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

Before Nightfall: An Interview with Todd Rowland of AEG

We play a lot of games here at Dice Hate Me, and, therefore, become accustomed to the styles and practices of many different game companies. Recently, one company has risen to the forefront of our attention because of their promising new ventures and their tireless efforts at community outreach – Alderac Entertainment Group. Wanting to know more, we talked with Todd Rowland of AEG and asked him about his role in the company, their upcoming projects – including the horror-themed deck-building game Nightfall – and some of those community outreach programs in which the company strives to participate. Todd Rowland What is your specific... 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

Interview Fu – A Chat with Cookie Fu Designer Brian Kowalski

Brian Kowalski There are inquiring minds here at Dice Hate Me, and whenever there’s a chance to pick a designer’s brain, you can bet the opportunity won’t be missed. Intrigued by the background of Cookie Fu, I sent a few probing questions to Brian Kowalski — the very personable man behind the dice, and founder of game publishing company Blue Kabuto. How did you come about the idea for Cookie Fu? Cookie Fu was actually the result of another game I was working on at the time called “Ramen Raiders”. The game (quest for the ULTIMATE bowl of ramen) was originally planned as a dice game with cards, tokens, and a few... 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

Lunchgames! The Inside Scoop

Those loyal and stalwart few who follow the Dice Hate Me Twitter feed regularly know all about #lunchgames – my semi-daily tweet around lunch time that summarizes my office’s epic battles over burgers and baked goods in 140 characters or less. Sometimes I can claim victory, but more often than not I end up spiraling to my oblivion, leaving one of my coworkers – or, typically, the luckiest player on the planet, Clover Leaf – to stand victorious. Michael Fox is one such reader of #lunchgames. Michael (@idlemichael on Twitter) also happens to write reviews and produce an extremely swell podcast for The Little Metal Dog Show... Read More

Alien Frontiers: A New World for Game Publishing

One of the biggest challenges for boardgame creators is getting that great idea from their minds to inside the stores so it can be put on the table. Traditionally, options have been limited: shop the game concept around to various large publishers in the hope that they will provide funding or self-publish a very small print run in the hopes of raising enough to support another edition. Recently, however, fledgling designers and publishers have found another alternative online – crowdfunding. In this process, creators release their idea into the wilds of the internet, requesting backers for the project who donate anywhere from $5 to $1,000... Read More