The State Of Games

In this episode of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice get the top secret scoop from sneaky gits Michael Fox and Mark Rivera as they share the intel on their Kickstarter hit Ace of Spies, as well as the shadowy and mysterious benefactor known only as Mr. White. Who is Mr. White? Only time will tell! All this, plus other Kickstarter upstarts like Blurble and Off Your Rocker, and a closer look at life in Santiago de Cuba with four players.

In this "minisode" of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice recount their adventures at PAX East in Boston, from the multi-legged (and multi-game) trip, to setting up and working the Game Salute demo and sales booth for the duration of the con. All this plus discussion of Dragon Valley, Titans of Industry, Santiago de Cuba, Garden Dice, Before the Wind, the buzz-worthy Lords of Waterdeep, and a special announcement about Dice Hate Me Games' very first iOS app!

In this very special episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey are joined by veteran Kickstarter patriarch and storytelling game entrepreneur Daniel Solis in a rousing discussion about the role of luck amidst role-playing and tabletop games. All this plus Carnival, Fleet, Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple, VivaJava, and other Kickstarter darlings !

In this very special episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey are joined at Dice Hate Me HQ by PuppyShogun, aka T.C. Petty III, designer of VivaJava: The Coffee Game. The trio delve deep into the varied processes of game design and development, as well as what gaming themes, mechanics and veteran designers inspire them. Sharing even more about game design is Touko Tahkokallio - the designer of the smash hit Eclipse - in an exclusive interview with Matt Morgan from MTV Geek. All this, plus looks at the current Kickstarter projects Chicken Caesar and Fleet, as well as the out-of-control Masters of Commerce and some very naughty nuns on the run!

Yeehaw! On this episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey get rural as they talk about the amazing allure of farming-themed games and then interview Grant Rodiek, designer of the Kickstarter smash card game Farmageddon. All this plus prototype plays of Take the Bait and Princes of the Dragon Throne, how Donald X. has redeemed himself with Kingdom Builder, and how Monkey has a huge train addiction. All aboard!

In this special episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey travel to Dover, Delaware to attend the second annual Unpublished Games Festival! While there, the pair met some old friends, made some new ones, played a ton of unpublished games about salmon, jivecats, chemical fires and selling vacuums, and got some great feedback on the upcoming VivaJava. And speaking of VivaJava, this episode features a bonus interview with designer T.C. Petty III where he talks about design inspiration, burritos and betting on the ponies. The Kickstarter campaign begins soon - get ready to Get Caffeinated!

In this episode of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice sit down for a talk with their good gaming friends Shawn and Jacki about the best games for couples (and multiple couples), the allure of the Cold War for female gamers, and how digital gaming can sometimes bring couples together. All this, plus 7 Wonders, plotting world domination from the tabletop and that answer to the clue: "my horse's seat is on fire."

In this episode of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice reminisce about the most memorable moments in the past year of gaming - from drunken igloo shaking, to death by taint, to that "aha" moment when Carnival first came to life. It's a retrospective that's made only more special because of all of the wonderful listeners and fans that have joined the Dice Hate Me family in the past year. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from our gaming table to yours!

In this very special episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey hit the holiday road for Thanksgiving, taking their portable recorder along for some family gaming fun. Listen to Monkey's mom turn her incredible luck powers against us in Can't Stop, Dice's step dad talk about the "cracker" and playing games 50 years ago, and everybody giving their opinions on what makes a good family game. All this, plus thoughts on Letters from Whitechapel, Flummox, and Compounded, drunkenly shaking igloos, and, of course, camels.

In the most ambitiously in-depth State of Games to date, Monkey and Dice sit down with board game industry analyst Richard Bliss to talk about the Kickstarter explosion and whether there's a funding bubble that's about to burst. The trio also talk abundantly on crossing the void between consumer and publisher, the joys of flexibility & foibles of failing, marketing magic, making that emotional connection, and gaming trends among women and youth. All this, plus more of behind-the-scenes experiences with Carnival and the upcoming VivaJava: The Coffee Game.

