Dice Exploder

TranscriptThe first ever Dice Exploder game jam came to a close about a month ago, and today I sit down with the three hooligans from the discord who put it together and go through some of our favorite entries. If Dice Exploder is a show about concrete examples, this episode is as Dice Exploder as it gets.All the games we talk about are pretty short, so it should be easy to follow along at home. Check out all the jam submissions here.Thanks to Audrey Stolze (aka Lady Tabletop), Chris Greenbriar, and Sam Roberts for running the jam!Further Reading:Game Exploder full list of entriesSam D's late entry: World Ending Game (Sam's Version)SocialsSam D on Bluesky and itch.Sam R's game Escape from Dino Island.Audrey on ⁠Tumblr⁠, and her podcast ⁠Alone at the Table⁠ about solo games.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptWhat if your D&D adventuring party settled down and opened a tavern, and the vibes went from dragon murderers to Bob’s Burgers? That's my pitch for Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern, one of my favorite RPGs. It's currently on Backerkit, and you should check it out.This week I'm talking about a super simple unnamed mechanic from Stewpot, and presumably other games before it, that's inspired much of my own work: everyone goes around and adds a detail about the scene at hand or whatever we're talking about. Simple but effective.I think of this mechanic, and Stewpot generally, as especially welcoming to people new to the hobby. And so I brought on my favorite new to the hobby person: Lee Conrads, acclaimed theater director (there's a lot of theater and audience theory in this one) and also my spouse. It's a very special episode.Further Reading:The Stewpot backerkit campaignCircle X theater companyGreat Reckonings in Little RoomsComedy Book by Jesse David FoxSocialsSam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptIs sharing music with your friends an RPG? It sure is when you're playing Avery Alder's game Ribbon Drive. Takuma Okada, the designer of Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern (⁠on Backerkit right now⁠), joins me this week to talk about music, contemplation, and unconventional ways to inspire players.Further Reading:⁠Ribbon Drive⁠⁠Spindlewheel⁠Everything Is Illuminated, the book and film⁠Ten Candles⁠⁠Dread⁠⁠Star Crossed⁠⁠Our Radios Are Dying⁠⁠Void 1680 AM⁠Sam’s ⁠playlist⁠ from playing Ribbon Drive⁠The Awards⁠ website⁠The Awards interview on Yes Indie'd⁠SocialsTakuma on Twitter and Bluesky.Sam on ⁠Bluesky⁠ and ⁠itch⁠.The Dice Exploder blog is at ⁠diceexploder.com⁠Our logo was designed by ⁠sporgory⁠, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the ⁠Dice Exploder Discord⁠ to talk

