Army of Dorkness: A Castle Dash Review

When Phil Kilcrease, founder of start-up game publishers 5th Street Games, first approached me about reviewing the relatively unassuming Castle Dash, I was a little hesitant. It’s not that I wasn’t interested, but I already had a long list of titles waiting patiently on my game table, all shiny and huge. However, it soon became apparent that the game was going to jump to the front of that list when Monkey238 saw the adorable cartoon soldiers adorning the cards and told me, in no uncertain terms, that we needed that game, and needed it now. Like a loving husband, I complied. At first glance, my initial hesitation seemed founded. The game came... Read More

Expanding Space – An Alien Frontiers: Factions Preview

When I first interviewed David MacKenzie of Clever Mojo Games back in July of last year, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the Alien Frontiers and Kickstarter phenomenons. I knew that I was fascinated with how a small company could create such a big buzz in such a short time, and so down the rabbit hole I plummeted. After playing and loving Alien Frontiers, naming it the Dice Hate Me Game of the Year for 2010, and getting to know David, his brother Fred, and the amazing things that Clever Mojo Games has been up to in the past year, I can safely say that it has been a great trip… and it’s far from over. Clever Mojo –... Read More

They Built This City…

This preview was originally posted on April 25, 2011, but since Clever Mojo Games has now released Sunrise City into the wilds of Kickstarter, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at how far the game has progressed. I’ve played Sunrise City many, many times since this preview and watched as it developed into a fun, approachable and engaging game. To check out how it has grown and progressed, read over the preview and then head over to Kickstarter to check out the campaign! In a recent BoardGameGeek News round-up, W. Eric Martin featured a brief tease about Sunrise City – a tile-laying city game currently in production... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 14 – The One About The Kickstarter Experience

Have you ever prepared for a recital, or warmed up for a big game and had so many butterflies flitting about in your stomach that you thought you’d probably end up barfing on the ump or the entire first row? That’s kinda what it feels like right before you hit the GO button on your very first Kickstarter project. Thankfully for Monkey238 and me, those jitters disappeared real quick when all of you wonderful people made our dreams come true in just 17 short hours. Read More  Read More

Step right up. Enjoy your ride.

It’s that time. You’ve heard the rumblings over the past couple of months… you’ve (hopefully) seen bits and pieces of the art… and you’ve (even more hopefully) heard the buzz. Our first game release, Carnival, is now on Kickstarter and ready for your perusal! For those not in the know, Carnival is a game of set collection for 2-4 players that utilizes dice rolls to determine actions. During the game, players may use Tickets to influence dice rolls or cancel other players’ actions. Wild cards can act as card substitutes or be discarded to draw more cards from the deck. It’s just like bumper cars in... Read More

Epic Update for Princes of the Dragon Throne

It’s been a few months since dragons have graced the pages at Dice Hate Me, but that doesn’t mean that they have been dormant. I’ve recently received a slew of new art for Clever Mojo Games‘ Princes of the Dragon Throne, and been privy to some designer notes that clear up the new direction for the game. But first – pretty stuff! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 13 – The One About GenCon and the WBC

Phew. Gaming can sometimes be hard. Like when there are tons of cool conventions going on all summer long and you just can’t seem to get to all of them. Lucky for us, we have clones. That’s right, clones. Right now, there are hundreds of little Monkey238s running amok, possibly in your neighborhood. It’s true! Don’t be alarmed, though – they’re mostly harmless. Just have some Doritos and ice cream at the ready. You may need it. Read More  Read More

Guest Impressions: GenCon 2011

Although we weren’t able to make it to GenCon this year, we were lucky enough that a friend of Dice Hate Me was there – Marc Specter. Marc attended GenCon on Saturday and was kind enough to volunteer his impressions of the big show. We’d like to thank Marc for running the gauntlet for us! Also, look for a special episode of The State of Games on Thursday when Patrick Nickell will share his experiences (including interviews with some industry giants) and Monkey238 and I will share our thoughts and experiences at the World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, PA! Running the gauntlet of aisle 800 As the grandaddy of all gaming... Read More

WBC Bound!

It’s convention time once again at Dice Hate Me HQ, so time for some road trip preliminaries. I know that a vast majority of you are either not reading this at GenCon, or not reading this because you’re reading someone else’s blog about being at GenCon, but for the other 3% of you out there – welcome to the WBC party! As many of you already know, we have opted out of the big show in Indy this year, and are instead headed to the land of milk and honey – Lancaster, PA, home of delicious pretzels and shoo-fly pie. Lancaster is the home of the World Boardgaming Championships, and we figured that the closer drive, cheaper... Read More

Spies Like Us: A Confusion Review

When I left for Origins In June, Monkey238 doled out a dossier filled with details of two missions: have fun and don’t spend a lot of money. I chose to accept the missions; one proved a resounding success, the other was failed miserably as I walked through the door with twice as many games as I had brought along. All was soon forgiven, however, when she spotted Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War. As it turns out, nothing can make this monkey’s attention turn from overspending to oh-let’s-play like the promise of some quality detente. But with the most excellent Cold War: CIA vs KGB and the masterpiece Twilight Struggle already... Read More