Sweet Dreams are Made of These: an Onirim Review

At least when you win. Which, despite its difficulty in accomplishing, has me repeatedly coming back for more. “So, the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, is it? Well, let’s see how you deal with this little slice…” – Jareth In Shadi Torbey’s Onirim you play the role of La Sonnambula, making your way through a labyrinth of rooms filled with beautiful dreams, disturbing nightmares, and coveted keys. Your responsibility is to discover all eight doors by collecting... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 11 – The One About the Last Game On Earth

The State of Games, Episode 11 is fully stocked with bottled water, shotgun shells and plenty of spam and beans. There’s no apocalypse that we can’t handle as long as we can also bring along dice, cards, several hundred board games… wait, there’s not room for all of that? What’s a couple of well-prepared gamers to do? Read More  Read More

First-Place Finish: A PitchCar Mini Review

I play my games a quarter mile at a time; and for those ten seconds or less, I’m free. Friday, June 24, Origins 2011: A funny thing happened on the way to the Boardroom. Right outside that gracious hall was a jaunty group of spirited gamers huddled around a long table. They would occasionally hunch over said table, give a little round disc a hearty flick and let out a mighty yawp that I could only assume signified satisfaction. Curious, I drew closer, and soon realized that... Read More

Let’s Get This Party Started!

So. Six of your good friends are about to walk through the door, and all you’ve got is a plate full of Chex mix, five or six stale beers, and a half jar of salsa in the fridge. Pop quiz, hotshot – what do you do? No, they don’t all want to play Descent for 7 hours. Yes, some of them are girls. And, yes, all of them will be hungry and in need of a distraction before tearing your apartment asunder looking for leftover Doritos. Looks like it’s time to break out the party... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 10 – The One About Origins

The State of Games, Episode 10 is geared up and ready for gaming – convention style! I’ll bet all you board gamers and grognards know what we’re talking about with the title of this one, and it ain’t about Darwin (although he was a clue in a game of Time’s Up this past week). So grab your dice bag and jump on board, because it’s convention time! Read More  Read More

Ahead in the Clouds – An Interview with Chris James of Stratus Games

Last year at Dice Hate Me headquarters, we received a review copy of a very unassuming little card game called Launch Pad. The box exterior seemed innocuous enough, but once we cracked the seal and started to play, we soon realized that this little card game was anything but innocent – this was filled with more punk factor than Monopoly Deal and Bang! combined. Of course, that meant that we liked it. As a result, I’ve kept a close eye on the developments at Stratus... Read More

A New Springboard for Board Games

As all you dear readers know by now, Dice Hate Me fully supports the efforts of fledgling and independent board and card game designers. After the recent series on notable Kickstarter projects and our last State of Games podcast all about how to succeed on that platform, it felt prudent to take a closer look at an up-and-coming alternative for raising funds: Springboard, from GameSalute.com. And, so, Dan Yarrington – the CEO of Game Salute – was kind enough to answer... Read More

The Pros and Cons of Cons: 2011 Edition

Portions of this article originally appeared on Dice Hate Me on July 22, 2010 – it has been updated to reflect 2011 convention dates and information, and reposted because the somewhat-humorous, but mostly-informative posts can still aid those seeking to attend conventions in the continental US this summer. I will be at Origins this year, so if you plan to attend, look for the guy with grumpy dice somewhere on his upper body and I’ll give you a cool pin. Look for more... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 9 – The One About Getting Kickstarted

The State of Games, Episode 9 is fitted, fueled up and ready to fly. Time to kick the tires and light the fires! Can you all guess what this episode is all about? I’ll give you a hint – it’s not about motorcycles. It’s about making some money and playing some games. Awww, yeah. Read More  Read More

Kickstarter Profiles, Part 2: Startup Fever

Sometimes in the board game community, hobbyists throw around the term “gamer’s game” to describe a game which includes advanced mechanics or a play experience best suited for someone who has done a bit more than advance their token to Boardwalk a few times in the family parlor. For prime examples of “gamer’s games,” see: Troyes, Twilight Struggle, Puerto Rico; do not see: Clue, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride. Designer Louis Perrochon, and a few others, have remarked... Read More