Steve Jackson's Blog, page 38

October 20, 2024: TSA On Instagram: Great Account, Or Greatest Account?

Everyone has their favorite Instagram accounts, but I would venture to say that perhaps one of the best out there is the official page of the TSA. With 1.4 million followers and billed as Travel Tips & Dad Joke Hits, they consider themselves the "Princess of Puns" with a "Passion for Prohibited Items."  A large number of their posts show prohibited things they've found that either cannot be carried on or checked, and each item description is positively packed with puns! A few months ago they found a serious weapon and showed it with the caption, "While we admit to feeling disarmed by this attempt, we aim not to be ammotional. And while the growing pop-pew-larity of artful concealed prohibs makes us recoil, we've set our sights on clearing the air." They also love to post the latest memes with a bit of a twist, such as this one from the Paris Olympics featuring Snoop Dogg. Don't forget about the airport K-9s, because they're a big part of the account as well. And if you happen to have any questions about what you can bring on a plane, ask them – they'll respond to let you know.  Do you follow them? If not, head on over and check out the page!

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 19, 2024: New To Munchkin Digital: Clerical Errors!

Munchkin Digital , a collaboration between Steve Jackson Games and Dire Wolf Digital, is a great way to play this fan-favorite without scheduling an in-person game night. Players are offered the option to play solo or with friends online.  We've recently released the second DLC for Munchkin Digital : Munchkin 3 - Clerical Errors ! Now, you can add 112 new cards to your game! Put on your Chainmail Bikini and equip your Stab-A-Matic, because it's time to face off against the fearsome Auntie Paladin. The Bard class is introduced as well as the Gnome race. Even though you'll be playing digitally, you'll still need to avoid Curses, including Curse! Temporary Amnesia and, of course, Curse! Clerical Error. Don't forget that you can also download the Munchkin 2 - Unnatural Axe expansion for even more punny fun!  Munchkin Digital is available on Steam and in the Google Play and Apple App stores.

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 18, 2024: Fighting Fantasy Returns To The U.S. – With Steve Jackson Games!

Big news! Steve Jackson Games will be bringing Fighting Fantasy back to the U.S. market for the first time in over 20 years. This historic, 50-book publishing deal will introduce these classic gamebooks to a new generation. Fighting Fantasy , created by Ian Livingstone and the UK Steve Jackson (not to be confused with Steve Jackson (US); check out Wikipedia), is a series of solo adventures in which players make decisions to progress the plot. What sets this series apart from other solo adventures? Unlike a similar series we are unable to name for legal reasons, Fighting Fantasy uses dice-rolling tabletop RPG mechanics to let you experience the thrill of chance. You made the decision to enter the dungeon, but will you slay the foe and escape? Only if the dice roll in your favor! Since its debut with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982, the Fighting Fantasy series has sold over 20 million copies and become a fan favorite. Steve Jackson Games will release five books in early 2025, with an additional five later in the year. You can learn more – and sign up for email updates – at our annoucement page.

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 17, 2024: Offline Gaming Is Good!

Our household has gotten burned a couple of times in recent years by games in our Closet of Shame that relied on an online or app component that no longer worked, basically rendering it unplayable. That makes us sad.

I understand how app-component-type games can push the envelope of gaming possibilities. When it works, it's truly magical. Conversely, it's annoying when we now have a chunk of cardboard that we can't do anything with.

Having had too many of these experiences makes me grateful for the vast majority of games in my collection that are playably evergreen, such as (for example) Groo: The Game , which delivers fantastic klutzy-barbarian fun whether you own the recent long-awaited reprint or the original version from last century.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 16, 2024: Steve Jackson Games February 2025 Releases

Though we haven't yet entered winter, and we're still a few months away, we at Steve Jackson Games would like to announce our new game releases for February 2025. Five exciting items are coming to Warehouse 23 and your Friendly Local Game Store soon!  Last Shot takes players into the Cold War era in a fast-playing card game that is full of international espionage, strategy, and intrigue. You'll need to protect yourself while simultaneously working to eliminate your rivals. The best part? Each game is totally unique and won't be played the same twice! MSRP $16.95 The first wave of Car Wars Expansion Packs is now available, and we look forward to the next set of three debuting in late October. But the first six aren't all of the fun cards you can add to your Car Wars Sixth Edition game – there are several more coming! The final four single-player expansion packs will be released in just a few months.Car Wars Savage Stockpile: 40 cards from Miniatures Set 3 and Road Tiles  - MSRP $10.95 Car Wars Militant Munitions : 40 cards from Miniatures Set 4 and Road Tiles - MSRP $10.95 Car Wars Double-Barrel Danger : 40 cards from Armory Pack and Linked Weapons Pack - MSRP $10.95 Car Wars Lethal Lineup : 32 cards and tokens from Crew Pack and Playmat #1 - MSRP $12.95We hope you'll enjoy our latest offerings and that you'll grab a copy of each for yourself!

