The Dice Tower

Tom is out, so Eric and Julie discuss books that have become games: from public domain classics to the latest multi-million dollar bestseller tie-in. Plus, we approach our latest collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:48 - Where's Tom? 01:38 - Senior Slacking 04:18 - Dice Tower Events: East and Cruise 05:01 - Books Into Boardgames 46:27 - Winter Rabbit 56:08 - Seas of Strife 58:50 - Winnie the Pooh Serious Detective 1:05:34 - Pandemic Rising Tide -- Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, we take a look at Legacy games, and the ways players modify them in order to be less like a legacy game. But is something lost in the translation? Plus, we have a Tale of Horror, Roses, Thorns, and Hoops, and Tom's still grumpy about Stephen Sondheim. 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Broadway 01:39 - Maycember 02:30 - Summer Cons: Dice Tower East, Gen Con (Booth #249), Dice Tower Cruise 04:38 - Small Games, Little Joy 05:39 - Legacy Games 30:22 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 35:54 - Terraria 43:03 - The Queen's Dilemma 49:53 - Sanctuary 55:15 - The Case of the Curiously Quiet Theater 58:20 - Wool Street 1:02:31 - Colosseum: The Grand Spectacle Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Julie shares more news about her new position, after which we discuss the finer points of Hype. How does one manage excitement about a product when it's not necessarily playable yet? Then, we have both a question from the mailbag and a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with some new Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 01:18 - Summer Approaching - Hot Games at Dice Tower East 03:00 - Gamefound Pledge Manager - www.supportdicetower.com 03:55 - Julie's News Continued 06:25 - Hype 28:57 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 34:14 - Question: Card Sizes 37:56 - The Emerald Flame 42:28 - Rollie 46:27 - The Cat Between Us 49:43 - Tag Team 53:08 - "Normal" Human 55:28 - Star Trek Space Hunt Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, Julie has some news, Tom's excited for Summer, and Eric wants to play games on vacation. We discuss the various games that live in our bags, just in case there's a chance to play them. Plus, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a heaping helping of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Spring and The Christmas of Boardgames 01:51 - Dice Tower East and Library Changes 03:04 - Cruise is Live 03:42 - A Mythical Game Bag 05:09 - Julie's Big News 06:45 - Traveling With Games - Game Bags 09:02 - Wandering Merchants at Gen Con 10:15 - Stashing Games In Non-Gaming Bags 13:51 - Why Button Shy? 16:11 - Making Play Seamless 17:16 - Trying to Make Friends on Trips 19:20 - Footprint/Table Space 21:42 - Any Lost Games, Rules, Boxes? 22:25 - Eric Is Quivering Wrong 24:15 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror? 34:22 - Bare Bones 39:00 - Coming of Age 45:20 - Jewel Box 47:55 - Sanibel 51:07 - For Northwood! 44:49 - Rising Cultures Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, Tom crows about another victory for Vasel's Law with the announcement of The King's Gambit. Then, Julie pens her own Tale of Boardgaming Horror (but she makes Eric read it), and we move on to a field of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:47 - Back from Dice Tower West 02:20 - Dice Tower East and Cruise 06:37 - The King's Gambit and Vasel's Law 26:57 - Julie's Tale of Boardgaming Horror 37:43 - Pirate Borg 43:06 - Finspan 45:52 - First Giants 49:41 - Art Decko 52:49 - The Winds of Numa Sera 57:12 - Catan on the Road Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

On this episode, Tom, Julie and Eric are live at Dice Tower West in Las Vegas taking questions from the audience and talking about the games they've played (with a brief Tom-less interlude from Eric and Julie). 01:01 - Dice Tower West Library and Most Played 03:59 - Julie in Demoville and Escape Rooms 06:06 - Julie Came With a List 08:24 - Star Wars: Battle of Hoth 09:28 - Tea Garden 11:01 - Orloj: The Prague Astronomical Clock 12:55 - Feierabend 15:21 - Merchant of Venus #100 16:47 - Fathom 18:38 - Shapely 21:03 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 28:28 - Eric and Julie Interlude 29:10 - E&J: Stuff on Tables 31:39 - E&J: Strange Things to Carry 34:05 - E&J: What Shouldn't Stay in Vegas 36:51 - E&J: Drawing a Crowd 39:34 - Question: Game Opening Disasters 44:42 - Question: Escaping Jail 46:44 - Question: Comprehensive Rulebooks 52:01 - Minor Tom Rant: Authority to Answer Questions 52:58 - Question: Art for Prototypes 56:31 - Question: Deluxe Editions 58:37 - Question: Less or More of a Genre Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Julie's been to a castle! And GAMA Expo! We chat about those adventures for a bit before moving on to the topic of physical weight of our games. How heavy is too heavy? We also share a question from the mailbag, and collect some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:54 - Winter Woes and Dice Tower West 05:42 - Julie and Hoop and Stick 11:25 - GAMA Expo 14:21 - Heavy Games 33:08 - Question: What Is the Soup of Games? 41:04 - Lairs 43:34 - Chicago Grand Slam 46:50 - Hot Streak 48:18 - Wilmot's Warehouse 52:08 - A Place for All My Books 54:35 - Regicide Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Julie's out this time, so Tom and Eric spend time looking back at Epic Game Events that they've been involved with at conventions over the years. What worked well, and what did not? Plus, a question from the mailbag about digital vs. in-person gaming, and Tom and Eric each present a full set of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:47 - No Julie, February Lull 01:35 - Live Show at Dice Tower West (Friday 3pm) 02:42 - Groundhogs and Polka Interlude 03:21 - Dice Tower East and Curling 06:14 - Epic Game Events 36:37 - Question: Live vs. BGA? 42:33 - Age of Galaxy 46:05 - A Message from the Stars 50:06 - Trasteros/Storeroom Inc. 52:56 - Nuns on the Run (2nd Edition) 56:05 - Suds and Malone 1:00:49 - Lords of Worlds Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom and Eric are back from the Dice Tower Cruise, trying not to make Julie jealous, but failing miserably. We talk about games played, ports visited, and flights cancelled. Plus, we dive into the listener mailbag, and gather a new round of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:54 - Dice Tower West and The Library 02:33 - Merchant of Venus in The Library 04:26 - Dice Tower Cruise - Pre-Cruise 10:50 - Cruise: Most Checked-Out Games 21:57 - Cruise: St. Thomas Game Day 25:02 - Eric's Travel Woes 27:26 - Jibber Jabble 29:44 - Julie's Cruise Contribution 30:47 - Question: Too Social? 38:33 - JiSoGi: Anime Studio Tycoon 46:07 - Eternal Decks 49:44 - Ham Helsing 55:11 - Cosy Stickerville 59:03 - Fest Season Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, we look at what happens when a production error is found in a game after it has reached the wild. What should producers do to make it right, and can they do anything at all? Also, a new dramatic Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a new collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Storytime from Tom: Loading the Cruise Library 04:16 - Announcements: Gamefound (supportdicetower.com), Dice Tower West, East, and Vacation 06:33 - Dealing with Production Errors 39:14 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 47:55 - Wingspan: Americas 50:19 - Sanibel 52:44 - Harmonies 55:27 - Nocturnis 57:43 - Lairs 1:00:45 - Cookie Run Braverse TCG Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

