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.

In today's episode, Suzanne and Mandi discuss Durian Dash, Tucano, Shadows of the Obelisk, Paper Dungeons, and Welcome to The Moon. And there's a super sized Spiel Anticipation Game Pie to wrap up the episode.

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

On this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Wild Space, Cascadia, EXIT: The App - The Hotel Ophir, Iki, X-Men United, and Disney Sidekicks. We present a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, answer questions from the mailbag, and argue over our Top Ten Mass Market Games.

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

Eric joins Suzanne and Mandi on this episode as they discuss Praga Caput Regni, Tranquility, Explorers (the app version), Crash Octopus Automobiles, and Papageno. The Game Pie today? Literary Games!

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? tom@dicetower.com

In this episode, Tom is away, so Crystal joins Eric to talk about 50 Missions of The Crew, Hugo, Alice is Missing, Arch Ravels, Gravwell 2nd Edition, and Stellar. Geoff talks about choking, and we finish up with a Top Ten list of games that be played in 30 minutes or less.

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

In today's episode, Suzanne and Mandi discuss Tiny Library, Semiramis, Sleeping Gods, 60 Second City, Whirling Witchcraft, and K3. The Game Pie of the day is Nautical games!

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

In this episode, Tom, Suzanne, and Eric discuss Shake Up, Rise of the Metro, Almadi, Happy City, EXIT: The Gate Between Worlds, and Picture Perfect. We answer questions from the mailbag, and then the words start flying as we list our Top Ten Games that make it easy to Trash Talk.

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

In this episode, Suzanne and Mandi chat about Winter Queen, Plantopia, Mandala Stones, Mountain Goats, Crack the Code, and Faiyum. And then Suzanne and Mandi serve up a second helping of Drafting Game Pie

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

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Omega Virus Prologue, Exit: The Sacred Temple, Sweet Existence: A Strange Planet Card Game, Snakesss, Mystic Paths, and So Clover! Geoff heads to the Olympics, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Finally, we finish up with our Top Ten Games that have won the Spiel des Jahres award.

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

In this episode, Suzanne and Mandi discuss Godspeed, Mozzaroller, The Loop, Galtoni, Flipover Frog, and Riverside. The pie of the show is Garden Games game pie!

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

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Islands in the Mist, Aggretsuko: Work/Rage Balance, Crack the Code, Great Wall, Chronicles of Drunagor, and Ankh: Gods of Egypt. Geoff previews an Interview about the current international shipping woes, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Then, we finish the show with our Top Ten City Building Games.

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

In today's episode, Mandi and Suzanne discuss Merv, Mazescape Ariadne, Match 5, Gargoyles Awakening, Bonfire, and Castle Party. The Game Pie of the day is: Games set in the old American west.

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

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Meadow, Wonderland's War, Cubitos, and Subastral. Geoff discusses some recent studies around playing games with monkeys, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Then we finish off the show with our Top Ten favorite gimmicks in games.

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

In this episode we discuss Dream Crush, Wok and Roll, Four Gardens, Lost Cities Roll and Write, Adventure Mart, and Super Mega Lucky Box! And today's Game Pie is full of Team Games (mostly.)

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

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? tom@dicetower.com

In this episode, we present the 14th Annual Dice Tower Awards, highlighting the best games from 2020.

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

In today's show - Eric joins Suzanne and Mandi as they talk about Fast and Furious: Highway Heist, The Independence Incident, Varuna, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Under Falling Skies, and Villagers w/ Shifting Seasons expansion. And today's Game Pie is full of games that cost $15 or less!

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com. Listen carefully for an exclusive discount code from The Op!

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Caretos, Gorinto, Paper Dungeons, and Doodle Dungeon. Geoff explains some Unwritten Rules, we answer a bunch of questions from the mailbag, and we finish up with our Top Ten Unknown Children's Games.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from TheOp.games and GameNerdz.com. Listen carefully for an exclusive discount code from The Op!

In today's episode Suzanne and Mandi chat about The Magnificent Sno, Rock The Bock, Cat Sudoku, Ramen Ink, and Destinies. Suz chats about the digital deck builder Roguebook and they wrap with some Q&A.

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

On this episode, Tom, Suzanne, and Eric discuss Switch and Signal, Fantasy Realms, Uk'otoa, Rowboat, Mythic Battles: Pantheon, and On the Rocks. Geoff discusses Power Laws, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Finally, we face off with our Top Ten Duel Games.

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

In today's show, Suzanne and Mandi talk about It's a Wonderful World Corruption and Ascension, Imperium Classics (and Legends), The Game Face 2 Face, Bullet <3, and give FIRST IMPRESSIONS of Oath. The Game Pie of the show is escape room games!

