Sam D
@diceexploder.com
TTRPG designer and podcaster. Find me on Dice Exploder, a mechanic-of-the-week design podcast and blog. Won a Golden Cobra once. Screenwriter. No colon.
https://www.diceexploder.com/
https://sdunnewold.itch.io/
https://www.diceexploder.com/
https://sdunnewold.itch.io/
For some reason every time I finish a previously on for The Pitt I expect the Slow Horses theme to start playing.
January 11, 2026 at 5:50 AM
For some reason every time I finish a previously on for The Pitt I expect the Slow Horses theme to start playing.
My life is just biding time until I can get back into a movie theater or to a game table.
January 7, 2026 at 5:34 AM
My life is just biding time until I can get back into a movie theater or to a game table.
Reposted by Sam D
Probably the work I'm most proud of from 2025! Everyone please listen and then tell me your critiques
Doing some research and re-listening to the @diceexploder.com 4-part miniseries that @helloalexroberts.bsky.social & I did about love, sex & romance in TTRPGS
If I may say so myself, we did a good job…
www.diceexploder.com/blog/2025/8/...
If I may say so myself, we did a good job…
www.diceexploder.com/blog/2025/8/...
Love, Sex, and Romance: Sex Moves (Apocalypse World) with Alex & Sharang — Dice Exploder
Love, sex, and romance: huge human topics, wildly under-discussed in roleplaying games. At least in my opinion. So today on Dice Exploder we’re kicking off a new miniseries on the subject hosted by NO...
www.diceexploder.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:59 AM
Probably the work I'm most proud of from 2025! Everyone please listen and then tell me your critiques
The historic keyword in mtg should mean "any card that came out before my opponent was born"
January 6, 2026 at 10:43 PM
The historic keyword in mtg should mean "any card that came out before my opponent was born"
Trying to stir fry in a kitchen without a wok, burned the hell out of some chilis, the air's completely full of capsaicin - like you can't be in the kitchen without coughing. I throw on a mask and can breathe totally normally. Nice to have personal experience I can point to that masks do something!
January 5, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Trying to stir fry in a kitchen without a wok, burned the hell out of some chilis, the air's completely full of capsaicin - like you can't be in the kitchen without coughing. I throw on a mask and can breathe totally normally. Nice to have personal experience I can point to that masks do something!
Highlights from the protest today:
- guy with a full on tuba in below-freezing temps
- speaker who culminated his speech with "fuck the Monroe doctrine!"
- guy with a full on tuba in below-freezing temps
- speaker who culminated his speech with "fuck the Monroe doctrine!"
January 3, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Highlights from the protest today:
- guy with a full on tuba in below-freezing temps
- speaker who culminated his speech with "fuck the Monroe doctrine!"
- guy with a full on tuba in below-freezing temps
- speaker who culminated his speech with "fuck the Monroe doctrine!"
Trying desperately to keep my letterboxd reviews a bunch of thoughts and not just the quippiest thing I can think of but the pull of social media is strong.
January 3, 2026 at 4:22 AM
Trying desperately to keep my letterboxd reviews a bunch of thoughts and not just the quippiest thing I can think of but the pull of social media is strong.
One of my top 5 all time video games, Signs of the Sojourner, is on sale for two (2) American dollars: store.steampowered.com/app/1058690/...
Play it because I'm probably doing my first Dice Exploder video game episode about it later this year, or play it just because it's fantastic. Play it!
Play it because I'm probably doing my first Dice Exploder video game episode about it later this year, or play it just because it's fantastic. Play it!
Save 90% on Signs of the Sojourner on Steam
In this narrative card game about relationships and communication, navigate conversations in a colorful world reminiscent of our own. Learn and grow through the cards you choose to play. Who will you ...
store.steampowered.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:17 PM
One of my top 5 all time video games, Signs of the Sojourner, is on sale for two (2) American dollars: store.steampowered.com/app/1058690/...
Play it because I'm probably doing my first Dice Exploder video game episode about it later this year, or play it just because it's fantastic. Play it!
Play it because I'm probably doing my first Dice Exploder video game episode about it later this year, or play it just because it's fantastic. Play it!
Submit your best rpg blog posts to the bloggies! Especially if they weren't dungeon-game related, I'd love to see more cross-pollination between scenes this round.
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Submit your best rpg blog posts to the bloggies! Especially if they weren't dungeon-game related, I'd love to see more cross-pollination between scenes this round.
Reposted by Sam D
Instead of RPG discourse, why not draw an animal on a skateboard instead?
December 31, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Instead of RPG discourse, why not draw an animal on a skateboard instead?
What are your favorite songs that are at least 6 minutes 5 seconds long and ideally as close to that as possible?
December 24, 2025 at 9:09 AM
What are your favorite songs that are at least 6 minutes 5 seconds long and ideally as close to that as possible?
The Dice Exploder 2025 year end bonanza is here! This year I got together with @lincodega.com and @diogooldskull.bsky.social to go over a whole bunch of game mechanics that we think represent where rpgs were at in 2025 and where they might be going in the future.
2025 Year End Bonanza — Dice Exploder
It's the Dice Exploder 2025 year end bonanza! This year I'm joined by Lin Codega and Diogo Nogueira to go over a whole bunch of game mechanics that we think represent where rpgs were at in 2025 and wh...
www.diceexploder.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:31 PM
The Dice Exploder 2025 year end bonanza is here! This year I got together with @lincodega.com and @diogooldskull.bsky.social to go over a whole bunch of game mechanics that we think represent where rpgs were at in 2025 and where they might be going in the future.