We kick off 2026 by looking back 20 years to 2006. What were we up to, and what were we playing? Plus, a question from the mailbag, and a new collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Busy January - SupportDiceTower.com 03:07 - 2006 Memories 05:09 - Where Were We In 2006? 18:50 - The Games of 2006 27:44 - Which Games Are We Still Playing? 31:30 - Listener Question: Game Replacement 42:07 - Add to Playlist 47:06 - Galactic Cruise 48:06 - Zooloretto 50:47 - Merry Murdle 53:52 - Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 57:10 - Heroes of Timeline Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

It's time for our look back at the games of 2025. Highs and lows, heavy and light, thorny and rosy and hoopy. 01:20 - Top Tens on Video 01:51 - Year as a Whole 07:49 - Convention/On The Go Game - Hot Streak, Light Speed Arena, Ghost Lift, Ito, 1AM Jailbreak 12:07 - All-Day-to-Play - Regicide Legacy, My Father's Work, Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 14:48 - Best Theme - Luthier, Flow, Storyfold: Wildwoods 20:06 - Guilty Pleasure - Deep Regrets, Moon Colony Bloodbath 24:38 - Favorite Classic - Race for the Galaxy, At The Gates of Loyang, Sentient, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, You're Bluffing 27:22 - Stand-Out in Our Favorite Genre - Bohemians, EXIT Advent, Threads of Fate, Rove 32:48 - Hoopiest Hula-Hoop - Spooktacular, Oddland, Zenith 37:05 - Thorniest Thorn - Feel Like a Fool, Lynx, Donald Duck in Happy Camper 41:38 - Rosiest Rose - Vantage, Formaggio, Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread 47:42 - Looking Forward to 2026 - Use Up All Your Sick Days, Vegan Cafe, Sail Legacy, Floe 50:35 - Announcements: Gamefound, Dice Tower Cruise, East, West Next Episode: January 13, 2026 Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, we continue our discussion of RPGs by suggesting Role Playing Games that share popular boardgaming mechanisms, as well as giving Tom tips for getting a game started. Plus, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - A Story About Mail 02:22 - Eric at PAX Unplugged (inc. Hot Streak) 06:50 - Gift Guides, Dice Tower West and East 08:02 - RPGs for Boardgame Fans (detailed notes below) 37:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 43:03 - Formaggio 48:35 - Gnomic Parliament 52:13 - Carnuta 54:49 - Magic Number 11 56:54 - Insurrect10n -- Julie's Notes Where to go to get core book pdfs? DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/ Itch.io https://itch.io/ Cooperative play (yes the overwhelming majority of TTRPGs are cooperative) some extra cooperative leaning Heckin' Good Doggos https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405426/heckin-good-doggos <p

This time, we go fishing for Role Players, linking some popular aspects of RPGs to our favorite boardgames. Plus, our latest collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:47 - Getting Cold 01:45 - Eric at Pax Unplugged 03:47 - Games at Tom's Daughter's Wedding? 05:10 - BGG Con, Dice Tower East, West, Cruise 06:37 - Fishing for Role Players 14:58 - Stat-Heavy Games: Pathfinder ACG, Mage Knight 17:48 - Character Building: Origin Story, Elder Scrolls, Too Many Bonews, Artisans of Splendent Vale 20:12 - Story-Based Character Progression: Call to Adventure, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Near and Far 22:17 - Campaign (Descent) vs. Combat: Wrath of Ashardilon, Wander the Cult of Barnacle Bay, Massive Darkness, Monster Hunter 27:36 - Silly: Dungeon Fighter, Dungeon Quest, Cora Quest, Munchkin, Talisman 30:31 - Exploration: Mansions of Madness, Clank Catacombs 32:57 - Storytelling: Mice and Mystics, Stuffed Fables, Tainted Grail, Oathsworn, Agemonia 35:03 - Video Games: Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Skyrim, GWENT 37:38 - Improvisational Storytelling: Freelancers, Wandering Galaxy, Adventure Party, Aye Dark Overlord, Once Upon a Time 41:22 - Teasing Next Time: RPGs for Boardgamers 42:27 - Rove 46:08 - Night Soil 49:04 - Mezen 52:50 - Gingerbread House 55:37 - Severton 1:00:35 - Spot It Catan Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected] Julie's Tales of Myth and Legend Preorder: https://gamefound.com/projects/van-ryder-games/tales-of-myth-and-legend-preorder?refcode=tMZTh1PtbUec1Vko4OGdaw

