Cosmic Hearts

I've long held the belief that all games become better the more they become like Cosmic Encounter. There are few games that couldn't be spiced up by the addition of random player powers.

Apparently I'm not alone.

The latest interview with Richard Garfield in Escapist magazine indicates that he is working on a version of "Cosmic Hearts". It turns out that he's not the first to have thought of this marriage.

Back in July, 2001, the Seattle Cosmic game night played a rousing round of Cosmic Hearts, and they recall playing the game almost a year in earlier as well, in July, 2000. In their session report, they describe the powers used and their effects, including the Connoisseur, Insect, Filch, Changeling, Trader, Chronos, and (oh heavens) Schizoid.

Sounds like fun.

Frugal Journey tells its readers to make homemade board games, and then links to over 100 free board games around the Internet, including the likes of Wiz War. Looks like a great list.

Edwin Wong writes up board games in the New Straights Times online.

The Seattle PI also covers Eurogames in an article about a new games store, Blue Highway Games.

Chesspark, an online chess playing site, has raised over $1,000,000 in funding.

The Lansing State Journal talks up the upcoming Gamers Gone Wild.

The endless rain in the UK has at least driven up board and card game sales.

Every day there are articles about doctors or researchers using board or card games for medical studies or therapy. Here's one about using the game Snap to research ADHD.

Magic: the Gathering is now on its tenth edition.

Quasr is an online CCG where you are allowed creative control over the cards, or so I gather.

Yehuda