Steve Jackson's Blog, page 317

March 24, 2017: Announcements For July

Beat the heat with some cool new releases coming in summer 2017! July brings a new look to the land of Oz, and a horde of zombie-themed releases to satisfy any appetite . . . for brains!

Munchkin Oz Guest Artist Edition



Backstab your way to the Emerald City!



Adventure with the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman! Brave the Poppy Fields or the Deadly Desert! Fight against a Wicked Witch or King Krewl! Visit the Emerald City and talk with Dorothy, Ozma, or the Cowardly Lion! Play a Professor, Royalty, Soldier . . . or even a Wizard! And be adorable while doing it!



Just when you thought the art in Munchkin Oz couldn't get cuter, Katie Cook takes a spin on the Yellow Brick Road from the books of L. Frank Baum!

Munchkin Zombies: Armed and Dangerous



Resurrect Munchkin Zombies with new cards and pawns!



Shuffle and shamble your way to victory with 112 more cards for Munchkin Zombies . Wield your Trained Attack Flies and your Prehensile Tongue against the Zombie Gamer! Be the Rankest of the Rank and use the Power of SCIENCE against the dread Survivalist. Gain a new power - Hungry - and play a new Mojo, the horrible Patchwork Zombie! In addition to cards, enhance your game with the included brain-hungry pawns! 



This is an expansion for Munchkin Zombies  (or Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist Edition !). It is not a stand-alone game.

Zombie Dice Horde Edition



Get a horde of dice and add-ons, all in one box!



It's Zombie Dice and two expansions – in one delicious, brain-filled package!



Eat brains. Don't get shotgunned. Now with more brainy goodness!



You are a zombie. You want brains - more brains than any of your zombie buddies. Zombie Dice is a quick and easy game for gamers and non-gamers alike. Great for large groups. The 13 custom dice represent victims. Push your luck to eat their brains, but stop rolling before the shotgun blasts end your turn! Get even more brain-hungry fun with Zombie Dice 2 – Double Feature  and Zombie Dice 3 – School Bus , all in one place! Plus you get a new cloth bag and scorepad to keep track of those tasty brains. 

Munchkin Halloween Monster Box



A veritable tomb's worth of Munchkin card storage!



It's scary how well this monster-sized box can hold all your Munchkin loot – yet the box art by Len Peralta is somehow even scarier! This Munchkin Halloween Monster Box features zombie-Spyke amid a host of characters drawn directly from Halloween-themed Munchkin card sets. So store your stuff and show off your love of all things Munchkin with this spooky container! It holds more than 2,000 Munchkin cards, as well as other swag like some Dungeons and Seals and a Level Playing Field .



Bonus: The Munchkin Halloween Monster Box includes 12 holiday-themed Munchkin cards that shuffle into any game!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Shake Up Your Game With Ogre Scenario Book 1 (Revised Format)



Now  Ogre players can get the original Ogre Scenario Book 1 , updated and revised to work with Ogre Sixth Edition and Ogre Designer's Edition . 



In "Hammer & Anvil," an Ogre stumbles into a trap . . . now, can the trap survive what it's caught? In "Run for the Border," an Ogre tries to defect to the other side. Plus five others! 



Get it on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 23, 2017: Ogre 40th Anniversary Release: Ogre Reinforcement Pack

When too many is not enough . . .



G.E.V. , and later Shockwave , provided us with different maps upon which to wage our battles. This was a good thing. GEVs screamed up the waterways while Heavy Tanks crashed through the woods, with those pesky Infantry running here, there, and everywhere, being so difficult to root out. Scores of futuristic battles played out on our floors, beds, and tables, with hundreds more envisioned in our heads.



What we didn't have were the means to create those massive battles, stretching across fields of fire, with entire companies being thrown into the fray. Unless we were willing to purchase extra copies of G.E.V . and/or Shockwave  (or had a friend with a copy!), we had to accept the limitations of the maps and the quantity of units in the base sets.



Ogre Reinforcement Pack changed that dynamic overnight.



