I’m new here. What’s Dice Exploder?

Welcome to Dice Exploder! Each week on the Dice Exploder podcast, myself and a new cohost break down a tabletop RPG mechanic as deep as we possibly can.

Also sometimes I write blogposts.

If you’re press, here’s the show’s press kit.

Oh sweet. Where should I start?

Just diving into the world of RPG design? Try our very first episode, featuring Ray Chou talking Lasers & Feelings.

Enjoy old school RPGs? I recommend this episode with Clayton Notestine about hexagons and hex crawls.

Can you list a dozen PBTA and FITD games from memory? Go deep with this episode about a single move from The Watch with Ema Acosta.

Looking for something to read? Here’s a breakdown of how one of my regular groups dove into playing without any rules established and how it went.

Who are you?

My name is Sam Dunnewold. I'm a Minnesotan game designer, screenwriter, and podcaster (professionally even beyond this show) living in Hollywood like a chump. I'm the designer of Doskvol Breathes, Space Train Space Heist, and The Hench Union LARP which won a Golden Cobra in 2021. I think everyone should include a two page manifesto with all their games, and I was a judge for the 2022 The Awards. I used to work for The Onion, where I appeared in the photo for this headline and edited this Clickhole video essay. I have no colon.

Why should I subscribe to Dice Exploder?

Every-other-week design posts and game reviews from me! Find out first when a new season of the podcast is coming! Give me the dopamine from the email that says I got a new subscriber! All super great reasons to smash like and subscribe.

But honestly who cares if you sub on Substack. Get your podcast app out and sub there. That’s where the action is.