Steve Jackson's Blog, page 324

January 13, 2017: Zombify Your Friday The 13th

Less than two weeks into 2017 and it's already Friday the 13th! That's an auspicious start to the new year, if I do say so myself. But why avoid the superstitious spookiness? Embrace it! Make it a horror-filled day with some of our zombie games.



Nothing celebrates Friday the 13th like Zombie Dice ! You can't get more thematic than 13 dice for $13.13. Unless you have 13 players who are all 13-year-olds, but we'd rather take on the zombies. Zombie Dice makes a great quick game, and the expansions provide even more variety. Adding  Zombie Dice 2 – Double Feature gives you three more dice, with new B-movie-inspired options! Plus, you get to eat Santa's brain. (It's not like he's using it; Christmas is over!) And don't forget about Zombie Dice 3 – School Bus , the chunky die that everyone loves. The bus is really just a zombie food truck, full of brains, but beware the dangerous double-shotgun! ( Zombie Dice 3 is also running low again, even after its recent reprinting, so you might want to pick up that big yellow bus soon.)



The zombie fun doesn't end there! If you have a horde of friends, I Hate Zombies is for you. You can play up to 12 people (and we've played moderated games of up to 40 players!), with this easy-to-learn, fast-paced party game. Think Rock-Paper-Scissors with hilarious special powers and the ability to turn your friends into zombies. If you're a Munchkin fan, then Greg Hyland's new Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist Edition will give your favorite undead a fresh new look. Well, as fresh as rotting flesh can be. Check out this interview with Greg to get some insight on his art necromancy. 



Pick up any of these shambling games and expansions at your local game store today! And just remember; zombies aren't real. Right? 



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Scary Apparel For Munchkin Fans



Delight your torso even more, with the Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist Edition T-Shirt! Artist Greg Hyland claws his way to your heart with the same style he brought to the Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist Edition . It's a no-brainer; you can only get this shirt from Warehouse 23!

January 12, 2017: We've Restocked Some Loot!

We're so organized here at SJ Games, you may be surprised to hear that we sometimes come upon items we think were sold out, but in fact were not. (Come on, be surprised!) So – we have come across a few things that are back in stock for your local game store to order. 



Our first  Munchkin Playmat, Spyke Gets Suckered , sold out quickly. Or should I say, almost sold out. These are available again, featuring awesome art from Munchkin Guest Artist Ian McGinty, and its own special rule. Along these lines, we have a couple of classic Munchkin accessories – the Duck of Gloom and Munchkin Journal Pack 1  – that have reappeared. The Journal Packs are popular around the office for note taking, secret messages, pun dictation, or tiny paper airplanes, and you can now get the pack that started it all. The Duck of Gloom is the plush, emo answer to the classic Duck of Doom . It's an uncommon variant that has been harder to find of late. 



Not to be left out, hot on the heels of our recent GURPS releases, the softcover version of GURPS Space  is back! Expand your GURPS Fourth Edition world into an epic space opera, near-future realism, or even space-fantasy, all for an affordable price. 



Pick up these games and accessories today at your local game shop or Warehouse 23!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: A Well-Rounded Flat World Of Adventure



The delightful realm of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series comes to life. The Discworld Roleplaying Game  contains everything you need: background, rules, details on important characters, and much more. Think of it as a 400-page passport to a fantastic world of magic and mirth. Get it today from Warehouse 23!

January 11, 2017: Munchkin Musings: January 2017

Happy New Year! I think we can all agree that 2016 clearly picked up a few ducks in the dungeon . . . let's hope 2017 is a better year for most people.



We're all back in the office after a two-week vacation (meaning, for most of us, that we only worked a little bit instead of busting our tails as usual). The Munchkin team has our work cut out for us, starting with hard work to get the Munchkin Collectible Card Game completed and off to print. Devin has been leading our team to keep this project on track, and Eric Lang and Kevin Wilson are hard at work on the first wave of expansion cards. Thanks to all of these guys!



Steve gave me a couple of things to look at over the break, so that's what I'll be working on this month, helping him to move them into playtest and illustration. He's got another project that is actually well along in the process, but we haven't found a home for it on the schedule just yet – we'll pull it out of the oven when the time is right.



