Steve Jackson's Blog, page 321
February 12, 2017
February 12, 2017: Reporting In From OwlCon
Friday got off to a bang with lots of games. The Demo Team and I were busy running Car Wars: The Card Game , Revolution! , Simon's Cat Card Game , Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game , and LOTS of Munchkin ! Many people came by, games were played, and swag was given away.
Saturday offered a full day of fun and games to satisfy the most hardcore gamer. We be played even more Munchkin, dice games, Simon's Cat, and Ogre, which rumbled into OwlCon in two waves: Ogre Sixth Edition and Ogre: Objective 218! OwlCon attendees also got a sneak peek at Ghosts Love Candy. Scary fun for ghosts with a sweet tooth!
We still have a most excellent surprise for OwlCon attendees as well! Check out our most excellent giant sized copy of Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame! Travel the circuits of time, collect figures of historical significance, and ace your oral history exam! Even though it's the last day, there's a lot to do at OwlCon, so come by and say "hi!", play some awesome games, and pick up a little swag. Plus, if you show us your #SuperbOwlConSuperMunchkin post on social media, we'll give you extra swag! See you soon!
– Al Griego
Warehouse 23 News: Riddle Me This . . . Riddle Me That . . .
Based on the award-winning TV show, Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game lets you become a Super-Villain in a press-your-luck game for the whole family. Scheme your way to victory with your chosen scoundrel's special abilities. Just make sure to complete your heist before Batman arrives! Buy your copy from Warehouse 23, and see if you can outsmart the bat!
February 11, 2017
February 11, 2017: Munchkin Sketch Edition "Mashkin"
Last year, the store owner brought back an early copy from GAMA Trade Show (after attending our panels and party – hint, hint, retailers), and from there the Mashkin project was born. The store has been getting artists and creatives to draw on individual cards to create a massive, unique set! Check out some of the pictures here, and follow their project on Facebook. (It's in French, but the site translation works ok. Plus, Munchkin is a great excuse to learn a second language!)
– Hunter Shelburne
Warehouse 23 News: Whoa . . . This Is Definitely NOT Bogus
Is there a better use for a time machine than preparing a history report for class? That question's totally rhetorical, but the fun is real in Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame. Get yours from Warehouse 23, and get ready to party on!
February 10, 2017
February 10, 2017: Ogre Sixth Edition Launch Offensive Begins Saturday, February 11
Steve Jackson Games has launched Organized Play support with Ogre Sixth Edition . Stores everywhere have received their Ogre Launch Kit, designed to showcase the new Ogre Sixth Edition and provide all the necessities for a great #PlayOgre Launch Event tomorrow, Saturday, February 11!
What should you expect at a #PlayOgre Launch Event? To play Ogre , obviously! But that's not all. Each launch kit was filled with Ogre goodies like Uncommon Ogre Counter Sheets and Ogre Dice sets! So contact your friendly local game store to find out what it takes to walk away with the prize of your choice! To see if your favorite store has signed up, check our previous Daily Illuminator post.
Don't forget to share pictures from your local event with the hashtag #PlayOgre and #PlaySJGames on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Not only will we share them, you'll be entered to win great prizes the following Monday. #PlayOgre to prove you are the best!
We'll see you today, February 11, at the #PlayOgre Event!
(Stay alert! We have huge Organized Play plans for 2017, so you will find a lot more Steve Jackson Games being supported by your local store.)
– Ian Richards
Warehouse 23 News: Get Ready For A Shockwave Of Fun!
Ogre fever is in the air, with the recently released Ogre Sixth Edition and the forthcoming Ogre Reinforcements . Turn up the heat with the digital version of 2001's Shockwave supplement. It includes maps, units, and scenarios perfect your classic Ogre needs. Download Shockwave today, only from Warehouse 23!
February 9, 2017
February 9, 2017: Who Is Going To OwlCon? We Are!
Whooo is going to be at OwlCon this year? Whooo? We will!
I'm back on the road again! I will be joining our awesome Houston MIBs this weekend at OwlCon, at the Student Center (and surrounding buildings) on the Rice University campus in Houston, TX. Stop by Mid Level Conference Room 1 to say "Hi!" to Houston MIB Demo Team members Christopher, Don, James, Jessica, John, Maurice, Marybeth, Neal, Sarah, and me, check out our latest games, and get the scoop on new releases.
