Episode 166: “Like Mushrooms Thriving Amidst Ruins” ft. Gareth Damian Martin

In this week’s edition of Coffee with Comrades, I’m joined by writer, artist, and game designer Gareth Damian Martin, developer of the new indie RPG Citizen Sleeper. Gareth and I talk about Citizen Sleeper’s systems, structures, and mechanics, its vast cast of NPCs, themes of precarity and symbiosis, and the importance of mushrooms. Like Gareth’s game, neither of us came up with many answers for how to survive–and thrive–in the ruins of capitalism, but the conversation was immensely edifying and I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

You can download Citizen Sleeper right now with a GamePass subscription on Xbox consoles or pick up a copy for PC, Mac, or the Nintendo Switch.