The State of Games, Ep. 184: The One About Catching Up

It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten together, Dear Listeners, and there’s quite a lot that’s happened. We didn’t intend to wait this long for a recording, but life sometimes gets in the way. But, we’re back, and with lots of cool news, reviews, and more than a few personal stories to share. So kick back, relax, and enjoy – you’re with friends. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 183: The One About Works in Progress

Working in the board game industry isn’t always fun and, well, games. It takes a lot of perseverance, patience, and, most importantly, the ability and willingness to adapt. Everyone on this podcast has had to adapt at least once, whether it was in changing a game design, creating some new art, or just letting go of a project that’s simply not working or selling. We’re kind of all over the place on this one, but everything we talk about has to do with that central theme of change and moving forward positively. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 182: The One About Getting the Brand Back Together

Sometimes you just need a do-over. Dice Hate Me and Greater Than Games have been together since 2015, but that’s changing now. Dice Hate Me is independent once again, and it’s both scary and exciting. We talk honestly about what all of that entails – well, I talk honestly while TC grills me like Mike Wallace. But it’s all good – and good listening for all of you, Dear Listeners. Enjoy, and thanks for coming along for the ride for as long as you have. And if you’re new, welcome! Hope you like your podcasts with a touch of whimsy and randomness. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 178: The One About New Editions

The old saying “sooner or later, everything old is new again” is very true in modern board games. With over 3,000 new titles being produced each year, it’s inevitable that some of them are going to be new editions of older games. And why not? There are tons of great games from the past that deserve a face lift or a chance to beguile a new generation of gamers. We’re here this episode to talk about the good, bad, and ugly of new editions – so settle in with your thoughts, Dear Listener, and see how closely they match ours. Read More  Read More

The State of Games Ep. 172: The One About One Quiet Night

We are truly living in strange times, and, as such, we thought it was time to take a moment to reflect on how things have changed and what we’ve all been through in the past couple of months. Among the three of us, no one has been through more than our own Darrell Louder, whose family has been living in a COVID-positive household, resulting in him, his mother-in-law, and his son dealing directly with the virus. Yes, it’s a heavier episode, but we do take some time for levity and talk about how we can all deal with our self isolation with some quality gaming, proving that when times get tough we can always count on games to help keep... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 165 – The One About Grinding Some Gears

Every so often on the podcast we dig a bit deeper and get a bit more serious with our topics. This time around what was going to be a simple rant session evolved into a deep discussion about depression, anxiety, mental health nuances, and online bullying. Don’t worry, we still talk about board games and the hobby, but we didn’t want to pull any punches when it comes to issues that affect not only those of us on the podcast, but our family and friends in the industry and beyond. Settle in and get serious, but don’t worry – as always, we laugh through the tears. You will, too. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 162 – The One About a Promising Future in Sales

From time to time here on the podcast we let TC take over the reins and dip into his ever-growing bag of industry insights and wistful shower thoughts. This time around, we take another look at past subjects like the possible market and Kickstarter bubbles, but also dig a bit deeper into what it means to sell a game and what it means to sell a product. Are board games that are created and marketed solely as products a good or bad thing for our industry? You’ll just have to listen in to find out! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 158 – The One About The Doctor’s Advice

There are certain creative leaders in the game design hobby that pop up from time to time with interesting nuggets of wisdom – Dr. Reiner Knizia is one such creative. With over 600 games and books credited to him over his career, he definitely has the experience and chops to lay down some knowledge, and a lot of that knowledge is extraordinarily valuable. On this particular show we decided to take a couple of his more recent – and infinitely intriguing – statements and break them down for discussion. Should you file them or flush them? Come on in and find out! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 157 – The One About Just a Little Filler

Last podcast we pulled out all the intellectual stops and dove head deep into the rabbit hole of Game Theory. Judging from the listener numbers that wasn’t exactly what all you dear listeners wanted to hear. Oh well, at least we had fun discussing it! We wanted to get deep again with a chat about rules, if they’re getting worse in board games, and what we might do to fix them, but we decided to table that one for another time, return a bit to formula, and focus on something a little less… filling. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 156 – The One About Mutually Assured Destruction

Most of the time on the podcast we’re just riffing on games we’ve played, or conventions we’ve gone to, or the best game with so and so mechanic, but occasionally we like to tackle something a bit heavier. This is just such a podcast. In this episode we brought in some extra brains from Matt Riddle to help us dive deeper into the math and rational thinking behind Game Theory. It wasn’t an easy topic to dissect but we think it was worth it. We hope you do, too. Enjoy! Read More  Read More