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. 154 – The One About the Top 5 Games EVER

We love when listeners get involved with the podcast and, because of comments and feedback from all of you, this podcast was magical. We’ve revisited our favorite games of all time occasionally but never within the context of a listener-curated list. And, oh, what an incredibly varied list it was! It just goes to show that all of you love so many different games in this hobby and that, dear listeners, is a truly wonderful thing. Happy listening! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 152 – The One About the Fate of the Galaxy, Pt. 2

Five years ago on Memorial Day weekend, six gamers gathered to duke it out for galactic supremacy in Twilight Imperium: Third Edition and we recorded the whole thing for The State of Games. Ever since that incredible 12-hour slugfest we had wanted to do it again and the release of Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition gave us all a perfect excuse. And, so, I convinced two of the veterans of the old game and two TI newbies over to the house, threw a pork butt on the smoker, and got down to business in figuring out who would reign supreme. Spoiler alert: It was awesome. Enjoy! Read More  Read More

Help Decide the Fate of the Galaxy – Again!

Greetings dear readers, and welcome to a long-awaited return to the far-flung star realms of Twilight Imperium. Five years ago, at Dice Hate Me HQ, six intrepid contestants vied for the seat at the head of Mecatol Rex, and only one was triumphant – me! Now, four factions have risen to challenge me for the throne. Two are veterans of the original battle, but two are new to the fray. And all, including me, are new to Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition! Here’s where you all come in – you can help us decide the fate of the galaxy by helping us choose which factions will be in the game, and which player will control them! Just like last... Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 143: The One About Holiday Road

It’s been almost a month since our last episode, but the holidays seemed to ambush us this year, keeping us busy and away from our microphones! It certainly hasn’t been an uneventful month, however, as we all managed to get together in Dover, Delaware for our traditional Dice Hate Me Holiday gathering with good food, grand festivities, and gaming galore. So gather round, Dear Listeners, and ring in the New Year with your good friends from The State of Games. May 2018 be filled with peace, love, and games! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Episode 46 – The One About the Fate of the Galaxy

And now for something completely different. In a fit of momentary madness, myself and five other brave boardgamers – Dan Patriss of The Geek All-Stars, Paul Hetrick, Shawn Purtell, Michael Harrison and Daniel Solis – decided we wanted to settle once and for all who would rule the galaxy. And, so, we set out on a half-day mission to get a full six-player experience of Twilight Imperium on the Dice Hate Me table. This is our story. Read More  Read More

Help Decide The Fate of the Galaxy!

Greetings dear readers – and prepare for something completely different! This weekend at Dice Hate Me HQ, six of us will gather in the wee hours of the morning to face off in an epic, full-day battle for galactic supremacy playing Twilight Imperium: Third Edition. Some of us are veteran TI:3 players, while others have only stared longingly at the limousine-sized box on the local game store shelf. This event promises to be so epic that we’ll be live-Tweeting the super showdown this Saturday, talking about our experiences on a future State of Games, and I’ll even have a session report on how the whole thing went down next week... Read More

A New Kind of Spice – A Rex: Final Days of an Empire Review

“Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” Leto Atreides, Dune For over 30 years, the board game Dune has often been talked about in hushed awe by a generation of gamers who have heard countless tales of its groundbreaking game play and legendary subject matter. For many, there was no way to prove nor disprove the rumors in these tales, as the game was often harder to find than the legendary cup sought after in the Crusades. Not long ago, Fantasy Flight Games announced that they would rerelease the classic game, but reimagined for the Twilight Imperium universe. Those that had not yet... Read More