EN
When it comes to games, dice belong to the oldest playthings or gambling instruments that men have used to pass their time and/or make some money. Dice have existed for millennia, and though their shapes and materials have varied over time the passion for playing with them has been the same the world over. This article is intended to give a brief retrospective into the history of dice, highlighting a few remarkable facts about dice and gambling in the arts, religion and society throughout the centuries. Having placed dice in their historical context, the current situation of the German board game market will be analysed with regards to the question of the role which dice played until modern times and of the recent developments which have been taking place in popular board games over the last three decades.