First released in 1987 and later reprinted in 2000, Ogre Reinforcement Pack was a collection of both the maps and counters from G.E.V. and Shockwave . This is what Ogre fans had been waiting for! We had the rulebooks - we just needed more: more maps and more counters. That alone was worth the price.



But Ogre Reinforcement Pack had more for us. It had rules for the "other" Ogres: Mark I, II, and VI, plus the Fencer. There were towing rules (the grand-pappy of the new Vulcan towing rules). Ogre equivalents, first published in The Ogre Book , were republished here. And a table for generating random damage to immobile Ogres was introduced. What a wonderful game aid - so simple, and yet offering such potential for future games.



But there was still more! We didn't have to dream up the multi-map battles; three were provided for us. "The Day After" was a three-map scenario making use of the new towing rules. "Fake Out" also used three maps, and introduced a bit of a 'fog of war' concept, in that the defenders did not know the attackers' starting objective. Finally, there was "Body Blow," a huge, four-map scenario with scores of units. You knew it was going to be good when the second sentence of the scenario description instructed you to "allow at least an hour to set this scenario up, and four or more hours to play it . . ." 



Unfortunately, Ogre Reinforcement Pack has been a very difficult expansion to find, commanding unreal prices in online auctions. Although some of the rules have been superseded by the Ogre Designer's Edition rules, there is still a lot to love. None of these scenarios has been easily acquired . . . until now. So please enjoy the second installment of our 40th Anniversary of Ogre retrospective, Ogre Reinforcement Pack!



– Drew Metzger



Warehouse 23 News: Zombie Dice 2 And Zombie Dice 3 Add Mayhem To Your Games



Do you love  Zombie Dice , the classic game of rolling dice and eating brains? Then spice up your game with the expansions, Zombie Dice 2 – Double Feature and Zombie Dice 3 – School Bus !



Double Feature  adds the Hottie and Hunk dice. The Hottie is fast and will usually elude you. The Hunk has a double shotgun, but you score double for eating his brain. You can also add the Santa Claus die, which grants gifts every zombie will love. And with School Bus , you get the School Bus die . . . 12 sides of pure chaos. 



Get them on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 22, 2017: Scouting Ahead: GAMA Trade Show 2018 Will Be Incredible!

We sent a team to Vegas last week for the GAMA Trade Show, where we met with retailers, distributors, and many industry friends from other game companies. The show is always productive and fun, and this year was no different, with a great response from retailers for some of our upcoming games. And, for the third year in a row, our retailer-appreciation party was packed with store owners and staff, and everyone had a blast talking games - and even playing some games!



Everything changes for the GAMA Trade Show next year. The team behind organizing and running the event has made the decision to leave Vegas (for which I am grateful), and after far more time in research and discussions than I can begin to imagine, they settled on moving the show to Reno in 2018. 



The GAMA show is important to us - it is one of the best places to sit down with our partners at the retail level and review what works - so I accepted the GAMA staff's invitation to join them in Reno this past weekend. The GAMA team gave me (and others from the industry) a tour of the Peppermill Resort, 2018's home of the GAMA Trade Show. After spending so many rough years at Bally's in Vegas, the convention's 2018 home feels like the upgrade that we, the entire tabletop game industry, truly deserve. The level of professionalism in the industry has skyrocketed in the last decade, and the Peppermill is a well-deserved reward for all of our hard work. (Phil shot a short video of the resort, as well. -HS)



Thank you to John Ward and the GAMA team for inviting me to the Peppermill. The tour of the facility - and the time I spent exploring the nearby restaurants and shops in search of off-site spaces for private meetings - went a long way toward getting me all excited about the venue change. Excellent choice, John, and I can say that Steve Jackson Games is looking forward to joining you (and the entire industry!) in Reno next year.



Retailers, please take a close look at the benefits of attending the GAMA Trade Show next year. The new location is a dream, and we look forward to seeing many of you - especially first-time attendees! - at the Peppermill in Reno next year.



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Munchkin Oz And Munchkin Oz 2 Take Players To Another World!



