Make this Deal – A Little Devils Guest Review

Today on Dice Hate Me, we are lucky to have another guest review from the multi-tasking master, Marc Specter. On the last State of Games podcast, we talked to Stephen Buonocore from Stronghold Games about his plethora of fall releases, and Little Devils was mentioned. Since we love trick-taking card games, we were definitely interested in knowing more. Thankfully, Marc read our minds and now provides a sneak peek for all you little devils out there who love card games as much as we do. Enjoy! I am not really a card gamer.  There is nothing that sounds less interesting to me than a night with friends + a deck of cards.  And I live in Michigan,... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 36 – The One About the Stronghold

From time to time on the podcast we like to just sit down and talk to some of our favorite people in the gaming industry. We’re lucky to have not only met one of our favorites, Stephen Buonocore, but we’ve also gamed, imbibed and worked side-by-side with him. As it turns, out we had a lot to talk about with him this time around, so we decided to break the episode down into a listed timeline of important talking points for your listening convenience. Enjoy! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 35 – The One About Cards With Words

Sometimes profound things come out of Monkey238’s mouth. One podcast she identified why certain types of luck are good and bad in a game depending on when they happen. In another, she pontificated on the popularity of zombies. And last podcast she practically invented a new game category, just on the fly. This is probably why I can’t seem to win at most of the games we play… Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 32 – The One About Culling and Critics

Sometimes it’s just nice to be able to sit and talk to your best friend about board games and having fun – and that’s precisely what Monkey and I did on this episode of the State of Games. No guests, no retelling of adventures at the last convention, just the two of us spending an hour of quality time chatting about the good stuff and reaffirming our love for this great hobby. Join us – we’ve missed you. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 27 – The Short One About PAX East 2012

It’s been a little longer than expected between podcasts for us here at Dice Hate Me HQ, but we have a good excuse – we’ve been on the road, bringing boardgaming to the masses! We got an invite to the really big show up in Beantown – PAX East – and we couldn’t say no. We’re certainly glad we made the trip, getting the chance to meet so many wonderful people and share some boardgaming love. So come on in and sit a spell while we spin a yarn of our wonderful adventures. Read More  Read More

PAX East in Pictures: A Publisher’s View

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind at Dice Hate Me HQ, as Monkey238 and I made some last-minute arrangements to work the Game Salute booth at PAX East. This was to be Monkey’s first big con, and I wasn’t sure how much of it we would get to see as we met with gamers, introduced them to Carnival, VivaJava and many other great games. We did get to take a few breaks and wander the massive halls and if there’s one thing we learned – we’re sure glad we only had to set up for boardgaming because the electronic games displays were massive! Here’s a brief pictorial glimpse into our trip to PAX East –... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 21 – The One About Gaming Memories of 2011

Auld lang syne. Many of you have heard the phrase, and many more of you have sang it as the ball in Times Square has dropped, signifying a new year. Essentially, it translates as “long, long ago” – as in “a galaxy far away.” However, in relation to convential transpirations, it simply means “things that happened this year.” And that’s going to be our featured translation as we take a look back on the year that was – in games. Read More  Read More

A Particularly Scottish View of Essen Spiel

Although Monkey238 and I were not able to attend the Big Show in Essen this year, we were lucky enough to have a few friends in which we could live – and game – vicariously. One of those friends was Ian L. Smith, of Glasgow, Scotland. Ian and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on games, but we are always equal in passion and respect. When Ian began recounting his tales from Essen on Twitter, I eagerly interjected and learned about a whole bevy of games I need to sink my teeth into. I prodded Ian to share his thoughts with all you, dear readers, and he eagerly agreed. By way of an introduction, let me explain that I and around 9 of... Read More

The Alien Resistance – A Panic Station Review

The old station creaks under the strain of the vacuum surrounding it. A couple of hours have passed since you watched your android gunner be taken down in a hail of surprise suppressor fire by one of your original teammates. You turned and made a break for it, cold sweat covering your brow, and have since made it further into the complex despite those damnable bugs that have been popping up all over. Suddenly, a sound to your left makes you turn and jump. Out of the shadows steps Nina, your most trusted team confidante. “It’s ok,” she purrs, stepping closer, “we’re all in this together.” She slowly extends her... Read More

Spies Like Us: A Confusion Review

When I left for Origins In June, Monkey238 doled out a dossier filled with details of two missions: have fun and don’t spend a lot of money. I chose to accept the missions; one proved a resounding success, the other was failed miserably as I walked through the door with twice as many games as I had brought along. All was soon forgiven, however, when she spotted Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War. As it turns out, nothing can make this monkey’s attention turn from overspending to oh-let’s-play like the promise of some quality detente. But with the most excellent Cold War: CIA vs KGB and the masterpiece Twilight Struggle already... Read More