Steve Jackson Games Reveal New Games
Some of you, who must have been living under a Giant Rock or something, might not be familiar with Steve Jackson Games. Suffice to say, they are the most consistently amazing game publisher on the market with the most rabid fan base this side of the new My Little Pony. This adoration is well deserved; during my talk with the guys from SJG (Steve Jackson Games), I was blown away by not only how in touch with their fans they are, but how invested they are in each game they put out being FUN. Enough of my gushing and onto the good stuff!
-Munchkin
The juggernaut among traditional games. I have had a chance to play The Guild expansion and it is a blast. The cards fit perfectly with Munchkin while adding their own flavor (one of the combat buffs gives you a plus equal to the number of Munchkin boxes in the room!). The art, as usual ties in so well with that Munchkin style you know so well, but enemies like the Kevinator and Zaboo’s Mom are instantly recognizable. The booster is a no brainer for either Munchkin or Guild fans, but for both, it’s a match made in nerdy heaven.
What’s that? You like a little more grit in your party time hijinks? How about a new core set inspired by the Conan novels? Complete with some of the most horrifically hilarious gruesome cartoon artwork I have ever seen and all the tweaks you expect in a new core set, Conan Munchkin promises to expand on the success of the Conan booster.
What else do you have to look forward to? Possibly two more licensed properties getting the Munchkin Treatment, Munchkin Apocalypse where you can get your Wastelander on, and the proliferation of the PAX Promo card!
DICE!
Sometimes, Brian sucks and forgets that you guys are starting your DnD game/Halo Night/Viking Brawl at 8 and you get a text saying he will be a little late. SJG has you, and Brian, covered.
For those of you that have not played Zombie/Cthulu/Dino dice, get out of my house and go buy a set. One of each. Or better yet, get these:
Zombie Dice: EXPANSION TIME. Who fights zombies? The action hero! Adding the hero and the babe (because really, what is the point in being a hero otherwise?) adds a new dynamic where your food can save each other, double shotgun you, or bribe you with DOUBLE BRAINS! Sounds a little logical for SJG…..wait, what is that red dice…is that? SANTA CLAUS?! Absolutely. Capable of giving you double brains for Christmas or an Energy Drink to help you catch those runners, Santa is a zombie’s best friend.
Cthulu Dice: UPGRADE. Why play with plastic dice when you can play with metal dice so heavy that we were ushered away from ALL GLASS while holding them? Coming in three new styles, metal Cthulu dice promise to make you feel the true weight of your sanity. Plus, there is talk of a slingshot in the pack so…
Dino Dice: A CHALLENGER APPEARS! Do you like zombie but think, I would much rather be trying to run wildly through a prehistoric murder maze of Dinosaurs with a camera, Dino Dice is for you! Familiar and yet so much more lethal, Dino Dice is a welcome addition to the time waster/stealer offerings.
CASTELLAN
Pronounced CAST-ellan in America and Castle-an in Europe, this re-imaging of “that line and dot game” takes the opposite approach of the dice games and morphs a time waster into a full blown evening sink! Available in 2 separate packages (with different colored pieces so that the two can be combined for larger games), Castellan is the perfect example of quick to learn and difficult to master. Joints and wall pieces are distributed based on a deck of cards individual to each player. Each turn, you can play as many cards from your hand as you want, but you only draw one. Do you hold all your cards for a huge turn, blow your whole hand for an early lead, or slowly bleed your hand out for a steady influx of points? While we were told that games took 20 to 40 minutes, I could not believe that you could only play a single game. Look forward to Castellan this summer, and cries of “Just one more!” from all your friends.
OGRE 6th EDITION
Ya, that just happened and it’s HUGE. To quote their Kickstarter page:
“The current prototype weighs 14 pounds! There are three huge maps – one 17″ x 21″ Ogre map and two geomorphic two-sided G.E.V./Shockwave maps. The hexes are 1.5″ across, with counters to fit. And the Ogre and building counters are 3-D models made of heavy cardstock. There are already well over 15 square feet of chipboard in this game.”
Let that sink in for a minute. During my talk with the SJG guys, it came out that each shipment will be a single game. One per box. They aren’t even accepting Kickstarter bids from people overseas because the bids on shipping it that far are INSANE. Also, it sounds like the shipping containers will come in one of 2 designs because, why not? SJG is all about the little touches and making the fans happy.
