Time to Die (Or Dice): The Best Dice Games & Accessories for 2021
By Alex J. Coyne © Gifts for Card Players 2021
Dice games are popular amongst players who love speed, story, and chance all mixed into one title. Yahtzee and poker dice aren’t the only great games you should get to know; there’s a whole myriad of great dice games you can still discover!
Convinced that you’ve got a knack for rolling doubles? Sure that the secret to gaming is all in the wrists?
We’ve taken a look at some of the best dice games and accessories out there in 2021. Here’s where to start if you’re beginning your dice game collection – or expanding on the tabletop games you’ve already got.
Accessories
Let’s talk accessories first. What are accessories? A broad definition would be to say that these encompass everything that is not the game itself. From mats to holders through to actual dice sets, here are some of the accessories every serious dice-player will need to have:
Standard Dice
https://www.amazon.com/Standard-White-Black-Board-Games/dp/B088PL2NXV/
Dice are small, and get lost as easily as wayward Lego-blocks. What players can do about this is to just go ahead and order in bulk (and you might want to do the same thing with socks).
Thanks to Amazon, you can order these sets of Standard Dice with 75 individuals per set.
If you can’t imagine how fast one could possibly lose 75 dice, then you might be a new dice player. Welcome, and take our advice!
Felt-Lined Dice Cup
https://www.amazon.com/RERIVER-Lined-Leather-Dices-Black/dp/B01NBQURJ8/
Dice are best stored where dust, moisture, and heat can’t get to them. For standardised play, it’s also best to cast dice from an appropriate container. This means you’ll need at least one dice cup, and at least several once you get into collecting them.
Simple and light, start with a Faux-Leather Felt-Lined Dice Cup. As an extra, it comes with six standard dice.
Norse Foundry: Gaming Supplies
Done with standard dice? Want to impress others around the table, or add a completely different feel to your gaming night?
Norse Foundry is a specialist-dice supplier who creates artistic dice sets from various materials. Any fan of dice or tabletop games is guaranteed to be blown away in an instant. Check this out and you won’t be disappointed.
Available materials includes various metals, pebbles, or gemstones. Chests, boxes, and dice trays are also sold from Norse Foundry. Standard and polyhedral dice available.
Haxtec Leather Storage Pouch
https://www.amazon.com/Haxtec-Drawstring-Roleplaying-Accessories-Venom-Green/dp/B07TNHGB27/
Where you store your dice when they aren’t in play matters, especially when traveling with them often. Storage options can be up to the player and size of their collection. For a themed-feel, here’s a drawstring bag with embossed green eye to store your accessories in.
There’s something about it that just screams adventure.
I think I’ll order them in bulk, too.
The Dice Display Case
https://www.amazon.com/Storage-Compatible-Display-Organizer-Tabletop/dp/B08MVTMQQS/
Serious collectors are likely to end up with more than just a handful of dice. It might take weeks, but your collection will eventually grow!
The Dice Display Case is perfect for keeping your dice safe, and showing them off when you need to. Hard-shelled on the outside, it can contain 35 different dice – and yes, even if they happen to be a weird shape.
Dice Games
Let’s talk games next. Dice games are known for their increased pace, and dice adds an element of mystery and chance – occasionally, of butt-kicking for you (or your opponent). But what are the best games out there right now if you’re buying in 2021? Here’s a look at the top 4 dice games for starting or expanding your games collection.
1. Roll for the Galaxy
https://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-492-Galaxy/dp/B00OYUZRIW
Roll for the Galaxy received the 2015 International Gamers Award, and still gets new fans almost every day. Intricate and yet simple to get started with, it’s all about rolling the dice to achieve very literal universe building.
If you enjoy any type of simulation or management games (and anything that’s ever contained the word Space or Tycoon in its title), Roll for the Galaxy is exactly what you’ve always wanted from a tabletop game.
Build, defend, and then build some more with the given dice. Before you know it, you’ll be playing a next round.
2. Too Many Bones
https://www.amazon.com/Too-Many-Bones/dp/B077PNSDWC/
Too Many Bones is a 2017 Golden Geek Award nominee in several categories, and a winner of several other international tabletop awards. While its title might make some imagine a horror-based theme first, this game is more about defending and attacking via rolling the dice.
What can you expect from playing it?
Players control a race of players defending their territory from attack. Building is also a present element here, and it means players have to think carefully about their approach (even considering that dice-rolls are chance-based).
Enjoy war-time games or combat simulation strategy games? Still trying to find your way around different tabletop genres? Too Many Bones is recommended.
3. Zombie Dice
https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jackson-Games-SJG-131313/dp/B003IKMR0U
Zombie Dice is one of the most famous dice-based titles from Steve Jackson Games. The company is legendary for any serious tabletop fan; this is recommended as one of their best games overall.
What’s it about?
Zombies, brains, and rolling dice to capture 13 accompanying “victim” dice. If you’re a fan of zombie based games, movies, or shows, you’ll dig this from the very first roll.
Can it be kid-friendly for younger ones at game night? As long as cartoon gore is acceptable and the idea of zombies isn’t terrifying for their age group, that’s a yes.
4. Blueprints
https://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-71290ZMG-Blueprints-Board/dp/B00GJVYORE/
Blueprints is a dice-rolling, literal building game created by Z-Man Games.
Fans of games like Minecraft, Monopoly, and again anything with Tycoon in the title will get right into Blueprints without a second thought. The game has a heavy architectural aspect to it, and allows you to acquire materials with which to build structures from.
If you’re a lucky roller, expect Blueprints to be a breeze. If you can’t roll well to save your own skin, you’ll still enjoy it, but just might lose a little more often.
Photo by Naser Tamimi on Unsplash
