Podcast · 31 episodes
The Dice Tower
by Tom Vasel, Julie Ahern, and Eric Summerer · English
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!
Latest episodes
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Come One, Come All!Planning and running larger, open game community events (beyond small home meetups): where to host, how to advertise, how to set expectations (ages, food, game appropriateness, behavior), whether to…22 Sep 2026 · 1 h 5 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Party Time, ExcellentHosting a successful board game night (especially one-offs), emphasizing clear expectations, matching the guest list to the goal, planning game length, handling multiple tables, and deciding…8 Sep 2026 · 1 h 1 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Mass AppealThe Dice Tower hosts discuss the trend of “mass market” board games that are simplified versions of hobby games—lower rules complexity, smaller boxes, fewer components, and cheaper price…25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 5 min
All episodes
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Come One, Come All!Planning and running larger, open game community events (beyond small home meetups): where to host, how to advertise, how to set expectations (ages, food, game appropriateness, behavior), whether to…22 Sep 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 24 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Party Time, ExcellentHosting a successful board game night (especially one-offs), emphasizing clear expectations, matching the guest list to the goal, planning game length, handling multiple tables, and deciding…8 Sep 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 23 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Mass AppealThe Dice Tower hosts discuss the trend of “mass market” board games that are simplified versions of hobby games—lower rules complexity, smaller boxes, fewer components, and cheaper price…25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 31 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Whirlwind TripThe Dice Tower crew recaps Gen Con 2024 (“Whirlwind Trip”): what they saw and played, how the convention’s crowds and Thursday rush worked, standout fan culture (cosplay, pins, trinkets), and a…11 Aug 2026 · 59 min · 32 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Prepping for Gen Con 2026The Dice Tower hosts discuss their Gen Con 2026 plans, where to find Dice Tower staff/booths, what’s new at Cephalofair and their own booths, and then run through an anticipated-games list (mostly…28 Jul 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 39 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Inflatable IceDice Tower East recap (Orlando, 2026) and convention logistics; library reorganization; dexterity events (inflatable curling, Flap Attack); Parsley jungle text-adventure; teaching highlights;…14 Jul 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 30 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Columbus DaysThe Dice Tower hosts discuss Origins and other mid-year convention updates, then answer a mailbag question set, then trade “roses, thorns, and hula hoops” game reviews.30 Jun 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 26 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Parallel DesignThe Dice Tower hosts discuss (1) Tom’s travel and convention experiences in the Philippines, then (2) “parallel design” in board games—how designers can accidentally create games too similar to…16 Jun 2026 · 1 h · 25 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Play The Book!Books adapted into board games, focusing on lit RPG and other literary IPs; how public-domain vs living authors vs estates affect licensing, art, and approvals; and what makes certain adaptations…2 Jun 2026 · 1 h 9 min · 23 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Legacy SchmegacyThe Dice Tower crew discusses what makes a legacy game “legacy,” why players try to reset or avoid permanence, and how that affects the intended discovery experience.19 May 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 29 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Hype It UpManaging “hype trains” for games—how publishers build enthusiasm before release, avoid long silence after crowdfunding, handle leaks/timing, and what consumers should do to not overpay or overexpect.5 May 2026 · 1 h · 18 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - To Go OrderTraveling with games “to-go” (bags, carry strategies, small-footprint games), plus a board-gaming etiquette horror story and several game recommendations.21 Apr 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 29 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Julie and The Giant TeachDice Tower hosts discuss board gaming convention prep and “horror” from a bad first play of Galactic Cruise, then cover “Vassal’s Law” (great games eventually get reprinted) using Restoration Games’…7 Apr 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 22 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Dice Tower West 2026In this lively episode of "The Dice Tower," hosts Tom Vasel, Julie Ahern, and Eric Summerer broadcast live from Dice Tower West in Las Vegas.24 Mar 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 29 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Dude That's HeavyIn this episode of *The Dice Tower*, hosts Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, and Julie Ahern discuss the weight of board games, their recent experiences at various conventions, and share community questions…10 Mar 2026 · 58 min · 18 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Crowd ControlIn this episode of *The Dice Tower*, hosts Tom Vasel and Eric Summerer discuss their experiences with epic game events at conventions, dive into the differences between digital and in-person gaming,…24 Feb 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 30 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - All Ashore!A podcast about board games, card games, and the people behind them, featuring top ten lists, Q&A segments, and insightful discussions.10 Feb 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 25 chapters
At The Table with The Dice Tower - When It All Goes WrongIn this episode, hosts Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, and Julie Ahern discuss the complications that arise from production errors in board games once they are released.29 Jan 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 33 chapters
At The Table With The Dice Tower - Party Like It's 2006Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, Julie Ahern13 Jan 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 23 chapters
At The Table With The Dice Tower - Looking Back at 2025In this year-end episode, hosts Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, and Julie Ahern reflect on their gaming experiences in 2025.16 Dec 2025 · 53 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Re-RoleIn this episode, Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, and Julie Ahern continue their exploration of role-playing games (RPGs) that incorporate popular board game mechanisms.2 Dec 2025 · 1 h 2 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Role CallIn this episode, Tom Vasel and Eric Summerer explore the connections between role-playing games (RPGs) and board games, discussing mechanics and themes that appeal to role players.18 Nov 2025 · 1 h 5 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower - Essen Adventures 2025Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, Julie Ernst4 Nov 2025 · 1 h 6 min
At The Table with The Dice Tower: The Games of Essen 2025In this episode of "The Dice Tower," hosts Tom Vasel, Eric Summerer, and Julie Ahern discuss their plans for attending the Essen Spiel 2025 board game convention.21 Oct 2025 · 57 min