Rolling Dice & Taking Names Gaming Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 352: Cretaceous Rails, Line of Fire: Burnt Moon, Santorini, Looot Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

00:02:30 Introduction
00:06:00 Strike Tournament Update
00:09:15 Health Update
00:13:30 Game night Discussion
00:15:30 Game Toppers Kickstarter 5.0
00:17:30 Line of Fire: Burnt Moon
00:24:30 Cretaceous Rails
00:41:30 Portal Games
00:43:30 Looot
00:49:30 Miniature Market
00:51:00 Santorini: Riddle of the Sphinx
01:00:00 Switch 2
01:05:00 Clare Obscure: Expedition 33

LoooT, the Spieli des Jahres nominee, made it to the table recently. Now, this is a Viking-themed strategy game where players lead their clan to victory by gathering resources, capturing buildings, and expanding their empire. Just picking and placing a tile will not get you a victory, you have some decisions to make that will have you balancing risk and reward.

Cretaceous Rails is not a doomed theme park like so many built with dinosaurs as the main attractions. This medium-weight euro game combines economic strategy with thematic elements, allowing players to take tourists on safari and construct a thriving dino resort where every piece in the game is a resource to be used. With careful planning and resource management, you should out-maneuver the other park operators and come away with a victory and not be eaten by the T-rex.

Santorini is a beautifully designed abstract strategy game that brings Greek mythology to life and Roxley has taken the new Pantheon Edition up to new hieghts with the components. Gameplay hasn’t changed, players take on the role of gods and heroes, competing to build a majestic island of Santorini without getting trapped by the competition. And now with the coop version added to the mix, Riddle of the Sphinx, this should dust of those old copies and get the game back to the table.

Thanks for listening and appreciate all the support

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 351: Calimala, Skyjo, Pathfinder Dice Conquest May 20, 2025

Show notes

00:00:00 Intro
00:02:30 Discord Debate
00:08:30 50 Years Ago
00:13:30 Gen Con Strike Tournament
00:18:30 They listen??
00:21:30 Arkham Horror Adventures RPG
00:23:30 D&D Dungeon Software – it is gone
00:25:30 Portal Games
00:27:30 Pathfinder Dice Conquest
00:31:30 Calimala
00:46:00 Miniature Market
00:48:00 Skyjo
00:53:30 The Floor
01:00:00 Outro

We revisited a game from back in the early days of RDTN called Calimala thanks to the reprint by Alley Cat Games. Using a unique action-selection system, players produce and deliver cloth while contributing to the construction and decoration of the city’s buildings. The game features dynamic scoring phases and strategic planning as you carefully plan out every turn. We enjoyed it then, but how about now?

Sometimes we will find those games that are just so basic and fun that we wonder how we missed them back in the day. That is the case for Skyjo, where players aim to have the lowest score by the end of the game. Each player starts with a grid of face-down cards and must carefully swap, reveal, and discard cards to minimize their total points. This is the game wish I had as my daughter aged to replace Rat-a-tat Cat.

Thanks for listening and be sure to grab your Strike Gen Con Tickets if you are headed to Gen Con this year. Head over to Buy Me a Moon Pie to purchase

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 350: Cyclades, Rajas of the Ganges: Cards & Karma, Strawberry Shortcake May 06, 2025

Show notes

00:00:00 Intro
00:04:30 Music Talk
00:06:30 Appliance Malfunctions
00:10:00 Discord Conversations
00:12:00 Miniature Market Discussion
00:16:15 Taste Buds
00:22:30 Portal Games
00:24:00 Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Besties Bakeoff Card Game
00:30:30 Cyclades: Legendary Edition
00:46:00 Gametoppers LLC
00:48:15 Rajas of the Ganges: Cards & Karma
00:54:15 SWU Update
00:57:00 Switch 2 Attempts
01:03:15 Hubworld: Aidalon

We’ve been on an absolute whirlwind of recording episodes, and I can practically hear y’all shouting, “What the heck, make it stop!” Trust me, I get it—it feels like we’re popping up in your podcast queue nonstop. But here’s the deal: we’ve had some special releases in between our regular shows, so while it may seem like we’re flooding your feed, it’s all in the name of keeping things exciting. Or so we tell ourselves.

This time, we dove into a true classic that recently got a well-deserved facelift—Cyclades. Originally released in 2009, it was one of those gems we missed before board games became a staple in our lives. And wow, the production quality is nothing short of stunning. For those who picked up the deluxe components, I bet you weren’t disappointed.

Now, let me be honest—this game exposed my weaknesses in a way I didn’t see coming. It wasn’t the game’s fault; it was mine. But hey, maybe that’s a sign of a solid strategy game—one that lays bare where you struggle and pushes you to improve. If you were a fan of the classic and have a well-loved, slightly worn-out copy sitting on your shelf, it might be time to snag this refreshed edition and bring Cyclades back to the table in all its glory.

Thanks for listening and appreciate all the support.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special Episode: Screening, Streaming or Steaming 2025 Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

One of our favorite traditions—and guilty pleasures—is diving into upcoming movie reviews with our good friends Dan and Chris. Let’s be honest, Marty needs some insightful voices on the show, or else it’d just be me listening to him ramble about movies (and trust me, that’s a whole experience on its own).

After all the fun banter, we move on to the real competition—drafting our predictions for which films will dominate the box office. If you’ve got the time, we’d love to hear your thoughts over on our Discord channel!

Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll be back to gaming in the next episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 349: Great Western Trail: El Paso, Kraftwagen, Arkham Horror Lovecraft Letter, Solstis Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

00:00:00 Intro – it is a long one

00:11:30 Technology in Sports

00:16:30 Health Discussion

00:20:30 Coyote vs ACME

00:22:00 Video Game Hall of Fame

00:29:45 Game Toppers LLC

00:31:30 Great Western Trail: El Paso

00:48:00 Solstis

00:54:00 Portal Games

00:57:00 Kraftwagen: Age of Engineering

01:14:30 Miniature Market

01:16:30 Arkham Horror Lovecraft Letter

01:21:00 SWU Update

01:28:30 E-Win Racing Chairs

Board games have a magical way of transporting us to different worlds—whether we’re managing cattle in the American frontier, navigating mountains, or engineering automobiles. Today, let’s dive into three fascinating board games that offer unique themes and strategic gameplay: Great Western Trail: El Paso, Solstice, and Kraftwagen: Age of Engineering

The new GWT is a streamlined version that, in our opinion, is a good way to get people into the game. Solstice allows for two players to battle it out in a heavy luck driven game. Kraftwagen is a redesign of the original that is a historical economic game that places players in the shoes of automobile pioneers, balancing technological progress with financial strategy.

Each of these games offers something distinct—Great Western Trail is a immersive ranching journey in El Paso, Solstice is a luck-balanced strategic battle, and Kraftwagen takes players into the exciting world of automotive innovation. Whether you’re an experienced gamer looking for your next challenge or a newcomer exploring different themes, these three titles showcase the beauty and variety of board game design

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 348: Rank’em with Justin and Rob from Restoration Games Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

00:00:00 Intro to Rank’em

00:01:30 Question 1 – Bread

00:11:50 Restoration Games Updates

00:11:30 Starcraft Miniature Games

00:19:45 Question 2 – Sports Ball

00:32:00 Restoration Convention News

00:36:00 Question 3 – Monsters

00:41:30 Restoration – Battle Monsters

01:01:00 Question 4 – Conquerors

01:08:15 Outro

Join us as we chat with Rob and Justin from Restoration Games to dive into the exciting world of reviving classic board games. But that’s not all—there’s a twist! We challenge them to a lively game of Rank’em, where we present three items, and they rank them in any order they choose. The fun doesn’t stop there—together, we’ll debate, defend, and dissect whether their rankings hit the mark or missed the mark entirely.

We also get to hear all about their new game coming to Kickstarter called Battle Monsters. This is a reimplement of Battle Masters from 1992. Battle Masters was originally themed as an army of Good battling again an army of evil. The game had a huge footprint and miniatures and we hear how Restoration is bringing it back.

If you liked this version of Rank’em, please leave comments over in our Discord Channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 347: Nova Era, Bebop, Architects of Amytis, Top Tier Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

00:02:00 Intro

00:06:30 Thoughts on Feast of Hemlock Vale

00:09:30 Dice Driven Euros

00:11:30 Starcraft Miniature Games

00:17:00 Pickleball Elbow

00:21:00 Taste Buds

00:25:30 Portal Games

00:28:00 Nova Era

00:51:30 Top Tier

00:57:00 Miniature Market

00:58:00 Bebop

01:10:00 Architects of Amytis

01:18:00 Game Toppers LLC

01:2100 Star Wars Unlimited Update

We are back again for another riveting episode of RDTN. But there is a surprise in this episode, there is somewhat a theme with the games we played. We are going to be talking about dice driven euros, meaning a euro with dice. Okay, that could have gone without saying. Not all games we talk about are euro dice, so don’t miss those discussions as well.

When you get a chance after listening to the episode, we would appreciate taking the time over at Boardgamegeek and giving us a vote for best podcast. Thank you in advance.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 346: Tales of Arthurian Knights, Video Game Champion, Pyramido Forgotten Treasures Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

00:02:00 Intro

00:11:00 Forbidden Visions of Lucious Galloway

00:14:00 Tony’s Travels

00:17:30 East India Companies Giveaway

00:19:30 Pencil Fights

00:23:30 Risky Play

00:27:00 Taste Buds

00:32:00 Miniature Market Ad

00:33:30 Tales of Arthurian Knights

00:47:00 Pyramido Forgotten Treasures

00:53:30 Game Toppers Ad

00:55:00 Video Game Champion

01:10:30 Portal Games Ad

01:12:00 Outro

Tony’s back from his and it’s been a while since we’ve been the mics, so we are a little rough around the edges. Ok, so that’s not different that usual.

We got some to tell you about plus a new Taste Buds. And don’t forget to enter our contest!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 345: Black Forest, Azul Duel, East India Companies, Emerald Skulls Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

00:02:00 Intro

00:15:30 Comic Hunters with the McRee’s

00:17:30 General Orders Giveaway

00:19:00 Portal Games Ad

00:20:30 East India Companies

00:47:00 Emerald Skulls

00:53:00 Game Toppers Ad

00:57:00 Black Forest

01:15:30 Miniature Market Ad

01:17:00 Azul Duel

01:27:00 Outro

We’re back a hot new Rosenburg game, a new flavor of Azul, a dice betting game and surprise market game that no one is talking about.

Plus we are giving away a copy of General Orders! To enter join our Discord channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 344: 10th Annual Squirrelly Awards Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

00:05:30 Intro

00:05:30 It’s in the Cards

00:08:00 Best Family Game

00:11:30 Best coop

00:15:00 Historical Game

00:18:00 “It’s Alive!” (New edition, re-release)

00:23:00 Commercials

00:27:00 This Game has Bling (top production)

00:30:00 The Ignacy Award

00:33:00 Just the two of us

00:37:30 Pass the Advil

00:41:30 Game of the Year – Tony

00:44:30 Game of the Year – Marty

It’s time for our 10th Annual Squirrelly awards! We look at our top games of 2024. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, this year is a little different.

Let us know what your favorite games are over in our Discord Channel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Rolling Dice & Taking Names Gaming Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected