I've Been Diced!

Episodes

1. 25

   I've Been Diced! episode 76: Series games

   There are a lot of series games in the hobby, both in the market and in our personal collections. This episode, our panel talks about series wargames and other boardgames. What are the advantages and disadvantages, for both the game consumer and publisher? Plus, a game off the beaten track that…

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   Apr 17, 2017
2. 24

   I've Been Diced! episode 75: Back in action, serious games, games played, and more

   We're back after a long hiatus. In the first segment, I talk about games played recently, including Across Suez, Cry Havoc, Bloody Inn, and more. This episode contains the first installment in an introduction to serious games, the use of games in education, business, politics, and more. Plus, a...

   Dec 13, 2016
3. 23

   I've Been Diced! episode 74: Greg Stafford

   Greg Stafford, designer of Dragon Pass and other board games, creator of the fascinating fantasy world of Glorantha, founder of Chaosium, and designer of Runequest, Pendragon, and other RPGs, makes a royal visit to the podcast. We cover the whole gamut of this interesting bit of gaming history…

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   Apr 5, 2016
4. 22

   I've Been Diced! episode 73: Mitchell Land and the Next War series

   Mitchell Land, designer of the Next War series of wargames from GMT, discusses the interesting design challenges behind those games, and we get a sneak peek at the next title, Next War: Poland. Plus, a few words about a departed friend. (c) 2016 Tom Grant

   Feb 16, 2016
5. 21

   I've Been Diced! episode 72: Sam Mustafa and miniatures gaming galore

   Sam Mustafa, designer of Blücher and other miniatures wargame rules, stops by to discuss his designs and the miniatures side of the hobby in general. Sam and Tom describe the path for boardgamers who might want to give miniatures a try. (Blücher might be a good start.) Plus, Tom shares lessons...

   Feb 4, 2016
6. 20

   I've Been Diced! episode 71: Mutants, game studies, and 2015 in review

   Our first episode of 2016 is a whopper! We start with an interview with Gordon Calleja, designer of Posthuman, and associate professor and head of the Institute of Digital Games at the University Of Malta. Yes, not only does he design games, but he also teaches game design! Gordon and I talk…

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   Jan 25, 2016
7. 19

   I've Been Diced! episode 70: John Kranz of Consimworld

   John Kranz, the founder of the Consimworld wargame community site, joins me for a discussion of the past, present, and future of Consimworld. Our Game Off The Beaten Path is right in time for football season. We also have news about a new serious game, and I talk about Le Vol de l'Aigle, a...

   Sep 16, 2015
8. 18

   I've Been Diced! episode 69: Troy Goodfellow on computer and board games

   Troy Goodfellow, founder of the Three Moves Ahead podcast, joins me for a discussion of computer strategy games versus boardgames. What do computer games do well that boardgames don't, and vice-versa? What can the two genres learn from each other? Plus, this episode's Game Off The Beaten Path is...

   Jul 15, 2015
9. 17

   I've Been Diced! episode 68: Randy Lein (Legion Wargames) and Roger Miller (Revolution Games)

   Not just one guest, but two! Roger Miller of Revolution Games and Randy Lein of Legion Wargames take time away from Consimworld Expo to talk about life as wargame publishers, muse about the state of the hobby, give us some previews into upcoming games, and give sage advice to anyone interested in...

   Jul 3, 2015
10. 16

    I've Been Diced! episode 67: Mark Herman

    Mark Herman stops by to talk about his new grand strategic WWII game, Churchill, plus oh so many other games he has designed over the years. During our whirlwind tour of Mark's career as a wargame designer, we make brief stops at SPI and Victory Games, and even get a peek into professional…

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    Jun 26, 2015
11. 15

    I've Been Diced! episode 66: Combat systems

    Our panel discusses combat systems in games — many of which we like, and a few that we don't like. Air battles that are genuinely exciting, deck-building games that lead to interesting results, the genius of Dune's commitment mechanic, a defense of hex-and-CRT wargames — all these topics, and…

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    Apr 23, 2015
12. 14

    I've Been Diced! episode 65: Andy Loakes, designer of Toulon 1793

    Andy Loakes, designer of Toulon 1793, takes us behind the scenes of his first published wargame. Why hasn't someone done a game on this topic before? Andy and Tom ponder that issue, along with other questions about Napoleonic history and wargaming. Plus, this episode's Game Off The Beaten Path is…

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    Mar 3, 2015
13. 13

    I've Been Diced! episode 64: Richard Borg

    Richard Borg talks about everything from the Command & Colour wargames to the X-Men games from Pressman (with a cameo from Stan Lee). We also discuss the Kickstarter for his new World War I game, Mutant Chronicles: Siege Of The Citadel, and much more. Plus, a game off the beaten path that should...

