Podcast appearances and mentions of eric summerer

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

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

Your hosts Chris Yi, Wendy Yi, and Eric Summerer start off your week with a variety show about board games and the people who play them.

This time, we start the show by making a soup correction. We then move on to reviews of Wraith and the Giants, Panda Royale, Conservas, and Roll For It before letting the D12 of Fate guide us to talking about Musical Games. Then, we close the show with our Doubles Review of Maestro Media's Donald Duck in Happy Camper. 00:33 - Soup Is Wild! (Critter Kitchen) 02:52 - Wraith and the Giants 08:58 - Panda Royale 12:38 - Conservas 18:44 - Roll for It 23:31 - The Big Roll: Musical Games 32:50 - Doubles Review: Donald Duck in Happy Camper ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

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

Your hosts Chris Yi, Wendy Yi, and Eric Summerer start off your week with a variety show about board games and the people who play them.

Brandt runs through his adventures at a local 24-hour game day, and the Con of Heroes in Minnesota, while Eric recounts his visit to game night at a coffee shop. We review Cabanga, The Crew: Family Adventure, Great Western Trail: El Paso, and Loco Momo. The D12 has us turning to Boardgamegeek.com, and we close the show with our Doubles Review of Critter Kitchen from Cardboard Alchemy. 00:33 - 24-Hour Game Day and Con of Heroes 03:53 - Coffee Spot Game Night 06:35 - Cabanga 11:07 - The Crew: Family Adventure 15:35 - Great Western Trail: El Paso 21:52 - Loco Momo 26:35 - The Big Roll: Board Game Geek 40:10 - Doubles Review: Critter Kitchen ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Endangered Australia Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grandgamersguild/endangered-australia Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

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  

This time, Brandt is already looking forward to Summer. We review Quixx, Seer's Catalog, This Game Is Killer, and Things in Rings before letting the D12 of Fate take the reins. Then things get messy. We then close out the show with our Doubles Review of the 2nd Edition of Ethnos from CMON. 00:33 - Summer is Coming. Do we play more games? 03:49 - Qwixx 09:05 - Seer's Catalog 13:39 - This Game Is Killer 17:51 - Things in Rings 25:33 - The Big Roll: Messy Games 37:28 - Doubles Review: Ethnos 2nd Edition ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Endangered Australia Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grandgamersguild/endangered-australia Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Tom is busy moving the studio, so Julie and Eric invite Robert Geistlinger from Arcane Wonders (and also Julie's husband) to join in a discussion about boardgame production. Where do the materials that go into our games come from? What do you look for in a manufacturer? And why doesn't everybody print their games in Cleveland? And of course, we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:52 - Where's Tom? and Who Is Robert? 03:08 - Announcements: Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 03:55 - Game Production: Why We're Not Discussing Tariffs 05:27 - Where Does the Material Come From? 11:41 - Where to Start? Price Point or Wish List of Features? 18:35 - How Long Does It Take For The Back-and-forth? 28:05 - What Else Are You Looking For Beyond Price? 37:31 - Why Not Just Make Everything in the US? 49:44 - Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops (a primer) 51:48 - The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints 57:23 - Stool Pigeon 1:01:00 - EXIT: The Hunt Through Amsterdam 1:04:26 - Dead Cells 1:06:48 - Stokerverse 1:12:53 - Saw: The Jigsaw Trials Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Episode 35 – Eric Summerer   Eric Summerer can be found on Twitter @EricSummerer, on The Dice Tower, and on his website.   Support us on Patreon Find us on Twitter @CultClassicPod Find us on Instagram @CultClassicCallbackLinsae Find more episodes at boardsalivepodcast.com/category/cult-classic-callback Theme song “Ghost Run” by Jean-Marc Giffin @JeanOfmArc