We've told you before, but we want to make sure you don't miss this great game and its all-new sequel! Munchkin Oz lets players take on common roles in the land of Oz, like a Soldier or a Wizard, and go on a whimsical adventure through the imagination of L. Frank Baum, author of the 14 Oz novels. Munchkin Oz 2 – Yellow Brick Raid adds 56 more Oz-themed Doors and Treasures. Get both today on Warehouse 23!

March 21, 2017: Oz-Some! Munchkin Oz And Oz 2 In Stores Now!

The magical land of Oz is closer than you think - in fact, it's at your local game store right now!



Like a displaced farmhouse, Munchkin Oz has dropped into stores, full of merriment, mirth, and (of course) munchkins! Team up with the Tin Woodsman and backstab your buddies while fighting off The Nome King and Wheelers. You can even mix it with other Munchkin sets to make your own mash-up! Check out this article about combining Munchkin Oz with Munchkin Grimm Tidings  and Munchkin Legends Guest Artist Edition for a literary throwdown! 



And if you're looking for more adventures in the Emerald City, look no further than the brand-new Munchkin Oz 2 – Yellow Brick Raid ! This new expansion delves into the multitude of books that aren't named after a wizard in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and boy, are there a lot! Add Glinda's Ring to your arsenal to take on The Lizard of Oz! And don't forget to stop and taste the Lemonade Rain and Popcorn Snow! 



These games aren't in Kansas any more; they're at your friendly local game store! Pick them up today!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Journey Through Time In Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame



In Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame , players travel through the eras of the world meeting historical figures - and spiriting them away inside a time-hopping phone booth. Collect the most historical personages to win! Get it today on Warehouse 23. 

March 20, 2017: Interview With Munchkin Guest Artist, Edwin Huang

Our next release in the Guest Artist series, another  Munchkin Guest Artist Edition , hits shelves soon, so we took a moment to sit down with the artistic mastermind behind it: Edwin Huang. We've featured Edwin on the Daily Illuminator before, but we wanted to get the inside scoop on his process, and his thoughts on Munchkin .



Before you started working on this project, had you played Munchkin?



I picked up the game after working on the Munchkin Skullkickers booster packs with Jim Zub. I now own way too many expansions! 



How did you end up getting involved with the project? Who approached whom?



Andrew Hackard approached me a bit after I wrapped up the Skullkickers booster pack expansion. And without any hesitation, I said yes!   



Did you base your version of the game on John Kovalic's original? Or did you aim to do something completely new?



A lot of my cards pay homage to Kovalic's original art. There are a few where I went a completely different direction, though. There are too many fun ways of approaching these ideas and not enough cards.



What did you do to prep for drawing this Munchkin set?



Played a boatload of Munchkin, of course! Jokes aside, I did have to familiarize myself with the base set again. Playing with just the base set alone is pretty fun.



What's your favorite card you illustrated?



I had a lot of fun drawing the three Elf cards. They are by far my favorite race cards in the game.



Was there a card or cards you struggled the most to get right?



I struggled the most with the Plutonium Dragon. It was tough showing his scale and size. I think I nailed it in the end, though.



You already draw for Street Fighter Unlimited and Skullkickers. Is there anything you wish you could illustrate?



I've always wanted to draw a few Magic The Gathering cards. Definitely something on my bucket list. 



Do you have any projects coming up that fans should look for?



I'm currently working on UDON Entertainment's Street Fighter vs Darkstalkers . It's the first crossover comic series in UDON history! It should be on shelves in Spring of 2017.



How can fans find you online? 



For a closer look at my work, you can hit up www.edwinhuang.com



And you can always reach out and interact with me on Instagram @ironpinky. 



Munchkin Guest Artist Edition is hitting stores in early April. Like all of our Guest Artist Editions, this is a limited-run game, so preorder it at your local game store today! 



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: Get Ahead Of The End Of Days With Munchkin Apocalypse



In Munchkin Apocalypse , you're a survivor in a world where everyone is out to get you! It's every munchkin for himself, because pretty much every bad, world-ending type of thing that could happen, will happen. You can purchase this vital training for the end of days today on Warehouse 23! 

