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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
Dice Forager
Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast
Wreck This Deck
Indie Rpgs
Tabletop RPG Mechanics
Dungeons and Dragons
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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes104Founded3 years ago
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Artwork for Dice Exploder

Latest Episodes

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

I love pregens! But why do I love pregens? I dug into this a bunch on an episode last year with Aaron Lim about the characters in Last Train to Bremen: I love being given a clear goal and baseline temperamen... more

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Austin Walker's new game Realis is on Kickstarter now, and it's been making splashes in the indie rpg scene since last year when the ashcan came out. The game's core mechanic, Sentences, feels like the exact... more

Transcripts available at diceexploder.com

Follow Band-Aids & Bullet Holes on Kickstarter!

The Awards are back! The rpg awards show with a bent towards indie games and the guaranteed worst SEO of all time is back for another around, and the current ... more

Transcripts are available at diceexploder.com

Bee and Barclay are the hosts of Tabletop Book Club, a podcast that is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a show with such fun energy, and of course good design talk. Because Barclay has a new belonging o... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

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
Tim Denee
Designer of Blades 68, cartographer, and graphic designer
Old Dog Games / Doskvol-related projects
Episode: Draw Maps, Leave Blanks (Dungeon World) with Tim Denee
Kodi Gonzaga
A young designer with a new game on Kickstarter.
Extra Ordinary
Episode: Setting Elements (Dream Askew / Dream Apart) with Kodi Gonzaga
Quinten Smith
RPG reviewer, known for Quins Quest and former contributor to Shut Up and Sit Down
Quins Quest YouTube Channel
Episode: Inventory Tetris (Mausritter) with Quinns
Meguey Baker
Game designer and co-creator of Apocalypse World
Indie RPG designer
Episode: The Brainer VS The Brain-Picker (Apocalypse World 2e/3e) with the Bakers
Vincent Baker
Game designer and co-creator of Apocalypse World
Indie RPG designer
Episode: The Brainer VS The Brain-Picker (Apocalypse World 2e/3e) with the Bakers
Ken Lowery
Creator of the solo RPG Void 1680 AM, enthusiastic amateur musician
Episode: Actual Play: Void 1680 AM Community Broadcasts with Ken Lowery

Host

Sam Dunnewold
Co-host and host of the show, frequently leads deep-dive discussions on RPG design mechanics.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 77 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
    Germany5 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 States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Strong production and engaging analysis of real play and design
Centering each episode around a single mechanic yields fresh insights
A must-listen for serious tabletop designers and critics
Shows deep-dit into mechanics and designPrincipled discussions with great guests

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#88
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#93
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#98
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#27
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#67
Germany/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#8
Singapore/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 focused on tabletop RPG design, breaking down a single mechanic per episode and exploring its implications for play, storytelling, and game systems. Guests are often designers, critics, and editors who bring practical insights from actual game development, publishing, and live play. Listeners likely include aspiring designers, game writers, and creators who want rigorous, design-focused conversations about how mechanics shape player experience and narrative, with recurring attention to safety, inclusivity, and community dynamics. A standout pattern is the breadth of guest expertise—from core game design and incentives to actual-play production and romance-inspired mechanics—making it a valuable resource for anyone wanting t... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Dice Exploder?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Dice Exploder:

1. Yes Indie'd Pod
2. RTFM
3. Rascal News
4. Talk of the Table
5. Around the Hearth

How many episodes of Dice Exploder are there?

Dice Exploder launched 3 years ago and published 104 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. Nico MacDougall
2. Bee Alexander
3. Barclay Travis
4. Tim Denee
5. Kodi Gonzaga
6. Quinten Smith
7. Meguey Baker
8. Vincent Baker

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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