Brandt and Eric kick off the show by running through some of their non-boardgaming hobbies before moving on to reviews of Star Trek Captain's Chair, Great Western Trail: New Zealand, A Gentle Rain: Bloom Edition, and Gardlings. The Big Roll leads us to ask the question: How Important is the Look of a Game? Finally, we close the show with our Doubles Review of Monolith's Tower Up. 00:32 - Other Hobbies 05:11 - Star Trek Captain's Chair 11:03 - Great Western Trail: New Zealand 18:00 - A Gentle Rain: Bloom Edition 22:06 - Gardlings 28:09 - The Big Roll: How Important is the Look of a Game? 41:22 - Tower Up ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Today, we focus on what designers should do when they've built a design on an existing game. How much borrowing is too much borrowing? We also look ahead to some upcoming events, share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through our latest batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:49 - Tom's Apology 01:25 - Dice Tower Cruise and Dice Tower East 01:52 - Tom's Catan Update: Seafarers 02:53 - Upcoming: Studio Move, Origins, Greece, College Visits 03:55 - Building Your Game on an Existing Design 32:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:33 - Roaring 20s 43:42 - Mystery of the Abbey 50:30 - CULTivate 54:42 - Faraway 57:42 - Nocturne 1:01:25 - Wroth Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

The Dice Tower's Spring Spectacular kicks off with a tasty helping of Board Game Breakfast hosted by Chris Yi, Eric Summerer and Wendy Yi.

Brandt begins the show by putting Eric on the spot. We then move on to reviews of Beyond the Horizon, The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints, Critters at War, and Bacon. The d12 of Fate wants us to suggest good games to give as gifts, and our Doubles Review is Kinson Key's big new release, Galactic Cruise. 00:33 - Stack 'Em: The 7th Citadel vs Earth vs Horrified 05:29 - Beyond the Horizon 11:21 - The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints 16:05 - Critters at War 20:02 - Bacon 25:37 - The Big Roll: Good Gifting Games 37:12 - Doubles Review: Galactic Cruise ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Your hosts Chris Yi, Wendy Yi, and Eric Summerer start off your week with a variety show about board games and the people who play them.

We kick off this episode with some chit-chat regarding the moving of Dice Tower HQ, some upcoming events, Tom's efforts to impress the chef at a Japanese restaurant, and the most played games at Dice Tower West. A listener question leads us to discuss the layout of rulebooks and how best to do so. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a typical wave of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:53 - Moving the Studio 03:14 - Upcoming Events 03:52 - Tom at Dinner 07:26 - Most Played Games at Dice Tower West 12:50 - Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 13:23 - Rulebook Layout 36:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 45:57 - Catan 6th Edition 52:32 - Bad Apples 58:00 - Sentient 1:01:18 - Monkey Labs 1:03:02 - Ostia 1:05:58 - My Favorite Things Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Brandt and Eric discuss some recent gaming events before moving on to reviews of Freedom Five, Finspan, A Message From The Stars, and Café. The D12 of Fate wants us to talk about the age old debate between Competitive and Cooperative games, and our Doubles Review is Arcane Wonders' Video Game Champion. 00:48 - Brandt at Parkville Market 01:40 - Eric at Dice Tower West 04:02 - Freedom Five 10:21 - Finspan 14:58 - A Message From The Stars 21:19 - Café 27:56 - The Big Roll: Cooperative vs. Competitive 43:20 - Doubles Review: Video Game Champion ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Start off your week right with Eric Summerer, Wendy Yi, and Chris Yi. This episode, they'll discuss IPs that would tempt them into Magic the Gathering, some board game items that caught their eye, and discuss the old school game UNO.

This time, we are recording in person at Dice Tower West (with some new mics!). We talk specifics about our new-ish venue for DTW, and then get more general with a chat about our convention strategies and planning. The Tale of Boardgaming Horror is one for the ages, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, Hula Hoops, and Crossovers. 00:47 - Dice Tower West: Back at the Westgate 04:20 - Julie's Drive West 08:35 - Eric at APAC 09:41 - Tom at GAMA Expo and The Grand Canyon 13:09 - Hot Games 14:16 - Convention Strategy 33:47 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:26 - Critter Kitchen 44:29 - Spooktacular 49:03 - Moon Colony Bloodbath 51:42 - Galaxy Children Explorers 56:09 - Lata Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Start off your week right with Eric Summerer, Wendy Yi, and Chris Yi. This episode, they'll discuss TV shows that ended too soon, some board game items that caught their eye, and discuss the old school game of Rose King.

