Our Story

 

"God does not play dice." Albert Einstein

 

Sometimes it's a matter of life and death, other times it's more trivial: such as whether you can convince the tavern owner to give you free ale. Whatever the reason, whenever success can't be taken for granted, we reach for that d20 and we pray for a good roll.

Dice are an integral part of the stories we tell when we sit around the table together. Everyone has a different relationship with their dice. There's the superstitious, the stackers, the collectors, and the blow-into-the-palm-of-your-handers (there has to be a better word for them).

Having your own set of dice, or several, or hundreds, is an important part of the stories we tell. That's what inspired me to create stories for all of the dice that I find and choose to stock on this site.

I spend hours looking for dice for this site. Dice that inspire me and that I hope will inspire you. Originally each set of dice that is selected for Critical Kit had its own Origins story, written by me -  a story that becomes yours as soon as the dice are in your hands. From that moment on, their legend and yours become intertwined. 

So Mr Einstein, we like to think God does play dice because in our worlds he does.

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March 2019 Critical Kit launches with nine sets of dice and making the first sale, as Tim is cycling to meet his daughter from school. June 2019, the first of many conventions begin with Ashton Gate in Bristol! Our journey into convention life begins, which takes us around the UK and eventually, across to Germany and the US.  These provide Tim the ability to reduce his programming clients, to allow time to write DND one-shots in addition to the flash fiction and short stories already published. Tim has won two of Faber Academies Flash Fictions competitions and Rabbit Stew was published by The Molotov Cocktail.

A great debt is owed to Be Like Like A Crow, which was the first foray into crowdfunding and transformed Critical Kit, into a full time business and provided the financially ability to finally get married in 2022.  After providing support with conventions and the bookkeeping, his wife, Sarah joined Tim full-time.

Now in 2025, we are a team of three, adding Josh who joined in May of this year to manage distribution and wholesale.  Since the release of Be Like A Crow, there has since been four expansions, Be Like A Cat and many other adventures based on different mechanics and the catalogue keeps on growing.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us.

Tim, Sarah and Josh ^^

P.S we are working on a photo :)