September 9, 2011
Volume 4, Issue 3
Feature Article
The Pyramids are Back!
The long-awaited return of the Icehouse Game System is finally at hand! Get your pre-orders in now for IceDice, the latest and greatest incarnation of the Looney Game System!
The new headliner game introduces a great new component: a pair of special dice which adds a much needed randomizing element to the system. One die features the 5 colors in a rainbow stash plus a wild symbol, and the other die features pyramid icons in various combos. Together you can roll them to randomly determine a specific pyramid, or limited-option selection of pyramids, and these tools open the door to a whole new world of game design options.
IceDice uses these new dice for a really fun and easy-to-learn "press you luck" style game. The new game set comes with 2 rainbow stashes, which is enough for 2 players - more can play by adding extra rainbow stashes, but we've found it's the most fun as a 2 player game.
IceDice features a wonderful new packaging style: a pyramid-shaped zippered cloth bag, with a loop at the top so you can hang it on things. Anyone who's ever lost a small pyramid because it slipped out of the loose opening of a drawstring bag will understand how exciting it is to have a portable pyramids bag with a zippered closure! The fact that it's shaped like a pyramid just adds to the coolness.
The relaunch of the old Icehouse game system includes expansion sets and a new name. After years of downplaying the namesake game and confusion therefore about the whole system, we are now embracing the system view and calling the expansion products Looney Pyramids. Available in both Rainbow and Xeno flavors, the boxed sets of 15 pyramids (which are the same sized boxes as Looney Labs card games and arrive in a standard six-pack display) include a little introductory booklet providing an overview of more than a dozen popular games. Some of these games can be played with one stash, others will need 3 or 5 of these boxed sets.
Star Fluxx is Landing!
How do we follow up the awesomeness of Pirate Fluxx? With a trip into the stars, that's how! Get ready for Star Fluxx, a tribute to all the great sci-fi stories of the past few decades! Whereas Martian Fluxx was inspired by all the great alien invasion stories from the War of the Worlds to the monster movies of the 50s, Star Fluxx draws from the futuristic movies and shows of the 60s and 70s.
Join the intrepid crew of a Starship - the Captain, the Engineer, the Doctor, the Scientist, the Robot, and the Expendable Crewman - as they journey from a Small Moon to a Distant Planet, exploring Alien Cities and finding Alien Life Forms, seeking out new Energy Crystals, encountering such mysteries as the Monolith, the Wormhole, the Time Portal, and the Time Traveler. With the help of your trusty Intergalactic Travel Guide and a Computer, you might win with the Ultimate Answer!
Star Fluxx adds a few new wrinkles to the Surprises added in Pirate Fluxx and the Creepers added in Zombie Fluxx. Star Fluxx introduces a great new Surprise, called It's a Trap! which lets you turn the tables on someone stealing a Keeper from you. As for the Creepers, they have the new power of attaching themselves to specific Keepers and spoiling that card until you can get rid of them both. Star Fluxx includes 3 such cards: Malfunction, Brain Parasites, and Evil.
Malfunction attaches specifically to one of the nine mechanical Keepers in the game, while Brain Parasites only attach themselves to sentient beings. But any Keeper can become Evil. As for getting rid of these problems, the Engineer can fix Malfunctions, the Doctor can cure Brain Parasites, and a good old fashioned Laser Pistol or Laser Sword can get rid of something Evil. Such problems can also be moved to another player through the use of the Teleporter.
Star Fluxx features awesome artwork by Derek Ring.
For a sneak preview, check out the fantastic video made by Alex Bradley!
No matter which classic of sci-fi you like best, you'll love Star Fluxx! Pre-order your copy today!
Trivia Question
Why is the bonus game included with IceDice called Launchpad-23? Was that the launchpad Apollo-11 blasted off from?
Scroll down to see the answer.
Ask Andy
Q: The survey question asks which you like better, Star Trek or Star Wars. So, Andy, which do you like better, Star Trek or Star Wars, and why?
A: "I'm a Trekkie, not a Jedi. I've certainly enjoyed my share of Star Wars over the years... I dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi for Halloween in 1977. But Trek beats Wars for me, and I think the reason is the basic nature of the storylines. Star Wars is an epic story of Good vs. Evil, in very obvious black & white terms, but Star Trek is a lot more nuanced. I find the adventures more interesting when the characters are more complex, with traits of good and evil within them. Never was that more clear than in my favorite episodes of classic trek, which depict that inner struggle by showing us the darker side of the characters: remember the evil "mirror" universe episode, and that one where a transporter accident literally splits captain Kirk into a good and evil version of himself. (Also, unlike Star Wars, Star Trek occasionally features time travel, and I'm always a sucker for that.)"
Survey of the Month
Here are some of the classics of sci-fi you'll be reminded of when you play Star Fluxx. What are your favorites?
Take the Survey! We'll post the results in our next newsletter.
Results of Last Issue's Survey
Here's what the 44 people who responded to the last survey said:
Which is your favorite dragon in Seven Dragons?
- 25.0% - Blue Dragon
- 20.5% - Rainbow Dragon
- 20.5% - Green Dragon
- 13.6% - Black Dragon
- 11.4% - Red Dragon
- 6.8% - Silver Dragon
- 2.3% - Gold Dragon
Trivia Question Answer
No, it's not the Apollo-11 Launchpad, that was 39A. Andy chose the number 23 for the name of Launchpad 23 because it was the 23rd game he invented for Looney Pyramids.