Ambie and Crystal discuss a couple games they played recently, including Slay the Spire: The Board Game and Flip 7. Then, we talk about our preparations (or lack thereof) for Dice Tower West and board game conventions in general. 0:00-Intro 0:42-Announcements 1:55-Recent Games - Slay the Spire: The Board Game 9:31-Flip 7 15:04-DTW and Conventions 28:13-Outro 29:16-Bloopers Join our discord Support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/boardgameblitz Or shop at our merch store or our Amazon Storefront This episode was sponsored by Grey Fox Games. Use the code "BLITZ10" to get 10% off your entire cart. Consolidated Links For the full show notes visit our site at http://www.boardgameblitz.com/posts/405

On today's show, Brandt gives a recap of the Marvel Champions event he hosted at his local FLGS before we move on to reviews of Finding Calm, Civolution, Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, and Asian Tigers. The d12 of Fate leads us on a journey to destroy the One Ring, and we close the show with our Doubles Review of Wizards and Co. 00:34 - Brandt's Marvel Champions Event 03:19 - Finding Calm 08:12 - Civolution 16:34 - Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 22:34 - Asian Tigers 34:33 - The Big Roll: Lord of the Rings Games 46:39 - Doubles Review: Wizards and Co. ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Holliday Hijinks Pledge Manager: https://grand-gamers-guild.pledgemanager.com/projects/holiday-hijinks-collection/participate/ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

This time, we're talking sports, and how game designers can best emulate them. Plus, Horror, Hula Hoops, Roses, and Thorns. 00:59 - Announcements: Dice Tower West and East 02:04 - Sports Boardgames 20:10 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 25:48 - Charcuterie 30:24 - 1 A.M. Jailbreak 33:07 - Helionox Chronicles 37:47 - Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 40:38 - Ostia 42:33 - Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

This time, the Brandt and Eric tackle Medieval Academy, Undaunted 2200 Calisto, Spike, and Dungeon Legends. The d12 of Fate spells MURDER... Mystery Party Games, and our Doubles Review is Endeavor Deep Sea. 00:35 - Shoutout: A Place for All My Books 02:27 - Medieval Academy 07:50 - Undaunted 2200: Calisto 15:21 - Spike 19:21 - Dungeon Legends 26:32 - The Big Roll: Murder Mystery Party Games 37:16 - Doubles Review: Endeavor Deep Sea ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Holliday Hijinks Pledge Manager: https://grand-gamers-guild.pledgemanager.com/projects/holiday-hijinks-collection/participate/ Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Chris Yi, Wendy Yi and Eric Summerer start off your week with a healthy breakfast consisting of some eye catchers, an old school game, and a top 10 list!

This time, Eric gives an update on his Middle School Game Night before the gang launches into a discussion of how playing games for tangible prizes changes the vibe at the table. Then, we move on to a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, check the mailbag, and share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Announcements: Gamefound, Dice Tower West 02:33 - Update on Eric's Middle School Game Night 03:54 - Raising the Stakes 25:08 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:54 - Question: Boardgaming's Golden Age? 36:24 - Question: Collecting from a Single Franchise? 38:30 - Endeavor Deep Sea 41:45 - Portmanteau 45:21 - Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game 48:58 - The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game 51:19 - Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 54:54 - Stomp the Plank --- Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

In this, our 50th, episode, we review Katmai, Creature Caravan, Wondrous Creatures, and Dandelions. The Big Roll leads us to talk about games with an awkward number of players, and we close the show with a Doubles Review of Castle Combo. 00:35 - We're 50! 02:24 - Katmai 08:44 - Creature Caravan 14:49 - Wondrous Creatures 22:04 - Dandelions 27:57 - The Big Roll: Awkward Number of Players 43:14 - Doubles Review: Castle Combo ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Chris Yi and Eric Summerer start off your week with a healthy breakfast consisting of some eye catchers, an old school game, and a top 10 list!

Tom complains about the cold before we all discuss forms of Table Talk. What just bends the rules, and what breaks the game? We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a couple of questions from the mailbag, and some new Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:40 - It's cold in Florida 01:41 - Gamefound - SupportDicetower.com 02:11 - Dice Tower East and West 03:00 - Table Talk 25:07 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:31 - Question: Social Deduction Games (Where Am I, Blood on the Clocktower) 38:38 - Question: Screen Printed Meeples 44:49 - Little Alchemists 46:50 - Star Realms Academy 48:34 - Azul Duel 50:50 - Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 53:28 - Rajas of the Ganges: Cards and Karma 56:47 - Unstoppable 1:00:07 - Catch the Moon

