Rolling Dice & Taking Names Gaming Podcast

Pickaxe
  • 4.6 (237)
  • Games
  • Biweekly

Rolling Dice and Taking Names is a podcast where two seasoned tabletop gamers have discussions about board games, RPGs, and miniatures that are entertaining and informative to casual gamers and experienced hobbyists alike. The level of conversation would be similar to friends sitting around the kitchen table playing the latest game, discussing their likes and dislikes of a style of game, or just trying to make sense of the latest gaming news. In addition, special guests add their gaming knowledge to help the hosts sound more credible. Family friendly, informative and always striving to be entertaining.

  1. Nov 3

    Episode 389: Railway Boom, Evenglow, The Game Makers

    00:01:00 Intro00:06:45 Mare Nostrum00:13:30 Forest Shuffle – Smoky Mountains00:18:15 The Game Makers00:26:45 TCG News00:28:15 Arkham Horror News00:32:15 Taste Buds00:35:30 Miniature Market00:36:30 Railway Boom00:58:00 Evenglow01:02:30 Game Toppers LLC01:03:30 Outro If you love tight, economic engine builders where every resources used wisely feels like a victory during the round, Railway Boom delivers again and again. Players are railway tycoons competing to build expansive networks, connect bustling cities, while strategically bidding during each phase of the round. Tension in the Bidding: The game's open auction mechanism forces players to constantly read the room. Overpaying might cripple your position as you expand your railway, so it is important to not get suckered in by the other players. Tight Economic Engine: Managing your revenue versus your investment capital is a constant balancing act. Strategic Depth: Over four tightly contested rounds, Railway Boom provides a solid, brain-burning puzzle for players. Following the success of the original Forest Shuffle (and its journey through Central Europe and Dartmoor), Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains transports players across the Atlantic to North America’s iconic mountain range. By adding the River mechanic to the game, players will have an additional slot in the forest but with that addition comes added restrictions that players should be aware of. If you're looking for a relaxing, visually stunning puzzle game, Evenglow provides a gentle, satisfying experience centered on balance and symmetry. Players act as alchemists cultivating dual gardens split between Sunlight and Moonlight. But the theme doesn't carry through to the game. Simultaneous Drafting with a Twist: On each turn, the active player selects two plant tiles for themselves and two for everyone else. This simple choice mechanic keeps play moving quickly with zero downtime while keeping player interaction subtle and clever. Symmetrical Garden Puzzling: When you place a tile on your Sunlight board, you must place its mirror counterpart on your Moonlight board. Balancing your sunlit and moonlit flora requires spatial foresight and careful planning to maximize potion-brewing bonuses. Thanks for listening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  2. Oct 21 ·  Bonus

    Designer Series: Richard Launius - Arkham Horror Remastered

    The first game in Fantasy Flight Games vault series is Arkham Horror Remastered. This is a full update on a classic 20 year old game. We talk with designer, Richard Launius about this history of this game including the concept, design, release and re-release of the game. The game can be found over at Gamefound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  3. Oct 20

    Episode 388: Ostia, Robo Run, Machi Koro: Life

    00:01:00 Intro00:08:15 Trajan Bridge00:10:30 New Intro Song00:13:45 Puerto Rico Special Edition00:20:00 Fantasy Basketball using Topps Cards00:22:00 Machi Koro Life00:24:00 Taste Buds00:29:30 Game Toppers00:31:00 Ostia: Mariner Edition00:48:00 Miniature Market00:49:30 Robo Run00:55:30 Outro For fans of deep, euro-style economic strategy, both Puerto Rico Special Edition and Ostia: Mariner Edition deliver rich, engaging experiences centered around trade and development. Puerto Rico Special Edition revitalizes the legendary role-selection classic with upgraded components, striking art, and refined themes, keeping its crisp, non-luck engine-building core as rewarding as ever. Meanwhile, Ostia: Mariner Edition takes players back to ancient Rome, blending mancala-style action selection with naval expansion, resource management, and tile placement. Both titles shine in their ability to turn clever planning and player interaction into tight, competitive engine building, making them standout additions to any strategist’s shelf. If you prefer lighter setup times, high interaction, and quick table turns, Machi Koro Life and Robo Run offer vibrant, fast-moving fun. Machi Koro Life breathes new life into the beloved city-building series by tweaking the dice-rolling mechanics and introducing fresh landmark goals, making each roll of the dice feel impactful and exciting But Robo Run is all about cooperation with your partner as you try and get the robots out of the maze before being found. Both games are fast playing and easy to set up for a quick filler during game name. Thanks for listening and please join our Discord for more discussions on these games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  4. Oct 13 ·  Bonus

