The State of Games, Episode 4 – The One About the 7 Deadly Sins

The State of Games, Episode 4 is good to go! We may be playing around a tiny bit with the format this week, but we’re still here to talk about some subtle controversies; only this time, we’re inviting all of you to look deep inside your gaming souls and seek out the sin within! Read More  Read More

Under the Bridge: An Interview with Alf Seegert

In the world of trolls, Alf Seegert is the man. Wait, let me rephrase that: In the world of troll games, Alf Seegert is the man. Alf is the designer of the outstanding new release Trollhalla (check out my review, if you haven’t done so already), as well as its predecessor and pseudo-prequel, Bridge Troll. Always curious about the names behind the best games, I decided to learn more about this somewhat-unassuming literature professor from Utah – and let me tell you, there’s a lot to learn. You provide a very in-depth look at the creation process behind Trollhalla on Board Game Geek, but for our readers, what was the kernel of... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 3 – The One About the Death and Life of Monopoly

The State of Games, Episode 3 is live! A little disclaimer: for those of you put off by the simple word “Monopoly” in the title of this State of Games, stick with us, relax, and remember a time in your life when paying the rent could be as simple as finding some Free Parking. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 1 – The One About the Chinese

Welcome to the inaugural podcast of The State of Games! In this episode, Monkey238 and I get racy when we talk about Chinese stereotypes in board games, how Monkey is truly down with the Pandemic sickness, and answer the question “what’s bigger than a tulip but smaller than Holland?” We also offer up the first Riddle of the Sphinx – a random trivia question about board games that, if answered correctly, could get you a custom shoutout on the next podcast. If you think you have the answer, email us at podcast [at] dicehateme.com or comment on this post. Read More  Read More

Enter the Rabbit – A Cookie Fu Review

HAPPY NEW YEAR! No, not that new year, Westerners – today is the day for celebrating Chinese New Year. This will be the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac, which typically portends a peaceful time and a thankful respite between the tumultuous years of the Tiger and Dragon, which come before and after. Since I don’t have a true Chinese game to review – particularly since Go has been around for thousands of years, with thousands of reviews – I thought I’d celebrate here on Dice Hate Me with a little something… different. So grab your firecrackers and some Fu dice – it’s time to kick some cookie! On the surface,... Read More

Dice Hate Me at the Movies

Everyone is familiar with the tired cliché that Hollywood is out of ideas. Many would argue that cliché is upheld magnificently when it comes to movies about licensed properties, particularly games, but every now and then someone gets it right. Video games are a matter wholly unto their own – for every miserable production like Doom and Super Mario Bros., we get a rare gem like Resident Evil. Board games are another matter entirely; with the exception of the comically-genius Clue, and the entertaining and mostly-harmless Jumanji and Zathura (both “fake” games, fabricated solely for the purpose of the movie), there have been... Read More

Fan Mail!

One of my office coworkers and lunchgames regulars Randall felt that the fever chart I created for my review of Monopoly Deal was incomplete, so she sent me a corrected version. For those fresh to the site, Clover Leaf is the nickname of another of our lunchgame regulars, Christine, who seems to win every freaking game we play. She also won last week’s Chrononauts giveaway. You can see the profile of her special kind of gamer in my past article The 7 Habits of Highly Dysfunctional Gamers. You can also see a profile of Randall’s namesake – Sally Thinksalot.  Read More

Monty Python Fluxx – What a Silly Game

Fluxx is the very first card game from Andrew Looney, and it is fair to say that it is the main reason that Looney Labs has grown into the company that it is today. Ever since its introduction in 1996, people have been going absolutely bonkers over Fluxx because Fluxx is absolutely bonkers. At almost every convention, you’ll catch large groups of people gathered together, throwing down cards, laughing uproariously and generally having no clue as to what’s going on at any given moment. This is the cult of Fluxx – all hail Discordia. For many years, one of my friends who is deeply ingrained in the cult of Fluxx tried to indoctrinate... Read More

Aquarius – The Rainbow Connection

Andrew Looney – the founder of Looney Labs and creator of Aquarius – makes no qualms about being a card-carrying hippie; I know because it says so right on the company website. Even if the website didn’t state as such, one look at the far-out kaleidoscope of colors and images on the Aquarius box would convince anyone that the sensibilities of the 60s were alive and well. What then makes Aquarius such a quirky conundrum is that the actual gameplay – as light and friendly as it may seem, at first – is actually filled with various levels of trickery, tomfoolery and decidedly unhippie-like deception. In other words, this... Read More

Seven Habits of Highly Dysfunctional Boardgamers

For the most part, we boardgamers are a gregarious lot; we have to be since most boardgames require the participation of others.  Many of us enjoy the social aspect of gaming, and form strong bonds while beating the crap out of each other across the dinner table. I’ve been lucky to be a part of many gaming groups over the years, and from that experience I can tell you one thing, definitively: every group includes at least one of the following seven gamers. It’s these misfit few, bless their little hearts, that make our gaming experience just a tad trying but amusing, nonetheless. CLOVER LEAF – The world’s luckiest player.... Read More