Tag Archives: Pop culture

Free Board Games and RPGs?

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At the start of the pandemic in 2020, game companies around the world rallied around their customers, offering discounts, producing print-and-play versions of their games, and creating new online variants of their games to allow for Zoom play or remote play.

It was a remarkable effort at a very trying time, one that many board game enthusiasts like myself remember warmly.

So, five years later, as this baffling tariff war threatens the industry as a whole, we’re seeing the board game industry again roll with the punches and work with the audience to survive.

Some are having “tariff sales” at deep discounts to help clear inventory, gauge audience interest in certain games, or create a cash bumper to help them weather the uncertain tariff storms.

Others are making PDFs more available to customers, helping mitigate both prices for the audience and reduce production costs for the company.

Today, I want to highlight a few companies that have gone beyond that, offering free products for customers to enjoy.

Yes, they would obviously rather that you visit their shops and pay for PDFs or physical copies, but the fact that they have free board game libraries AT ALL is worthy of attention and admiration.

So here we go!

9th Level Games

Every year, dozens of roleplaying game companies create Free RPG Day handouts for game stores to offer fans. Sometimes they’re quickstart versions of the games to introduce new players. Sometimes they’re exclusive adventures or modules to play either in-store or at home. Othertimes, they’re entirely new games, free of charge.

For five years now, 9th Level Games has created their own Free RPG Day offering, the Level 1 Anthology. It’s a collection of new games by up-and-coming and established RPG creators, all centered around a theme. Last year’s edition was all about programming. This year’s is about the end of the wild west.

You can visit your friendly local game shop on June 21st this year to pick your physical copy of the game.

But if you want to check out ANY of the previous years’ Level 1 Anthologies, they continue to offer the PDFs free of charge!

9th Level Games is one of my favorite RPG companies — making classics like Kobolds Ate My Baby!, Mazes, Return to Dark Tower, and The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl — and I’m proud to have a game featured in last year’s Level 1 collection as well as a game in this year’s upcoming collection. Please check out both the freebies and the full lineup of games on their website.

Crab Fragment Labs

A company called Cheapass Games launched with a very simple idea: they only give you what you need to play the game. No reselling you tokens and dice and chips and fake money that you can already borrow from other games. Just what you need to play their games. It was affordable and brilliant.

They’ve created some of my all-time favorite board games, including:

–The Big Idea (can you put two cards together to make a silly product and market it to your investors/other players?)
–Kill Doctor Lucky (can you eliminate the luckiest man alive?)
–Unexploded Cow (can you combine unexploded World War II ordnance and mad cows to turn a profit?)
–U.S. Patent Number 1 (can your time machine beat other time machines to the day the patent office opened and claim the very first patent?)

And while many games from the Cheapass Games era are still available, their creative legacy lives on through Crab Fragment Labs, a game company that not only develops their own clever and challenge games, but also hosts a free print-and-play library of many board games for you to enjoy.

They have a shop as well, where you can support their gaming mission. Please check them out!

Dungeons & Dragons

I know that the prices of D&D books can seem daunting these days, but what you might not know is that there are publicly available rulesets for you to enjoy right now! You can use their own quickstart rules, as well as the advice on DnDBeyond.com to delve into building your own game world free of charge!

Rowan, Rook, and Decard

If Dungeons & Dragons is still a little intimidating, no worries! Have you ever tried a one-page RPG?

Rowan, Rook, and Decard offers a brilliant library of RPG games at all price levels, and many of their one-page RPGs designed by Grant Howitt are Pay What You Want. It’s a delightfully affordable way to try out the hobby without breaking the bank! (There’s also a free RPG section!)

Want to play bears planning the perfect crime? Try Honey Heist.

Want to play a group of seagulls causing mayhem? Try Everyone Is Seagulls.

Want to see Sean Bean finally survive film? Try Seans Bean Star In: A Very Northern Christmas.

Want to combine Regency romance with giant robots? Try Pride and Extreme Prejudice.

Comedy, horror, action, long-form, short-form? They’ve got it all. Check out their entire library here!

If you’re looking to play online, you have options like Free Board Games.org, Tabletopia, and Calculators.org, as well as this list from RPG Geek.

For those with 3D printers at home, How-To Geek has collected ten board games you can print at home right now. The list includes Connect 4, Battleship, Chess, and Settlers of Catan.

You’d be amazed at what’s out there for gamers on a budget if you just know where to look. Please support any and all of these companies where you can. They’re helping keep the hobby alive, affordable, and exciting.

Happy tabletopping, everyone!

The Board Game Legacy of Kurt Vonnegut

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Mystery novelist Agatha Christie was an avid surfing enthusiast. Abraham Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and only suffered a single defeat in 12 years. We wouldn’t have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth without the scientific prowess of actress Hedy Lamarr.

It’s fascinating to learn unexpected facts about iconic figures from history that don’t necessarily jive with their most famous accolades.

For instance, did you know that celebrated writer Kurt Vonnegut made a board game?

Yes, nearly seventy years ago, after the less than stellar commercial performance of his novel Player Piano, Vonnegut attempted to create a third game to utilize the 8×8 checkerboard as effectively as chess and checkers did.

It was called GHQ, short for General Headquarters, and it was a tactical strategy game involving balancing your ground infantry and artillery forces with your airborne forces to capture your enemy’s headquarters.

In 1956, it was downright innovative, mixing wargame mechanics and multiple actions in a single turn. (This is commonplace today, but was quite revolutionary in games for the 1950s.) In today’s board game market, the initial run sold out, and now the game is carried by Barnes & Noble, and I have no doubt it’s performing well.

This would come as a shock to Vonnegut, as the game was rejected by publisher Henry Saalfield of the Saalfield Game Company. Vonnegut put the game away, and as far as his family knows, he never went back to it at all.

That historical context makes the game (and its companion booklet) a wonderful glimpse into Vonnegut as a creative mind.

We get his original notes — including rules for the game — as well as photos of the original game pieces from his prototype.

GHQ exists as a fascinating conundrum. How do you reconcile encountering a combat-focused game designed by someone famous for his antiwar sentiments?

A review of the game on Spacebiff had something interesting to say about this:

It’s also so very Vonnegut. Years before Billy Pilgrim manifested as his coping mechanism for the horrors he witnessed in the Ardennes and during the firebombing of Dresden, here he was designing a game that drew on his experience as a spotter for the 106th Infantry Division. It’s a game rooted in a particular military doctrine, one where most casualties were not inflicted by tanks or planes, but by distant cannons. While the game’s airborne units are flashy and threatening, it’s the roving fields of fire that shape this battlefield.

That, too, strikes me as the proper way to consider GHQ. Vonnegut’s antiwar stance crystallized as U.S. involvement deepened in Vietnam, and it’s natural to wonder if the older Vonnegut set aside GHQ not only out of disappointment with Saalfield’s lack of interest but also because its maneuvers and bombardments cut too close to the bone.

It’s impossible to separate the man from the art in this case. I can’t help but view this game as not only part of Vonnegut’s journey toward his rejection of warfare and wartime thinking, but also as a way for him to turn his knowledge and experience from wartime into something productive (and profitable) for his family.

It’s pragmatic, transformative, and a little bit sad in a way that feels so keenly Vonnegut.

I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but I do have a Barnes & Noble gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so perhaps you’ll see a more thorough writeup on GHQ in the future.

In the meantime, what do you think of this curious discovery, fellow puzzlers? Does GHQ intrigue either the reader or the tactical gamer in you? Let us know in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

A Rhyming Puzzle For You!

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One of my favorite memes is “You’ve heard of Elf on a Shelf, now…”

Inspired by the family-friendly surveillance toy that took the world by storm, this meme (which dates back to 2016!) gives you the format of “elf on a shelf” and sets you up with a little visual puzzle to solve.

The image above, for instance, gives you Shrek on a deck!

Image courtesy of Joe-_-King on Reddit.

And this one gives us Grogu on a snowshoe!

Now, my Photoshop skills are pretty much nonexistent, but my cluing skills are fairly sharp, so I’ve opted to create a bunch of clues for you.

All you have to do is come up with an “elf on a shelf”-style rhyme that fits the clue.

Ready? Here we go!

Grumpy person on a sofa

Golf helper in a rice field

Magical boy atop an aquatic mammal

Tucker or Turner on an award

Female scientist on a panel

Mythical creature on a pitcher

Alcoholic drink poured over Mr. Morris or Mr. Levi

Public defender on an excursion

Chewy candy at a steak/lobster restaurant

Food storage atop a crane

Ruse involving a pastry store

Greater attention to detail regarding a coup asea

Prodigious author atop a candy egg

Infectious agent atop an old thin writing surface

Distress call regarding a check

Building material atop a musician or a whale

Camel located in cafeteria

Ball of air atop a device in space

Plants growing on industrial devices

Guide to freedom atop a horse-drawn ride

A Gibb brother on a cleaning device

Famed magician atop a sandwich

Autocratic rule in the Iberian peninsula

Arthropod atop a city transport terminal

Sports official atop an ape

These last few are a little tougher, good luck!

French poet using federal health insurance

Correction for a stitch

My French brother atop ceramics

“The Wolf of Wall Street” star in Arab city

Old-fashioned person in a gory home office

How many did you get? Did any stump you? Let me know in the comments below!

