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Artwork for Dice Exploder

Dice Exploder

Sam Dunnewold
Tabletop Rpgs
Game Design
Tabletop RPG Design
Tabletop RPG
Dungeons & Dragons
Apocalypse World
LARP
Heart: the City Beneath
RPG Mechanics
Actual Play
You Will Die In This Place
Role-Playing Games
Community Engagement
Blades In the Dark
Dice Forager
Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast
Wreck This Deck
Indie Rpgs
Tabletop RPG Mechanics
Game Mechanics

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. Part of the Many Sided Network. diceexploder.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes113Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
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Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Dice Exploder

Latest Episodes

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Further reading

Our Lives in the Wood episode 5

This Game Takes Place in Your Home Town

Socials

Kendo on Bluesky and the web

Sam on Bluesky and itch

The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.com

Our l... more

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Note: the "What Is There to Eat in Duskwall" pages of Blades in the Dark were written by Andrew Shields.

Further Reading

Blades in the Dark by John Harper

Socials

Jeeyon on Patreon, Bluesky, and itch

Sa... more

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Further Reading

The Watch 2e is on Kickstarter now

Night Witches by Jason Morningstar

Socials

Ash on Bluesky

Ash's website, including listings for their games and books

Sam on Bluesky and itch

The Dic... more

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Kendo Smith
Media Production Manager at Cobalt Press; game designer; creator and creative director of Tales Yet Told
Tales Yet Told/Cobalt Press
Episode: Our Lives in the Wood with Kendo Smith
Ash Kreider
Author of Parksville Community Witch and game designer
Night Witches / The Watch designer
Episode: Duty Stations (Night Witches) with Ash Kreider
Viditya Voleti
Game designer and creator of Band-Aids and Bullet Holes; Firebrands advocate
Kickstarter project Band-Aids and Bullet Holes
Episode: Minigames (Firebrands) with Viditya Voleti
Sidney Icarus
Designer, known for Decaying Orbit and Start A Quest; guest on the episode to discuss Space Post and band-aids & bullet holes
waxwings.com.au
Episode: Character Nonmonogamy (Space Post) with Sidney Icarus
Seraphina Garcia Ramirez
Fan of the game and advocate who discusses the mechanics and playstyle
Band-Aids & Bullet Holes
Episode: Calling Cards (Band-Aids & Bullet Holes) with Lady Tabletop and Seraphina
Whitney Delaglio
Designer, Toasty Seahorse Studios
Toasty Seahorse Studios
Episode: Keys (Lady Blackbird) with Whitney Delaglio
Nico MacDougall
Guest running The Awards slideshow and discussion
Episode: The Awards 2024 with Nico MacDougall
Bee Alexander
Co-host of Tabletop Book Club, designer
Tabletop Book Club
Episode: Lures (Heaven in the Dust) with Barclay Travis and Bee Alexander
Barclay Travis
Co-host of Tabletop Book Club, designer
Tabletop Book Club
Episode: Lures (Heaven in the Dust) with Barclay Travis and Bee Alexander

Host

Sam Dunnewold
Host of the show

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 79 ratings
  • Explosive!

    If TTRPG mechanics are your thing, you probably do not want to miss this. Especially when you want discussions about more abstract concepts. Great guests, too.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Holle reviewing
    Germany10 months ago
  • A Staple TTRPG Podcast

    Dice Exploder is simply one of the very best TTRPG podcasts being produced. Sam is an excellent interviewer and by centering each episode around a single gaming mechanic he draws out some never-before-heard insights from his all-star guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Just Another Brian
    United Statesa year ago
  • Tabletop Game Designers discussing their favorite mechanics from other peoples’ games

    If you are interested in creating storytelling games, this might be the single best podcast to listen to for inspiration. The community behind the show is also incredible.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    becuzitsbitter
    United States2 years ago
  • Loving this!

