Shadowrun Returns, again!

If you follow us on one of the multiple social media feeds that CanGeek Games and Collectibles is active on then you've most likely heard me sing the praises of the Shadowrun franchise at least once or twice.

The simple truth is that as a teenager when our local gaming group got together it was usually to play Magic: The Gathering, Battletech or Shadowrun - those were fun times indeed.

The last tabletop game of Shadowrun I ever played involved me and my best friend, both playing Street Samurai, and our attempt to completely derail our Game-Master's one off adventure.  While the GM was attempting to tell his tale, the two of us were working against each other, hanging each other out to dry, and claiming wayward Katana's as trophies....that was the last game of Shadowrun we played, mainly because our GM refused to run any more games - although I'm not sure why.

Then a few years ago the wonderful people at Harebrained Schemes launched a Kickstarter for Shadowrun Returns, a turn based Role-Playing Game for the PC, Android and IOS that immediately rekindled my love for this Cyberpunk classic.  Based on the success of their first campaign, Harebrained Schemes would later release Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Shadowrun: Hong Kong, and in so doing would also relieve me of more nuyen - Once a runner, Always a runner!

While the software market was being well-tended to by Harebrained Schemes, the tabletop market was starting to show signs of life again as TOPPS, the company that currently owns many of the properties once owned by FASA, has been hard at work ensuring that these franchises continue through third party licences.

Recently Catalyst Game Labs, who has been involved any many of the current Shadowrun offerings, announced the Shadowrun: SPRAWL OPS board game on Kickstarter. 

In partnership with Lynnvander Studios, this competitive 3 to 4 player game will have players leading and developing their own team of runners as they seek their next big payout. Each mission completed allows players to enhance their runners as they prepare for their final mission - taking on one of the worlds largest mega-corps in order to secure victory.

Offering many backer options, including one which allows you to convert from a competitive to cooperative adventure, Shadowrun: SPRAWL OPS seems like it is destined to be both a hit for its developers and one more game I have to add to my ever-growing library.

Do you plan to support this game? Let us know in the comments below and remember to join the conversation on our Facebook Community Page.

As always, thanks for reading.

Ernest Gary Gygax: his legacy of adventures and storytelling

An elf, a warrior, A mage and a thief enter a dungeon....

It sounds like an introduction to what might be a really bad joke, but it's a scenario that has played out countless times over the course of the past 43 years, at its core it's what Dungeons & Dragons is all about.

As Role-playing games go Dungeons & Dragons is basically the grandfather of them all, with most RPG's being able to trace their roots back, at least in part to D&D.

You begin by creating a player-character (PC), you define this character by picking your name, race, gender, class, attributes and abilities - then the fun REALLY begins as your Dungeon Master (DM) leads you and your fellow players on a grand adventure!

Because at its core Dungeons & Dragons is all about the adventure and the storytelling!

However had it not been for E. Gary Gygax, who is widely considered the father of D&D, then Role-players the world over would not have the benefit of traveling to multiple mystical lands, raiding and looting various dungeons, doing battle with fearsome creatures, and welding artifacts with powers beyond their wildest imaginations!

As a gamer at heart Gygax had been an avid war-gamer and creator of multiple war-gaming organizations throughout the 1960's - as well as the founder of the Gen Con Gaming Convention.  As a game designer Gygax helped create Chainmail, a medieval miniatures war-game in 1971.  Two years later Gygax would co-found Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)  with childhood friend Don Kaye, and would co-create Dungeons & Dragons: First Edition with game designer Dave Arneson the following year.

That same year Gygax would found The Dragon, a magazine designed to further promote the newly created D&D gaming system.  Four years later Gygax would begin working on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, an update to the D&D gaming system which would include pre-packaged adventure modules giving Dungeon Masters a rough script to lead their adventures with.

Gygax would leave TSR in 1985 over issues with the companies new majority owner, but he would continue to develop games such as Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure independently up until his death in March of 2008.

Had it not been for the passion and dedication that Gary Gygax had for his craft, many a friendship may not have been forged - So on what would have been his 79th birthday, the small team that is CanGeek Games and Collectables would like to say thank you sir, and may you dine with the Gods this eve.