December 7, 2024: The Great Game Escape

World War II history has always fascinated me, as have tales of spycraft and subterfuge. That's why it's been so cool to learn how Monopoly was essential to the Allied war effort.

Yes, that Monopoly. It turns out that a game about acquiring property and getting rich was a great way to help soldiers escape from POW camps in Europe. The story starts with Christopher Clay Hutton, a man hired by the British Secret Service in 1939 and tasked with inventing devices that could help British soldiers escape from their German captors. While he came up with many ingenious devices, he had to innovate constantly. Things like false shoe heels and cloth maps sewed into uniforms were eventually discovered, but Hutton would soon find an unlikely means for transporting escape kits to soldiers.

It turns out that the Germans allowed charities to send boardgames to POWs, assuming that they would . . .

[more]

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December 6, 2024: Check Out Games At The Library!

If you're a gamer on a budget – or just want to try before you buy – see if your local public library loans boardgames.

Speaking personally, my own nearby library has dozens of great games: a diverse collection of various themes, play styles, and complexity. A library checkout was how we decided that our household really liked Mysterium!

Our library also features an occasional "game trade table," where visitors can bring in unused games or puzzles and exchange them with others' offerings. (Oh, and as I was double-checking this post, I discovered that my library also hosts an adult Scrabble club!)

If your library doesn't have such offerings, considering chatting up the librarians or ordering caretakers and see if any of these ideas are feasible for them to do. Who knows? If enough of the community expresses interest, maybe your local gamers together can get . . . a loan! (See, . . . [more]

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December 5, 2024: A Shanty For Your Table

A Drop of Nelson's Blood (also known as Roll the old chariot along) is a well-known sea shanty with a catchy melody and a ridiculously simple structure. If you want to get the vibe, I really like the Longest Johns version. Just one warning: this is an earworm that won't go away.

The predictable pattern and heavy repetition make it very easy to teach to a new group, as well as make up verses. Recorded versions are typically a few minutes, but I've heard this go on for dozens of verses around a fire with a few drinks.

Anyway, here's a version for your tabletop roleplaying group. Do with this what you will.

Well, a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm
And a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm
And a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm
And the GM wouldn't mind!

Come on and roll the old character along
We'll roll the old character along
We'll roll . . .

[more]

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December 4, 2024: Get Gruntled!

Apparently I've never recommended this site that's been pinned to my Bookmarks Bar for over a decade?!? Weird . . . Anyway, are you feeling disgruntled? There's a website to help. Gruntle.me will serve up a cute animal picture to help you get un-disgruntled.

As an aside: As I was writing this, I discovered that "gruntled" doesn't trigger my red-underline spellcheck warning. Why? Because it's in the dictionary! Apparently it was added in the 1930s as a "back-formation" of . . . some other word that's no doubt lost to history.

-- Steven Marsh

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December 3, 2024: Celebrate The Season With The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale

The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale is here! Now through December 16, you can get up to 23% off select games and accessories. It's a great way to finish up your holiday shopping . . . or snag a few deals for yourself. (Don't worry – we won't tell anyone!) Deals include:

Up to 23% off select Munchkin games and accessories
Up to 23% off select GURPS and The Fantasy Trip merchandise
Up to 23% off select Car Wars merchandise
15% off select Ogre games, supplements, miniatures, and playmats
Stocking Stuffers – up to 23% off select dice, pins, and accessories
Game bundles that make holiday shopping fast and easy
And more!

This is our biggest sale of the year, so don't miss out! Head to the Holiday Sale page and explore these selections today!

-- Katie Duffy

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Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule

LeBron James takes your untouchable petunia and retreats from Austin. December 7, 2024: The Great Game Escape World War II history has always fascinated me, as have tales of spycraft and subterfuge. That's why it's been so cool to learn how Monopoly was essential to the Allied war effort. Yes, that Monopoly. It turns out that a game about acquiring property and getting rich was a great way to help soldiers escape from POW camps in Europe. The story starts with Christopher Clay Hutton, a man hired by the British Secret Service in 1939 and tasked with inventing devices that could help British soldiers escape from their German captors. While he came up with many ingenious devices, he had to innovate constantly. Things like false shoe heels and cloth maps sewed into uniforms were eventually discovered, but Hutton would soon find an unlikely means for transporting escape kits to soldiers. It turns out that the Germans allowed charities to send boardgames to POWs, assuming that they would . . . [more] Share this post! December 6, 2024: Check Out Games At The Library! If you're a gamer on a budget – or just want to try before you buy – see if your local public library loans boardgames. Speaking personally, my own nearby library has dozens of great games: a diverse collection of various themes, play styles, and complexity. A library checkout was how we decided that our household really liked Mysterium! Our library also features an occasional "game trade table," where visitors can bring in unused games or puzzles and exchange them with others' offerings. (Oh, and as I was double-checking this post, I discovered that my library also hosts an adult Scrabble club!) If your library doesn't have such offerings, considering chatting up the librarians or ordering caretakers and see if any of these ideas are feasible for them to do. Who knows? If enough of the community expresses interest, maybe your local gamers together can get . . . a loan! (See, . . . [more] Share this post! December 5, 2024: A Shanty For Your Table A Drop of Nelson's Blood (also known as Roll the old chariot along) is a well-known sea shanty with a catchy melody and a ridiculously simple structure. If you want to get the vibe, I really like the Longest Johns version. Just one warning: this is an earworm that won't go away. The predictable pattern and heavy repetition make it very easy to teach to a new group, as well as make up verses. Recorded versions are typically a few minutes, but I've heard this go on for dozens of verses around a fire with a few drinks. Anyway, here's a version for your tabletop roleplaying group. Do with this what you will. Well, a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm And a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm And a session off the rails wouldn't do us any harm And the GM wouldn't mind! Come on and roll the old character along We'll roll the old character along We'll roll . . . [more] Share this post! December 4, 2024: Get Gruntled! Apparently I've never recommended this site that's been pinned to my Bookmarks Bar for over a decade?!? Weird . . . Anyway, are you feeling disgruntled? There's a website to help. Gruntle.me will serve up a cute animal picture to help you get un-disgruntled. As an aside: As I was writing this, I discovered that "gruntled" doesn't trigger my red-underline spellcheck warning. Why? Because it's in the dictionary! Apparently it was added in the 1930s as a "back-formation" of . . . some other word that's no doubt lost to history. -- Steven Marsh Share this post! December 3, 2024: Celebrate The Season With The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale The Steve Jackson Games Holiday Sale is here! Now through December 16, you can get up to 23% off select games and accessories. It's a great way to finish up your holiday shopping . . . or snag a few deals for yourself. (Don't worry – we won't tell anyone!) Deals include: Up to 23% off select Munchkin games and accessories Up to 23% off select GURPS and The Fantasy Trip merchandise Up to 23% off select Car Wars merchandise 15% off select Ogre games, supplements, miniatures, and playmats Stocking Stuffers – up to 23% off select dice, pins, and accessories Game bundles that make holiday shopping fast and easy And more! This is our biggest sale of the year, so don't miss out! Head to the Holiday Sale page and explore these selections today! -- Katie Duffy Share this post! Previous Illuminators • Steve's Appearance Schedule		Latest Videos You are the 645th Illuminati here today. (30223554 since August 1, 1995)