Steve Jackson's Blog, page 62

March 7, 2024: Crypto Cannibal Infects Giant Ape?

Our big February release this year was Tabloids ! In case you missed it, Tabloids , designed by Steve Jackson, is a fun, silly party game for three (or more!) people.

The game includes "Shocker" cards and "Filler" cards, and you can put them together any way you choose! To play, everyone creates a headline as crazy, improbable, or as questionably factual as they wish. A quick round of judging has all the players voting on what they view as the "best" headline. The winner scores a "Scoop" card, and then it's on to the next round.The game ends when there are seven headlines on the table. Whoever has the most "Scoop" cards at that time is the winner!

The base game comes with 328 cards, so there are endless* combinations to play! Pick up Tabloids  at your FLGS next time you're out and about. If you don't have a local store, order your copy directly from our online store, Warehouse23.com.

 

*They're not really mathematically endless. Sorry.

– Susan Bueno

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!

March 6, 2024: A Time Warp Awaits At Retro Attic Akron

Visiting used record stores is a favorite pastime for my dad, my husband, and me. There are plenty of excellent stores near us, but I don't think any of us were ready for what awaited us at Retro Attic Akron. Housed in an unassuming corner of Akron, Ohio, this store boasts a frankly astonishing collection of media in a space that manages to be both cozy and cool. Each room in the Retro Attic has a general theme, such as VHS tapes, DVDs, music (vinyl, cassettes, and CDs), clothing, and memorabilia. So what sets this place apart from your typical used-media retailer? In an interview from late last year, Kevin, the owner of Retro Attic Akron, discusses his love of 80s and 90s media, as well as why he decided to turn it into a career. It's clear that this passion infuses the Retro Attic – the massive collection is well curated and features a broad variety that will appeal to everyone. You won't find an overabundance of Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream And Other Delights, but you may find the soundtrack for Neon Genesis Evangelion on vinyl like I did. I didn't pick it up in the end, but my husband and I did get great deals on several DVDs and VHS tapes..While streaming services offer a convenient way to enjoy music, movies, and TV shows, issues like media consolidation, licensing, and a lack of true ownership is pushing many fans to seek out physical copies of their favorite works. If you're ever in Northeast Ohio, consider checking out the Retro Attic. No matter what you're after, there's a good chance they'll have exactly what you're looking for. Retro Attic Akron is located at 2475 Massillon Rd. in Akron, Ohio.

– 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!

March 5, 2024: Hoping To Win A Telegrammy Award For This Post

I hope this Daily Illuminator finds you well. Stop. Today I ponder another idea that I don't have any immediate use for but is cool enough to share. Stop. The United States still has a working telegram system, as do 24 other countries. Stop. I really want to include a telegram in a modern RPG adventure or other tabletop game, as a plot point or cool artifact. Stop.

While writing this I also learned about words designed specifically as code for telegram abbreviations. Stop. I can't wait to make use of nalezing or empanel in the future. Stop. Yes, I know that punctuation wasn't used in actual telegrams. Stop. I'm going for a style. Stop. If it annoys you, please feel free to jump on the forums and tell me. Stop.

– 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!

March 4, 2024: The Munchkin Mask

Love Munchkin ? Love accessorizing? Love in-game bonuses? How about being a little silly? Then the Munchkin Mask is for you! And the best part is that it can be yours for the low, low price of FREE! Here's what to do in just 4 easy steps: 1. Visit the link to Warehouse 23 at the bottom of this article to download your FREE 7-page Munchkin Mask PDF.  2. Print the mask, preferably on cardstock for durability. Color or black and white. Your choice, 3. Assemble the mask with tape or glue, and add a piece of string or a rubber band to make it wearable. 4. Now you're ready for the bonus! Don your mask and wait for a Trap or Curse to be played on you. Simply exclaim, "Mighty Mask of the Munchkin, I call upon your Power!" and the Trap or Curse no longer affects you. There's just one catch: You'll need to wear it for the rest of the game or lose a level. Bonus: When playing on October 31st, Halloween Day, wear the mask the entire game and you'll win on level 9 instead of level 10! Download the Munchkin Mask today, and take your game to the next level!

– 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!

March 3, 2024: Put On The Wax Cylinder, Jeeves!

At the risk of dating myself like the inner ring of a mighty oak . . . do folks make "mix tapes" for their games? Or playlists, or whatever we call 'em nowadays?

If there's a certain vibe or atmosphere I'm trying to create, I'll toss on an album to get folks in the mood. If it's a longer-term effort or special event, I might even come up with an honest-to-goodness playlist mix – more time-consuming, but perfect to punctuate particularly exciting moments. It's especially helpful in "flashback" games, or ones where I'm using music to define an era. (One of the great gifts the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies had was their soundtracks, which provided an evocative one-of-a-kind tone that's instrumental in establishing the flavor of its world.)

If anyone else has been a mix-master for their own gaming tables – especially if you have any tips – feel free to drop a line 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!

