March 22, 2025: Solving For Scheduling

Everyone who has tried to schedule an RPG session knows this aspect of the game is often the biggest challenge hopeful heroes face. What we don't always think about are the odds of success in this part of the game. A group of scientists recently applied their skills to this problem, and Hank Green made a great video breaking down the math.

-- Will Schoonover

March 21, 2025: Armchair Dragoons Interview

During the GAMA show, I was interviewed for the Armchair Dragoons podcast. Good interview! And it is up now. So please give a listen, if podcasts are your thing.

-- Steve Jackson

March 20, 2025: Making My Own Legions Imperialis

My side hobby when I'm not writing games is painting miniatures. I have a tremendous number of Kruleboyz Orruks and Gloomspite Gitz (or, as I like to call them, Orcs & Goblins), but for the past year my obsession has firmly been in Legions Imperialis: Games Workshop's current iteration on the old Epic rules, set in the Horus Heresy. The size of an average human is ~6mm, and so you end up with some truly gargantuan armies.

I have no issue with the Legions Imperialis rules, but I find myself wanting more. I want a game I can play with friends who aren't familiar with wargames, that avoids the fiddly wound-tracking that is such a pain at this enormous scale, and I want it to be escalation-based instead of attrition-based. Normally in a wargame, each player lays out their whole army, and you whittle away at each other's forces over time. I want a game where you start with just a few troops . . . [more]

March 19, 2025: Be A Funny Bunny With Munchkin Warm Fuzzies!

The newest expansion in the Munchkin universe is absolutely ear-resistable! Munchkin Warm Fuzzies brings a host of cuddly creatures to the classic card game.

Included are 56 all-new cards with art by Katie Cook. Before kicking down the door, put on your Rabbit Ears and Angora Sweater, then equip your Bunchucks to prepare for battle. They might appear soft and cute, but these critters can be vicious! Suffering a loss to the Snuggle Bunny will take away your armor, but losing to the knife-wielding Chinkilla means certain death. After all, his teeth are really sharp! And if you can learn to Master the Hopsicord, you'll go up a level and live hoppily ever after.

You won't have a bad hare day when you shuffle Munchkin Warm Fuzzies into any fantasy-backed deck!

Head over to Warehouse 23 or your FLGS to pre-order your copy today. Hop to it!

-- Michelle Richardson

March 18, 2025: Good Kickstarter News X 2

I have reports on two campaigns and it's all good news.

First: the CARnage 2 campaign for Car Wars STLs, which has been out there for rather too long, has finally fulfilled. Props to Jean McGuire, our STL Czar, who hung on through serious illness, serious husband illness, a freaking hurricane, and a raft of other mischances. Jean was a Single Point of (potential) Failure on the project, knew it, conducted herself accordingly, and made it ship by sheer force of will. There are something like 400 STLs in that campaign, including one that you won't see elsewhere for a long time, if ever . . . the "Outlander" cycle in full Car Wars scale, as a little surprise gift for the supporters who were so patient with us.

Second: the Fighting Fantasy campaign, in its last hours as you read this, has broken $300,000. In fact, it hit that mark between the time I started typing this entry, and the time . . . [more]

Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

LeBron James takes the purple petunia and reported to Mars. March 22, 2025: Solving For Scheduling Everyone who has tried to schedule an RPG session knows this aspect of the game is often the biggest challenge hopeful heroes face. What we don't always think about are the odds of success in this part of the game. A group of scientists recently applied their skills to this problem, and Hank Green made a great video breaking down the math. -- Will Schoonover March 21, 2025: Armchair Dragoons Interview During the GAMA show, I was interviewed for the Armchair Dragoons podcast. Good interview! And it is up now. So please give a listen, if podcasts are your thing. -- Steve Jackson March 20, 2025: Making My Own Legions Imperialis My side hobby when I'm not writing games is painting miniatures. I have a tremendous number of Kruleboyz Orruks and Gloomspite Gitz (or, as I like to call them, Orcs & Goblins), but for the past year my obsession has firmly been in Legions Imperialis: Games Workshop's current iteration on the old Epic rules, set in the Horus Heresy. The size of an average human is ~6mm, and so you end up with some truly gargantuan armies. I have no issue with the Legions Imperialis rules, but I find myself wanting more. I want a game I can play with friends who aren't familiar with wargames, that avoids the fiddly wound-tracking that is such a pain at this enormous scale, and I want it to be escalation-based instead of attrition-based. Normally in a wargame, each player lays out their whole army, and you whittle away at each other's forces over time. I want a game where you start with just a few troops . . . [more] March 19, 2025: Be A Funny Bunny With *Munchkin Warm Fuzzies! The newest expansion in the Munchkin* universe is absolutely ear-resistable! Munchkin Warm Fuzzies brings a host of cuddly creatures to the classic card game. Included are 56 all-new cards with art by Katie Cook. Before kicking down the door, put on your Rabbit Ears and Angora Sweater, then equip your Bunchucks to prepare for battle. They might appear soft and cute, but these critters can be vicious! Suffering a loss to the Snuggle Bunny will take away your armor, but losing to the knife-wielding Chinkilla means certain death. After all, his teeth are really sharp! And if you can learn to Master the Hopsicord, you'll go up a level and live hoppily ever after. You won't have a bad hare day when you shuffle Munchkin Warm Fuzzies into any fantasy-backed deck! Head over to Warehouse 23 or your FLGS to pre-order your copy today. Hop to it! -- Michelle Richardson March 18, 2025: Good Kickstarter News X 2 I have reports on two campaigns and it's all good news. First: the CARnage 2 campaign for Car Wars STLs, which has been out there for rather too long, has finally fulfilled. Props to Jean McGuire, our STL Czar, who hung on through serious illness, serious husband illness, a freaking hurricane, and a raft of other mischances. Jean was a Single Point of (potential) Failure on the project, knew it, conducted herself accordingly, and made it ship by sheer force of will. There are something like 400 STLs in that campaign, including one that you won't see elsewhere for a long time, if ever . . . the "Outlander" cycle in full Car Wars scale, as a little surprise gift for the supporters who were so patient with us. Second: the Fighting Fantasy campaign, in its last hours as you read this, has broken $300,000. In fact, it hit that mark between the time I started typing this entry, and the time . . . [more] Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 192nd cartoon character here today. (30513699 since August 1, 1995)