Steve Jackson's Blog, page 349

May 10, 2016: Welcome Aboard, Melody White - Admin Assistant

O hai! My name is Melody and I'm the new admin assistant / helper monkey for SJ Games. As such, I'll be here to help take care of the little things that slow down your daily roll . . . hopefully making the cogs in the engine move a little smoother, if possible!



As for the background stuff, the majority of my experience is in customer service, but I like to think that I'm a Jill of all trades. I know a little about a lot, and a lot about nerdy things. I spent a little over five years working for gaming companies around Austin, and I spend a lot of my gaming time playing PC strategy games or action RPGs. Much of my free time is spent with friends playing tabletop games – any one we see, we normally buy and end up playing on repeat for weeks. Time not spent gaming is spent with my dog, listening to/playing live music, or baking/cooking for my friends.



I love learning about the people around me and about new or exciting things, so please don't hesitate to walk up and have a chat if you would like to!



– Melody White



Warehouse 23 News: Let Cthulhu Be Your Guest?!



Every Great Old Old is Great New again, with the Munchkin Cthulhu Guest Artist Edition . Famed illustrator Katie Cook unleashes her adorable style upon Munchkin Cthulhu , with amazing results. Preorder it today from Warehouse 23 and get it . . . before it gets you!

May 9, 2016: Munchkin Musings: May 2016

Welcome to the first installment of a new monthly feature on the Daily Illuminator : Munchkin Musings! In this space, I'll talk about what's going on – at least as much as I'm allowed! – and give you a peek into some things you may have missed.



First of all, I want to thank everyone who has been spreading the word about the Munchkin Guest Artist Editions . We're pleased with how the first couple have been received and we're very excited to get even more of them into your hands. Keep watching the Guest Artist Editions page for more news as we're cleared to release it . . . there's a lot y'all still don't know about!



At the end of April, I was pleased to be a returning guest on the Geek Apocalypse podcast. Host Steven Hesse and I talked at considerable length about lots of things, including the Munchkin Tavern, Munchkin: Marvel Edition , Munchkin 's 15th anniversary, and even a couple of things not related to Munchkin at all. You can listen to it right here (note: the link leads to an autoplay audio file).



We've had several great Munchkin releases already this year! Ian McGinty's Munchkin Guest Artist Edition and Len Peralta's Star Munchkin Guest Artist Edition headline the year, but we've also shipped Munchkin Puppies , Munchkin Meeples , the first Munchkin Playmat (Spyke Gets Suckered), the non-Deluxe version of Munchkin Steampunk , and Munchkin Hipsters even went mainstream.



Definitely don't forget about the monthly


This month, we're going to be shipping out John Kovalic's Munchkin Fu Guest Artist Edition – yeah, we found a way to get John involved in the fun! – Munchkin Knights , and Munchkin 6.5 – Terrible Tombs . We've got more great stuff coming out later this spring, and things will explode this summer and fall. Bookmark the New Releases page so you're up to date on all the Munchkin news!



Thanks again to all the great Munchkin fans out there who keep us working hard at the best job ever. See you next month!



– Andrew Hackard



Warehouse 23 News: Put Your Peepers On Our Meeples!



Meeples are strange, but ours are stranger! With Munchkin Meeples , you can add 30 Munchkin -flavored tokens in six different designs to your games. Preorder them today from Warehouse 23!

May 8, 2016: Crowdfunding Focus: The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game

The owner of Evil Hat Productions, Fred Hicks, dropped by the office recently with their newest project in tow: The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game, an upcoming release, currently on Kickstarter. DBCCG takes the world of Jim Butcher's iconic series and brings it to life on the tabletop, letting players take the role of Harry Dresden and company to investigate mysteries, fight baddies, and overcome obstacles. Each player uses their own deck, themed around their character, to accomplish these goals. In addition to unique decks, each character has it's own Stunt and Talent that sets them apart, like Harry's Blasting Rod. Ultimately, you have to use the limited cards in your hand to manipulate fate tokens, solve enough cases, and clear enough enemies to be able to win in the final Showdown. All of the mechanics tie together ingeniously: cards are your main resource and running out of them will end the game faster, but you need to use fate token to play cards, and discarding cards generates fate tokens. 







TDFCCG is entering it's stretch run, and has funded multiple times over, so get in now for some of the cool stretch goals. Thanks again to Fred and Evil Hat for letting us play it early!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: A Trove Of Treasure For GURPS



Augment the mega-popular GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 8: Treasure Tables with more details on loot, thanks to GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Treasures 1: Glittering Prizes . Learn about coins, strange materials, new magical items, and more. It's a download away, only from Warehouse 23!

