by Charis Marshal, Student Public Relations Writer
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 meets purpose.
This is the origin story of Blackstone Blocks, a new magnetic terrain system designed to bring a modular, vertical dimension to tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons.
From Cedarville Classrooms to Creative Startup
Blackstone Blocks was created by Brooks Dibble and Emily Bader, both 2021 graduates of Cedarville University’s industrial and innovative design program. Now co-owners of Band of Idiots, a company in Columbus, Ohio, that developed a tabletop gaming product line, the pair began developing the game accessory just six months after graduation.
Their coursework equipped them as both designers and entrepreneurs. The rigorous innovation and design program held at the International Center for Creativity (ICC) in Dublin, Ohio, is the leading industrial and innovation design program among private, Christian universities in the country.
With tabletop gaming reaching record popularity — D&D alone has millions of players and a thriving accessories market — their timing couldn’t be better.
Turning Gameplay Frustration Into Innovation
The idea for Blackstone Blocks began with Dibble, Bader and their friend group at Cedarville. Dibble often served as the game master during their regular D&D sessions and began 3D-printing terrain to enhance the worldbuilding and strategy aspects of the game.
“I printed all this terrain, but it was someone else’s design,” said Dibble. “I wasn’t super happy with it and always wanted to make something better. That desire to improve gameplay and build something of our own was the start of Blackstone 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've done so much user testing with ourselves and our friends by simply playing the game they are designed for.”
Complementary Skills Power a Shared Vision
As business partners and friends for nearly a decade, Dibble and Bader bring complementary strengths to their team. Dibble handles project engineering — designing the block architecture, magnet system and add-ons and overseeing all in-house 3D printing. Bader, an accomplished illustrator, leads the artistic direction, visual design and marketing strategy.
“In our industrial and innovative design program, we really ran through 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 building relationships within the tabletop gaming community and showing them the hope that we have. And if we’re not, we’re misusing our talent.”
Blackstone Blocks operates out of Dibble’s apartment, where each piece is designed, printed, assembled and packaged by hand. This process allows them to maintain a high level of 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 campaign received pledges of more than $37,000 from over 200 backers — while their goal was not met, this was a strong sign that the tabletop gaming community was ready for their creative, high-quality approach to terrain. They are currently taking pre-orders with expected fulfillment beginning in June 2026.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and 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 at cedarville.edu.