Tom, Julie, and Eric are back from Germany and ready to talk about games, food, crowds, and everything else they saw at Spiel 2025. 00:44 - Tired 01:50 - Official Numbers/Crowd Flow 07:09 - Travel Adventures and Weather 08:46 - What Was Different for Eric 11:31 - Food 13:35 - Eric's Birthday 15:44 - Julie's Author Signing 21:16 - Tom's Live Show 25:22 - Big Games 31:14 - How To Stand Out 35:51 - Limited Stock and How To Deal With It 40:17 - What Did We Go Home With? 44:12 - A Carnivore Did It 47:25 - Flow 50:50 - Ghost Lift 54:48 - Formidable Farm 58:22 - Leaders 59:52 - The Old King's Crown Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom, Julie, and Eric run through their game plan for Essen Spiel 2025, including where they'll be, and what games are on the internet's radar, as well as trying to narrow down what three games are of the most interest to them personally. 00:59 - Bookkeeping: Dice Tower East, West, Cruise 01:57 - The Weather in Germany 03:12 - Eric's First Time Back Since 2019, What's Changed? 07:18 - Where Will We Be? Dice Tower Booth: 3 R315 Van Ryder Booth: 2 E280 Live Show, Sunday 1:30pm: Hall 4 09:30 - Dice Tower Essentials Interlude: Aquatica Duel, On Stage, Raas 11:44 - Live Plays 13:47 - Warning from Julie 14:38 - Sunday's Live Show 16:35 - Eric's Growing Wishlist and Shipping Woes 22:20 - The Games of Essen - So Many 28:20 - Orloj 29:27 - Recall 30:07 - SETI: Space Agencies 30:32 - Feya's Swamp 31:51 - Nature 33:15 - Covenant 35:00 - Ada's Dream 35:43 - Sanctuary 37:16 - Coming of Age 38:55 - Castle Combo: Out of the Oubliette! 39:08 - Echoes of Time 40:52 - White Castle Duel 41:33 - The Voynich Puzzle 42:15 - Underwater Cities: Data Era and LOTR Duel: Allies 42:38 - Luthier 43:12 - Aquaria 44:14 - Julie: Use Up All Your Sick Days 45:32 - Eric: Severton 45:56 - Tom: Cereal Killer 46:52 - Julie: The Stalker 47:30 - Eric: Leylines 48:35 - Tom: Kronologic Cuzco 1450 50:22 - Julie: Parks and Potions 51:29 - Eric: Winnie the Pooh: Serious Detective 52:47 - Tom: A Carnivore Did It Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom is stuck in traffic, so Julie and Eric take control to discuss what it takes to setup a booth at Essen. How do you get all that stuff overseas, and how do you minimize what has to come back? And of course, there are Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:45 - Where is Tom? and Julie's Work Trip 03:56 - Dice Tower Cruise and Dice Tower West 05:07 - Moving a Booth to Essen 35:50 - Tiletum: Prospect for Silver 41:20 - I Made You a Mixtape 45:12 - High Tide 50:00 - The Yellow House Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom begins by recapping his adventures at the Dice Tower Retreat, and looks forward to the World Series of Boardgaming, before turning to the topic of figuring out what to do with your game collection after you're gone, and why it might be a good idea to make some choices sooner rather than later. Later, we share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, peek into the mailbag, and gather a collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:51 - Tom at the Dice Tower Retreat 02:25 - The World Series of Boardgaming 04:58 - Dice Tower Cruise, Dice Tower West, Spiel 06:03 - Planning for the Future of your Collection 24:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:22 - Question: Co-Designer Credit 38:16 - A Place for All My Books 44:04 - Knitting Circle 48:18 - Endangered Rescue: Lemur Leaf Frog 51:21 - The New Year's Nightmare 54:55 - Firefighters on Duty 57:07 - Blood on the Clocktower Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom sits at the small table. Eric's parents make friends on a cruise. Julie travels the country spreading boardgames wherever she goes. We also talk about what surprises await in those little pockets of games in places where you don't expect to find them. We delve into the mailbag for some pertinent questions, and we gather a new crop of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - School Has Started, Dice Tower West, Cruise 02:40 - Eric's Parents on Alaskan Cruise 03:19 - Spiel Plans (Booth 3R315) 05:02 - Game Shelves in Unusual Spots 20:43 - Question: Playing With Bob 29:30 - Question: Storing Games While At College 34:30 - Tag Team 36:52 - Journey to Tir na nOg 41:50 - Cat Sudoku: Summer Festival 44:18 - The Four Doors 47:22 - Regicide Legacy 52:43 - Tenby Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Eric starts the show by sharing tales of his European adventures, which leads Tom to share some of our plans for Spiel in October. Then, we discuss the process for adding art to your game. How do you find an artist? How long does it take to draw a picture of a horse? What if the horse is holding a corn dog? Later, we share a tale of horror and a question, and move on to our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Middle of the Year? - School Starting 02:23 - Eric's European Adventure 09:25 - Spiel Plans 12:14 - Art in Games 34:56 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror/Question 46:32 - Sancturary 48:42 - Vantage 56:21 - Bomb Busters 58:37 - Menagerie 1:01:44 - This Game is Killer: Frozen Horror 1:05:12 - Potion Explosion: The 6th Student Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

