Alien Frontiers Factions and More!

Greetings, dear readers. I have a whole ton of Alien Frontiers news headed your way from Clever Mojo Games today. Enjoy! First up: Artist Mark Maxwell has officially signed with Clever Mojo to produce art for the first expansion to Alien Frontiers – Factions. The Factions expansion has an expected release date of March 1, 2012, and (as of this post) will include 8 Factions boards, representing various organizations with special powers vying for control of the surface of the alien planet. Also included will be 8 new Alien Tech cards, a deck of Agenda cards which will grant points depending on certain end-game scenarios, as well as dice and... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 10 – The One About Origins

The State of Games, Episode 10 is geared up and ready for gaming – convention style! I’ll bet all you board gamers and grognards know what we’re talking about with the title of this one, and it ain’t about Darwin (although he was a clue in a game of Time’s Up this past week). So grab your dice bag and jump on board, because it’s convention time! Read More  Read More

Origins Game Fair 2011: Day 2

It’s late. Very late. Like so late that it’s almost time to get up again. That’s convention life for you, though. And thus, day 2 in pictures (I’ll elaborate later!). The day began in the dealer exhibition room. I beelined straight to Stronghold Games‘ booth, met Stephen Buonocore, and promptly purchased Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War. Yes, it is mine. Yes, it is beautiful. Next up: Meeting Cristina Ramos at the Moosetache Games booth, and getting a look at their new game, Hike. We love Rowboat; it looks like we’ll love this one, too. I’ve been promised a demo game tomorrow, so I’ll... Read More

Dice On The Road

Greetings dear readers – and listeners! Below you’ll find a link to the nifty new audio player for the Dice Hate Me mini-cast. You’ll be seeing many more posts like this one starting on Wednesday as I head to Origins Game Fair to get some good gaming and plenty of interview time with a bevy of board game builders and heads of the biz. Listen to the mini-cast below to hear about everything I’ll be up to while at the big show, and be sure to comment or email with suggestions or things you’d like me to cover on Dice Hate Me! Dice On The Road mini-cast, Episode 1 – The Grand Experiment Keep your eyes glued to Dice... Read More

Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Artist!

Last month on Dice Hate Me, I shared a sneak peek at one of the newest games being playtested in the Clever Mojo Games stable – Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge, by designer Seth Roback. Since then, I’ve gotten a closer look at a new board layout and a revised rulebook that actually made me understand the mad machinations behind this offbeat and intriguing game. David MacKenzie will have the prototype in tow at Origins, so I’ll be sitting down for a few sessions, and taking copious notes and pictures, so look for that during my periodic updates during the convention. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 9 – The One About Getting Kickstarted

The State of Games, Episode 9 is fitted, fueled up and ready to fly. Time to kick the tires and light the fires! Can you all guess what this episode is all about? I’ll give you a hint – it’s not about motorcycles. It’s about making some money and playing some games. Awww, yeah. Read More  Read More

Kickstarter Profiles, Part 2: Startup Fever

Sometimes in the board game community, hobbyists throw around the term “gamer’s game” to describe a game which includes advanced mechanics or a play experience best suited for someone who has done a bit more than advance their token to Boardwalk a few times in the family parlor. For prime examples of “gamer’s games,” see: Troyes, Twilight Struggle, Puerto Rico; do not see: Clue, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride. Designer Louis Perrochon, and a few others, have remarked that Startup Fever may have developed into just such a “gamer’s game.” After taking the prototype for a test drive, I can’t honestly say I know exactly as to... Read More

Space For More: An Interview With Empires of the Void Designer Ryan Laukat

Space… the well-trod frontier – at least in board games. There’s good reason for that, though: Space is awesome, as are many quality, space-based games. One space epic in particular has developed quite a buzz recently online – Empires of the Void, designed and illustrated by veteran board game artist Ryan Laukat. Ryan is responsible for quite a bit of art in Dominion, as well as Alf Seegert’s trollish masterpieces, Bridge Troll and Trollhalla. Ryan’s unique art style lends a fun flair to a genre that can sometimes feel a bit staid. In order for us to know more about Empires of the Void and the inspiration to... Read More

Inside the Big Top: An Interview with Artipia Games

I would bet that when most people think of board games, the circus is not exactly the first image that pops to mind. Artipia Games is setting out to change that with their upcoming fall release, Drum Roll. After watching the progression of game design and art direction on BoardGameGeek for several months, I felt that it was time to have a chat with game co-designer Konstantinos Kokkinis and find out the big deal under the big top. Just to give us all a better understanding of Drum Roll, can you provide a brief summary of gameplay and key mechanics? During the game, the players give 3 shows. For each of these shows they have 5-7 turns of preparation.... Read More

A New Frontier for Alien Frontiers

Dice Hate Me has just received news from Clever Mojo Games regarding a new licensing agreement for future editions of Alien Frontiers. Here, directly from Clever Mojo Games owner W. David MacKenzie, is the full scoop: “Clever Mojo Games has signed licensing agreements to bring localized editions of Alien Frontiers to Eastern and Western Europe. Ystari Games will be producing French, German, Spanish, and Italian language versions of Alien Frontiers for distribution in Western Europe and LocWorks will be producing and distributing Polish and Eastern European language versions of Alien Frontiers. Both LocWorks and Ystari expect late 2011 release... Read More