May 7, 2016: Say Hello To Veronica Leon - Marketing Assistant!

Hello! Here is my introduction! My name is Veronica! I was born and raised in Houston, TX, graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in Studio Arts in 2014, and brand new to Steve Jackson Games. I first started off with the art production department and am now enjoying my ride in the marketing department.



In Houston, I worked closely with the art community and I am still trying to find my place here in Austin. I enjoy taking my big, old, deaf border collie on hikes at all the local parks when the weather permits, and I like to make terrible jokes and eat stupid amounts of popcorn.



I've never really been involved in any gaming fandom, so this is a nice exploration of what hobby gaming has to offer!



– Veronica Leon



Warehouse 23 News: Unleash The Weird In Your GURPS Games



Whole new realms of strange magic, psionics, and super-powers come to life with GURPS Powers: The Weird . It includes 65 fully worked sample abilities, plus a discussion of all manner of unusual phenomena. Download this weirdness today, only from Warehouse 23!

May 6, 2016: Ask PK Questions About GURPS After The End On #SJGamesLive

Are you curious about GURPS After the End , our latest ready-to-use series for adventuring through a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Or have you already picked it up and want to know what the future holds? I'm Assistant GURPS Line Editor and series creator Jason "PK" Levine, and I'll be answering your questions during our next #SJGamesLive segment on Tuesday, May 24, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time.



You can ask me anything about GURPS After the End 1: Wastelanders or GURPS After the End 2: The New World – rules questions, "behind the scenes" stuff, when I predict the world will actually end, and so on. Or feel free to branch out into questions about future supplements, related Pyramid articles, or general questions about these "worked-genre" series and how we support them. Hunter will be picking questions to ask and giving away prizes during the live stream!



Members of our forums can start asking questions right away in this thread! Otherwise, keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter feeds, where Hunter will ask for your questions in the not-too-distant future.



– Jason "PK" Levine



Warehouse 23 News: Become A Boxing Expert?



Keep your Munchkin tamed with the Munchkin Monster Box . It's got room for 2,000 cards plus other goodies, and comes with reprints of six Munchkin bookmarks and 10 promo cards. Preorder the Munchkin Monster Box today from Warehouse 23, and get it soon!

May 5, 2016: SJ Games At DreamHack Austin

What does Austin have in common with Sweden? Aside from IKEA. Time's up, it's DreamHack Austin! Started in the early 90's, DreamHack digital festival is a celebration of all things esports and video gaming. DreamHack Summer and Winter in Sweden host the world's largest LAN parties, with over 22,000 devices connected. Austin hosts the convention's first foray into North America, taking place May 6th through the 8th at the Austin Convention center, and we're excited to help them make it a great experience, featuring exhibitors, numerous esport tournaments, and gigantic LAN events where you can bring your own rig, or use equipment on site to participate.



SJ Games has partnered with local Austin game store Dragon's Lair Comics and Fantasy, who will be hosting our demo tables at the event, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, May 8th. Swing by, play a quick demo, and maybe grab a promo! Dragon's Lair will also have a retail area that includes some of our games for sale.



Help us support this new frontier in local conventions, and make DreamHack Austin a success! See you on the show floor!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Slack Like There's No Tomorrow!



Bring your Chez Geek games to the bleeding edge of slackerdom, with the 56 new cards of Chez Geek: Slack to the Future . The future awaits with Warehouse 23!

May 4, 2016: Preorder Your Munchkin Monster Box Today

One of the most requested accessories ever is now available for preorder!



With the  Munchkin Monster Box , players finally have card storage fit for a king! The custom molded plastic insert houses more than 2,000  Munchkin  cards, accessories like your  Kill-O-Meters ,  Munchkin Dice , and  Level Playing Field , as well as other assorted accoutrements. The exterior is adorned with incredible designs by some of our Munchkin Guest Artist Edition contributors, so you know they look good. 



There are three main covers; to make sure you get the one you want you'll have to visit your friendly local game store. Our friends at ACD Distribution also have an exclusive cover, which you can only order from your FLGS; simply request it. In addition, the ACD cover is available a month before the others, so you can be the first in your group to get one! Swing by a store today to reserve your  Monster Box  du jour.



-- Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Another Reason To Go Deluxe!



Get free stuff! When you buy any of our Munchkin Deluxe games, including the Guest Artist Edition boxed sets, you'll receive a free set of Munchkin Boxes of Holding ! Hurry, because this only good through May 31 and only while supplies last. Get yours from Warehouse 23 before they're gone! (Does not include Munchkin Treasure Hunt or Munchkin Quest .)

