Shortly after this episode releases, the fine folks at Steve Jackson Games are releasing the long awaited 2nd Edition of Munchkin! As better explained on BackerKit, this new edition promises faster setup and gameplay, gold pieces to help sell items for levels, and reference cards so you don't need to pass around a Cheeto-stained rulebook any time there's a rules question.

Best of all — all the art is still being done by guest of the pod, John Kovalic!

To get the scoop, we're joined by the game dev behind the curtain to whom dreamers should pay no mind — the almighty and powerful Oz himself, Will Schoonover. Listen in and and get ready to back a game that could use a fresh coat of paint, even if promises to remain largely backward compatible.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Starting this Thursday, January 15, you can attend PAGE 3 in the Philly suburbs! To get you ready, we're talking with a special guest and a creator who will be at this year's show.

First up, we have Mike Shea a/k/a The Lazy Dungeon a/k/a Sly Flourish, who is one of the special guest at PAGE 3 this year.

• Visit his website!
• Shop at his bookstore!
• Listen to his podcast after this one!
• Join his social media of the future... a mailing list!

Next, we have Wythe from Stillfleet Studio, vendor of fine games that use their Grit System, like:

• The titular Stillfleet
• Blister Critters
• Danse Macabre

Listen to their podcast Why We Roll, where Wythe and Chris have in-depth conversations with professional game designers with a focus on contemporary indie TTRPGs. At PAGE 3, Stillfleet is running games with tickets available that you can find at the following link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben tell you everything you wanted to know about running events at Gen Con but were too afraid to ask.

Key links include:

• Gen Con Events Page: https://www.gencon.com/events 
• Gen Con EO/GM Portal: https://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm  
• New GM Page: https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/newgm 
• Gen Con Event Host Policy: https://files.gencon.com/genconeventhostpolicy.pdf

And if you want to interact with your hosts, why not join our Discord server?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are getting you ready for the third annual Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo, known to all as PAGE 3! Both your hosts will be in attendance, elevating this show to such rarified air as Gen Con and Origins. These are the things getting them excited:

• Down the Dark Stairway Shadowdark Mega-Event
• PAGE Charity Auction
• Draw Steel with one of its creators
• Secrets of Glass Shard Beach for the kids on bikes at heart
• Wardens of the Eastern Marches events, mostly sold out
• Try the new Trinamyk RPG
• How to Play Doomtown on Sunday
• How Gaming Cons Have Changed Over the Last 60 Years by that Matt Shoemaker
• The Good in Games World Premier Documentary
• Cosplaying your Character with Brett King
• Defining the Star Wars Universe with Bill Slavicsek
• History of Palladium Books with Kevin Simebieda and Friends
• Yeet Vs. Appendix N

... and many, many more!

But first, a short tribute to the Curmudgeon in the Cellar himself, Tim Kask... somehow taken from us still too soon at 75. But second, listen in to find Quarex in Maryland this week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Ben T. Barackus talks with the following vendors at BGG Con using his real life press badge:

• Steve Jackson Games, makers of Purrfect Potions, Car Wars, and just about any flavor of Munchkin that a brand is willing to license
• BGG Store, the online storefront for Board Game Geek and fine purveyors of the BGG GeekUp Bit Sets
• James S. Cole, publisher of Zombie: Survivor Infection

... and many more!

We want to thank our many dreamers, new and old, for a wonderful and record breaking new year, and you can expect more hard hitting convention in 2026.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special Boxing Day release, our dreamers get five more interviews with creators in the indie RPG design space who came to PAX Unplugged!

• Brian Liberge, designer of fine RPGs like Last Kiss, an RPG where you play teens facing the end of the world
• Tiger Wizard, the head mage of Exalted Funeral, publisher of punk rock and doom metal RPGs like Mausritter, Land of Eem, and the only Monty Python game you'll want to play
• Metal Steve of The Metal Steve, who was playtesting his forthcoming game Band on Tour with the help of a deck of cards!
• Ryland Garnett, designer of Food & Evil, the food truck RPG game coming to Backerkit in February through past exhibit hall guest of the pod Goosepoop Games
• Stephen from AED Publishing, who was showing off the quickstart guide for The 5th Conspiracy RPG, an urban fantasy where everything people believe in is real because of your attention.