Eric kicks off the show by talking about some of the older games he played on the Dice Tower Cruise, while Brandt recalls his Marvel Champions Stream. We move on to reviews of Defenders of the Wild, The Smurfs: Hidden Village, Neon Reign, and A Nice Cuppa. The Big Roll leads us to talk about the moment we realize an acquaintance is not a gamer, and we finish the show with our Doubles Review of Quiet House. 00:36 - Eric on the Dice Tower Cruise 05:11 - Brandt's Marvel Champions Marathon 05:59 - Defenders of the Wild 12:11 - The Smurfs: Hidden Village 19:06 - Neon Reign 23:10 - A Nice Cuppa 29:38 - The Big Roll: When do you accept they're not a gamer? 40:26 - Doubles Review: Quiet House ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Chris Yi, Wendy Yi, and Eric Summerer host a rousing episode of Board Game Breakfast, the first of the new year! Maybe there's shenanigans to be had, hijinks to be found, and breakfast to be breakfasted.

On board the Dice Tower Cruise 2025, Tom, Julie, and Eric run through their holiday gaming opportunities. Julie asks how we prefer to to vacation, and we end the show with a bunch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops that we encountered on the ship. 00:44 - We're on a Ship 01:32 - Holiday Happenings 02:18 - Star Realms Rise of Empire 07:59 - Ito, Jackbox Games 09:28 - Hues and Cues 11:48 - Command of Nature 14:10 - Only Murders in the Building 17:55 - How Do You Vacation? 29:31 - My Father's Work 35:00 - Adventureland 39:38 - Cryptic Nature 41:09 - Beats and Cats 43:41 - Lure 46:20 - Bomb Busters

Eric Summerer, the Voice of the Dice Tower, shares his top 10 games of the year 2024!

Happy New Year! We start the show by recapping some of our New Year's Gaming activities before moving on to reviews of Gem Blenders, Power Grid Outpost, Fromage, and Word Traveler. The d12 of Fate has us discussing the meaning of the term "Train" Game, and we close the show with a Doubles Review of Fishing from 2F/Rio Grande Games. 00:35 - New Year's Gaming: Telestrations, Command of Nature 04:52 - Gem Blenders 09:42 - Power Grid Outpost 14:16 - Fromage 22:22 - Word Traveler (and Mystic Paths) 28:54 - The Big Roll: "Train" Games 41:41 - Doubles Review: Fishing ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Brandt and Eric take a look at the year that was 2024, but not before tackling reviews of Behext, Mistborne, The Last Lighthouse, and SETI. Also, Brandt has a correction about Star Trek Captain's Chair. 00:33 - Happy Holidays! 01:27 - A Correction about Star Trek Captain's Chair 03:22 - Behext 07:08 - Mistborn The Deckbuilding Game 13:44 - The Last Lighthouse 19:26 - SETI 27:37 - The Fixed Roll: 2024 in Review 28:27 - Eric's Nostalgia: Let's Go! to Japan, Crossbows and Catapults, TransFormers Robo Rally, Rock Hard 1977, Video Game Champion 30:05 - Brandt's Card Games: Star Wars Unlimited, Slay the Spire 31:54 - The 7th Citadel 32:16 - Innovative: Mandolorian Adventures 33:17 - Looking Forward: Ezra and Nehemiah, Tidal Blades 2, Fromage, Power Grid Outpost 34:48 - Events 40:30 - New To Us: Town Builder Coevorden, Challengers, Go Cuckoo, Light in the Mist, Voidfall, Gaia Project, Foundations of Rome, Glory to Rome 46:21 - How have we changed? ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

