First of all, huge shoutout to Rick for putting this event on our radar, and to Donovan for being an awesome “roommate/co-worker” during the convention. Y’all made this weekend unforgettable.
For the past few days, Stephanie and I have been at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, volunteering at Dice Tower East—and what an amazing time it’s been. We had the privilege of teaching board games to some of the kindest, funniest, and most passionate gamers we’ve ever met. I was fortunate enough to be placed with Floodgate Games, where I demoed Landmarks, Skyrockets, and a super quirky little title called Hedge Mage.
Let me pause for a second—Hedge Mage is especially cool because it’s just now starting to go out to Kickstarter backers, so not many folks have had the chance to play it yet. (Review coming soon, stay tuned!)
Games We Played (When We Weren’t Teaching)
Between our shifts, Stephanie and I squeezed in a few games, including the always-chaotic The Super Show, and the delightfully absurd Coop da Chickens (yes, it’s exactly as ridiculous as it sounds).
We also hit up every station in the Dexterity Hall, where our favorites were:
Klask – always a blast
…and that awesome game where you fling a disc up a ramp into scoring rings. It’s basically Skee-Ball meets Shuffleboard, and it stole our hearts.
Old Town Adventures and Resort Life
Outside the con, we made time to visit Old Town Kissimmee, which I highly recommend. We stopped by the General Store and Black Market Minerals—both filled with cool, offbeat stuff. We also ate at Sake Ba, which officially has the best Krab Rangoons and California Rolls I’ve ever had. Pro tip: sit up on the waterslide at the Caribe Royale. Maximum speed. Minimum regrets.
The People Make the Convention
Now, let’s talk about the real magic—the people.
I played Landmarks with a wonderful family that had twin boys who reminded me so much of my younger brothers (also twins). One brother insisted he was a master clue-giver… and promptly led us to disaster. Meanwhile, the other twin heckled him into oblivion until Clue Bro rage-quit the table. Next game? Heckler Twin takes the reins and leads us directly to the treasure AND the exit. Legend.
I also played a hilariously long session of Hedge Mage with a British gentleman who had us all laughing nonstop. It was total chaos in the best way.
Meeting the Dice Tower Crew
One of my big goals was to finally meet Tom Vasel. At one point, Tom walked through the demo area and I told my co-teacher for the weekend, Martha, that I was too nervous to say hi. She told me how kind and talkative Tom was and… proceeded to talk so long about it that Tom vanished before I got the chance.
BUT, redemption came the next day—Martha went to get some water and returned with Tom Vasel in tow! Everything she said was true: Tom was genuinely kind, personable, and welcoming. I didn’t get to game with him, but that’s now a goal for next year.
I also had the chance to meet Chris Yi and Zee Garcia—both were super friendly and made it clear that the Dice Tower crew genuinely cares about everyone having a great time.
Shoutouts to the Awesome Folks We Met
I want to give some quick shoutouts to a few of the incredible people and publishers who helped make Dice Tower East 2025 so special. (Apologies if I missed your name—I met so many amazing folks!)
Vinny
And of course, everyone at The Dice Tower—thank you for putting on an incredible show.
Final Thoughts
Dice Tower East 2025 was an absolute blast. Whether we were teaching games, playing new ones, relaxing by the pool, or eating way too many rangoons, Stephanie and I made memories we’ll never forget. I can’t wait to return next year, hopefully teach some more awesome games, and finally sit down for a game with Tom Vasel.
Until next time—keep gaming, keep laughing, and stay nerdy.