Like Ben's train from BWI before PAX Unplugged.... you won't want to miss it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, our dreamers can unwrap an early Xmas gift — five interviews, hung with care from the All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions' chimney. In each gift box, you can listen to the following creators in the board game and miniatures space:

• Christopher from the always amazing Capstone Games, who just released the weird Wild West wrestling game Rowdy Partners
• Mike from Rock Manor Games, publishers of the award winning Set a Watch, who are now bringing Spanish language games to the English market
• Anjuli from My Mini Factory, who not only provides a marketplace for creators to design the , but was showing off the prototype for the box set of Fighting Fantasy by Sir Ian Livingstone
• Hermes from Boken Games, who was showing off their prototype of Song of the Wildkin miniatures game at the Addax Games booth
• James from Druid City Games, who was showing off the Off with their Heads roll and reveal, Tidal Waves 2 board game and RPGs, Wonderlands War, and Madcala

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just in time to get excited for Gen Con 2026 event and badge season! Listen in as Aimee of the Pod, Aimee interviews Rachel, Bethany, Drake, Jayden & Lily, NotThatDrake, and Vino Veritas from around the Indiana Convention Center!

As an added bonus: We have gone back and rehabilitated some of our interview with Munchkin Champion of the Pod, Diana. No promises at the sound quality, but it's an improvement on Episode 147 and provides some background on how one might win a world championship at Gen Con.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben review a gaming convention we didn't attend: BGG CON in Dallas, TX!

The flagship convention from the Board Game Geek team, this is perhaps the largest and most preeminent of the gameslibrarycons in the US. It also happened on the same weekend as PAX Unplugged, meaning that we weren't able to make the convention.

One of your own was in attendance, and he helped us cover it as a member of the media! We're so grateful that dreamer Ben T. Barrackus could join us so we could add BGG Con to our coverage roster.

Don't forget to send in your Dreamer Dispatches using this Google Form and maybe you can also be our far flung press corps!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On our second longest episode to date, Quarex and Ben provide you with all the conventions you'll want to check out during the first third of 2026, including:

Super MAG Fest, Winter WGG Con, Windy City Skirmish, Geekway Mini, Tundracon, Midwinter Gaming Con, SnowCon, AdamCon, PAGE 3, Chattanooga Rail Gaming Challenge, RiverCityCon, Star City Games Con, VerminCon, Winter Offensive, Winterfest Wargaming XXVIII, CaptainCon, Winter War, Aggie Con, Winter Fantasy, Cold Wars, CapriCon, Atlanta Game Fest, TantrumCon, Chuck-A-Thon, Games with Trains, Decepta Con, DunDraCon, Polar Vortex, Genghis Con, Escape Winter Con, Total ConFusion, Dreamation, PrezCon Winter Nationals, GAD-CON, Hoop and Stick Con, Marmalade Dog, Intercon, GAMA EXPO, Granite Game Summit, Blerd Con, Buckeye Game Fest, Dice Tower West, Kenny Con, Unpub Fest, Atlanta Scifi and Fantasy Expo, Awesome Con, Gary Con, Ground Zero Games East Coast Convention XXVIII, Adepticon, PAX East, NerdFest, Friends Across the Board, Circle DC, Chaosium Con, D8 Summit Charity Gaming Convention, TAG Con, OSR Con, Who’s Yer Con, Final 3 Con, Warhammer Spring Retreat, Raven Con, Midwest Gaming Classic, Final Boss Con, Dave Con, and Congress of Gamers Spring Session. 

Internationally, you can attend Unboxed Game Fest 2.0 (Ahmedabad, India), Warpcon (Cork, Ireland), Breakout Con (Toronto, Canada), Luxcon (Luxembourg), Calgary Expo (Calgary, Canada), and Mega XP (Mexico City, Mexico).

As promised, you can read the DunDraCon History at this following link: https://www.dundracon.com/DDC_History.php 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.