This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss the pitfalls of April Fools gags before highlighting the highs and lows of bargain hunting. We confront a listener-submitted dilemma from the mailbag, and we share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

00:45 - Cruise Hype and an Unexpected Musical Rant

02:21 - April Fools Annoyance

12:12 - Bargain Hunting

29:25 - Question: Avoid the Game or the Person?

36:05 - Spark Riders 3000

42:36 - Primal: The Awakening

45:56 - Blueprints

48:30 - Cryptid Cafe

50:49 - Eppi

57:36 - Flashback: Zombie Kids

Tom, Julie, and Eric revisit last episode's question about auction games by looking at their favorite auction mechanisms, and look forward to Julie's and Eric's events at Dice Tower East. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

01:23 - Staying Up Late and Dice Tower West

03:29 - Looking Forward to Dice Tower East

07:00 - 36-Hour Marathon

08:07 - Auction Mechanisms

33:32 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror

37:52 - Xylotar

41:17 - The 7th Citadel

49:39 - Cleocatra

53:40 - Expressions

57:25 - Hissy Fit

59:53 - My Parents Might Be Martians

This time, we are LIVE at Dice Tower West 2024 in Las Vegas in front of a convention audience to discuss our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops, pit three games in a Vegas-themed Showdown, share a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and take questions from the audience.

01:04 - News for Dice Tower West 2025

03:17 - Games Tom Taught

04:26 - Eric Plays Wyrmspan

05:52 - What's Julie Been Doing?

07:33 - Way Too Many Cats

11:38 - Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux

13:45 - Paris: La Cité de la Lumière

17:27 - Mr. Jack

19:54 - Challengers: Beach Cup

22:47 - Video Game Champion

29:36 - Showdown Intro

30:27 - Vegas Showdown

31:19 - Lords of Vegas

33:52 - Vabanque

36:22 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror

41:12 - What is our favorite Stonemaier Game?

41:58 - Where does Tom keep his hats?

42:39 - What are our favorite Auction Games?

44:23 - What was our favorite non-gaming Vegas experience?

47:41 - What game surprised us after having low expectations?

50:24 - Do we implement house rules/post-release fixes?

54:54 - What is a good travel-sized deck-building game?

57:28 - What are our spouses' favorite games?

Tom, Julie, and Eric share their excitement for Dice Tower West. Tom and Eric have been playing Collectable Card Games with their kids, while Julie played games in a castle. We share some industry news about the former designers at Prospero Hall, as well as a Tale of Horror that leads to a discussion about Math Trades. And we close the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

00:45 - Dice Tower West and our Live Show

04:34 - Hot Games at DTW

09:51 - Tempest Workshop

13:19 - Playing CCGs with Our Kids

22:44 - Hoop and Stick at Ravenwood Castle

32:20 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror - Math Trades

43:18 - Hecken Good Dogs

50:51 - Wyrmspan

55:34 - Unlock: Legendary Adventures

59:46 - Mythic Mischief

1:02:47 - Spectral

1:05:04 - Penny Dreadfuls of Victorian London

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric remember their gaming habits in college. Also, we look at the motivation for a publisher to "rescue" a failed crowdfunding campaign. Eric gets worked up with a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

01:33 - Dice Tower West and Live At The Table (Saturday 3/9 at 1pm)

04:33 - "Rescuing" a Crowdfunding Campaign

27:01 - Our Gaming in College

40:25 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror

45:26 - Wordcraft

49:21 - Expressions

52:54 - Maps of Misterra

56:27 - Doctor Who Magic the Gathering

1:03:37 - ...and then we held hands

1:05:20 - Sky Team

This time, Tom, Julie, and Eric look back at the work of the Prospero Hall design studio, as well as answering a question about travel games, and presenting a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror. Plus, those Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

01:31 - Popular Games on the Dice Tower Cruise

03:31 - Waiting to Get New Games

06:35 - The Work of Prospero Hall

27:05 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror

32:08 - Question: Travel Games

39:20 - Dominion (app)

42:11 - Santa's Workshop

42:36 - Anotheer Christmas Romance Movie

45:52 - Light in the Mist

47:57 - Super Kawaii Pets

49:30 - Wandering Towers

52:58 - The Cathedral of Orleans

55:29 - Reprint News: Comic Hunters and Video Game Champion

Recorded in the main dining hall on the Oasis of the Seas, Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss games they played in the pre-cruise event and first few hours of sailing, and also share advice on giving feedback to game designers after playing their prototype.

00:41 - Recording in Person?!?

02:07 - The Vale of Eternity

03:40 - Pre-Cruise Gaming and Taking Over Public Spaces

04:58 - Vaalbara

07:58 - Cheers to the Governor

13:55 - Diced Veggies

17:28 - Ready, Set, Bet (briefly)

17:41 - Mamma Mia

18:21 - Blob Party and other "dough" games

21:53 - Giving Feedback on Prototypes

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