Munchkin fans, this is the convention for you! We're playing many different flavors here, including Munchkin Oz , Munchkin Fu , Munchkin Steampunk , and Munchkin: Marvel Edition ! If you've a mind for something "bigger," Ogre Sixth Edition and Ogre: Objective 218 , our classic games of armored combat, are also crashing into OwlCon, and they'll be crushing everything in their path.
More gaming goodness to try: Play as Gotham City's greatest supervillains and get the most loot in Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game . Get the most braaaiiiinnnsss without getting shotgunned in Zombie Dice . Blow up the most cities in Mars Attacks Dice Game . We'll also be offering OwlCon attendees a sneak peek of Ghosts Love Candy . Haunt the trick-or-treaters and steal their best candy, but don't scare them away! If you have an oral history-exam coming up, check out our most excellent, giant-sized copy of Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame ! Fans of feline frolicking will love Simon's Cat Card Game ; have fun, make messes, but don't get the blame!
There's a lot to do at OwlCon, so come by and say "Hi!", play some awesome games, and pick up a little swag. Plus, if you show us your #SuperbOwlConSuperMunchkin post on social media, we'll give you even more swag! See you there!
– Al Griego
Editor's Note: Feel free to call him Owl Griego, or call the convention Al-con. Al loves it. -HS
Warehouse 23 News: Bring Justice To The Apocalypse . . .
. . . with our newest offering, Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd ! This 15-card booster brings the characters and items from Judge Dredd to your Munchkin Apocalypse game. Let it be known that you are The Law by pre-ordering your very own copy from Warehouse 23 today!
February 8, 2017
February 8, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Is Live (And Funded)!
The curtain has lifted – Munchkin Shakespeare has taken the Kickstarter stage, and you have a front-row ticket! Designed in part by the fans, Munchkin Shakespeare brings the works of the Bard to life . . . with classic Munchkin humor, of course. (Which is to say: we bite our thumb at the classics, if you catch our drift.) And this play has opened to rave reviews; Munchkin Shakespeare funded in under five hours, and has already unlocked stretch goals!
Why Kickstarter, you may ask? Well, Andrew answered that in his last Daily Illuminator , but in short: since we crowdsourced a lot of the ideas, we thought crowdfunding would be a fun way to create the project and see just how big it could get. Munchkin Shakespeare started as 112 cards in a tuckbox, but by meeting stretch goals, is already growing to be a much larger set in a full-sized Munchkin -style box. (Ed. note: And we're there.) And there are many ways you backers can help the game grow! Not only can you get a base game, you can back the Kickstarter Exclusive Expansion , with even more cards, including a host of Dungeons, and other trinkets – the more funding we get, the more cool stuff we can pack into the box! We also have a Munchkin Shakespeare Demo Pack , to help recruit new actors to this zany play we call Munchkin . In addition, one of the most highly requested items is making a rare return appearance: Munchkin Blank Cards . These customizable cards put you in the director's chair!
Plus, if you back within the first 24 hours, you'll get two copies of a Kickstarter-exclusive bookmark! That's a lot of Shakespearean stuff. And there's even more on the way, depending on how much support this set gets. Follow the project to stay up-to-date with its progress and our updates, and (of course) here on the Daily Illuminator. We'll also be sharing fun stuff like preview art on our social media accounts, so follow us there as well!
Parting is such sweet sorrow, but I will see you on the morrow! [Exit, pursued by Spyke]
– Hunter Shelburne
Warehouse 23 News: Experience Moop's Magical Mischief In A Whole New Way!
This is our silliest Munchkin ever . . . but it's still Munchkin , so the first player to level 10 wins! Our new and improved Moop's Monster Mashup comes in a deluxe-sized box and includes all your favorite mashed-up monsters along with a game board and standies to track your progress. Take a stab (or a poke) at the Kangarooster or an Owligator by pre-ordering your copy from Warehouse 23 today!
February 7, 2017
February 7, 2017: Sign Up For The Moop's Monstrous Mailer Today!
Making more munchkinly monsters is Moop's main motivation!
And now, retailers have a chance to use Moop's Monster Mashup to make more Munchkin fans! (You're a wizard, too, and you didn't even know it!)
We are sending some lucky shops a Moop's Monstrous Mailer! Store owners and managers can sign up to receive a collection of exclusive cards, unique bookmarks, a demo game, and a handful of posters. But sign up soon; there are already fewer than 30 kits left!
On March 3, 2017, these stores will be invited to host a #PlayMunchkin event where you could win some of these promos!
So, munchkins, masterfully manifest at your friendly local game store to meet this magician!
– Joshua Surfus
Warehouse 23 News: Last Week To Order Before Valentine's Day . . .