Julie and Eric spend some time recapping PAX Unplugged before all of us take a look at the year that was 2024. What was the easiest game to teach? The game that you'd best set aside a day to play? The Hoopiest Hula Hoop? All will be revealed, dear listener! 01:00 - PAX Unplugged Recap 14:03 - The Quiet House 16:49 - Star Trek TNG VCR Game 20:41 - 2024 as a Whole 29:25 - Best to Play at a Convention: Ito, Rock Hard 1977, Duck & Cover 31:40 - Best Theme: Rock Hard 1977, Mistwind, Kelp: Shark vs. Octopus 34:43 - Most Likely to be Gifted: Muppets Clue, Wicked 38:00 - Best Traveling Game: Seaside, Smug Owl, Ito 40:25 - Best Set Aside a Day For It Game: Tidal Blades 2, El Burro, Wandering Galaxy 45:13 - Easiest Teach/Learn: Cat Horror Costumes, Pixies, Ito 46:50 - Bonus Heavy Euro: Civolution 47:16 - Wanted to Play but Didn't: Power Grid Outpost, Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel, Paella Park, Pagan: Fate of Roanoke, Daitoshi 50:18 - Hoopiest Hula Hoop: Ziggurat, Slay the Spire, Panda Panda 53:51 - Sharpest Thorn: I Am Done, Clash of Galiformes, Unlock Kids 57:31 - Rosiest Rose: Star Wars Unlimited, Wyrmspan, The 7th Continent 59:22 - Anticipated for 2025 - Raas, Azul Duel, All My Books, The Elder Scrolls, Galactic Cruise Next Episode: January 14th, 2025 Tales of Horror? Questions? tom@dicetower.com

Brandt and Eric check in from PAX Unplugged 2024 with a recap of their adventures on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the event. You'll hear about games played, putts made, concerts attended, axes thrown, and surprisingly we don't mention cheesesteaks once. 00:32 - Weird Hums and PAX Intro 02:12 - Train Ride and Trash Cult 05:51 - Tech-Infused Mini Golf 08:16 - PASS 10:27 - Codinca 13:41 - Doomlings 16:15 - Christmas Market 18:06 - PAX Crowd Control 22:41 - Bus Learn and Play 24:32 - Star Trek: TNG VCR Game Mega Life Arena 26:28 - Fateforge 27:57 - Port Royale 29:14 - 10-Person Escape Room 31:13 - The Vibe 35:54 - Zenith 37:59 - Cafe and Lata 41:57 - Azul Duel 44:06 - Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game 46:34 - Chemical Overload 46:54 - TCGs and UniVersus 50:27 - Paul and Storm and Jonathan Coulton Concert 53:11 - Axe Throwing ___ Check out our Sponsor: https://grandgamersguild.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RightBrainRollers Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/914270393090805 Discuss in our BGG forum: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4193

This time, Eric is looking for advice from Julie and Tom about running a game night at his son's Middle School. How deep a hole has he dug for himself? Plus, a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a question from the Listener Mailbag, and a bouquet of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:47 - Dice Tower Winter Spectacular 02:24 - Tom's Anniversary Cruise, Audiobooks, and Subtitles 03:52 - 2025 Gamefound Campaign 04:27 - Eric's Middle School Game Night 23:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 28:28 - Listener Question: Our Changing Review Perspectives 31:11 - I Am Done (Quick Mention) 37:56 - Point of View 41:05 - The Smurfs Hidden Village 45:17 - Cottage Garden 47:19 - Distilled: Africa and Middle East 50:32 - Penguin Party Questions? Tales of Horror? Send to Tom at tom@dicetower.com.

Tom, Julie, and Eric share some Thanksgiving recipes before launching into a discussion of how designers tackle the theme of cooking in games. We have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror that pushes our Angry Button, and we close the show with a Thorn-heavy set of games played. 00:57 - Announcements: Dice Tower East, West, and Cruise 2026 02:22 - Thanksgiving Recipes 05:17 - Cooking Games 07:41 - Cooking: Press Your Luck (Quacks of Quedlinburg, Vegetable Stock) 09:55 - Cooking: Spatial Games (License to Grill) 12:52 - Cooking: Dexterity (A La Carte, Piazza Rabazza) 16:28 - Cooking: Real Time (Wok Star, Kitchen Rush) 19:05 - Cooking: Set Collection (Burger Up, Morels) 21:33 - Cooking: More from Tom (Mamma Mia, Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy, Hibachi, Comsumption: Food and Choices, Sweet Mess, Wok and Roll, Wild Gardens) 27:38 - Cooking: Favorite Mechanisms 29:14 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 34:44 - Witchdom 38:15 - Witchcraft 41:28 - Worms: The Board Game 44:32 - Crossbows & Catapults: Fortress War 47:12 - Refuge 49:09 - Civolution

