GoDice review: Make game night more fun with these Bluetooth-enabled dice

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GoCube, the maker of Bluetooth-enabled puzzle cubes, has released its newest product -- GoDice. We took a look at these fun new dice to see if they'd be a worthy addition to game night.




GoDice is a set of five Bluetooth-enabled six-sided dice. The dice pair with a companion app, which keeps track of your score for a bunch of popular games.



The dice connect to both Apple and Android devices and are easy to set up.

They come packaged in a cool magnetic container that keeps the dice together when not in use. The container also acts as a charger -- you simply press the five face of the die into the charger's base until it lights up. Once fully charged, which takes about 20 seconds, you can get roughly two hours of play.

The magnetic container keeps GoDice together when not in use
The magnetic container keeps GoDice together when not in use


The charger is powered by two AAA batteries and requires a small screwdriver to get to the battery compartment.

We love the design of the dice and charger, and we were very impressed with how easy the setup process was.

Options, options, options

For being as new to the market as it is, GoDice has offered a decent collection of games to play right out of the box.

Yatzy
Yatzy


Included games:
  • Backgammon

  • Yatzy

  • Farkle

  • Ludo Clash

  • PIG

  • Unlucky Seven

  • Shut the Pool

  • Bomb Squad

  • GoRPG dice calculator

  • and more!
GoDice also plans to release games regularly and even allow users to create their own games by using the GoDice API.

While we were impressed with the number of games, we do wish that the app was a little better designed. On our iPhone 13 mini, we found that the app clipped weirdly around the notch and corners of the screen.

Faster and more fun

And before you complain that this promotes laziness or poor math skills, hear us out: it doesn't. If anything, it actually helps you get kids involved in family game night even earlier.

Charging is done by pressing the five face of the dice onto the charging base
Charging is done by pressing the five face of the dice onto the charging base


No longer does the littlest kid need to feel left out because they cannot add dice sums together quickly -- and it limits older sibling frustration, too!

Additionally, it's nice if you're trying to get in as many quick games as possible. After all, it's hard to argue over scoring when you've got a computer doing the adding for you.

No more hunting for score sheets, no need to look up rules

Sure, the fact that GoDice keeps score for you is great, but probably the best part of GoDice is the fact that you don't need to hunt for score sheets anymore.

We especially loved this feature when we were playing Yatzy. Most of GoDice's games support 1-4 people, making it perfect for intimate get-togethers or family game nights.

It's also helpful because GoDice provides rules for each of the games. No more frantic searching the internet when trying to remember the exact rules for Farkle.

D&D shells

While we didn't get a set of D&D shells, GoDice notes that they'll be selling them soon. These shells slip over your GoDice and allow them to be used as a standard set of tabletop gaming dice.

A minor nitpick

So far, we've only managed to uncover one problem with the way GoDice function, and it's minor. When it comes to rolling the dice, you'll want to pick them up and immediately throw them.




Otherwise, if you pick them up and hold them in your hand for a few moments, the internal mechanism reads this as a roll. This can be an issue for some players -- especially little ones -- who may easily get distracted when playing a game.

The issue of price

For as much as we love GoDice, there's a significant issue that we see with them -- the price. GoDice isn't cheap, priced at $119.95 for a set of five dice and the charger.

This can be prohibitively expensive for some -- especially if you're planning on giving them to children who are more likely to misplace the dice. Additionally, since the charger relies on AAA batteries, it can be annoying to change the batteries.

Overall

GoDice is a great companion for casual get-togethers, family game nights, and quiet nights with your significant other. It's easy to use, well designed, and very fun. We'd like to see the price drop in the future, though, as we think it may be a hard sell to parents at its current price.

Where to buy

You can pick up a set of GoDice on Amazon for $119.95.

Pros
  • Keeps score for you

  • Quick charging

  • Easy setup

  • Nice carrying case
Cons
  • Expensive

  • May inaccurately read handling dice as rolling them

  • Uses AAA batteries instead of an internal rechargeable battery

  • App needs a bit of retooling to fit iPhone screens
Score: 3.5 out of 5

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    MrBunside
  • Reply 2 of 11
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    For me gaming with dice and cards in my opportunity to get away from technology.
    Japheyfred1argonaut
  • Reply 3 of 11
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 878member
    crowley said:
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    ireland said:
    For me gaming with dice and cards in my opportunity to get away from technology.
    You're missing the whole "major" undisclosed point:

    With these dice you could play a game over the internet with someone, and these could "verify your rolls" versus having some kinda of Camera Rig Setup atop looking down with some kinda "Zoom Call" to confirm and such etc ad nauseam.