USAopoly is gearing up for the release of Munchkin: X-Men Edition next month. I got to see a prototype at their office last fall and it looks sweet; I can't wait for it to get into your hands! They have a couple of very cool projects slated for later in 2017 . . . I think lots of folks are going to be pleased and surprised by what they have in store.



I've got a couple of projects pretty far along in the production process; they aren't on the schedule yet, but we're completing them so we can send them to print when a hole opens up in the calendar. A lot of what I'm doing over the next few months is laying groundwork for our 2018 schedule (and beyond!); there are some really awesome things that I'm excited about starting on once 2017 is truly put to bed.



Also, I posted some Designer's Notes for Munchkin Treasure Hunt and Munchkin Wonderland . You can read them and comment over on Medium.com.



Last thing: a favor. We're going to be issuing a repack of the Munchkin Tuckbox Display next month, including some advance copies of Munchkin Curses and Munchkin Pathfinder 2 . If your store doesn't have one of these displays on their shelves, please let them know that this is about to be available and they'll be able to get those Munchkin expansions months early. Supplies are limited and we're expecting these to sell out pretty quickly. Have them look for our retailer newsletter (or subscribe to it via our Store Finder!) for more information.



See you in February!



– Andrew Hackard



Warehouse 23 News: Spectacular Tentacular Fun!



Evil has never been so cute or comfy! The Munchkin Cthulhu Guest Artist Edition T-Shirt, illustrated by Katie Cook, brings the joy of Munchkin Cthulhu Guest Artist Edition to your wardrobe. And it adds rules to give you an edge in keeping your sanity. Get it today, only from Warehouse 23!

January 10, 2017: Retailers Can Get The Flower Of Love

We're already a week into the new year, so it's pretty much Valentine's Day . . . at least, that's my excuse for buying candy hearts in bulk at the supermarket. So with love in the air, we wanted to offer up our own valentine to retailers!



Store owners can get a limited Munchkin Playmat free for buying and restocking Munchkin titles! During the month of January, for every $200 MSRP of Munchkin products you order, you can request a Munchkin Playmat: The Flower of Love for free! Simply email a copy of your receipt or invoice showing the purchase(s) to retailers@sjgames.com and we will send a playmat your way.



In Munchkin , as in love, if you play your cards right, you'll get ahead. Munchkin Playmat: The Flower of Love makes it easy by providing a special spot on the table for each of your cards . . . much like you have a special spot in your heart for the one you love. There may even be space for all the chocolates and roses you get for Valentine's Day. You will be smitten with this playmat as soon as it catches your eye – and it might just save your life with its bonus rule!



So retailers, get those receipts and invoices to us, so we can get your Valentine's Day gift to you. And if you're a gamer looking for the playmat, let your friendly local game store know how to get it!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Get A Kick Out Of This Munchkin Set!



High-flying fists of fury have never looked like this! Beloved Munchkin artist John Kovalic brings his unique style to manic martial-arts action with the Munchkin Fu Guest Artist Edition . All-new art with the same classic gameplay – it's a smash hit! Buy it today from Warehouse 23.

January 9, 2017: What's In The Box: Edwin Huang's Guest Artist Edition

This spring marks the release of Munchkin Guest Artist Edition by Edwin Huang. Edwin is known for his work on Skullkickers , Munchkin Skullkickers , and Street Fighter . His unique art is some of the most dynamic and crisp that we've seen in a Munchkin game, and I wanted to give you a taste before you get the main course.



At great peril, I have infiltrated our production department and purloined an early copy of the game. Now I have about 20 minutes until Bridget finds me. So let's take a look in the box!



I've highlighted some of the major components in the game that show off Edwin's amazing art, including the board, cards, and standies. You get 12 standies in male and female portraits, in six colors, using some of the coolest art. I am a personal fan of his take on Gentleman's Club!

The board is, of course, unique to this game, and highlights one of the stars of the show: Spyke! Like many of our other Guest Artist Editions, having a board means that this is the perfect game to add to your other core-sized Munchkin sets and expansions, since you're getting a load of cards, plus a board and all the trimmings to enhance your game. Edwin's illustrations are just the icing on that cake!