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss some Thanksgiving plans before reacting to some recent manufacturing trends in the boardgame industry, from environmentally friendly choices, to the insistance that every game have a custom insert. Our Tale of Boardgaming Horror is a case of mistaken identity, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:02 - Shipping in the Game Box 01:45 - Thanksgiving 03:22 - PAX Unplugged and Christmas Videos 04:03 - All the Kickstarters are Delivering At Once 05:53 - Production Trends: Giant Rulebooks 07:33 - Self-Assembled Multi-Layered Boards 11:08 - Puzzle vs. Folded Boards and Other Board Trends 13:23 - Environmentally Friendly Choices: Stickers 15:13 - Bands and Paper Wrap Around Cards 17:18 - Paperboard Inserts 21:09 - Rewood 23:56 - Kallax as a Measure of Size 25:48 - Plastic Inserts 33:56 - Plastic Wrap on Punchboards 35:26 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 41:00 - Lords of Vegas 45:59 - EXIT Advent: The Missing Hollywood Star 48:32 - The Coldest Night 52:26 - Arbolito 55:04 - SETI 58:14 - Kronologic Paris 1920

This time, Tom looks forward to the CMON Expo, while Eric and Julie talk about their plans for PAX Unplugged. We discuss best practices for publishers when they know an expansion is coming. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a Spooky set of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:58 - Announcements: Dice Tower West, PAX Unplugged 02:55 - Tom at CMON Expo 03:52 - Planning for Expansions 32:00 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 40:28 - Flashback: Lucy 44:08 - Ghosts Can't Draw 48:26 - Cat Horror Costumes 53:27 - Vampire Nights 58:06 - The Thing 1:02:58 - 8-Legged Peacock

Tom and Julie are back from Germany with stories to tell. We talk about the crowds, events, snacks, and games of Spiel before shuffling through a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror. And we close the show with some of our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:02 - Back-to-Back WSBG and Spiel 06:10 - Crowds at Spiel 11:23 - Tom and Julie Together (Briefly) 13:33 - New Management Changes 17:28 - First Look Area 21:34 - Games at the Fair 25:24 - Dice and Mystics Meetup 27:07 - Punching Games 27:34 - Hottest Designer and Hot Games 28:47 - Small Games 30:09 - Accessories and Art 31:20 - Snack Draft and Food 33:27 - Joy in Interaction 34:54 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 38:03 - 1 A.M. Jailbreak 41:29 - Aerodome: Rising Horizons 45:39 - Ito 51:14 - Conservas 55:32 - Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 58:55 - Betakkuma's Fart & Furious

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric tackle the world of print boardgame journalism by listing their favorite gaming magazines, past and present. Our new Tale of Horror only tells half of the story, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:10 - Announcements: World Series of Boardgaming and Spiel 02:39 - What Was Our First Podcast? 04:39 - Boardgame Magazines: Still a Thing? 06:24 - Is Print Superior? 09:53 - Early Titles: Wargaming, White Dwarf, The General 12:35 - GAMES Magazine 13:04 - Spielbox 13:26 - Game Trade Magazine 16:25 - Knucklebones 17:10 - Promos in Magazines 19:49 - Trade Magazines 20:12 - Casual Game Insider 21:30 - Trades and "Review Ads" 25:32 - Sumo and Counter 26:32 - Senet 28:09 - Snowbright Studios 30:02 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 34:57 - Milkman 40:39 - Wondrous Creatures 43:26 - Parsely: Dangertown Beatdown 47:52 - Xylotar 51:00 - You Gotta Be Kitten Me! 54:32 - Coyote --- BGG's Magazine Wiki: boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Game_Magazines

Tom and Eric learn that they've known Julie longer than they remember. Then, we discuss the ways local game stores recoup the cost of the play space they provide. We delve into a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:44 - Announcements: Dice Tower West 03:06 - Tom, Julie, and Eric's First Meeting 03:56 - Table Space at Your Local Store 27:06 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 36:20 - King of Tokyo Duel 40:07 - Spotlight 43:34 - Vampire Village 47:20 - Lure 49:05 - HiFi 51:41 - Gardlings