    The real kicker will be using the API making your own game and having 1d4 -> 1d20 capsules! (in the future of course)

    But VERIFIED ROLLS over the internet for RPG with friends who can't "be there" a yeah:

    WINNER...
    mattinozwilliamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 11
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    rezwits said:
    crowley said:
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    ireland said:
    For me gaming with dice and cards in my opportunity to get away from technology.
    You're missing the whole "major" undisclosed point:

    With these dice you could play a game over the internet with someone, and these could "verify your rolls" versus having some kinda of Camera Rig Setup atop looking down with some kinda "Zoom Call" to confirm and such etc ad nauseam.

    The real kicker will be using the API making your own game and having 1d4 -> 1d20 capsules! (in the future of course)

    But VERIFIED ROLLS over the internet for RPG with friends who can't "be there" a yeah:

    WINNER...
    Yeah because an app can't simulate dice for less than $120.
    fred1
  • Reply 5 of 11
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    rezwits said:
    crowley said:
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    ireland said:
    For me gaming with dice and cards in my opportunity to get away from technology.
    You're missing the whole "major" undisclosed point:

    With these dice you could play a game over the internet with someone, and these could "verify your rolls" versus having some kinda of Camera Rig Setup atop looking down with some kinda "Zoom Call" to confirm and such etc ad nauseam.

    The real kicker will be using the API making your own game and having 1d4 -> 1d20 capsules! (in the future of course)

    But VERIFIED ROLLS over the internet for RPG with friends who can't "be there" a yeah:

    WINNER...
    Yes, but why would anyone looking to get away from technology be playing a game over the internet? 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 11
    Interesting, but much too expensive for the utility this set offers!
  • Reply 7 of 11
    MrBunsideMrBunside Posts: 56member
    crowley said:
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    at $120, they're counting on it
  • Reply 8 of 11
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 878member
    Japhey said:
    rezwits said:
    crowley said:
    You'd have to really hate maths to think this was worth anything.
    ireland said:
    For me gaming with dice and cards in my opportunity to get away from technology.
    You're missing the whole "major" undisclosed point:

    With these dice you could play a game over the internet with someone, and these could "verify your rolls" versus having some kinda of Camera Rig Setup atop looking down with some kinda "Zoom Call" to confirm and such etc ad nauseam.

    The real kicker will be using the API making your own game and having 1d4 -> 1d20 capsules! (in the future of course)

    But VERIFIED ROLLS over the internet for RPG with friends who can't "be there" a yeah:

    WINNER...
    Yes, but why would anyone looking to get away from technology be playing a game over the internet? 
    Some people don't WANT to get away from technology, they just want the ROLLING factor.  I guess I am just too hard core of a gamer, where I prefer actually rolling DICE in certain circumstances.   I mean sure the "computer" can arcrandom() but meh...
    williamlondon
  • Reply 9 of 11
    illriggerillrigger Posts: 39member
    If you are playing an RPG over the internet, nobody wants to put up with your weird 3rd party app while everyone else is using a common standard like Roll20, Fantasy Grounds or Foundry VTT (even the most expensive of which you can get for less than the cost of these things plus the RPG shells). I get that rolling dice is nice, but if it doesn't work with what everyone else at the "table" is using, you may as well be rolling regular ones and reading off the results.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 11
    It's cool to see how these Bluetooth-enabled dice can enhance the game night. With the companion app, they keep score for popular games, and the magnetic container acts as a charger. The variety of included games is impressive, and the option to create your games using the GoDice API is a nice touch.

  • Reply 11 of 11
    About the app design... well, it's a bit of a bummer that it clips weirdly around the notch and corners on your iPhone 13 mini. Hopefully, they can fine-tune that in future updates for a seamless experience.
    But hey, let's address the elephant in the room. Some folks might worry that GoDice promotes laziness or poor math skills. But you know what? It's quite the opposite. It's a fantastic way to engage kids and get them excited about family game night early on. So, it's all about making learning and fun go hand in hand!
    Oh, and by the way, if you're into rolling dice for more tabletop adventures, check out flipsimu.com. They've got a cool dice roller that'll enhance your gaming experience.

    edited June 2023
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