Get your very own 2017 Munchkin Bundle of Love in time to give it to your favorite valentine . . . if you order now! This bundle includes Munchkin Valentines , Munchkin Cthulhu Guest Artist Edition, Puppies, Princesses, and Love Shark Baby. All this and much more – available now, from Warehouse 23!
February 6, 2017
February 6, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter Launches Tomorrow!
Would a munchkin by any other name be just as sweet? It will be, when Munchkin Shakespeare launches tomorrow! Our newest version of Munchkin is hitting Kickstarter tomorrow morning, and we're excited to give the bard the spotlight, center stage.
This new game starts small and will have an optional Kickstarter-exclusive expansion available, but we hope to be able to increase the card count and fun options as the campaign goes on. Stay tuned for more details on that.
You can learn more about why we chose Kickstarter to make this game by reading Munchkin Czar Andrew Hackard's article from Friday. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you are alerted to our launch before it happens. (You can also follow us on Kickstarter!) And you will want to know when we launch because, let's just say, the early patrons to our little theater will get a bit of a bonus.
We'll have much more to show you once the project launches tomorrow, February 7! You should follow us (and John Kovalic, too) on social media for bonus content we'll be releasing throughout the campaign. See you on stage!
– Hunter Shelburne
Warehouse 23 News: Build A Better Tomorrow!
Long story short, the world ended; now it's up to you to rebuild from the ashes! With the GURPS After the End series, cinematic post-apocalyptic gaming is easy. Build heroes with GURPS After the End 1: Wastelanders , then wander amid the wilds with GURPS After the End 2: The New World . Download them today, only from Warehouse 23!
February 5, 2017
February 5, 2017: PAX South 2017 Recap
The SJ Games team is home again from PAX South! Andreas, Ariel, Guy, Hunter, Jimmy, and Veronica set off Thursday morning for the Alamo City. Once on site, Drew (Our Midwest Demo Team Regional Director) and I joined them and we set up the booth. Afterward, it was time to eat and rest up for the epic weekend to come.
PAX South started early Friday morning, and we were ready to go! Lucky attendees were able to pick up early copies of Ghosts Love Candy and the Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd booster pack! We had a great time showing off Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game to lots of wonderful people, who were also excited to play Simon's Cat Card Game, our giant Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame demo, and of course, lots of Munchkin.
This was the third year for PAX South, and it's getting bigger and better! The convention staff did a great job organizing the event and answering everyone's questions.The Exhibit Hall was well laid out, and there was plenty of space for people to walk around and see all the new consoles, games, accessories, and more. The Tabletop Gaming Area is not only bigger than last year, but was filled with people playing games! There were plenty of tabletop game and game accessory vendors, as well as lots of room for organized play events and open play.
Friday afternoon, we had a great turnout for our Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game tournament. The players battled hard, but in the end, the Caped Crusader himself won the tournament! Lots of fun was had, and even more loot was taken by the players.
Saturday was an amazing day at PAX South! The Tabletop Gaming staff (with help from our MIB Demo Team) ran their giant Munchathlon tournament. We had 36 players, and many flavors of Munchkin were played (and mashed together). By the end of the day, a new Munchkin Queen was crowned, and she was overwhelmed by the loot she earned! Make sure to look for any Munchathlon events at future PAX events, so you can join in the fun!
Meanwhile, a rumble from another portion of the gaming hall meant that our Ogre Sixth Edition tournament had begun (check out our unboxing video here for a sneak peek). The first round saw veteran players fall beneath the treads of their opponents, as the defenders took most of the games. In the second round, it was the Ogres' turn. Command Posts were destroyed and defenders retired to fight another day. The final round saw the defenders rally to protect the Command Post and stop the Ogre cold. The winner received a rare, blue-acrylic Ogre Mk. V miniature.
Sunday was another busy day. We showed off games and helped attendees make their last-minute purchases. Meanwhile, the PAX Tabletop Gaming Staff and our MIB Demo Team members ran a Zombie Dice tournament. As participants got ready, more players were drawn in by the sanity-blasting cuteness of the Zombie Chibithulhus. Once the event started, the rattling of dice attracted plenty of spectators. Dice were rolled, brains were eaten, and fun was had by all!
Thanks to everyone who came by our booth and the awesome PAX South staff. We really appreciate our MIB Demo Team members Archangela, Chris, Drew, Jessica, Jonathan, and Neal, for helping with the tournaments, and running game demos in Open Gaming and our booth. If you couldn't make it to the show, you can check out our games at your friendly local game store. (If you don't have a store nearby, then check out our games at Warehouse 23.) PAX South was a great event, and we all had a wonderful time demoing our games, talking to the attendees, and even trying out some great new games. See you next year!
