It seems as if you can’t attend any gaming convention nowadays without coming across 10 or 20 panels and talks about game design and how mysterious and elusive a successful idea can be. Well, we at Dice Hate Me are here to tell you all that there’s nothing mysterious or elusive about the process – good game design inspiration can come from the most ordinary of things, from a cup of coffee to a really good book.

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“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
— Oscar Wilde

In all the years spent in this wonderful hobby, I have learned that there are two things that hardcore board game enthusiasts live and die for: Game day, and new board game day. Like most enthusiasts, I am guilty of prowling the forums looking or information on the latest and greatest to be born in cardboard, especially if I find the art or theme intriguing, or if I’ve enjoyed previous works by the designer. And, so, when Kingdom Builder was announced and Queen Games released the generic cover art of a spectacled dude on his horse overlooking what looked like a stock shot of Castle Neuschwanstein below the gleaming name of Donald X., I let out a mighty yawn and went back to reading Twilight Imperium strategy forums.

And then a funny thing happened – people started talking about Kingdom Builder. A lot. It seemed that a lot of gamers let out a collective “meh” and went back to playing Dominion, while others thought it might have been the gaming equivalent of sliced bread. Article after article of good and bad reviews poured forth. A Kickstarter controversy reared its ugly head. It became quite clear that Kingdom Builder could be pushed aside but never ignored. So despite the fact that the last review I read chewed at the game like a pack of rabid beavers, I decided that the only way to settle this whole mess was to just find out for myself. And, lo, I bought Kingdom Builder.

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Have you ever been in the presence of a female gamer when a box of Agricola: The Goodies is first cracked open and all those adorable little pigs and cows come spilling out? Have you regained hearing in your ears from the squeal of delight? And why, exactly, is a tiny wooden pumpkin or squash so darn adorable? Honestly, we don’t know either but we’re going to talk about it for at least 15 minutes or so. Come on in!

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Marc Specter approached me a few weeks ago about writing a review for Sunrise City. To be fair, I wasn’t sure I should run a review of Sunrise City on Dice Hate Me because of my intimate involvement – after all, I was one of the playtesters and the graphic designer for the game. However, I couldn’t not give Sunrise City the attention it’s due, and so I present to you an alternate view of the game, from outside the production circle. I hope you dear readers take it to heart, as I truly believe that this is a wonderful game that many will enjoy. Happy gaming! – Chris

In these days of the anti-hero, it is very easy to get caught up in the dark and gritty corners of Gotham and its lookalikes.  If that is your bent, then I might advise to you take a step back from Clever Mojo Games’s new release: Sunrise City.  And if you did, you might also be missing a humdinger of a new game from one of small game publishing’s powerhouses.

In Sunrise City you take on the role—three, actually—of a stakeholder in the construction of the city of the same name.  Through timing the use of your roles and clever tile placement, you and your fellow city officials will build Sunrise City from the ground up.  While you and your opponents literally raise Sunrise City from its foundations, you will score Benchmark tokens.  The player who ends with the most of these will be the winner.

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On Sunday, much of the world and pretty much all of America will be huddled around a glowing screen watching an epic battle unfold. This will be a battle of shifting tactics, grand postulations, brilliant head games… and lots and lots of tiny wooden beans. That’s right, VivaJava is coming to you live on Super Bowl Sunday! Java lovers and the coffee curious alike can witness a full game of VivaJava: The Coffee Game being played direct from Cartrunk Entertainment HQ with the designer himself, T.C. Petty III.

Here’s a bit direct from Cartrunk Entertainment’s John Moller:

“We asked, you answered. We postulated having a live streaming game of VivaJava during the Superbowl. Your answers here, in twitter, on tumblr and via email were enough to make the decision seem like a good one. We’re doing it.

Yes, Cartrunk Entertainment will be live streaming a game of VivaJava at 4:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday February 5, 2012! The game’s designer, T.C. Petty III will be here at our home base in Delaware to join us for this awesome game! If you can tune in, you should!

We’ll have at least 6 experienced players blending and researching their way to coffee victory. It could be a full house by Sunday with 8 players vying for the coveted coffee crown!”

For more information about the event – and a link to several other VivaJava-related goodies – hop on over to Cartrunk Entertainment: http://cartrunk.net/vivajava-the-big-game/

There comes a time in every gamer’s life when they look up from their work/latte/nap and search their souls for the answer to a very important question: “Should I get an iPad?” In this gamer’s case, the answer – finally – was a resounding yes. And, lo, I gathered Christmas funds and gift cards and nickels and dimes and journeyed to my local Apple store for that magical thin tablet wherein I could occasionally turn my extreme analog passion into a passing digital pastime. Now that said tablet is in my possession, I – and many others – may ask another very important question: “Was it worth it?” Honestly, I’m not sure just yet but I’m going to write about the whole thing anyway, so let’s just get started.

For the most part, the following reviews will be from the iPad user’s experience. However, I’ll be sure to note when an app is optimized for iPad and iPhone. Since I also have an Android phone, I’ll note if there’s a comparable Android version of the app, as well – and if it’s any good.

Ticket to Ride

Search the internets for a “best of” list of must-have iPad apps, and Ticket to Ride is at the top of the list. What most lists fail to mention, however, is the hefty (for an app) price tag of $6.99. In the end, I decided to hand in the cash to check out the game for the sake of comprehensive journalism – at least, that’s what I told Monkey238, anyway. Thankfully, the money seemed well-spent. The Ticket to Ride app is gorgeous and smooth, with no hiccups (so far) and an extremely user-friendly interface. The AI is just as sneaky and annoying as playing against a certain Monkey who always seems to know what routes I need at just the right time. And even the sounds – and soundtrack – won’t make you want to claw at your ears after a few hours of play. In fact, I’m betting more than a few won’t be able to stop humming “Red River Valley” for days – and like it!

In summary, unless you’ve played Ticket to Ride until you never want to think about nor get near a train again in your lifetime, this app is a real treat for the tablet.

Impression score: 6 out of 6

Ticket to Ride is produced by Days of Wonder and is compatible with Game Center. It’s available in the iTunes store for $6.99.

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Hello, Dice Hate Me fans!  It’s Josh from Board Game Reviews by Josh.  With Chris’ time being invested in VivaJava at the moment, I volunteered to help keep the reviews coming!  Whereas our writing styles are a bit different, hopefully I’ll provide the kind of high quality review you’ve come to expect.  Without further ado, let’s take a look at The Speicherstadt.

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