So now the question is how much you need to get in on this action, right? Here are the tiers for the Kickstarter program:
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
A buck in the tip jar – and makes you eligible to order some of the “extras” listed below (if, for instance, all you want is a shirt).
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Your name will be listed as a supporter on the Ogre website, and a PDF of the Ogre Miniatures rules (which is being slightly revised as a by-product of this project) will be e-mailed to you.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
The above, plus PDF copies of The Ogre Book and Ogre Scenario Book One.
Pledge $35 or more Pledge $35 or more
Everything above, plus Combine and Paneuropean lapel pins shipped to you. (Foreign add $15 shipping.)
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
Everything above, plus an exclusive “Ogre Supporter 2012″ T-Shirt. Nobody but Kickstarter supporters will get this shirt. You’ll need to give us your size. (Foreign add $15 shipping.)
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
THE GAME! One copy of Ogre Sixth Edition, plus everything from the $25 level, AND your name on the box (on the side of the box bottom), AND a 4-color “thanks for your support” certificate signed by Steve Jackson. NOTE: If you prefer NOT to be listed as a supporter, please put this in the comments field! (US only. At this time, our bids for shipping are so high that we are not offering foreign shipping on games.)
Pledge $150 or more Pledge $150 or more
THE GAME PLUS THE SWAG. Everything at the $75 and $100 levels. (US only.)
Pledge $195 or more Pledge $195 or more
As the $100 level, but you get TWO copies of the game. (US only.)
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
Name an Ogre! As the $100 level, but you get your initials, or some other 3- or 4-character combo, in the ID of one 3-D Ogre or Fencer counter. We reserve the right to say No, We See What You Did There, Try Again. (US only.)
Pledge $245 or more Pledge $245 or more
As the $150 level (that is, game plus swag), but you get TWO copies of the game. (US only.)
Pledge $285 or more Pledge $285 or more
As the $100 level, but you get THREE copies of the game. (US only.)
Pledge $335 or more Pledge $335 or more
As the $150 level (that is, game plus swag), but you get THREE copies of the game. (US only.)
Pledge $995 or more Pledge $995 or more
The $150 level, plus one of Steve Jackson’s own unopened archive copies of the FIRST edition of Ogre, with the Winchell Chung cover art. The first-edition copy can be signed, or left unopened – your choice. (US only.)
Pledge $1,977 or more Pledge $1,977 or more
Sponsorship at this level will improve the rulebook by letting us hire a fantastic illustrator to do some character images. The $335 level . . . PLUS our artist, working from your photo, will put you into rulebook illustrations, and your name will appear in the credits. Depending on your own look and your preferences, you might be an officer, a trooper, a tanker, a refugee, a civilian leader, a technician . . . (Okay, at this level we will ship your game anywhere.)
Pledge $3,000 or more Pledge $3,000 or more
You are sponsoring a whole 8″ x 10” counter sheet, which will go into every copy of the game. We’ll work with you to determine what goes on the sheet and how it will be colored. The unit design will have to fit Ogre canon (no clown faces on the Superheavy Tanks, no overt advertising on the Ogres . . .) but that still leaves a lot of leeway. Your name will go on the sheet as sponsor, and we’ll send you at least a dozen extra copies of the sheet. This also includes everything at the $100 level. (Again, shipped anywhere.)
Pledge $4,500 or more Pledge $4,500 or more
Your own exclusive 8″ x 10” counter sheet. Want an Ogre with your logo on it? Want a squadron of pink GEVs? No problem. We’ll work with you on colors, design, and choice of dies. You’ll also be able to print your logo, name, or other stuff on the margins of the sheet. This could be a promo item for a convention, distributor, or big retail store. These sheets won’t go into the actual game. We will ship you at least 3,000. We’ll own the remaining copies but (unless you wish otherwise) they’ll stay in our warehouse for at least a year after the new Ogre game is released. If you want to resell your sheets, rather than just give them away, you’ll have to sign a licensing agreement to use the Ogre name and images, but that won’t cost you extra. This also includes everything at the $100 level. (Shipping free in the US. You will pay actual shipping costs outside the US.)
Every donation gets them closer to a stretch goal which in turn, make the game even bigger and harder to ship! I can’t begin to convey how psyched I am for this game and the upcoming lineup. As far as I am concerned, Steve Jackson Games stole PAX like a rogue who only roll’s 6’s.
Oh, and we talked about Car Wars.
