The Dice Tower

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the pitfalls of April Fools gags before highlighting the highs and lows of bargain hunting. We confront a listener-submitted dilemma from the mailbag, and we share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:45 - Cruise Hype and an Unexpected Musical Rant 02:21 - April Fools Annoyance 12:12 - Bargain Hunting 29:25 - Question: Avoid the Game or the Person? 36:05 - Spark Riders 3000 42:36 - Primal: The Awakening 45:56 - Blueprints 48:30 - Cryptid Cafe 50:49 - Eppi 57:36 - Flashback: Zombie Kids

Tom, Julie, and Eric revisit last episode's question about auction games by looking at their favorite auction mechanisms, and look forward to Julie's and Eric's events at Dice Tower East. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:23 - Staying Up Late and Dice Tower West 03:29 - Looking Forward to Dice Tower East 07:00 - 36-Hour Marathon 08:07 - Auction Mechanisms 33:32 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 37:52 - Xylotar 41:17 - The 7th Citadel 49:39 - Cleocatra 53:40 - Expressions 57:25 - Hissy Fit 59:53 - My Parents Might Be Martians

This time, we are LIVE at Dice Tower West 2024 in Las Vegas in front of a convention audience to discuss our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops, pit three games in a Vegas-themed Showdown, share a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and take questions from the audience. 01:04 - News for Dice Tower West 2025 03:17 - Games Tom Taught 04:26 - Eric Plays Wyrmspan 05:52 - What's Julie Been Doing? 07:33 - Way Too Many Cats 11:38 - Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux 13:45 - Paris: La Cité de la Lumière 17:27 - Mr. Jack 19:54 - Challengers: Beach Cup 22:47 - Video Game Champion 29:36 - Showdown Intro 30:27 - Vegas Showdown 31:19 - Lords of Vegas 33:52 - Vabanque 36:22 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 41:12 - What is our favorite Stonemaier Game? 41:58 - Where does Tom keep his hats? 42:39 - What are our favorite Auction Games? 44:23 - What was our favorite non-gaming Vegas experience? 47:41 - What game surprised us after having low expectations? 50:24 - Do we implement house rules/post-release fixes? 54:54 - What is a good travel-sized deck-building game? 57:28 - What are our spouses' favorite games?

Tom, Julie, and Eric share their excitement for Dice Tower West. Tom and Eric have been playing Collectable Card Games with their kids, while Julie played games in a castle. We share some industry news about the former designers at Prospero Hall, as well as a Tale of Horror that leads to a discussion about Math Trades. And we close the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:45 - Dice Tower West and our Live Show 04:34 - Hot Games at DTW 09:51 - Tempest Workshop 13:19 - Playing CCGs with Our Kids 22:44 - Hoop and Stick at Ravenwood Castle 32:20 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror - Math Trades 43:18 - Hecken Good Dogs 50:51 - Wyrmspan 55:34 - Unlock: Legendary Adventures 59:46 - Mythic Mischief 1:02:47 - Spectral 1:05:04 - Penny Dreadfuls of Victorian London

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric remember their gaming habits in college. Also, we look at the motivation for a publisher to "rescue" a failed crowdfunding campaign. Eric gets worked up with a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:33 - Dice Tower West and Live At The Table (Saturday 3/9 at 1pm) 04:33 - "Rescuing" a Crowdfunding Campaign 27:01 - Our Gaming in College 40:25 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 45:26 - Wordcraft 49:21 - Expressions 52:54 - Maps of Misterra 56:27 - Doctor Who Magic the Gathering 1:03:37 - ...and then we held hands 1:05:20 - Sky Team

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric look back at the work of the Prospero Hall design studio, as well as answering a question about travel games, and presenting a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror. Plus, those Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:31 - Popular Games on the Dice Tower Cruise 03:31 - Waiting to Get New Games 06:35 - The Work of Prospero Hall 27:05 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 32:08 - Question: Travel Games 39:20 - Dominion (app) 42:11 - Santa's Workshop 42:36 - Anotheer Christmas Romance Movie 45:52 - Light in the Mist 47:57 - Super Kawaii Pets 49:30 - Wandering Towers 52:58 - The Cathedral of Orleans 55:29 - Reprint News: Comic Hunters and Video Game Champion

Recorded in the main dining hall on the Oasis of the Seas, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss games they played in the pre-cruise event and first few hours of sailing, and also share advice on giving feedback to game designers after playing their prototype. 00:41 - Recording in Person?!? 02:07 - The Vale of Eternity 03:40 - Pre-Cruise Gaming and Taking Over Public Spaces 04:58 - Vaalbara 07:58 - Cheers to the Governor 13:55 - Diced Veggies 17:28 - Ready, Set, Bet (briefly) 17:41 - Mamma Mia 18:21 - Blob Party and other "dough" games 21:53 - Giving Feedback on Prototypes

