The State of Games, Ep. 128: The One About House Rules

Jessica’s back in the house, and just in time for a jaunty discussion on house rules! I’ve covered house rules a time or two here on Dice Hate Me, most notably a couple of articles on some big changes we brought to Bang! during #lunchgames back in the day. But there are many more games out there whose rules could either benefit from an intelligent house rule, or just become more fun for a particular gaming group. Be sure to send us yours! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 127: The One About Intelligent Design

Completely rudderless without our podcast editor, Jessica, Darrell, TC, and I decide to go completely off the rails and talk some inside baseball about game design. Don’t worry, though, it’s not too dark down that rabbit hole, and you may just find a wonderland of marvelous fun and information! 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. 117: The One About Secrets

It’s no secret that everybody loves a good secret, and we’re here to talk all about that particular phenomenon in the board game space. We’ve had some experience with having to keep a secret or two around the Dice Hate Me HQ and it’s not always easy. But, sometimes it’s necessary, not only to protect a game design, but also to protect the production timeline. Confused? Don’t be, as all will be made clear after listening to Ep. 117! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 111 – The One About Running With The Bulls

It’s time for the really big show! That’s right, it’s time to get our butts to Indianapolis for Gen Con! It’s hard to believe it’s here again so soon, and even as I post this a day before I’m leaving I still have about a week’s worth of work to do. It’ll all be worth it, though, to see the sights, the spectacles, and the super gamers having fun. Also, I’m really looking forward to some super spicy shrimp cocktail. Seriously. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 110 – The One About Mt. Gamesmore

Coming at you live from RuthCon, it’s The State of Games! Jessica and I got a chance to record in person this episode at RuthCon 2016, hosted by our friend Ruth Boyack. It was pretty awesome, and better organized than both Origins and GenCon combined. TC joined us via Skype and we talked about some pretty geeky game design business, but it turned out to be one of our best episodes yet. So get comfy, grab your encyclopedia of classic game design, and crank it up! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 108 – The One About Heading to Columbus

It’s officially convention season! And it’s time to head out to one of the biggest shows of the year – Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio! Other than PrezCon, this is probably my favorite show of the year. It’s big, but not so big that you don’t have time to catch up with all your favorite people and play some of your favorite games – and discover new favorites! So download and listen on your drive or flight; we’ll fill you in on all the good stuff to see and do! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 107 – The One About Our Origin Stories

We all have to start somewhere, right? As gamers, we can all trace our hardcore gaming roots back to a few select moments, and that’s what we try to get at in this episode. Naturally, Magic: The Gathering is the catalyst for most, but there are still a few surprises in store as to how we all got started down this long, winding, expensive – but lovely – road. After listening, tell us how YOU got started in gaming! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 106 – The One About the Here and Now

Since we are a podcast all about boardgames, sometimes we all just like to dig into some good discussion of the best and brightest we’ve played in the here and now. We’ve all done our top 10 of all time in the past, but it’s often good to remember that a top 10 is not necessarily a “hot 10”, and some of those classics we love don’t hit the table nearly as much as some more recent, modern classics that definitely deserve some love! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 103 – The One About Playtesting

Game design can often be a complex process that involves many people, not just the designer. One of the most important parts of the process is playtesting, and getting the game in front of quality playtesters is paramount. With Unpub 6 right around the corner, we thought it’d be cool to talk about how to get the most out of playtesting on both sides of the process. Oh, and you all should come to Unpub 6. Because it’s cool. Read More  Read More