Reflections on Dice Tower West 2025

GenCon has always set a high standard for me when it comes to board gaming conventions. During my first-ever GenCon, I met Matt Mercer (before he got uber-famous), solved elven riddles in True Dungeon, and got first dibs on new releases in the exhibition hall. Plus, with nerdy burlesque, 60,000 attendees, and an electric atmosphere, it's quite a scene.

Over the years, I’ve been interested in exploring non-GenCon events, and so this year, my partner and I decided to check out Dice Tower West (DTW), held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in early March.

The friendliest board game convention
DTW is touted as the friendliest board game convention, and true to its promise, every day, I felt at home. I either ran into people from my gaming circle in the San Francisco Bay Area or connected with OBG (Oaklandish Board Gamers) I don’t get to game with frequently. The warm and welcoming vibe made it easy to strike up conversation and fill seats for a game.

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How late can you game?
My endurance was put to the test. Because I was so excited, I barely slept on Tuesday night, and on the first night, I started a game of Galactic Cruise (which I had fortunately learned the previous week) at 10 PM. On top of that, I had signed up for the World Series of Board Gaming tournaments on Thursday and Friday (10 AM starts for Castles of Burgundy and Brass: Birmingham), really pushing my limits. Despite the exhaustion, the sheer fun of playing and competing kept me going.

The inner circle
In addition to gaming with local friends and acquaintances, I was honored to play games with influencers I’ve been following on Instagram and YouTube, including Kenan of the Punchboard Cathedral podcast, Reggie of Rolling Reggie, Taylor Reiner of Taylor’s Trick-Taking Table, and the Brothers Murph from BoardGameGeek. It was such a treat to sit down at a table with people whose content I’ve admired from afar and enjoy silly games like Dro Polter and the Downfall of Pompeii together.

On Thursday and Saturday, Taylor hosted the Vegas Game Market, showcasing self-published games. I snagged copies of Mike DiLisio's On the Clock, Taylor Reiner's Sound Wavelength Monikers card game, and 30 to Go by Ben Kearns.

Highlights of the convention

• Daitoishi (Dani Garcia) – A clever euro with an innovative movement mechanism set in the Bitoku universe.
• SETI (Czech Games Edition) – A space-themed game where players scan the skies, launch probes, and analyze data in the quest for finding extraterrestrial life.
• Galactic Cruise (Kinson Key Games) – A fantastic economic game where players build luxury space cruises for interstellar travelers.
• Shackleton Base – A tight survival and resource management game featuring the colonization of the moon.
• Planet Unknown (with the Supermoon expansion) – A fun polyomino game that combines puzzle efficiency with player interaction, made even better with the new expansion.

Other games I played

• Critter Kitchen – A charming set collection and recipe-fulfilling game featuring adorable animal chefs.
• Floresta – A beautiful nature-themed game with mini games including area control and set collection. 
• Fishing (Friedmann Friese) – A quirky, deck building tricktaker that always makes us laugh. 
• Bora Bora (Stefan Feld) – A classic Feldian point salad with dice placement.
• Balconia – An interesting 2-player Castle Combo-like game focused on designing the perfect apartment facade.
• Marvel Dice Throne – A fast-paced, dice-rolling combat 2v2 game with Marvel heroes battling it out for supremacy.
• Fresh Fish (Friedmann Friese) – A quirky Friedmann Friese game whose art reminded me of Word Art from Microsoft Word 1994. 
• Castle Combo – A quick and tactical card drafting game where players play characters into their feudums to score the most points. 
  
• Fromage – A cheese-making game featuring simultaneous action and four mini games.
• Dro Polter – An Oink dexterity game of ghostly mischief and fast hands.
• Rajas of the Ganges: Cards and Karma – A streamlined, card-based version of the beloved dice-and-tile placement game.
• We Need to Talk – A charming tricktaking and shedding game by our very own Brendon Fong.
• Downfall of Pompeii – A thematic and chaotic game where players race to escape an erupting volcano while ensuring their rivals don’t make it out.

Final thoughts
Dice Tower West was everything I hoped it would be—an inviting, community-driven convention filled with amazing games and people. The experience reaffirmed why I love board gaming so much: the connections, the thrill of competition, and the joy of discovering new favorites. If you’re looking for a convention with a welcoming atmosphere, a fantastic library, and non-stop gaming, DTW should absolutely be on your list.
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Until next year, happy gaming!