The Dice Tower
The team is back from Dice Tower East with stories to tell. What games were taught? What events ran well? What did Eric find in the library? Plus, we have a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a particularly pointy collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:46 - Games That Could Have Been Played at East 03:08 - Unloading from Dice Tower East 03:43 - Dice Tower East: General Thoughts 04:51 - Looming Gen Con 07:22 - DTE: Crowd Size 09:04 - DTE: The Top 10 10:09 - DTE: Number of Games Played 13:05 - DTE: Changes to the Library 16:55 - DTE: Eric Finds a Playmat 20:31 - DTE:...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
Julie recounts her adventures at Origins 2026 before we delve into questions about Authenticity of Theme, Fan Interactions, and Teaching Race for the Galaxy. And of course, we close the show with a healthy dose of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Middle of the Year 03:59 - Last Minute Dice Tower East 04:32 - Julie at Origins 30:26 - Question: Teaching Race for the Galaxy 33:58 - Question: Taking You Out of The Theme 37:11 - Question: Fan Interactions 43:49 - Shapely 46:59 - Revisiting Mice and Mystics 49:55 - Soothsayers 52:25 - The Friday Fright 55:25 - Flip Voyage 58:18 -...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
Tom tells us about his adventures in The Philippines before we spark some discussion from a Tale of Boardgaming Horror: What do you do when you learn your game design is similar to a game that already exists? Plus, we dive into the bag of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops and pull out some winners. 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Senior Slacking Revisited 02:05 - Tom's Journey - Travel Woes 04:07 - All aBOARD EXPO 18:35 - Focusing on Dice Tower East 19:36 - Language Issues 20:19 - Discussion of Horror: Parallel Game Design 35:16 - Grow Sky 38:51 - Deep Sea Divers of Jeju 42:21 - Flamenco 47:15 -...
info_outlineThe 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? tom@dicetower.com
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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 -...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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 - 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...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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? tom@dicetower.com
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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:...
info_outlineThe Dice Tower
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? tom@dicetower.com
info_outlineThis 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
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Julie's Notes
Where to go to get core book pdfs?
DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
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 -
Teatime Adventures https://www.snowbrightstudio.
com/teatime-adventures
Dice rolling - Also many many many ttrpgs use dice. Here are some examples
-
D20 - D&D/Pathfinder https://www.dndbeyond.com/?
srsltid=AfmBOorCdKoS- xSfI4e05Us81YGA4tHt8CmmaOWNN- 9VTcnsAfXS5pBS, https://paizo.com/pathfinder -
d100 (percentile): Call of Cthulhu https://www.chaosium.com/call-
of-cthulhu-rpg/ -
Symbol-based dice: FFG Star Wars. https://www.
fantasyflightgames.com/en/ starwarsrpg/ , Fudge dice: Fate https://evilhat.com/product/ fate-core-system/
Area control
-
Beak, Feather, & Bone https://possible-worlds-games.
itch.io/bfb
Faction/War
-
Song of Ice and Fire RPG http://www.drivethrurpg.com/
product/101026/A-Song-of-Ice- and-Fire-Roleplaying-A-Game- of-Thrones-Edition -
Mutant: Year Zero https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
product/139453/MUTANT-Year- Zero--Roleplaying-At-The-End- Of-Days -
Numenera: Destiny https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
product/240655/Numenera- Destiny -
Coyote and Crow https://www.allplay.com/board-
games/coyote-and-crow-the- roleplaying-game/
Action points -
Level Up
-
D&D
-
PbtA
Using Action points
-
Feng Shui https://atlas-games.com/
fengshui -
C&S: Rebirth
-
Mythras
Deck builder/Bidding
Ok not really but Redigo is "Hand Management" https://letsplayredigo.com/
Games using a standard deck of cards
-
Castle Falkenstein https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
en/product/2370/castle- falkenstein
Games using a custom or proprietary card deck - mostly they are being used instead of dice
-
Dragonlance: Fifth Age https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
en/product/186462/dragonlance- fifth-age-dramatic-adventure- game-saga -
Clockwork Dominion https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
en/product/489608/courier- repacked
My Closest Pick
-
Torg Eternity:A Thousand Faces of Adventure http://torg-gamereference.com/
Pick up and Deliver
Solo/journal:
-
Courier https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
en/product/489608/courier- repacked -
Delivered! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
en/product/441018/delivered-a- solo-journaling-rpg
One shot
-
Delivery Dragons https://shardsofblue.itch.io/
delivery-dragons
Worker Placement?
Become a GM
Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com