The State of Games, Episode 21 – The One About Gaming Memories of 2011

Auld lang syne. Many of you have heard the phrase, and many more of you have sang it as the ball in Times Square has dropped, signifying a new year. Essentially, it translates as “long, long ago” – as in “a galaxy far away.” However, in relation to convential transpirations, it simply means “things that happened this year.” And that’s going to be our featured translation as we take a look back on the year that was – in games. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 20 – The One About Family Ties

The holidays are upon us, and what signifies the holidays better than family? Gathering around the table, nibbling on turkey, ham, potatoes and pie – all while trying our darndest to best each other in a great game. Yes, we feel that gaming brings the family closer and makes great memories for the holidays and anytime, really. And we’re betting all of you feel the same way as we do. Read More  Read More

The Crowded Table: Autumn 2011 Edition

The boardgaming world is a lot like Hollywood, sometimes: months can go by with nothing in the theaters but subtitled snorefests or the latest McConaughey/Hudson romantic comedy, and then, suddenly, we get The Avengers vs. JLA, Son of Jaws, and Massive End of the World Movie, Part 3 all in the same weekend. Autumn has been a bit like that for boardgames, with ships heading into port loaded with cardboard goodies on what has seemed like a daily basis. Monkey238 and I have been playing as much and as quickly as possible, but in times like these it’s great to break out this handy standard feature with brief impressions on a notable few, many of... Read More

The 2011 Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide

The holidays are upon us and tis the season to be gaming! Friends and family will soon be gathered near, and what better way to celebrate than to grab your dice and pour some cocoa? Every year, I always make it a point to have a few games under the tree for others; not only do they make great and unique gifts, but after they’re unwrapped you get to play them. Bonus!  The blessing and curse of giving games as gifts is variety. There are a lot of games out there to choose from, and pairing the right box with the correct beloved can sometimes be trying. Worry not, dear readers – use the Dice Hate Me Holiday Game Guide to aid you... Read More

Kickstarter Preview: Kings of Air & Steam

From time to time, one geek-centric genre trend becomes fashionable; subsequently, the masses yearn and, thus, the creators provide – often in bulk. The latest genre du jour seems to be steampunk – that mixture of wild, cog-driven contraptions and Victorian sensibilities. Of this genre I am not only a fan, but a bit of a connoisseur; I spent many a youthful day glued to the TV watching James West foil the bad guys’ plans with the use of one of Artemus Gordon’s goofy gadgets long before anyone had ever coined the term steampunk. All you dear readers also know by now that I am a sucker for zeppelins, as well. And, so, it... Read More

MACE 2011 Convention Wrap-up

Greetings, dear readers, ’tis the season for gaming! No, not because of the impending holidays (although that’s wonderful, as well), but because it’s the time of the year when we can load up the party wagon and head west – an hour west to our local con, MACE, in High Point. Last year, only three of us made the trek. This year, however, we had a veritable gang of geeky gamers – seven of us in total. The resulting maelstrom of gaming and imbibing manly liquids left me with some fuzzy accounts, but I shall endeavor to do my best to summarize all the geeky goodness. And although there was no bear rape nor freezer incidents... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 19 – The One About the Kickstarter Bubble

Kickstarter is getting kinda big. Like, really really big. Huge, even. And since we put Carnival up there it seems like everybody has a project. There are a lot of Chicken Littles running about, saying that the sky is falling. Are the rumors true? Should we all be selling great big digital umbrellas instead of board games? Read More  Read More

They Built This City on Solid Gold – A Belfort Review

As Linus van Pelt once so aptly conveyed: “Happiness is a warm blanket.” There’s a lot of subtle, yet strong subtext in that sentiment; we humans often have a base desire to be wrapped tightly in comforting familiarity, and while so wrapped, have no wish to do much more than remain so, content and without need or care of the slipping of time. In certain gaming circles – and, indeed, in the Dice Hate Me household – that emotional conveyance could often be repurposed, with no loss of power or sentiment, to “happiness is a long Euro.” And, so, this is how the latest release from Tasty Minstrel Games –... Read More

The Art of War: An Interview with Geoff and Brian Engelstein

Dice Hate Me and Go Forth and Game have joined forces to bring you some of the best gaming interviews on the web! That’s right, from time to time here on Dice Hate Me, Tom Gurganus will contribute one of his comprehensive conversations. In this interview, Tom sits down for a detailed chat with Geoff and Brian Engelstein, makers of The Ares Project. Enjoy the interview and be sure to let us know if there are other designers, artists or gaming insiders that you would like to know more about! ________________________________________________ Tom: Ok, The Ares Project – It just hit stores and it’s getting good buzz on the internets.... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 18 – The One About Gaming After Dark

Last time on The State of Games, we talked a bit about how not to scare girls away from gaming. Now, we want to talk about how to scare everyone while gaming! Yes, it’s our favorite time of the year here at Dice Hate Me HQ, and we’d love nothing more than to dim the lights, look around nervously, and share some frighteningly good games with all of you. Read More  Read More