For our first show of 2024, we revisit our earlier discussion about box sizes for games, but not before we check in on everybody's adventures over the holidays. Tom visits a game club in Tampa, and we share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:45 - Public Domain IPs in 2024 03:50 - Dice Tower West and the Dice Tower Kickstarter 04:29 - Holiday Wrap-Up 13:19 - Box Sizes 40:24 - Tampa Gaming Guild 43:08 - Lil' Guys 45:30 - Lights Out Racing 51:58 - Forbidden Desert 54:04 - Expedition Northwest Passage 58:06 - Disney Animated 1:00:30 - Pandemic Legacy Season 0

In our final episode of 2023, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss their highs and lows of the year, including our biggest surprises, rosiest roses, thorniest thorns, and hula-iest hula hoops. 02:57 - 2023 as a Whole 14:45 - Best Game to Play at a Convention - Chicken 16:09 - Fiction 17:01 - The Same Game 19:45 - Best Theme - First in Flight 20:53 - Jekyll vs. Hyde Card Game 21:51 - Freelancers 22:53 - Most Likely to Be Gifted By A Well-Intentioned Family Member - Twilight 25:50 - Monopoly Scrabble 26:28 - Dumb Ways to Die 27:25 - Biggest Surprise - Eila and Something Shiny 28:35 - NOOBS in Space 29:32 - Earth 31:22 - Best Travel Game - NOOBS in Space 32:31 - GAP 34:18 - Rankster 36:21 - Set Aside a Day - Sleeping Gods Distant Skies 37:43 - Ticket to Ride Legacy 39:39 - Vampire the Masquerade Chapters 40:23 - Twilight Imperium 4 43:08 - Easiest Teach/Learn - Sky Team 44:04 - BOOoop 45:38 - Line-It 46:28 - Game We Didn't Get to Play - The Witcher 47:20 - Rauha 48:25 - Last Light 49:13 - Hula Hoop - Surfasaurus Max 49:57 - Hegemony 52:12 - Without Fail 52:50 - Sharpest Thorn - Finish Line 53:09 - The Shining 53:26 - Star Trek Discovery: Black Alert 53:49 - Biggest Rose - World Wonders 57:10 - Earth 58:16 - Most Anticipated for 2024 - 7th Citadel 59:25 - Mistwind 1:00:34 - Guilty: Houston 2015 1:00:56 - Defenders of the Realm: Legends Retold

This time, Eric and Julie recap their adventures at PAX Unplugged, and Tom has some questions from the mailbag about Theme, House Rules, and that player in your group who always seems to win. Then, we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 05:38 - PAX Unplugged Recap 26:36 - Mailbag: House Rules 29:13 - Mailbag: The Player who Always Wins 34:17 - Mailbag: Theme vs. Setting 42:03 - Surfasaurus Rex 45:49 - Finish Line 49:48 - Nana 53:16 - Santa's Workshop 57:42 - Daybreak 1:01:32 - Archeologic

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss how to deal with game players who get in the way of enjoying games. Also, some holiday shopping tips for those going to PAX Unplugged (and those that aren't as well), a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 02:23 - PAX Unplugged Plans 04:38 - People Who Ruin Games 22:42 - Holiday Shopping at PAX and Elsewhere 36:21 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 42:18 - FlipTown 45:21 - Terrorscape 48:31 - Star Trek Discovery: Black Alert 51:32 - Tesseract 55:23 - Wonder Woods 59:06 - Forbidden Island

Tom and Julie talk Eric out of getting the Doctor Who Magic the Gathering set, which leads to a discussion of out-of-universe items showing up in games. We prepare for some family gaming over the holidays, share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 05:21 - Doctor Who Magic and other Gaming Anachronisms 25:18 - Gaming at Family Gatherings Without Scaring the Mother-in-Law 37:47 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 41:12 - Dice Cards 43:50 - Age of Comics: The Golden Years 46:26 - Five Towers 50:42 - Beer and Bread 53:47 - Mystery Detective 57:47 - Without Fail

In this episode, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the finer points of the suggested ages you see on game boxes, and when it matters to pay attention. Also, how a board game can make you scared, a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 07:33 - Suggested Ages 20:05 - Games That Scare You 41:47 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 46:19 - Mother of Frankenstein 50:27 - The Shining 54:26 - Horrified: Greek Monsters 59:45 - EXIT Advent Calendar: The Silent Storm 1:02:30 - CDSK