Last but not least, we have what many of you are waiting for: the cards! Each Guest Artist has his own take on the game, and Edwin was in a position to reinvent the original. And he really knocked it out of the park! His version of Loaded Die gives us a new twist on the wordplay, and his experience as an action-oriented artist really shines on a card like Magic Missile. Yet his Gazebo keeps the imagery intact, with his own style, which longtime fans will appreciate. The Maul Rat is punkier than ever, and Spyke still hasn't learned to leave the Duck of Doom alone! 

As you can see, Edwin has really made this edition his own. If you're a fan of the original game and want a change of pace, or a new player who wants a great starting point, check out Munchkin Guest Artist Edition this spring. You can also look at our interview with Jim Zub, collaborator with Edwin on Skullkickers, to get some more insight. 



Oh, hey Bridget, how's it going? Why do you have that Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment? 



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Add A Little Gloom To Your Day In A Munchkin Way



Your hapless heroes can delve too deep, lose their loot, and plummet down pits, all while being backstabbed in the Munchkin style we know and love. It may sound tragic, but in Munchkin Gloom card game, that's a winning hand! Test how bad you can make it for your character by getting your copy on Warehouse 23 today!

January 8, 2017: Grow Your Tribes With The Digital Release

It's 50,000 B.C. Where are your children?



That's the question proposed in Tribes , now in digital form on Warehouse 23!  Tribes is the cult-classic roleplaying game about cave families, hunting, gathering, growing your tribe, and, most important, protecting your children. Let me reiterate: PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN! While your tribe is assaulted by natural disasters or you are forced to cooperate with other tribes, you always have to keep your progeny in mind. How else will your tribe continue? (It won't, that's how.)



The coolest thing about Tribes, though, is its scalability. 40 players, broken into different tribes, could easily play. Each tribe will grow differently, making its own laws and society, and will have to compete, trade, and possibly declare war on others. The ability to accommodate so many people and the emphasis on interaction make Tribes a perfect convention or event game. You could plan an entire game night specifically around a grand game of prehistoric parenting. 



Pick up your own digital edition of Tribes in Warehouse 23 now, and wrangle a few (or 39!) friends for a trip back to the stone age. 



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Treasure This Collection!



Collected for the first time are a trove of articles for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy from across years of Pyramid – behold, Pyramid: Dungeon Fantasy Collected ! This meaty tome brings together over 20 articles perfect for crypt-crawlers, from some of your favorite GURPS authors. Download it today . . . only from Warehouse 23!

January 7, 2017: Pre-Order Games At Your Favorite Local Game Store

Each week, your favorite local game store brings in the newest games and supplements offered through the distribution channels. For many of you, this may feel like a magical event, when the game fairy delivers the latest and greatest new entertainment. Behind the shelves, however, a wide network of creators and publishers, fulfillment specialists, distributors, and retailers work together through a months-long process in which these games are announced, pre-ordered, and delivered.
 
We have often encouraged you to pre-order games at your favorite store, and we frequently provide pre-order forms that you can print and hand to your local retailer. These pre-orders are crucial, not just because they guarantee that you get the games you want, but also because they demonstrate to retailers that there's demand for those games.
 
I wrote about pre-orders on Facebook over the break. One of our game retailers – Marcus King of Games & Comics: London – illustrated clearly how players walking into a store and pre-ordering games affects his store's orders from his distributors. Marcus stated: 
 
"When a person pre-orders a game at my store, we also order one for the shelf. If 5 get pre-ordered, we get 5 for the shelf. 
 
"When 0 get pre-ordered, we usually order 0 for the shelf."
 
A case in point: Over the last month, two new titles –  GURPS Mars Attacks  and the  Discworld Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game  – were reportedly difficult to find in stores. What happened? A lack of significant pre-orders for the two books – both at the gamer and retailer levels – meant that the distribution channel didn't bring in enough books. Some stores ordered zero copies for their shelves. With no copies for sale at these stores, some of you thought the books were not yet available.
 
The lesson is clear: Pre-orders are vital to get the games you want and to guarantee that those same games land on store shelves where others may find them. (You want people to play with, right?) In today's crowded gaming market – dozens of new titles are released every week – pre-orders are more important than ever. So we are asking all of you to visit your favorite local game store today and pre-order any of our upcoming titles that interest you. Your retailer will thank you for the information, and we thank you for keeping Steve Jackson Games on your local retailer's mind.