Farewell, Wink.

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Image courtesy of NBC News.

In the pantheon of game show hosts, there are names, there are stars, and there are icons.

Wink Martindale deserves to be called an icon.

He was the host of twenty-one different game shows across a career spanning more than 60 years, including Debt, Tic-Tac-Dough/The New Tac-Tic-Dough, Gambit, High Rollers, and my personal favorite, Trivial Pursuit. (I remember watching and playing along on days I was home sick from school.)

But it may come as a surprise that he contributed far more than memorable game show moments to pop culture.

As a disc jockey in the 1950s, he gave Elvis Presley a lot of airtime, and Elvis rewarded Wink’s enthusiasm and loyalty with his first interview, which was recorded during an episode of Top Ten Dance Party. (Col. Parker was apparently fuming over it!)

His spoken-word song “Deck of Cards” sold over one million copies in 1959, and he made the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

He continued to work in radio all throughout his life, spanning local disc jockey work all the way to appearances on Sirius Radio in the 2010s. His television appearances were equally varied, running the gamut from Your Hit Parade to The Howard Stern Show, including commercials for Orbitz and KFC.

Wink was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

He also has a YouTube channel where he chronicles the history of game shows. You should absolutely check it out. (This episode debuted a mere two hours before he passed.)

On a personal note, I found Wink to be an immensely gracious and giving individual.

Back in 2013, I was only a year into writing what was then known as PuzzleNation Blog, and still finding my feet. I had sent out dozens upon dozens of interview requests to puzzly people, celebrities, authors, and more. One of those many requests went to Wink Martindale Productions.

I received a reply the very next day. He was happy to do so.

He politely corrected me about the number of game shows he had hosted, pointing out it was “one more than the great Bill Cullen.” (Sorry, Hollywood Reporter and MSN, who claimed it was 20, not 21.)

His answers were short and to the point, but honest and charming. He shared that his favorite memory from his career was the day his agent told him he’d be hosting his first game show, What’s This Song, for NBC. “Like your first car or your first house, there is nothing that can compete with THE FIRST anything!”

He didn’t know me or anything about the blog, and yet he took time from his still-busy schedule to give us a boost. It was a kind gesture I’ve never forgotten.

It gives me comfort to know he was surrounded by family and loved ones at the end.

Farewell, Wink. Thank you for your humor and heart and all those memories.

The Strong National Museum of Play did a wonderful writeup on Wink’s life. It’s absolutely worth a read.

A Game For Tax Day?

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It’s Tax Day today.

I know, that’s not the most joyful subject to choose for a puzzle and games blog.

But you might be surprised to learn there’s a game out there inspired by Tax Day.

It’s called The Taxman Game, but it’s also known by the names Tax Factor, Number Shark, The Factor Game, Factor Blast, Factor Blaster, or Dr. Factor. Phew! What a list.

It was created by mathematician Diane Resek in the late 1960s or early 1970s. It’s designed to help students practice their division and factorial skills.

In the single-player version of the game, you’re dealing with the taxman (played by the computer), while you play the tax payer.

Your goal is to choose a number, but the tax you pay is any remaining factors on the board. So, with the example board above, if you chose 18, you’d get 18 points. But the taxman would take 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9 (since 1×18, 2×9, and 3×6 all make 18).

With those numbers gone, you can only choose from numbers with factors remaining on the board. You pick, and again, the computer taxes you by claiming any factors remaining.

This continues until there are no legal moves left. When that happens, the taxman collects ALL of the remaining numbers on the board.

(There’s a two player version as well, where players alternate turns as the taxpayer and the taxman.)

Here was my attempt:

I chose 19 first, because it was the highest value prime number. The taxman only gets 1 as a tax.

I chose 10 next, since the taxman could only collect 2 and 5 from the board, which were lower numbers compared to my other options.

Next I chose 20, because with 10, 2, and 5 off the board, the taxman would only collect 4 points.

That put me at 49 to the taxman’s 12. Pretty good so far.

I chose 9 next, because 3 was the only option for the taxman.

Then I chose 18, because 1, 2, 9, and 3 were all off the table, so the taxman only got 6.

I chose 16 next, giving the taxman 8, then closed my choices with 14, giving the taxman 7.

My final score was 106 to the taxman’s 36.

Until that final rule kicked in.

All the unclaimed numbers went to the taxman. That’s 11, 12, 13, 15, and 17. 68 points!

So the final tally was 106 to 104. I BARELY edged out the taxman.

And that was my best effort!

As challenging as the game was, I really enjoyed it. It taxed my observational and math skills to keep ALL the factors in mind when selecting numbers, and trying to be strategic about the order in which I chose numbers.