March 19, 2017: Having A Ball At AllCon!

We're having a blast at AllCon! The show has packed four days with exhibits, workshops, discussions, game shows, performances, and competitions. It's been an awesome event so far, and we still have plenty to do! I'll be helping out our local Demo Team members Dawn and Ryan, so stop by to say "hi" to us, and check out our hottest games.

We've been playing plenty of Munchkin this weekend. The hottest versions have been Munchkin Oz Guest Artist Edition (featuring the art of Katie Cook) and Munchkin Apocalypse Guest Artist Edition with the new Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd booster. Ogre Sixth Edition, our classic game of armored combat, rolled over All(Con's) defenders. We rolled the dice with Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game, Zombie Dice, and Mars Attacks: The Dice Game! Players with a sweet tooth have had plenty of spooky fun playing early copies of Ghosts Love Candy, coming out in June. We've also seen a ton of great cosplay, like any good geek-con! 

The fun at AllCon isn't over yet! Come by and play some games, and if you show us #AllConSuperMunchkin on social media, you'll get extra swag, too. Don't miss it!



– Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: Ride To Victory With Munchkin 4 – The Need For Steed



Munchkin 4 – The Need For Steed adds Steeds to your game. Ride a Tiger, a Giant Mutant Gerbil, or a Dragon. Each one grants a unique bonus! Run away faster, carry more loot, and more. It's 112 cards to expand your Munchkin game, available on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 18, 2017: 2016: Our Top Ten Sellers!

As I work on the 2016 Report to the Stakeholders, I've been reviewing our performance of last year, including taking a look at sales data. I thought many of you would enjoy a little preview of what you can expect in the report, so here, as submitted by our business office, are our top ten sellers for 2016. How many of these are in your collection?



Munchkin Deluxe


Zombie Dice


Simon's Cat Card Game


Munchkin


Munchkin Legends Guest Artist Edition


Munchkin 2 – Unnatural Axe


Munchkin (Mass Market Edition)


Munchkin Grimm Tidings


Munchkin 3 – Clerical Errors


Munchkin Zombies
– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Can You Deliver Hamburgers Fast Enough To Win?



Deliver tasty burgers and fries. Bring honor to your franchise.



In Ninja Burger Secret Ninja Death Touch Edition , you are a delivery ninja. Learn the secrets of stealth, swordsmanship, and customer service. This popular card game combines the original Ninja Burger with the expansion, Sumo-Size-Me! . Get it on Warehouse 23 today!

March 17, 2017: More Details On The Disc!

A short while ago, we shared with you a sneak peek at the Introduction to the Discworld Roleplaying Game . Now we're offering a look at some of the indispensable information contained in this great guide.



Today's PDF preview presents insight into the wondrous Disc itself, a treatise on the Dark Empire (now defunct but still causing problems), and a look at the "Lady Syb" (a charitable hospital that provides better treatment than more monetarily motivated medical masters).



And those three snippets are just a taste of the 400-plus-page tome. Don't miss out on adventuring in Sir Terry Pratchett's amazing creation – have your friendly local game shop set you up with a copy of the Discworld Roleplaying Game !



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Get Collected Before Entering The Dungeon!



The GURPS Dungeon Fantasy line has seen support in Pyramid for years. Now you can get a compilation of articles from the first seven years.  Pyramid: Dungeon Fantasy Collected  presents over 20 articles with heroes, monsters, adventures, and more. Download it today, only from Warehouse 23!

March 16, 2017: GAMA Trade Show: Store Owners Hang Out With Us So You Don't Have To

This week is the annual event that helps game store owners know what neat stuff they can put on shelves for gamers to buy. And for SJ Games, this year's GAMA Trade Show is going really well! The event, in Las Vegas for 2017, has seen a lot more discussions about upcoming titles and a lot less gambling than the location would suggest.



But that's okay. We prefer games where losing is free. 