    2026 Summer Movie Recap

    It's fall and all the big summer movies are moving to streaming. So it's time to get back with Dan and Chris for our 2026 Summer Movie recap. We discuss films we watched. What we liked, what we didn't like and who took home first place in our draft. It's fun, it's loud, we hope you enjoy it. And join us in Discord to let us know what summer movies you like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  5. Oct 6

    Episode 387: Hell of a Deal, Kano w/ guest Chaz Marler

    00:00:30 Intro00:21:00 6 nimmt! Baron Oxx00:24:00 One Round?00:30:15 Family Dice Games00:37:00 Magical Athlete00:43:00 Taste Buds00:51:30 Game Toppers00:54:45 Kano01:00:30 Hell of a Deal01:15:00 Miniature Market01:16:00 Outro Tony is out on vacation, so once again, Chaz Marler from Game Night Picks joins Marty for some Quick Hits and a Halloween themed Taste Buds. This episode’s reviews were recorded before Tony went out of town and both are really good games. Hell of a Deal is a coop game where the players play Texas Hold ‘Em against demons. Kano is drafting and tile placement game that looks great on the table.Tony will be back next episode. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  6. Sep 29 ·  Bonus

    Designer Series: Justin Jacobson & Rob Daviau - The King's Gambit

    One of the biggest grail games of all time is Star Wars: Queen's Gambit. One of the biggest franchises of all time is the Lord of the Rings. What happens when Restoration Games gets a hold of both of these things? They merge them together for the new game, Lord of the Rings: The King's Gambit. Justin Jacobson & Rob Daviau join us to discuss how the project came to fruition, design, gameplay and product information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  7. Sep 28 ·  Bonus

    Designer Series: Samuel Bailey - Old Ones: Origins

    Starcraft The Board Game and Forbidden Stars are still two of our favorite games. But both are long out of print and have no more support. We are excited to hear the systems the we loved in those games are back with Old Ones: Origins. We talk about length with the designer, Samuel Bailey, about the process of bringing a version of Forbidden Stars back to the market, the process to do so, the changes to theme and the gameplay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  8. Sep 22

    Episode 386: Lord of the Rings Circle of Conflict, Cyberpunk 2077 TCG, Cat Trick

    00:00:30 Intro00:05:15 Arkham Horror: Children of the Blood00:09:00 Xenology00:12:15 Jump Masters00:15:00 Flamecraft – Digital Version00:17:45 Pretzels00:18:45 Beer, Mug, Dice00:21:45 Triangulation00:24:00 Taste Buds00:29:00 Game Toppers LLC00:31:30 LOTR: Circle of Conflict00:59:15 Cat Trick01:04:30 Miniature Market01:07:00 Cyberpunk 2077 – TCG01:39:00 Outro Some weeks, the game table feels like a tour through entirely different mechanics and level of challenges. We kicked things off in Middle‑earth with The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, a game that thrives on tight choices with every roll of the die. It is not the normal Roll and Write, but one with clear objectives in order to win the game and not just get the most victory points. Every turn feels like a small story—heroes clashing, shadows pressing in, and players trying to outmaneuver one another while waging war on two fronts. It’s the kind of game that leaves you wanting one more round just to see if you can pull off the perfect combo. From there, the mood shifted dramatically with Cat Trick, a clever little card game that proves you don’t need a big box to create big laughs. It’s quick, mischievous, and full of those delightful “gotcha” reveals that make everyone team up against one another. Then came Jump Masters, which brought out a game reminiscent of Checkers. This one thrives on setting up the best combo and tactical maneuvering to gain victory over your opponent. It is quick and easy to teach and the art and components are amazing. Cyberpunk 2077 TCG, a game that channels the neon‑soaked grit of the franchise into a sharp, tactical card duel. More to come on this as we continue to explore the game and the meta that surrounds it. But for now, we will continue to put that one the table as we wait for others to show up for game night. Once again, thanks for dropping by and giving us a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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4.6
out of 5
237 Ratings

About

Rolling Dice and Taking Names is a podcast where two seasoned tabletop gamers have discussions about board games, RPGs, and miniatures that are entertaining and informative to casual gamers and experienced hobbyists alike. The level of conversation would be similar to friends sitting around the kitchen table playing the latest game, discussing their likes and dislikes of a style of game, or just trying to make sense of the latest gaming news. In addition, special guests add their gaming knowledge to help the hosts sound more credible. Family friendly, informative and always striving to be entertaining.

Information

  • Creator
    Pickaxe
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    421
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Pickaxe

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