Role-playing games seemed to appear of nowhere in the early 1970s and have been a quiet but steady presence in American culture ever since. This new look at the hobby searches for the historical origins of role-playing games deep in the imaginative worlds of Western culture. It looks at the earliest fantasy stories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, at the fans--both readers and writers--who wanted to bring them to life, at the Midwestern landscape and the middle-class households that were the hobby's birthplace, and at the struggle to find meaning and identity amidst cultural conflicts that drove many people into these communities of play. This book also addresses race, religion, gender, fandom, and the place these games have within American capitalism. All the paths of this journey are connected by the very quality that has made fantasy role-playing so powerful: it binds the limitless imagination into a "strict" framework of rules. Far from being an accidental offshoot of marginalized fan communities, role-playing games' ability to hold contradictions in dynamic, creative tension made them a necessary and central product of the twentieth century.

Celebrate your campaigns and conquests with these 75 fun, RPG-inspired cocktail recipes your whole gaming group will love! Make your next gaming adventure even more fun with this collection of 75 RPG-inspired cocktails! Featuring fantasy-themed libations from the boozy Dragon the Beach and a Potion of Strength to a sneaky Stealth Check shot and a Never Split the Party Punch, you'll keep spirits high and your friends happy during your next dungeon-crawling tabletop adventure. Complete with easy-to-follow, accessible instructions, Dungeonmeister also includes funny jokes and hilarious asides that will take your campaign (or your next gathering) to the next level!

From early classics like Contact to marvels like High Speed, gaming publisher Williams dazzled arcade goers with its diverse range of quality pinball games. The age of video games catapulted the company into legend with blockbusters like Defender and Joust, and by the end of the 1980s it was the largest coin-op publisher in North America. Its acquisition of Bally/Midway began a period of hits that included Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam, as well as the best-selling pinball machine of all time, The Addams Family. The history of Williams spans nearly six decades and is filled with great games, huge gambles and technical innovations that impacted every aspect of pinball and arcade video games. With interviews from over 40 former designers and executives from Williams/Bally/Midway, as well as information from hundreds of contemporaneous news reports and documents, this book presents a never-before-seen chronology of how the small company became a coin-op juggernaut. Thirty pinball and 26 video game classics are examined in depth with direct input from the people who made them, along with the story of the events that made and shaped one of gaming's greatest publishing houses.

I am awesome This set of 52 cards is full of inspiring affirmations to help improve your child's self-esteem and give them the confidence to do anything they set their mind to! Whether you're looking to bring a bit of sunshine into their day or show them how amazingly awesome they really are, add an extra dose of happiness to each and every day with this collection of sunny sentiments and positive prompts. Each card, which can be displayed individually using the high-quality wooden stand included, features a joyful design to brighten up any shelf, windowsill, desk or table. These cheerful cards are the perfect pick-me-up to boost your child's overall happiness and leave them smiling from ear to ear. Box includes 52 individual cards and a wooden holder Each powerful affirmation can be used as a decoration anywhere in your home Beautifully presented and featuring colourful card designs

Eat delicious snacks and game-friendly meals in between dice rolls and encounters with this easy-to-follow RPG themed cookbook perfect for every game group. Feed your gamer group with this collection of 75 game-friendly bar bites, finger foods, and easy-to-share meals. With recipes from the passable Goodberries Baked Cheese-wrapped dates to the one-handed Dragon on a Stick Easy-Eat Meat Skewers to the player-favorite Inspiration Points Peanut Butter White Chocolate Pretzels, this cookbook has you covered for any game night adventure. Complete with easy-to-follow recipes and the wit and wisdom of the authors of A Dragon Walks into a Bar and Dungeonmeister, this book will hit the spot for hungry fighters, spellcasters, and anyone else at the table. Additional recipes include: -Goblintzes-Cheese Blintzes -Genasi's Delight-Masala Peanuts -Remarkably Movable Rods-Candied Bacon -The Picked Pocket-Hamburger Stuffed Rolls -Healing Words-Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Frosting -Shards of Elemental Chaos-Candy Bark -Hex Grid Cookies-Map-Based Sugar Cookies

Modern classic offers thorough, systematic analysis of the use of the queen, active king, exchanges, seven different uses of pawns, minority attackk, dynamic elements, much more. Analyses of 129 great games featuring Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Botvinnik, Reshevsky, Bronstein, Smyslov, Spassky, other masters. Indexes of games and openings. 298 diagrams.

Using the same format as The Pocket Guide to Bridge, this book will provide a handy pocket summary of the popular SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) bidding system. In a concise but readable manner, it goes over the basic ideas of SAYC, which is the most popular natural system for online bridge players around the world. The contents are based on Standard Bidding with SAYC, by the same authors.

Bursting with facts on over 600 unique blocks! Minecraft continues to grow every year and Minecraft Blockopedia: Updated Edition catalogues every single block in the game. Over 200 new blocks have been added in this completely revised edition, including those from the most recent Caves & Cliffs update. Ever wanted to know how to make obsidian, or find out where you can mine for emeralds? Maybe you've wondered what you can use ancient debris or copper ore for? The answers are all contained in this comprehensive collection of blocks. Every page has been lovingly crafted from the ground up to suitably showcase each of the blocks - from deep dives on the intricate patterns of glazed terracotta and the benefits of the beacon block to concise explanations of furnace and anvil mechanics. This is the perfect gift for Minecraft fans of all generations, in a beautifully presented hardback edition. The original version of this title was a bestseller, shifting 200,000 copies in the UK alone.

