Dice Forge

Dice Forge by Régis Bonnessée (Seasons, Lords of Xidit) is a dice rolling game for 2-4 players that plays in about 45 minutes. Players upgrade their dice during the game by replacing the dice faces (and wait ‘til you see the box insert!)

Unboxing Dice Forge

Lift the cover of Dice Forge, and you’ll find a large sleeve, held in place with a purple band. Dice and other components are arranged neatly along the sides.

Below the sleeve with the purple band is a folded game board.

Under the folded game board you can see cards, tokens, pawns, and player boards.

Everything has a place. Even the smallest of cardboard bits.

When the sleeve is removed from the tray, it is put back into place on top of the box insert.

The tray holds dice faces that players can purchase throughout the game to upgrade their dice.

The dice are designed so that one of the plastic squares can be used to pry another one off of a die. A can opener with an angled tip also works well for this. It gives you leverage, and saves wear on the plastic bits.

The game board is not just flat. It has indentations where the cards will go. The cards fit into the board, physically and aesthetically. They continue the artwork of the board.

The markings at each spot show the cost for the card in that spot. There are two options for the cards, adding variability to the game.

The different sets of cards have their own slots in the box insert.

The player boards have cutouts for the cubes, so that they are not accidentally bumped.

Not only does the box organize the components, it acts as a component itself. The game board fits up against a side of the box, and the box becomes scenery.

The components and organization make it inviting to play.

Playing Dice Forge

Players roll their dice and then apply the effects of the two faces shown. This usually means acquiring resources. If the active player has a card that grants them special effects, they resolve those cards.

The active player must choose whether to spend gold to buy a new die face, or to spend resources for a card.

Strong dice and powerful cards will help during the game, but only Glory Points count in the end.

Comparing Dice Forge

Dice Forge is similar in length and complexity to King of Tokyo and Machi Koro. There is also a comparable level of player interaction. While players do not attack other players, like in King of Tokyo, actions from one player can affect other players. For example, with the Minotaur card, all other players roll their dice, but lose the resources or Glory Points instead of gaining them.

Widely available for about $36, Dice Forge has great components and thoughtful extras that make you feel like you’re getting a bargain. No extra costs for a box insert or player mat overlays required. Dice Forge also saves time, because it has everything waiting for you when you open the box. This is the game you’ll want to bring to game night.

[Dice Forge on BGA]     [Dice Forge on BGP]