Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
When it comes to dice, I typically keep things simple. The bells and whistles of fancy high-end dice come with a hefty price tag, so I tend to gravitate towards plastic dice that prioritize function over form. However, upon receiving an Aurora Sky D20 from Pixels at Gen Con this year, I suddenly see the appeal of having a bit of tech in your dice game. In this installment of Rolling Rocks, I’ll give you the juicy details on the Pixels D20, and what you can expect from this cutting edge math rock, using my soon-to-be patented 4F method of evaluation.
Pixels D20 Dice: Features
Never have I ever downloaded an app for a new die, but here we are. The Pixels line of products sync up to your phone via Bluetooth, offering a dizzying slate of customizable options right at your fingertips. After a brief pairing process, you’re ready to create a new Profile usable for any of your supported dice.
Tapping on a die from the landing page gives you a quick dashboard of tiles showcasing your last rolls, connected status, battery life indicator, and the die’s current Profile. Tapping any of these preview tiles gives you greater insights like the current face up, how much memory usage the Profile takes up, and even the firmware version. Those of you who gravitate towards data and metrics will even find charts on your historical rolls of a die, thereby giving you concrete data to back up your theory that you have the hot—or cold—hand.
As great as it is to have such numerical data readily available, the Pixels D20 shines with its customizability through Profiles. This die comes packaged with 13 built-in profiles that are going to be more than enough for most people, but you can add your own personal flair by changing so many things. You can set specific colors based on numbers being rolled, have your phone speak back the number rolled or any custom text you see fit, or even play specific audio clips. If you ever wanted your phone to play ‘Chicken and Cheese!’ when you roll a natural 1, then look no further.
The die comes with a hexagonal charging case that uses a standard USB-C to power it back up. After two weeks and over a thousand rolls, my Pixels D20 die is still at a whopping 57% battery, so it’s not something that you need to worry about charging often. Even if it does lose its charge, the numbered faces are engraved so you can still play if the die dies mid session.
I am beyond impressed with the number of options to make the Pixels D20 reflect your unique personality, and I’m already planning on having separate Profiles depending on the character that I’m playing.
Pixels D20 Dice: Feel
How dice tumble from your hand is just as important as its color. The Pixels D20 feels lighter than it should be, given its functionality, which feels like a detriment. I prefer dice that have a bit of heft, and I don’t get that from this die. The edges of the dice are slightly sharp. They’re not in the same category as other high-end gemstone or glass dice might be, but the corners could be smoother. This geometric sharpness leads to snappier rolls in which the die doesn’t seem to tumble and turn over as much as I’d like either.
What I see as a slight negative, however, may be somebody else’s positive. Quicker results means that you can conduct balance tests in a shorter period of time with less resulting wrist pain.
Pixels D20 Dice: Fairness
To gather a statistically significant sample of dice rolls, I rolled the Pixels D20 1,000 times. I didn’t record the results, because everything is handled automatically through the app. Thank goodness. Using a chi-squared test did not allow me to conclude that the die is unfairly balanced, even though it seemed like I was constantly rolling a 12 or under.
With my top three rolls being a 1, 12, and 20, this seems like the perfect die to use for critical moments where a swingy roll can drastically shift the trajectory of the story.
Pixels D20 Dice: Fee
How much can you expect to shell out for the Pixels D20? The listed price on the website for a single D20 is $60, although as I write this there is a sale dropping the price to $39.99. As a reference, a Norse Foundry Glass D20 will run you around $35, so you’re paying a premium for the technology. That being said, maybe the ability to customize your dice and have them light up in colors that strike your fancy is worth paying that extra money. If you’re in the market for a premium product, you have to be ready to pay a premium price.
Pixels D20 Dice: Verdict
The Pixels D20 gives a lot to love. Between the colorways, customization options, and various lighting paths, this is the most technological piece of roleplaying game tech that I own. The roll-to-speech functionality is perfect for those with impaired vision, and the data will appease even the most number-hungry players. It misses out on a perfect rating simply because it feels a bit light and the corners are sharp but hey, a natural 18 ain’t bad!
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