The State of Games, Ep. 100 – The One About the State of Games

It’s hard to believe that almost exactly five years ago we plunged headlong into the podcasting world with the debut of The State of Games. It was just Cherilyn and me back in those wild west days of yesteryear, and it really feels like it was two blinks in the past. There’s been so much change between then and now, both in the hobby, in business, and in personal life, but at least one thing has stayed the same – being able to speak my mind about my favorite things and bring board gaming love to so many more. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 95 – The One About Marlin, Markets, Morocco, and Monsters

Over the years we’ve had many great guests on The State of Games, and we’ve been lucky to have become friends with pretty much all of them. Such is the case with Matt & Ben, designers of Dice Hate Me Game of the Year title Fleet. If any of you dear listeners get a chance to meet and hang out with these guys at a convention go for it – they are not only great designers, they’re also amazing and fun people. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 87 – The One About Growing New Gamers

One of the many benefits of our recent survey was to ask listeners what they’d really like for us to talk about, and plenty of you requested tips for getting new gamers into the hobby. We’ve responded with a great episode on how experienced gamers can best evangelize to those new gamers, either in your Friendly Local Game Store, or amongst your less-experienced friends and family. Hopefully you’ll all find this guide to growing new gamers helpful as we all work to build upon this great hobby! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 85: The One About Gaming Potpourri

We typically like to keep our format pretty consistent on The State of Games, but from time to time we have so much to talk about that we just have to throw convention out the window. Speaking of conventions, we give a good overview of what to expect in booth #703 at Origins Game Fair, so give this a listen and we hope to see all of you in Columbus, Ohio from June 3-7! Be there or be square. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 84: The One About Ever-Expanding Games

Everyone has a favorite game, and, with that, the desire for that game to deliver more than just what’s inside the box. That’s where expansions come in. Some love them, some ignore them, but no matter the case they are an existing and sometimes-essential part of the board game hobby. Since they are so prevalent we thought it would be a good idea to discuss the best, brightest and downright bad that we’ve experienced. And, yes, we’ve experienced a lot. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 81: The One About Unpopular Mechanics

Some State of Games podcasts are influenced by the whimsy of the industry and some are just filled with our own internal discussions. This one has it all. From TC’s struggle with overused mechanics in games to what might cause a company to declare bankruptcy, we cover the gamut. It’s a big community out there, after all, and we care about it. Come listen to us ramble and rant about every little corner – and stick around for our love for all of it. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 79: The One About Unpub 5

Many of you faithful listeners know that Dice Hate Me has been a proud supporter of the Unpub Network since 2011, helping to bring awareness of an awesome playtesting community that has helped many game designers craft their games into published gems. The State of Games has been covering the Unpub scene since Unpub 2, and we’re proud to be back four years later for Unpub 5, which was totally awesome. So sit back and enjoy our tales from the unpublished masses – we hope to help the community growing strong for many years to come. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 78: The One About Following the Rules

Welcome to 2015 – the dawn of a new age for Dice Hate Me and The State of Games. Some things will remain the same on the podcast, but we’re also going to be experimenting with some new things. It’s only appropriate for a new year. What you’ll start to hear on the podcast are some experiments. Some will work, and some won’t. But what we want from all of you is feedback on what you like and what just falls flat. It’s kind of like a new rulebook; you might like how easy it is to learn a new game, but you just wish it could be a bit better. We can relate to that feeling, and it also happens to relate to our topic... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 76: The One About the Fireside

So, what to do – it’s the holiday season and we don’t want to be lost in the hubbub of every other podcast talking about games for the family gathered around the Christmas table. Then the bright idea struck – what about all those poor souls who lose power during a snowstorm for the holidays? Yeah, that’s the ticket! And, so, we put our stockinged heads together and came up with some of the best and brightest for when you don’t exactly have the brightest of circumstances. Enjoy! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 75: The One About BGGCon 2014

Conventions are our bread and butter. These gatherings of geeks allow us to not only game and experience things that might pass us by a home, but also allow us to meet and greet an amazing variety of gaming personalities who all share in a similar passion. BGGCon is an amazing thing – a con dedicated solely to those of us who pepper our lives with board games and wish to share that experience with others. It’s a unique venue, and we’re here to share our experiences with all of you, Dear Listeners. Read More  Read More