Designing a New Dimension for Tabletop Gaming

In a tiny Columbus apartment, surrounded by humming 3D printers and stacks of miniature stone bricks, two young designers are reshaping how fantasy games are played — and how design meetspurpose.

This is the origin story ofBlackstone Blocks, a new magnetic terrain system designed tobring amodular, vertical dimension to tabletop gameslikeDungeons and Dragons.

From Cedarville Classrooms to Creative Startup

Blackstone Blocks wascreated by Brooks Dibble and Emily Bader, both 2021graduates ofCedarville University’sindustrial and innovative design program.Now co-owners ofBand of Idiots,a company in Columbus, Ohio,thatdevelopeda tabletop gaming product line,the pair began developing the game accessory just six months after graduation.

Their courseworkequipped themas both designers and entrepreneurs.Therigorousinnovation anddesignprogramheld at theInternational Center for Creativity(ICC)in Dublin, Ohio,is theleadingindustrial and innovation design program among private, Christianuniversitiesin the country.

With tabletop gaming reaching record popularity — D&D alonehasmillions of players and a thriving accessories market — their timingcouldn’tbe better.

Turning Gameplay Frustration Into Innovation

The idea for Blackstone Blocks beganwith Dibble,Baderand their friend groupat Cedarville.Dibbleoften servedas thegamemasterduring their regularD&Dsessionsandbegan 3D-printingterrain to enhance theworldbuilding andstrategyaspectsof the game.

“I printed all this terrain, but it was someone else’s design,” said Dibble. “Iwasn’tsuper happy with it andalways wantedto make something better. Thatdesireto improve gameplay and build something of our own wasthestartofBlackstone Blocks.”

“The ICC really prepared us well to think about the actual people using our products and to think critically about a design for them,” said Bader. “For these blocks,we'vedone so much user testing withourselves andour friends bysimplyplaying the gamethey are designed for.”

Complementary Skills Power a Shared Vision

As business partners and friends fornearly adecade,Dibble and Bader bring complementary strengths to their team.Dibblehandlesprojectengineering—designing theblock architecture, magnetsystemand add-onsand overseeingall in-house3D printing.Bader, an accomplished illustrator, leads the artistic direction, visualdesignand marketing strategy.

“In our industrial and innovative design program,wereally ranthrough the gamut of design thinking and design practices,” said Bader. “We were challenged to design something that serves people well and isn't just another product thrown out into the marketplace.”

Building With Purpose, Creativity and Faith

They also see their work as an expression of faith.

“If we are believers and creatives and we’re good at what we do, we should be shoulder to shoulder with successful secular artists and designers,” said Dibble. “We should be buildingrelationships withinthe tabletop gaming communityand showing them the hope that we have. And ifwe’renot,we’remisusingour talent.”

Blackstone Blocksoperatesout of Dibble’s apartment,where each piece is designed, printed,assembledand packagedbyhand. This process allowsthem tomaintaina high levelof quality and artistry.

Their vision is already gaining traction. In fall 2025, Dibble and Bader launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their first production run. The campaignreceived pledgesofmore than $37,000from over200backers—while their goal was not met,thiswasastrongsign that the tabletop gaming community was ready for their creative, high-quality approach to terrain.They arecurrently taking pre-orderswith expected fulfillment beginningin June2026.

About Cedarville University

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offersundergraduateandgraduateresidential and online programs across arts,sciencesand professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more atcedarville.edu.