Tom, Julie, and Eric remember their various Gen Con adventures, as well as looking back at some recent Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:00 - Announcements: Dice Tower West, Dice Tower District 02:43 - Gen Con - Keeping Your Voice vs. Getting Sick 04:04 - Gen Con - Attendence and Crowds 06:34 - Gen Con - Sprawling Events 09:58 - Gen Con - Games at the Zoo? 12:05 - Gen Con - Small Vendor Hallway 14:42 - Gen Con - Artwork and Plushies and Pins 19:03 - Gen Con - Too Many Things to Do 21:59 - Gen Con - Awards Show 24:58 - Gen Con - Julie's Events 30:32 - Gen Con - Tom's Panel 31:25 - Gen Con - Sell-Out Titles 37:43 - Gen Con - Too Much Tea 39:43 - Gen Con - Impulse Buys 41:31 - Gen Con - The Escape 46:06 - Landmarks 49:16 - Warp and Weft 51:16 - Seaside 53:19 - Blood on the Clocktower 57:26 - Zoomies 1:00:16 - Rock Hard 1977

Tom, Julie, and Eric start looking forward to their next convention adventures now that Gen Con is done (though, since we're recording before Gen Con, we can't discuss anything that happened there just yet). We focus on the joy of playing older games, especially with players who haven't experienced them before. We delve into the Tale of Horror vault, as well as answer a listener question about how to pick what we play, and what to do when we choose poorly. Finally, we close the show with Roses, Thorns, Hula Hoops, and Advice for Eric. 00:48 - News and Announcements - Dice Tower West and Cruise, Dice Tower District 02:50 - Teaching and Playing Older Games 17:45 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 22:33 - Listener Question - How to Pick What to Play 32:56 - Cities 36:20 - Clash of Magic Schools 42:11 - Things in Rings 45:14 - Sand 48:37 - AI Space Puzzle 51:14 - The Mandalorian Adventures 56:26 - Eric's Going to Try Blood on the Clocktower

Tom, Julie, and Eric look back at Dice Tower East, and look forward to Gen Con, including which events they'll be at, and what games they're looking forward to. And, pressed for time, they share a Rose, Thorn, or Hula Hoop that will be available at Gen Con. 00:49 - Who Is Julia Hern? 02:13 - Dice Tower East Recap - Events 10:35 - Dioce Tower East - Library Games 23:19 - Gen Con - Where We'll Be 37:47 - Gen Con - Games to See and/or Buy 38:25 - Rock Hard 1977 40:13 - Horrified: World of Monsters 40:50 - Fromage 41:53 - Cascadia Rolling Hills and Nocturne (Because Foxes) 42:15 - Boop the Halls (Because Boop) 42:42 - Dice Tower Essentials (Aquatica Expansion, Foundations of Metropolis, Comic Hunters) 44:07 - Gateway Island 45:41 - Space Games for Eric: Star Trek: Captain's Chair, Wandering Galaxy, Flickering Stars 48:41 - Hello Kitty Day at the Park 51:41 - Wrath of Fire Mountain 54:00 - Go Cucoo 56:40 - Mistwind --- BGG Gen Con Preview: https://boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/67/gen-con-2024-preview

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the results of the Origins Awards, and share the nominees for The Dice Tower Awards' Game of the Year. Julie tells us about her trip to Origins (and Tom pines for ice cream), and we ponder the dos and don'ts of upgrading your boardgame pieces. Then, we finish the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:17 - Gen Con Plans (Booth 331) 02:29 - Origins Awards and Dice Tower Nominees 11:46 - Julie at the Origins Game Fair 29:33 - Upgrading Pieces 48:50 - Captain Flip 50:28 - Cities 54:02 - Arraial 58:17 - This Game is Killer 1:00:58 - Pandemic Hot Zone: North America 1:03:18 - The Fog: Escape from Paradise

Tom and Eric congratulate Julie on her successful move, which leads to a discussion on keeping your collection to a reasonable size (so you don't have to move as much). We run through the nominees for the Spiel des Jahres (Germany's Game of the Year awards), answer some questions from the mailbag, and share our recent Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:53 - School Schedules 02:17 - Con Schedules - Gen Con Booth 331 04:46 - Julie's Move: Transport Logistics and Culling Strategy 21:47 - Spiel des Jahres 31:46 - The Dice Tower Awards Show 33:08 - Mailbag: Game unplayed the longest? 38:26 - Mailbag: Unplayed favorites? 42:40 - Ticket to Ride Legacy 47:15 - Fish & Katz 49:20 - Super Kawaii Pets 51:08 - Shobu 54:14 - Windmill Valley 57:06 - Invincible: The Hero-Building Game