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Rock With Your Friends And Family



When you're cave men and women, you keep your tribe close and your family closer. With Tribes , you'll gather food, hunt, enact tribal law, and do what it takes for your family to survive. Download this fan-favorite game by Steve Jackson and award-winning science-fiction author David Brin, only from Warehouse 23!

January 6, 2017: New Releases For December

'Tis the season, or 'twas the season, that is! If you're like me, you may have a bit of post-holiday blues. Fortunately, SJ Games has the solution! Like filling a stocking, we packed December with new Munchkin , Ogre , and even GURPS . These huge releases dropped right before Christmas, so it's understandable if you missed them. But now is the perfect time to head to your respective local retailers and Target to pick them up! 

[image error] Super Munchkin Guest Artist Edition



Super Munchkin gets a new, not-so-secret identity!



Art Baltazar has made a name for himself both writing and drawing for DC Comics. You've probably seen something he's worked on if you read comics. So when we were looking for someone to do the Guest Artist Edition of Super Munchkin , he was a natural fit!



This Guest Artist Edition includes completely re-illustrated game cards, a game board featuring Art Baltazar's Super Munchkin art, and male and female standies for each player.



Find this limited-print edition exclusively at Target!

[image error] Ogre Sixth Edition



In 2085 A.D., armored warfare is faster and deadlier than ever.



Ogre is a desperate contest between a super-intelligent, bloodthirsty, AI-controlled tank and the squads of infantry, armor, and artillery fighting to stop its advance. You can be the Ogre and ruthlessly steamroll the humans in your way, or play the defenders, trying to defeat it at any cost.



The game is easy to learn and quick to play. It only takes a half-hour, but you'll want to do it over and over – and with 16 unique map overlays to change up each playthrough, you can! Will the Command Post survive this time, or will the Ogre triumph yet again?

[image error] GURPS Mars Attacks



Earth Is Under Attack!



The Martians descended upon Earth without warning. Saucers filled the skies. Blaster-wielding soldiers, giant insects, and unstoppable robots slaughtered the human defenders on the ground. It could have been the end of humanity . . . if not for the brave scientists of the Novas Vira, the only ones who saw the invasion coming! Now the fate of Earth hangs in the balance as both sides turn to science, desperately inventing new weapons and defenses in the hope of finding the one that wins the war.



GURPS Mars Attacks contains everything you need to join the fight and make a difference:



Choose your side. Are you among the conquerors here to grant Earth the honor of being added to the Martian Empire? Or are you fighting to save your planet – either on your own or as part of the Novas Vira, Tiger Corps, or United Earth Alliance? Set the scope. Play unprepared civilians stepping up to face Martian raiders, bold saucer pilots defending troops from waves of human jets, high-level officers making decisions that impact the entire war, or anyone else you can imagine! Lock and load. It'll take spirit to win this war, sure, but also technology. Learn about the weapons, defenses, vehicles, and strange inventions of both sides – and take advantage of streamlined rules to make new ones. GURPS Mars Attacks requires the GURPS Basic Set Fourth Edition. The detailed setting and descriptions of Martian society and technology can be used with any game system.

[image error] Discworld Roleplaying Game



Journey through the off-kilter imagination of Sir Terry Pratchett in the Discworld Roleplaying Game.



There's a lot of unusual stuff on the Disc, but don't worry about getting lost – game author Phil Masters has crafted a road map to Pratchett-inspired storytelling.



Visit settings like the most dubious city in the multiverse, Ankh-Morpork. Intervene in the cultural interactions of trolls and dwarves (but watch out for flying axes). Campaign for goblin rights. Flee from an angry Swamp Dragon (two feet of mindless fury and high-explosive digestion). Even find out why the why the second-greatest lover on the Disc needs a stepladder.



And remember, the world is round. And also flat.



This is a complete roleplaying game. You need no other books to play. It includes the material from the previous edition of the game and its supplement, Discworld Also – all updated to reflect the events of the Discworld novels released since then, as well as the rules of GURPS Fourth Edition .

[image error] Munchkin #24



Super heroics and date nights!