Henry Cavill: "this time I'm writing a story about how you should live whatever life you want and not listen to society's expectations"
Jason Momoa: "it's about emotional repression again"
Jason Momoa: "it's about emotional repression again"
December 18, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Henry Cavill: "this time I'm writing a story about how you should live whatever life you want and not listen to society's expectations"
Jason Momoa: "it's about emotional repression again"
Jason Momoa: "it's about emotional repression again"
I appreciate Blank Check for being the only podcast where everyone regularly on the show looks EXACTLY the way I expected to after hearing their voices.
December 14, 2025 at 6:06 AM
I appreciate Blank Check for being the only podcast where everyone regularly on the show looks EXACTLY the way I expected to after hearing their voices.
larp series: ✅
mechanics I wanted to cover: ❌
6 eps I don't appear on: ✅
diversity goals: ❌, but not as bad as I thought
ap series: ✅
Not terrible for calling my shot on 2025!
mechanics I wanted to cover: ❌
6 eps I don't appear on: ✅
diversity goals: ❌, but not as bad as I thought
ap series: ✅
Not terrible for calling my shot on 2025!
2025 Dice Exploder goals:
- 6 episode series on larp
- 6 episode series on "the mechanics I've personally wanted to cover"
- 6+ episodes that I do not appear on
- meet my internal diversity goals for the show in terms of who's on air and what games get covered
- 6 episode series on larp
- 6 episode series on "the mechanics I've personally wanted to cover"
- 6+ episodes that I do not appear on
- meet my internal diversity goals for the show in terms of who's on air and what games get covered
December 13, 2025 at 1:24 AM
larp series: ✅
mechanics I wanted to cover: ❌
6 eps I don't appear on: ✅
diversity goals: ❌, but not as bad as I thought
ap series: ✅
Not terrible for calling my shot on 2025!
mechanics I wanted to cover: ❌
6 eps I don't appear on: ✅
diversity goals: ❌, but not as bad as I thought
ap series: ✅
Not terrible for calling my shot on 2025!
Life is an endless stream of mild embarrassments I'm unable to forget and great successes I can never remember.
December 12, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Life is an endless stream of mild embarrassments I'm unable to forget and great successes I can never remember.
pbta renaissance 2026 is coming
December 6, 2025 at 1:06 AM
pbta renaissance 2026 is coming
Reposted by Sam D
I read @monsterpotion.bsky.social's new version of Fight Truck, and cried about it. Then I wrote this. It's personal and vulnerable and bold and I'm very proud. I'd love to hear from anyone if this speaks to you, and I want to hear why other people seek out risky play .
"What do we risk when we play?"
Contributor @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social interrogates the path of her life through a joyfully violent larp that radically reframes safety and risk.
Contributor @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social interrogates the path of her life through a joyfully violent larp that radically reframes safety and risk.
I want to fight my friends in the back of a moving truck
What if some games are too risky to not play?
www.rascal.news
December 3, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I read @monsterpotion.bsky.social's new version of Fight Truck, and cried about it. Then I wrote this. It's personal and vulnerable and bold and I'm very proud. I'd love to hear from anyone if this speaks to you, and I want to hear why other people seek out risky play .
I see lots of people in indie ttrpgs talking about how some designers are getting influenced by cool stuff happening in wargames. But who are these designers, what's the cool stuff happening in wargames, and what's an example of something in ttrpgs that's a response to it?
December 1, 2025 at 7:36 PM
I see lots of people in indie ttrpgs talking about how some designers are getting influenced by cool stuff happening in wargames. But who are these designers, what's the cool stuff happening in wargames, and what's an example of something in ttrpgs that's a response to it?
Catching up on Fallout season 1: Walter Goggins looks more like himself when he doesn't have a nose.
November 30, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Catching up on Fallout season 1: Walter Goggins looks more like himself when he doesn't have a nose.
What if... I stopped editing my podcast and started just hitting publish
November 27, 2025 at 10:46 AM
What if... I stopped editing my podcast and started just hitting publish
Got a new game out in public beta/playtest today with @randylubin.com! Three Generations: The Rise and Fall of the Eternal Empire is a game where you make a little fantasy land, then you draw character cards who travel around and change the land forever.
Three Generations: The Rise and Fall of the Eternal Empire by Randy Lubin, sdunnewold
Build an empire and watch it crumble
randylubin.itch.io
November 26, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Got a new game out in public beta/playtest today with @randylubin.com! Three Generations: The Rise and Fall of the Eternal Empire is a game where you make a little fantasy land, then you draw character cards who travel around and change the land forever.
I'm back with @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social doing another 90 minutes on expressionism over on the patreon, this time breaking down game examples from my own work. This framework continues to be useful for me even as it doesn't apply tons of the time.
November 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I'm back with @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social doing another 90 minutes on expressionism over on the patreon, this time breaking down game examples from my own work. This framework continues to be useful for me even as it doesn't apply tons of the time.
Someone explain to me why I like Silksong so much less than Hollowknight, I can't figure it out
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Someone explain to me why I like Silksong so much less than Hollowknight, I can't figure it out
I have succeeded at climbing my way out of a writing pit of despair, please clap
November 21, 2025 at 7:16 AM
I have succeeded at climbing my way out of a writing pit of despair, please clap