Acceptable Losses: A Grimdark Podcast

Acceptable Losses
  • 4.9 (62)
  • HOBBIES

Acceptable Losses is a podcast that delves into grim and twisted universes, exploring everything from the dismal no-man's-lands of Trench Crusade to the shadowy and twisting cities of The World of Darkness. Hosted by Kirioth and DkDiamantes, and edited by Shy, all known for their work on Adeptus Ridiculous, the podcast explores the grim stories and lore from tabletop games, book series, movies, and video games with a lighthearted approach. Join us on this journey as we delve into the macabre and unsettling aspects of these dark universes with a touch of humor to make it a little less terrifying.

  1. MAR 6

    Piloting Cthulhu: Black Marauder & Other Supernatural Horrors of BattleTech

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 ​Welcome back to another episode of Acceptable Losses! Today, we are diving into the terrifying, unexplained, and straight-up supernatural side of BattleTech with our host PancreasNoWork to swap some of the most chilling war stories traded in the deep black of space. ​In this episode, we cover: How a religious splinter faction unleashed a bioengineered version of Mad Cow Disease on the planet Necromo, causing all higher brain functions to cease and turning the infected into flesh-craving monsters. The terrifying reality of Jump Psychosis, misjumps that can suspend a ship in time for over two centuries, and horrific legends of vessels being destroyed in hyperspace by giant void squids. The legends of "Lucky Number 7," a cursed piece of garbage Charger that violently faceplanted and killed its pilot, a haunted 13th Zeus that seemingly caused its pilot to hold vivid conversations with his dead sister, and Great Gaffa's Ghost—a green Star League Highlander that miraculously appears out of nowhere to save doomed MechWarriors. And the ultimate cosmic horror of BattleTech, The Dark One, a pristine, jet-black Marauder with no serial number. Is it just a machine piloted by a psychopath, or is it an extradimensional being bleeding into our reality, eating souls and punishing mankind for breaking the rules of physics?

    2h 8m

  2. FEB 27

    Vampire Clans | World of Darkness Lore

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we dive deep into the shadows to explore the storied lineages of the Kindred. While a mortal might see only a monster, those within the World of Darkness know that the differences between the clans are staggering, ranging from aristocratic rulers to creatures of actual cosmic horror. ​Join us as we break down the thirteen recognized clans of Vampire: The Masquerade: Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel, Hecata, Lasombra, Malkavian, Ministry, Nosferatu, Ravnos, Toreador, Tremere, Tzimisce, Ventrue.

    2h 13m

  3. FEB 14

    War Without End: The Complete Gears of War Timeline

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Is the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) the savior of humanity or its jailer? In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we are joined by lore archivist The Remembrancer to tear into the blood-soaked history of Gears of War. We aren't just talking about chainsaw bayonets; we're diving deep into a timeline defined by desperate fascism and the total collapse of a civilization, from the "Silver Era" of peace and the discovery of Imulsion to the 79-year Pendulum Wars to the grim origins of the Locust Horde within the walls of the New Hope Research Facility and the rise of Queen Myrrah.

    1h 54m

  4. JAN 30

    SHADOWRUN: Never Cut a Deal with a Dragon

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 https://shop.orchideight.com/products/acceptable-losses-you-like-sci-fi-right-tee NEW SHIRT! 00:00 Intro 05:00 Episode! "Watch your back, shoot straight, conserve ammo, and never, ever, cut a deal with a dragon." In this episode, DK, Kirioth, and PancreasNoWork cover the neon-soaked, magic-fueled dystopia of Shadowrun. We break down the end of the "Fifth World" and the violent birth of the "Sixth World." From the rise of the megacorps to the return of magic, we explore how high fantasy crashed headfirst into cyberpunk urban decay to create one of the most unique settings in fiction, where corporations are their own states, you can suddenly get Goblinized, and great dragons are running for president.

    2h 12m

  5. JAN 16

    Vampire Origins | World of Darkness Lore

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 Join Dk, Kirioth and special guest PancreasNoWorks as we crack open The Book of Nod to uncover the terrible truth behind Vampire: The Masquerade. From Caine’s first murder and his time with Lilith to the rise of the Antediluvians and the prophecy of Gehenna, we explore how the Kindred began and why they fear the sun.

    1h 52m

  6. 12/27/2025

    The Flood: What Happens When You Kill God | Halo Lore

    Halo isn’t just military sci-fi; it is a story about what happens when you kill God. In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we are joined by PancreasNoWork to dive deep into the cosmic horror of the Flood. ​We explore the origins of the parasite, tracing it back to the dusting of the ancient Precursors and the terrifying "Logic Plague" that corrupted the Forerunners' greatest AI. From the lie of the Ancient Human "cure" to the reality-warping final days of the Forerunner-Flood war, we break down why the Flood is the ultimate grimdark threat.

    1h 19m

  7. 12/20/2025

    ​Designing Hell: A Chat with the Loremaster | Tuomas Pirinen on Trench Crusade

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nhX9NJ3EW7 ​In this special episode of Acceptable Losses, we sit down with the legendary Tuomas Pirinen (creator of Mordheim) to discuss his latest grimdark wargame, Trench Crusade. We explore the game's inception, the challenges of scaling up production to meet massive demand, and the deep, horrifying lore of a Great War that never ended. From the Iron Sultanate to the Heretic Legions, Tuomas gives us an inside look at designing a world where faith and firepower collide. Plus, hear the story of how a John Blanche painting terrified a framer!

    1h 43m

  8. 12/13/2025

    The Last Generation: Life Under The Combine | Half-Life Lore

    Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: discord.gg/nhX9NJ3EW7 In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we step off the train into City 17 to analyze the Universal Union, better known as The Combine. Unlike most alien invasions that result in immediate annihilation, the Combine’s occupation of Earth is a slow, methodical erasure of what it means to be human. We explore how the "face" of our oppression isn't an alien warlord, but a fellow human—Dr. Wallace Breen—who negotiated our surrender to save us from extinction, only to enslave us in the process. ​We dive deep into the mechanisms of control used to keep the population compliant, from the memory-erasing drugs in the water supply to the Suppression Field that ensures we are the last generation on Earth. We also break down the terrifying path of transhumanism within the regime: how a starving citizen joins Civil Protection for a meal, only to eventually have their humanity surgically removed to become an Overwatch Soldier or, worse, a Stalker. ​Finally, we answer the big question: What does an interdimensional empire want with a dying planet?

    1h 56m
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4.9
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

Acceptable Losses is a podcast that delves into grim and twisted universes, exploring everything from the dismal no-man's-lands of Trench Crusade to the shadowy and twisting cities of The World of Darkness. Hosted by Kirioth and DkDiamantes, and edited by Shy, all known for their work on Adeptus Ridiculous, the podcast explores the grim stories and lore from tabletop games, book series, movies, and video games with a lighthearted approach. Join us on this journey as we delve into the macabre and unsettling aspects of these dark universes with a touch of humor to make it a little less terrifying.

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