We are back from Gen Con, and ready to talk about our adventures! We discuss the crowds, the events, and the games we enjoyed, and maybe a little about the food we ate as well. We also share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and share our latest crop of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:46 - Announcements: Dice Tower West and Dice Tower Cruise 01:40 - Gen Con: Crowds and Fans 10:25 - Gen Con: Sales and Sellouts 12:50 - Gen Con: What Did We Buy? 16:20 - Gen Con: Tom's Trends 20:42 - Gen Con: Dice Tower Awards 23:27 - Gen Con: Food 26:36 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 37:25 - Giraffe Raffe 40:13 - Tag Team 43:24 - Oddland 44:50 - At The Gates of Loyang 47:27 - Fliptoons 49:35 - The Four Doors Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

We're on our way to Gen Con! And here are the games we're most excited about (as well as the ones that are getting the most buzz online). You'll also here where to find us in Indy, where we plan to eat, and how we plan to survive the Best Four Days in Gaming. 00:45 - Releases in the second half of the year. 02:23 - Preparing for Crowds at Gen Con - New Cart Policy 08:15 - Food Trucks 11:15 - Where Will We Be? 19:59 - The Games of Gen Con (BGG Preview: https://boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/77/gen-con-2025-preview) 20:54 - Vantage 23:27 - Forest Shuffle: Dartmoor 23:54 - Lost Ruins of Arnak: Adventure Chest 24:23 - Gwent: The Legendary Card Game 25:26 - Lightning Train 26:32 - Sea Salt and Paper: Extra Pepper 27:11 - Luthier 28:00 - Fliptoons 28:36 - Ruins 30:10 - Nature 30:53 - Rebel Princess Deluxe: Happily Never After 32:00 - Ace of Spades 33:35 - Galactic Cruise 34:31 - Pirates of Maracaibo: Commanders 34:43 - Soda Jerk 36:25 - Point Galaxy 37:04 - Compile Main 2 38:08 - Star Wars Battle of Hoth 38:41 - Galileo Galilei 39:21 - Propolis 39:48 - Final Girl: Shriek 41:32 - VIVO 42:08 - Spooktacular 43:57 - Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons 45:16 - Evergreen: Cherry Blossoms and Bamboo 45:22 - EXIT Advent Calendar: The Intergalactic Race 46:27 - Suna Valo 47:12 - Kronologic: Cuzco 1450 47:44 - Wine Cellar 49:22 - Shackleton Base 49:58 - Knitting Circle 50:36 - Ra: Traders 51:08 - Iliad 51:26 - Gibberers 51:48 - Cat and the Tower 52:42 - Ham Helsing 53:25 - The Four Doors 54:07 - Raising Chicago 54:24 - High Tide 54:39 - If Then 54:59 - Hyperstar Run 55:20 - Jungo 55:43 - Holiday Hijinks 10, 11, 12, Endangered Rescue 2, Journey to Tir na nOg 56:01 - Above and Below: Haunted 56:20 - The Peak Team 57:17 - Our Advice for Surviving Gen Con Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

It's time to recap our adventures at Dice Tower East 2025. We discuss the games we played and events we ran, and you also get to hear what Eric and Julie got up to when working at the Dice Tower Booth, which includes brainstorming ways to get Tom to remember the difference between Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:46 - We Didn't See Each Other 01:45 - Gen Con is Around The Corner 03:26 - Dice Tower East: New Space 05:40 - Eric and Julie: How Do You Spend Small Amounts of Free Time? 09:28 - Library Checkouts: My Father's Work, Hot Streak, Bomb Busters, So Clover, Cretaceous Rails, Fromage, River Valley Glassworks, Lord of the Rings Duel, Toy Battle, Castle Combo, Sky Team, SETI, Galactic Cruise 16:26 - Eric and Julie: Favorite Old Game To Teach? - Fearsome Floors, Ra 19:05 - Variety of Games Played: Space Base, Ready Set Bet, My Father's Work (again), Merchant of Venus, Cosmic Encounter 25:33 - Missing Deep Regrets 26:16 - Eric and Julie: Game To Make Tom Play? 28:34 - Events: Parsely, Andrew Bosley Can't Draw, The Hobby 33:28 - Dexterity and Pitchcar 35:51 - Eric and Julie: Helping Tom Remember 37:59 - Giant Jenga and Thank Yous 41:06 - Positano 44:32 - Diatoms 46:41 - Horrified: World of Monsters 50:24 - Peaks 53:02 - Radioactive Bees 55:50 - 13 Leaves Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Today, we discuss our recent travel adventures. Eric has returned from a Ninja Escort Mission and ran into gaming opportunites at every turn. And Tom and Julie have the full scoop on the 50th Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH. Then, we finish the show with a gathering of our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Convention Season - Dice Tower East 01:53 - Playing Only Older Games 04:01 - What We're Doing at Dice Tower East: Parsely, Wits and Wagers 06:48 - Dice Tower Awards at Gen Con 08:11 - Eric's Ninja Escort Adventure 13:22 - Origins with Tom and Julie 14:32 - Origins: Special Events for 50th? 18:28 - Origins: Game Debuts and Exhibit Hall 28:31 - Origins: Board Room and Open Gaming 33:59 - Origins: Tom as Special Guest 35:28 - Origins: Julie's Adventures 38:06 - Origins: Lessons Learned 40:02 - TowerBrix 44:29 - Square One 48:57 - Apothebakery 53:48 - Kabob 57:42 - Orbit 58:59 - How Many What? Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, Tom gives us an update on his replay of the Catan expansions before we take a big look at small games. What are the pros and cons of games that can fit in your pocket? Also, we share a new Tale of Horror, as well as our latest batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:03 - Summer: Origins, Dice Tower East, Dice Tower Cruise, Gen Con 05:03 - Catan Update and Chess 07:10 - Small Games 36:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 40:06 - Hot Streak 44:22 - Rhymes with Duck 47:08 - Lynx 51:11 - Endeavor: Deep Sea 54:51 - Fate of the Fellowship 58:21 - Tower Up Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom, Julie, and Eric run through the nominees for the German Game of the Year awards before focusing on the episode's main topic: box covers. How does what you put on the front of the box attract a particular audience? We also have a tale of horror? as well as a question from the mailbag, and of course our usual assortment of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Summer is Here? 03:07 - Spiel des Jahres Nominees - Bomb Busters, Flip 7, Krackel Orakel 10:04 - Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominees - Endeavor: Deep Sea, Faraway, Looot 12:03 - Kinderspiel des Jahres Nominees - Cascadia Junior, Le Clan des Souris, Top die Torte 12:53 - Box Covers 31:32 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror? 39:12 - Question: Message to Past Self? 44:11 - Cretaceous Rails 47:59 - Hexpath: Detour Deluxe 50:32 - Fromage 53:44 - Wondrous Creatures 56:33 - Innovation Ultimate 59:46 - Ziggurat Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, Tom gives us an audio tour of the new Dice Tower Studios in Ft. Myers, with tales to tell about the adventurous move. We present a Tale of Amazement and delve into the mailbag, and we close the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:09 - Moving to Ft. Myers 04:51 - The New Studio 23:04 - Tale of Amazement 28:55 - Question: What to do with a whiner? 34:16 - Linkx 37:18 - Primates 41:18 - Deep Regrets 46:33 - Cat Crimes 48:49 - The Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition 51:39 - Zenith Questions? Tales of Horror or Amazement? [email protected]

