The Dice Tower – Details, episodes & analysis

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? tom@dicetower.com

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? tom@dicetower.com

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? tom@dicetower.com

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss the G.I. Joe Deckbuilding Game, Star Clicker, Crimes and Capers: Lady Leona's Last Wishes, Roll Player Adventures, and Gutenberg. Geoff explores a study that questions our perception of things, and we answer questions from the mailbag, one of which is a little horrific. Then, we close the show with a Top Ten list of games that were ahead of their time.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com.

In today's show, Mandi and Suzanne discuss GPS, Floriferous, Yokohama Duel, Funkoverse Game of Thrones, and Silencio. The Game Pie of the show is full of Games with Expansions.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com.

In this episode, Tom and Eric are joined at the Dice Tower Retreat Orlando by Stephen Buonocore to talk about all sorts of assorted topics, including but not limited to these games: Bitoku, Rummikub, Foundations of Rome, That's Life, Magical Athlete, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Cascadia, Transformers: The Deckbuilding Game, Vagrantsong, Preorders and Nostalgia (Heroquest, Risk: Shadow Forces, Return to Dark Tower), Picture Perfect, and Empyrial: Spells and Steam.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com.

In this episode Mandi revisits some games, she and Suzanne talk about Bad Company, Destinies Sea and Sand, Crimes and Capers: High School Hijinks, and Sequoia. Game Pie of the show is Tech Tree Pie.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Witchstone, Art Decko, So Clover, Savannah Park, Exit: Kidnapped in Fortune City, and Unfathomable. Geoff tries to scare us, but nothing is as terrifying as our Tale of Boardgaming Horror. Finally, we finish the show with a Top Ten list of games that we SHOULD play, but haven't.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com

In this episode Suzanne and Mandi discuss Smartphone Inc: Status Update 1.1, Riftforce, Islands in the Mist, and Great Plains. One and Done is revived and the show wraps with a Pick Up and Deliver Game Pie.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com.

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss The Hunger, The Loop, Paint the Roses, 7 Wonders Architects, Bitoku, and Llamaland. Geoff remembers Sid Sackson, we answer questions from the mailbag, and we revisit our Top Ten Party Games.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com.