March 2, 2024: Saethor's Bane On Backerkit

Saethor's Bane is a conversion to the Dungeon Fantasy RPG of David Pulver's excellent Dark Lord's Doom , available for both TFT and OSE (with greyscale interior) by Gaming Ballistic.

It is designed to showcase the capabilities and options of the Dungeon Fantasy RPG , taking four martial characters – the spellcasters would be assigned to a different unit – through a full campaign arc. It presents a fantastic opportunity to – by obtaining the core rules and the solo adventure – to try out the Dungeon Fantasy RPG and experience how much fun it can be once you get to the table.

The characters start at 125-150 points (Journeymen level from Delvers to Grow ) and rapidly advance as the adventure progresses. Very rapidly. Artificially rapidly. Showcasing how the capability of characters grows, what options that affords, enabling players and GMs to see what it takes to challenge characters at different skill levels.

Saethor's Bane marks the 20th product Gaming Ballistic has publishing for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG :   Four bestiaries, quick-start character generation, adventures, rules, and books of magic items, all beautifully illustrated in full color.

It launched on February 20 on Backerkit Crowdfunding and met its funding goal of $5,000 within eight hours. It's on track to achieve its stretch goal at $21,000 to colorize the maps, interior art, and character illustrations. The campaign ends on March 9, at 9pm Central Time. Right now, more than one in seven backers has also picked up the core rules: There's never been a better way to introduce people to the Dungeon Fantasy RPG , Powered by GURPS, and introduce new folks to our corner of the hobby!

– Douglas Cole

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!

March 1, 2024: Steve Jackson Games Is On Bluesky

Fans of the endless scrolling experience, rejoice! Steve Jackson Games is now actively posting on Bluesky, the latest social media platform to open to the public. You can find us at stevejacksongames.bsky.social, where we'll be posting about games, interacting with fans, reblogging important gaming news, and hopefully providing a bit of amusement in the process.

Feel free to give us a follow if you wish. Maybe you could invite two of your friends to follow, and encourage them to each invite two more, who could in turn invite two more. It's a decidedly geometric plan to ensure a healthy follower count. A sort of ziggurat plot, if you will . . . 

– 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!

February 29, 2024: The Future's Pretty Awesome When It Comes To Learning Games

Just the other day I realized how downright amazing it is nowadays, as far as learning a new game goes. Like, take a random game such as . . . ohhh, how about Car Wars Sixth Edition .

• Do you learn better by reading? Then the rulebook is available online, in its full-color glory as a searchable PDF.

• Are you a visual learner? There's a "How to Play" video with Chris Steele on Tabletop Game Talk.

• Do you learn better by asking questions or searching for answers? Then we've got forums and a Discord server to talk about our games.

• And, of course, the Internet makes it easier than ever for like-minded folks to form groups and figure things out.

As someone who had to muddle through (say) the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons using just the hardcovers, the plethora of preparatory possibilities available nowadays is nothing less than amazing to me. And, of course, it means that I get to learn (and chat with) a lot more folks about games . . .

– 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!

February 28, 2024: GAMA EXPO Starts Next Week!

The Game Manufacturers Association annual Expo will take place next week, March 3-7 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky International Convention Center and the Galt House will host this year's convention – and Steve Jackson Games will be there! The GAMA Expo is a yearly B2B trade show and includes panels, seminars, an exhibit hall (with over 250 exhibitors!), and game nights. This is an exciting opportunity for game creators and industry professionals to gather and network with each other.  If you've always wanted to meet Steve Jackson himself, we have great news! He will be in attendance and looks forward to meeting other industry friends and fans. Steve Jackson Games is booked at Booth 420, and we will also be demoing new releases at the game nights, held Monday through Thursday. Are you attending this year's Expo? If so, stop by Booth 420. We hope to see you there! 

– 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!

February 27, 2024: The One Where I Talk About A Stapler

I recently regaled you all with my . Those of you who sprinted out to buy the app may have quickly realized that you've ended up with a pile of loose pages that – although folded into a correctly numbered booklet – do not actually form a booklet. That's because you need a stapler. A very special stapler.

A saddle stapler (also sometimes known as a "saddle stitcher") differs from its other staplery counterparts by having room to tuck the rest of the booklet while you staple it, like a saddle . . . hence the name (the "saddle" part, that is).

I've had my saddle stapler for decades, and it's been a workhorse. Barring an unexpected incident, the only reason I can foresee my saddle stitcher not being passed on to my next of kin when I shuffle off this mortal coil is that I intend to request that it be buried with me, pharaoh-like amid the treasures of my tomb. I'm still on the fence.

The one downside with saddle stitching (which is what it's called when a book is stapled in this fashion) is that you're limited by how thick you can make the book. A comfortable limit is 32 pages (which is eight sheets of paper, in addition to any cover you might want). The upper limit, in my experience, is 64 pages, or the maximum number of pages your stapler can handle, whichever is lower.

There are many models of saddle stapler on the market, but mine was one of the more-affordable options when I bought it last millennium. If you want to consider picking up my model of choice, it's the Bostitch booklet stapler, available on Amazon.

– 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!