Spyke and Flower go . . . speed dating. It goes about as well as you'd expect. Especially considering that the other participants include a Shrieking Geek and one of Spyke's old Ghoulfiends. In the end, the pair of munchkins learn an important lesson about how they really like to spend their time. (Hint: It's not speed dating.) (Another hint: It involves a mace.) In the second story, Super Munchkin Guest Artist Edition illustrator Art Baltazar tells readers how to be a Super Munchkin, including how to hide your super-secret identity. 



Look in the back pages of this issue for a bonus  Munchkin  rule, plus a special promo code to get The Official Super Munchkin Bookmark of the Super Sartorial Switcheroo ! and five Munchkin promo cards from Warehouse 23 for just a penny!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Rock With Your Friends And Family



When you're cave men and women, you keep your tribe close and your family closer. With Tribes , you'll gather food, hunt, enact tribal law, and do what it takes for your family to survive. Download this fan-favorite game by Steve Jackson and award-winning science-fiction author David Brin, only from Warehouse 23!

January 5, 2017: Where Apps And Traditional Boardgames Meet

It's easy to paint apps and traditional boardgames as "rivals," even though so many games now offer both a physical version and a self-contained digital one. But the past few years have seen a growing trend of treating apps as components – just another part of the traditional game, packaged along with its dice, cards, board, and so on. Usually, these programs are optional, but greatly enhance the gaming experience. For example, our recent editions of  Ogre  include reusable sheets for tracking Ogre damage, but the free  Ogre War Room app makes it far easier.



But it's interesting to see companies taking this even further, with games that require an app yet are clearly still "boardgames," not "video games." I was recently introduced to Fantasy Flight's Mansions of Madness , a cooperative game that pits investigators versus Lovecraftian nightmares. A key part of the game is uncovering secret clues and evidence – you start each scenario unable to see the whole board and unaware of the victory condition! The first edition handled this by requiring one player to be the Keeper, a neutral GM, revealing new board tiles and secrets as the party explored. But the second edition shunts that work to a free app, allowing all of the players to actually play, while their tablet or smartphone tells them which rooms, cards, and lore they discover. I was hesitant at first, but it actually made things more immersive, by letting us keep our heads firmly in the role of investigators.



I'm excited by these intersections of tabletop and digital, because I think each medium has its strengths and weaknesses, and by finding new ways to merge them, we can truly get the best of both worlds.



– PK



Warehouse 23 News: The War Is Raging . . . Are You Ready?



Ogre Sixth Edition is a desperate contest between a super-intelligent, bloodthirsty, AI-controlled tank and the squads of infantry, armor, and artillery fighting to stop its advance. You can be the Ogre and ruthlessly steamroll the humans in your way, or play the defenders, trying to defeat it at any cost. See how long you last in the fastest and deadliest warfare ever – get your copy from Warehouse 23 now! 

January 4, 2017: Get Simon's Cat Meow, Restock Coming In March

Have you adopted one of our copies of Simon's Cat Card Game over the holidays? If not, you may want to soon. These messy pets are almost sold out!



We've gotten word from our main warehouse that stock is running thin – we're nearly sold out to distributors. That means your friendly local game store should get them soon to make sure they have copies for the immediate future! The next restock is coming in March, so it'll be a little while before copies will be available again.



But fear not! Simon's Cat Card Game is available at distributors now, so if you want it and your store doesn't have it, just ask and they should be able to order it. If you're a store owner, ask your distributor about ordering now, while it's still around!



Based on the hit YouTube series Simon's Cat , the card game gives players the role of messy house pets. Match colors and numbers to avoid getting blamed . . . which is harder than it sounds, because each colored suit has different numbers. First cat to three blame cards loses! Simple rules, so kids can learn and play easily, but parents who want to be a bit more cutthroat will soon learn that card counting and strategically screwing the person to your left work very nicely.



Pick up Simon's Cat Card Game today at your local game store. If you're a store owner, make sure you get your orders in while you still can!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Destroy All Humans!



Lead your team of Martian invaders to conquer Earth in Mars Attacks  –  The Dice Gam e . Destroy cities, get your picture taken in front of famous monuments, and be the Martian with the most Earthling kills! Take over the planet now, with your very own copy from Warehouse 23!