This time, Tom shares his adventures in Mexico, and Julie has tales to tell from Greece. Then, we kick of our discussion of video games that feel like board games with Eric's obsession with Blue Prince, before moving on to a bunch of other electronic games, including some that have made the leap to boardgames. We open up the mailbag for a question and Tale of Horror, and break down our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:57 - Following the Script 01:21 - Announcements: Dice Tower Cruise and East 02:24 - Tom in Mexico 06:27 - Julie in Greece 06:48 - Video Games that Feel Like Board Games 08:05 - Blue Prince 10:42 - Slay the Spire 11:24 - Balatro 16:22 - PS Remote Play 19:26 - Final Fantasy Tactics 21:26 - Citizen Sleeper 22:21 - Sunderfolk 23:35 - Jackbox 24:57 - Telltale Games 26:24 - Making the Jump to Board Games 36:25 - Question/Tale of Boardgaming Horror 44:28 - We Love Cats 46:41 - Ito 49:55 - Donald Duck in Happy Camper 54:51 - The Morrison Game Factory 58:20 - Lynx 59:43 - Camino a Xibabla Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom is busy moving the studio, so Julie and Eric invite Robert Geistlinger from Arcane Wonders (and also Julie's husband) to join in a discussion about boardgame production. Where do the materials that go into our games come from? What do you look for in a manufacturer? And why doesn't everybody print their games in Cleveland? And of course, we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:52 - Where's Tom? and Who Is Robert? 03:08 - Announcements: Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 03:55 - Game Production: Why We're Not Discussing Tariffs 05:27 - Where Does the Material Come From? 11:41 - Where to Start? Price Point or Wish List of Features? 18:35 - How Long Does It Take For The Back-and-forth? 28:05 - What Else Are You Looking For Beyond Price? 37:31 - Why Not Just Make Everything in the US? 49:44 - Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops (a primer) 51:48 - The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints 57:23 - Stool Pigeon 1:01:00 - EXIT: The Hunt Through Amsterdam 1:04:26 - Dead Cells 1:06:48 - Stokerverse 1:12:53 - Saw: The Jigsaw Trials Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Today, we focus on what designers should do when they've built a design on an existing game. How much borrowing is too much borrowing? We also look ahead to some upcoming events, share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through our latest batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:49 - Tom's Apology 01:25 - Dice Tower Cruise and Dice Tower East 01:52 - Tom's Catan Update: Seafarers 02:53 - Upcoming: Studio Move, Origins, Greece, College Visits 03:55 - Building Your Game on an Existing Design 32:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:33 - Roaring 20s 43:42 - Mystery of the Abbey 50:30 - CULTivate 54:42 - Faraway 57:42 - Nocturne 1:01:25 - Wroth Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

We kick off this episode with some chit-chat regarding the moving of Dice Tower HQ, some upcoming events, Tom's efforts to impress the chef at a Japanese restaurant, and the most played games at Dice Tower West. A listener question leads us to discuss the layout of rulebooks and how best to do so. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a typical wave of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:53 - Moving the Studio 03:14 - Upcoming Events 03:52 - Tom at Dinner 07:26 - Most Played Games at Dice Tower West 12:50 - Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 13:23 - Rulebook Layout 36:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 45:57 - Catan 6th Edition 52:32 - Bad Apples 58:00 - Sentient 1:01:18 - Monkey Labs 1:03:02 - Ostia 1:05:58 - My Favorite Things Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, we are recording in person at Dice Tower West (with some new mics!). We talk specifics about our new-ish venue for DTW, and then get more general with a chat about our convention strategies and planning. The Tale of Boardgaming Horror is one for the ages, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, Hula Hoops, and Crossovers. 00:47 - Dice Tower West: Back at the Westgate 04:20 - Julie's Drive West 08:35 - Eric at APAC 09:41 - Tom at GAMA Expo and The Grand Canyon 13:09 - Hot Games 14:16 - Convention Strategy 33:47 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:26 - Critter Kitchen 44:29 - Spooktacular 49:03 - Moon Colony Bloodbath 51:42 - Galaxy Children Explorers 56:09 - Lata Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, we're talking sports, and how game designers can best emulate them. Plus, Horror, Hula Hoops, Roses, and Thorns. 00:59 - Announcements: Dice Tower West and East 02:04 - Sports Boardgames 20:10 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 25:48 - Charcuterie 30:24 - 1 A.M. Jailbreak 33:07 - Helionox Chronicles 37:47 - Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 40:38 - Ostia 42:33 - Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

