The Dice Tower

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 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