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Old 06-01-2021, 11:56 PM   #1
Tequesian
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Default I lurve pocket box games

Ya, seriously. Like the title says.

When I was a wee one living in Bangor, Maine, I discovered these games that were in a goofy little plastic envelope. It was hard to find people to play these with as most of the adults in my life were at about the level of checkers (I already knew not to go first) and the kids... yea. Somehow they never trusted me when I told them that even though they only get one piece ( the Ogre) they will most likely win.

Any way, I just wanted to say thanks to Steve Jackson Games for coming up with the pocket box games again. It has given me a chance to get hands on some of the ones I missed way back when. One Page Bulge is pretty cool. Sent to me when I ordered the Illuminati and Ogre sets for my nephew. He really likes Ogre and seems intrigued with Illuminati (for the fact that the rules actually say you can cheat. He isn't that good at the cheating part yet though)

Anyway, as I am currently about through with a bottle of Old Benson fine tawny port, and thinking about games, it seemed like maybe someone could benefit from me venting about games I would like to see... in pocket box format.

Erm.. Aero Wars?

Yea, I actually have all my original Car Wars games. They were pocket box until Aero. I have that one too, but it sort of messes with my idea of appropriate. Could be I just missed the pocket box version, I know. I also missed the Catalogue from Hell and the Military Vehicles. Certain level of forgiveness seems in order on those though. Was in the Navy at the time and being an engineer on a ship cuts into game time (to say the flipping least).

In case it wasn't obvious, the version of Aero Wars that I have is more bookshelf sized. At least it isn't that odd game box like Monopoly and the rest. I like those those too, but the box is a bit inconvenient. In fact, lately I have been contemplating how to cut the game boards of my more traditional games to make them sort of book case editions, homebrew. (even if I screw it up badly, I can just buy the game again)

So yea, AeroWars.

While we're at it, Triplanetary?

Yep, the new pocket boxes are pretty tough, and a little larger. Why not see if you can cram the Solar System into one?

Groo. I saw that Illuminator asking about Marc Evaniers. I actually have the Groo game, though came to it at a collector market (ugh). Actually, mine lives in an old pocket box, though I am a little scared to play it. It does work pretty great though. Other people store their Groo game in old vhs cassette tape cases. We are probably on to something here, ya know?

Striker.

Seriously. Striker is to miniatures what GURPS is to role playing. Not in a sourcebook way, but for the game itself. You can play just about any battle, from history to future history. I remember seeing GURPS Traveller stuff. Bring out Striker... in a pocket box.

Shucks, if we are gonna dream the impossible dream, Warp War, One World, and Rivets. I know that is reaching, but they were games I really liked. Along with Melee and Wizard, and Ogre, of course. Already have those though. My Ogre is in the original pocket box, being as I gave my envelope game to my Brother. (ya, shouldn't have broken up the set. Oh well, time makes fools of us all)

I know people crap themselves about Chitin. Whatev.... it was just another war game. Oooh, bugs. Not that different. Warp War did not use dice. That is pretty cool.

One World is a board game of essentially Rock, Paper Scissors! Hilarious and fun to play. Again, no dice. Might not rate an entire pocket box even. I don't know, add in a special version of Cosmic Wimpout? Diceless board game together with a boardless dice game. Maybe make an update that is Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock?

Rivets? Sure, just another war game, to be honest. I liked that it involved manufacturing. Not to mention the limitation of the units could only be programmed to fight one type of enemy at a time. Some entertaining situations come up sometimes. or maybe it is weak sauce.

Just sort of spit balling ideas here. I have seen a fair number of games come and go. Some, I will never really miss as it was hard to learn and more difficult to teach. Others... well, stupid is probably a bit judgemental, but I never developed a great interest in playing. Still more games were great fun but just went out of production after awhile, perhaps filling their niche and no more (Ace of Aces?) relegated to the collector bins, at which prices no one is playing those anymore. The very idea of a game being too expensive to play makes me nearly as sad as tearing down a set after the last show has played (very very sad).

I got GHOSTS, dammit!

Ah well. A few ideas anyway. I always look forward to what SJGames is doing, until the real world bites on to me for a while. Then I miss stuff. Then I find out I missed stuff. Then I get annoyed with myself. Sort of a cycle. Probably everyone been there at some point.

By the way, I am the knucklehead that cut up paper and found dice to introduce a few friends to Melee during a JROTC class period. Pocket box games sort of lend themselves to this sort of guerilla gaming. Maybe that explains my interest in the format.

Cheers.
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