This time, Eric gives an update on his Middle School Game Night before the gang launches into a discussion of how playing games for tangible prizes changes the vibe at the table. Then, we move on to a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, check the mailbag, and share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Announcements: Gamefound, Dice Tower West 02:33 - Update on Eric's Middle School Game Night 03:54 - Raising the Stakes 25:08 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:54 - Question: Boardgaming's Golden Age? 36:24 - Question: Collecting from a Single Franchise? 38:30 - Endeavor Deep Sea 41:45 - Portmanteau 45:21 - Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game 48:58 - The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game 51:19 - Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 54:54 - Stomp the Plank --- Questions? Tales of Horror? [email protected]

Tom complains about the cold before we all discuss forms of Table Talk. What just bends the rules, and what breaks the game? We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a couple of questions from the mailbag, and some new Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:40 - It's cold in Florida 01:41 - Gamefound - SupportDicetower.com 02:11 - Dice Tower East and West 03:00 - Table Talk 25:07 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:31 - Question: Social Deduction Games (Where Am I, Blood on the Clocktower) 38:38 - Question: Screen Printed Meeples 44:49 - Little Alchemists 46:50 - Star Realms Academy 48:34 - Azul Duel 50:50 - Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 53:28 - Rajas of the Ganges: Cards and Karma 56:47 - Unstoppable 1:00:07 - Catch the Moon

On board the Dice Tower Cruise 2025, Tom, Julie, and Eric run through their holiday gaming opportunities. Julie asks how we prefer to to vacation, and we end the show with a bunch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops that we encountered on the ship. 00:44 - We're on a Ship 01:32 - Holiday Happenings 02:18 - Star Realms Rise of Empire 07:59 - Ito, Jackbox Games 09:28 - Hues and Cues 11:48 - Command of Nature 14:10 - Only Murders in the Building 17:55 - How Do You Vacation? 29:31 - My Father's Work 35:00 - Adventureland 39:38 - Cryptic Nature 41:09 - Beats and Cats 43:41 - Lure 46:20 - Bomb Busters

Julie and Eric spend some time recapping PAX Unplugged before all of us take a look at the year that was 2024. What was the easiest game to teach? The game that you'd best set aside a day to play? The Hoopiest Hula Hoop? All will be revealed, dear listener! 01:00 - PAX Unplugged Recap 14:03 - The Quiet House 16:49 - Star Trek TNG VCR Game 20:41 - 2024 as a Whole 29:25 - Best to Play at a Convention: Ito, Rock Hard 1977, Duck & Cover 31:40 - Best Theme: Rock Hard 1977, Mistwind, Kelp: Shark vs. Octopus 34:43 - Most Likely to be Gifted: Muppets Clue, Wicked 38:00 - Best Traveling Game: Seaside, Smug Owl, Ito 40:25 - Best Set Aside a Day For It Game: Tidal Blades 2, El Burro, Wandering Galaxy 45:13 - Easiest Teach/Learn: Cat Horror Costumes, Pixies, Ito 46:50 - Bonus Heavy Euro: Civolution 47:16 - Wanted to Play but Didn't: Power Grid Outpost, Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel, Paella Park, Pagan: Fate of Roanoke, Daitoshi 50:18 - Hoopiest Hula Hoop: Ziggurat, Slay the Spire, Panda Panda 53:51 - Sharpest Thorn: I Am Done, Clash of Galiformes, Unlock Kids 57:31 - Rosiest Rose: Star Wars Unlimited, Wyrmspan, The 7th Continent 59:22 - Anticipated for 2025 - Raas, Azul Duel, All My Books, The Elder Scrolls, Galactic Cruise Next Episode: January 14th, 2025 Tales of Horror? Questions? [email protected]

This time, Eric is looking for advice from Julie and Tom about running a game night at his son's Middle School. How deep a hole has he dug for himself? Plus, a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a question from the Listener Mailbag, and a bouquet of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:47 - Dice Tower Winter Spectacular 02:24 - Tom's Anniversary Cruise, Audiobooks, and Subtitles 03:52 - 2025 Gamefound Campaign 04:27 - Eric's Middle School Game Night 23:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 28:28 - Listener Question: Our Changing Review Perspectives 31:11 - I Am Done (Quick Mention) 37:56 - Point of View 41:05 - The Smurfs Hidden Village 45:17 - Cottage Garden 47:19 - Distilled: Africa and Middle East 50:32 - Penguin Party Questions? Tales of Horror? Send to Tom at [email protected].

