The State of Games, Ep. 179: The One About a Return to Camp Launius

Way back before the pandemic, we used to go to a lot of board game conventions. A LOT. And one of our favorite parts of board game conventions was running into and playing games with Richard Launius. You may know him as the designer of the original Arkham Horror, Elder Sign, Defenders of the Realm, and many other titles that often involve a lot of dice chucking. Well, a few years back we decided to circumvent the convention thing and just have our own little mini convention down in South Carolina at Richard’s compound. This episode is yet another installment in the continuing tales of tons of gaming at Camp Launius. Hope you dear listeners... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 178: The One About New Editions

The old saying “sooner or later, everything old is new again” is very true in modern board games. With over 3,000 new titles being produced each year, it’s inevitable that some of them are going to be new editions of older games. And why not? There are tons of great games from the past that deserve a face lift or a chance to beguile a new generation of gamers. We’re here this episode to talk about the good, bad, and ugly of new editions – so settle in with your thoughts, Dear Listener, and see how closely they match ours. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 177: The One About the Main Event

It seems lately that almost every board game release must contain buzz words like quick or easy to play, or have play times listed around an hour or less on the game box. Marketers like it, retailers like it, publishers like it. But should all gamers settle for it? Isn’t there a place for games that require a bit of forethought before throwing it on the table – games so epic that you may have to plan at least a light meal for everyone involved? We think so. After this podcast, we hope you think so, too. Read More  Read More

The 2020 Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide

Seasons Greetings, Dear Readers! I can hear the silver bells and carols everywhere, so it’s time to share the Dice Hate Me Holiday Gift Guide once again. Unbelievable that this is the 10th year I’ve been putting together this list, and what an unconventional year it’s been. I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten to play nearly as many games as I have in previous years, so I’m going to make this list a bit unconventional, as well. This year I’m going to take a closer look at games that are primarily aimed at smaller groups – particularly those games that are designed to play, or at least play well, with 1 or 2 players. I’m doing... Read More

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. 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, Episode 168: The One About Getting Our Groove Back

Once again, it’s been awhile Dear Listeners. We’ve missed you, but we definitely haven’t forgotten about you. Darrell, TC, and I just needed a little break to enjoy the fall, with some time away from the table and conventions. Feeling like we needed a jump start to get our gaming motors running we turned to the best source of boundless energy and enthusiasm we know – Richard Launius. So settle in, we’ve got a lot of games to cover. And don’t worry, we already have the next podcast scheduled, and we’ve got a great topic we think many of you are going to love – just in time for the holidays. Read... 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. 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