The State of Games, Ep. 173: The One About Rockets and Racing

Yes, dear listeners, we’re back on schedule with an episode that not only provides a follow-up to last month’s podcast, it gives you everything you ever wanted to know about racing… with cardboard! We here at Dice Hate Me love racing and we’re here to tell you why you should, too. Plus, we diverge deep into why the Spiel des Jahres nominees this year are a huge return to formula for German voters and give TC even more air time to air his grievances. We hope you enjoy – and if you don’t, you know who to blame. Hint, it’s TC. Read More  Read More

The State of Games Ep. 172: The One About One Quiet Night

We are truly living in strange times, and, as such, we thought it was time to take a moment to reflect on how things have changed and what we’ve all been through in the past couple of months. Among the three of us, no one has been through more than our own Darrell Louder, whose family has been living in a COVID-positive household, resulting in him, his mother-in-law, and his son dealing directly with the virus. Yes, it’s a heavier episode, but we do take some time for levity and talk about how we can all deal with our self isolation with some quality gaming, proving that when times get tough we can always count on games to help keep... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 171: The One About the Cost of Negativity

We love getting mail, especially if that mail can help us pad out an episode with an awesome topic. Although we’ve tackled how board game reviews can be both bad and good for the community in the past – as well as what makes a good review versus just an impression – we haven’t quite tackled a subject like this one from listener Sam Hillier. We delve deep into whether reviewers might actually cost consumers money, and whether that responsibility ultimately lies in the hands of the viewer or the consumer. It’s fairly  heady stuff, but we manage to address it in our usual way – with lots of sarcasm and tangents.... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 169: The One About Toyetics

It’s a Christmas miracle – we’re back before the holidays with a new episode! The topic of toys as games and games as toys is one we’ve touched on a bit in the past on the podcast, but we thought it would be fun to dig a bit deeper. Plus, it’s particularly timely since ol’ Saint Nick will be dropping tons of toys down chimneys in a few days. So relax and get ready to reminisce about some of your favorite playthings from the past – and where toy factor in board games may be headed in the future. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 167: The One About What We Did This Summer

We love recording The State of Games, but there are times when our hectic schedules don’t make it easy to make time for the podcast. This summer has definitely been one of those times. We’ve all been stretched thin by new jobs, heavy projects, and just a little bit of board game burn out. But we’re finally back and re-energized after seeing so many people and playing so many games over four conventions. So settle in and get comfy – we’ve got a lot of catching up to do with you, Dear Listeners. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 166: The One About Spoilers

Spoilers are a huge part of our modern culture, and many of us avoid them at all costs. It’s easy to recognize the aversion in blockbuster screen media, and even in the hottest TV shows, but does that culture automatically translate to the board game hobby? In this episode, we dive deep into what sort of spoilers are accepted, which are not, and how best we all might tackle them as consumers and reviewers. We also spoil a couple of parts of Avengers: Endgame, so maybe make sure you’re up to date on your Marvel movies. That’s an official SPOILER ALERT! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 165 – The One About Grinding Some Gears

Every so often on the podcast we dig a bit deeper and get a bit more serious with our topics. This time around what was going to be a simple rant session evolved into a deep discussion about depression, anxiety, mental health nuances, and online bullying. Don’t worry, we still talk about board games and the hobby, but we didn’t want to pull any punches when it comes to issues that affect not only those of us on the podcast, but our family and friends in the industry and beyond. Settle in and get serious, but don’t worry – as always, we laugh through the tears. You will, too. Read More  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. 162 – The One About a Promising Future in Sales

From time to time here on the podcast we let TC take over the reins and dip into his ever-growing bag of industry insights and wistful shower thoughts. This time around, we take another look at past subjects like the possible market and Kickstarter bubbles, but also dig a bit deeper into what it means to sell a game and what it means to sell a product. Are board games that are created and marketed solely as products a good or bad thing for our industry? You’ll just have to listen in to find out! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 161 – The One About the Year That Was

Another year of gaming has passed, and it was bigger than ever! The hobby saw a record number of new releases in 2018 numbering in the thousands, and we’re here to honor some of the best and brightest of those. Bear in mind, of course, that there are only so many hours in a day and days in a year, so we weren’t able to play all the games. Just the best ones – you can trust us. So sit back and enjoy the year that was, and maybe you’ll even get some sneak peeks at a few games that will make up the year ahead! Read More  Read More