Tom, Julie, and Eric share some Thanksgiving recipes before launching into a discussion of how designers tackle the theme of cooking in games. We have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror that pushes our Angry Button, and we close the show with a Thorn-heavy set of games played. 00:57 - Announcements: Dice Tower East, West, and Cruise 2026 02:22 - Thanksgiving Recipes 05:17 - Cooking Games 07:41 - Cooking: Press Your Luck (Quacks of Quedlinburg, Vegetable Stock) 09:55 - Cooking: Spatial Games (License to Grill) 12:52 - Cooking: Dexterity (A La Carte, Piazza Rabazza) 16:28 - Cooking: Real Time (Wok Star, Kitchen Rush) 19:05 - Cooking: Set Collection (Burger Up, Morels) 21:33 - Cooking: More from Tom (Mamma Mia, Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy, Hibachi, Comsumption: Food and Choices, Sweet Mess, Wok and Roll, Wild Gardens) 27:38 - Cooking: Favorite Mechanisms 29:14 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 34:44 - Witchdom 38:15 - Witchcraft 41:28 - Worms: The Board Game 44:32 - Crossbows & Catapults: Fortress War 47:12 - Refuge 49:09 - Civolution

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss some Thanksgiving plans before reacting to some recent manufacturing trends in the boardgame industry, from environmentally friendly choices, to the insistance that every game have a custom insert. Our Tale of Boardgaming Horror is a case of mistaken identity, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:02 - Shipping in the Game Box 01:45 - Thanksgiving 03:22 - PAX Unplugged and Christmas Videos 04:03 - All the Kickstarters are Delivering At Once 05:53 - Production Trends: Giant Rulebooks 07:33 - Self-Assembled Multi-Layered Boards 11:08 - Puzzle vs. Folded Boards and Other Board Trends 13:23 - Environmentally Friendly Choices: Stickers 15:13 - Bands and Paper Wrap Around Cards 17:18 - Paperboard Inserts 21:09 - Rewood 23:56 - Kallax as a Measure of Size 25:48 - Plastic Inserts 33:56 - Plastic Wrap on Punchboards 35:26 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 41:00 - Lords of Vegas 45:59 - EXIT Advent: The Missing Hollywood Star 48:32 - The Coldest Night 52:26 - Arbolito 55:04 - SETI 58:14 - Kronologic Paris 1920

This time, Tom looks forward to the CMON Expo, while Eric and Julie talk about their plans for PAX Unplugged. We discuss best practices for publishers when they know an expansion is coming. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a Spooky set of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:58 - Announcements: Dice Tower West, PAX Unplugged 02:55 - Tom at CMON Expo 03:52 - Planning for Expansions 32:00 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 40:28 - Flashback: Lucy 44:08 - Ghosts Can't Draw 48:26 - Cat Horror Costumes 53:27 - Vampire Nights 58:06 - The Thing 1:02:58 - 8-Legged Peacock

Tom and Julie are back from Germany with stories to tell. We talk about the crowds, events, snacks, and games of Spiel before shuffling through a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror. And we close the show with some of our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:02 - Back-to-Back WSBG and Spiel 06:10 - Crowds at Spiel 11:23 - Tom and Julie Together (Briefly) 13:33 - New Management Changes 17:28 - First Look Area 21:34 - Games at the Fair 25:24 - Dice and Mystics Meetup 27:07 - Punching Games 27:34 - Hottest Designer and Hot Games 28:47 - Small Games 30:09 - Accessories and Art 31:20 - Snack Draft and Food 33:27 - Joy in Interaction 34:54 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 38:03 - 1 A.M. Jailbreak 41:29 - Aerodome: Rising Horizons 45:39 - Ito 51:14 - Conservas 55:32 - Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 58:55 - Betakkuma's Fart & Furious

It's our Essen Preview show for 2024! This time, we look at the various games we're most excited to check out at Spiel in Essen. And when we're done with that, we dash through our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:49 - Asking to Bring Something Back 02:16 - Tabletop Together and BGG's Preview List 03:16 - Priorities 08:58 - Where Will We Be? 12:09 - 7 Empires 12:50 - 365 Adventures 14:01 - Ada's Library 14:50 - Apiary: Expanding the Hive 15:26 - Backstories: Alone Under the Ice 16:23 - Bone Wars 18:16 - Cat Horror Costume 19:11 - Chants for the Old Ones 20:00 - Civolution 21:03 - Conservas 22:32 - Dead Cells 23:38 - Flatiron 25:22 - Galileo Galilei 26:20 - Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 27:26 - Minos 28:04 - Paella Park 29:58 - Power Grid: Outpost 31:19 - SETI 32:52 - Similo: Jurrassic World, 10th Anniversary, and Games Decks 34:18 - Temple of Horrors 35:50 - Unconscious Mind 37:00 - Vampire Nights 38:01 - Witchcraft: Midnights Expansion 39:19 - Dice Tower Essentials: Floresta, Vegetable Stock, Video Game Champion, Ito 41:58 - Food in Essen 45:25 - Pixies 47:56 - Robo Rally Transformers 51:01 - Mind MGMT 55:37 - Cat and the Tower 59:22 - Dadada 1:01:51 - Stickers -- Tabletop Together: tabletoptogether.com/tool/ BGG's Essen Preview: boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/68/spiel-essen-24-preview

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric tackle the world of print boardgame journalism by listing their favorite gaming magazines, past and present. Our new Tale of Horror only tells half of the story, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:10 - Announcements: World Series of Boardgaming and Spiel 02:39 - What Was Our First Podcast? 04:39 - Boardgame Magazines: Still a Thing? 06:24 - Is Print Superior? 09:53 - Early Titles: Wargaming, White Dwarf, The General 12:35 - GAMES Magazine 13:04 - Spielbox 13:26 - Game Trade Magazine 16:25 - Knucklebones 17:10 - Promos in Magazines 19:49 - Trade Magazines 20:12 - Casual Game Insider 21:30 - Trades and "Review Ads" 25:32 - Sumo and Counter 26:32 - Senet 28:09 - Snowbright Studios 30:02 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 34:57 - Milkman 40:39 - Wondrous Creatures 43:26 - Parsely: Dangertown Beatdown 47:52 - Xylotar 51:00 - You Gotta Be Kitten Me! 54:32 - Coyote --- BGG's Magazine Wiki: boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Game_Magazines

