The State of Games, Ep. 135: The One About Tactics vs. Strategy

It’s always awesome to have a long-time friend and podcast listener on the show, and it’s even better when that guest throws down with TC on a serious game topic! I’ve known Van Ryder Games founder AJ Porfirio for almost as long as Kickstarter has been around, and yet he’s never been on the show. After a controversial tweet last week, I figured he was due, if only to give us all an amazing opportunity to talk all this tactics and strategy kerfluffle through! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 133: The One About Letting Go

We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past six years on the podcast, and sometimes it’s nice to look back on a great topic and reintroduce it to a new audience. The topic this time is a somewhat-controversial theory introduced by Cody Jones back in 2012 which states that to have the most compact game collection you should only have one game of each type. We thought it was pretty crazy back then, and the opinion hasn’t changed too much. BUT – we do embrace the madness and practice a little bit of The Jones Theory on the podcast, all for your enjoyment. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 132: The One About Origins 2017

Greetings dear listeners, it’s time to sit back and take a trip with us to Columbus, Ohio for one of our favorite cons of the year – Origins Game Fair! This will be the sixth Origins that we’ve covered on the podcast and we discuss many familiar things like the Three-Legged Mare, late-night gaming, and tons of great unpublished games on the tables. However, this is the first Origins where we had a near-death experience on the podcast! We can laugh about it now, but we thought we had lost Eric Handler there for a minute or two – you’ll just have to hear it to believe it. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 131: The One About Getting Nasty

Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug – I’m talking about games with a little bit of spite in them! Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, mean games have been around for a long, long time (heck, Sorry has been around since the 1920s) so we thought it would be fun to take a look at the dark side of gaming. Don’t worry, we won’t be mean, and I promise you lots of fun! Read More  Read More

Thanks for 7 Wonderful Years!

Greetings, dear readers! It’s been awhile. I’ve missed you. I’ve gathered you here to celebrate the anniversary of Dice Hate Me. Exactly seven years ago today, I posted my first game review on dicehateme.com – and since then what a long, strange trip it’s been. Over the past three years, this site has been mostly a repository and rally point for The State of Games podcast. The podcast has evolved over the past few years and I still enjoy gathering to talk and laugh about boardgames, but I miss sharing my passion for games and the hobby through written journalism. So, from this point forward, consider the old Dice Hate Me back in... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 126: The One About Unpub Prime

For seven years now, game designers and plucky playtesters alike have gathered together at the Unpublished Games Festival. Once a small affair held in Dover, Delaware, Unpub has grown exponentially in the last three years, expanding to the Baltimore Convention Center and drawing huge crowds. The fundamentals and fun have not changed over the years, though; Unpub is still the best place for designers to make their unpublished creations the best they can be, and for playtesters to try out the next Big Thing before it hits the shelves! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 125: The One About the Absolute Essentials

From time to time it’s good for us to reflect on those games that are a cornerstone of our hobby or our personal collections. Even though many of you dear readers are experienced gamers, there may be a few great designs that you’ve missed over the years. We’re here to set that straight! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 124: The One About PrezCon 2017

Many of us on podcast attend a ton of conventions during the year, but none are as relaxing or as enjoyable as PrezCon. There are no work duties, no meetings, no networking – nothing but kicking back, playing games, and spending some quality time with old friends. This year’s con was a bit sleepier than most, but all the usual suspects were still around to make sure it was just as memorable a tradition, as always. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 119: The One About Chits and Chat

We got the band back together! And, boy, did we have a lot to talk about. With all four of us scattered to the four winds during Thanksgiving and beyond, we felt like it would be a good time for another potpourri episode, especially since there were some particularly meaty topics around. We also figured this would be a good palette cleanser before our big holiday episode coming up in ep. 120 where we’ll all be together at Casa de Louder for festivities. Enjoy! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 116: The One About Exceptions that Make the Rule

If we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that not all games are for all people. We all have individual tastes in types of games that we like, and often times will steer clear of other games of those same types down the road. This podcast is all about those little gems that have surprised us over the years, made us rethink why we never liked these types of games in the first place, and that we’re eager to share now with all of you dear listeners. Read More  Read More