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 15, 2024: Software Recommendation: IINA

If you're on MacOS and are looking for an attractive, free media player, you might consider IINA. I don't consider it a replacement for my venerable VLC, but it's an interesting and robust player that's found a spot on my Dock. I especially appreciate that it seems to be designed to feel like MacOS software in a way that (for example) VLC doesn't. It's fast, stable, open source . . . and did I mention free?

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 14, 2024: One-Page Bulge 2nd Edition Heads To Kickstarter

For the first time in over 20 years, One-Page Bulge returns to print in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge! This single-page wargame was one of the first of four games Steve Jackson created in 1980. Now, in collaboration with Dana Lombardy of Lombardy Studios, One-Page Bulge Second Edition will be crowdfunding on Kickstarter. As the name states, the entire game fits on one sheet of paper and can be played in a single session. Wargame fans will enjoy the state-of-the-art illustrations and high-quality components as they attempt to conquer the German front, destroy bridges, capture Allied supply, and more with regimental-style play. Stay tuned to our social media channels over the coming weeks for sneak-peeks of the artwork, a video interview with Steve and Dana, and behind-the-scenes information.  The Kickstarter campaign page for One-Page Bulge Second Edition is now up for previews. Sign up to be notified the moment the project goes live on October 15th!  

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 13, 2024: Support Your Local Toy Store

My grandmother used to take me to toy stores when I was little, but I haven't set foot in one since I worked at KB Toys back in high school. (Note that I'm not talking about my Friendly Local Game Store – I'm in there more often than I care to admit.) While my purpose for going was to pick up a gift for a young relative, I think I may need to return at some point soon to make a purchase and do my part to keep my local store alive. Why? Because toy stores spark joy. No, really. During my trip to my friendly local toy store, I was amazed to find how excited I was for . . . well, for everything. Keep in mind that I'm not a toy collector, nor do I possess the spatial reasoning skills necessary for toys like model kits or Legos. (I have trouble assembling the stuff I bring home from Ikea.) And yet, I found myself wandering the aisles, my head full of fond memories about Barbie, kid-friendly craft kits, science toys, and Calico Critters. (Does anyone remember those besides me?) It was a homecoming of sorts, remembering the toys I'd play with at home or when out with friends. I walked out of the place with both my spirits and my purse a bit lighter.  It's been great to see more and more game stores popping up across the country, but toy stores are still relatively rare in my neck of the woods. It's my hope that the ones that do open stick around for a while so kids and adults alike can enjoy browsing the shelves and falling in love with a new interest or hobby. That all depends on us, of course. The next time you need to pick up a toy for yourself or someone else, take a minute to search for a toy store near you. You may be surprised by how much fun you have.

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 12, 2024: George The Mouse In A Log Pile House

If you're looking for a dose of cute, please allow me to introduce you to George.  George and his friends are the subject of George The Mouse In A Log Pile House , an ongoing photographic and video series created by wildlife photographer Simon Dell. The origins of the George The Mouse project go back to 2018, when Mr. Dell noticed a mouse in his garden and became concerned that he could be harmed by the neighborhood cats. What started as a simple log-pile shelter has since blossomed into a tiny, delightful country village that features houses, a pub, a bookstore, craft stations, and a post office.  George and his friends never fail to make me smile, and that seems to be the case for Mr. Dell, too. According to Good News Network, the photographer says this project helped him cope with and recover from depression by giving him a sense of purpose. It's his hope that he can help others by sharing photos of his mouse neighbors enjoying life in a lush, idyllic village. I think he may be on to something – it's impossible for me to stay in a bad mood after watching these little mice explore a village that's been made just for them.

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

October 11, 2024: Thinner Photos?

I recently shared a tip about making instant-camera photos for games. One other fact that might be useful for folks: Inkjet photo paper is printed in layers. This means that, if you're careful, you can (perhaps depending on the photo paper) peel off the printed portion, resulting in a printed image that's much thinner than the original sheet of photo paper.

I generally accomplish the separation by wedging my fingernail into a corner of the sheet until I pry apart the two layers and then carefully peel them apart. With skill and some luck, the printed portion will (probably) curl but not crease.

I've found this useful for applications where full-thickness prints are too chunky (such as DVD or Blu-ray inserts), or as the basis for other customization options, such as using double-sided tape and another printout to make double-sided cards.

Photos separated this way will require some effort to "flatten" – again, putting them in a DVD case or using tape helps return some rigidity.

It's a technique I discovered in the past year or so that's made a big difference with some of my home papercraft efforts, and it might be useful to you. If so, please feel free to let me know on the forums!

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!