The Dice Tower

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

This time, Tom recounts his trip to BGG Spring, and Eric reviews the Dungeons and Dragons show in New York City. We act out a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, attempt to help answer a listener question, and close the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:47 - Summer Events 05:26 - Dice Tower District 06:09 - Tom at BGG Spring 13:22 - Eric at Dungeons and Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern 18:23 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 26:53 - Listener Question: Unexpected Children 41:40 - Agueda 44:00 - The Almost Gone 47:18 - Dumb Ways to Die 50:31 - License to Grill 55:15 - Endangered Rescue: Galapagos Penguins

Tom, Julie and Eric run through some of their plans for Dice Tower East and Gen Con later this summer before taking a look at the year that was 2004, which was inexplicably 20 years ago. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, answer a question from the mailbag, and round up our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Events at Dice Tower East 03:04 - Gen Con Plans 05:36 - Looking back at 2004 - 20 Years Ago 21:23 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 28:52 - Listener Question: Digital Game Implementations 36:27 - Splendor 39:51 - Bus & Stop 42:44 - Clash of Galiformes 46:48 - BOG 50:02 - The Morrison Game Factory

Tom and Eric quiz Julie about her recent trip to the Tokyo Game Market, including some of the games she brought home, before moving on to a Tale of Boardgaming Horror and our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:49 - Dice Tower East and Large Dexterity Games 02:27 - The World Series of Boardgaming 03:49 - The Universe Explained with a Cookie 04:42 - Julie at the Tokyo Game Market 30:48 - Acorns 32:38 - Shiki no Tabi 34:06 - Space Macho 37:25 - Do You Need To Go? 38:57 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 43:18 - An Age Contrived 47:45 - Kinfire Delve 51:30 - Onitama 54:45 - Pickleball Blast! 59:17 - Slay the Spire

Tom, Julie and Eric begin by recapping their recent travels, including Julie's trip to The Gathering of Friends and Eric's family trip to Washington DC and Philadelphia. Tom recalls the recent 36-hour marathon on the video chanel, which leads us into tips for playing several games in a row. We have a pretty darn horrific Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and finish the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:43 - Playing Games All The Time? 02:40 - Jack Vasel Memorial Fund Auction (link below) 04:11 - Julie at The Gathering of Friends 14:32 - Eric in DC and Philly 16:23 - Marathons, Cons, and Playing Lots of Games in a Row 39:07 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 46:04 - El Burro (La Granja) 51:20 - Kohaku 53:48 - Cubitos: Fowl Play 55:45 - Expressions 57:51 - Agemonia 1:01:42 - Spinball Link to the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund Auction (Ends May 12th, 2024): https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/333009/the-jack-vasel-memorial-fund-auction-2024-through

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-si

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:

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