    I love your episodic exploration of table top role-playing mechanics🙌 it’s such an amazing adventure getting exposed to different games by dynamic discussions about design elements. Amazing amazing amazing🎲🙏🤩 I encourage you to stick with the format, your recent mini dive into DND… is so D&D narrow in a world overly saturated with way-way-way too much DND! I just backed your recent Kickstarter to help support more of your awesome original content and I encourage you to leave D&D to the other... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Zombie.Ken
    Canada2 years ago
  • 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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Starmamac
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listners note the show is a top pick for inspiration among game designers and kickstarter backers.
Fans highlight the nerdy, design-forward discussions and variety of indie titles discussed.
Explosive!says listeners enjoy the deep dive into mechanics and great guests.
Praises the host interview quality and focus on a single mechanic per episode.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#128
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#45
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#163
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#70
Italy/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#77
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#90
Germany/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Lures (Heaven in the Dust) with Barclay Travis and Bee Alexander
Q: What exactly are lures and how do they function in Belonging Outside Belonging games?
Lures are prompts tied to a character's relationships that encourage other players to engage in a specific kind of interaction, awarding a coin when triggered. They are woven into the playbooks and are supported by birthrights and duties to create a continuous cycle of negotiation and consequence.
The Awards 2024 with Nico MacDougall
Q: What are the deadlines for people who want to participate as judges or submit games?
Judges can self-nominate in April via a Google form on the awards website, and submissions of published games and related content happen in May. The eligibility window runs June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025. Judging runs June through August, with a second phase leading to a live-streamed winner announcement around October.
The Awards 2024 with Nico MacDougall
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about The Awards and why you're here hosting this episode?
The Awards is an indie ttRPG awards show that recognizes 20 best things of the year, with a focus on smaller, weirder games and non-ranked grouping. The process involves judging panels, finalist pools, and collective selection rather than a single number-one winner, and it aims to highlight art and design rather than strictly ranking everything.
Always Give Them The Clue (GUMSHOE) with Tristan Zimmerman
Q: What are the essentials of designing a mystery that fits the GUMSHOE rule?
The essentials include crafting explicit, door-like clues that lead to new scenes, developing a diamond-shaped scene map to prevent dead ends, and ensuring each lead expands the possibilities while still guiding players toward a coherent endgame. It also involves balancing player agency with narrative structure so that choices matter without stalling progress.
Always Give Them The Clue (GUMSHOE) with Tristan Zimmerman
Q: So what is the deal with GUMSHOE and why use it for Ballad Hunters?
GUMSHOE is built around the idea that investigations should be driven by the pursuit of clues, with mechanics designed to keep the story moving once clues are found. In Ballad Hunters, this translates into a focus on what the clues reveal and how they connect to leads, rather than on randomizing success through dice rolls.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Dice Exploder

What is Dice Exploder about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive show into tabletop RPG design, focusing episode by episode on a single mechanic or design concept and unpacking how it shapes play, narrative, and table dynamics. Guests are primarily designers and writers from indie and small-press RPGs, who speak to practical design decisions, pacing, and the way mechanics drive storytelling. The format favors rigorous, design-forward conversations that can illuminate how to build or run games with a strong emphasis on player agency, collaboration, and cinematic moments. A standout aspect is the breadth of mechanics covered—from deck-building and calling cards to genre emulation and GM-less systems—often tied back to well-known games or design philosophies, making it useful for aspiring design... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Dice Exploder?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Dice Exploder:

1. Rascal News
2. RTFM
3. Talk of the Table
4. Around the Hearth
5. Friends at the Table

How many episodes of Dice Exploder are there?

Dice Exploder launched 3 years ago and published 113 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Dice Exploder?

Recent guests on Dice Exploder include:

1. Kendo Smith
2. Ash Kreider
3. Viditya Voleti
4. Sidney Icarus
5. Seraphina Garcia Ramirez
6. Whitney Delaglio
7. Nico MacDougall
8. Bee Alexander

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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