn to over and over. But what are some ways of making them feel fresh? How have we seen others do so in films, stories, or other media? And how might we come up with some new takes on old favourites in our own games? Our Guest Host This episode we’re welcoming Sasha Sienna...
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337: Gateway Horror, with Sasha Sienna
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Main Topic: Gateway Horror Every horror fan started out somewhere. The works that draw us into the genre are often gentler ones, created to appeal to those put off by terror or gore. These are often aimed at children or teens, although there are plenty of entry points for adults as well. What are some of our favourite examples of gateway horror? What makes them more accessible to someone who isn’t already a horror fan? And how can we use this approach in our games? We’ve touched on similar topics in , with Baz Stephens, and , with Josephine McAdam. Our Guest Host Sasha Sienna is...
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We’re back and we’re stringy
Main Topic: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu is famous for its epic published campaigns. We’ve all played elaborate treks around the world, punching eldritch evil in the face. But what about the less formal approach where we string together often unconnected adventures into an ad hoc campaign? How do we adapt scenarios to this approach? What are some of the possible pitfalls? And are there any specific tips we’ve picked up over the years?
Our Guest Host
We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves to The Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Zach is the game master, producer, and editor of Pretending to be People, a horror/comedy actual play podcast. Zach enjoys karaoke with his wife, dancing with friends, and creating elaborate scavenger hunts. He is afraid of losing his mind and Styrofoam.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
- Delta Green
- Call of Cthulhu subreddit
- Delta Green subreddit
- RPG subreddit
- World War Cthulhu: London
- Into the Darkness
- Deadlands
- The X-Files
- Yog-Sothoth
- Nyarlathotep
- Shadows of Yog-Sothoth
- Grizzly Peaks Radio
- “Blackwater Creek” and “Missed Dues” from the Call of Cthulhu 7th edition Keeper Screen Pack
- “The Haunting” from the Call of Cthulhu Quick-Start Rules
- Vaesen
- Lost Mountain Saga
- Ain’t Slayed Nobody
- The Two-Headed Serpent
- “Saturnine Chalice” from Dead Light and Other Dark Turns
- “Paper Chase” from the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set
- Fearful Passages
- “The Mauritania” from The Asylum & Other Tales
- “The Asylum” from The Asylum & Other Tales
- The Apocalypse Players
- Mansions of Madness
- “Dead Light” from Dead Light and Other Dark Turns
- Shotgun scenario contest
- Investigator organisations
- “The Lightless Beacon”
- “Edge of Darkness” from the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set
- “Cat’s Cradle” by Aaron Sinner, Todd Walden, and Christopher Olson
- “Dream House” by Evan Perlman
- “Of Wrath and Blood” by Jon Hook
- “The Burning Stars” from Terrors From Beyond
- George RR Martin using fans as a resource for continuity
- Master of Dunes
- ConTingency
- Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum
- Not Another D&D Podcast
- “Last Things Last”
- “Whereabouts Unknown”
- “Hazardous Materials”
- “Fimbulvinter”
- “Metamorphosis”
- “Good Intentions”
- “Future/Perfect”
- “Schrödinger’s Dilemma”
- Eyes Only
- The Things We Leave Behind
- Harmontown
- Community
- Rick and Morty
- The Curse of Nineveh
- Glass Cannon
- Dungeons and Daddies
- The Adventure Zone
- Red Markets
- God’s Teeth
- Push the Roll With Ross Bryant
News
Just One More Thing
For a little over a year, Matt and Scott have been putting out a bonus episode for Patreon backers of the Good Friends every four weeks. Called Just One More Thing, this is an opportunity for us to revisit recent episodes and offer some second thoughts and pieces of research we couldn’t fit into the main discussion, along with some responses to our listeners’ thoughts on the episodes.
We put out a sample episode on our main feed earlier this month, with additional insights into our two recent discussions with Ross Bryant. If you enjoyed this and want to hear more, you can gain immediate access to the full back catalogue by backing us at any level.
Matt on Acquisition Disorder
In what surprisingly turned out not to be an intervention, Matt recently recorded an episode of Acquisition Disorder with Nathan from RPG Reanimators, discussing all the money he has spent on Warhammer 40,000 RPGs. You can find this on the RPG Reanimators podcast feed in the near future.
Another Bloody Game
Following our recent discussion of board games with Paula Deming, Scott has been joining Paula, cuppycup, and a variety of guests on a new livestream called Another Bloody Game. This is a spin-off from Push the Roll, using their Twitch and YouTube channels. Recent games have included Betrayal at House on the Hill and Deep Regrets.