With only a week left before Halloween, it's time to dig out my Microgames collection, dust off my copy of Transylvania, and give it a spin. Published by Mayfair games, Transylvania is one of several horror-themed microgames published in the early 1980's.
I have a extensive, but incomplete collection of Microgames. While I own the vast majority of the Metagaming titles, I don't own a single Dwarfstar title. The Dwarfstar microgames are the creme-de-la-creme of microgames. While they may or may not have the replay value of some of the earliest Microgame titles, the production values of the Dwarfstar games are top-notch.
I have wanted to get my hands on original copies of Dwarfstar's Star Viking and Star Smuggler games for some time. Star Viking appears to be a game based loosely on H. Beam Piper's Space Viking, while Star Smuggler seems to be a Han Solo-esque game of smuggling and trade. Both are expensive on the resale market, and I have not yet justified paying the prices demanded. Reaper Miniatures apparently owns the rights to the Dwarfstar games, and have kindly allowed these games to be distributed digitally, but there's something about a professionally produced copy, no?
I really loved the microgames back when. Wish I still had them all. I did manage to track down a copy of one of my favorites: TSR's Revolt on Antares.
ReplyDeleteRevolt on Antares is a great game.
ReplyDeleteThe TSR games were actually not bad.
I had a copy of Star Smuggler back in the day (thus hidden somewhere in my mother's attic). It's a fun game, but like that other great solo microgame of the time Barbarian Prince, incredibly random and deadly. Quite easy to be broke or dead at the turn of a paragraph.
ReplyDeleteMan wish I had a copy of Revolt on Antares or the viking game Saga myself.
I guess you could say I have a sever case of microgame envy. I'll have to dig out mine and write about my love fort them
ReplyDeleteSevere, darn it. I meant severe!
ReplyDeleteTSR actually did make some very decent boardgames. I particularly liked their microgame, Vampyre, which I played a lot of in high school. I also loved their Fight in the Skies game (not a microgame, but a lot of fun).
ReplyDeleteI read a fascinating review of this game somewhere. Its great to see it get some love here.
ReplyDeleteI used to play a lot of wargames and really enjoyed them. I love the tactics, history and ease of set up and play.