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

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 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 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

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

This week Tom & Eric bring Alan Paull to the table!

2:32 - Getting To Know You

17:15 - The Big Question

50: 40 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring John D Clair to the table!

3:12 - Getting To Know You

14:32 - The Big Question

29:03 - Viewer Questions

44:09 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Andrew Bosley to the table!

2:05 - Getting To Know You

12:03 - The Big Question

29:30 - Viewer Questions

46:18 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Anne-Marie De Witt to the table!

4:00 - Getting To Know You

8:22 - The Big Question

25:34 - Viewer Questions

44:44- One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Roy Cannaday to the table!

2:14 - Getting To Know You

16:05 - The Big Question

33:50 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Sharon Madden to the table!

3:43 - Getting To Know You

14:30 - The Big Question

32:00 - Viewer Questions

45:00 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Helaina Cappel to the table!

2:14 - Getting To Know You

9:26 - The Big Question

33:40 - Viewer Questions

43:50 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Tim Fowers to the table!

2:35 - Getting To Know You

14:40 - The Big Question

26:16 - Viewer Questions

44:00 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Kirk Hamilton to the table!

1:52 - Getting To Know You

15:00 - The Big Question

32:45 - Viewer Questions

43:23 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Emma Larkins to the table!

2:43 - Getting To Know You

16:40 - The Big Question

26:20 - Viewer Questions

44:00 - One and One

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

This week Tom & Eric bring Geoff Engelstein to the table!

3:24 - Getting to Know You

18:39 - The Big Question

27:16 - Viewer Questions

47:09 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Mike DiLisio to the table!

3:42  - Getting to Know You

18:32  - The Big Question

31:32 - Viewer Questions

45:50 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Robert Geistlinger to the table!

 2:30 - Getting to Know You

 15:00 - The Big Question

28:40 - Viewer Questions

 44:00 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Emerson Matsuuchi to the table!

2:53 - Getting to Know You

13:02  - The Big Question

28:26 - Viewer Questions

46:02 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Erica Bouyouris to the table!

5:25 - Getting to Know You

20:30  - The Big Question

 30:02 - Viewer Questions

43:33 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Mark Streed to the table!

5:00 - Getting to Know You

16:14  - The Big Question

30:47  - Viewer Questions

45:29 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Frank West to the table!

3:46 - Getting to Know You

15:26 - The Big Question

32:40 - Viewer Questions

46:00 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Dan Hughes to the table!

2:07 - Getting to Know You

16:10 - The Big Question

29:40 - Viewer Questions

45:39 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Wendy Yi to the table!

6:18 - Getting to Know You

14:55 - The Big Question

30:48 - Viewer Questions

45:17 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Elizabeth Hargrave to the table!

6:18 - Getting to Know You

14:55 - The Big Question

30:48 - Viewer Questions

45:17 - One and One

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 week Tom & Eric bring Elizabeth Hargrave to the table!

0:34 - Getting to Know You

16:18 - The Big Question

30:06 - Viewer Questions

 46:56 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Dan King to the table!

3:01 - Getting to Know You

15:52 - The Big Question

28:50 - Viewer Questions

45:25 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Jason Perez to the table!

 0:45 - Getting to Know You

17:10 - The Big Question

 28:00 - Viewer Questions

44:25 - One and One

This week Tom & Eric bring Danni Loe to the table!

1:52 - Getting to Know You

17:50 - The Big Question

31:57 - Viewer Questions

43:39 - One and One