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The Dice Tower

The Dice Tower

Tom Vasel, Julie Ahern, and Eric Summerer 872 episodes Nov 3, 2026

Tom Vasel and Eric Summerer take a look at board games, card games, and the people who design, publish, and play them. Top ten lists, Q&A, tales of horror, and more await you!

Episodes

At The Table with The Dice Tower - Spiel Utopia
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Spiel Utopia Nov 3, 2026 01:05:52 Eric has been to a local game convention, and Tom and Julie are back from Essen, and we all have stories to tell. We discuss how to reward game teachers, how Spiel's layout has improved, what games people ran for in Germany, and how much Döner Kabab Tom ate. Plus, we returned with a new batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Jet Lag and Other Ways to be Tired 01:51 -
At The Table with The Dice Tower Episode 082 - Essen Anticipation 2026
At The Table with The Dice Tower Episode 082 - Essen Anticipation 2026 Oct 20, 2026 56:10 Today, we look forward to the games being released at Spiel 2026 in Essen, Germany. We'll share insights on the games we've played already, and let you know what's at the top of our wishlists. 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - Dogs vs. Inflatables 02:00 - Dice Tower Cruises (Plural!), Dice Tower West and East 03:43 - Eric at Tabletop Utopia (and G.I. Joe Deckbuilding Game) 05:39 - Off to Spiel! Dice To
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Bursting at The Seams
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Bursting at The Seams Oct 6, 2026 01:08:18 Tom's been gaming, Julie's been gaming, and Eric will be gaming soon. The topic today is what happens when a game outgrows its original box. What do you do with too much gaming goodness? Plus, we have a double dose of Horror, and a usual quantity of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:54 - End of Summer: Essen, PAX, Cruise, Dice Tower West 02:47 - Tom at Dice Tower Retreat 03:54
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Come One, Come All!
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Come One, Come All! Sep 22, 2026 01:05:13 Tom kicks off the show by telling the tale of a church potluck that hid a surprise. We then continue our Game Night discussion by widening the scope to a larger community event at a local community center or library. The mailbag wonders what you should do when a small group at game night plays the same game every time, and we close the show with some new Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Intr
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Party Time, Excellent
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Party Time, Excellent Sep 8, 2026 01:01:04 This time, we discuss the finer points of hosting a game night. From the guest list, to the planned games, to what to do about the food, we attempt to answer what seems like a simple question from the mailbag. Also, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a healthy dose of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:49 - It's Vegas Time (Dice Tower West) 01:19 - Tom's Birthday and
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Mass Appeal
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Mass Appeal Aug 25, 2026 01:04:30 Tom takes a brief respite before the end-of-year events hit, and before we discuss "simple" versions of popular games intended for the Mass Market shelves. Then, we answer a bunch of questions from the mailbag before moving on to a new batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Hottest Days of the Year and Dice Tower West 02:06 - Too Many Games? 04:30 - Future Events: Spiel, PAX
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Whirlwind Trip
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Whirlwind Trip Aug 11, 2026 58:47 We're back from Gen Con with stories to tell! Lots of steps logged, games played, and high fives acquired. What were the big hits of the show, and where were we when the alarms went off? Plus, a completely normal amount of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:47 - Back from Gen Con 01:19 - Dice Tower West 02:07 - Biggest Gen Con Ever? and Construction 05:21 - What Did Gamers Run
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Prepping for Gen Con 2026
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Prepping for Gen Con 2026 Jul 28, 2026 01:03:50 This time, we're poised for Gen Con 2026 and making plans. Where will we be? What games do we want? What games do others want? Who is good at thumbs? All will be answered along with a sprinkling of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Busiest Time of the Year 02:01 - Where Can We Be Found? - Booth 249 04:09 - New at Cephalofair - Buttons and Bugs Expansion 06:07 - Getting Steps In 07:19 - Game B
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Inflatable Ice
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Inflatable Ice Jul 14, 2026 01:06:17 The team is back from Dice Tower East with stories to tell. What games were taught? What events ran well? What did Eric find in the library? Plus, we have a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a particularly pointy collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:46 - Games That Could Have Been Played at East 03:08 - Unloading from Dice Tower East 03:43 - Dice Tower East: General T
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Columbus Days
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Columbus Days Jun 30, 2026 01:02:32 Julie recounts her adventures at Origins 2026 before we delve into questions about Authenticity of Theme, Fan Interactions, and Teaching Race for the Galaxy. And of course, we close the show with a healthy dose of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Middle of the Year 03:59 - Last Minute Dice Tower East 04:32 - Julie at Origins 30:26 - Question: Teaching Race for the Galaxy 33:58
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Parallel Design
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Parallel Design Jun 16, 2026 01:00:09 Tom tells us about his adventures in The Philippines before we spark some discussion from a Tale of Boardgaming Horror: What do you do when you learn your game design is similar to a game that already exists? Plus, we dive into the bag of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops and pull out some winners. 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Senior Slacking Revisited 02:05 - Tom's Journey - Travel Woes 04:07 - All a
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Play The Book!
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Play The Book! Jun 2, 2026 01:09:16 Tom is out, so Eric and Julie discuss books that have become games: from public domain classics to the latest multi-million dollar bestseller tie-in. Plus, we approach our latest collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:00 - Introduction 00:48 - Where's Tom? 01:38 - Senior Slacking 04:18 - Dice Tower Events: East and Cruise 05:01 - Books Into Boardgames 46:27 - Winter Rabbit 56:08 - Seas of

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