The State of Games, Episode 37 – The One About the Ghost Fleet and the Haunted Dungeon
We love this time of year – leaves falling, crazy-faced pumpkins appearing on every doorstep, and lots and lots of new games popping up in our local store, and on Kickstarter! For this episode, we wanted to capture a bit of that October game ghoulishness, as well as talk about the spooky spirit of Halloween. And what better way to do that than to run a little bit long on the podcast talking to four different people? So sit back, admire your finely-crafted Jack-O-Lantern and enjoy this holiday hodgepodge of game designers and publishers, talking up their craft. Read More Read More
Escapist Expo 2012: A Brief Pictorial Wrap-Up
Traditionally, the bulk of gaming con season has ended around the first of September, typically with the party and parade of passioned freaks at Dragon*Con down in Atlanta. Over the past few years, however, a few local cons have started springing up just before or after the string of big shows, extending the seasons for a lucky few. Thankfully, Durhamites are now one of those lucky few as we now have The Escapist Expo in mid-September – a smallish, PAX-like affair with video games, board games and more than a few costumed geeks. This was the Expo’s inaugural year, and it was a rousing success; we gathered together with over 2,000 of... Read More
The Crowded Table – Spring 2012 Edition
I’m not sure what it is about spring, exactly, but board games tend to multiply in this season like a certain cotton-tailed carrot eater that likes to deliver painted eggs. That usually means that more games start hitting the table and more games need to be reviewed – because hey, it’s what I do, and all of you dear readers deserve it. So let’s ditch the dallying dialogue and hop straight to the heart. Dragon Valley I’ll be completely honest – when designer C.W. Karstens first contacted me about Dragon Valley during its Kickstarter campaign last year, I was a bit trepidatious. The combination of art and main... Read More
The State of Games, Episode 27 – The Short One About PAX East 2012
It’s been a little longer than expected between podcasts for us here at Dice Hate Me HQ, but we have a good excuse – we’ve been on the road, bringing boardgaming to the masses! We got an invite to the really big show up in Beantown – PAX East – and we couldn’t say no. We’re certainly glad we made the trip, getting the chance to meet so many wonderful people and share some boardgaming love. So come on in and sit a spell while we spin a yarn of our wonderful adventures. Read More Read More
PAX East in Pictures: A Publisher’s View
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind at Dice Hate Me HQ, as Monkey238 and I made some last-minute arrangements to work the Game Salute booth at PAX East. This was to be Monkey’s first big con, and I wasn’t sure how much of it we would get to see as we met with gamers, introduced them to Carnival, VivaJava and many other great games. We did get to take a few breaks and wander the massive halls and if there’s one thing we learned – we’re sure glad we only had to set up for boardgaming because the electronic games displays were massive! Here’s a brief pictorial glimpse into our trip to PAX East –... Read More
Come say hello to Dice Hate Me Games at PAX East!
The State of Games, Episode 26 – The One About Getting Lucky
There are many divisive subjects within the realm of the board game hobby, but none seem as bold nor more passionately discussed than luck. Luck defines genres, often determines the difference between abstract and Ameritrash, and, for some, can determine whether a game is fun or a flop. So come on in, listen to us ramble, and get lucky! Read More Read More
The State of Games, Episode 25 – The One About Game Design
It seems as if you can’t attend any gaming convention nowadays without coming across 10 or 20 panels and talks about game design and how mysterious and elusive a successful idea can be. Well, we at Dice Hate Me are here to tell you all that there’s nothing mysterious or elusive about the process – good game design inspiration can come from the most ordinary of things, from a cup of coffee to a really good book. Read More Read More
The State of Games, Episode 24 – The One About Farming
Have you ever been in the presence of a female gamer when a box of Agricola: The Goodies is first cracked open and all those adorable little pigs and cows come spilling out? Have you regained hearing in your ears from the squeal of delight? And why, exactly, is a tiny wooden pumpkin or squash so darn adorable? Honestly, we don’t know either but we’re going to talk about it for at least 15 minutes or so. Come on in! Read More Read More
Couples Retreat 2012 Recap
It’s been a quiet few weeks here on Dice Hate Me, but that certainly hasn’t meant much quiet on the homefront. Quite the opposite, actually, as we’ve been gaming through the holidays and working like mad to get VivaJava wrapped and ready for its Kickstarter debut (Wednesday, Jan. 25 – mark your calendars!). If you listened to the last State of Games podcast – and if you haven’t, it’s right over here – you dear readers already know that we took a little gaming retreat with our friends Shawn and Jacki. I also promised a little closer look at some of the titles that hit the table, some for the very... Read More
