They Built This City on Solid Gold – A Belfort Review

As Linus van Pelt once so aptly conveyed: “Happiness is a warm blanket.” There’s a lot of subtle, yet strong subtext in that sentiment; we humans often have a base desire to be wrapped tightly in comforting familiarity, and while so wrapped, have no wish to do much more than remain so, content and without need or care of the slipping of time. In certain gaming circles – and, indeed, in the Dice Hate Me household – that emotional conveyance could often be repurposed, with no loss of power or sentiment, to “happiness is a long Euro.” And, so, this is how the latest release from Tasty Minstrel Games –... Read More

A Sinfully-Delightful Masterpiece: The Road to Canterbury Review

“Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, and the peoeple dyd feast upon the lambs and slothes, and carp and anchovyes, and orangutans and breakfaest cyreals, and fruyt-bats…” – the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, paraphrased   Sometime in the late 14th Century, author, philosopher and alchemist Geoffrey Chaucer – having dutifully observed and soulfully absorbed the full folly and sin of mankind in his surroundings – decided to share his singular vision with a vast audience in the way he truly knew best: through sarcasm, lyrical satire and bawdy humor.... Read More

They Built This City…

This preview was originally posted on April 25, 2011, but since Clever Mojo Games has now released Sunrise City into the wilds of Kickstarter, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at how far the game has progressed. I’ve played Sunrise City many, many times since this preview and watched as it developed into a fun, approachable and engaging game. To check out how it has grown and progressed, read over the preview and then head over to Kickstarter to check out the campaign! In a recent BoardGameGeek News round-up, W. Eric Martin featured a brief tease about Sunrise City – a tile-laying city game currently in production... Read More

Social Experiments: Saboteur, The Resistance, and Lifeboat

To be perfectly transparent – and to save some of you a bit of time – I’m placing a disclaimer at the beginning of this article. If your idea of a perfect game is sitting in silence – with or without other gamers present – shuffling through cards, chits, wooden blocks and such, all in an effort to outwit not another opponent but the game itself, it’s probably best just to check out the Dice Hate Me reviews of Onirim or Red November. But if you’re the type of gamer who relishes heated debates, paranoia-stricken glances at the whites of the eyes of every player seated around the table, or hearing the phrase “I’m... Read More

In Space, No One Can Hear You Whimper – A Launch Pad Review

From now until August 25, you have a chance to win a free copy of Launch Pad from Stratus Games – a game we reviewed last year and have found gets better -and punkier- with age. To enter, just click on this link and fill in a simple quiz. There are 10 questions, and for every correct answer, you’ll get one contest entry! In honor of the giveaway, here is the official Dice Hate Me review of Launch Pad from October 2010, including an updated rating reflecting our seasoned play since the review. From 1957 until the early 70s, the national super powers of the United States and the Soviet Union were pitted together in a heated head-to-head race... Read More

Epic Update for Princes of the Dragon Throne

It’s been a few months since dragons have graced the pages at Dice Hate Me, but that doesn’t mean that they have been dormant. I’ve recently received a slew of new art for Clever Mojo Games‘ Princes of the Dragon Throne, and been privy to some designer notes that clear up the new direction for the game. But first – pretty stuff! Read More  Read More

Spies Like Us: A Confusion Review

When I left for Origins In June, Monkey238 doled out a dossier filled with details of two missions: have fun and don’t spend a lot of money. I chose to accept the missions; one proved a resounding success, the other was failed miserably as I walked through the door with twice as many games as I had brought along. All was soon forgiven, however, when she spotted Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War. As it turns out, nothing can make this monkey’s attention turn from overspending to oh-let’s-play like the promise of some quality detente. But with the most excellent Cold War: CIA vs KGB and the masterpiece Twilight Struggle already... Read More

Kickstarter Quick-Look: White Elephant

Kickstarter perusers have definitely seen their fair share of offbeat projects lately – the Freaker, that floating pool in New York City’s East River, this thing – and I have been loving every bit of it. So when designer Brian Kelley mentioned that he had a game heading the Kickstarter way all about the White Elephant holiday party game (in card form, no less), you can bet my offbeat-o-meter redlined. Naturally, I wanted. Thankfully, I received. Yup, I actually own that album. On vinyl, no less. White Elephant, as mentioned previously, is based all around that joyous holiday tradition of giving really crappy presents. It is known... Read More

Sweet Dreams are Made of These: an Onirim Review

At least when you win. Which, despite its difficulty in accomplishing, has me repeatedly coming back for more. “So, the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, is it? Well, let’s see how you deal with this little slice…” – Jareth In Shadi Torbey’s Onirim you play the role of La Sonnambula, making your way through a labyrinth of rooms filled with beautiful dreams, disturbing nightmares, and coveted keys. Your responsibility is to discover all eight doors by collecting sets of cards or discarding the matching keys. Now here’s Cool Thing #1 about Onirim: you can do this by yourself or in a cooperative effort with one of your... Read More

First-Place Finish: A PitchCar Mini Review

I play my games a quarter mile at a time; and for those ten seconds or less, I’m free. Friday, June 24, Origins 2011: A funny thing happened on the way to the Boardroom. Right outside that gracious hall was a jaunty group of spirited gamers huddled around a long table. They would occasionally hunch over said table, give a little round disc a hearty flick and let out a mighty yawp that I could only assume signified satisfaction. Curious, I drew closer, and soon realized that I was staring down the belly of the beast that has haunted me for many of my gaming years – an agility game. Now, God saw fit to bless me with many talents, but agility... Read More