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

From Conception to Convention Part 2: The Only Ship That Won’t Sail, You Say?

The next entry in Marc Specter’s continuing column chronicling his journey to organizing a new gaming convention in Michigan: In my last entry I mentioned how across my gaming career, it was only recently that I got involved locally with gamers who did not first begin as friends.  Gaming with strangers, albeit gamer strangers, is another matter.  Despite being in sales for the past 12 years, my desire and ability to interact with complete strangers is limited, and walking into a room full of strangers who have known each other forever is a bit out of my comfort zone. That is again perhaps why I founded 3rd Wednesday Gaming (3WG).  Now,... Read More

Goggles Not Included – A Kickstarter Quick-Look at Mars Needs Mechanics

For the past couple of years, Dice Hate Me has covered the Kickstarter beat very closely. That means we’ve seen more than our fair share of prototypes, and been privy to the behind-the-scenes stories of many remarkable projects. Other than our own projects, none have been more familiar to us in details and development than the recently-launched Mars Needs Mechanics. We first met designer Benjamin Rosset at the 2011 World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, PA. While there, I had a chance to try out one of his more ambitious designs, the simultaneous turn selection/time management survival game, Stranded. Our friend Shawn, however, also... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 34 – The One About GenCon, DC and The WBC

Wow. It’s been awhile since we talked to all of you, dear listeners! But there’s good reason – we’ve been on the road. A lot. A LOT. It seems as though we’ve barely been at home for the past month, and yet it also seems like we’ve taken our home with us since so many of you have made our convention season wonderful with games and camaraderie. So sit back, have a lemonade, and let’s reminisce. We promise not to be gone so long for a good, long bit. Read More  Read More

GenCon 2012 – A Pictorial Recap

Hello, dear readers! The biggest gaming show in North America just wound down and I have returned a bit ragged but still raving about the experience. GenCon 2012 was a massive celebration of geekdom and gaming, and the sheer spectacle of it all never disappointed. The best part about GenCon for me was the chance to meet up with a lot of old friends and make some new ones meeting fans, supporters and colleagues over the four eventful days. There’s never enough time to do and see everything on your list at these things, but I left feeling satisfied that I had done and seen more than enough to fill me with great memories for years to come. And... Read More

The Crowded Table – Summer 2012 Pre-GenCon Edition

People always seem to regard summer as that lackadaisical time when they can kick back in a hammock with a strong margarita and relax with a good, long book. I don’t know about the rest of you, but with my busy summers, all I want to do is kick those same people out of their hammocks and steal their margaritas just for a moment’s break. This summer is no exception, as we’ve been traveling to and fro constantly from conventions and special gaming events in what seems like an endless procession of mid-week road trips. And I’m about to embark on another of those long side jaunts as I’ll soon be off to Indianapolis to... Read More

WBC 2012 – A Pictorial Recap

We’ve attended many conventions over the years, but one of our recent favorites has become the World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. No other convention embodies the thrill of competition and the camaraderie and fellowship of tabletop gaming quite like the WBC. Although Monkey238 and I headed to Lancaster to playtest and promote Dice Hate Me Games, we also wanted to be able to relax and have a little gaming vacation before the madness of GenCon. We were definitely not disappointed, and had a wonderful time with friends, both old and new. So settle back and take it all in through this picture book look at the WBC! Our... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 33 – The One About The Heartland

Alright, all you good buddies out there – we hope you’ve got your ears on. Or your eyes peeled. Or whatever will get your attention, because it’s time to load up and roll out another great Dice Hate Me Games release! Today is the big day – the opening day of pledging for The Great Heartland Hauling Co. Just before the clock strikes midnight on July 31, we thought it would be fitting to sit down with designer Jason Kotarski and figure out what makes him – and this great game – keep on trucking. Read More  Read More

Ye Olde Meat and Potatoes – A Lyssan Guest Review

Today on Dice Hate Me, we’re lucky to have a guest review by the most excellent and always helpful Marc Specter. Marc takes a look at Lyssan – a sprawling boardgame that racked up some nice funding last year on Kickstarter, at about the same time as Carnival. So grab ye some mead, dear readers, and dig into this special feast! The arrival of Lyssan is upon us.  As team leader of the group that was privileged to run Lyssan at Origins this year,  I feel it incumbent upon me to provide you, gentle gamer, a preview of your next great game. We play in a time where few games make it to the table more than a few times, and where the new... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 31 – The One About Origins, Chemistry and The Big Blue Noodle

This is a really big show about a Really Big Show – namely, Origins Game Fair. Ok, so it wasn’t as Really Big as it usually is because of a date change and gamer malaise and rampaging pomeranians… but we’ll get to all that. Regardless, we had a blast at Origins, and it was awesome getting to meet and play with a whole bunch of you. At any rate, get comfortable – we’ve got a whole lotta podcast for ya! Read More  Read More