Daily Illuminator Archive for February 2019

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February 1, 2019:
Welcome to the '80s, gang! Now funding on Kickstarter, we're bringing back the black plastic box games of the past as near-exact replicas, for those who sometimes start conversations with: "My mom tossed my copy of Crash City when I left home in 1989." We feel your pain, and we're happy to report that we can fill that Crash City-sized hole in your heart . . . as well as the Illuminati, Truck Stop, Battlesuit, and other holes that may have been plaguing your soul for the last three decades . . . read article

February 2, 2019:
During the month of February, the Kickstarter team is running something they're calling Zine Quest. In the announcement, they wrote: "Emerging in the early 1970s, RPG zines were hugely influential in the early days of role-playing game fandom and publishing . . . read article

February 3, 2019:
We've already told you about Kickstarter's Zine Quest event and our zine for The Fantasy Trip, Hexagram, so now I wanna take a few moments to direct your attention to another zine: Delayed Blast Gamemaster. This one isn't a Steve Jackson Games project – it is my personal zine campaign that I created after Kickstarter sent out the invitations to participate in Zine Quest . . . read article

February 4, 2019:
As part of our Munchkin planning for 2019, we're creating some new fun for old favorite Munchkin games. Later this year, we'll have a Kickstarter to create and publish mini-expansions for Munchkin Cthulhu, Star Munchkin, and Munchkin Zombies . . . read article

February 5, 2019:
We posted a report on our 2018 projects back in November, and that proved to be as valuable a tool for us as it was informative for you . . . so here we go again! With the addition of a second Kickstarter account – you're following both the Steve Jackson Games and Warehouse 23 accounts, right? – we've got more flexibility when it comes to Kickstarter and we'll continue to expand on our experience with and use of crowdfunding this year, making reports like this one more and more important as we learn . . . read article

February 6, 2019:
David Brin sent me this open call for a story contest he'll be judging for the Army's Training and Doctrines Command "Mad Scientist Program." –SJ Mad Scientist Science Fiction Writing Contest 2019 DEADLINE 1 APRIL 2019 Background: The U.S. Army finds itself at a historical inflection point, where disparate, yet related elements of an increasingly complex Operational Environment (OE) are converging, creating a situation where fast moving trends are rapidly transforming the nature of all aspects of society and human life – including the character of warfare . . . read article

February 7, 2019:
We've all had it happen to us at one point or another. A treasured item from our past is lost or destroyed in some manner and forever gone . . . or replaced only after spending too much on eBay . . . read article

February 8, 2019:
We're happy to report that Steve's Undead game (first published in 1981 and out-of-print for many, many years) is coming back! We offered the game as a stretch goal in the ongoing Pocket Box campaign on Kickstarter . . . and the stretch goal has been unlocked! . . . read article

February 9, 2019:
Valentine's Day is coming, and that means it's time to plan a spectacular date night for you and your loved one. You could blow a fortune on drinks, dinner, flowers, and all of the trappings of commercially approved romance, or you could place a gaming spin on the evening and play a few different games . . . read article

February 10, 2019:
Welcome back to a special Valentine's edition of Munchkin Musings, where we'll be talking about backstabbing, duplicity, greed, and all the other foundations of a successful relationship! Let's get started! . . . read article

February 11, 2019:
Another suitable title for today's Daily Illuminator post: Some Things Never Change. In working on the Pocket Box Kickstarter campaign (now over $100,000!), we spent a lot of time going through some of the company's oldest games and expansions . . . read article

February 12, 2019:
We're working on our activities for the super-special celebration of all things Steve Jackson Games in April, and one of our featured games will be Ogre. Perhaps you got in on the Ogre Designer's Edition, or are playing with a Sixth Edition set or Miniatures, or even looking forward to the retro stylings of classic Ogre as part of our ongoing Pocket Box Kickstarter . . . read article

February 13, 2019:
Later today, our latest Kickstarter campaign for The Fantasy Trip comes to a close . . . and it has been a spectacular success! When Kickstarter announced their ZineQuest event, we thought it would be fun to participate in creating a retro-style zine, and figured that some of you might enjoy the project . . . read article

February 14, 2019:
I will be a GoH at MystiCon in Roanoke, VA, the weekend after next, February 22-24. I plan to visit the railroad museum and play Car Wars. Not at the same time . . . read article

