MACE Convention Wrap-up
As many of you dear readers know, I attended a local gaming convention this weekend in Hickory, NC – MACE West, the sister convention to the somewhat-larger MACE held in High Point in November each year. Smaller in no way means that there was less fun to be had, as I and my gaming companions – Michael, Shawn, Scott and Matt – proceeded to play the holy heck out of 11 different games over two and a half days. I was also lucky enough to walk away from the convention with a smorgasboard of gaming goodness; after winning a silent auction, I got great deals on two tickets to Origins Game Fair, as well as the games Infinite City, Mystery... Read More
Addendum: Game of the Year Games List
Yesterday, I announced the Dice Hate Me Game of the Year, and since then we’ve gotten some requests for a list of the games considered for this year’s awards. As Monkey238 mentioned in her awards description, she has played over 38 new games this year – an incredibly impressive number considering she was never really a “gamer” before I convinced her to geek out with me. My list is a bit smaller at 32 new games, but many of the games we played together (and are on her list) were games that I had played in previous years. Here is a look at our list of the games we first experienced in 2010: Dice Hate Me Games... Read More
Cthulhu Dice: A Battle for Sanity
This guest review brought to you by the letter C, the number 10 (tentacles), copious parenthetical asides, and a gaggle of exclamation points (!). When rival Cultists of Cthulhu get together for a party, it is likely a battle for sanity will ensue. (Cultists beware! A battle for sanity could possibly end with the entire world going mad!) The Game Cthulhu Dice by Steve Jackson (illustrated by Alex Fernandez) is a fun way to pass the time at your local pub or as a warm up game while everyone settles in for a longer battle against the Great Old Ones (such as Arkham Horror). The super cool (and quite pretty) dodecahedron is adorned with wee... Read More
Kingsport Horror: Further Delving Into Madness
Something strange is afoot behind the swirling mists of the seaside town of Kingsport. Just inside the haunted harbor, small cracks in the walls between worlds have begun to form. If left unchecked, these cracks may deepen, eventually crumbling into a swirling rift – an open gateway through which the evils of beyond may spill forth, bringing terror and doom down upon Arkham and quickening the arrival of the Ancient One. The Kingsport Horror expansion for the Arkham Horror board game adds another board section that represents the town of Kingsport, with new encounter locations and two new Other World locations for the investigators to explore.... Read More
Dice Hate Me at the Movies
Everyone is familiar with the tired cliché that Hollywood is out of ideas. Many would argue that cliché is upheld magnificently when it comes to movies about licensed properties, particularly games, but every now and then someone gets it right. Video games are a matter wholly unto their own – for every miserable production like Doom and Super Mario Bros., we get a rare gem like Resident Evil. Board games are another matter entirely; with the exception of the comically-genius Clue, and the entertaining and mostly-harmless Jumanji and Zathura (both “fake” games, fabricated solely for the purpose of the movie), there have been... Read More
Inevitable: First Impressions
Inevitable, by Jeremy P. Bushnell and Jonathan A. Leistiko, has a strange pedigree for a board game printed in 2010. It does not consist of flashy, over-produced cards, the rules are not distilled down to a 4-page leaflet, and it is filled with many, highly-geeky and often very obscure references to pop culture, cult films, underground comics, sci-fi and black comedies. It is rough around the edges, there is true grit in the crevices, and it almost feels as though it would be more at home on the top shelf of an independent game store circa 1986. All of this, of course, is a very good thing – for the right group of gamers. I must include... Read More
It’s Cthulhu Tuesday
Hello gentle readers! I have two very Lovecraftian selections for you all today: First, I’ve officially opened the Dice Hate Me store! Inside you will find the first of many designs to come, as my archivists have uncovered a rare advertisement from an obscure purveyor of fine tonics and elixirs. Yes, it’s an old ad for Miska-Tonic! It’s necrilicious. Check it out here and select your favorite – a t-shirt or tote. Buy two, they’re small! Second, in honor of that rare eldritch find, I have prepared a review of The Stars are Right, by Steve Jackson Games. This card/tile-pushing puzzle game is challenging, a lot of fun,... Read More
The Stars Are Right: Hold Onto Your Sanity
One of the main themes in H.P. Lovecraft’s horrific tales was man’s tenuous grasp on his fragile sanity. It’s pretty safe to say that this theme is carried out splendidly in The Stars Are Right. You will lose sanity points. Resistance is futile. This brain-twisting diversion from Steve Jackson Games is a bit of a conundrum. It’s billed as a card game, but the cards are the simplest component. The real heart of the game lies in the 5×5 grid of tiles adorned with eclipsed moons, stars, meteors and such that constantly shift and switch places during the course of a game. It’s this oft-maddening entropy that lends... Read More
The Horror in the Clay
Great Cthulhu has never looked so good. Or hideous. Whatever. Fantasy Flight Games is set to release this new sculpted domain marker for use in the Call of Cthulhu CCG in the fall. As anyone can clearly see, it is very choice. I love that he is looming over the ancient city of R’lyeh. I would say pick up a few for your games, but the release page on FFG’s site states that they will be sold one per pack, and retail for $19.95. That’s a bit steep for one domain marker. I’d love to have one just to decorate my desk, but 20 bucks for one marker when three are required for use in the CCG is excessive. Fantasy Flight has been... Read More