Tuesday, the start of the show, brought two big events geared toward letting store owners in on our secrets, so they can bring them to customers. First, our CEO, Phil Reed, gave two presentations, both to packed rooms, about our upcoming releases (like Munchkin Curses, Munchkin Shakespeare, and Munchkin Pathfinder 2 – Guns and Razzes), what we're working on (Car Wars Sixth Edition and Munchkin Collectible Card Game, for starters), and what we offer retailers (like our Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game playmat promotion, and lots of event support). He let them in on a few new projects, too, which we will be telling the public about soon!

Second, we had a party. A BIG party. In a penthouse. Which sounds crazy, but in reality, nobody got crazy, but lots of people got free early copies of Munchkin Curses (out in April) and Munchkin Wonderland (coming to game stores in June) to take back to their stores. Some of the retailers even learned to play the Munchkin Collectible Card Game, which our developers are still hard at work on. It's the third year of our penthouse party, and I believe the word for it is "infamous."



Wednesday, we talked to lots of game news outlets (like Boardgame Geek) about our new and upcoming titles, like Ghosts Love Candy and Batman: The Animted Series Dice Game. Later, we played those games with our retailers at the big game night! We'll be recording even more content today, with reporters from the Dice Tower. 



Now, we understand that not all game stores have representatives here at GAMA. So if your FLGS didn't make it to Vegas, but you want to be sure they have all the info they need to bring your community the best from SJ Games, just let them know to sign up for our retailer newsletter using our Store Finder!

Oh, and tell them they missed out on The Octopus Mishap* at our party.



* Editor's note: There was no octopus mishap, nor even an octopus. Our parties are really awesome, though. 



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: Play Dino Hunt Dice, Capture Dinosaurs



Need a game for the whole family? Need a game about dinosaurs?



If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you need Dino Hunt Dice! Roll the dinosaur side of the dice, and you catch a dinosaur. If you get a leaf, the dino is hiding, so keep looking. If you get a footprint . . . you've been stomped! Keep rolling to catch more terrible lizards, but stop before you get stomped three times!



Get it today on Warehouse 23!

March 15, 2017: Ogre 40th Anniversary Release: Shockwave

The game of Ogre has evolved over the years. Beginning as a humble Microgame in 1977, it has grown and expanded to become the beautiful monstrosity that was Ogre Designer's Edition , released in 2013. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Ogre moves forward with Ogre Sixth Edition and the upcoming Ogre Reinforcements . This month, we're featuring digital re-releases of three classic, hard-to-find Ogre supplements: Shockwave , Ogre Reinforcement Pack , and Battlefields . 



G.E.V. was the first expansion of Ogre . It was initially published as a stand-alone Microgame, focusing on the non-Ogre units and introducing rules for terrain, overruns, and more. These two Microgames formed the core of all future rules.



The first true supplement to the Ogre/G.E.V. line was Shockwave . Released in 1984 and reprinted in 2000, it brought Light GEVs, GEV-PCs, Marines, and the Superheavy Tank to the game. New targets were published as well, including reactors, strongpoints, hovertrucks, and more. 



But that was not what truly differentiates this supplement! Ever wonder what caused all those craters on the Ogre map? Shockwave details rules for Cruise Missiles (and their associated crawlers) to unleash this massive destruction upon the terrain. Additionally, rules for Lasers and Laser Towers give the poor defenders a chance at shooting these devastating weapons down!



The rules in Shockwave  are applicable to Ogre/G.E.V. as it existed at the time of its release and are not entirely compatible with the current version,  Ogre Sixth Edition . However, this is an interesting look into the past that provides smaller maps and additional classic counters for those with Ogre/G.E.V . So complete your Ogre collection with this piece of history, available now on Warehouse 23! 



– Drew Metzger



Warehouse 23 News: Munchkin Steampunk: Jolly Good!



Munchkin Steampunk is the most Victorian, the most steam-powered, and the most alternate-science-history-rific version of Munchkin we've ever made! Use the Cane-chucks, Cane-Gatling Gun, and Cane-Sword (plus some non-cane weapons, too, if you want) to fight Old King Coal or a Runaway Velocipede. Avoid Curse! Flawed Theory and become an Explorer, Mechanic, Officer, or Tycoon. Get the game in deluxe or regular version today on Warehouse 23!