    Feb 24, 2015
14. 12

    I've Been Diced! episode 63: Sandy Petersen

    Sandy Petersen, designer of Cthulhu Wars (among many other games), talks about the origins of the Call of Cthulhu RPG, the early days of Chaosium (which also published the Runequest RPG, the original Arkham Horror, and plenty of other innovative games). Sandy also tells us how Cthulhu Wars was...

    Feb 15, 2015
15. 11

    I've Been Diced! episode 62: Our 2014 in review

    Our regular panel looks back on 2014 in gaming — the ups, the downs, the pleasant surprises, the grave disappointments. Where do games like Dead Of Winter, Fire In The Lake, Nations, and The Hunters fit into this picture? Plus, the recent arrival of Cthulhu Wars inspires Tom to muse on the value…

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    Feb 2, 2015
16. 10

    I've Been Diced! episode 61: Worthington Games

    I drop by the HQ for Worthington Games to talk about their wargames, past, present, and future. Forged In Fire, Band Of Brothers, Cowboys, Hold The Line, and others -- what kind of games does Worthington choose to publish? And how does a small publisher find its niche in today's market? Plus…

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    Nov 26, 2014
17. 9

    Watch the alternate history of Rome evolve

    Here are some pictures from our session of Microscope, as described in episode 60 of the I've Been Diced! podcast. You can see, step by step, how the timeline evolved. Listen to the podcast to hear us build this timeline.

    Nov 5, 2014
18. 8

    I've Been Diced! episode 60: Making history with Microscope, and games that tell stories

    Our regular panel plays a session of Microscope, the game of collaboratively building a grand historical narrative. We put our creative powers to the test by writing the history of a world in which the Roman Empire never fell. This innovative game should appeal to anyone interested in epic sagas…

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    Nov 5, 2014
19. 7

    I've Been Diced! episode 59: Jon Compton, modern wargames, and gaming taboos

    Jon Compton of One Small Step and the MCS Group tells a gripping story of the trials and tribulations of being a small wargame publisher. We also muse about the popularity of modern wargames. Plus, our regular panel discusses gaming taboos: What behavior elicits gasps of horror from fellow...

    Sep 17, 2014
20. 6

    I've Been Diced! episode 58: Mike Nagel on Flying Colors and more

    Mike Nagel talks about his Flying Colors series of Age of Sail wargames, his new "captaincy" game covering the same era, Sun of York, and what drew him to design a game about the battle of Attu. Plus, Tom lunges headfirst into the subject of what is a wargame. Actually, he talks about when the...

    Aug 26, 2014
21. 5

    I've Been Diced! episode 57: Greg Smith on The Hunters and computer wargames

    Greg Smith, the designer of The Hunters and the upcoming Silent Victory, talks about his games, solitaire wargames in general, his work on computer wargames at HPS Simulations, and why boardgame design can be more challenging than computer wargame design. Plus, Tom gives advice to wargamers...

    Aug 18, 2014
22. 4

    I've Been Diced! episode 56: John Poniske

    John Poniske, designer of Hearts & Minds, King Philip's War, and Lincoln's War, discusses the reasons why he developed a different game system for each of these games. Plus, John tells us about some upcoming designs, including games about the Plains Indians Wars and the Haitian rebellion. (Note:...

    May 21, 2014
23. 3

    I've Been Diced! episode 55: Jim Day

    Jim Day, designer of Iron & Oak and Panzer, talks about these two recently-released games, cross-pollination between miniature and board wargaming, and possible new versions of MBT and IDF. Plus, we look at a key requirement for the success of any tactical wargame. What is it? I'll lay out the...

    Apr 9, 2014
24. 2

    I've Been Diced! episode 54: Kim Kanger

    Kim Kanger, designer of Ici, C'Est La France! and Tonkin, discusses France's counterinsurgency wars, and how differences between these wars led to different game designs. We also discuss Kim's upcoming game on the siege of Dien Bien Phu. Strap in for another deep discussion of insurgencies and...

    Apr 6, 2014