The State of Games, Ep. 138: The One About Trendsetting

It’s great to have guests on the podcasts, especially when one of our regulars has other business. In this instance, we were lucky enough to have Fleet and Wasteland Express Delivery Service co-designer Ben Pinchback on to talk all about WEDS, Sleepy Hollow, Ladder 29, and the boardgaming trends we’ve seen over the years! We planned for about an hour of podcast but you know you want two. Yep, it’s two. Enjoy! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 136: The One About Gen Con 50

The end of August has come ’round again, and that can only mean that it’s time to talk about Gen Con. The biggest show in North America just keeps getting bigger, and with it so does all the excitement, spectacle, and adventures. Although working duties keep the three of us from spending as much time gaming and hanging out as we used to, we did manage to have a lot of fun, play quite a few games, and listen to Richard Launius talk about how the shark in his newest game really, really wants to get the mayor fired. Boy, do we have stories to tell. Read More  Read More

Gen Con 2017 Pictorial Recap!

Greetings, dear readers! I’m back from Gen Con with most of my sanity and some of my health, so it’s time for a big ol’ pictorial recap. This year’s show was the 50th anniversary, and it was huge! Every badge was sold out, and there was a record 207,000 visitors. It was truly a legendary show, and I did my best to capture some of that in the pics below. As usual, we had a car full as we set off for Indianapolis! Lillian made the trip with us this year for her first Gen Con ever. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 133: The One About Letting Go

We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past six years on the podcast, and sometimes it’s nice to look back on a great topic and reintroduce it to a new audience. The topic this time is a somewhat-controversial theory introduced by Cody Jones back in 2012 which states that to have the most compact game collection you should only have one game of each type. We thought it was pretty crazy back then, and the opinion hasn’t changed too much. BUT – we do embrace the madness and practice a little bit of The Jones Theory on the podcast, all for your enjoyment. Read More  Read More

Thanks for 7 Wonderful Years!

Greetings, dear readers! It’s been awhile. I’ve missed you. I’ve gathered you here to celebrate the anniversary of Dice Hate Me. Exactly seven years ago today, I posted my first game review on dicehateme.com – and since then what a long, strange trip it’s been. Over the past three years, this site has been mostly a repository and rally point for The State of Games podcast. The podcast has evolved over the past few years and I still enjoy gathering to talk and laugh about boardgames, but I miss sharing my passion for games and the hobby through written journalism. So, from this point forward, consider the old Dice Hate Me back in... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 126: The One About Unpub Prime

For seven years now, game designers and plucky playtesters alike have gathered together at the Unpublished Games Festival. Once a small affair held in Dover, Delaware, Unpub has grown exponentially in the last three years, expanding to the Baltimore Convention Center and drawing huge crowds. The fundamentals and fun have not changed over the years, though; Unpub is still the best place for designers to make their unpublished creations the best they can be, and for playtesters to try out the next Big Thing before it hits the shelves! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 123: The One About A Table For One

Ah, Valentine’s Day is here and love is in the air! Not only do we love all the boundless cardboard bits in our favorite board games, but we also love sharing them with our significant others! And, as per usual with any podcast around this time, we should just follow suit and share our favorite games for two. Right? WRONG. We’re here to talk about how to enjoy all those delightful games with yourself! You don’t need anyone else to relish in board gaming! Not that there’s anything wrong with that… Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 122: The One About Bits & Pieces

We love having special guests on The State of Games, and this time around we get to talk to the always awesome Chris Matthew of Panda Game Manufacturing. We take a big look behind the green curtain of game production and all the decisions that go into which components are the best for a game, and how to keep costs down while making sure the production is awesome. We also talk in-depth about some of the changes in the industry over the past couple of years in terms of component quality escalation and how it can affect the board game market. Oh, we also talk about awesome games we’ve played, so there’s that. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 116: The One About Exceptions that Make the Rule

If we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that not all games are for all people. We all have individual tastes in types of games that we like, and often times will steer clear of other games of those same types down the road. This podcast is all about those little gems that have surprised us over the years, made us rethink why we never liked these types of games in the first place, and that we’re eager to share now with all of you dear listeners. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 112 – The One About Gen Con 2016

The summer is drawing to a close and, with it, so is the season for big conventions. None are bigger each year than Gen Con, and this year was the biggest yet, scattering all four of us from the podcast to the four winds only to see each other sporadically. But, with the distance comes opportunity, as we all get to share very different experiences for all of you to enjoy, dear listeners. Read More  Read More