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 2020 Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide

Seasons Greetings, Dear Readers! I can hear the silver bells and carols everywhere, so it’s time to share the Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide once again. Unbelievable that this is the 10th year I’ve been putting together this list, and what an unconventional year it’s been. I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten to play nearly as many games as I have in previous years, so I’m going to make this list a bit unconventional, as well. This year I’m going to take a closer look at games that are primarily aimed at smaller groups – particularly those games that are designed to play, or at least play well, with 1 or 2 players. I’m doing... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 163 – The One About Telling Stories

Sometimes we play games that have a certain synergy that set our podcasting minds in motion. Recently that was Arkham Horror and Modern Art. Both games allow for fantastic storytelling but produce that environment in very different ways. We love games that tell stories, but we love telling stories about those games on the podcast even more. And, so, we present to you our discussion about what types of games that tell stories, which are the most successful, and whether we ultimately think it matters. Enjoy! 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. 138: The One About Trendsetting

It’s great to have guests on the podcasts, especially when one of our regulars has other business. In this instance, we were lucky enough to have Fleet and Wasteland Express Delivery Service co-designer Ben Pinchback on to talk all about WEDS, Sleepy Hollow, Ladder 29, and the boardgaming trends we’ve seen over the years! We planned for about an hour of podcast but you know you want two. Yep, it’s two. Enjoy! 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. 113: The One About All the Questions

I travelled to Delaware to test out several things with Darrell, and TC joined. Although Darrell chose poorly in his pre-podcast dinner (seafood), TC was able to join us for some significant talk about such adventures! Also, thankfully, Jessica joined us to talk about some games that she had been deeply involved with in the meantime, so you’ll have a great time listening! And, hopfully commenting. Read More  Read More

The Crowded Table – Gamers For Cures 2015 Edition!

Greetings, dear readers! It’s been quite awhile since we’ve gathered around The Crowded Table, but thanks as always for stopping in! In this edition, I take a quick look at a few games that we played at The Gamers for Cures 24-hour Marathon at The Gamer’s Armory in Cary, NC. For those not familiar with the marathon and its excellent cause of raising money for The Turner Syndrome Society, check out gamersforcures.com and consider contributing to the cause next year!  Just a small note: Many of these titles are recent Essen releases, but they’ll be headed into U.S. circulation before too long. Antarctica Sometime in the not too distant... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 92 – The One About Taking Care of Business

We typically do a good job of podcasting via Skype, but the best results come from when we are all in person. Thankfully we had the opportunity while taking care of business in St. Louis this past weekend. If I had my druthers, we’d record in person all the time, but that could only happen if we managed to organize that board game compound we’ve talked about for the longest time. One day, maybe – but, for now, we’ll settle for the joy of looking each other in the eye while we record for special occasions, even if they are few and far between. We hope you all enjoy one of those special times like this. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 91 – The One About We Can Do Whatever We Want

Remember what I was saying last podcast about it being nearly-impossible to schedule a podcast with four incredibly busy hosts and a lot of sickness? I should have knocked on wood. Just when it seemed like we had a full slate once again I get food poisoning and Stephanie catches strep. Thankfully, TC and Darrell are pros, and newcomer Jessica Wade deftly picked up the slack. Read More  Read More