February 15, 2019:
Another success for the ongoing Pocket Box campaign on Kickstarter! Allen Varney's Necromancer, first published in Space Gamer magazine and then produced as a plastic Pocket Box game, has been unlocked and added to the Kickstarter project, making it one more long-lost classic that is coming back to tables everywhere this fall.  For those who are unfamiliar with Necromancer, we'll let the summer 1983 catalog tell the story: "NECROMANCER is a fantasy game for two players . . . read article

February 16, 2019:
Welcome, adventurers, to Munchkin Dungeon, an all new boardgame with all your favorite Munchkin characters, loot, monsters, and backstabbing. CMON, in collaboration with Steve Jackson Games, has created a Munchkin dungeon-crawling experience from the (what else?) ground up . . . read article

February 17, 2019:
Our Pocket Box games campaign on Kickstarter continues to unlock stretch goals and move ever upward, with more than 1,100 backers pledging over $125,000 to bring back several of the Steve Jackson Games titles of the '80s. You can find the complete list of available games and expansions on the Kickstarter page, but one question not answered on Kickstarter is: Which of these games and expansions will be in stores? . . . read article

February 18, 2019:
Our friends at CMON launched their Munchkin Dungeon game on Kickstarter last month, and today the campaign comes to a close with over 5,500 supporters and dozens of Munchkin miniatures. This new game, designed by Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M . . . read article

February 19, 2019:
As work on our Pocket Box campaign continues (now on Kickstarter!), we've been spending a little time in the art archives uncovering classic works . . . and a lot of memories. Last week on Twitter, we shared a couple of discoveries that GURPS players will find entertaining . . . read article

February 20, 2019:
Continued support of our ongoing Kickstarter campaign (ending on March 1) has unlocked two more Steve Jackson Games Pocket Box titles from the early '80s: One-Page Bulge and Kung Fu 2100! Creating near-exact replicas of the Pocket Box versions of games means that some long-forgotten games get a chance at a new life . . . read article

February 21, 2019:
Reviewing our monthly sales report (end of year always slows us down a little, so this is a few months old now), we find that eight of the top ten sellers by volume in November 2018 were Munchkin . . . read article

February 22, 2019:
Our Pocket Box campaign on Kickstarter closes one week from today, and it has turned into an incredible deal for Car Wars fans looking to replace forgotten, lost, and worn titles from the game's earliest days. At this point, the campaign's $200 reward level includes three Car Wars plastic Pocket Boxes, three booklets, six ziplock-bag expansions, as well as three 9-inch by 12-inch pocket folders (perfect for carrying your game notes, vehicle designs, and any FAQ or articles you may print from the web) . . . read article

February 23, 2019:
After last year's successful crowdfunding campaign to bring back The Fantasy Trip, project supporters packed the new Legacy Edition box with so much amazing stuff that we had to make the box larger than first planned. Many of you who missed out on your chance to back the Kickstarter campaign have asked: "When can I get mine?!?!?" Well, we've now got an answer for you: April . . . read article

February 24, 2019:
A few years ago, we had an idea for a new d6 design, so we worked with our partners at GPI to cut molds and transform the idea into a reality. At one time, we even considered running a Kickstarter project for the design, but the timing never quite worked out . . . read article

February 25, 2019:
During last year's campaign for The Fantasy Trip, as well as last month's The Fantasy Trip Adventures, we created custom 9-inch by 12-inch pocket folders featuring the new TFT artwork. These folders proved so popular with project backers that we're now creating, as part of the Pocket Box Kickstarter that closes this week, folders decorated in classic Steve Jackson Games artwork from the eighties . . . read article

February 26, 2019:
Whether you're looking to laugh in the face of danger with cards from Grave Danger, or to pick up some more killer cards, we've got an upcoming event you don't want to miss. It's time for the Grave Danger Day of Wreckoning, where players can win never-before-seen promo cards and revel in the third expansion for the Munchkin Collectible Card Game . . . read article

February 27, 2019:
Our Pocket Box campaign closes in a few days, and we're happy to report that the backers have unlocked so many classic Illuminati titles that it is almost as good as having access to a time machine! So far, for the Illuminati fans in the audience, the campaign includes: Illuminati Pocket Box - The original game! Illuminati Expansion Set 1 - More cards for your game, packed inside a hard plastic Pocket Box. Illuminati Expansion Set 2 - Complete with an "I've Been Illuminated" button, packed inside a Pocket Box . . . read article

February 28, 2019:
Weekly, we share photos on the Steve Jackson Games page on Facebook, and we want you to join in and enjoy the pics! . . . read article

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