Black and White and Oh-So-Nice: The Joy of Oversized Dice
Take a look at board game accessories that make card management and dice rolls easier with the DOTS RPG Project and Etsy.
In general, the vast majority of my purchases center around board games and expansions. Rarely do I add anything that makes a game fancier… Though I have been tempted many, many times! At the same time, there are a few components that don’t quite fall into a specific category. I picked up a few recently, and wanted to share my excitement over them!
Just a Simple Dice Set?
At a glance, you might wonder what’s so special about this set of dice. I’m going to be horrible and leave that a surprise for just a brief moment as I ramble on.
I love dice, yet I’m rather picky. 16mm is my bare minimum before I start to eye the dice maliciously. Ha!
Pips, typically found on 6-sided dice, are tolerated. If I can find numbered dice, though, I’m a much happy camper.
Most importantly, though, I need to be able to read the dice. High contrast is a necessity. So you can see why I like these dice. Yet hold on… There’s something even better!
A Question of Size
There we go! Next to a standard set of dice, perhaps the real heft of these oversized dice can be appreciated. Wow!
I found these at the DOTS RPG Project. The organization is awesome in terms of accessibility and inclusion in both the RPG and board game world. Everyone is welcome.
This dice set includes sizes ranging from 25-30mm, depending on the individual die. The d4 and d6 are a little smaller, though that makes sense. I can read them easily!
From a rolling perspective, these can go flying without proper attention. Yet they’re random and fun to throw.
The Difference Between Want and Need
My desire for larger, easier-to-read dice is purely due to preferences. I can read smaller text and numbers without issue, aside from a certain level of frustration. But I appreciate that these dice are designed more for accessibility. Those who need larger numbers might find these dice more useful, and I hope that this is a helpful overview.
When I can return to playing with a roleplaying group, these should come in handy! I usually take part in a weekly group at my friendly local game store. Everyone is welcome to join. It can be hard to see across a large table at the best of times, and sometimes new participants don’t have dice. Having these on hand seems like a good idea!
All of the Dice
I couldn’t stop with a single set, though! Only sold in 2 sets as of this time, I gobbled up the fancy purple and green dice. Though not as easy to read, I still love them.
There are only a couple of mildly unfilled numbers, and I can still read them better than my standard dice.
My game table might need some higher-sided dice trays, though… These truly can go flying with that extra weight behind them! Rolling is more interesting, though. Ha ha!
Another added benefit? Losing these dice should take a lot more effort. Can you imagine misplacing any of them?!
A Closer Comparison
In case the above photos don’t clearly show the size, I present a d6 side-by-side comparison! This is a standard 16mm die against a pair of 25mm oversized dice. Ooo!
This might also give a better view of the purple and green dice. Although not as easy-to-read as the black and white set, they’re still high contrast. And ready for Halloween.
Part of me hopes for more color choices in the future, yet these do exactly what they’re supposed to in this form.
Sometimes, black and white is the best option! They may not be eye-catching, yet they’re readable at a distance.
New Card Holders
During my recent plays of Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game, I knew I needed another way to keep all of the decks organized. And I actually knew just where to go!
Good ol’ Etsy! Thankfully, I haven’t yet fallen down that rabbit hole. Or vole tunnel? Because we have voles here.
Anyway, these Draw & Discard Card Holders are excellent at decluttering the play area. My husband and I used them recently, and we were both very impressed.
The bottom tray is textured, so it might be worthwhile to place a sleeve or piece of paper to protect unsleeved cards.
The Great Sleeving Debate
Above, although possibly not easy to see, are sleeved cards in the right card holder. Perhaps you recognize where those came from… Ha ha! But wherever you stand in terms of sleeving or not sleeving cards, they should fit. Granted, it depends on the actual card sizes. The area has room for cards that are under 66.5mm x 94mm. Spacious! Maybe?
I still prefer to feel the texture on cards. Food and drink are prohibited at my game table, and I wash my hands before I sit down to play. So although I don’t sleeve my cards, I’m still fiercely careful with them. It’s all personal taste, though. If you’re someone who prefers to sleeve your cards, why do you do it? No judgment! I’m just curious.
Honestly, I’m in the camp that there’s no right or wrong when it comes to sleeving or not sleeving cards. I have my own way, which works because it fits in with my preferences and routine. If I liked to drink tea or snack on crumpets while playing, I’m pretty sure sleeves would be a necessity! But tea and crumpets. Hmm. Might need to rethink this. Ha ha!
Exploring Textures
On the subject of textures, perhaps this shows a little more of these card holders. Unsleeved cards certainly have a little more give, though they’re not swimming around!
The slightly inclined area for the draw pile also ensures that the deck doesn’t fall out easily. Small, but important.
Wondering about the half-circle cutout? It’s there to make it simple to grab the entire pile for reshuffling or cleanup.
I haven’t used these enough to mention them as a major recommendation. Yet! I’ll know more about any card wear after I start using them with multiple board games.
Continue the Conversation
Do you have any board game accessories you enjoy using? Cutting down on unnecessary time and unfortunate clutter can make a major impact on the enjoyment of games! On the other hand, are there any accessories that didn’t pan out for you? My oversized dice and card holders may not be for everyone, yet I’m excited to use them in the future!
I think I’m a minority for my reasons for sleeving: the primary purpose is for ease of shuffling, and card protection secondary. I prefer matte sleeves for heavy shuffling.
Having cards clump and not being random takes the fun out of a certain type of situation.
But being able to fit the cards back into a box is a consideration as well, and there are times where thicker premium sleeves will not work.
I also try not to get games with non-standard card sizes as a way to keep my wallet less empty 🙂
Thanks for sharing your reasons for sleeving! I find it interesting about your main consideration for shuffling. My shuffling is very gentle to begin with, but sleeved cards have a tendency to go everywhere when I handle them. I do believe I have the proverbial “butterfingers” only with sleeved cards. Ha ha!
I agree about how frustrating the clumping of cards can be. It sounds like you found a solution that works for you the majority of the time, which is awesome! There may be times when I give sleeves another whirl in the future. If you hear the sound of cards flying everywhere, though, that’s coming from my game table!
I am quite familiar with sleeved cards flying everywhere! They happen for non-premium sleeves the most. Which is why I try to always get matte sleeves– the matte is also slip protection 🙂
Great tip! I don’t think I have any matte sleeves, though my husband has a ton of sleeves in general. I may have to convince him to switch so we don’t end up with another flying card disaster. Ha ha! Thanks!
I like the look of those trays – I might try designing some for the 3d printer. Talking of which, the “Stackable Game Bits Funnel Tray” on Thingiverse is highly recommended!
A suggestion if you do this again – put a ruler into shot, or even a hand? I can see that the big dice are clear, but not really how big they are until you show them next to the smaller ones.
Excellent suggestion. I definitely need some sort of clear size standard. A Calico Critter would be obvious, but not too clear. I’ll look for something a little unique that has obvious size marks in the future! Thanks!
Also, these card holders are turning out to be amazing. My play area is much more organized, and if I need to move a few decks around, it takes very little effort. So nice!