And yeah, I’d still rather play this than do my taxes. What about you, fellow puzzler?

The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament: Rising Stars and Familiar Names

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The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament was this past weekend, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend. I did my best to keep up with the event through social media, enjoying everyone’s observations, jokes, highlights, victories, trials and tribulations.

One message in particular stuck out to me, though.

I can’t remember if it was posting the results after the sixth or the seventh puzzle, but they remarked that they were excited to see some new blood in the top ten.

I couldn’t help but laugh, because all the names were pretty familiar to me.

Paolo Pasco won the tournament for the second year in a row, dominating the final puzzle with a record-breaking time of 3 minutes and 45 seconds. (Solver Paul Edward did the math on Facebook and calculated that Paolo spent less than 34 minutes across the 8 puzzles that weekend. WOW.)

Will Nediger and former champ Dan Feyer duked it out for second place, with Will edging out Dan by ONE SECOND, solving the puzzle in 4 minutes and 38 seconds. What a nailbiter!

The next day, after the tournament was over, I still had that message lurking in my brainspace.

Now, anyone who reads this blog can tell that I’m a nerd for many things. I’m a nerd for puzzles, games, and RPGs. I’m a nerd for trivia.

And I am absolutely a nerd for statistics. I love numbers and analysis and compiling data.

If you’ve ever perused the website for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, you’ll find it to be a treasure trove of data just waiting for analysis.

So I read through the full results available for each tournament going back years, focusing on the top ten from this year’s tournament and reflecting on their ACPT careers. I had to see if that “new blood” message had any merit or not, and I figured this was the best way to find out.

Let’s see, shall we?

  1. Emily O’Neill

Emily has been competing since 2005 (unless there’s a name change involved, which is possible), and has been in the top ten twice. She has been in the top 30 ten times!

  1. Glen Ryan

Glen has been competing since 2013 (where he placed 3rd in Division B), and has been in the top ten five times. He has been in the top 30 ten times!

  1. Al Sanders

Al has been competing since 1999 (where he placed in the top three), and has been in the top ten TWENTY times. He has been second place twice and in the top 3 seven times. He has never ranked lower than 21!

  1. Stella Zawistowski

Stella has been competing since 2001, and has been in the top ten THIRTEEN times. She has been in the top 30 nineteen times!

  1. Andy Kravis

Andy has been competing since 2011, and has been in the top ten six times. He has been in the top 30 ten times!

  1. Tyler Hinman

Tyler has been competing since 2001 and is a seven-time champion! He has been in the top ten NINETEEN times (including five times in a row at second place and fourteen times in the top three). He was the Division B winner in his second appearance.

  1. David Plotkin

David has been competing since 2010, and has been in the top ten TWELVE times. He has been in the top 3 six times and has never ranked lower than 28th!

  1. Dan Feyer

Dan has been competing since 2008 and is a nine-time champion! He has been in the top ten SIXTEEN times (literally every time except his first tournament appearance).

[It’s not until the final two names that we really get anyone who qualifies as new blood.]

  1. Will Nediger

Will has been competing since 2021 and has been in the top 3 twice. He has been in the top ten three times (meaning every time he’s competed).

  1. Paolo Pasco

Paolo has been competing since 2021 and is a two-time champion! He has been in the top ten five times (every time he’s competed). He was also the Division B winner in 2022.

You have to go back to the year 1998 to find a tournament that didn’t feature one of these ten people as a solver. That’s amazing!

Originally, I was just going to focus on the top ten solvers from this year’s tournament and their many accomplishments.

But as I was going through the rankings year by year, I was struck by how many names I recognized, and how many times I got to see those names. I got to experience the tournament community as a microcosm across literal decades.

I watched the changing of the guard as some names slowly slipped out of the top ten and were replaced by others. Names like Anne Erdmann and Trip Payne and Jon Delfin and Ellen Ripstein and Douglas Hoylman. I was more familiar with some than others.

The slow evolution of solvers really struck both the puzzle nerd in me and the history nerd in me. I ventured back before my own career in puzzles started (back in 2003).

I’ve never competed at the ACPT, but I attended the event for several years, working the Penny Press / Puzzlenation table in the common area, and I grew familiar with a lot of attendees. Puzzle people are genuinely nice folks, and so many of them were happy to visit for a bit, introducing themselves, checking out our magazines, and taking advantage of our pencil sharpeners.

Everyone was so friendly, sharing their excitement for the event and letting me know their thoughts on each puzzle as the tournament went on. It really is a delight.

(Just don’t start a conversation about which pencils are the best for solving and you’ll be fine!)

New blood or not, the crossword scene is clearly thriving, and I can’t wait to see what next year’s tournament brings.

Happy puzzling, everyone!