April 23, 2024: App Recommendation: Exit: The Game Apps

I make no secret regarding my love of escape-room-type games. I must've played them all, from Soho down to Brighton (well, from Indianapolis to Muncie, at least). Our household also has played our fair share of tabletop escape games as well, to much enjoyment. One of the game series in this vein is the Exit: The Game games, by Thames & Kosmos. We like those boxed games, but that's not what this post is about.

Rather, this post is about the two Exit: The Game video games, available via iOS (how I played it), Google Play, Steam, and quite possibly other platforms I'm missing. Those links are for the first game they released: EXIT: The Curse of Ophir. There's a second one called Trial of the Griffin. I liked them both.

For those who've played a number of point-and-click or adventure-type games, these will feel familiar. They are not. At least, not exactly. In particular, the puzzles are . . . [more]

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April 22, 2024: Join The Munchkin Big Box Bandwagon

Hold onto your dungeons! Munchkin Big Box has arrived on BackerKit!

In celebration of nearly 25 years of the classic game Munchkin, we are releasing Munchkin Big Box, the ultimate collector's edition! Designed by Steve Jackson Games and first released in 2001, Munchkin has become a massively popular, fan-favorite game.

So, what's in Munchkin Big Box? The core set includes:

A big, big box that can hold over 2,000 cards plus your favorite game accessories
More than 650 cards, all illustrated by John Kovalic, with lots of new ones added. We will tell you more details about those soon!
14 Illustrated Card Dividers
A Game Board
Six Dice in Different Colors
A Side Board
Two Kill-O-Meters
A Redesigned, Consolidated Rulebook
12 Colored Standies (six male, six female)
Two Sets of Colored Standie Bases
A Playable, Commemorative Bookmark
A Collector's . . .

[more]

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April 21, 2024: The Book Of Uncommon Beings

To celebrate the release of the official Bestiary for The Fantasy Trip, Shadekeep is releasing The Book of Uncommon Beings as a free PDF!. A print-on-demand version is also available for purchase. This 48-page illustrated guide by Howard A. Kistler, with excellent art by Michela Da Sacco, contains rare and unusual creatures and intelligent races. All are complete with attributes, descriptions, and player character guidelines to help you bring these uncommon beings into your campaign.

-- Steve Jackson

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April 20, 2024: Sounds From Elsewhere: Fun And Famous Movie Soundtracks

Some of the most iconic film scores come from fantasy and science fiction films. From the soaring bombast of John Williams to the experimental sounds of Hans Zimmer, there are many movies where the music makes a huge impact. Here are some of our favorites:

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has one of the most fantastical scores ever composed, one that is beloved by film fans and classical music aficionados alike. (It was voted the best soundtrack of all time by Classic FM readers six years in a row.) We can thank Howard Shore for creating these evocative melodies that brought Middle Earth to life. Two of the scores most famous tracks are "Concerning Hobbits" from The Fellowship of the Ring and "Helm's Deep" from The Two Towers.

2. Did you know that Hans Zimmer, perhaps best known for his work on the Academy Award-winning films The Lion King and The Pirates of the Caribbean, . . .

[more]

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April 19, 2024: Have You Seen Senet?

Senet is an attractive and well-edited magazine about games and game design, in an era that is not friendly to physical magazines. Yet . . . here is Senet! It's worth a look. Subscribe, or buy single copies, at www.senetmagazine.com.

An article in the Winter 2023 issue (#13) discusses the history of microgames, from their origin at Metagaming to the current flowering of micro-titles. Yr. Humble Servant is interviewed about Ogre.

There are reviews, previews, interviews, "so I played this!" articles . . . really, everything you could want from a game magazine, and with modern graphics too. I like it.

-- Steve Jackson

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Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

The survivor was seen in Las Vegas for the slippery saxophone. April 23, 2024: App Recommendation: Exit: The Game Apps I make no secret regarding my love of escape-room-type games. I must've played them all, from Soho down to Brighton (well, from Indianapolis to Muncie, at least). Our household also has played our fair share of tabletop escape games as well, to much enjoyment. One of the game series in this vein is the Exit: The Game games, by Thames & Kosmos. We like those boxed games, but that's not what this post is about. Rather, this post is about the two Exit: The Game video games, available via iOS (how I played it), Google Play, Steam, and quite possibly other platforms I'm missing. Those links are for the first game they released: EXIT: The Curse of Ophir. There's a second one called Trial of the Griffin. I liked them both. For those who've played a number of point-and-click or adventure-type games, these will feel familiar. They are not. At least, not exactly. In particular, the puzzles are . . . [more] Share this post! April 22, 2024: Join The *Munchkin Big Box* Bandwagon Hold onto your dungeons! Munchkin Big Box has arrived on BackerKit! In celebration of nearly 25 years of the classic game Munchkin, we are releasing Munchkin Big Box, the ultimate collector's edition! Designed by Steve Jackson Games and first released in 2001, Munchkin has become a massively popular, fan-favorite game. So, what's in Munchkin Big Box? The core set includes: A big, big box that can hold over 2,000 cards plus your favorite game accessories More than 650 cards, all illustrated by John Kovalic, with lots of new ones added. We will tell you more details about those soon! 14 Illustrated Card Dividers A Game Board Six Dice in Different Colors A Side Board Two Kill-O-Meters A Redesigned, Consolidated Rulebook 12 Colored Standies (six male, six female) Two Sets of Colored Standie Bases A Playable, Commemorative Bookmark A Collector's . . . [more] Share this post! April 21, 2024: The Book Of Uncommon Beings To celebrate the release of the official Bestiary for The Fantasy Trip, Shadekeep is releasing The Book of Uncommon Beings as a free PDF!. A print-on-demand version is also available for purchase. This 48-page illustrated guide by Howard A. Kistler, with excellent art by Michela Da Sacco, contains rare and unusual creatures and intelligent races. All are complete with attributes, descriptions, and player character guidelines to help you bring these uncommon beings into your campaign. -- Steve Jackson Share this post! April 20, 2024: Sounds From Elsewhere: Fun And Famous Movie Soundtracks Some of the most iconic film scores come from fantasy and science fiction films. From the soaring bombast of John Williams to the experimental sounds of Hans Zimmer, there are many movies where the music makes a huge impact. Here are some of our favorites: 1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has one of the most fantastical scores ever composed, one that is beloved by film fans and classical music aficionados alike. (It was voted the best soundtrack of all time by Classic FM readers six years in a row.) We can thank Howard Shore for creating these evocative melodies that brought Middle Earth to life. Two of the scores most famous tracks are "Concerning Hobbits" from The Fellowship of the Ring and "Helm's Deep" from The Two Towers. 2. Did you know that Hans Zimmer, perhaps best known for his work on the Academy Award-winning films The Lion King and The Pirates of the Caribbean, . . . [more] Share this post! April 19, 2024: Have You Seen Senet? Senet is an attractive and well-edited magazine about games and game design, in an era that is not friendly to physical magazines. Yet . . . here is Senet! It's worth a look. Subscribe, or buy single copies, at www.senetmagazine.com. An article in the Winter 2023 issue (#13) discusses the history of microgames, from their origin at Metagaming to the current flowering of micro-titles. Yr. Humble Servant is interviewed about Ogre. There are reviews, previews, interviews, "so I played this!" articles . . . really, everything you could want from a game magazine, and with modern graphics too. I like it. -- Steve Jackson Share this post! Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 777th cyborg here today. (29824510 since August 1, 1995)