Dice Tower is a magazine dedicated to table-top games with news, reviews, advice, tips and insight for both hardcore gamers and first-timers.
Created by MA Magazine Journalism students from Nottingham Trent University, Dice Tower has been a project months in the making. Like many publications during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, we have created this magazine from our homes, working together online from hundreds of miles away to create an amazing magazine we're all very proud of.
We wanted to share with you a little bit of insight into this project, going right back to when it was nothing but an idea, and ending with its release. We'll be looking at the original concept, the team behind it and some of the outstanding content we've produced.
We hope you enjoy this dive into our magazines journey, and be sure to read Dice Tower, available online now!
THE PITCH
Dragons' Den
Every year, the students of the MA Magazine Journalism course undergo the "Dragons' Den" Project. Inspired by the TV show of the same name, students break off into groups and pitch an original magazine business idea to a panel of experts. The competition has been a core part of the course for many years as students are exposed to a similar critique to what they’d face in the industry.
Not only do students need to come up with a killer magazine concept, but also think about its distribution, marketing, and most importantly, how its going to make money.
With feedback at every stage provided by CBJ staff Julie Nightingale and Claire Suddaby, as well as Anna Rick, Digital Art Editor for Slimming World magazine, good students take the process very seriously. With guidance from the pros, a half baked idea can turn into a stellar result.
"Something that always strikes me about this competition is how ahead of the trend student ideas are. We've seen it before in the competition, where Queer magazine came just before in 2017 when LGBTQ rights and gender identify suddenly became huge discussion topics in society, while Wildflower (2019) tapped into the uncertainty of Brexit and its likely influence on UK tourism. In the same way, Dice Tower has fallen at a time where, due to the lockdown, people are playing board games to pass the time. The industry really needs to start listening to young people and how they read social trends because they are often where key trends begin."
The project and its entrants are wildly different every year, with past winners including magazines about UK Holidays, LGBTQ culture and YouTube for Kids. This year was no different and with every idea presented being strong and refined. It was impossible to predict who would win and the judges had their work cut out for them.
Previous years winners of the Dragons' Den Project
Previous years winners of the Dragons' Den Project
THE COMPETITION
THE JUDGES
For the final of the competition we were joined by own "dragons", Mike Shallcross, editor of Independent Nurse and associate publisher for the Mark Allen Group, Jodie Heginbotham, freelance marketing and PR consultant (and MAMJ alumnus), and Dave Musgrove, content director for BBC History Magazine. The judges listened to the pitches, holding them to a high industry standard and grilling students before delivering their final judgement.
The competition this year was incredibly tight, as all the groups produced high quality ideas and concepts for their magazines. However there can only be one winner, and Dice Tower took the top prize.
Jodie Heginbotham and Mike Shallcross listen intently to the pitches
Jodie Heginbotham and Mike Shallcross listen intently to the pitches
Mike Shallcross is a good friend to the MJ programme at NTU, and has been involved with the Dragons' Den Project for many years. He was impressed by all of the projects presented, but for him Dice Tower cinched the win by tapping into a niche market.
"Something that really works in magazines is picking something that's popular but isn't particularly 'cool'," said Mike. "Those ideas tend to have staying power"
He also appreciated the passion for the project that was clear among the team."The enthusiasm of the presentation really stuck out to me," said Mike "and when you pitch something like this that sort of enthusiasm is infectious."
Jodie Heginbotham, who herself took part in the Dragons' Den project when she was a student at NTU, pitching a magazine for female entrepreneurs, had a similar reaction. She knew how popular tabletop games were, and knew the audience were loyal, enthusiastic and willing to spend money on their hobbies. "They were all really strong projects," said Jodie, "but Dice Tower really ticked all the boxes."
Dave Musgrove thought all the pitches were "fascinating and well presented"
Dave Musgrove thought all the pitches were "fascinating and well presented"
"I think specialist titles are going to have an important role to play in magazine journalism in the years ahead," said Dave Musgrove on why he was attracted to Dice Tower. "Consumers seek out content that they trust and rely on, and one where they think the editors and journalists are fellow enthusiasts.
"You have the concept, and I think the drive, to find a place where you can bring the ‘Dice Tower’ community with you in creating a specialist magazine that serves that audience in a credible way."
I think Chris, George and Shannon won because their idea had sprung from personal passion and, as any publisher will say,that's a big part of what makes a mag succeed.
The Team
This project was headed by student team Chris King, Shannon Mountford and George White, who became the editor, chief designer and chief sub editor respectively when we moved into production.
"Everyone loves playing games and the community out there is huge, but they’ve not really got a monthly mag to collect and look forward to. Dice Tower will change that"
The idea was born from Chris' own love of board games that he had recently been rediscovering. This, combined with Shannon and George's own enthusiasm for gaming as well as an ever growing community of game fans it seemed like the perfect choice when they were brain storming.
When Dice Tower placed first in the competition, the team were initially in shock to hear their name called out. "I believed in our idea but so did everyone else," said Shannon, "the competition was tight and I had no idea who would sway the judges right up until the last second."
"We were up against some tough opposition but the scale and might of the nerd market was thankfully enough for us to seal victory."