Match the dogs and puppies of 25 breeds from around the world in this beautifully illustrated memory game. To play, simply place the cards face down and see if you can remember where the dog and its puppy are located. Collect more pairs than your opponent to win! With all kinds of breeds included - from Siberian Huskies to Pugs and Dachshunds to Dalmatians - this fun and educational game will appeal to dog lovers everywhere.

Clear visual instructions for creating 28 delightful images from a popular 19th-century picture book: goose, deer (with antlers), birds, bunny, dog, elephant, tortoise, and other engaging creatures, along with often hilarious snippets of verse by zany 20th century humorist. Engaging book recalls a pastime that has delighted children and adults for generations.

Mathematical play has challenged and stimulated human ingenuity throughout recorded history. It has ranged from the common sorts of brain teasers such as mazes, arithmetic story problems, and simple geometric puzzles to sophisticated explorations of questions that still concern modern mathematical theorists. This new dictionary provides a tantalizing variety of paradoxes, games, problems, and puzzles that will appeal to mathematics enthusiasts at every level of proficiency. Eiss introduces his subject with an overview of the history of recreational mathematics and its relation to some theoretical questions that have occupied mathematicians for centuries. Dictionary entries include problems posed by particular thinkers as well as traditional puzzlers that have come down to us anonymously. Information on the origins and history of many of the activities is supplied, and thorough cross-referencing enables the reader to locate all puzzles, games, and amusements of a similar type. The bibliography suggest sources of further information.

The northern lights are nature's spectacular light show. This gorgeous deck, put together by author Tom Anderson, features some of the most beautiful photographs of the aurora borealis ever captured. Anyone who appreciates nature will love having these playing cards for their favorite games.

"Bridge Is a Conversation" is a guide to bridge fundamentals for players who already have an understanding of the basics of the game and the desire to improve their competitiveness at the bridge table. The goal is not to teach how bridge systems are built, nor to describe their content, but rather to clarify how to use them the way the best players in the world do and to offer an alternative to simply "playing by the book." You will find the game much more interesting, challenging, and enjoyable than you ever dreamed it could be. The principles in this book are valid regardless of the bidding system used. In sixty years of playing bridge, author Gerard Cohen has observed many games of bridge, and he brings that knowledge to this guide. His observations of how his partners, opponents, and others play that make them outstanding are key to the thoughts included here. He looked for patterns, drew conclusions and developed general concepts that those who haven't reached the top level yet can learn and apply for a chance at competing with the best. Take your bridge game to the next level with "Bridge Is a Conversation."

Play Cards and Learn About the Most Welcomed Garden Visitors! Anyone who enjoys nature, gardening, and bugs will love these striking cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Adventure Publications' popular guides to insects and bugs, this gorgeous deck features full-color photographs that showcase 54 of North America's most common and important pollinators to know. Bumblebees, honeybees, monarchs, tiger swallowtails, and more, the Bees & Butterflies Playing Cards help you begin to learn what each type of species looks like. Play card games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about bees, butterflies, and even a couple of moths (jokers). The deck is a fun and thoughtful gift.

When the day becomes the night and the sky becomes the sea, it's time to shuffle these cards together and deal them around the tea table. This deck is a standard poker set, with the four classic suits. Each celebrates Lewis' iconic characters, featuring William Penhallow Henderson's illustrations for a 1915 Chicago stage production of Alice in Wonderland. The Cheshire cat is spades; The White Rabbit represent clubs; Alice is diamonds; but beware the Queen of Hearts. Her suit will take your head.

Are you thinking about working in the board game industry? Here's what you need to know. There are so many jobs and roles that need to be filled in the board game industry. You might just have the right skills and experience to excel. But first you need to know what opportunities exist and what the hardest gaps are to fill! In this book, you'll discover * What jobs are really in demand * How you can get your foot in the door with a publisher * Jobs in the industry you've never even thought of * What other opportunities exist for people with skills just like yours With insights from over 40 industry pros, as well as the author's many years of experience, you'll be able to put your own skills and experience to great use in an amazing, growing industry.

Making a great board game and pitching it to publishers are two completely different things. If you've got a game that you want to share with the world but don't know what to do next, this book will help you navigate through exactly what steps to take. You'll discover: How to find the right publisher Exactly what publishers are looking for How to create a sell sheet that will actually sell your game How to negotiate the best deal and get paid more for your game What to look out for in contracts to make sure you don't get exploited You'll learn from Joe's experiences as a full-time board game designer and instructor, along with tips and stories from a dozen other published designers, plus the exact things that publishers want. Direct from 16 established publishers.

Few men are prominent chess players as well as esteemed chess writers. James Mason, in his lifetime, had the reputation of being both. This book chronicles Mason's early career in the United States, providing many details on his writings and annotations for The Spirit of the Times and The American Chess Journal, his participation in the Cafe Europa and Cafe International tournaments, his win in 1876's Fourth American Chess Congress, and his matches against chess greats like George H. Mackenzie, Eugene Delmar, Dion M. Martinez, Edward Alberoni, and Henry E. Bird. Mason's efforts to establish an American Chess Association and to arrange an international centennial congress in 1876 are also explored. In addition to the general index, the work also includes indexes of games, annotators, and openings.

Discover all kinds of delicious foods from around the world - from sourdough to bagels and croissants to crumpets. Mark them off on your game card and... BINGO! Contains 48 superbly illustrated food chips, one game board, 8 double-sided game cards and 150 brightly coloured counters, as well as a leaflet containing fun trivia and games for the baked goods featured.