The following are my anecdotal contributions to the land of great misfit games. I've tried to select games that I have not seen on other similar pages. If you have even heard of these games, you have faced the addiction of gaming for at least as long as I have. All of these are long past their print run, and the only value these have, that I know of, is blowing the dust off and having a grand time with them.
SNIT’S REVENGE - TSR (1978)
Yeah, I know. You've
seen this one, but do you own one? If you didn't buy one of the
three versions it was released in, shame on you. This early Tom
Wham classic pits a flock(?) of Snits invading the inside organs
of the dreaded Bolotomus. Although similar in system to his
equally wonderful Awful Green Things From Outer Space, this one is
different enough and just as fun.
COLUMBUS! - THE
GAME OF EXPLORATION, CONQUEST AND TRADE - Points Westward
(1989)
More of a typical American style game with lots of dice
rolling, moving around the board, collecting stuff, etc. But what
sets this apart is its conquest aspect. Players buy and sell five
different commodities before setting sail from Spain to lay claim
to various regions in the Caribbean. Once a settlement is
claimed, it needs to be fortified or an opponent could snatch it
away from you. The strategic juggling act is deciding when
you have enough provisions to go exploring and get the jump on
everyone to the New World, and do you spend all of your earnings
fortifying one area only to lose another. The quality of the
components is super, although with some chintzy artwork.
Nonetheless, gaming time well spent.
STOMP! -
Tadashi Ehara (1978)
If you need to fill your "silly games"
collection, keep looking for this one. Distributed by the
Chaosium, this small zip-lock game pits one player as a bunch of
nasty elves versus one angry giant named Thunderpumper. What
makes this unique is that the giant is represented by two
double-sized foot counters, while the elf counters show various
tongue out caricatures staring up at you. Game play is basically
the giant trying to stomp on the elves while the elves try to
stake the giant's sandals into the ground then lasso him down. To
add to the funfare, combat is resolved by the old pick-up method
of "shooting" fingers. All together now: "Me stomp puny
elves!"
FUTURE -
Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation (1966)
This game has
nothing to do with big business, trading, or corporate takeovers.
It is a game designed by three PhD's regarding investment twenty
years into the future. The smallish but very thick box is crammed
with heavy duty plastic scoring tracks, huge event cards, wagering
chips, money, and a large custom 20-sided percentile die. (Getting
it all back in the box takes some practice.) Of the sixty future
events, only fifteen are used per game, so replay is excellent.
Gameplay hinges on players accurately forecasting a wide range of
events from world-wide anti-poverty programs to Men landing on
Mars. Each event is rated with a percent chance of success that
players can manipulate through the course of play, with the winner
being the most accurate predictor. I know of no other similar
game to compare it to. A quick and thought provoking game that
still provides some insight even fifteen years after the
fact.
NOMAD GODS -
Cam Stafford (1977)
This second in the Dragon Pass series that
started with White Bear and Red Moon (which was rereleased as
Dragon Pass by Avalon Hill) is equally engrossing and has more
atmosphere than any other games I have ever played (yes, ever).
Although more or less a typical hexmap "wargame" with counters
representing a variety of armies, it is the special characters and
alliances within the grand mythos that makes the game special,
along with the wonderfully appropriate artwork of William Church
and Gene Day. A simple system by today's standards, but one never
equaled in presentation. Whether fending off the Crimson Bat at
Dragon Pass or enticing the Fathers of the Tribes on the Plaines
of Prax, the world of Glorantha always has a fabulous tale to
tell.
- Ray Smith