Tom and Julie have been traveling, and we want to hear about where they've been. We have recaps of the World Series of Boardgaming in Las Vegas and Spiel in Essen, before sharing some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:32 - World Series of Boardgaming 20:35 - Spiel 48:20 - Nekojima 50:37 - Path of Civilization 53:24 - Rankster 56:22 - Cat Horror Festival 59:53 - Hygge 1:03:30 - Eila and Something Shiny 1:07:22 - Robo Rally

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss Essen Spiel 2023, including some general information on the layout, food, and happenings at the fair, as well as some of their most anticipated games. Then they close the show with reviews of Ticket To Ride Legacy, Fit to Print, and Deckscape: Tokyo Blackout. 01:27 - Food 04:26 - Layout Changes 17:32 - Booth Schedule (Dice Tower 3W103, Van Ryder Games 2C102) 19:55 - Press Pre-Show 20:49 - Tips 27:07 - Anticipated Games 27:48 - Among Cultists 29:15 - The White Castle 30:45 - Evacuation 31:28 - Lost Ruins of Arnak: The Missing Expedition 31:57 - Nucleum 32:41 - Kutna Hora: The City of Silver 34:09 - From the Moon 34:41 - 3 Ring Circus 35:54 - Karak II 36:58 - World Wonders 38:15 - Arborea 39:27 - Barcelona 40:30 - Shipyard 41:01 - Evil Corp. 41:35 - Sky Team 42:05 - Nekojima 43:06 - Witchcraft 44:02 - 1902 Méliès 45:07 - Zhanguo 46:12 - Rats of Wistar 48:28 - Imperial Miners 49:17 - House of Cats 50:01 - Freaky Frogs from Outaspace 50:27 - The Cathedral of Orleans 51:42 - Ticket to Ride Legacy 57:04 - Fit to Print 1:01:21 - Deckscape: Tokyo Blackout 1:04:19 - Unlock: Short Adventures

This Time, Tom, Julie, and Eric recount their adventures at the Dice Tower Retreat and the Alliance Trade Show, try to get to the bottom of marketing strategies for Boardgame "families", present a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:58 - Dice Tower Retreat Recap 07:53 - Alliance Trade Show Recap 13:12 - Hasbro Women Innovators of Play 17:00 - Lawn Games 21:00 - Boardgame Families 35:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 43:19 - Beat the 8 Ball 45:56 - NOOBS in Space 48:52 - Bonsai 51:41 - Wandering Towers 53:59 - BOOoop 56:43 - Unfold: Through the Wall Hasbro's Women Innovators of Play Challenge - https://spark.hasbro.com/womeninnovators?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR0gIKC7IQEviKh7tE21gY8utJbiSBEpuEOJ0ANxaQvymgx_yLPaCFmi5Y0 The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund - http://jackvasel.org The Dice Tower West - http://dicetowerwest.com The Dice Tower Cruise - http://dicetowercruise.com  

In this episode, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the logic behind MSRP at your local game store, put a trio of games up against each other in an arena Showdown, present a classic Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 02:56 - The News: MSRP 13:54 - Showdown: Freelancers vs Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay vs Near and Far 28:07 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror (classic) 36:34 - Rose, Thorn, Hula Hoop 37:10 - Artisans of Splendent Vale 43:50 - Beacon Patrol 46:34 - Comic Hunters 50:56 - Province 53:44 - Next Station Tokyo 55:57 - Chicken The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund: http://www.jackvasel.org

In this episode, we kick off our new format with a new co-host, and a discussion of the sights and games of Gen Con 2023. 01:40 - Re-Introductions 04:26 - Current Events: Lorcana at Gen Con 16:15 - Gen Con Wrap-Up 29:48 - Rose, Thorn, Hula Hoop 31:30 - Lorcana 33:29 - Waffle Time 34:33 - Hogs of War 36:00 - Four Humors 38:48 - Fika 41:26 - Wild Tiled West 43:13 - Sea Salt & Paper 46:12 - Agree to Disagree 48:40 - I Feel Attacked 53:43 - In Search Of: Tales of Boardgaming Horror 54:43 - Bansai 56:35 - Channel WON 59:37 - Come Sail Away The Art of Allan Panakal: http://www.ancientones.net

This week Tom & Eric bring Julie Ahern to the table! 2:36 - Getting To Know You  44:55 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Curt Covert to the table!  2:52 - Getting To Know You 10:56 - The Big Question 4:30 - One and One