May 3, 2016: Introducing Al Griego - Assistant Marketing Director!

Greetings! My name is Al Griego, and I'm the new Assistant Marketing Director. I'll be helping the marketing team out with various projects like [REDACTED] and [REDACTED].



When I'm not working, I like to play games like dominoes, Car Wars: The Card Game , X-Wing Miniatures , Dominion , Castle Panic , and Frag . I enjoy playing Call of Duty with my friend Glen, but I still end up on the receiving end most of the time. I also help my friends Vince and Colleen with the Geek Out SA web series every Tuesday night (check it out!). In addition, my wife and I run Master Photography by LG in San Antonio, and we do green screen photography at cons around South Texas. If you've been to San Japan, Mizumi-Con, or RealmsCon, that's us! My son and I also watch way too many zombie movies and shows.



I started gaming back in the summer of 1978, thanks to one of my school friends. My first gaming purchases were AD&D 1st Edition, Squad Leader/Cross of Iron , and Ogre . That started a lifelong love of gaming (thanks, Gordon. I miss you, bro!). Across the spectrum of board, card, miniature, and roleplaying games, if it looks fun, I'll play it (although my family won't play trivia games with me).



I've worked with SJ Games as a member of the Men In Black demo team and as a playtester for over twenty years. I enjoy going to conventions, running game demos, getting swag, and checking out new games to fill the rapidly diminishing shelf space in my office. If you see me at a con, stop by and say hi. It's great to be able to put a face to the people I have chatted with online!



– Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: The Power Of Flower!



Organize your Munchkin play session like never before, with the Munchkin Playmat: Flower Cashes In . Track your Class, Race, level, and loot, all the while admiring Edwin Huang's stunning artwork. Preorder it today from Warehouse 23, and go to the mat like never before!

May 2, 2016: Munchkin: Marvel Edition Swings Into Stores!

The highly anticipated Munchkin: Marvel Edition from USAopoly is in stores now, and it's taking people by storm! USAopoly really knocked it out of the park, featuring incredible art straight from the comic pages, and creative cards that make each character unique. I mean, there aren't many games where the material makeup of your kitchen table can change the rules of the game (I'm looking at you, Absorbing Man). Players take their S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents through the ranks, competing with your fellow agents, always trying to backstab each other. Sounds like Hydra may have infiltrated the organization! Do you want to wear Iron Man's Armor and shoot Hawkeye's Bow? Now you can! 



Additionally, keep an eye out for the Deadpool, Deadpool's Taco Truck, Peter Parker, and elusive Infinity Gauntlet promo cards. The first three will be at various cons and events that SJ Games will be attending this year. USAopoly has special plans for the Gauntlet, so keep an eye out for that announcement.



Pack up your Helicarrier, and get to your friendly local game store for your copy, or on Warehouse 23 if you don't have one. Warehouse 23 doesn't have parking for a Helicarrier, however.



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: A World Of Adventure Awaits



For nearly 30 years, GURPS – the Generic Universal RolePlaying System – has delighted fans. Yet this RPG remains as accessible as ever, as countless heroes become possible with just one hardcover. Build the adventurer you want, with GURPS Basic Set: Characters . Get it today, as a hardcover or PDF, from Warehouse 23!

May 1, 2016: Crowdfunding Focus - Arena: Fury Of Hellas

Our friends at Kobold Press are at it again with Arena: Fury of Hellas . This card game puts 2-4 players in the shoes of Greek gods, using their powers to manipulate the monsters and heroes to fight in the arena. The iconic characters are gorgeously illustrated, and the card design is crisp and clear. It's a fast-playing game, finishing in about 15-20 minutes, and uses a fairly standard-sized deck so it will be easily transportable as well. There are some creative funding goals, with the option to back at a lower cost, but a print-on-demand style deck, all the way to a deluxe version with nicer tokens and cards. The best part to me is that you get access to the print-and-play documents to play it while you wait on the final Kickstarter delivery.



There's still a lot of time left in the campaign, so you won't need the powers of Hermes to back it. But hey, those powers wouldn't hurt, either. 



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Presenting Perilous Yet Promising Portals!



Take your Munchkin game to differently bold places with Munchkin 6 - Demented Dungeons . This set includes 20 double-sized Dungeon cards that completely shake up Munchkin game, and 16 Portal cards to get from one Dungeon to the next. Get it today, from Warehouse 23!