Tom and Eric learn that they've known Julie longer than they remember. Then, we discuss the ways local game stores recoup the cost of the play space they provide. We delve into a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:44 - Announcements: Dice Tower West 03:06 - Tom, Julie, and Eric's First Meeting 03:56 - Table Space at Your Local Store 27:06 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 36:20 - King of Tokyo Duel 40:07 - Spotlight 43:34 - Vampire Village 47:20 - Lure 49:05 - HiFi 51:41 - Gardlings

Tom, Julie, and Eric remember their various Gen Con adventures, as well as looking back at some recent Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:00 - Announcements: Dice Tower West, Dice Tower District 02:43 - Gen Con - Keeping Your Voice vs. Getting Sick 04:04 - Gen Con - Attendence and Crowds 06:34 - Gen Con - Sprawling Events 09:58 - Gen Con - Games at the Zoo? 12:05 - Gen Con - Small Vendor Hallway 14:42 - Gen Con - Artwork and Plushies and Pins 19:03 - Gen Con - Too Many Things to Do 21:59 - Gen Con - Awards Show 24:58 - Gen Con - Julie's Events 30:32 - Gen Con - Tom's Panel 31:25 - Gen Con - Sell-Out Titles 37:43 - Gen Con - Too Much Tea 39:43 - Gen Con - Impulse Buys 41:31 - Gen Con - The Escape 46:06 - Landmarks 49:16 - Warp and Weft 51:16 - Seaside 53:19 - Blood on the Clocktower 57:26 - Zoomies 1:00:16 - Rock Hard 1977

Tom, Julie, and Eric start looking forward to their next convention adventures now that Gen Con is done (though, since we're recording before Gen Con, we can't discuss anything that happened there just yet). We focus on the joy of playing older games, especially with players who haven't experienced them before. We delve into the Tale of Horror vault, as well as answer a listener question about how to pick what we play, and what to do when we choose poorly. Finally, we close the show with Roses, Thorns, Hula Hoops, and Advice for Eric. 00:48 - News and Announcements - Dice Tower West and Cruise, Dice Tower District 02:50 - Teaching and Playing Older Games 17:45 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 22:33 - Listener Question - How to Pick What to Play 32:56 - Cities 36:20 - Clash of Magic Schools 42:11 - Things in Rings 45:14 - Sand 48:37 - AI Space Puzzle 51:14 - The Mandalorian Adventures 56:26 - Eric's Going to Try Blood on the Clocktower

Tom, Julie, and Eric look back at Dice Tower East, and look forward to Gen Con, including which events they'll be at, and what games they're looking forward to. And, pressed for time, they share a Rose, Thorn, or Hula Hoop that will be available at Gen Con. 00:49 - Who Is Julia Hern? 02:13 - Dice Tower East Recap - Events 10:35 - Dioce Tower East - Library Games 23:19 - Gen Con - Where We'll Be 37:47 - Gen Con - Games to See and/or Buy 38:25 - Rock Hard 1977 40:13 - Horrified: World of Monsters 40:50 - Fromage 41:53 - Cascadia Rolling Hills and Nocturne (Because Foxes) 42:15 - Boop the Halls (Because Boop) 42:42 - Dice Tower Essentials (Aquatica Expansion, Foundations of Metropolis, Comic Hunters) 44:07 - Gateway Island 45:41 - Space Games for Eric: Star Trek: Captain's Chair, Wandering Galaxy, Flickering Stars 48:41 - Hello Kitty Day at the Park 51:41 - Wrath of Fire Mountain 54:00 - Go Cucoo 56:40 - Mistwind --- BGG Gen Con Preview: https://boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/67/gen-con-2024-preview

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the results of the Origins Awards, and share the nominees for The Dice Tower Awards' Game of the Year. Julie tells us about her trip to Origins (and Tom pines for ice cream), and we ponder the dos and don'ts of upgrading your boardgame pieces. Then, we finish the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:17 - Gen Con Plans (Booth 331) 02:29 - Origins Awards and Dice Tower Nominees 11:46 - Julie at the Origins Game Fair 29:33 - Upgrading Pieces 48:50 - Captain Flip 50:28 - Cities 54:02 - Arraial 58:17 - This Game is Killer 1:00:58 - Pandemic Hot Zone: North America 1:03:18 - The Fog: Escape from Paradise

Tom and Eric congratulate Julie on her successful move, which leads to a discussion on keeping your collection to a reasonable size (so you don't have to move as much). We run through the nominees for the Spiel des Jahres (Germany's Game of the Year awards), answer some questions from the mailbag, and share our recent Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:53 - School Schedules 02:17 - Con Schedules - Gen Con Booth 331 04:46 - Julie's Move: Transport Logistics and Culling Strategy 21:47 - Spiel des Jahres 31:46 - The Dice Tower Awards Show 33:08 - Mailbag: Game unplayed the longest? 38:26 - Mailbag: Unplayed favorites? 42:40 - Ticket to Ride Legacy 47:15 - Fish & Katz 49:20 - Super Kawaii Pets 51:08 - Shobu 54:14 - Windmill Valley 57:06 - Invincible: The Hero-Building Game