Transcripts are available at diceexploder.comPeople talk a lot about how and whether RPGs emulate TV and movies, but this week cohost Meguey Baker (Apocalypse World, Under Hollow Hills) brings in a game that takes that sentiment to a compelling meta level. Fan Mail, from Primetime Adventures by Matt Wilson, is the core of the game's key metaphor: that players are simultaneously writers of a TV show, fans watching that show, and the characters portrayed on screen. We talk about the storygame scene in the early 2000s, how Primetime Adventures has influenced Meg's work, and how different this mechanic can feel in a one shot vs a full campaign.This game feels like a classic. I wish I'd known about it ten years ago.Further Reading:Primetime Adventures by Matt WilsonThe Revolution Was Televised by Alan SepinwallInspecters by Jared SorensenA Thousand and One Nights by Meguey BakerRitual in Game Design by Meguey BakerMeguey & Vincent’s new game Under Hollow HillsSocialsMeg on Twitter and Bluesky.The Baker family blog and games.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptWhat's the deal with Playbooks? That's a question that's way too big for one episode. But Moe Poplar, of the RPG Academy podcast Show & Tell, had a very particular effect of playbooks that he wanted to talk about on the show today: how playbook choice can be a line of communication between players, GM, and designer.This is one of those episodes that's as much play advice as it is about design. I should do more of those.Further Reading:Monster of the WeekBlades in the DarkSocialsMoe’s website, including his games.Moe’s podcast via The RPG Academy, Show & TellSam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptThis week, now that the part of season 3 that was funded by Kickstarter is over, I’ve got a treat for you: the backers-only bonus episode with Mikey Hamm, designer of Slugblaster. You didn’t think I was gonna just hold on to an episode this good forever, did you? It’s the show’s namesake mechanic!Mikey is currently Kickstarting Two-Hand Path, a solo game roll-and-write dungeon crawler. Check it out.While I thought this episode would be a big of a goof about a goofy mechanic (and it is), it also brought out some of the most thoughtful thoughts on deploying mechanics with precision and purpose that I’ve had on the show yet. Also, we had a blast.A slug blast.List of Games with Exploding DiceMiddle Earth Roleplaying GameShadowrunEarthdawnLuck of LegendsThe Burning Wheel7th SeaHeart (Deep Apiarist class)Renegade RacersKids on BikesArmelloSocialsBack Two-Hand Path and buy Slugblaster now!Mikey on Bluesky.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptThis week's cohost is James Wallis, cohost of the Ludonarrative Dissidents podcast, a show a lot like this one that's Kickstarting their third season now, and designer of one of the first story games: The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen.Today we're breaking format: instead of talking about one game mechanic, James brought in the concept of innovation in game design. What does it look like, is it important, and how can we do more of it?The show notes for this one are friggin packed.Further Reading:Ludonarrative Dissidents podcast and season 3 KickstarterThe Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen and on WikipediaNordic Larp book by Jaakko Stenros and Markus MontolaNordic Larp wikiFairweather Manor, the Downton Abbey larpThe Diana Jones awardDominion, the deckbuilder board game by Donald X. VaccarinoBlades in the Dark by John HarperMy blog post Calvinballing a Whole CampaignStar Crossed by Alex RobertsDread by Epidiah RavacholApocalypse World by Meguey and Vincent BakerThe Beast by Naked Female GiantThe Crew by Thomas SingThousand Year Old Vampire by Tim HutchingsBluebeard’s Bride by Marissa Kelly, Whitney Beltrán, and Sarah DoomThe Well Played Game by Bernie de KovenSocialsJames Wallis on Bluesky and dice.camp.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

This week I'm bringing you an episode from the new podcast Lyrical Ludology with host Logan Timmins, a show all about lyric games. I'm very excited for it. There's already at least one more episode of Lyrical Ludology published, so if you like this one, go subscribe and take a listen!

TranscriptIt’s the solo games episode! Hopefully the first of many. I’m joined by Seb Pines, designer of The Awards winning game Dwelling and haver of MFA in basically solo games, to talk about prompts in solo games.This is a broad survey of solo games. We talk about a bunch of games (listed below) that all behave differently. If you’re curious about this side of the hobby, this is the primer for you.Further Reading:Dwelling by Seb PinesThousand Year Old Vampire by Tim HutchingsHorse Girl by Babblegum SamArtefact by Jack HarrisonProject ECCO by Elliot DavisNotorious by Jason PriceVoid 1680 AM by Ken LoweryI Eat Mantras For Breakfast by Maria MisonThe Ink That Bleeds and an excerpt on the Indie Game Reading ClubMy response to The Ink That BleedsSocialsSeb Pines on Bluesky and itch.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!

TranscriptThis is an intensely visual episode. If you'd like to follow along with the sheets we mention and get some extra commentary from me, you can do so at https://www.diceexploder.com/blog/2024/2/22/dice-exploder-aftershow-character-sheetsI’m fascinated by character sheets, mostly because there are so so so precious few that I think do a good job. I don’t mean this to call anyone out - I think the job of making a good character sheet might genuinely be impossible. They just have so much they have to accomplish.Today I'm talking to Emanoel Melo, designer of CBR+PNK, about what we like in character sheets and whether there are any we would actually go to bat for.Further readingAftershow blog post featuring all the character sheets we talk about plus extra commentary on diceexploder.comCBR-PNKMothershipBruno Prosaiko, the artist behind the beautiful ornate sheets we talk about, on InstagramA collection of Brazilian tabletop games on itch that Emanoel curatesSocialsEmanoel on Twitter and Instagram. His website, Cabinet of Curiosities.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!