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

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Mandala Stones, Barrage, Castell, Witchstone, Rule the Realm, and Hadrian's Wall. Geoff tells us how to fudge the numbers, we have a Tale of Amazement to share, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Then we get all worked up by sharing our Top Ten Mean and Nasty Games.

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

In this show, Tom and Joe go back in time to 2005 and listen to our second episode, the only episode to have the show name "Panzers and Pieces".  Join us as we talk about our top ten card games - well, at least what they were 16 years ago!  This episode was originally recorded in May 2005, with commentary added May 2021.

Tom joins Suzanne and Mandi for this episode as they discuss Clever Cubed, Sheepy Time, Similo Animals, Keystone North America, Rival Networks, and Cloud City. The trio wraps up with a Game Pie full of Klemens Franz art.

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Pass the Pot, Beyond the Sun, The Initiative, Merchant's Cove, Red Rising, and Destinies. Geoff wants us to Take it Away, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Then, at long last, we finish our alphabetical journey with our Top Ten Games that start with a numeral.

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

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? tom@dicetower.com

In this episode, Tom Vasel and Joe Steadman listen together to their very first episode, originally recorded in 2005.  We talk about our favorite games and more in the episode - and we talk about where those games land now.  Back to the very beginning!

In this week's episode, we discuss Biblios Parchment and Quill, Hippocrates, Hadrian's Wall, Hashi, Paris, and Summoner Wars 2nd Edition. And today's Game Pie is full of gam es for younger kids.

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

In this episode, Tom, Mandi, and Eric discuss Castles of Burgundy (Alea 20th Anniversary Edition), Monster Slaughter, Umbra Via, EXIT: The Cemetery of the Knight, Equinox, and The Specialists. Geoff has a new toy, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we finish off the show with our Top Ten Games starting with Z.

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

In this episode, we chat about Space Race, Royal Visit, Pan Am, Medici Dice, Las Vegas Royale, and A Gentle Rain. To wrap, we serve up a Game Pie full of beautiful Vincent Dutrait art.

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

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Let's Make a Bus Route: The Dice Game, Bravo!, Santorini: New York, The Quest Kids, Andor, Catapult Kingdoms, and Spinboard Ghost Adventure. We have a tale of Boardgaming horror, and we answer questions from the mailbag. Then we finish off the show by looking back 20 years to our Top Ten Games from 2001.

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

In today's episode, we discuss Block Ness, Capital Lux 2 solo, and Cryo. We swing to the app side of things to wax romantic over Dorfromantik and we serve up a Storytelling Game Pie.

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Escape Tales: Children of Wyrmwood, Haiclue, Marvel United Expansions, and The Initiative. Geoff tries to get us to stop, we have a new Tale of Horror, and we answer questions from the mailbag about silly voices, business decisions, and How to Host a Murder. We then finish off the show with our Top Ten games that start with Y.

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

Another mish mash of games in today's episode as Suzanne and Mandi discuss Oaxaca Crafts of a Culture, The Field of Cloth of Gold, Smash Up Marvel, Carnegie, Genotype, and Yakatabune. And the pie of the day is Drafting Game Pie.

In this episode, Tom, Suzanne, and Eric discuss Three Sisters, Cascadia, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Lovelace and Babbage, For Science! and Danger Park. Geoff enters the world of NFTs, we answer questions from the mailbag, and we look back 15 years with a Top Ten Games from 2006.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from The Op, at TheOp.games.

In today's episode we chat about Dive, Brew, Mariposas, Troyes Dice, Hallertau, and Sherlock Files Vol 3. And the pie of the day be Pirate Pie, arrrr.

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? tom@dicetower.com

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Faiyum, Unlock: Mythic Adventures, Res Arcana (on BoardGameArena), Fantasy Realms, and Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits. Geoff concludes his series on solo games, and we celebrate a milestone episode with your questions and comments from the audio mailbag.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from The Op at TheOp.games

Eric joins Suzanne and Mandi to talk about Pusheen The Purrfect Pick Card Game, 7 Wonders and 7 Wonders Duel (on BGA), Escape Tales Children of Wyrmwood, The Whatnot Cabinet, Cantaloop, and Cosmic Colonies. They'll also serve up a Game Pie full of Friedemann Friese games.

In this episode, Tom and Eric discuss Unlock: Mythic Adventures, Cantaloop, Via Magica, Sleeping Gods, and Lucky Numbers. Geoff begins a series on Solo games, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we attempt to assemble a Top Ten Games that start with X.