In this very special episode of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice turn out the lights, crank up the creepy music and delve deep into the realm of untold terror as they explore the best horror and suspense games in the Dice Hate Me library. All this, plus a deeper look at the Euro giant Belfort, Eminent Domain (the only deck-builder welcome on their table), the macabre but hilarious Gloom, Matt Worden's Jump Gate, and the tiny yet mighty Kamakura. Happy Halloween!

In this episode of The State of Games, Monkey takes the reins (at least for a little bit) before Dice steers the conversation toward girls and what they really really want - out of games. It's not long before Monkey spills the secrets of luring girl gamers, keeping them around, and even turning them into the coveted ubergamer. All this, plus a look at the monster release, King of Tokyo, the brainburner Belfort, and TC Petty III's quirky creations VivaJava and Good Ol' Punchin' Planes. Oh, and then there's a little something about Monkey and Dice's wedding anniversary... awwww.

In this episode of The State of Games, Monkey and Dice try a grand experiment and take on a listener's challenge - create the perfect 10-game library using a cross-section of some of the most popular gaming themes, play styles and mechanics; if anything, you'll learn why nearly every game you play has to do with travel. All this, plus paranoia in Panic Station, a first look at Alf Seegert's The Road to Canterbury, flicks in space with Ascending Empires, and pitting Monkey's North versus Dice's South in Test of Fire: Bull Run 1861.

In this episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey sit down for a chat with the duke of dice, the baron of boardgames, the legendary Richard Launius, creator of Arkham Horror! The trio talk about how Richard first came about creating one of the greatest boardgames of all time, Monkey's propensity for bad dice karma in Defenders of the Realm, and how the upcoming Elder Sign is going to rock Dice's gaming world. All this, plus an H.P. Lovecraft lookalike, some Carnival news, and getting ready to unleash Pulsar on the unsuspecting gaming public.

In this episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey are up to their elbows in Kickstarter! Their first game release, Carnival, has received an incredibly warm welcome on the crowdfunding website and the duo take the chance to share some behind-the-scenes info., talk with Dark Horse creator Don Lloyd about the perils and pitfalls of any Kickstarter campaign, and then find out what it's like to be on the other side of the interview process when things get a bit crazy on the G*M*S Magazine podcast. All this, plus boardgame fetishes and nerd potpourri with Patrick Nickell, a look at Battleship Galaxies, Quarriors, Farmageddon, Castle Dash, 1955: The War of Espionage, and getting caffeinated in VivaJava. That's a lot of podcast!

This episode of The State of Games has it all - thrill to the spectacle of covering two major gaming conventions at once! Dice and Monkey head to the World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, PA and share their experiences in showing off Carnival and VivaJava, as well as playtesting a whole ton of cool prototypes, while correspondent Patrick Nickell travels to Indy for GenCon and grabs interviews with Steve Jackson, Reiner Knizia and more! All this, plus Carnival Kickstarter news, an official announcement about Origins 2012, and a chance to win a free copy of Launch Pad from Stratus Games.

This episode is aptly-titled as Dice and Monkey sit down for a chat with the ever-exuberant Stephen Buonocore of Stronghold Games. After Stephen and Monkey commiserate about their youths (pronounced yoots) in New York City, the conversation turns toward the pain-stakingly detailed process of bringing Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War to the gaming public. All this, plus upcoming releases from both Stronghold and Dice Hate Me Games, some corporate espionage, and all the dirt on the upcoming World Boardgaming Championships. Too much show? Fuhgeddaboudit.

In this episode, Dice and Monkey address a very important question about a possible zombie apocalypse: what one game would they take into a survival shelter to play for five or so years? In a more peaceful discourse, the duo discuss the slew of cool card games that have hit their gaming table lately. All this, plus an update on Carnival, and a tease to another game that could soon be published by Dice Hate Me Games.

In this episode of The State of Games, Dice mostly flies solo as he shares some special experiences, interviews and some gaming goodness and silliness from a recent trip to Origins Game Fair. Monkey rejoins him later in the podcast to wrap things up with a special announcement about a secret game project the duo have had in development since... oh, about two whole weeks now!

In this episode of The State of Games, Dice and Monkey get their motor running talking about the "magic formula" for success on Kickstarter - the online crowdfunding sensation that has been a boon for board games - as well as take a look at some cool gaming projects that everyone should start kicking... into high gear!