– Al Griego
Warehouse 23 News: Build A Better Tomorrow!
Long story short, the world ended; now it's up to you to rebuild from the ashes! With the GURPS After the End series, cinematic post-apocalyptic gaming is easy. Build heroes with GURPS After the End 1: Wastelanders, then wander amid the wilds with GURPS After the End 2: The New World. Download them today, only from Warehouse 23!
February 4, 2017
February 4, 2017: Drone Flights
Enter the DJI Mavic Pro, another foldable drone . . . except that this time, the drone has enough weight and power that it can handle the winds. I've been flying the Mavic Pro for a few weeks now and can happily report that this is a spectacular machine that, in the hands of someone more talented than I am, would be a great tool when constructing YouTube videos. Need proof? Well, Casey Neistat's YouTube video showing the Mavic Pro should be all you need to see what a serious machine this is. You're not familiar with Casey Neistat's videos? Whoa, you're in for a treat. Neistat is a professional filmmaker, and his YouTube vlogs throughout 2015 and 2016 changed my opinion of vlogging and made me realize that there are truly professional videos being created and uploaded to YouTube daily.
Oh. Right. The DJI Mavic Pro. To show you how stable the drone is in the wind, take a peek at this 30-second YouTube video I posted on the same day that I opened the drone. I posted side-by-side footage showing the drone rocking in the wind and the stable view from the drone. I also posted a two-minute video of the drone that same day showing the Mavic Pro at about a 100-ft. altitude and in a light rain (I managed to bring it in before the rains strengthened, so no harm was done). Add a little AI to the Mavic Pro and we're taking our first steps to GURPS Reign of Steel . (Which means that we need to not add AI to this machine. Please, world. Don't give drones AI.)
The Hover Camera stayed home, but the Mavic Pro made the trip to Nuremberg with me. If I am lucky, I'll get some footage of the convention center to share. Just have to hope that the weather cooperates and that there aren't any local restrictions that leave the drone in my backpack. Wish me luck!
– Phil Reed
Warehouse 23 News: Bring Your Favorite Worlds To GURPS
Building your favorite fictional settings in GURPS has never been easier, thanks to the power of GURPS Adaptations . It's your guide to converting themes, tones, characters, and more, with several worked examples from classic literature. Download it today, only from Warehouse 23!
February 3, 2017
February 3, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare: Why Kickstarter?
One of the most obvious questions to ask about our Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter announcement is: Why Kickstarter? It's a fair question. The announcement touched on some of our reasons and I'm going to elaborate on them here.
The most important reason is that this set started as a crowdsourced project. On the 2015 JoCo Cruise, Steve and I held a "Help us write a Munchkin expansion!" seminar. Very quickly, the group decided they wanted to see Shakespeare-themed Munchkin cards, and we spent the remainder of the hour writing down suggestions as fast as they came in. By the end of the hour, we had enough good suggestions that Steve and I realized we could probably make this a playable game rather than just an expansion.
Back in Austin, talking over the idea of expanding the game, we realized we didn't know how big a game we wanted to make. The "Lite" style of Munchkin game, such as Munchkin Christmas Lite , was being developed, and that's how we built Shakespeare . . . but we had more than enough ideas to make a full 168-card set. But could we sell it? "It would be nice," I said, "if we had a way to gauge interest from possible customers and build the game around that."
"Actually," Steve replied, "we do . . ."
And that's how the crowdsourced Munchkin Shakespeare expansion turned into a crowdfunded Munchkin Shakespeare game project.
Fans who are interested in this game – and in making it bigger and better! – should watch for the launch of the Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter on Tuesday. Of course, we aren't forgetting our retailer partners; we have a way for them to explore the possibility of preorders, including some content exclusive to this Kickstarter, without committing a lot of cash up front.
We hope y'all are as excited as we are to get this underway! "The play's the thing to loot the Treasure of the king . . ."
– Andrew Hackard
Warehouse 23 News: Our Favorite Heroes, Flower And Spyke, Are Teleported To Far-Away Lands. . .
In Munchkin #25 , our heroes come across Moop, and hilarious hijinks ensue when they eat some special brownies he's made. In the second story, Brother Skeeper teaches everyone about the terrifying Gazebo. Get your copy, with your choice of two different covers, from Warehouse 23 now!
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