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 State of Games, Ep. 176: The One About Boutique Publishing

It’s been awhile since we had guests on the podcast, so we figured it would be best to rectify that. What better way than to revisit that old Dice Hate Me chestnut – boutique publishing – with Daniel Newman and Tony Miller, of New Mill Industries. Their publishing philosophy is pretty punk rock, and TC and I sit down to talk about that with them and ask exactly when they’re going to sell out. Turns out they love the punk rock life, but they’re totally ready for offers. Give ’em a call, Asmodee. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 175 – The One About the Year That Wasn’t

This is the spot where I usually say it’s hard to believe that another year has passed, but this year I truly mean it – mostly because we did absolutely nothing last year and, yet, the whole year is gone. The pandemic lockdown created a true gaming vacuum in which many of us did not escape, which makes creating a year-in-review podcast quite the challenge. And yet, here we are, partly because it’s tradition, and partly because we don’t want Covid and 2020 to take away all our joy of life and camaraderie. So come, sit with us and commiserate. Just sit over there and wear a mask, much love. 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. 172: The One About One Quiet Night

We are truly living in strange times, and, as such, we thought it was time to take a moment to reflect on how things have changed and what we’ve all been through in the past couple of months. Among the three of us, no one has been through more than our own Darrell Louder, whose family has been living in a COVID-positive household, resulting in him, his mother-in-law, and his son dealing directly with the virus. Yes, it’s a heavier episode, but we do take some time for levity and talk about how we can all deal with our self isolation with some quality gaming, proving that when times get tough we can always count on games to help keep... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 171: The One About the Cost of Negativity

We love getting mail, especially if that mail can help us pad out an episode with an awesome topic. Although we’ve tackled how board game reviews can be both bad and good for the community in the past – as well as what makes a good review versus just an impression – we haven’t quite tackled a subject like this one from listener Sam Hillier. We delve deep into whether reviewers might actually cost consumers money, and whether that responsibility ultimately lies in the hands of the viewer or the consumer. It’s fairly  heady stuff, but we manage to address it in our usual way – with lots of sarcasm and tangents.... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 170 – The One About the Best Things of 2019

It’s hard to believe that another year of gaming has passed, but here we are! It’s been a bit of a strange year for us here at Dice Hate Me – a bit less gaming, busier schedules – but we were still able to play so many of the thousands of amazing titles that came out, and a few great blasts from the past. In this podcast we’re presenting our usual Discoveries and Games of the Year, but we’re also spicing it up with some special one-choice categories for games and things that needed the spotlight. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the curated picks from the year that was. Read More  Read More