There was no chance of resting on their laurels after sealing the victory, and it was time to get to work. The entire MAMJ group went about making the magazine, and we all took on various different roles; from writing and subbing to social media and design. While we have been learning all year about how to create a magazine, as well as already producing the Dragons Den runner up, Magazine Squared earlier in the year, creating Dice Tower came with its own unique set of challenges.
In March 2020 the UK, and a lot of the world, went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result Nottingham Trent University transitioned to online teaching. So, rather than sitting in the newsroom together we have been in our homes all across the UK, even in different countries speaking over video and messenger. For big team work like this communication is essential, and sending files back and forth made keeping track of the most up to date pages and avoiding duplication a lot trickier.
There was also the problem of getting interviews with people in the industry. On our course we are encouraged to go out and get interviews face to face. Obviously this isn't an option at the moment, and with the whole world having a lot on their plate confirming interviews with people has been tough. However, as the majority of board game developers and other members of the industry are based in the US and overseas, it would have been a challenge for us any way, and we have all made use of technology to interview over the phone and on video chat.
Despite everything we have prevailed, and the MJ students have put in the work to create a fantastic magazine that is a labour of love for everyone. Featuring exclusive interviews, game recommendations and a whole load of other content perfect for game lovers and beginners alike!
Read on to get a sneak peek and some insight to some of the content we produced...
MAKING THE MAGAZINE
Click here to read the full issue
MOONSHINE EMPIRE
One of our main print features on the game Moonshine empire, "Dawn of an Empire", was written by our chief sub George White. Featuring an exclusive interview with the game developers, George takes a deep dive look into the game and the inspiration behind it.
"Feedback is everything, you have to make your game on your terms , but you definitely need to listen to your audience."
The idea for the piece came from an initial brainstorm for the magazine, where George and Chris thought it would be interesting to write a piece about a game that was being funded on Kickstarter, a fundraising campaign site frequently used by board game developers. One of the best things about the board gaming community, in George's opinion, is their willingness to support creative ideas and throw themselves behind new projects. Moonshine empire at the time had raised over £50,000 (now well over £120,000) and on that basis was chosen for the feature.
"I contacted the game's designer, Jason Mack, on Facebook and he was really interested in taking part," said George. "He was a great interviewee and was truly passionate about his game, which made the piece all the more enjoyable to write."
We're proud of what we've achieved, and we can't wait for people to check it out."
"I wanted the piece to centre around Jason because he has taken a big risk in putting this game together. He and co-creator Caleb Zwar have created an entire company around this one game, and I thought it was really inspirational to see two people so committed to fulfilling their dreams. Plus the game looks really fun - I'm looking forward to its release!"
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS!
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS!
TABLE TOP TALES
This article has it all, awkward moments with the in laws, injuries and in game fourth wall breaking. Charlie Vogelsang and Amanda Walker talk to real-life gamers to hear about their most memorable moments across the board.
"Four girls with sharp fake nails playing a grabbing game ended in disaster..."
The pair found the stories from a variety of places, one being Charlie's boyfriend's board game club at work, where the game developers all play at lunch time to get them away from their screens.
"I accidentally threw the token at her and went to speak but my voice cracked into a high pitch squeal
Everyone has a story, and everyone loves telling them whenever they get the chance. Hearing real-life funny moments is a great way to connect with other players and gives that sense of community in the magazine that was one of the original USP's.
This is one of Shannon's favourite features in the magazine, so give it a read to find out why.
YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, CATAN
It was clear from the word go that one of Dice Tower's main features had to be on Catan. The game celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and is considered to be one of the gateway table top board games that hooks gamers into the medium, and so a feature to examine its popularity was key for the magazine, and was even made its cover story.
"Before I was assigned this story, I had no idea what Catan was," said Polly Harrison, who wrote "Happy Birthday Catan", "now I'd consider myself almost an expert."
Tasked with writing a main feature with very little knowledge, Polly took to the internet and began viciously searching and reading all she could on the game.
She really wanted to understand everything there was about the game, but sometimes reading rulebooks and Wikipedia pages isn't the best way forward, and short of buying the game and trying to play it (but having no one to play it with due to the lockdown), she turned to YouTube.
"I watched more videos on Catan than I can count, but the one that really stuck out to me was by tabletop Youtuber "Nights around a Table", AKA Ryan Creighton. The video he made on his channel was so straight forward and easy to understand, I figured he must know a thing or two about Catan so sent him an email and managed to get an interview with him all about the game and his thoughts on it."
The angle for the feature was three fold; firstly explaining the games history, secondly to examine why it's such a popular game among tabletop fans, and finally what does the future hold.
"I really enjoyed talking to fans about the game, it was great to get a sense of why they enjoyed it, which was often nostalgia combined with the simplicity of the game. It kept getting called the Anti-monopoly, which just made me laugh so much."
To find out more, check out "You've come a long way Catan" in the new issue of Dice Tower.
Dice Tower is available now online
Dice Tower was created by the students of the MA Magazine Journalism course at Nottingham Trent University
Chris King, Shannon Mountford, George White, Natharn Warby, Chloe Weaver, Sophie Gargett, Helen Rodgers, Polly Harrison, Charlie Vogelsang, Chloe Weldon, Jacob Chamberlain, Laura Phillips and Amanda Walker
With help from Julie Nightingale
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