First-Place Finish: A PitchCar Mini Review

I play my games a quarter mile at a time; and for those ten seconds or less, I’m free. Friday, June 24, Origins 2011: A funny thing happened on the way to the Boardroom. Right outside that gracious hall was a jaunty group of spirited gamers huddled around a long table. They would occasionally hunch over said table, give a little round disc a hearty flick and let out a mighty yawp that I could only assume signified satisfaction. Curious, I drew closer, and soon realized that I was staring down the belly of the beast that has haunted me for many of my gaming years – an agility game. Now, God saw fit to bless me with many talents, but agility... Read More

For Your Future Amusement

Yowza, yowza, step right up, watch yer step! Dice Hate Me has an important announcement to make! Granted, the cat’s been out of the bag for over a week now, but I figured we could use a little something official on the site just for matter of record. For those who haven’t heard, Dice Hate Me is going beyond just playing games – we’re now in the business of designing, producing and publishing games. The first game to come out of our stables is Carnival, a set-collecting card game that integrates dice in a unique and fun way. Carnival was conceived by Monkey238 in a little over an hour – yes, an hour – and I recognized... Read More

Let’s Get This Party Started!

So. Six of your good friends are about to walk through the door, and all you’ve got is a plate full of Chex mix, five or six stale beers, and a half jar of salsa in the fridge. Pop quiz, hotshot – what do you do? No, they don’t all want to play Descent for 7 hours. Yes, some of them are girls. And, yes, all of them will be hungry and in need of a distraction before tearing your apartment asunder looking for leftover Doritos. Looks like it’s time to break out the party games. Lucky for you, Dice Hate Me has the lowdown on three of the latest to hit the shelves. Now put those skunky beers on ice and prepare to pick up what I’m putting... Read More

The State of Games, Episode 10 – The One About Origins

The State of Games, Episode 10 is geared up and ready for gaming – convention style! I’ll bet all you board gamers and grognards know what we’re talking about with the title of this one, and it ain’t about Darwin (although he was a clue in a game of Time’s Up this past week). So grab your dice bag and jump on board, because it’s convention time! Read More  Read More

Origins Game Fair 2011: Day 3

I’m happy to report that on Day 3 of Origins, The Great Banana Quest was finally fulfilled. With my system unable to sustain another morning of breakfast sandwiches, I scoured the convention center for something remotely healthy. Thankfully, I was able to bribe a smoothie attendant out of a banana, no doubt depriving some poor convention-goer of some frozen fruit goodness later that day. But I digress. First order of business for the day: Leviathans. For those not in the know, Leviathans is a miniatures game of aerial combat between huge fleets of heavily armored airships – giant, floating flotillas held aloft by giant Tesla coils.... Read More

Origins Game Fair 2011: Day 2

It’s late. Very late. Like so late that it’s almost time to get up again. That’s convention life for you, though. And thus, day 2 in pictures (I’ll elaborate later!). The day began in the dealer exhibition room. I beelined straight to Stronghold Games‘ booth, met Stephen Buonocore, and promptly purchased Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War. Yes, it is mine. Yes, it is beautiful. Next up: Meeting Cristina Ramos at the Moosetache Games booth, and getting a look at their new game, Hike. We love Rowboat; it looks like we’ll love this one, too. I’ve been promised a demo game tomorrow, so I’ll... Read More

Ahead in the Clouds – An Interview with Chris James of Stratus Games

Last year at Dice Hate Me headquarters, we received a review copy of a very unassuming little card game called Launch Pad. The box exterior seemed innocuous enough, but once we cracked the seal and started to play, we soon realized that this little card game was anything but innocent – this was filled with more punk factor than Monopoly Deal and Bang! combined. Of course, that meant that we liked it. As a result, I’ve kept a close eye on the developments at Stratus Games – the makers of Launch Pad, Gold Mine and the upcoming Eruption – and I figured it was just about time to talk to Chris James and share the full Dice Hate... Read More

Dice On The Road

Greetings dear readers – and listeners! Below you’ll find a link to the nifty new audio player for the Dice Hate Me mini-cast. You’ll be seeing many more posts like this one starting on Wednesday as I head to Origins Game Fair to get some good gaming and plenty of interview time with a bevy of board game builders and heads of the biz. Listen to the mini-cast below to hear about everything I’ll be up to while at the big show, and be sure to comment or email with suggestions or things you’d like me to cover on Dice Hate Me! Dice On The Road mini-cast, Episode 1 – The Grand Experiment Keep your eyes glued to Dice... Read More

The Pros and Cons of Cons: 2011 Edition

Portions of this article originally appeared on Dice Hate Me on July 22, 2010 – it has been updated to reflect 2011 convention dates and information, and reposted because the somewhat-humorous, but mostly-informative posts can still aid those seeking to attend conventions in the continental US this summer. I will be at Origins this year, so if you plan to attend, look for the guy with grumpy dice somewhere on his upper body and I’ll give you a cool pin. Look for more pre-coverage of Origins, including a sneak peek at our upcoming game prototype, on Dice Hate Me within the next week. Ah, Summer. Tis the season of spray-on tans, silicon,... Read More

Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Artist!

Last month on Dice Hate Me, I shared a sneak peek at one of the newest games being playtested in the Clever Mojo Games stable – Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge, by designer Seth Roback. Since then, I’ve gotten a closer look at a new board layout and a revised rulebook that actually made me understand the mad machinations behind this offbeat and intriguing game. David MacKenzie will have the prototype in tow at Origins, so I’ll be sitting down for a few sessions, and taking copious notes and pictures, so look for that during my periodic updates during the convention. Read More  Read More