39 episodes
Dice Exploder Sam Dunnewold
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- Arts
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5.0 • 9 Ratings
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A show about tabletop RPG design. Each episode we bring you a single mechanic and break it down as deep as we possibly can. Co-hosted by Sam Dunnewold and a rotating roster of designers.
diceexploder.com
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Game Exploder Jam Roundup
Transcript
The 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 entries
Sam D's late entry: World Ending Game (Sam's Version)
Socials
Sam 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.com
Our 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! -
Everyone Adds a Detail (Stewpot) with Lee Conrads
Transcript
What 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 campaign
Circle X theater company
Great Reckonings in Little Rooms
Comedy Book by Jesse David Fox
Socials
Sam on Bluesky and itch.
The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com
Our 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! -
Playlists (Ribbon Drive) with Takuma Okada
Transcript
Is 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 Drive
Spindlewheel
Everything Is Illuminated, the book and film
Ten Candles
Dread
Star Crossed
Our Radios Are Dying
Void 1680 AM
Sam’s playlist from playing Ribbon Drive
The Awards website
The Awards interview on Yes Indie'd
Socials
Takuma on Twitter and Bluesky.
Sam on Bluesky and itch.
The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com
Our logo was designed by sporgory, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.
Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk -
Fan Mail (Primetime Adventures) with Meguey Baker
Transcripts are available at diceexploder.com
People 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 Wilson
The Revolution Was Televised by Alan Sepinwall
Inspecters by Jared Sorensen
A Thousand and One Nights by Meguey Baker
Ritual in Game Design by Meguey Baker
Meguey & Vincent’s new game Under Hollow Hills
Socials
Meg on Twitter and Bluesky.
The Baker family blog and games.
Sam on Bluesky and itch.
The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com
Our 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! -
Playbooks and Communication with Moe Poplar
Transcript
What'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 Week
Blades in the Dark
Socials
Moe’s website, including his games.
Moe’s podcast via The RPG Academy, Show & Tell
Sam on Bluesky and itch.
The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com
Our 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! -
Exploding Dice with Mikey Hamm
Transcript
This 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 Dice
Middle Earth Roleplaying Game
Shadowrun
Earthdawn
Luck of Legends
The Burning Wheel
7th Sea
Heart (Deep Apiarist class)
Renegade Racers
Kids on Bikes
Armello
Socials
Back Two-Hand Path and buy Slugblaster now!
Mikey on Bluesky.
Sam on Bluesky and itch.
The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com
Our 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!
Customer Reviews
Get a deeper understanding of TTRPGs
I won’t lie, this podcast may not be for everyone. It gets into the weeds on game mechanics. But if you’re the kind of person who geeks out about game design, who’s backing a dozen game kickstarters a year, who’s dedicated 3 days/week to trying out new TTRPGs- this show is for you. Guests are insightful, enthusiastic luminaries in the scene. I promise you’ll learn something in an engaging way.
Great design insights!
Some really cool insights into the nitty gritty of game design! And a nice variety of games discussed, both super indie and more mainstream.