Gamers Alliance REPORT
Fall 2007 Vol. 2 No. 24
EDITORIAL
Witchcraft
As this editorial is being written, Halloween is just around the corner. I don't know about you, but Halloween always gets me to thinking about ghosts and goblins and all sorts of spooky things that go bump in the night. And witchcraft.
Witchcraft. Bubbling cauldrons filled with unspeakable things, figures in dark robes mumbling mysterious incantations, unfamiliar scents mingled with blood curdling sounds. Witches may cast spells using eye of newt, some powdered toad and a pinch of batwing to concoct all sorts of things, from healing poultices to love potions and all sorts of magical mystical stuff in between. We've experienced (second or third hand I hope) witchcraft in books we've read or movies on the screen or plays we've seen. (Who can forget the conjuring and troubling predictions of the three witches of Macbeth?) Wonderful and terrifying and fun. Now, if we concentrate on the wonderful and fun part, that brings us to games.
Game designers are, in their own unique ways, modern versions of wizards or witches. A key difference is their use of ingredients. No wolf bane or toad to throw into a cauldron. No mystical book of spells to consult. No ancient parchment filled with runes to unroll. Instead, from their own imaginations and visions, they turn to different ingredients - cardboard, wood, paper and plastic - to craft their own spellbinding creations to captivate, inspire, thrill and satisfy. You know their names. You look for new releases that bear their names. You seek out the next examples of their craft.
Of course, tastes can and do differ. Think back to the days when you donned a costume and went from door to door on a Trick or Treat mission and came away with a bag of goodies. Some were awful to your palate; they went to your sibling or were just traded away! Some were just so good, they were eaten with pure enjoyment or maybe saved to be savored later. It's a similar deal with games. Some examples of the game designing craft get passed along, some hit the trade pile. But, when things work out just right, the artistry and magic of a particular designer of a particular game connects with you in a special and satisfying way to be enjoyed now AND savored later. With Halloween, it's Trick or Treat. With games, the trick in bringing all the ingredients together IS the treat no matter which craft appeals!
In this issue of GA REPORT, we uncover some more magic as we search for Incan gold, get sheepish, travel through the ages, go to market and go uptown! Meanwhile, the usual suspects get busy as Pevans gets carded, Ben Baldanza stacks it up, Chris Kovacs is swept by the tide, Joe Huber digs up a new old game and Frank Hamrick goes zoo-crazy. And, of course, much more!
Until next time, Good Gaming! -- Herb Levy, President
CAYLUS MAGNA CARTA HIT OR MISS INCAN GOLD
JENSEITS VON THEBAN: THEBES MOTHER SHEEP
NEUROSHIMA HEX! PHOENICIA PIXEL PORTOBELLO MARKET
STACK MARKET THROUGH THE AGES TIDE OF IRON