In any other circumstance, I would’ve never believed the letter I got from Gloria. “The dreams”, she said in her correspondence, “they speak of unknowable evil and have an undeniable vividness to them. I implore you to help.” Gloria was a writer, and in her work she often wrote of strange and off-putting things. We had shared a few experiences together in our fractured past and I rarely gave her ramblings more than a cursory glance, writing them off as fiction from a lonely soul.

I would’ve never believed her… had I not had the dreams myself.

Ryan, Adam, and Chad discuss various concerns when coercing your friends to come over and play games. Also, Chad self-identifies as a muppet, Ryan divulges his plans for a Degrassi hidden traitor game, and Adam runs our first glitch-free episode.

Of Dice and Men is broadcasted live on 91.3 CJTR, Regina Community Radio - our next broadcast will be March 26th at 8 PM CST.

Inspired by the “Why I Play Board Games” post by Art of Boardgaming, I thought I’d itemize a few of the reasons why I personally find board games so engaging and entertaining in this digital age.

A conversation often had between my board gaming friends goes something like this: “Hey, remember Power Grid? Why don’t we ever play that game? I remember it being great!” Which is then followed by a few minutes of attempting to schedule a 2 - 3 hour game session where everyone is free, realizing there is no such time, and then begrudgingly going back to our busy lives. This is the problem that Power Grid: The Card Game attempts to solve, and does a pretty decent job.

Ryan and Chad lament over the absence of Adam, and console themselves by playing and talking about playing board games solo. Also we discuss the BoardGameGeek 2016 People’s Choice Solo Games results, and give a quick overview of Adrenaline.

Of Dice And Men is broadcasted live on 91.3 CJTR, Regina Community Radio - our next broadcast will be March 11th at 8 PM CST

When I was a youngin’, board games were exclusively a recreation to be shared with family and friends. If I was feeling especially daring, I might sit down to a game of Risk that included a friend of a friend. Playing games with strangers never even occurred to me as being a possibility. If it had, I would have wondered why someone would ever subject themselves to such torture (despite the fact that people do exactly that in casinos all the time). Maybe it was growing up watching shows like The Goonies but, to me, you stick with your clique.

One of my favorite times to play board games is over lunch hour with other co-workers - it makes for a great mental break in the middle of the day. Not only that, but shorter board games serve several purposes; they make a great filler before a longer game while waiting for others to show up, serve as good gateway games to gently introduce people to the hobby without committing them to a 3 hour experience, and even in a social situation as an icebreaker or activity for a group. Here’s a few favorites I really enjoy!

Ryan, Adam and Chad discuss how themes play into the design and enjoyment (or don’t at all?) of board games. Also discussed; how on the fence we are with Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition. And Adam actually played a game this week!

Of Dice and Men is broadcasted live on 91.3 FM CJTR, Regina Community Radio - our next broadcast will be February 26th at 8 PM CST

Any new player to the board game hobby will come across a number of new and innovative game mechanics, and among the first of those will be Deckbuilding. Here’s a solid breakdown of the genre, and some games you should keep an eye out for.

Last night, 3 friends and I left the relative safety of our town hall shelter, crossed a shallow creek, blew up a campsite, traveled through a forest to a logging camp, and convinced a refugee family to join us down a grid road before we were ripped limb from limb by flying imps and a mind-controlling host. All while sitting in a dark room lit only by 10 tea light candles. And it was awesome.