The State of Games, Episode 54 – The One About Your Right to Party

The holidays are upon us, and that means it’s time to gather friends and family for fun gaming festivities. And what better way to celebrate the diversity that comes with these gatherings than with a party game? Whether your group has a tradition of egg nog and Pictionary, the underrated party game is often the hero of the holidays. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 53 – The One About The Germans

Ah, October. The best time of the year. Fall leaves, decorative gourds as far as the eye can see, cool temperatures… oh, and board games. Lots and lots of board games. Especially if you happen to be in Germany. Essen, to be exact. You see, that’s where the world’s largest board game convention is held each year – and it is awesome. Read More  Read More

The Crowded Table – Shmoecon Edition!

Hello, dear Shmoes! Some of you that follow @dicehateme on Twitter or listen to The State of Games and The Geek All-Stars podcasts have heard mysterious mentions of Shmoes and Shmoecon over the past few weeks. What exactly is a Shmoe and what does it have to do with a con? Well, a Shmoe is just a regular gamer who wants to play games with other Shmoes – so if you love playing games, you’re already a Shmoe! More specific to our gaming group here in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, the Shmoes came together for the first official time this past weekend at Shmoecon 0.5. Some Shmoes were invited to a local con while other Shmoes... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 51 – The BGG Top 20 and Future of Unpub

Thanks to most of you, dear listeners, The State of Games has thrived for over 50 episodes. This episode marks the turning point for the state of The State of Games for the next year, for sure – not only in terms of participants, but also in terms of scope and vision. This podcast will most assuredly be a haven for unpublished games news, as well as the spot to hear about the coolest new games to hit the table, both in a refined published view and those that have yet to find a publisher! Read More  Read More

The Dice Hate Me GenCon 2013 Pictorial Wrap-Up

Hello dear readers! The summer’s biggest North American show just wrapped up in Indianapolis and it was, in many ways, better than the previous year. Many pundits were grumbling about the lack of “showcase” releases at the show, but I ended up nabbing three times as many games this year as last, and have – so far – been disappointed with none. Of course, there were a slew of titles only available for demo at the con – their releases are slated for that even bigger show in Essen, Germany – but even those demos made the price of admission worth every penny. Without further ado, here are a few pics of the... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 47 – The One About Origins 2013

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right – con season. And con season officially kicks off whenever Origins Game Fair rolls around in Columbus, Ohio. This year was even bigger and better than last year; the crowds were up, the games were plentiful, and the Dice Hate Me Games booth was totally rocking. Come on in and check out all the hip happenings at our summer home away from home. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 42 – The One About Prezcon

The usual trio (me, Darrell Louder and TC Petty III) hit the road and pick up a fourth voice – that of game designer Benjamin Rosset. We manage to cram in a ton of gaming at a laid-back Virginia con that all of you should plan to attend next year, and the years beyond. Read More  Read More

Prezcon Pictorial Wrap-up

Hello, dear readers – it’s been awhile! But I’m back, and I intend to stay. Today, I’d like to share a few pictures from this past weekend’s venture to Charlottesville, Virginia to Prezcon, an annual gaming convention that features board and card game tournaments, much like at the World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster in August. Prezcon is a little bit smaller than the WBC, but has the same relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, so it was the perfect place to kick back and unwind after the long – but wonderful – Compounded Kickstarter campaign. Enjoy the pics and mini-reviews, and happy gaming! The... Read More

Unpub 3 Pictorial Wrap-up

Hello, dear readers. As many of you may well know, I attended the third annual Unpublished Games Festival in Magnolia, Delaware (more commonly known as Unpub 3) this past weekend. There were over 40 designers present with more than 60 unpublished games in various states – from the nearly-production ready Compounded to the line-art and paper cutout Brewmasters. What follows is a brief pictorial wrap-up of what I got a chance to see and play over the two days of the fest. Even though I showed up to try out as many games as possible, I was only able to get to about nine different games. What I will say about the games I played though –... Read More

The 2012 Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide

There’s a certain chill in the air at Dice Hate Me HQ, and a bit more hustle to the bustle out in the big city. That’s right, the holidays are upon us and that means it’s time for our grand holiday tradition – the Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide! We love board games and so do you, so what better way to say happy holidays to friends and family than through the gift of cardboard? Remember, all those games that you give will give right back to you because you get to play them! There are a lot of games out there to choose from, many which you’ve heard us mention on The State of Games or here on Dice Hate Me. This gift... Read More